Il Cinema Ritrovato 2017 – Music, musicians and musicals

Posted by Larry Gleeson

From the very beginning, when it still lacked the spoken word, cinema has always sought its musicality – an interweaving of rhythms, harmonies and passions. The musicians, improvisers and composers of Cinema Ritrovato know this only too well: those artists who grind out hours at the piano, searching for the rhythms, the harmonies and the emotions that come from the silent image. Matti Bye, Neil Brand, Antonio Coppola, Daniele Furlati, Stephen Horne, Maud Nelissen, Donald Sosin and Gabriel Thibadeau: this is the team of international champions reunited by the Cinema Ritrovato Festival to bring music to cinema.

At the piano, and not just; once again this year we will have plenty of special events: the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna will play Edmund Meisel’s music directed by Helmut Imig for Battleship Potemkin, and the music written by Arthur Honegger for Abel Gance’s monumental film La Roue, of which there will be the world première of the newly restored prologue, thanks to Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé’s extraordinary work. The Teatro Comunale di Bologna Orchestra will play a score composed by Timothy Brock to accompany Buster Keaton’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. We will also have ad hoc ensembles, such as Daniele Furlati alongside Frank Bockius for Addio giovinezza, who have returned to the original music from Giuseppe Pietri’s light opera to give it a new cinematographic life; or the duo composed by Stephen Horne and Frank Bockius for À propos de Nice in the new restoration by Gaumont; or with tried and tested formations, such as The Sprockets conducted by Maud Nelissen for The Patsy.

And then cin ema found its voice, the human one that is; but also that of an accordion, the unforgettable musical protagonist of L’Atalante, which accompanied the rhythms, harmonies and passions of a love story. The wonderful score composed by Maurice Jaubert for L’Atalante was violated in a second, re-edited and censored version of the film, but with a Neapolitan touch of Cesare Andrea Bixio, who adapted his song Parlami d’amore Mariù for Le Chaland qui passe.

But there are also those who upset the time, such as director Bill Morrison from the United States, an artist-archaeologist on the trail of the past (both of cinema and of America), who has once again removed the voice from the images, to give them sounds by experimental musicians such as Bill Frisell or Alex Somers.

And what of the images? What have they given to the music? They have expanded the allure of the performance incredibly. They have created myth s which sounds alone would never have been able to invent. They let the world know that not only did Otis Redding have one of the most beautiful voices ever, but that he was also a great performer, and that Jimi Hendrix did not just play guitar like he was walking a tightrope, but was also the embodiment of madness and freedom. Why Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix? Because we’ll see them in all their grandeur on the big screen in Piazza Maggiore – in a restored version – along with other greats immortalised by D.A. Pennebaker at Monterey in 1967: Ravi Shankar, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel (whom we will also meet along with their Mrs. Robinson, who entered into the collective musical imaginarium in The Graduate).

Would the Bee Gees‘ hit song have reached such mythical proportions without John Travolta’s dancing? We will also be dancing at the Cinema Ritrovato Festival with Saturday Night Fever (a newly rest ored version, in Piazza Maggiore), or to the rumba of 1950s’ Mexican star Ninón Sevilla (upon arriving in Mexico, Edith Piaf was asked by a journalist what she wanted to see in Mexico. Her reply: “Ninón Sevilla!”).

And we will be singing, too: with the bewitching Marylin Monroe (when she sings River of No Return in Otto Preminger’s film of the same name), with Peggy Lee (who gives her voice to the epic Johnny Guitar), and with Chet Baker (the trumpet player whose voice has enthralled generation after generation), portrayed by one of the world’s leading photographers. Bruce Weber will be our guest in Bologna, this time as the director of Let’s Get Lost, his moving homage to Chet Baker. He will also present the latest version of his work in progress dedicated to Robert Mitchum (He too sang, and boy could he sing! We’ll have the chance to find out for ourselves in Weber’s documentary: a duet with Rickie L ee Jones in a fantastic interpretation of Cheek to Cheek, and alongside Marianne Faithfull for the song that gives its name to the film: Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast).

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The AFI DOCS Interview: SHIVANI Director Jamie Dobie

Posted by Larry Gleeson

 

Jamie Dobie’s SHIVANI follows the titular toddler, who is also a reigning archery champ in her native India. The film plays as part of the Youth Culture shorts program at AFI DOCS on Thursday, June 15. AFI spoke with Dobie about the film.

AFI: What led you to pursue documentary filmmaking?

JD: Documentaries can lead people toward empathy for others in a way that almost no other art form can — they’ve certainly done that for me — and I’ve always been drawn to their power to change the way we see one another and ourselves.

AFI: What inspired you to tell this story?

JD: For a lot of filmmakers, the subjects almost choose you; there’s a moment of crystallization where you see an image that suddenly makes you think it would be worth the effort to actually try to make a film. And in the inevitable moments during a project when you lose faith in it, it’s important to remember how that first image compelled you, and to trust in that.

AFI: How did you find the subjects in your film?

For me, it was an image of Dolly setting an archery record in India when she was two years old. Her story went viral for about a day, and it was around the same time that the HUNGER GAMES films were coming out, so I think the idea of a real-life Katniss Everdeen was appealing to people. But when I saw the image of this little girl with this intense look of concentration on her face surrounded by all of these adults, I thought, “What’s happening here?” It was so arresting; it rang me like a bell.

AFI: What obstacles did you face while making the film?

JD: I was very aware that my main character was a three-year-old who had no agency — and that we were making a film that might eventually have an effect on her own memories of her childhood. For her, this film will be a document of this period of her life, which she might not remember for herself — and so, without overstating it, I felt a responsibility to her.  That was very weighty for me.  It partly informed the style of the film, which is meant to show and not tell, and to simply let life play out in the frame. Dolly did a lot of watching and absorbing of all that was going on around her, and I wanted to create that feeling with the film. We made sure the camera was placed at her eye level, most of the time.

AFI: What do you want audiences to walk away with?

JD: Well, I hope you wonder who Dolly and her parents will become as she grows up, now that you have a better sense of the people and pressures in their lives. During Dolly’s online viral moment, I was struck by how eager people in the United States, and groups like Lean In, were to use her as symbol of girls’ empowerment. But I couldn’t help wondering if that narrative had much bearing on her actual life; if her family, her community or even she saw her story in this way.  What I found when I visited Dolly and her family wasn’t so much a political story as a personal one — a story of loss, grief and identity. And Dolly’s symbolic value is very different for her parents than it is to followers of Lean In.

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We all grow up with some idea of who we want to be; but there are also people in our lives — parents, friends, teachers — who have their own ideas about who we should be, and the inevitable friction between the two produces the people we actually are. In Dolly’s case, this friction, or at least some ingredients of it, are beautifully externalized through the many rituals of her life. But it’s not a question that’s unique to her.  I really want to continue to follow her story in another film or two, and I hope the audience will leave with the same curiosity I feel about her life.

AFI: Why is Washington, DC, a valuable location for screening your film?

JD: A large part of my career has been developing and implementing impact campaigns for issue-based documentaries, so in that respect I can say that DC can be a valuable place to screen, if you’re aiming to influence policy with your film, since it’s the seat of so much political power.

That said, I wanted to make SHIVANI an almost purely observational film, without a policy-related goal of any kind.  I don’t think every documentary film should have a political purpose, or a measurable outcome, and I also think, frankly, that funders are too focused on this aspect of documentary; the idea that they can know what they’re getting, in terms of social effects, when they fund a film. I think it’s important to remember that the act of letting an audience into the fine-scale world of another person’s life can have a profound effect on its own; it gives you the chance to grow in empathy and understanding, even though those can be hard to describe in particular terms.

In a time when we’re so often encouraged to see people in other countries as alien and “other,” I think that close observation of other people’s lives, especially those that seem superficially different from our own, tends to reveal the profound and subtle aspects of life that everyone shares.  And that, with luck, makes the world feel less frightening, and more intelligible.

AFI: Why are documentary films important today?

JD: In the era of “alternative facts” and information wars, personal stories have a unique power to cut through the noise and meet people where they are.  We all base our decisions around our worldview; and documentary films have the unique power to broaden that worldview.

Do you remember those “Foundation for a Better Life” ads, which paired stock photos, puppets and cartoons with vague, “inspirational” messages?  Those always seemed especially tone-deaf to me, because while you might be moved or entertained by fictional characters, it’s really not possible to be inspired by them.  I love Kermit the Frog, but he’ll never inspire me to do anything; he’s not real!  A good documentary film tells you where you really are — so it always follows you home.

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(Source: blog.afi.com)

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES AFI DOCS 2017 IMPACT LAB PARTICIPANTS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

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Two-Day Intensive Leads to Greater Issue Advocacy, Grants and Distribution

Five 2016 AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grant Recipients Received Distribution Deals

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — May 30, 2017, WASHINGTON, DC — The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced this year’s AFI DOCS Impact Lab participants. The third edition of the AFI DOCS Impact Lab will take place June 13–14. Presented in collaboration with NBCUniversal, the intensive program is designed for select filmmakers with issue-driven films who aim to create broader social and political change through the power of film. The Lab will provide filmmakers with training in the areas of advocacy, grassroots communications and grasstops engagement. After completion of the Lab, participating projects are eligible to apply for the AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants, which support the outreach and social action campaigns of select Lab participants.

Selected from films screening at AFI DOCS 2017, the 10 films participating in the Impact Lab are ACORN AND THE FIRESTORM (DIRS Reuben Atlas, Sam Pollard), CHASING CORAL: THE VR EXPERIENCE (LEAD ARTIST Jeff Orlowski), EDITH+EDDIE (DIR Laura Checkoway), FOR AHKEEM (DIRS Jeremy Levine, Landon Van Soest), THE FORCE (DIR Peter Nicks), I AM EVIDENCE (DIRS Trish Adlesic, Geeta Gandbhir), NOWHERE TO HIDE (DIR Zaradasht Ahmed), A SUITABLE GIRL (DIRS Sarita Khurana, Smriti Mundhra), WHAT LIES UPSTREAM (DIR Cullen Hoback) and THE WORK (DIRS Gethin Aldous, Jairus McLeary).

Last year, six out of 10 AFI DOCS Impact Lab projects were selected to receive funding from the AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants. These films include ALMOST SUNRISE (DIR Michael Collins), CARE (DIR Deirdre Fishel), CHECK IT (DIRS Dana Flor, Toby Oppenheimer), NEWTOWN (DIR Kim A. Snyder), RAISING BERTIE (DIR Margaret Byrne) and THEY CALL US MONSTERS (DIR Ben Lear). Receiving a total of $75,000 in support from AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants, the selected documentaries were recognized for demonstrating their ability to leverage distribution and enact change.

Five of the 2016 AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants recipients went on to receive theatrical or television distribution. ALMOST SUNRISE will air on PBS’ POV on November 13, 2017; CARE will air on the World Channel’s America Reframed this fall; Gunpowder & Sky Distribution and Kartemquin Films acquired RAISING BERTIE, which opens in theaters on June 9, 2017; THEY CALL US MONSTERS aired on PBS’ Independent Lens on May 22, 2017; and NEWTOWN aired on Independent Lens on April 3, 2017.

“Distribution of the Impact Lab projects is a crucial step in these documentaries’ efforts to create meaningful change,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI DOCS. “These films will have the power to awaken global audiences to critical issues facing the world today. With the support of the AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants, essential documentaries move from the festival screen onto a theatrical or television run, reaching larger audiences.”

“NBCUniversal is excited to once again partner with AFI on this initiative to empower filmmakers to effect change. The AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants help these films make an impact by enabling filmmakers to engage with communities and stakeholders,” said Cindy Gardner, Executive Vice President of Global Communication and Corporate Affairs, NBCUniversal. “We are proud of the success that has come out of the Grants, and the support provided to the filmmakers so their films can be seen more broadly.”

The 2017 AFI DOCS Impact Lab is sponsored by NBCUniversal, with additional support from CrossCurrents Foundation, the Embrey Family Foundation and the International Documentary Association. The Impact Lab is produced by AFI DOCS and The Raben Group.

The 15th edition of AFI DOCS will run June 14–18 in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD. For more information about the Impact Lab, please visit AFI.com/AFIDOCS.

About AFI DOCS
AFI DOCS is the American Film Institute’s annual documentary festival in Washington, DC. Presenting the year’s best documentaries, AFI DOCS is the only festival in the U.S. dedicated to screenings and events that connect audiences, filmmakers and policy leaders in the heart of our nation’s government. The AFI DOCS advisory board includes Ken Burns, Davis Guggenheim, Chris Hegedus, Werner Herzog, Rory Kennedy, Barbara Kopple, Spike Lee, Errol Morris, Stanley Nelson, D A Pennebaker, Agnès Varda and Frederick Wiseman. Now in its 15th year, the festival will be held June 14–18, 2017, in landmark Washington, DC, venues and at the historic AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD. Visit AFI.com/AFIDOCS and connect on twitter.com/AFIDOCS, facebook.com/AFIDOCS, youtube.com/AFI and instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We offer the nation’s best data network* and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider.**  We’re one of the world’s largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.

AT&T Products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and YouTube at youtube.com/att.

© 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

*Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score. Score includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen Mobile Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q3+Q4 2016 across 121 markets.

**Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; and voice roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.

About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. To learn more visit: www.nbcuniversal.com.

# # #

CONTACT:
Gabrielle Flamand, AFI DOCS PR, 202.339.9598 or gabrielle@prcollaborative.com
Liza Ameen, American Film Institute, 323.856.7885 or LAmeen@AFI.com

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Cannes: The best of the 70th edition

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The 70th anniversary edition of the Festival de Cannes hass finally come to a close. The event came to an end on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière, where Mistress of Ceremonies Monica Bellucci welcomed the Feature Film Jury presided by Pedro Almodóvar to announce the 2017 prize-winners. This year’s Palme d’or, The Square,  was screened at the end of the prize-giving ceremony to close the Festival.

Check out the list of this year’s award winners and see which ones you like!

FEATURE FILMS – COMPETITION

PALME D’OR

THE SQUARE directed by Ruben ÖSTLUND

The Palme d’or was awarded by Juliette Binoche and Pedro Almodóvar.

 

70th ANNIVERSARY AWARD

Nicole KIDMAN

The 70th Anniversary Award was awarded by Will Smith.

 

GRAND PRIX

120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE (BPM – Beats Per Minute) directed by Robin CAMPILLO

The Grand Prix was awarded by Costa-Gavras and Agnès Jaoui.

 

BEST DIRECTOR PRIZE

Sofia COPPOLA for THE BEGUILED

The Best Director Prize was awarded by Fan BingBing and Gabriel Yared.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

Joaquin PHOENIX in YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE directed by Lynne RAMSAY

The Best Performance by an Actor Prize was awarded by Jessica Chastain.

 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

Diane KRUGER in AUS DEM NICHTS (In The Fade) directed by Fatih AKIN

The Best Performance by an Actress Prize was awarded by Irène Jacob and Paolo Sorrentino

 

JURY PRIZE

NELYUBOV (Loveless) directed by Andrey ZVYAGINTSEV

The Jury Prize was awarded by Maren Ade and Guillaume Gallienne.

 

BEST SCREENPLAY EX-ÆQUO

Yorgos LANTHIMOS and Efthimis FILIPPOU for THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER

Lynne RAMSAY for YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE

The Best Screenplay Prize was awarded by Marisa Paredes and Park Chan-wook.

SHORT FILMS – COMPETITION

PALME D’OR

XIAO CHENG ER YUE (A Gentle Night) directed by QIU Yang

 

SPECIAL DISTINCTION BY THE JURY

KATTO (The Ceiling) directed by Teppo AIRAKSINEN

The Palme d’or and the Jury Special Mention for Shorts Films were awarded by Uma Thurman and Cristian Mungiu.

UN CERTAIN REGARD

UN CERTAIN REGARD PRIZE

LERD (A Man of Integrity) directed by Mohammad RASOULOF

 

PRIZE FOR BEST ACTRESS

JASMINE TRINCA for FORTUNATA directed by Sergio CASTELLITTO

 

PRIZE FOR THE BEST POETIC NARRATIVE

BARBARA directed by Mathieu AMALRIC

 

PRIZE FOR BEST DIRECTION

Taylor SHERIDAN for WIND RIVER

 

JURY PRIZE

LAS HIJAS DE ABRIL (April’s Daughter) directed by Michel FRANCO

CAMÉRA D’OR

JEUNE FEMME (Montparnasse Bienvenüe) directed by Léonor SERRAILLE presented as part of UN CERTAIN REGARD

The Caméra d’or Prize was awarded by Sandrine Kiberlain, President of the Caméra d’or Jury.

CINEFONDATION

FIRST PRIZE

PAUL EST LÀ (Paul Is Here) directed by Valentina MAUREL
INSAS, Belgium
SECOND PRIZE

HEYVAN (AniMal) directed by Bahram & Bahman ARK
Iranian National School of Cinema, Iran
THIRD PRIZE

DEUX ÉGARÉS SONT MORTS (Two Youths Died) directed by Tommaso USBERTI
La Fémis, France

The CST Jury decided to award the VULCAIN PRIZE FOR ARTIST-TECHNICIAN to: Josefin ASBERG for her remarkable artistic contribution to match the inventiveness of the film THE SQUARE.

(Source: festival-cannes.com)

 

 

The Venice Film Festival for university students

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Furthering the interest that the Biennale shows for participation of the young in all of its artistic sections, the Venice International Film Festival will receive requests for accreditation from University students from Italy and abroad even if they are not attending courses in the theory and history of film.

Screen Shot 2017-05-28 at 3.36.26 PMThe accreditation for University students may be requested by Italian and foreigner students of any faculty from 4th April to 31st May 2017.

The accreditation will be valid for the 11-day duration of the Festival (30th August to 9th Sept.) and will allow access to some 200 screenings reserved for accredited visitors and including films in the official line-up (selected screenings as long as seats are available).

The accreditation for University students also allows to have:

– a discounted price on the Venice Film Festival’s catalogue
– discounted prices for tickets of the 57th International Art Exhibition (Giardini and Arsenale, 13 May – 27)

Early bird fee: 40 Euro
The request must be made no later than 31st May and the payment no later than 30th June 2017
Registration fee: 80 Euro

Deadline: Tuesday 15th August 2017

Submit request here!

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(Source: labiennale.org)

Swedish drama ‘The Square’ takes top prize at Cannes

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The Cannes Film Festival jury awarded its coveted Palme d’Or award to Ruben Ostlund’s “The Square” today. The Swedish drama stars Dominic West, Elisabeth Moss and Claes Bang.

Other winners included Sofia Coppola, who took best director for “The Beguiled”; Diane Kruger, who took best actress; and Joaquin Phoenix, who took best actor.

More to come…

(Source: latimes.com, The Envelope)

The AFI DOCS Interview: NOBODY SPEAK Director Brian Knappenberger

Posted by Larry Gleeson

When online gossip rag Gawker published a sex tape involving Hulk Hogan, the former wrestler sued, but who was the mysterious billionaire bankrolling his legal fees? Using this salacious trial as just one example, NOBODY SPEAK: TRIALS OF THE FREE PRESS is a cautionary tale about the dangers of the super rich controlling the message and the media.

The film screens at AFI DOCS on Saturday, June 17. AFI spoke to director Brian Knappenberger.

AFI: What led you to pursue documentary filmmaking?

BK: I learned still photography at an early age and have always been interested in visual storytelling. I also grew up in the farm-surrounded suburb of Broomfield, CO, next to what was then the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons facility. Growing up, we had a vague sense of what was happening at Rocky Flats — there were protests, our next-door neighbor worked there, we had a general sense that certain areas around us might be contaminated, etc. — but what emerged in me was a deep mistrust of power, a suspicion of war and its awful tools, and that maybe filmmaking could shed some light on what was previously dark. 

AFI: What inspired you to tell this story?

BK: It started as a “privacy versus first amendment story” that was by itself really interesting and relevant, but it ended up becoming something very different — a stark example of big money controlling public opinion and information. When that happened, I knew I had to dig deeper and hang on for the ride.

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AFI: How did you find the subjects in your film?

BK: My subjects emerged themselves from the information wars. They climbed out of the muck, and I just chased them down.

AFI: What was a particular obstacle you faced while making the film?

BK: The main obstacle we faced is essentially what is portrayed in the film — the legal threats. Some people were hesitant to talk.

AFI: What do you want audiences to walk away with after screening your film?

BK: That the first amendment and a free press are vital to a democracy. The press isn’t the “enemy of the people”; the press is the people. We desperately need a strong, rambunctious, muckraking adversarial press if we have any hope of maintaining our democracy. The press shouldn’t just speak truth to power — the press should rattle and stomp on the very foundations of power. We should all support good investigative journalism financially. But that’s not enough. In a chaotic information world, we also need stand up for the concept itself, to keep it alive. A strong, independent press is far more important to our country than any politician, public figure, business executive or even (maybe especially) President.

AFI: Why are documentary films important today?

BK: Documentary filmmaking at its finest is independent and able to dive into areas that sometimes corporatized media would shy away from. In an ideal world, the documentary director is free to talk to people, tell stories, explore subjects and generally wreak havoc in ways that can surface the truth.

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(Source: blog.afi.com)

TNT TO PREMIERE AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON

Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute Event to Air on TNT
June 15 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT

Encore Presentation Will Air on Sister Network TCM

Following the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award Tribute to Diane Keaton on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA, TNT will televise the celebration. The one-hour special AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON will premiere on TNT on Thursday, June 15, at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Sister network Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will then encore the special on Monday, July 31, during a night of programming dedicated to Keaton’s work. This marks the fifth year the Emmy®-winning AFI special has aired on Turner networks.

TCM’s July 31 tribute to Keaton will include encore presentations of AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON as well as her Oscar®-nominated performance in Warren Beatty’s REDS (1981) and her comic turn in Woody Allen’s MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY (1993).

The schedule is as follows:

TNT Premiere ­– June 15 10:00 p.m.  AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATONTCM

TCM Encore PresentationJuly 31 8:00 p.m. AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON

9:30 p.m. REDS

1:00 a.m. AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON

2:30 a.m. MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY

4:30 a.m. AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON

About Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton is a multifaceted actor, director, producer, author, real estate developer and photographer and can boast more than 80 diverse credits across five decades. Her iconic roles span the cinematic spectrum, from long-suffering mob wife Kay Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER (1972) to the “la-de-dah” heroine of Woody Allen’s ANNIE HALL (1977) — a role which earned her an Academy Award® for Best Actress and turned her into a national fashion icon. Perhaps best known for her long comedic collaboration with Allen — including PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM (1972), SLEEPER (1973), LOVE AND DEATH (1975), MANHATTAN (1979) and more — she has proven herself equally adept at dramatic roles, with powerhouse performances in films such as LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR (1977), REDS (1981), THE LITTLE DRUMMER GIRL (1984) and MARVIN’S ROOM (1996). During the 1980s, Keaton turned to directing — from feature narratives and documentaries to music videos and television. A perennial box office favorite, she has maintained her popular profile with films including BABY BOOM (1987), FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991) and FATHER OF THE BRIDE II (1995), THE FIRST WIVES CLUB (1996), SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE (2003), MORNING GLORY (2010), THE BIG WEDDING (2013), AND SO IT GOES (2014) and Pixar’s FINDING DORY (2016). She recently graced the small screen with her unique presence in the HBO miniseries THE YOUNG POPE, and will next appear in the film HAMPSTEAD (2017) opposite Brendan Gleeson.

 

(Source: afi.com)

Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon to Toast Diane Keaton

Posted by Larry Gleeson

On Thursday, June 8, the entertainment community will come together to toast one of their own, the inimitable Diane Keaton. AFI will present the legendary actress with the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award — the highest honor for a career in film — at a Gala Tribute at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA. Ellen DeGeneres, Morgan Freeman, Steve Martin, Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, along with many other surprise special guests, will celebrate Keaton as she takes her deserved place in history beside leaders in the arts.

The one-hour special AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: A TRIBUTE TO DIANE KEATON will premiere on TNT on Thursday, June 15, at 10:00 PM (ET/PT).

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(Source: blog.afi.com)

AFI Thesis Films Win College Television Awards

Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI Conservatory alumni from the Class of 2016 won three College Television Awards (Student Emmys®) for their thesis films. The 38th 2017 College Television Awards were held on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at the Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, CA.

Trevor Smith (AFI Class of 2016) won the Comedy award for producing DOLLAR KING. David Brent (AFI Class of 2016) won for Writing for Comedy for DOLLAR KING. Daisygreen Stenhouse (AFI Class of 2016) won for Writing for Drama for LOCKDOWN. All three were AFI Conservatory thesis films.

The full list of nominees and wins is below.

DOLLAR KING
Trevor Smith (AFI Class of 2016), Producer
Comedy (Winner)
David Brent (AFI Class of 2016), Writer
Writing for Comedy (Winner)

LOCKDOWN
Daisygreen Stenhouse (AFI Class of 2016), Writer
Writing for Drama (Winner)

LOST CHOCOLATE: A SKATEBOARD STORY
Andrew Pollins (AFI Class of 2016), Director
Jane Hollon (AFI Class of 2016), Producer
Caleb Heller (AFI Class of 2016), Cinematographer
Commercial (Nominee)

NO WAY BACK
Michael Kongshaug (AFI Class of 2016), Director/Writer
Eileen Shim (AFI Class of 2016), Writer
Writing for Drama (Nominee)

THE OTHER SIDE
Daniel Abatan (AFI Class of 2016), Director
Directing for Drama (Nominee)

THE PLUMBER
Andrew Pollins (AFI Class of 2016), Director
Yoni Klein (AFI Class of 2016), Cinematographer
Commercial (Nominee)

SNOWPLOW
Joshua Valle (AFI Class of 2016), Producer
Drama (Nominee)
Mia Niebruegge (AFI Class of 2016), Director/Writer
Christopher Greenslate (AFI Class of 2016), Writer
Writing for Drama (Nominee)

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(Source: blog.afi.com)