Here are the AFI DOCS 2017 Opening Night and Closing Night Films

Posted by Larry Gleeson

ICARUS and YEAR OF THE SCAB to Bookend the Five-Day Festival

Screen Shot 2017-05-05 at 8.33.46 PM

 

AFI DOCS, AFI’s annual documentary celebration in the nation’s capital, announces the Opening and Closing Night films for its 15th annual edition. The festival will open with the East Coast premiere of Netflix’s ICARUS, directed by Bryan Fogel, and will close with ESPN Films’ YEAR OF THE SCAB, directed by Emmy® winner John Dorsey. Both screenings will be held at the Newseum, the festival’s Official Gala Screening Partner. AFI DOCS runs June 14–18, 2017, in Washington, DC, and Silver Spring, MD.

AFI DOCS is proud to announce the return of AT&T as Presenting Sponsor. AT&T’s continued support enables AFI DOCS to connect audiences, policymakers and storytellers in the heart of our national government.

michael-lumpkin
Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI DOCS

“We are thrilled to have two extraordinary films, ICARUS and YEAR OF THE SCAB, open and close AFI DOCS 2017,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI DOCS. “Filmmakers Bryan Fogel and John Dorsey tell two very different David-and-Goliath tales. Remarkable — even unthinkable — stories like these are what make documentaries such compelling cinema. We look forward to celebrating these films with AFI DOCS audiences.”

The Opening Night screening of ICARUS will be held on June 14 at the Newseum and will feature a Q&A with director Fogel after the film. In ICARUS, he sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports. His journey to outsmart performance-enhancing drug tests transforms into a real-life thriller involving the biggest scandal in sports history — the cover-up of doping activities among Russian Olympians. ICARUS is Fogel’s first documentary feature.

The Closing Night screening of YEAR OF THE SCAB will be held on June 18 at the Newseum and will feature a Q&A with director Dorsey. His film chronicles the 1987 NFL strike and the Washington Redskins’ team of substitute players who overcame tremendous odds in order to defeat the best teams in the NFL. The perseverance of these players ultimately led the Washington Redskins to victory and helped end the strike.

Tickets to AFI DOCS, including Opening Night and Closing Night screenings, will be available early to AFI members exclusively beginning May 11, and to the public on May 15. Passes for AFI DOCS 2017 are now on sale. More information about AFI DOCS screenings and other special events will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

afi2

 

(Source: blog.afi.com)

 

AFI FEST 2017 FILM SUBMISSIONS

Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI FEST 2017 is now open for submissions via Withoutabox. Please be advised of deadlines below.

Early Deadline: March 31, 2017
Short Films (under 30 minutes) – $35
Feature Films (over 30 minutes) – $55

Official Deadline: May 5, 2017
Short Films – $45
Feature Films – $65

Final Deadline: July 14, 2017
Short Films – $55
Feature Films – $75

Click here to submit your film via Without A Box

For further information regarding submissions, please consult the AFI FAQ page.

afi-fest-2011-logo-and-free-tickets

(source: afi.com)

#SIFF Announces Lineup for Seattle International Film Festival’s 43rd Edition

Posted by Larry Gleeson

14 World, 22 North American and 11 U.S. Feature Premieres!

Screen Shot 2017-05-03 at 7.48.31 PM

North American Premiere of The Young Karl Marx to Close Festival

 

Screen Shot 2017-05-03 at 7.50.04 PM

Landline to Screen as Centerpiece Gala

 

Fest Tributes to Sam Elliott and Anjelica Huston

 

SEATTLE — May 3, 2017 — The Seattle International Film Festival, the largest and most highly attended festival in the United States, announced today the complete lineup of films, guests, and events for the 43rd annual 25-day Festival (May 18 – June 11, 2017).

This year, SIFF will screen 400 films representing 80 countries and will include: 161 features (plus 4 secret films), 58 documentaries, 14 archival films, and 163 shorts. The lineup includes 36 World premieres (14 features, 22 shorts), 34 North American premieres (22 features, 12 shorts), and 20 U.S. premieres (11 features, 19 shorts).

Opening night kicks off Friday, May 18 with The Big Sick from Amazon Studios. Starring and written by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) along with his wife Emily V. Gordon, the film promises to electrify audiences with the smart and complicated romantic story based on the beginnings of their relationship. Nanjiani will be in attendance at the Seattle premiere and Opening Night Gala, along with co-writer Emily V. Gordon and director Michael Showalter (Hello, My Name is Doris and Wet Hot American Summer). Closing this year’s Festival is the North American premiere of The Young Karl Marx, directed by Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). The story follows 26-year-old Karl Marx (August Diehl) and his wife Jenny in exile in Europe, where they meet a man who provides them with the final piece needed for the foundation of Marxist theory.

At the annual Centerpiece Gala, SIFF will travel to 1990s Manhattan in the slice-of-life comedy, Landline. Director Gillian Robespierre brings back actress-comedienne Jenny Slate following their SIFF 2014 run of Obvious Child. Slate, Robespierre, and new-coming actress Abby Quinn are all scheduled to attend the Seattle premiere taking place on Saturday, June 3.

The World premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Trouble will screen at Seattle’s historic SIFF Cinema Egyptian as SIFF honors the film’s executive producer and star, Anjelica Huston, with the Career Achievement in Acting Award. In addition to the award presentation and screening, the acclaimed actress is also slated for an on-stage interview at the Wednesday, June 7 event.

Also scheduled is An Afternoon with Sam Elliott, where the festival will pay tribute to the all-American actor. Along with his iconic voice, Elliott makes his way to SIFF on Saturday, May 27th for the Seattle premiere of his newest film The Hero following an onstage discussion that afternoon.

Receiving raving reviews following its’ world premiere at SXSW is Seattle native S.J. Chiro’s first full-length feature, Lane 1974. Drawing off of Chiro’s own childhood experiences as well as those described in Clane Hayward’s memoir “The Hypocrisy of Disco, SIFF is thrilled to present this 1970s coming-of-age narrative.

One of several interactive events features Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, a documentary by Catherine Bainbridge celebrating the achievements and contributions of Native Americans in modern American music. Along with the screening of the film, guests will also enjoy Indigenous Centered Perspectives, an exhibit showcasing works by four indigenous artists at the Paramount Theater. The Friday, May 26 event is hosted by SIFF in collaboration with Amazon Video Direct, STG, and Longhouse Media.

“This year’s robust line-up includes a wide variety of programs ranging from heartfelt features from comedy favorites to thought-provoking documentaries, as well as once in a lifetime conversations with Hollywood legends,” says Interim Artistic Director Beth Barrett. “We are thrilled to jump into our 43rd edition and introduce spectacular programming from across the world to over 150,000 film enthusiasts in Seattle over the course of 25 days.”

The 2017 Seattle International Film Festival is presented by SIFF, the non-profit arts organization that reaches more than 350,000 annually through SIFF Cinema, SIFF Education, and the annual flagship Festival.

Festival Box office opens May 4 online at siff.net and in person at any SIFF venue box office. View the full public program here: www.siff.net/festival

New Prize monies for the Final Cut in Venice workshop

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Final Cut in Venice workshop will take place from September 3rd to the 5th, 2017

Registration deadline is June 17, 2017!

 

La Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta announced a new Biennale Prize in the amount of € 5,000 to the best film in the post-production phase from the Final Cut in Venice workshop.nromanwzns34940
The 5th edition of the Final Cut in Venice workshop will take place from 3 to 5 September 2017 as part of the Venice Production Bridge, during the 74th Venice International Film Festival directed by Alberto Barbera (Lido di Venezia, 30 August – 9 September).
The new Biennale Prize will be awarded by a Jury of three members appointed by the Director of the Venice Film Festival.
With this new acknowledgment, La Biennale wishes to reinforce the concrete assistance it provides for the completion of films from Africa and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, which is the goal of the Final Cut in Venice workshop, held since 2013 at the Venice Film Festival. Final Cut in Venice offers producers and directors an opportunity to present films in progress to international film professionals and distributors with the aim of facilitating post-production and promoting co-production partnerships and access to the market.
To participate in the 5th edition of Final Cut in Venice, applicants must fill out the online pre-selection entry form on the website http://www.labiennale.org, and submit a copy of the film to the email address finalcut@labiennale.org on or before June 17th 2017.
The 5th Final Cut in Venice workshop will consist of a three-day work session (3 – 5 September 2017) during which the working copies of up to six selected films will be presented to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. There will be opportunities for networking, encounters and gatherings in which the directors and producers can meet with the participants in the workshop.

The Final Cut in Venice Prizes
In addition to the new Biennale Prize, the following other prizes will be awarded, to provide financial support for the films during their post-production phase:
·  € 15,000 euro for color correction for a feature-length film offered by Laser Film (Rome) for up to 50 hours of work (technician included);
·  € 15,000 offered by Mactari Mixing Auditorium (Paris) for the sound mixing of a feature-length film (up to 12 days of work, sound-mixing technician not included);
·  Up to € 10,000 for digital color correction, for the creation of a DCP master and French or English subtitles, offered by Titra TVS (Paris);
·  Up to € 7,000 euro for the production of a DCP master with subtitles in Italian or English, offered by Sub-Ti Ltd. (London).
·  Up to € 7,000 for the accessible contents of the film for audiences with sensory disabilities: subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired and audio description for the blind and visually impaired, including audio subtitles in voice-over, in Italian or English (the SDH file and the audio-described soundtrack for DCP will be provided), offered by SUB-TI ACCESS Srl (Turin)
·  € 5,000 for the purchase of two-year broadcasting rights by Rai Cinema;
·  A 35mm print (without subtitles) or share in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2,000), offered by the Festival International du Film d’Amiens;
·  A 35mm print (without subtitles) or share in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2,000), offered by the Festival International de Films de Fribourg;
·  marketing, publicity and distribution in the Arab world offered by MAD Solutions for an Arab project (except for projects already being handled by MAD Solutions)
While the Biennale Prize will be awarded by a jury composed of three members appointed by the Director of the Venice Film Festival, the other prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the Director of the Venice Film Festival, assisted by the partners in the project, and the executives of the institutions and service companies underwriting the prizes.

 

At the Berlin Film Festival 2017, important awards and recognition were received by films that participated in the Final Cut workshops organized by the Biennale at the 2016 Venice Film Festival.

In particular:
·  Félicité by Alain Gomis (France, Senegal) won the Grand Jury Prize – Silver Bear
·  Istiyad Ashbah (Ghost Hunting) by Raed Andoni (France, Palestine, Switzerland, Qatar) won the new Prize for Best Original Documentary.
In addition to the two award-winning films, two other titles selected for Berlin 2017 came from the workshops of Final Cut in Venice:
·  The Wound by John Trengove (South Africa) in Panorama

·  Tigmi Nigren (The House in the Fields) by Tala Hadid (Morocco, Qatar) at Forum

 

Final Cut in Venice, along with the Gap-Financing Market, is one of the programs offered by the Venice Production Bridge, the film market of the Venice International Film Festival that is intended as an opportunity for meeting and networking for all categories of professionals involved in making films: producers, financiers, distributors, sales, public and private investment funds, banks, film commissions, broadcasters and Internet platforms.

 

Richard Gladstein Named Dean of AFI Conservatory

Posted by Larry Gleeson

The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced the appointment of award-winning producer Richard Gladstein as Dean of the AFI Conservatory. Gladstein’s duties will underscore AFI’s demanding approach to graduate film education — that Fellows “learn by doing,” and collaborate on a minimum of four films in the two-year MFA program.

Gladstein has twice been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar® — for THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and FINDING NEVERLAND. He enjoys a long and fruitful collaboration with Quentin Tarantino — most recently producing Tarantino’s THE HATEFUL EIGHT, and prior, executive-producing RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION and JACKIE BROWN. Gladstein’s other produced films include THE BOURNE IDENTITY, HURLYBURLY, MR. MAGORIUM’S WONDER EMPORIUM, THE NANNY DIARIES and SHE’S ALL THAT, among many others. His films have received 25 Academy Award® nominations and five wins.

Gladstein is the Founder and President of Los Angeles-based motion picture production company FilmColony. Prior to the formation of FilmColony, Gladstein was Miramax’s Executive Vice President and Head of Production, supervising the company’s development and production activities.

Gladstein joins the list of distinguished leaders who have served the AFI Conservatory, including Jan Schuette, who will depart June 30, as well as Robert Mandel, Frank Pierson, Robert Wise and Antonio Vellani.

AFI’s global search for the Dean of the AFI Conservatory was managed by Neil Fink Associates.

afi2

Photo credit: Milo Gladstein

75th Anniversary of BAMBI (1942)

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Screen Shot 2017-05-03 at 8.06.00 AMBambi, the fawn who loses his mother to a hunter’s bullet but ultimately matures into a leader, and his forest friends, Thumper and Flower, are among the most memorable characters in animation history. The Disney Studio spent five years in production on Bambi and used the multiplane camera to give the film its depth of images. The film earned three Academy Award nominations: Music – Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb), Music – Song, “Love Is A Song,” (Music by Churchill; Lyrics by Larry Morey) and Sound Recording (Walt Disney Studio Sound Department, Sam Slyfield, sound director).

This special presentation of Bambi celebrates the classic Walt Disney film’s 75th anniversary.

Presented by Walt Disney. Supervising Director David D. Hand. Story Direction Perce Pearce. Story Adaptation Larry Morey. Based on the novel “Bambi: A Life in the Woods” by Felix Salten.

Voice Cast: Donnie Dunagan, Peter Behn, Hardie Albright, Ann Gillis, Thelma Hubbard, Sterling Holloway, Will Wright, Marion Darlington.

Hosted by Leonard Maltin. With special guests Donnie Dunagan (voice of young Bambi), Peter Behn (voice of young Thumper), Andreas Deja (Disney Legend, Animator) and Paul Felix (Production Designer at Walt Disney Animation Studios), with tribute to Bambi artist Tyrus Wong.

 

Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Get Tickets Here

 

 

The AFI FEST Interview: Director Qiu Yang on Cannes-Bound A GENTLE NIGHT

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Qiu Yang is an alumnus of AFI FEST with his short film UNDER THE SUN (AFI FEST 2015). We caught up with Yang to talk about his latest short, A GENTLE NIGHT. The film will have its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, where it will compete for the Short Film Palme d’Or.

AFI: As a filmmaker, you have a knack for telling stories that are anchored in the real world and oftentimes feel as though they could be pulled from newspaper headlines. How do you find your stories?

Qiu Yang: I always take inspiration from real life. Everything in my films either happened to me, or are real stories I heard. I don’t really imagine stories or drama. Newspapers are actually one of my inspiration sources for my projects. I’m always more interested in the story behind the headline, the history that leads up to the “headline moment,” or the aftermath. I believe those are where you could really see the clash of humanity. I always believe that reality is more magical than anything imagined, especially in such an impossibly complex country like China.

Every day, if you look carefully enough, drama and conflict happen everywhere around you, with real people and real character depth. No simple plot or truth, no linear character arc, no good or bad guys, no cheap sentimentality. That complexity is where the greatest drama lies, and to explore that complexity is, for me, a way to explore the complexity of humanity, as well as to understand the world we live in.

Qiu Yang
Qiu Yang

AFI: In both A GENTLE NIGHT and UNDER THE SUN, the performances from your lead actors add so much emotional depth to the material. What is your process working with your actors? 

QY: I think it depends on the projects and the film languages I want to explore.

I work a lot with nonprofessional actors, often because of the project, as well as the practical limitations. For example, all the actors in both shorts are nonprofessional, real people I found in my hometown. When I need to cast nonprofessionals, I usually handle all the auditions myself, and I don’t look for someone who can act, but for someone who is able to be themselves naturally in front of the camera. Depending on their personality and physicality, I will decide which characters are the most suitable for them. So, in a way, they don’t become the characters as much as the characters become them.

I don’t really do rehearsals, maybe just a bit of staging in pre-production, just to save on set time. Although I do have the tendency to do a lot of takes on set. On the set, I always try to create the most realistic environment. I always try to shoot on locations, and only use small crew, with very limited equipment, especially lights. So, the nonprofessional won’t feel like they are on a film set — they are really reacting to things and people in ways they would in real life.

Of course, sometimes I need to work with professional actors. If the casting is right, then I don’t really need to do much. I usually let the actors perform, and most of time, I just tell them to bring down their performance.

AFI: You have a background in photography. How does that inform the visual style of your shorts, and the collaboration process with your cinematographers?

QY: I actually had more background in painting when I was younger, before I went into photography. When I prepare a film, I don’t usually look for visual inspiration from films, but from paintings and photography. They often give me more interesting perspectives when looking at the world visually.

Because of the type of films I do and the way I work, I always want something that looks as naturalistic as possible. Normally I have an extended pre-production with my cinematographer, and we do all the location scouting together. We always look for places not only with great lighting already available, but places that also could satisfy what I want from a director’s point of view. When we are shooting, we normally do only a little enhancement on lighting, and it already looks beautiful, but still naturalistic.

AFI: This is your second short to screen at Cannes. Do you have any advice for other filmmakers who are having their first festival experiences?

QY: My advice would be to enjoy the festival, as a celebration of the art, and be honest with yourself and other people. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not.

afi_logo_20110611000547

(Source: blog.afi.com)

AFI Presents Eight New Directors

Posted by Larry Gleeson

Angela Robinson
Angela Robinson

“We’re at a tipping point where we can finally imagine a world where there’s parity, where we can try to heal the world and bring it back from the brink of insanity,” said Robinson. “The thing about a tipping point is that it can easily tip back. So what I need all of you women to do is collectively go out there and kick ass with the sheer power of your voice and your will. Because we need all the weight we can muster to tip it all the way over.”

Those were the words Angela Robinson — a celebrated director/producer whose credits include HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER — addressed to graduates of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW), and to a growing industry of female filmmakers, in her keynote at the DWW Showcase in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 18.

The event, sponsored by Lifetime, served as an introduction to the eight DWW Class of 2017 graduates and their original work in episodic and short film storytelling: Joey Ally, Gillian Barnes, Lorette Bayle, Rosie Haber, Tannaz Hazemi, Courtney Hoffman, Maggie Mahrt and Manjari Makijany. Bios can be found here.

The DWW Class of 2018 also attended the event, and their bios can be found here.

Lifetime will continue its groundbreaking commitment through its Broad Focus initiative to guarantee employment to DWW filmmakers, including the Class of 2017 filmmakers featured in the Showcase. The initiative provides women with more opportunities to write, develop, produce and direct content for the network.

Pictured above: Angela Robinson (center) with the DWW Class of 2017 (from L to R): Maggie Mahrt, Manjari Makijany, Courtney Hoffman, Gillian Barnes, Tannaz Hazemi, Joey Ally, Rosie Haber, Lorette Bayle

afi_logo_20110611000547

(Source: blog.afi.com)

AFI and Lifetime Team Up to Employ Female Filmmakers

Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI and Lifetime will join forces next year to create and offer production jobs for each graduate of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) throughout the A+E Networks’ portfolio of platforms starting with the Class of 2015.

The alliance is part of Lifetime’s Broad Focus initiative to provide women with more opportunities to write, develop, produce and direct content for the network. For over 40 years, AFI DWW has been committed to increasing the number of women working professionally in screen directing.

The shared goals between these two organizations further ensure opportunities are made available to qualified women on an equal basis.

AFI DWW alumnae and their projects created during the program have received many accolades this year: 2015 Cannes Cinéfondation First Prize winner Pippa Bianco (AFI DWW, Class of 2014) for her AFI DWW short film SHARE; Sian Heder (AFI DWW, Class of 2005), whose first feature film TALLULAH, based on her AFI DWW short MOTHER, will head to Sundance 2016; and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (AFI DWW, Class of 2012), whose AFI DWW short SEQUIN RAZE is now the award-winning Lifetime series UNREAL.

Bios for the AFI DWW Class of 2015, pictured above, are here.

afi_logo_20110611000547

(Source: blog.afi.com)