Monthly Archives: October 2018

#AFI, #AFIFEST

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS World Premiere to Close AFI FEST 2018

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

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AFI FEST presented by Audi will close with the World Premiere of Focus Features and Working Title’s MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS.  Directed by Josie Rourke and written by Academy Award® nominee Beau Willimon, the historical drama is based on John Guy’s biography, “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart.”  The film stars Academy Award® nominees Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, along with Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, Gemma Chan, Martin Compston, Ismael Cordova, Brendan Coyle, Ian Hart, Adrian Lester, James McArdle, David Tennant and Guy Pearce.  The Closing Night Gala will take place on Thursday, November 15, 2018 at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

“This commanding story of powerful women and political rivalry that shaped world history will close AFI FEST on a high note,” said Michael Lumpkin, Director, AFI Festivals.  “This year’s festival showcases compelling women-directed narratives that challenge the status quo, and MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS is no exception.” 

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS explores the turbulent life of the charismatic Mary Stuart (Ronan). Queen of France at 16 and widowed at 18, Mary defies pressure to remarry. Instead, she returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her rightful throne. But Scotland and England fall under the rule of the compelling Elizabeth I (Robbie). Each young Queen beholds her “sister” in fear and fascination. Rivals in power and love, and female regents in a masculine world, the two must decide how to play the game of marriage versus independence. Determined to rule as much more than a figurehead, Mary asserts her claim to the English throne, threatening Elizabeth’s sovereignty. Betrayal, rebellion and conspiracies within each court imperil both thrones — and change the course of history.

Patron Packages ensure reserved seats for Closing Night. A limited number of individual tickets to Opening Night and other screenings are also made available at no charge thanks to the event sponsors. Click here to purchase Patron Packages, which can include access to Galas and other high-demand films and events. Individual tickets will be available on AFI.com beginning October 30.

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(Source: AFI Press Release)

#AFI, #AFIFEST

AFI FEST 2018 to Open with World Premiere ON THE BASIS OF SEX

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The 32nd edition of AFI FEST presented by Audi will open with the World Premiere of Participant Media’s ON THE BASIS OF SEX, in association with Alibaba Pictures and distributed by Focus Features. Directed by AFI Conservatory alumna Mimi Leder (AFI Class of 1973), the inspiring drama tells the story of young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg before she became a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

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The film stars Academy Award® nominee Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Jack Reynor and Cailee Spaeny, with Academy Award® nominee Sam Waterston and Academy Award® winner Kathy Bates. The film is produced by longtime AFI Conservatory lecturer Robert W. Cort and Participant Media’s Jonathan King. The screenplay is written by Daniel Stiepleman. The Opening Night Gala screening will take place Thursday, November 8, 2018, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

Screen Shot 2018-10-12 at 11.10.18 PM“As one of the first women ever admitted to the AFI Conservatory, it’s particularly meaningful to me that ON THE BASIS OF SEX will open AFI FEST 2018,” said Mimi Leder. “My time at the Conservatory was a life-changing experience and informed my creative journey. I am forever grateful. The origin story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in this 25th anniversary year of her appointment to the Supreme Court, couldn’t come at a more important moment in our history nor be shown at a more relevant place than AFI FEST, a symbol of artistic integrity and the enduring power of cinema. I hope girls and young women in particular will see the film and find inspiration to realize their own unlimited potential.”

Inspired by a true story, ON THE BASIS OF SEX is the stirring and spirited film that follows young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg as she teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination.

The film will be released on December 25, 2018, in line with Justice Ginsburg’s 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court.

Patron Packages ensure reserved seats for Opening Night. A limited number of individual tickets to Opening Night and other screenings are also made available at no charge thanks to the event sponsors. Click here to purchase Patron Packages, which can include access to Galas and other high-demand films and events. Individual tickets will be available on AFI.com beginning October 30.

(Source: AFI Press Release)

#AFI, #AFIFEST

AFI FEST 2018 Announces an Evening With Nicole Kidman

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

AFI FEST 2018 presented by Audi will host An Evening With Nicole Kidman. The event will include a conversation with the Academy Award®-winning actor in tribute to her illustrious career, followed by a Gala screening of her latest film, Annapurna Pictures’ DESTROYER (DIR Karyn Kusama), on Tuesday, November 13, at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre.

Nicole Kidman received the Best Actress Academy Award® for THE HOURS (2002), and also earned Oscar® nominations for MOULIN ROUGE! (2001), RABBIT HOLE (2010) and LION (2016). Her additional credits include DEAD CALM (1989), DAYS OF THUNDER (1990), TO DIE FOR (1995), PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998), EYES WIDE SHUT (1999), THE OTHERS (2001), COLD MOUNTAIN (2003), BIRTH (2004), DOGVILLE (2004), THE PAPERBOY (2012), PADDINGTON (2014), THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017), THE BEGUILED (2017) and BOY ERASED (2018). She earned a Primetime Emmy® , a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice Award and SAG Award for her performance in BIG LITTLE LIES.

Director Karyn Kusama’s DESTROYER is a gritty, riveting and complex crime thriller starring Oscar® winner Nicole Kidman in a virtuoso performance as hardened detective Erin Bell, worn down to the nub by the rigors of her job and the aftermath of an undercover FBI sting gone horribly wrong. When an old nemesis (Toby Kebbell) resurfaces, Erin, haunted by guilt and loss, becomes hell-bent on finding him — seizing her last shot at redemption.

The film is written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (AFI Conservatory Class of 1995), both of whom also produced alongside Fred Berger.

Go to AFI.com now to purchase Patron Packages, which can include access to Galas and other high-demand films and events. A limited number of individual tickets will be available free of charge on AFI.com beginning October 30.

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Source: http://www.afi.com

#AFI, Meet The Press, television

Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI completes its 2nd year

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

In case you missed it, NBC Universal and the American Film Institute partnered up for a timely, election-issue based film festival, dubbed MEET THE PRESS FILM FESTIVAL WITH AFI at the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema in Washington, D.C., on October 8th, 2018.

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A MEET THE PRESS FILM FESTIVAL WITH AFI volunteer provides vital information to an early ticket holder at the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema on October 8th, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

Meet the Press is the number one most-watched Sunday public affairs show and the longest running program in television history. This was the second year in a row NBC Universal teamed up with AFI marking a dramatic brand expansion beyond the television platform. Last year three of the films were nominated for Academy Awards and two were nominated for Emmy Awards. This year nearly two dozen films (twenty-three in all) from HBO, Netflix, The New York Times and filmmakers from across the country spotlighted key political and socio-economic issues while illuminating their impact on American citizens ahead of next months midterm elections.

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This year’s films were moderated by NBC anchors and correspondents Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, Jacob Soboroff, Hallie Jackson, Craig Melvin, Harry Smith, Kasie Hunt and Kristen Welker. Selected films will soon be available for a month-long showcase on the NBC News Digital platforms and apps, including AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire as well as Hulu, AOL and Comcast X1.

*Featured photo from left to right: NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent and political journalist, Andrea Mitchell; Directors, Brett Story, Samantha Knowles and Stefano Da Fre engaging in a panel discussion following the film program, “On the Ballot.” (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

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(Source: Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI program)

#AFI, Meet The Press, television

Snake Oil, Tension and Sexual Assault Underscore Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI “On the Ballot” Program

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

 

Andrea Crop
NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs, correspondent and political journalist, Andrea Mitchell, introduces the Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI “On the Ballot” Film Program inside the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema on October 8th, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

Featuring independent filmmaking artists, the Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI “On the Ballot” Film Program captured the audience imagination inside the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema, on October 8th, 2018, in Washington D.C. Meet the Press is the most watched Sunday morning public affairs show and the longest running program in television history. In a dramatic brand expansion, the television show has joined forces with the American Film Institute for a second consecutive year to spotlight critical election issues facing the American electorate before an impending midterm election.

And as if tensions were not already elevated with the Judge Kavanaugh hearing and subsequent FBI background sojourn into alleged sexual assault claims against Judge Kavanaugh by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, filmmakers Brett Story, Samantha Knowles and Stefano Da Fre crafted their respective documentaries, Camperforce, The Blue Line, and The Girl Who Cannot Speak, on explosive issues of supporting local law enforcement juxtaposed against the Black Lives Matter Movement (The Blue Line), in Warwick, Rhode Island, Amazon giant’s exploitation of workers (Camperforce) left behind following the 2008 housing crisis and financial collapse of major banking institutions and preeminent investment houses with a third party, Camper Force, selling a lifestyle of joy and exercise to financially indigent people living out of recreational vehicles as they work 12-hour shifts for $11 an hour without retirement or healthcare benefits as they try to make ends meet after losing a lifetime of savings, and, five cases of sexual assault including one perpetrated upon a sixteen year-old girl, virtually speechless, (The Girl Who Cannot Speak) shown only stating her name at the film’s conclusion.

Regardless of where your political loyalties fall, these films are eerily timely. And, while truth can be relative, facts cannot. There is no such thing as an alternative fact. Discernment, yes. Alternative facts, no.

 

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From left to right, NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent and political journalist, Andrea Mitchell; Directors, Brett Story, Samantha Knowles and Stefano Da Fre engaging in a panel discussion following the Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI Film Program, “On the Ballot,”  October 8th, 2018, at the Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Larry Gleeson/HollywoodGlee)

Without further adieu, I encourage you to watch the select Meet the Press Film Festival with AFI films, soon to be made available for a month-long showcase on the NBC News Digital platforms and apps, including AppleTV, Roku, Amazon Fire as well as Hulu, AOL and Comcast X1. While you won’t be privy to the panel discussions led by the NBC anchors and correspondents, please feel free to post your comments on HollywoodGlee and together we will find common ground. Until next time, I’ll see you at the movies!

E Pluribus Unum