Category Archives: television

#AFI, television

AFI Movie Club and Robert De Niro Announce today’s featured film: DR. STRANGELOVE

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

After Billy Wilder’s hilarious Some Like It Hot featuring unforgettable performances from Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, AFI Movie Club and veteran actor Robert De Niro bring forth Dr. Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb.

 

 

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the War Room!” The film appears on several of AFI’s lists of the greatest American films – including #3 on the AFI’s 100 YEARS…100 LAUGHS!

 

war Room

Dr. Strangelove is based on the British novel “Two Hours to Doom” (titled “Red Alert” in the US) which Stanley Kubrick bought the rights to for $3,000 – and turned its dramatic material into a dark comedy.

A LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Stanley Kubrick ordered 3,000 custard pies for the production. They were to be used in an alternate ending depicting a pie fight between the Russians and the Americans.

I’m with Samuel L. Jackson in highlighting the ending sequence with journeyman actor Slim Pickens riding the warhead complete with an air lasso and boisterous “Yee Ha!” Also, hear as Robin Williams recalls his fondness for Peter Sellers’ performances. Then tune in and enjoy the film here!

I hope the AFI Movie Club brings some inspiration and entertainment during this uncertain time when we are reminded “There’s no place like home.” AFI has created a global, virtual gathering of those who love the movies where each day’s film – announced by a special guest – is accompanied by fun facts, family-friendly discussion points and material from the AFI Archive to bring the viewing experience to life. As a non-profit, AFI Movie Club is a member-powered organization, dependent upon the support of its movie fans. To support AFI Movie Club please consider becoming a member or donating.

 

About AFI Movie Club

AFI Movie Club is a newly launched free program to raise the nation’s spirits by bringing artists and audiences together – even while we are apart. AFI will shine a spotlight on an iconic movie each day, with special guests announcing select AFI Movies of the Day in short videos posted on AFI.com and social media platforms. Audiences can “gather” at AFI.com/MovieClub to find out how to watch the featured movie of the day with the use of their preexisting streaming service credentials. The daily film selections will be supported by fun facts, family discussion points and exclusive material from the AFI Archive to enrich the viewing experience. Audiences can continue the conversation online using the hashtag #AFIMovieClub. Learn more at AFI.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/AmericanFilmInstitute, youtube.com/AFI, twitter.com/AmericanFilm and Instagram.com/AmericanFilmInstitute.

AFI MOVIE CLUB

television

Don’t miss this! SHOOTING HEROIN Coming Today

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Posted by Larry Geeson

 

Shooting Heroin, one of the first narrative feature films on the current opioid epidemic in North America, tells the story of a young man, portrayed by Alan Powell, returning home from three overseas tours while surviving two divorces. Meanwhile, the heroin epidemic has embedded itself inside his hometown, a typical rural community, Whispering Pines. Shooting Heroin weaves a faith-based narrative into a typical rural setting with grace and eloquence.

Heroin

Utilizing some excellent technical filmmaking techniques through the use of point-of-view shots coupled with longer takes and a nuanced editing pace, Director and Producer Spencer Folmar, himself a small theatre chain operator and distributor through his company Veritas Films, flashes his filmmaking chops. In addition, the cinematography is eye-pleasing with sweeping opening landscape shots along with adept use of lens selections. Furthermore, an attractive cast augments the aesthetics. Sound and music tracks complement rather than overwhelm. The strength of musical talent is formidable.

Moreover, I discovered varied and sundry cinematic influences ranging from the hot Netflix docuseries, The Pharmacist through the award-winning 2011 Winters Bone into Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven and as far back as the original 1934 Frankenstein. Suffice to say these filmmakers are no slouches.

Most interesting was the understated role of the “girl next door” character, portrayed by Rachel Hendrix. Grounded in the present and an unfaltering belief in the power of redemptive salvation, Hendrix’s character makes the narrative credible and ultimately believable. Her taped interview is a personal revelation unto itself. Tune in, turn on, and carry the torch to undo the scourge of heroin in your community. You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

Originally set for an initial limited theatrical release in cities across North America, Shooting Heroin, has repeatedly pivoted to reach its audience in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Following the cancellation of its Los Angeles premiere and party, the producers have organized a LIVE, digital red carpet premiere for opening day, taking place on Zoom from 2:30-3:30PM Friday, April 3 with numerous cast and crew in attendance online for media to meet and interact with. Further, they’ve made all the on-set interview footage and clips available to the media and the public to edit and broadcast to their taste. Those are available here:

ZOOM invite: Shooting Heroin Virtual Red Carpet
Time: Apr 3, 2020 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 263 089 213
Password: 143213
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SHOOTING HEROIN moved to video-on-demand and pay-per-view platforms following the shutdown of almost all movie theatres nationally during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The film had also been set to premiere at three film festivals in Northern New Jersey, Dallas, and Los Angeles–two were canceled. The third, the Garden State Film Festival, went online, premiered the film Saturday, March 28 and hosted an online Q&A following the screening with dozens of guests; the film captured a Best Supporting Actor Award for Garry Pastore.

Heroin

 

 

 

television

Wizard of Oz Kicks Off AFI Movie Club

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced on March 31st it’s launching of a daily virtual gathering of cinephiles and movie lovers from around the globe. AFI Trustee and legendary filmmaker, Steven Spielberg, kicked off the optimistic and forward-thinking event with an introduction to the AFI Movie Club’s first film, The Wizard of Oz, and one of the film’s most important messages, “there’s no place like home.”

 

And, if that’s not enough check out what Judy Garland’s daughters Liza Minelli and Lorna Luft thought about THE WIZARD OF OZ the first time they saw it.

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one terrified by flying monkeys!

Stay tuned for more on this daily excursion with the AFI Movie Club!

AFI MOVIE CLUB

 

 

Feature Film, television

BLOODSHOT with Vin Diesel opens Thursday

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Based on the bestselling comic book, Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) is an elite soldier recently killed in action, brought back to life as the superhero Bloodshot by the RST corporation. With an army of nanotechnology in his veins he’s an unstoppable force – the strongest warrior the corporation has ever created – and able to heal instantly. But in upgrading his body, the company is also manipulating his mind and memories. As he begins to remember his past life, Ray isn’t sure what’s real and what’s not – but he’s determined to take back control.

Bloodshot

Directed By:
David S.F. Wilson
Story by:
Jeff Wadlow
Screenplay by:
Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer
Based on:
The Valiant Comic Book
Produced by:
Neal H. Moritz
Toby Jaffe
Dinesh Shamdasani
Vin Diesel
Executive Producers:
Dan Mintz
Louis G. Friedman
Yu Dong
Jeffrey Chan
Rita LeBlanc
Buddy Patrick
Matthew Vaughn
Cast:
Vin Diesel
Eiza Gonzalez
Sam Heughan
Toby Kebbell
and Guy Pearce
Columbia Pictures’ BLOODSHOT photo call, Los Angeles, USA - 06 March 2020
LOS ANGELES – March 6, 2020: Eiza González, Vin Diesel, Lamorne Morris and Sam Heughan at the Junket Photo Call for Columbia Pictures’ BLOODSHOT at The London West Hollywood. (Photo credit: Eric Charbonneau)

Bloodshot has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for intense sequences of violence, some suggestive material, and language. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on March 13, 2020.

television

Dawson City: Frozen Time (Morrison, USA) 2016

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Viewed as part of Prof. Albright’s Film Studies 104, “American Cinema up to the 1960’s.”

Directed/Written/Photographed and Edited by Bill Morrison, Dawson City: Frozen Time weaves a narrative of a highly unique period in the history of human civilization.

It’s a story of a Canadian gold rush town at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers, approximately 175 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The area had been an important hunting and fishing camp for a nomadic First Nation tribe known as Tr’ondek Hwech’in.

Utilizing a treasure trove of 533 reels of film (dating from the 1910’s and 1920’s (seemingly lost until being discovered buried in an abandoned sub-artic swimming pool) newsreels, archival photographs and modern day and interviews, Morrison uncovers a magical and mythical trail of settlers, gold mining prospectors in search of gold and prosperity and the end of a Hollywood film distribution line in the Canadian Yukon.

The perma-frost preserved films are now housed at the US Library of Congress and in the Canadian Archives in Ottawa. Jointly, the Library of Congress and the Canadian National Archives restored all the titles to 35mm preservation masters.

Dawson City: Frozen Time is highly recommended and a must-see for any film historian!

television

Gravitas Features sets March 20 release date for Amber McGinnis’ award-winning dark comedy INTERNATIONAL FALLS

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Gravitas Ventures set to release
Amber McGinnis’ award-winning dark comedy
INTERNATIONAL FALLS
Theatrical and North American VOD release on March 20

Intl Falls PosterNEW YORK, NY (February 12, 2020) – Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, announced today the theatrical and VOD release date of Friday, March 20 for Amber McGinnis’ award-winning film INTERNATIONAL FALLS. The dark comedy will wrap up a successful year-long film festival run with appearances in a trio of film festivals around the country, and in France at the 42nd International Women’s Film Festival.

The feature film directorial debut by McGinnis, INTERNATIONAL FALLS features a lineup of notable comedian/actors and familiar faces including Rachel Harris (Lucifer, Suits), Rob Huebel (Children’s Hospital, Transparent), Kevin Nealon (Man with a Plan, Weeds), Mindy Sterling (The Goldbergs, the AUSTIN POWERS films), Erik Griffin (Workahlics, I’m Dying Up Here), and Matthew Glave (THE WEDDING SINGER, ARGO). The film was written by Thomas Ward, and produced by Nicholas Dunlevy and McGinnis.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL FALLS is a dark comedy about Dee (Rachael Harris), a woman stuck in a small, snowbound border town in northern Minnesota who harbors a secret dream of a career in stand-up. When she forms a friendship with Tim (Rob Huebel), a burned-out touring comedian, these two lost souls are forced to face the harsh but funny truths of their lives.

Intl Falls 2
Rob Huebel and Rachel Harris in INTERNATIONAL FALLS (Photo courtesy of Gravitas Ventures)

The film has been an official selection at 22 film festivals across the country, and has won multiple awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at 5 different festivals. The film festivals giving the film their highest honor, include the Ashland Independent Film Festival, the Naples International Film Festival, the New York No Limits Film Series, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Tallgrass International Film Festival in Wichita.

 

Rogalsky
Brett Rogalsky

“What audiences will most like about INTERNATIONAL FALLS is undoubtedly its human elements: the characters, the emotions, and the humor are all realistic and relatable, making for an easy to fall in love with feature,” said Brett Rogalsky, Acquisitions Coordinator at Gravitas Ventures.

 

INTERNATIONAL FALLS will continue its impressive film festival tour leading up to its release with appearances at; Dallas’ Best of Fests on February 29 which includes top films from 2019 festival programming in Dallas and North Texas film festivals’ programming form 2019; the Destiny City Film Festival in Takoma, Washington on March 14, and the Fargo Film Festival on March 21, the day after the film opens across the country and on VOD.

Gravitas

About Gravitas Ventures

Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, is a leading all rights distributor of independent feature films and documentaries. Founded in 2006, Gravitas connects independent filmmakers and producers with distribution opportunities across the globe. Working with talented directors and producers, Gravitas Ventures has distributed thousands of films into over a hundred million homes in North America – over one billion homes worldwide. Recent releases include Armstrong, directed by David Fairhead; Above the Shadows staring Olivia Thirlby, Megan Fox and Jim Gaffigan; The River and the Wall, directed by Ben Masters; Score: A Film Music Documentary; California Typewriter; Legion of Brothers; Katie Holmes’ feature directorial debut; All We Had, Colin Hanks’ All Things Must Pass; and Being Evel from Academy Award winning director Daniel Junge and producer Johnny Knoxville.

For more information, please visit gravitasventures.com, and follow @GravitasVOD on Twitter and @gravitasventures on Instagram.

About Red Arrow Studios

Red Arrow Studios is one of the world’s leading creators and distributors of entertainment content. Red Arrow Studios is comprised of 20 production companies in seven territories, including 10 companies based in the United States; world-leading multi-platform digital network Studio71, based in six countries; and global film and TV distributors Red Arrow Studios International and Gravitas Ventures.

The group’s significant output includes scripted, non-scripted and formatted content and IP, from TV and film to short-form and branded content, made for an array of global networks and platforms.

Red Arrow Studios is part of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, one of Europe’s leading media groups. For more information, please visit: https://redarrowstudios.com/

 

(Source: Press release provided by Wildman PR, John Wildman)

 

television

Dallas’ Best of Fests 2020 Announces Film Lineup Celebrating 26 Different Film Festivals

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

North Texas Film Festivals Announce
BEST OF FESTS Presented by EarthX and EarthxFilm
Film Festival Event
 (February 27-March 1, 2020)

Return of the one of a kind event celebrating film
with special selections representing 26 film festivals
in Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas

Funghi

Dallas, TX (February 11, 2020) – Film festivals based in Dallas, Forth Worth, and North Texas have joined forces once again to present the second edition of the Best of Fests Presented by EarthX and EarthxFilm on February 27-March 1, 2020. 26 different film festivals will be celebrated in the one-of-a-kind event, with 18 film festivals presenting 11 feature films and 26 short films that either was popular with their audiences or represent their programming esthetic. The films will be screened at Alamo Drafthouse-Cedars, and the Texas Theatre.

Participating film festivals include; 3 Stars Jewish Cinema, Asian Film Festival of Dallas (AFFD), Czech That Film, Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), Dallas Jewish Film Festival, Dallas VideoFest (#AltFiction, #DocuFest), Deep Ellum Film Festival, Deep in the Heart Film Festival, Denton Black Film Festival, EarthxFilm, Festival de Cine Latino Americano, Forth Worth Independent Film Showcase, Frame4Frame, Lone Star Film Festival, North Texas Film Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival, Pegasus Film Festival, Q Cinema, Sons of the Flag Stars and Stripes Film Festival, South Asian Film Festival, Thin Line Film Festival, Topaz Film Festival, and Women Texas Film Festival.

Best of Fests Festival Producer Erin Nicole Parisi said, “It was remarkable that this special film event was accomplished last year and the fact that we have been able to bring everyone together once again speaks to something truly wonderful and unique about the film festival and film loving community in Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas. These films represent the wide range of styles, interests, storytelling, and entertainment that the amazing array of film festivals throughout this area bring to audiences all year long. Of course I’m maybe a little biased, but I think everyone should mark these days off their calendars and immerse themselves in this sampling of films from these wonderful festivals.”

Best of Fests will open on Friday, February 28, at the Texas Theatre with EarthxFilm’s screening of Louis Schwartzberg’s FANTASTIC FUNGI, which looks at the magical world of fungi and their power to heal, sustain and contribute to the regeneration of life on Earth. Along with the stunning photography, experts, scientists and authors lend their views on how the fungi kingdom offer us answers and solutions to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges. The film will be preceded by an animated short from the Pegasus Film Festival. Morgan McGrath’s THE WOLF AND THE RABBIT, is a charming film where a young wolf wants to play with a very wary rabbit that was his friend when they were babies

Red Dog

Other highlights will include Amber McGinnis’s award-winning comedy-drama, INTERNATIONAL FALLS. Presented by the Women Texas Film Festival, the film stars comic and actress Rachel Harris as a woman stuck in a small, snowbound border town with dreams of being a stand-up whose life is changed when she meets a washed up, burned out comedian (played by Rob Huebel) with dreams of doing anything else. The film also stars comedian/actor Kevin Nealon. DIFF will present a 10th Anniversary screening of Will Patton’s BROTHERHOOD about a pledge at a college fraternity faced with a moral dilemma, and the Dallas Video Fest will screen Elizabeth Coffman’s documentary, FLANNERY, an exploration of the life and work of author Flannery O’Connor, whose distinctive Southern Gothic style influenced a generation of artists and activists. The Lone Star Film Festival will present Luke Dick’s RED DOG, which looks at the filmmaker’s upbringing among strippers, bouncers, and outcasts that populated one of Oklahoma City’s most notorious strip clubs

Each film will also feature appearances by the filmmakers, including a pre-festival concert on Thursday, February 27 by Luke Dick and the Steve Band at the 3 Links Club in Deep Ellum (2704 Elm Street). The concert kick-off to the Best of Fests will also acknowledge the 20th Anniversary of the local legendary Deep Ellum Film Festival, which was founded by Michael Cain, the Co-Founder and President of EarthxFilm.

EarthxFilm is the 501c3 fiscal sponsor of Best of Fests. Sponsors and partners include EarthX and EarthxFilm, Kinetigraf Entertainment, Prekindle, Selig Polyscope, Alamo Drafthouse, Texas Theatre, Dallas Film Commission/Dallas Creative Industries, Dallas Producers Association, Visit Dallas, Kelly Kitchens PR and Wildworks PR.

Film festival passes and tickets are on-sale now. For more information, go to: www.bestoffests.org.

The 2020 Best of Fests Film Festival official selections:

3 STARS JEWISH CINEMA
GOLDA’S BALCONY
Director: Scott Schwartz
Country: USA, Running Time: 86 min
The play, “Golda’s Balcony”, portrays the amazing rise of Golda Meir from Russian schoolgirl to American school teacher to Prime Minister of Israel. The main focus of the play is on the period surrounding the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel was attacked by Egypt and Syria. Tovah Feldshuh gives an award-winning performance as Golda, which she went on to repeat over 500 times, on and off-Broadway. A rare multi-camera shoot from the play’s original run was recently unearthed and assembled into this riveting motion picture.
(Presented with the Dallas Jewish Film Festival)

ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL OF DALLAS
THE WITCH: PART 1 THE SUBVERSION (2018)
Director: Park Hoon-Jung
Country: South Korea, Running Time: 125 min
10 years ago, Ja-yoon escaped from a government facility in the midst of an inexplicable incident by herself and lost all her memory. An old couple takes her in even though she doesn’t know her name or age. She grows up to be a bright high school student and enters a nationally televised audition program to win the top prize and help her struggling family out. As soon as she appears on TV, strange people start appearing in her life. A man named ‘Nobleman’ constantly roams around her, in addition to ‘Dr. Baek’ and ‘Mr. Choi’ who have been searching for her since her disappearance. Ja-yoon’s life falls into turmoil as they turn her seemingly ordinary life upside down in a blink of an eye…

CZECH THAT FILM
WINTER FLIES (2018)
Director: Olmo Omerzu
Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min
Two mischievous adolescent boys embark on a journey of imaginative misadventure and coming-of-age self-discovery, in this road trip comedy celebrating the need to indulge the innocence, impulsiveness, and irrepressibility of youth.

DALLAS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
BROTHERHOOD (2010)                        
Director: Will Cannon
Country: USA, Running Time: 81 min
Adam Buckley finds himself in the middle of a convenience store robbery during his last night as a pledge for a college fraternity. When the initiation ritual goes horribly wrong, and every move proves disastrous, Adam is forced to confront a new challenge all together, and he has to take a stand.
(Presented with the North Texas Film Festival)

DALLAS VIDEO FEST (#DOCUFEST/#ALTFICTION)
FLANNERY
Director: Elizabeth Coffman
Country: USA, Running Time: 96 min
Flannery is the lyrical, intimate exploration of the life and work of author Flannery O’Connor, whose distinctive Southern Gothic style influenced a generation of artists and activists. With her family home at Andalusia (the Georgia farm where she grew up and later wrote her best-known work) as a backdrop, a picture of the woman behind her sharply aware, starkly redemptive style comes into focus. Including conversations with those who knew her and those inspired by her (Alice Walker, Tommy Lee Jones, Mary Karr, Conan O’Brien and more), Flannery employs never-before-seen archival footage, newly discovered personal letters and her own published words (read by Mary Steenburgen) alongside original animations and music to elevate the life and legacy of an American literary icon.
(Presented with the Women Texas Film Festival)

DEEP ELLUM FILM FESTIVAL
STANDING STILL (2001)
Director: Melina McKinnon
Country: USA, Running Time: 14 min
Maria (Alaina Kalanj) a talented emerging artist is forced to relive the high school shooting she witnessed and photographed ten years earlier by an invitation to her 10-year reunion. Those photographs propelled her into national prominence and set up her future. Ryan, her agent (Elizabeth Rothan), and her partner Blake (David Andriole) debate whether it is best to put the past behind you or deal with it head-on. The high school shooter is played by Ash Christian.

DEEP IN THE HEART FILM FESTIVAL
ENCORE
Director: Sonny Steckel
Country: USA, Running Time: 19:08 min
Four retired rockers have formed a new band and booked their first show. But when a bandmate’s daughter threatens to put one of them in a nursing home, the band must go to new extremes to stay together and keep the dream alive.

MARGARET AND THE MOON
Director: Trevor Morgan
Country: USA, Running Time: 12 min
An unpopular little girl falls in love with her imagination and learns the true value of friendship.

PICKLE
Director: Grant Moore
Country: USA, Running Time: 21:28 min
After accidentally freezing the family dog to death, Oscar attempts to make good with his soon-to-be stepson by driving the family pet’s ashes across the country.

SACRED HAIR
Director: Mario Morin
Country: USA, Running Time: 13:14 min
A fortuitous life-changing encounter between a young ill boy and a Muslim woman in a Montreal park.

TOWARDS THE SUN
Director: Monica Santis
Country: USA, Running Time: 19:30 min
A 12-year-old girl confronts her scarring past when she is placed at an immigrant children’s shelter for unaccompanied minors in Texas.

DENTON BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
THE AWAKENING
Director: Cedrick May
Country: USA, Running Time: 5:34 min
Two brothers find themselves haunted in a series of nested dreams within dreams by “The Man,” a relentless, malevolent figure who haunts them throughout the night.

BRANCH
Director: Kelly Gray
Country: USA, Running Time: 7:45 min
Aretha’s book store is becoming a victim of a hate crime but she finds a way through a secret coded slave language called tut to seek out revenge.

HARVEST
Director: Starling Thomas
Country: USA, Running Time: 20:22 min
A tech-billionaire must save his wife by finding her a new liver, no matter what the cost.

I AM TX
Director: Ryan Darbonne
Country: USA, Running Time: 9:50 min
On their last day of tour, a black punk band find themselves in awkward, surreal and life-threatening situations with an ignorant cast of characters.

SEEKING WOMAN $$$
Director: Samenta
Country: USA, Running Time: 11:18 min
Strangers meet regarding an ad online, getting more than either bargained for.

SOLOMON’S DILEMMA
Director: Michael L. Jackson
Country: USA, Running Time: 16:49 min
Two brothers have lead two very different lives and now Solomon has to choose between his future and his brothers. Is blood really “thicker than water”, or will Solomon turn his back on the brother that has supported him his whole life?

UNREQUITED DREAMS: AN AMERICAN TRUTH
Director: Eboni Johnson
Country: USA, Running Time: 26:04 min
In 1968 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act to dismantle discriminatory housing practices. Over 50 years later the housing gap has only widened between white homeowners and homeowners of color creating increasingly segregated neighborhoods across the national landscape. Focusing on the ever-gentrifying area of West Dallas we evaluate the meaning of the American Dream and the communities left with promises unfulfilled.

EARTHXFILM
FANTASTIC FUNGI
Director: Louie Schwartzberg
Country: USA, Running Time: 74 min
FANTASTIC FUNGI, directed by Louie Schwartzberg, is a consciousness-shifting film that takes us on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil and others, we become aware of the beauty, intelligence and solutions the fungi kingdom offer us in response to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.

FESTIVAL DE CINE LATINO AMERICANO
RAMONA
Director: Rodrigo Moreno
Country: USA, Running Time: 14:34 min
A girl endures an abusive life at the hands of a man she was traded to and forced to care for. A spaghetti western with a Mexican twist.

FORT WORTH INDEPENDENT FILM SHOWCASE & FRAME4FRAME FILM FESTIVAL
BREAKING BROKENESS (2018)
Director: Cedric Thomas Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 21 min
After her release from prison, Frankie tries to repair her relationship with her unforgiving daughter, LaToya.

HOLLOWED (2018)
Director: Cedric Thomas Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 24 min
A terminal illness brings a couple back together and rekindles a love that had lost its way.

LONE STAR FILM FESTIVAL
RED DOG
Director: Luke Dick
Country: USA, Running Time: 105 min
In the early 1980s, the only family that toddler Luke knew, were the strippers, bouncers, and outcasts that called Oklahoma City’s rowdiest strip club home.

OAK CLIFF FILM FESTIVAL
SWALLOW
Director: Carla Mirabella-Davis
Country: USA, Running Time: 95 min
Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession.

PEGASUS FILM FESTIVAL
A CRIME STORY
Directors: John Bayonne, Alexis Flores
Country: USA, Running Time: 8:26 min
Jacob Schmidt and David Garcia are at the close of another case when new information will lead the young Detectives wondering who they can trust.

BAIT
Director: Sophie Gilmour
Country: USA, Running Time: 6:38 min
A disaffected girl deals with a leering boss at the pet store she works at.

LUKE CHACKO: THE LITTLE KID WITH A BIG VOICE
Director: Victoria Chikaoneka
Country: USA, Running Time: 6:59
12-year-old singer-songwriter Luke Chacko became a viral internet sensation following his impromptu performance of the hit song “Let it Go” at an Idina Menzel concert on July 30th, 2017. Following this, The Ellen Show invited him to be a guest.

MEET METAL: BANGOVER
Director: Morgan McGrath
Country: USA, Running Time: 4 min
This film explores one of the most well-known aspects of the metal scene: headbanging. Artists from different areas of the international metal scene speak out about why they headbang, how they headbang, and how they take care of their necks after a crazy show to avoid that dreaded bangover.

ROUND AND ROUND
Directors: Adriann Wrice, Soliel Singh, Alex Travell, Aaliyah White
Country: USA, Running Time: 4:57 min
A film made to highlight bullying in modern times and how one act of kindness can change everything.

THE WOLF AND THE RABBIT
Director: Morgan McGrath
Country: US, Running Time: 1:46 min
Now grown up, a wolf wants to play with a rabbit that was his friend when they were babies.

SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
IN SEARCH OF SILENCE
Director: Dar Gai
Country: USA, Running Time: 84 min
An elderly chauffeur, who is tired of the noises in the obstreperous Mumbai City life, has completely stopped speaking and decides to leave everything in search of “Silent Valley” which is said to have a naturally occurring phenomenon of almost a zero decibel sound level.

THIN LINE FILM FESTIVAL
BUILDING THE AMERICAN DREAM
Director: Chelsea Hernandez
Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min
In Texas, construction workers face the deadliest conditions in the country. Building the American Dream follows three immigrant families who are rising up to seek justice and equality in an industry rife with exploitation.

TOPAZ FILM FESTIVAL
DRIVING LESSONS
Director: Marziyeh Riahi
Country: Iran, Running Time: 12:48 min
According to the laws of Iran, Bahareh must have her traditional, chauvinistic husband accompany her to driving lessons so she and her instructor will not be alone

RIBBONS
Director: Marcela Cantú Serrano
Country: USA, Running Time: 14:57 min
Lucy dreams of attending the Sadie Hawkins dance with Tomás, a classmate who keeps to himself in her Spanish class. However, when she thinks she is clear to finally take the leap, things take an unexpected and mortifying turn.

TOPANGA
Director: Aycil Yeltan
Country: USA, Running Time: 14:59 min
Hearing impaired and homeless, Gala escapes from an abusive man – she thinks. However, after he locates her again, she finds the strength to stand up to him one more time and begin a “survival walk” that may change her life.

WOMEN TEXAS FILM FESTIVAL
INTERNATIONAL FALLS
Director: Amber McGinnis
Country: USA, Running Time: 93 min
A woman stuck in a small, snowbound border town has dreams of doing comedy when she meets a washed up, burned out comedian with dreams of doing anything else.
(Presented with Dallas Video Fest)

Best of Fests

(Source: Press release from Wildworks PR, John Wildman)

 

 

#Sundance, Sundance, Sundance Film Festival, television

Sundance 2020 Wrap-up: So Many Films, So Little Time

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Posted by Larry Gleeson                                                                                 February 10, 2020

robert redford
Robert Redford, Former President of the Sundance Institue, announced he was stepping down as the face of the festival in 2019 so he could spend more time with filmmakers and their films at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival Press Conference. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival started off most curiously….again. Last year in a highly dramatic moment, the face of the festival Robert Redford made an entrance with a deafening silence to announce, “I think it’s time for me to be going.” I sat in a semi-state of bodily paralysis as my mind searched for an answer to his opening words. Whew! Thank heavens I didn’t have to wait long for an answer as Redford continued speaking explaining he wanted to spend more time with the films and the filmmakers. This year, his letter (1_SFF 2020 Robert Redford Letter-1) says much of what he communicated intentionally last year on that fateful day.

This year I was ready for anything….except a virtual press conference with a content-rich digital Day One Press Kit, including video remarks from executive leadership as well as details about the Festival and the Institute’s global year-round work. Watch Keri Putnam, John Cooper, and Kim Yutani explain the importance of freedom of speech, the freedom of expression, the metaphysical principle of change, and the driving force behind programming and curating a film festival from more than 15,000 submissions. You’ll be glad you did!

That evening, Sundance Institute’s annual fundraising event An Artist at the Table Presented by IMDb Pro began with the premiere of Crip Camp, winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura and was followed by a celebratory dinner during which the Institute honored Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, with the Vanguard Award for Philanthropy. Proceeds from the evening went to advancing Sundance Institute’s mission and programs that discover, support and amplify risk-taking and exciting independent film, media and theatre artists. And, as luck would have it, I quickly ran into several of my cohorts from the Telluride Film Festival. One of which, I would have the distinct pleasure of conducting a sit-down interview. Sam Doerge, the Telluride Art Director, was handling duties at the New Frontiers Center Festival Installation Coordinator. More on that later!

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New Frontiers Center Festival Coordinator, Sam Doerge. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)

Taylor Swift

The film I was most excited to see – Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, a documentary directed by Lana Wilson was making its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in the late slot. Admittedly, in tears after seeing Swift perform “Better Man,” in Brian Loschiavo’s extraordinary documentary, Bluebird, at the 50th Anniversary of the Nashville Film Festival, I was not disappointed! No tears. Just an overwhelming sense of awe-inspiring respect.

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The Climb

Friday morning brought a wonderful opportunity to catch The Climb, winner of the Coup de Coeur prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, at a Press & Industry screening at the Holiday Village Theatre. Traversing the ups and downs of life, the film “utilizes ingeniously self-aware dialogue” to capture the chaos of fractured friendships and its accompanying family life. Highly recommended!

Friday,  January 24th, ushered in the opening of numerous venues on Old Town Main Street. The 2020 Sundance ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers) Music Café launched with a special introduction by Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Film Music Program. The Music Café was standing room only throughout the weekend.

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Matt Berninger and his band with a view of the room – Photo by Fred Hayes
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Ron Artis II and band on the Café stage – Photo by Fred Hayes
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The Easterseals Disability Services hosted a panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, February 25, 2020. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)

On Saturday, Easterseals Disability Services hosted a panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood in increasing the visibility of/opportunities for talent with disabilities in the entertainment industry. An underreported phenomenon is seemingly occurring in the film and television industries. Included below is the taped panel in its entirety. It’s inspiring and insightful!

ESSC Diversity Panel - Sundance 2020 #2

Standing behind Nick Novicki (front), ESSC board member and founder of the Easterseals Film Challenge, are L-R: Angela Williams, CEO, National Easterseals; Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO, The Black List; Mark Whitley, CEO, ESSC; panel moderator Britt Stephens, Celebrity & Entertainment Editor, Pop Sugar;  Shoshannah Stern, Creator, Executive Producer, Writer and Star of Sundance TV’s This Close; Shanique Bonelli-Moore, Executive Director of Inclusion, United Talent Agency; John Travis, VP of Brand Marketing, Adobe; and Nancy Weintraub, Chief Development Officer, ESSC. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Greenleaf)

 

Panel moderator, Britt Stephens, Celebrity & Entertainment Editor, Pop Sugar, participates in the Easterseals Disability Services panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, February 25, 2020. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)
John Travis, VP of Brand Marketing, Adobe, participates in the Easterseals Disability Services panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood during the 2020 Sundance Film Festival at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, February 25, 2020. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)

On Saturday, Easterseals Disability Services hosted a panel on the influence of diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood in increasing the visibility of/opportunities for talent with disabilities in the entertainment industry. An underreported phenomenon is seemingly occurring in the film and television industries. Included below is the taped panel in its entirety. It’s inspiring and insightful!

Has Recent Industry Emphasis on Diversity & Inclusion Influenced the Way We Tell Stories?

 

In addition, Brand Storytelling at Sundance Film Festival wrapped it’s fifth annual “festival within a festival.” Over 250 attendees were present at the invite-only, sold-out event for keynote chats, panel presentations, film premiers, and screenings, live musical performances while bringing in major brands, media and production companies, talent, advertising, and PR agencies.

Ariel Tweto, star of _Into America's Wild_
Ariel Tweto, star of Into America’s Wild, speaks at Brand Storytelling at Sundancer Film Festival (Photo courtesy of Prana PR)

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Presented Feature Film Prize to Tesla. Michael Almereyda’s Tesla was formally presented with a $20,000 check for winning the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize. The awards were presented at an afternoon cocktail reception at High West Distillery. These activities are part of the Sundance Institute Science-In-Film Initiative, which is made possible by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize Reception
Actor Ethan Hawke, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize Winner Michael Almereyda and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Vice President and Program Director Doron Weber attend the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Prize Reception at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. © 2020 Sundance Institute | photo by Jovelle Tamayo.

The World Premiere of Horse Girl from writer/director Jeff Baena took audiences by surprise with a sizzling performance from Alison Brie. An official selection of the Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Horse Girl was executively produced by the Duplass Brothers, Jay and Mark. Stay tuned for a full, unadulterated review

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Actor Alison Brie attends the World Premiere of Horse Girl by Jeff Baena, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. © 2020 Sundance Institute | photo by Lauren Wester.

Talent Forum convened for three days, January 28-30th during the festival bringing together a robust slate of artists with projects across all platforms and at varied and pivotal stages from development through completion.

Anne Lai
Anne Lai

“We’re thrilled to [have} welcome(d) an extraordinary collection of artists from 22 countries who bring remarkable voices and work to connect with industry, advocates, and each other as they move their work and careers forward,” noted Anne Lai, Sundance Institute’s Director of Creative Producing & Artist Support.

SFF20 Talent Forum Projects & Fellows

The Movie That Blew My Mind kicked off the 2020 Talent Forum panel at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. An Offscreen event the panel featured hosts John Cooper (Director, Sundance Film Festival) and Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program) with Tessa Thompson, Tom McCarthy, and other special guests, each of whom selected a cinema moment that was inspiring or formative (in their life or in shaping their creative sensibility).

The Movie That Blew My Mind - Panel
Actor Tessa Thompson at The Movie That Blew My Mind, a festival panel at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. © 2020 Sundance Institute | photo by Maya Dehlin.
The Movie That Blew My Mind - Panel
Tabitha Jackson (Director, Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program) at The Movie That Blew My Mind, a festival panel at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. © 2020 Sundance Institute | photo by Maya Dehlin.

An unexpected treat happened with the French episodic Laetitia. Acting on a suggestion from Antoine Maron, an Art Director in the French film industry, I squeezed into the Academy Award-winning Jean-Xavier de Lestrade screening and stayed for the Q & A with de Lestrade. His extraordinary attention to detail propels a powerful story based on an historically documented criminal case. This 2002 Academy-award winner for Best Documentary is worth listening to and has a captivating presence. Please see the 2020 Sundance Film Festival’s Meet the Artist video and stay tuned for a capsule review of the evening.

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Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival following a screening of his Indie Episodic, Laetitia, in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, January 28, 2019. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)
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Academy Award-winning French filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival following a screening of his episodic, Laetitia, in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, January 28, 2019. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)
Jean-Xavier de
Academy Award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival following a screening of his Indie Episodic, Laetitia, in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, January 28, 2019. (Photo by Larry Gleeson)

Other favorites were Okavango: River of Dreams, Kajillionaire. Max Richter’s Sleep, Dissident, Softie, Glorias, Horse Girl, Be Water, Ironbark, On the Record, The Father, Sylvie’s Love, and Mucho, Mucho, Amor. Check back regularly as these films, all of which are worthy of review, will soon be making their way up the “films to be reviewed” list and hopefully be available for viewing.

Without further adieu, the Festival wrapped up with the Awards Night Ceremony & Party on February 1, 2020, and with previously announced jurors awarding prizes to films in the U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT categories. 2020 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS

Until next year, I’ll see you at the movies!

*Featured photo: A still from Breathe by Diego Galafassi, an official selection of the New Frontier Exhibitions program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

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Sundance Institute Announces Tabitha Jackson as Incoming Festival Director

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Concludes Global Search With First New Festival Director in 11 Years

Tabitha Jackson
Tabitha Jackson

For Immediate Release                                                                                     February 1, 2020

Park City, Utah – Today, Sundance Institute announced Tabitha Jackson as the new Director of the Sundance Film Festival. Jackson was chosen from a worldwide search and follows outgoing Director, John Cooper, who served in the role for 11 years and will assume a newly-created Emeritus Director role. An award-winning filmmaker, she has served as Director of the Institute’s Documentary Film Program for the last six years. Jackson will oversee the Festival’s overall vision and strategy, while leading a senior team in close collaboration with Director of Programming, Kim Yutani. In his new role, Cooper will oversee special projects including preparations for the Institute’s 40th anniversary in 2021.

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Keri Putnam

“It gives me immense pleasure to announce, Tabitha Jackson, as the new Director of the Sundance Film Festival,” said Sundance Institute’s Executive Director, Keri Putnam. “Tabitha is fiercely devoted to independent artists, has been a visionary member of the Sundance Institute’s leadership team for the last 6 years. Her  authenticity, experience and perspective will serve her well in leading the Festival forward as a beacon for independent artists and audiences.”

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Robert Redford

“I founded Sundance Institute with the clear mission of celebrating and supporting independent artists, said Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford, “and the Festival is the platform where we can showcase their stories. As we approach our fortieth anniversary, I’m pleased to have Tabitha lead us as we move into the future and meet the next generation of artists and their stories.”

Jackson has served as the Director of the Institute’s Documentary Film Program since 2013, and in that time has overseen the creation of innovative new programs and resources that support nonfiction filmmakers worldwide with a special passion for expanding the art of non-fiction storytelling. A focus of Jackson’s new role will be shaping the nonprofit Institute’s full slate of global public programming throughout the year – including Sundance Film Festivals in Hong Kong and London and a nationwide Short Film Tour – as well as leading the community of artists and audiences those programs serve.

Prior to joining the Institute, Jackson worked in arts and entertainment for more than 25 years as an award-winning filmmaker. Prior to joining the Institute in 2013, she served as Head of Arts and Performance at Channel 4 Television in London, where she supported the independent and alternative voice and sought to find fresh and innovative ways of storytelling. She executive produced a number of projects for the UK’s Film 4 including Mark Cousins’ cinematic odyssey The Story of Film, Clio Barnard’s formally experimental The Arbor, Sophie Fiennes’ essay The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, Bart Layton’s thriller The Imposter, and Iain and Jane’s innovative Nick Cave biography 20,000 Days on Earth.

Tabitha Jackson
Tabitha Jackson

“It is exciting to be amplifying the voices and work of independent artists in these challenging and fast-changing times,’” said Jackson. “My role, working with a team at the top of their game, will be to ensure that the festival remains as effective, vital and transformational in the years going forward as it has been in the past — and to make sure that we have fun doing it. I can’t wait to get started.”

The Sundance Film Festival’s scope and ambition have evolved over John Cooper’s tenure, including programmatic innovation and thoughtful global expansion. The 2020 Festival received over 15,100 submissions from around the world, featured over 200 new works from a diverse array of voices, welcomed more than 125,000 guests to Utah, and reaches millions more who watch festival news and content online.

The Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Sorry to Bother You, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Eighth Grade, Get Out, The Big Sick, Mudbound, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Precious, The Cove, Little Miss Sunshine, An Inconvenient Truth, Napoleon Dynamite, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Reservoir Dogs and sex, lies, and videotape. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2020 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire; AT&T; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Netflix, Omnicom Group, Southwest Airlines®, Stella Artois®, WarnerMedia; Sustaining Sponsors – Audible, Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell Technologies, Fire TV, GEICO, High West Distillery, Hulu, IMDbPro, Lyft, Unity Technologies, University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors – The Atlantic, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Variety, The Wall Street Journal. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute’s year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute

Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. Sundance Co//ab, a digital community platform, brings artists together to learn from each other and Sundance Advisors and connect in a creative space, developing and sharing works in progress. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences and artists to ignite new ideas, discover original voices, and build a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as The Farewell, Late Night, The Souvenir, The Infiltrators, Sorry to Bother You, Eighth Grade, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Hereditary, RBG, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out, The Big Sick, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, Dear White People, Little Miss Sunshine, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, State of the Union, Indecent, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

(Source: Sundance Press release)

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BRAD PITT SAYS HE NO LONGER REMEMBERS THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB AT SBIFF

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

BRAD PITT SAYS HE NO LONGER REMEMBERS THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB; HONORED WITH MALTIN MODERN MASTER AWARD AT 35TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (January 23, 2020) – Day 8 of the 35th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) presented by UGG featured a sold-out tribute to Brad Pitt, who received the Maltin Modern Master Award for his long-standing contributions to the film industry, most recently gracing the silver screen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood from Columbia Pictures and Ad Astra for New Regency.

The evening featured a one-on-one discussion between Pitt and acclaimed film critic Leonard Maltin, who returned for his 29th year to moderate the evening. The two discussed Pitt’s history as they looked back at his iconic career – first as a University of Missouri journalism student (inspired by “All the President’s Men”) who dropped out before graduation to move to Los Angeles. The tribute also featured a slew of clips from Pitt’s film accolades, including Thelma & Louise, Interview with a Vampire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club, Inglourious Basterds, Burn After Reading, 12 Years a Slave, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and others.

Highlights of the evening included:

  • On turning down the role of Neo in The Matrix: “I did pass on The Matrix. I took the red pill. That’s the only one I’m naming … I wasn’t offered two or three. Only the first one. Just to clarify that. I come from a place, maybe it’s my upbringing, if I didn’t get it, then it wasn’t mine. I really believe [the role] was never mine. It’s not mine. It was someone else’s and they go and make it. I really do believe in that. If we were doing a show on the great movies I’ve passed on, we would need two nights.”

 

  • On his familiarity with Santa Barbara: “You guys don’t know this, but I hang out here a lot. I have been in Goleta since 1999. This is home.”

 

  • On trying to earn his SAG card by adding an unsolicited line while filming (playing the role of a waiter): “I thought, I’m going to try it, and so I went, ‘Would you like anything else?’ And I heard the first assistant director go ‘Cut! Cut! Cut!’  And he said, ‘If you pull that again, you’re out of here.’ So I didn’t get [the SAG card] then.”

 

  • Director David Fincher – who worked with Pitt in the acclaimed films Seven, Fight Club and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – presented Pitt with the award, saying: “The task of acting is multi-faceted. There’s the grand overriding two-hour arch that one might call the performance. There are the subtle behavioral hints at a lifetime of backstory, often referred to as the characterization. And then, there is the moment. And that is the character at rest. A person, idling. And for me, this is the test. The ultimate challenge. No intention. No witty banter. No dramatic change of trajectory. You just roll the camera and be. And this is the gift to your film that Brad Pitt brings. Like a supple suede jacket, he form fits his characters to the overall narrative and he shows up for more than the big beats. He idles smoothly at 3,000 RPMs in the most fractal of moments. Between speeches. Between stunts. Between moments that most actors actually choose a role for…so few people in the history of movies have been good at this, that we annex them to a special tier. People like Bogart, or Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart or Paul Newman. They exist on celluloid in a way that mere mortals can’t. They have a comfort and ease that cannot be faked, or sadly, duplicated. And they are as rare as albino pandas. They are movie stars. And this is one of them.

 

  • Upon accepting the award, Pitt said: “Wow, it’s things like this and nights like these that tell me I’m old. I’ve been around awhile and I’ve been doing this for a bit … I can’t do night shoots anymore, and I’ll gladly hand a stunt over to a stunt man. I no longer remember the first rule of Fight Club. But it’s also nights like this where I get to look back and feel really, really blessed. I feel so fortunate to all the amazing people I’ve been able to work with who have taught me so much and who’ve touched my life. From editors and composers and amazing directors who have sent me on a trajectory that has meant so much to me… I feel really blessed to be here and I feel grateful for this.

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of long-time SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin.  Past recipients include Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

The 35th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs from January 15-25, 2020. For more information, and to purchase tickets, festival passes, and packages, please visit www.sbiff.org.

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About the Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts and educational organization. Over the past 34 years, SBIFF has become one of the leading film festivals in the United States – attracting 95,000 attendees and offering 11 days of 200+ films, tributes, and panels, fulfilling their mission to engage, enrich, and inspire people through the power of film. We celebrate the art of cinema and provide impactful educational experiences for our local, national and global communities.

SBIFF continues its commitment to education and the community throughout many free educational programs and events. In June 2016, SBIFF entered a new era with the acquisition of the historic and beloved Riviera Theatre. After a capital campaign and renovation, the theatre is now SBIFF’s new state-of-the-art, year-round home, showing new international and independent films every day. In May 2019, SBIFF opened its own Education Center in downtown Santa Barbara on State Street to serve as a home for its many educational programs and a place for creativity and learning.

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(Source: sibiff.org)