Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton – Opening Night
The remarkable story of the American icon and innovator who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Laird Hamilton is an athlete who refused to compete professionally, yet dominated and changed his sport like no other figure in history has ever done. This is an in-depth portrait of a hard-charging, driven athlete that explores the fear, courage, ambition and talent that push a man to greatness–and the cost that comes with it.
Check out the Opening Night gala featuring culinary tastings from 30 of Orange County’s premiere restaurants, hosted bar by Tito’s Vodka with special performances from “O”: the timeless aquatic production by Cirque Du Soleil and Side Deal, a brand new band from Grammy Winner Charile Colin (Train), multi-platinum artists Stan Frazier and Murphy Karges (Sugar Ray), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers) and The PawnShop Kings (Rolling Stone Magazine’s “ New Bands To Watch)
Fashion Island Bloomingdales Courtyard
701 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Film submissions for the Competition section of the 30th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) can now be made on the festival website. (Submission period: April 14 – July 14, 2017)
As one of the largest film festivals in Asia, TIFF is proud that our Competition section has been showing many outstanding films created by up-and-coming directors as well as premieres of works by prestigious filmmakers from around the world.
In 2016, we were honored to receive 1,502 films from 98 countries and regions. Sixteen excellent films were screened after pre-selection and The Bloom of Yesterday(Germany)directed by ChrisKraus won the Tokyo Grand Prix.
TIFF looks forward to even a larger number of submissions from around the world. The 30th TIFF will take place October 25-November 3, 2017 for 10 days in Tokyo, JAPAN.
For detailed information about film submissions, please visit the TIFF official website: www.tiff-jp.net
Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus in 1990 (Photo credit: Erika Rabau @ Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek/Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin)
The Berlin International Film Festival mourns the death of the visionary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, who passed away on April 12.
The Berlinale enjoyed a long and close history with Michael Ballhaus, who was a frequent guest at the festival with his films, and served as president of the International Jury in 1990. In 2016 the festival dedicated a Homage to his work and awarded him the Honorary Golden Bear.
Ballhaus was one of the world’s most important cinematographers. Before spending 25 years working primarily in the USA, he established his reputation in Germany where he worked with, among others, auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder, helping New German Cinema achieve new artistic freedom. At the lens alongside great American directors such as Martin Scorsese, he had a decisive effect on the lighting and look of US moviemaking. His body of work comprises some 130 films for cinema and television, including 15 films with Fassbinder and seven with Scorsese alone, as well as with many other legendary directors, including Peter Lilienthal, Wolfgang Petersen, Volker Schlöndorff, John Sayles, Robert Redford, James L. Brooks, Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, and Francis Ford Coppola.
“Michael Ballhaus was a cinematographer who was a kindred talent to directors and whose oeuvre is unique. He was a great artist, a wonderful person and a longtime friend,” says Berlinale Director Dieter Kosslick
Deniese Davis (AFI Class of 2012) is a producer on HBO’s INSECURE, which returns for its second season on July 23. AFI spoke with Davis to talk about her work on the show, which also features director/executive producer Melina Matsoukas (AFI Class of 2005).
Please introduce yourself to our readers, the AFI alumni community.
I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, where I fell in love with filmmaking in high school but had no idea what I was really doing, so I went to New York to attend Brooklyn College for Film Production and TV/Radio. It was there that I decided that I wanted to work in this industry as a producer and that led me to AFI’s Producing program.
Deniese Davis
You are a producer on the HBO series INSECURE. Can you talk about that experience, and your creative relationship with Issa Rae? You also worked on AWKWARD BLACK GIRL.
As fate would have it, I first met Issa Rae two weeks before graduating from AFI when she was looking for a producer for season two of her web series AWKWARD BLACK GIRL. We immediately clicked and we’ve continued to work together ever since! Our creative and producing partnership is a rare and beautiful thing because we respect what we both bring to the table in terms of talent and skillset and neither of us wants to do each other’s jobs. INSECURE was a tremendous learning curve since we both were coming from the digital space, but it was also very special knowing that it was such an incredible opportunity that we had dreamed of for so long.
Did you collaborate closely with series director/executive producer Melina Matsoukas, also an AFI alumna?
When we were crewing up to shoot the pilot for INSECURE, I was both the assistant to the line producer and our director, Melina Matsoukas. They essentially shared me and for my first experience in television production it was the best of both worlds. Melina and I got to spend a lot of time together and quickly bonded during production, so much so that she brought me onto Beyoncé’s “Formation” music video with her a few months later! I was bumped up to a producer when we received our series pickup but Melina and I continued to share an office together throughout production on the first season and have remained attached at the hip going into season two this year. She is one of the most hardworking and talented directors I have ever had the chance to collaborate with and I can’t wait to see her career blossom even further.
You also produced Sarah Gertrude Shapiro’s pre-UNREAL short SEQUIN RAZE, which she made at the Directing Workshop for Women.
I always joke that SEQUIN RAZE was the project that almost killed me…or, rather put my producing skills to the ultimate test. I had just started working on AWKWARD BLACK GIRL at the time and also had my thesis reshoots going out the very same weekend we were filming SEQUIN RAZE — which was a five day overnight exterior shoot. If I had to do it all over again I would do so in a heartbeat! I refused to pay myself on that project because I knew that every dollar needed to be spent on the screen, as I loved the story and wholeheartedly believed in Sarah’s ability to bring it to life. It was not an easy experience because of the grueling production schedule but it’s one of the projects I am most proud of and I continue to root for Sarah and all of the amazing work she has done on UNREAL.
What draws you to stories about powerful, yet often troubled, characters?
I have always been drawn to stories that have to do with women and our experience. I think partly why is because I was raised by a single mother alongside one younger sister. My mother embodied so much strength and power in my life but I was also subjective to her flaws and personal failures and that has always stayed with me from my childhood. Women portrayed in film and television are often one-dimensional and rarely get the chance to be seen as anything but the romantic interest and if they do, the story is still often written or directed by a man. I think it’s important, now more than ever, to try and change that narrative and if I can help that by producing more breakout projects that tell varied stories about women and by women then I will continue to do just that.
Are you returning for season two of INSECURE? What can we expect?
I am indeed! The cast is coming back so you can expect to see the same awkward moments, laughs and insecurities in everyone. I also love that our show is very current so you can definitely expect more pop culture references.
What else do you have coming up?
Issa and I have a first look deal with HBO so we’re developing other projects for them in addition to exploring the feature film world. We’re also producing several other television and digital projects through our other company ColorCreative that exclusively focuses on supporting emerging diverse voices. We have a very busy year ahead of us!
BRAVE NEW JERSEY is a comedy about a small, New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles’s legendary, 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcast — the hoax that terrified millions into believing Martians were invading America. As the citizens of Lullaby, NJ face what they think is their last night on Earth, their lives will change forever. An alien invasion movie where the aliens never show up.
“A sweet story of true love and emotional awakenings.”
AIN’T IT COOL NEWS
“A lively human comedy… Effortlessly endearing and poignant.”
MOVEABLE FEST
WINNER:
Comedy Vanguard Audience Award / Austin Film Festival
Best Comedy Feature / Palm Beach Int’l Film Festival
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Ensemble / Phoenix Film Festival
Starring TONY HALE (Veep, Arrested Development), HEATHER BURNS (Manchester By the Sea, Miss Congeniality), ANNA CAMP (Pitch Perfect, True Blood), MEL RODRIGUEZ (The Last Man on Earth, Getting On), DAN BAKKEDAHL (The Heat, CBS’s Life In Pieces), SAM JAEGER (NBC’s Parenthood).
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
Sunday, April 23 at 8:15 PM and Tuesday, April 25 at 5 PM
Southern Californians Make Documentary about Refugees in Iraq
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., April 10, 2017 – “The Longest Road,” an award-winning documentary that tells the powerful story of a group of Americans who visit Northern Iraq to help refugees living in the shadow of ISIS, will be screened April 25-26 at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
The title of the film comes from a Kurdish proverb – “A good companion shortens the longest road” – that inspired the Southern California-based co-directors, first-time filmmaker Jennifer Salcido and documentarian Matthew Charles Hall.
“The Newport Beach Film Festival is an incredible venue to share this story,” said Hall, a former Newport Beach resident. “Making this film, we witnessed some horrendous atrocities that people in privileged Orange County can’t really imagine. It shook me when I experienced it, and if audiences can witness just a fraction of that, I know they’ll be in for an eye opener.”
An estimated 2 million refugees in Iraqi Kurdistan have been displaced by ISIS. Their homes destroyed, many of them live in unsanitary conditions in tent villages, with their loved ones having been killed or sold into slavery. Often, the survivors suffer from PTSD.
Filmed in Iraq and Syria, “The Longest Road” follows Iraq War veteran Richard Campos, Vietnam War veteran Stan Rapada and Gold Star father Kevin Graves as they head to the front lines of combat and see the havoc ISIS has wrought on the Kurds and Yezidis, an ethnic and religious minority.
The production team made three trips to Iraq to work on the film over the course of two years. While in the Middle East, they befriended a Muslim heart surgeon who shares her story in the film. Dr. Nemam Ghafouri, a former refugee herself, brought the finished film in March to London and Sweden, where it played to packed theaters.
Since its debut in September 2016, “The Longest Road” has been an official selection at several film festivals and played on screens in Texas, California and Nevada. The film received an Award of Merit from Impact DOCS Awards in La Jolla, California.
One of the most poignant moments in the film comes when Graves, at an outpost of Kurdish fighters about a mile from ISIS lines, breaks down in tears at the memory of his son’s death in Iraq. When the fighters try to console him, he tells them he knows he will see his son in heaven and adds, “In my heart, I will do what I can to help you to fight your fight, so my son’s sacrifice will have more meaning.”
Campos was particularly moved by the plight of Yezidi children at Ghafouri’s clinic at a camp in Bajed, Kandala in northern Iraq. “They need a school at that camp,” he said. “They need a school at all the camps. Education is really a key for all the children.”
All proceeds from the film will go toward building an orphanage and school at the camp. The members of the production team also issued a call for Americans to help the refugees, saying that our common humanity is more important than any religious or ethnic differences.
“To whom much is given, much is expected,” Salcido said. “We are so privileged as Americans. I’m ashamed as a human being that we would allow other human beings to go through this.”
The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m.Tuesday, April 25 at the Lido Theater and at 5:15 p.m.Wednesday, April 26 at The Triangle. Each showing will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. For more information on the Newport Beach Film Festival or to purchase tickets for “The Longest Road,” please visit https://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/.
(Source: Press release provided by a larry ross communications)
The feature documentary film, The Resilient Heart, will premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 23rd, at The Triangle in Costa Mesa, CA.
If you or someone you know has ever been touched by heart disease, you must see this film!
The film was directed by Oscar®-nominee and Grammy® winning director, Susan Froemke,(Grey Gardens,LaLee’s Kin: The Legacy of Cotton)and follows world-renowned cardiologist, and Director of Mount Sinai Heart Dr. Valentin Fuster as he travels across four continents on his global trek to fight heart disease by educating adults as well as today’s new generation on how basic lifestyle changes can have a significant impact on your health.
The Resilient Heartexplores the keys to lessen the incidence of heart disease on a worldwide scale. At the film’s core is the story of Dr. Valentin Fuster, a world-renowned cardiologist, and Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief at The Mount Sinai Hospital. Through his exploration of the heart at the molecular level, Dr. Fuster discovers that the real answer to fighting chronic disease lies in a much larger place: early education.
By highlighting scientific contributions ranging from basic science to translational research, the film addresses the improvement of clinical and surgical care efforts to promote lifestyles that prevent or slow the progression of heart disease. Ultimately, it shows how the intersection of science, medicine, research, education and compassion bring about changes that are not only important but also replicable by physicians and patients throughout the world to save lives.
Follow Dr. Fuster as he travels to Eldoret (Kenya), Bogota, Grenada, Madrid and Harlem. Witness the profound impacts of coordinated global health initiatives, proactive public policy, and the passion of people to better the health and well-being of populations, no matter the circumstances.
The Resilient Heartaims to inspire large-scale and systemic, society shifts toward promoting better cardiovascular health. The Resilient Heart was made with generous support from The Valentine Fuster Mount Sinai Foundation for Science, Health, & Empowerment, Inc.
Filmmaker
Susan Froemke is an Oscar nominated and Grammy winning non-fiction filmmaker with over thirty documentary films to her credit from the classic Grey Gardens (1976) to Lalee’s Kin (2001), an HBO film on poverty that was nominated for an Academy Award, to Wagner’s Dream (2012), which opened theatrically in the US and aired on PBS. Most recently, Froemke co-directed Escape Fire: The Fight To Rescue American Healthcare, with Matthew Heineman, which premiered at Sundance and was broadcast on CNN Films in 2013. A four-time Emmy winner, Froemke was the principal filmmaker at legendary Maysles Films in New York for over two decade. Her latest film, Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman is an Official Selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and will air on Discovery Channel later this year.
Featuring
Dr. Valentin Fuster, MD, PHD
For four decades, Dr. Fuster has been a global leader in the field of cardiology, including cardiovascular medicine, translational research, and education. He has a keen interest in decreasing the global epidemic of obesity and its impact on cardiovascular health, especially for the world’s tiniest hearts — those in our children.
Dr. Fuster has published more than 1,000 research studies on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis (the hardening of the heart’s arteries due to plaque buildup — a leading cause of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease), and thrombosis (blood clots). He is also Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital. He also serves as Director of the Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute; Director of the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Cardiovascular Health; General Director of Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC); President of Science Health and Education (SHE) Foundation; and the Richard Gorlin, MD/Heart Research Foundation Professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Fuster is the former President of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation.
(Promotional materials provided by Kirsten Schubert, Ketchum Sports & Entertainment)
(NEW YORK, APRIL 12, 2017) — “The Mice War,” a new animated musical created by Grammy-nominated composer and writer David Chesky, will open at the 18th annual Newport Beach Film Festival on April 22.
Geared to children ages 5 to 11, the film tells the story of the money-hungry Blue Mice of the North who, in order to satisfy their greed, go to war with the peace loving Red Mice of the South.
As the story unfolds, the Blue Mice initiate a conflict after noticing that the Red Mice prefer a different color of cheese. “The moral of the tale is that these mice must learn to accept one another’s differences if they ever hope to succeed as a species,” Chesky says.
“This message makes the story meaningful and timely because it teaches children about the absurdity of war and how we have to learn to resolve conflicts peacefully,” he adds.
“My students are champing at the bit to see the movie again,” says 2nd-grade teacher Megan Mitchell, “I can’t stop talking to other teachers about the impact I have seen it have on my students and my children.”
The movie features a cast of some of the most talented Broadway singers and actors today, including Tony Award winner Gregory Jbara voicing the warmonger General Kan, and Tony nominee Alison Fraser as the voice of Lucy, the lovable sea monster; Rock of Ages star Mitchell Jarvis narrates the story.
“Featuring rousing musical numbers supported by a large orchestra, ‘The Mice War’ delivers a powerful message in a fun way that children and parents will understand and enjoy,” Chesky says.
WORLD PREMIERE OF “I’LL PUSH YOU” SET FOR APRIL 24, 2017 AT NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL SELLS OUT IN HOURS
NEWPORT BEACH, CA – April 11, 2017 – I’LL PUSH YOU, an inspirational documentary about friendship, endurance, humanity and overcoming adversity will have its World Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Monday, April, 24, 2017 at 4:45pm at the Island Cinema, 999 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660. Tickets to that screening were sold out within hours of being made available it was announced today by the film’s director, Terry Parish. Two additional screenings have been set and they are also expected to sell out before the start of the film festival.
The premiere screening of I’LL PUSH YOU will be followed by a panel discussion with principles, Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray and San Diego-based filmmakers Terry Parish and Chris Karcher.
In June, 2014, two lifelong friends, Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray embarked on an epic, five-and-a-half-week, 500-mile-long journey to hike Spain’s famed El Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James).
Hiking this ancient pilgrimage along the vast terrain is challenging enough for the able-bodied. But these friends show the true test of humanity by physically and mentally pushing each other, as Justin, fighting and neuromuscular disease would have to be pushed in a wheelchair. To reach their goal of completing this amazing trek, they will encounter many seemingly insurmountable obstacles and incredible, often comical, setbacks. While the pair face various challenges they realize the greatest journey will be that of self-discovery, a sense of purpose and love of a community who, ultimately, redefine the meaning of the phrase, I’LL PUSH YOU.
“We are beyond thrilled to have the World Premiere of our film, I’ll PUSH YOU take place at the Newport Beach Film Festival”, said Director, Terry Parish. “Justin as well as the filmmaking team have deep Southern California connections, so this epic journey has poetically come full-circle for us”, he added.
“I’LL PUSH YOU is one of the most moving and inspirational films we have ever seen and it was an easy decision to include it in this year’s dynamic line-up of films”, said Newport Beach Film Festival Senior Programmer Erika Tucker. “The premiere on April 24 sold out almost immediately, which speaks volumes about the film and its obvious appeal to audiences. We are planning to add additional screenings to what will certainly be an audience favorite of the festival”, she added.
About I’LL PUSH YOU:
About the Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program as well as providing a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the Festival focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of both studio and independent films. The Festival supports the creation and advancement of innovative and artistic cinematic works from both emerging and seasoned filmmakers and proudly embraces the passion, vision, and independent spirit of these talented artists. With the integration of the local community and educational institutions, the Festival stimulates an interest in the study and appreciation of film and encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to participate.
(Source: Press release provided by Max Danielson, Public Relations, I’ll Push You)
West Coast Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival
Sunday, April 23, 8:30pm
Newport Beach, CA
April 5, 2017 (Newport Beach, CA) — Independent feature documentary film LITTLE STONES follows Brazilian graffiti artist Panmela Castro, Senegalese rap-singer Sister Fa, Indian dance therapist Sohini Chakraborty, and fashion designer Anna Taylor as they use their art to combat violence against women and to empower women and girls globally.
The powerful film is making waves after its World Premiere at the Vail Film Festival last weekend, where Little Stones won the award for Best Documentary. The film will make its West Coast Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival, screening on Sunday, April 23 at 8:30pm at Island Cinemas in Newport Beach. Tickets are available on the Newport Beach Film Festival’s website and at the door for $15.
Directed by Los Angeles based EMMY® Award-winning filmmaker Sophia Kruz and
cinematographer Meena Singh (20 FEET FROM STARDOM, HOLLIDAYSBURG), with music by Amritha Vaz (500 DAYS OF SUMMER), Little Stones was produced over a period of 18 months in Senegal, Kenya, Brazil, Germany, India and USA. This will be the film’s homecoming for its LA based crew, and all will be in attendance at the festival.
Sophia Kruz, Director & Producer of LITTLE STONES
Meena Singh, Co-Producer & Cinematographer of LITTLE STONES.
