Bambi, the fawn who loses his mother to a hunter’s bullet but ultimately matures into a leader, and his forest friends, Thumper and Flower, are among the most memorable characters in animation history. The Disney Studio spent five years in production on Bambi and used the multiplane camera to give the film its depth of images. The film earned three Academy Award nominations: Music – Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb), Music – Song, “Love Is A Song,” (Music by Churchill; Lyrics by Larry Morey) and Sound Recording (Walt Disney Studio Sound Department, Sam Slyfield, sound director).
This special presentation of Bambi celebrates the classic Walt Disney film’s 75th anniversary.
Presented by Walt Disney. Supervising Director David D. Hand. Story Direction Perce Pearce. Story Adaptation Larry Morey. Based on the novel “Bambi: A Life in the Woods” by Felix Salten.
Voice Cast: Donnie Dunagan, Peter Behn, Hardie Albright, Ann Gillis, Thelma Hubbard, Sterling Holloway, Will Wright, Marion Darlington.
Hosted by Leonard Maltin. With special guests Donnie Dunagan (voice of young Bambi), Peter Behn (voice of young Thumper), Andreas Deja (Disney Legend, Animator) and Paul Felix (Production Designer at Walt Disney Animation Studios), with tribute to Bambi artist Tyrus Wong.
Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
“We’re at a tipping point where we can finally imagine a world where there’s parity, where we can try to heal the world and bring it back from the brink of insanity,” said Robinson. “The thing about a tipping point is that it can easily tip back. So what I need all of you women to do is collectively go out there and kick ass with the sheer power of your voice and your will. Because we need all the weight we can muster to tip it all the way over.”
Those were the words Angela Robinson — a celebrated director/producer whose credits include HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER — addressed to graduates of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (DWW), and to a growing industry of female filmmakers, in her keynote at the DWW Showcase in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 18.
The event, sponsored by Lifetime, served as an introduction to the eight DWW Class of 2017 graduates and their original work in episodic and short film storytelling: Joey Ally, Gillian Barnes, Lorette Bayle, Rosie Haber, Tannaz Hazemi, Courtney Hoffman, Maggie Mahrt and Manjari Makijany. Bios can be found here.
The DWW Class of 2018 also attended the event, and their bios can be found here.
Lifetime will continue its groundbreaking commitment through its Broad Focus initiative to guarantee employment to DWW filmmakers, including the Class of 2017 filmmakers featured in the Showcase. The initiative provides women with more opportunities to write, develop, produce and direct content for the network.
Pictured above: Angela Robinson (center) with the DWW Class of 2017 (from L to R): Maggie Mahrt, Manjari Makijany, Courtney Hoffman, Gillian Barnes, Tannaz Hazemi, Joey Ally, Rosie Haber, Lorette Bayle
AFI and Lifetime will join forces next year to create and offer production jobs for each graduate of the AFI Conservatory Directing Workshop for Women (AFI DWW) throughout the A+E Networks’ portfolio of platforms starting with the Class of 2015.
The alliance is part of Lifetime’s Broad Focus initiative to provide women with more opportunities to write, develop, produce and direct content for the network. For over 40 years, AFI DWW has been committed to increasing the number of women working professionally in screen directing.
The shared goals between these two organizations further ensure opportunities are made available to qualified women on an equal basis.
AFI DWW alumnae and their projects created during the program have received many accolades this year: 2015 Cannes Cinéfondation First Prize winner Pippa Bianco (AFI DWW, Class of 2014) for her AFI DWW short film SHARE; Sian Heder (AFI DWW, Class of 2005), whose first feature film TALLULAH, based on her AFI DWW short MOTHER, will head to Sundance 2016; and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro (AFI DWW, Class of 2012), whose AFI DWW short SEQUIN RAZE is now the award-winning Lifetime series UNREAL.
Bios for the AFI DWW Class of 2015, pictured above, are here.
Legendary FMX stars Mike Metzger and Seth Enslow to attend
The ultimate, most intense, high-stakes extreme sport on the planet, filled with rebels and hellions, willing to pay the ultimate price for the ultimate rush: Freestyle Motocross. Emmy Award ® nominated “Unchained” is the definitive, adrenaline-soaked and sometimes heart-wrenching story of the birth and never-ending evolution of this sport. The film is narrated by Academy Award ® nominated actor Josh Brolin and features action sports luminaries including Travis Pastrana, Brian Deegan, Mike Metzger, Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, Carey Hart, Jeremy McGrath, Tony Hawk, creator of Monster Energy drink and early supporter of the sport, Mark Hall, and Ron Semiao of ESPN and the X Games, among many others.
Following in the footsteps of “Dogtown and Z Boys” and “Riding Giants,” award-winning filmmakers Paul Taublieb and Jon Freeman, both intimately involved with the evolution of the sport, tell the story of how a group of former racers smashed the uptight racing culture and against all odds, create a reality — and lifestyle – all their own. The film is supported by Monster Energy.
See you there!
(Source: Press materials provided by Andy Coscarelli, Tellem Grody, PR)
Tonight, the Newport Beach Film Festival presents the World – Premiere of Australian Spotlight DON’T TELL!
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
DON’T TELL
Monday, April 24th
7:30 PM Screening
The Lido Theatre
3459 Via Lido
Newport Beach, CA 92663 United States
The premiere will begin promptly at 6:30PM! Lead actors in attendance include Jack Thompson, Aden Young and Sara West on the red carpet as well as the two actual people that that brought the real case forward on 2001, Steve Roche and Lyndal.
See you there!
(Source: Press materials from Newport Beach Film Festival press office)
Tonight, the Newport Beach Film Festival is presents the World – Premiere of Australian Spotlight DON’T TELL!
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL WORLD PREMIERE
DON’T TELL
Monday, April 24th
7:30 PM Screening
The Lido Theatre
3459 Via Lido
Newport Beach, CA 92663 United States
The premiere will begin promptly at 6:30PM! Lead actors in attendance include Jack Thompson, Aden Young and Sara West on the red carpet as well as the two actual people that that brought the real case forward on 2001, Steve Roche and Lyndal.
See you there!
(Source: Press materials from Newport Beach Film Festival press office)
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
(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.
Bambi, the fawn who loses his mother to a hunter’s bullet but ultimately matures into a leader, and his forest friends, Thumper and Flower, are among the most memorable characters in animation history. The Disney Studio spent five years in production on Bambi and used the multiplane camera to give the film its depth of images. The film earned three Academy Award nominations: Music – Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb), Music – Song, “Love Is A Song,” (Music by Churchill; Lyrics by Larry Morey) and Sound Recording (Walt Disney Studio Sound Department, Sam Slyfield, sound director).
