Source: Isabelle Huppert to be Honored at AFI FEST 2016
Monthly Archives: October 2016
FILM REVIEW: Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey (Malick, 2016): USA
FILM REVIEW: The Bleeder (Falardeau, 2016): USA
PATRIOTS DAY Will Close AFI FEST 2016
AFI FEST 2016 presented by Audi will close with the Special Closing Night Gala Presentation of CBS Films and Lionsgate’s PATRIOTS DAY, directed by Peter Berg and starring Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg. The Closing Night Gala will take place on November 17, 2016, at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Watch the film’s trailer below.
An account of the Boston Marathon bombing, PATRIOTS DAY is the powerful story of a community’s courage in the face of terror. In the aftermath of an unspeakable attack, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the bombers before they strike again. Weaving together the stories of Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon), Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman), Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons) and nurse Carol Saunders (Michelle Monaghan), this visceral and unflinching chronicle captures the suspense of one of the most sophisticated manhunts in law enforcement history and celebrates the strength of the people of Boston.
Patron Packages can include access to Galas and other high-demand films and events. Individual tickets will be available on AFI.com/AFIFEST beginning November 1.
(Source:www.blog.afi.com)
Girls und Panzer Film Opens in U.S. on November 18 With San Francisco Premiere
Film distribution company Eleven Arts confirmed on Thursday that it will release the English dub of Girls und Panzer der Film in theaters on November 18. The company will hold the official premiere at the New People Cinema in San Francisco at 7:00 p.m. that day. The event will include a Q&A with the English dub‘s director after the film’s screening. Eleven Arts will announce more screenings in other theaters on Friday.
Sentai Filmworks licensed the film and previously announced plans to release the film in theaters in November. Sentai Filmworks also plans to reveal more details on “distribution, release date, and streaming offerings” at a later date.
The Girls und Panzer film is director Tsutomu Mizushima’s follow-up to his 2012 Girls und Panzer television anime about schoolgirls who learn to battle in tanks with other teams nationwide.
(Source: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com)
Dil Raju acquires distribution rights of Nanna Nenu Naa Boyfriends
Posted by Larry Gleeson
By Express Web Desk
Tollywood’s ace producer and distributor acquired film rights of Nanna Nenu Naa Boyfriends in both the Telugu speaking states. The romantic comedy feature Kumari 21 fame Hebba Patel, Rao Ramesh, Noel Sean, Parvateesam and Ashwin playing lead roles.
Under the direction of Bandi Bhaskar, former assistant of VV Vinakaya, the movie is slated for release in November this year. The digital poster and the song of the film were also launched this Wednesday.
The movie is bankrolled by Tata Birla Madhyao Lila fame producer Bekkam Venugopal (Gopi) under Lucky Media banners. “We have been working with the Nanna Nenu Naa Boyfriends’ script for the past one year. This story is a youthful love family entertainer. We are also introducing director V V Vinayak’s former assistant Bhaskar Badi, who is directing the movie. We narrated the story to Dil Raju he asked us to make minor changes and we made the film including all of them. Dil Raju saw the first copy of the movie and appreciated our work. Raju liked our previous movie Cinemachoopista Mama and acquired the Nizam distribution rights for the movie, now the producer loved this script and bought the entire distribution rights of the film. We will release the audio and the film soon,” said Venugopal in a statement.
The movie also stars Krishn Bhagavaan, Dhan Raj and Shakalaka Shankar. Music director Shekhar Chandra is rendering audio for the film. B Sai Krishna wrote the script and cinematography is managed by K Naidu.
(source: http://www.indianexpress.com)
FILM CAPSULE: 42nd Street (Bacon, 1933): USA
By Larry Gleeson.
Viewed at the AFI Fest 21012 the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.
42nd Street, a Vitaphone and Warner Bros. picture, directed by Lloyd Bacon, has stood the test of time as the epitome film about those who dream of becoming a star on Broadway. Long-time and highly successful director Julian Marsh, played by Warner Baxter, returns to produce a final Broadway show despite his poor health. The show’s financing comes from a wealthy older man, Abner Dillon, played by Guy Kibbee, who is in love with the leading lady and star of the show, Dorothy Brock, played by Bebe Daniels. But Dorothy’s not interested in his love, because she’s still in love with her previous partner. On the night before the show’s premiere, Dorothy breaks her ankle, and Peggy Sawyer, a novice chorus girl played by Ruby Keeler, tries to fill the role of the fallen star. Several subplots add an extra dimension giving a deeper emotional attachment to the main characters and a breath of originality to the old Cinderella story line.
As a viewer, look forward to lots of singing and dancing, especially toe-tapping, some excellent use of comedic timing and some highly imaginative mise-en-scene. Yet, also be prepared for a taste of the old backstage Broadway magic and excitement that seems to go hand-in-hand with Broadway shows not to mention, the debut of legendary and ground-breaking choreographer Busby Berkeley, and some rather catchy musical numbers like “Shuffle Off To Buffalo”, “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me”, and “42nd Street.” One of the beauties of the film is each musical coincides with an important story event. “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” coincides with honeymooning in nearby Niagara Falls, “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me” expresses Dorothy’s feelings for her new lover and the show-stopper “42nd Street,” gives the distinct melding of the elite to the underworld.
Technically, the film is in black and white print and cinematographer Sal Polito provides a very efficient, hard, unglamorous look to the film utilizing for extended dialog a two-person medium full shot extensively, makes good use of tracking shots to guide the viewer’s eyes and uses high overhead shots to showcase the intricacies of choreographer Busby Berkeley introductory work.
I’ve seen the musical “42nd Street” on stage several times and chose to see it on film at the Hollywood Egyptian as I’ve seen Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954); USA and Lolita (Kubrick, 1962): USA on the big Egyptian screen during previous AFI Fests. All I can say is it’s a real treat and if anyone has the opportunity to see any of the classics at the Egyptian I fully encourage it. Take a minute and check out the trailer. You’ll be happy you did!
The AFI FEST Interview: KILL ME PLEASE Director Anita Rocha da Silveira
This debut film follows 15-year-old Bia and her friends as they grow up in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. As the girls try to navigate the usual pitfalls of puberty, a wave of murders sweeps the city and bodies begin to appear in the group’s usual stomping grounds. What starts as morbid curiosity slowly starts to infect their young lives, and after an encounter with death, Bia will do anything to stay alive. This audacious vision announces filmmaker Anita Rocha da Silveira as a rising talent whose mastery of dark subject matter is strikingly bold and altogether entertaining. The production, packed with killer performances from its young cast and brilliant music, is a giallo-tinged take on puberty and the experience of living in a girl’s body. As it reaches its tense conclusion, the alchemy of styles creates something fiercely original.
AFI spoke to the director about the film, which screens as part of AFI FEST 2016’s New
Auteurs section.
AFI: Your film plays cleverly with horror film references. What inspired you?
Anita Rocha da Silveira: I’m particularly fond of David Lynch. The TWIN PEAKS pilot and BLUE VELVET were very important references. He inspired me to create an alternative universe where I could exaggerate the tones. Most importantly, however, I like the way he portrays flaming desire within a society that’s doomed to fail. I think mostly in characters such as Donna Hayward [on TWIN PEAKS], who feel everything so intensely that they seem just about to faint.
I’m also a fan of Dario Argento and got some inspiration from films like THE STENDHAL SYNDROME. Other essential references are Brian De Palma’s CARRIE, Jacques Tourneur’s CAT PEOPLE and Claire Denis’s TROUBLE EVERY DAY. Some might not consider TROUBLE EVERY DAY a genre piece but, for me, it’s one of the greatest films of the 21st century and an amazing modern vampire tale.
AFI: Your lead actor Valentina Herszage is an incredible discovery and a real-life high-schooler. Talk about your collaboration.
ARDS: It was very important to be able to work with teens of the same age as the characters. I didn’t want a 20-year-old playing a 15-year-old girl. I wanted to find teens who were going through similar dilemmas, [and had] faces that carried the marks of a stage in our lives when our bodies are constantly changing.
We knew we needed to find new talents, so we announced the casting call in drama classes and on Facebook. We saw around 300 girls in our first audition, then I picked 50 for a more specific activity. I finally came down to 13 for one last audition, from which I chose the leading role and the supporting characters.
Valentina was 15 years old during the shoot, and she fascinated me because of her love for horror movies — her favorite is THE SHINING. Other actresses were more prepared but she was fearless and that kind of energy was fundamental to the character. Together, we talked about sexuality, desires, experiences with death, violent impulses. She was always completely committed.
AFI: Did the themes of religion come from your own personal upbringing, or did they erupt from the setting of the film?
ARDS: In Brazil, we’ve been seeing evangelical churches grow at an exponential rate. It’s the fastest growing religion in the country. Every election year we see the evangelical bench in congress increase, as well as the rise of conservative thought, along with the daily attack on women’s and LGBT rights.
We have several evangelical churches here, following different trends. For KILL ME PLEASE, I took my inspiration from a real church, with a big temple in the area where I shot, which targets a younger public. This church has teenage pastors, uses surf boards as altars and also pop music to attract followers. For me it was important to show the church because it’s part of the lives of many Brazilian youths, and also a counterpoint to [lead character] Bia’s desires and wishes. It represents a conservative discourse I’m fed up with, mostly about how a woman is supposed to behave.
Free tickets for KILL ME PLEASE will be available on AFI.com beginning November 1.
(Source: http://www.blog.afi.com)
Floyd Norman Legendary Disney Animator Who Broke Color Barrier to Receive Special Achievement Awards
Posted by Larry Gleeson
By Alexander Nguyen (Patch Staff)
MARINA DEL REY, CA — Disney’s first full-time black animator, Floyd Norman, will be receiving a special achievement award from the African American Film Critics Association at its annual awards ceremony in January in Marina Del Rey, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
Norman, 81, who broke the color barrier in the 1950s, will be receiving the Legendary Animator Award, the group announced this week. Norman has worked on classics such as Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book, and, more recently, Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. before retiring, according to the Daily News.
A documentary of his life and works, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life, was released in August.
The African American Film Critics Association awards will be held at the California Yacht Club in Marina Del Rey on Jan. 7, 2017.
For more on this story, visit the Daily News.
— Photo courtesy of the African American Film Critics Association
(Source: http://www.patch.com)
FILM CAPSULE: Circus Kids (Alexandra Lipsitz, 2010): Israel | USA
Viewed at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, Calif., AFI film festival 2010.
A new documentary, Circus Kids, directed by Alexandra Lipsitz, made its second stop on the festival route in Los Angeles, CA during the AFIfest. Last month Lipsitz debuted Circus Kids at the Chicago International Film Festival. The film follows a group of young circus performers, known as the St. Louis Arches, aged 7-17 from St. Louis, Missouri as they are invited to travel to Israel and to perform with a Israeli/Palestinian kids circus troupe known as the Galilee Children’s Circus.
For most of the Arches, many of whom are from broken homes, it is the first time traveling abroad. Israel is at war. One of the Arches does not receive parental permission to make the trip. Jessica Hentoff, a lifelong circus performer, organized the trip and tells the camera she views the role of the Arches as “peace ambassadors.” Hentoff sees the circus arts as a vehicle to encourage social change here and abroad.
The Galilee Circus is comprised of both Israeli and Palestinian children. The mission of the Galilee Circus is to foster collaboration among the warring cultures and to focus on their cultural similarities and to work toward creating positive solutions.
Jose Guzman edits the film and uses graphic aids in telling this children’s story. His visuals include cartoonish animations depicting airplanes, similar to Man on Wire depictions, flying to and from Tel Aviv, and a bus as it traverses the Israeli countryside. The children exchange circus tricks and performances. The Arches are astounding acrobats but don’t have the baton twirling gifts of the Galileans.
Lipsitz captures her own footage with her own camera. The viewer is treated to a display of teen angst, including a retelling of a performers first kiss, while watching two circus groups separated by a language barrier come together as one strong performing unit.
At the end of the tour a tearful goodbye is captured as the Arches must return to St. Louis. They are wished well with promises that the Galileans will come to St. Louis for another successful performance collaboration.