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distribution

6 Film Distribution Myths You Need to Know

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

By Jerome Courshon

One of the major Achilles’ heels for film producers and directors is the distribution game. Once you’ve made your movie, what do you do? How do you play the game? What strategies do you employ? Is there even a strategy?

Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is there are indeed strategies to use and employ. The bad news is that most filmmakers don’t know what they are, and flounder around trying to figure them out. What’s even worse is too many filmmakers throwing in the towel and just dumping their film online, hoping it “hits” somehow.

Myth #1: I’m a director, a filmmaker, a creative person. Telling stories is my thing and if I make a good movie, I don’t have to worry about the business stuff or the marketing because someone else will do that.

Truth #1: There are of course some people who get lucky and either have a producing partner who does all the business & marketing (and is good at it), or they have the money to hire the right people to do everything.

However for most this isn’t the case, especially if one’s film career is in the early stages. You need to become a businessperson once your movie or documentary is done. At least until it’s sold (or until you’re done selling if you’re DIY’ing it).

Why?

Because distribution is business, and distributors don’t care if you’ve made the greatest indie film/art film/documentary of the past 20 years. What they care about is if it will make them money. (And your audience, if you’re DIY’ing your film, needs to believe they’ll be sufficiently entertained and/or enlightened before they’ll buy a DVD or pay to watch it online.) The more you can become a “salesperson” and marketing maven, the more success you will have on your quest for distribution or sales.

Yes, I know this part isn’t nearly as sexy and fun as making movies and can be downright boring at times. But what Orson Welles famously said about the film business is still true today: “It’s about 2% moviemaking and 98% hustling.”

Myth #2: Distributors are calling me and they’re excited to see my movie! I’ll send it to them and if they like it, they’ll acquire it!

Truth #2: All major distributors track the movies that have been listed in the trades under their production columns. If you were in those columns, you’re going to be phoned. Do not send them a rough cut. Do not send them a final cut. Do not send them the movie. If you do, you will not get a theatrical distribution deal, if this is what you are aiming for.

You must “unveil” your movie in the right place at the right time, such as a top film festival, to get the theatrical buyers to really want your feature. Movies do not get picked up for theatrical releases that have been sent on a DVD to a distributor. So when they call asking to see a screener, you’ll say “It’s not ready, but I appreciate your call. Check back with me in a month or two.” (And you’ll do this every time they call, until you’re ready for the grand unveiling.)

Myth #3: My movie was selected for the Sundance Film Festival! Woohooo! All I have to do is show up and I will get a deal!

Truth #3: Okay, you won the lottery and got a slot at one of the top three film festivals (Sundance, Toronto, Cannes) for your movie premiere. Guess what? Your work hasn’t even begun yet. You now must assemble a team of people: a PR firm, an agent from one of the top agencies in Los Angeles, an attorney, and possibly a producer’s rep. (But beware…most producer’s reps are useless.)

You will have to work, strategize and position your movie, before it premieres, as a very desirable movie that distributors must have. You have one shot at the top festivals for a theatrical deal, so don’t piss it away. Unfortunately, most filmmakers don’t know or understand this. They get a slot at Sundance or Toronto, don’t assemble a team or promote their film properly, and then come away without a deal and are entirely lost as to their next step.

Myth #4: I was rejected by the top festivals, so now I’m submitting and getting accepted by the next tier of festivals. This is cool. All I have to do is show up to my screenings and I’m treated like a rock star. Distribution, here I come!

Truth #4: Yeah, okay, if this is you, at least you’re having fun. But you’re not going to get distribution this way. There is a real purpose to the festival circuit beyond the top festivals that most people, even Hollywood veterans, simply do not understand. The obvious purpose is, of course, exposure. But there is actually a MORE important purpose: Building a Pedigree.

What is a Pedigree?

It is an accumulation of press coverage, interviews, quotes from critics, and awards if you can get them, which says you have a winning movie on your hands. Once you methodically build this pedigree, which takes some work on the festival circuit, you are then ready to parlay this into a distribution deal (or healthy sales). It’s a simple concept that most do not grasp; yet it is extremely powerful and effective for independent films that don’t get into the top festivals. There is real psychology involved in the “art” of selling a movie or documentary. Ignore at your own risk. However, if you learn this “art,” you will have success.

Myth #5: I’ve submitted my movie to the 15 home video companies out there. I’ve even talked to producer friends and looked at industry reference books for whom to submit to. If these 15 companies say ‘No,’ I’m out of luck for a home video deal.

Truth #5: This truth right here may be worth serious dollars to you. There are literally over 100 home video companies in the marketplace, all operating under their own labels. On top of that are additional companies that pick up movies and programming that have output deals with these distributors. So if you think you’ve exhausted your search for a home video deal and have only contacted a handful of companies, you’ve simply just begun.

And don’t buy the occasional diatribe out there that DVD is dead. It’s not. It is still the largest revenue generating segment of the entire film industry. Last year alone, it generated $16-17 billion in revenues. That’s billion with a ‘B.’

Myth #6: I’m going to bypass traditional distribution altogether, sell my movie on the internet myself and make a ton of money from DVD sales and digital streaming (VOD).

Truth #6: Not likely. For every 5000 movies being made every year, there are less than 20 who make serious money this way. WHY? It’s hard work. It takes time (a lot of it), it takes specific strategies, and you become the de facto distributor for a good year, if not longer. Which isn’t an exciting proposition for most filmmakers, who’ve already been on a lengthy and arduous journey of making their film.

However, some who go this route do it very successfully. They’re either great at marketing already, or great learners. And they’re very committed to achieving success, so they really do what it takes to win. Also, the budget of your movie can dictate if this route is viable for you. If you’ve made a $10,000 movie, it’s not that difficult to recoup this amount, with some decent work. But if your budget was $1 million, good luck making your money back using only the internet. You’ll either need traditional distribution, or a hybrid approach of both traditional and non-traditional.

So these are a few of the popular and misleading myths out there, and the truth about them. With 5000 (or more) movies being made every single year, that’s a lot of producers and directors working with often erroneous information. Not to mention an overwhelming number of movies vying for a limited number of distribution slots. These two factors combined can make for a daunting journey filled with frustration and failure.

The silver lining however, is that with the right knowledge, coupled with dedicated and diligent work, anyone with a decent film can achieve success. Anyone. But it does take the right knowledge. You do not have to have star names in your movie to get a deal or have success, and your movie does not have to be phenomenal. If it’s at least decent, you do have a real shot.

Want to learn more about the secrets to distribution? Click here for more information and to purchase Jerome Courshon’s DVD Set The Secrets to Distribution: Get Your Movie Distributed Now!

(Source:www.writersstore.com)

 

 

#AFI, #AFIFEST

AFI FEST 2016’s Cultural Supporters in Pictures

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The 2016 AFI FEST presented by Audi showcased movies from 46 countries around the world, and many cultural supporters came to the festival to celebrate the filmmakers and their films. These guests included consul generals, cultural agency representatives and filmmakers representing 17 countries, proving that the love of world cinema can speak one language. Organizations and consulates from Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey all contributed to the success of AFI FEST.

AFI FEST celebrated more than 25 Francophone films and co-productions with our Francophone Reception. Partners included the Consulate General of Belgium in Los Angeles, ELMA (European Languages Movies America), the Consulate General of France in Los Angeles, Lacoste, Québec Government Office in Los Angeles, Consulate of Switzerland in Los Angeles, Telefilm Canada, TV5MONDE, UniFrance and Wallonie Bruxelles Images.

(L to R) Paul Verhoeven; Isabelle Huppert; Consul General of France, Christophe Lemoine at the ELLE after-party (Getty Images for AFI/Gabriel Olson)

AFI FEST hosted a Tribute to Isabelle Huppert for her decades of work, accompanied by a conversation with the world-class actress and a showing of her film ELLE. The conversation discussed Huppert’s career and approach.

The Filmmaker Brunch, hosted by Christophe Lemoine, Consul General of France in Los Angeles, took place at the Résidence de France. This celebratory event was attended by Isabelle Huppert, several AFI FEST 2016 filmmakers, multiple cultural supporters, diplomats, industry representatives and press.

The festival welcomed Japan House Los Angeles, Japan Foundation Los Angeles and the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles in their support of the films HARMONIUM, MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI and THE RED TURTLE. MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI honors legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, who also posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

AFI FEST hosted a Screen Education program, where over 500 students from 12 schools attended a Special Screening of Disney’s MOANA. Jared Bush, the screenwriter of MOANA and Leo Matsuda, the director of INNER WORKINGS, engaged with the students in a visual presentation and Q&A. This experience was supported by the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project, The Brotman Foundation of California and the Department of Cultural Affairs.

(L to R) Rafael Agustin (Executive Director, Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project); Jared Bush (screenwriter, MOANA); Leo Matsuda (director, INNER WORKINGS); Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Garth Burkhard (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
(L to R) Rafael Agustin (Executive Director, Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project); Jared Bush (screenwriter, MOANA); Leo Matsuda (director, INNER WORKINGS); Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Garth Burkhard (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

This year, the festival also celebrated new Iranian cinema in conjunction with the Farhang Foundation, with a reception following A DRAGON ARRIVES!, directed by Mani Haghighi. Dignitaries and filmmakers alike attended the private event to honor this world cinema artistry.

(L to R) Alireza Ardekani (Executive Director, Farhang Foundation) and with Ali C. Razi (Chairman of the Board, Farhang Foundation) attend their reception celebrating Iranian Cinema.
(L to R) Alireza Ardekani (Executive Director, Farhang Foundation) and with Ali C. Razi (Chairman of the Board, Farhang Foundation) attend their reception celebrating Iranian Cinema.

AFI FEST partnered with Luce Cinecittà, ITA (Italian Trade Agency), the Italian Consulate in Los Angeles and IIC (Istituto Italiano di Cultura Los Angeles) in presenting the World Cinema Masters in Conversation event at the Egyptian Theatre on the last night of the festival with Gianfranco Rosi, director of Italy’s official Academy Award® entry for Best Foreign Language Film, FIRE AT SEA.  As part of the inaugural World Cinema Masters in Conversation section at AFI FEST, renowned documentarian Rosi sat with Alberto Barbera, Director of the Venice Film Festival, for an in-depth conversation about one of the year’s most lauded documentaries.

L to R) Courtney Love and Francesco Carrozzini (Director, FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION) attend the screening of his documentary. Cultural Support provided by Luce Cinecittà; Italian Trade Agency; Consulate General of Italy; Istituto Italiano di Cultura
L to R) Courtney Love and Francesco Carrozzini (Director, FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION) attend the screening of his documentary. Cultural Support provided by Luce Cinecittà; Italian Trade Agency; Consulate General of Italy; Istituto Italiano di Cultura

The partners also joined in the curation of a selection of Italian films playing at the festival, including the World Premiere screening of the 4k restoration of IL SORPASSO (DIR Dino Risi) in the Cinema’s Legacy section. The restoration work was supported by Luce Cinecittà, Cineteca di Bologna, Surf Film and Janus Films, the U.S. rights-holder. Additionally, FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION, an incisive documentary by director Francesco Carrozzini in which he creates an intimate portrait of his mother — Franca Sozzani, the legendary editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue — screened at AFI FEST.

See more photos below.

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(L to R) Isabelle Huppert; Paul Verhoeven; Consul General of Switzerland, Emil Wyss; Pascal Ladreyt (Executive Director, ELMA); Elena Alexandra; Patrice Courtaban (COO, TV5MONDE USA); Arie Wyss; Aneta Campbell at ELLE after-party
(L to R) Guest; Daouda Coulibaly (Director, WÙLU); Severine Madinier (Executive Director, French Film &TV Office) at ELLE after-party
(L to R) Guest; Daouda Coulibaly (Director, WÙLU); Severine Madinier (Executive Director, French Film &TV Office) at ELLE after-party
(L to R) Sebastien Cauchon (UniFrance); Nicolas Schaller (Le Nouveau Obs); Romain Blondeau (Vanity Fair, France); Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Aude Hesbert (UniFrance) at ELLE after-party
(L to R) Sebastien Cauchon (UniFrance); Nicolas Schaller (Le Nouveau Obs); Romain Blondeau (Vanity Fair, France); Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Aude Hesbert (UniFrance) at ELLE after-party
(L to R) Xavier Dolan (Director, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Nancy Grant (Producer, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Gaspard Ulliel (Actor, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Xavier Dolan (Director, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Nancy Grant (Producer, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Gaspard Ulliel (Actor, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Gaspard Ulliel (Actor, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Jacqueline Bisset (Actress); Xavier Dolan (Director, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Houda Benyamina (Director, DIVINES) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Gaspard Ulliel (Actor, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Jacqueline Bisset (Actress); Xavier Dolan (Director, IT’S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD); Houda Benyamina (Director, DIVINES) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Deputy Consul General General of Belgium, Veronique Siklosi; Jacqueline Lyanga (AFI FEST); Consul General of Belgium, Henri Vantieghem at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Deputy Consul General General of Belgium, Veronique Siklosi; Jacqueline Lyanga (Director, AFI FEST); Consul General of Belgium, Henri Vantieghem at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) John Laing; Jacqueline Bisset; Martine Laing; Elena Alexandra; Patrice Courtaban (COO, TV5MONDE USA) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) John Laing; Jacqueline Bisset; Martine Laing; Elena Alexandra; Patrice Courtaban (COO, TV5MONDE USA) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Elizabeth MacKay (Québec Government Representative) and Pierre Leloup at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Elizabeth MacKay (Québec Government Representative) and Pierre Leloup at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Consul General of Switzerland, Emil Wyss; Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Consul General of France, Christophe Lemoine at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Consul General of Switzerland, Emil Wyss; Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST); Consul General of France, Christophe Lemoine at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) MJ Peckos (Dada Films) and Brigitte Hubmann (Telefilm Canada) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) MJ Peckos (Dada Films) and Brigitte Hubmann (Telefilm Canada) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) John Laing; Nancy Harris (COO, AFI); Jacqueline Bisset at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) John Laing; Nancy Harris (COO, AFI); Jacqueline Bisset at the Francophone Reception
Houda Benyamina (Director, DIVINES) at the Francophone Reception
Houda Benyamina (Director, DIVINES) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Daouda Coulibaly (Director, WÙLU) and Eric Neveux (Composer, WÙLU) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Daouda Coulibaly (Director, WÙLU) and Eric Neveux (Composer, WÙLU) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST) and Maria Elena Cabezut (Director of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Jasmine Jaisinghani (AFI FEST) and Maria Elena Cabezut (Director of Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles) at the Francophone Reception
(L to R) Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics); Ingrid Bisu (actress, TONI ERDMANN); Sandra Hüller (actress, TONI ERDMANN); Peter Simonischek (actor, TONI ERDMANN); Janine Jackowski (producer, TONI ERDMANN). Cultural Support provided by German Films.
(L to R) Michael Barker (Sony Pictures Classics); Ingrid Bisu (actress, TONI ERDMANN); Sandra Hüller (actress, TONI ERDMANN); Peter Simonischek (actor, TONI ERDMANN); Janine Jackowski (producer, TONI ERDMANN). Cultural Support provided by German Films.
(L to R) Raoul Peck (Director, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO) and Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival) arrive for World Cinema Masters in Conversation. Cultural Support provided by Telefilm Canada.
(L to R) Raoul Peck (Director, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO) and Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director, Toronto International Film Festival) arrive for World Cinema Masters in Conversation. Cultural Support provided by Telefilm Canada.
L to R) Yang Chao (Director, CROSSCURRENT) and Robert Chi (Programmer, China Onscreen Biennial). AFI FEST presented CROSSCURRENT in partnership with the China Onscreen Biennial, a curated showcase of Chinese film and media arts presented by a consortium of distinguished film and educational institutions.
AFI FEST’s Screen Education screening of Disney’s MOANA supported by Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project, The Brotman Foundation of California and the Department of Cultural Affairs. Over 500 students were in attendance from over 12 schools.
AFI FEST’s Screen Education screening of Disney’s MOANA supported by Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project, The Brotman Foundation of California and the Department of Cultural Affairs. Over 500 students were in attendance from over 12 schools.
Students in attendance, coordinated by the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project with Jared Bush (screenwriter, MOANA); Leo Matsuda (director, INNER WORKINGS).
Students in attendance, coordinated by the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project with Jared Bush (screenwriter, MOANA); Leo Matsuda (director, INNER WORKINGS).
(L to R) Rikiya Mifune, Shiro Mifune and family; Steven Okazaki (Director, MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI) attend Toshiro Mifune’s posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
(L to R) Rikiya Mifune, Shiro Mifune and family; Steven Okazaki (Director, MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI) attend Toshiro Mifune’s posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
(L to R) Sakiko Okada (Japan House Los Angeles); Yuko Kaifu (President, Japan House Los Angeles), Koji Fukada (Director, HARMONIUM); Mariko Ban (Japan House Los Angeles); Tomoko Beadle (Japan House Los Angeles); Lisa Nakanouchi (Japan House Los Angeles)
(L to R) Sakiko Okada (Japan House Los Angeles); Yuko Kaifu (President, Japan House Los Angeles), Koji Fukada (Director, HARMONIUM); Mariko Ban (Japan House Los Angeles); Tomoko Beadle (Japan House Los Angeles); Lisa Nakanouchi (Japan House Los Angeles)
(L to R) Camilla Cormanni (Luce Cinecittà) and Eleonora Pratelli attend FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION
(L to R) Camilla Cormanni (Luce Cinecittà) and Eleonora Pratelli attend FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION
(L to R) Angela Missoni and Francesco Carrozzini (Director, FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION)
(L to R) Angela Missoni and Francesco Carrozzini (Director, FRANCA: CHAOS AND CREATION)
(L to R) Mani Haghighi (Director, A DRAGON ARRIVES!) with festival guests
(L to R) Mani Haghighi (Director, A DRAGON ARRIVES!) with festival guests
(L to R) Roxane Mesquida (Actress, MALGRÉ LA NUIT) and Philippe Grandrieux (Director, MALGRÉ LA NUIT). Cultural Support provided by CalArts, UniFrance, TV5MONDE and the French Consulate.
(L to R) Tiia-Maria Taponen (Consulate of Finland) and Heidi Luukkonen Creative Industries & Communications Coordinator, Consulate General of Finland) attend the Filmmaker Welcome Party and Tech Showcase Preview.
(L to R) Tiia-Maria Taponen (Consulate of Finland) and Heidi Luukkonen Creative Industries & Communications Coordinator, Consulate General of Finland) attend the Filmmaker Welcome Party and Tech Showcase Preview.

*Featured image: Pictured at top: (L to R) Roberto Cicutto (President, Luce Cinecittà); Gianfranco Rosi (Director, FIRE AT SEA); Jacqueline Lyanga (Director, AFI FEST); Alberto Barbera (Director, Venice Film Festival)(Source:blog.afi.com)

#Berlinale, Berlin Film Festival

Berlinale Talents turns 15 and shows “Courage: Against All Odds”

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With its focus on “Courage: Against All Odds”, the 15th edition of Berlinale Talents takes on the significance of everyday bravery and fearlessness for today’s film professionals. 250 exceptional Talents and over 100 international experts and mentors will be invited to the six-day programme, held once again at the three venues of HAU Hebbel am Ufer from February 11 to 16, 2017.

Talents and experts will jointly explore moments of courage in the filmmaking process, from making daring choices at personal risk to pushing artistic, political or financial boundaries and venturing into unknown narrative worlds.

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“Every time a filmmaker acts with courage, their step takes the true measure of a challenge. For the anniversary edition, Berlinale Talents will focus on these crucial points while celebrating a new generation busy making film with unshakeable optimism and against all odds,” programme manager Florian Weghorn explains the theme.

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The Berlinale Talents 2017 key visual showcases quotes that will sound familiar to many filmmakers from their day-to-day lives. With a little wink, the poster series calls on Talents, guests and Berliners to find the courage to interact with these messages during the festival.

New structures for more interaction

With the level of Talent experience continuously on the rise, Berlinale Talents has redesigned integral parts of the programme to strengthen the networking effects. Four major slots traditionally reserved for master classes have been replaced by a new series of interactive sessions and smaller encounters to better deepen the Talents’ knowledge and harness their expertise.

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Berlinale Talents is also intensifying its ties with the European Film Market and the other industry activities of the festival. The re-branded “Talents Market Studio” offers emerging sales and distribution professionals a better framework to discuss unconventional and collective marketing strategies and to test them directly on location at the “Talents Market Hub” of the EFM.

More information at www.berlinale-talents.de

Press contact Berlinale Talents:
Malte Mau

Tel. +49 30 259 20-518
Fax +49 30 259 20-534

Berlinale Talents is an initiative of the Berlin International Film Festival, a business division of the Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes in Berlin GmbH, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, in cooperation with Creative Europe MEDIA, a programme of the European Union, Robert Bosch Stiftung and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Federal Film Board.

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(Source: Berlinale Press Office Press Release)

#AFI, #AFIDOCS, AFIDocs, Documentary

Six Documentary Projects to Receive AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants

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Six documentary projects that screened at AFI DOCS 2016 in Washington, DC, have been selected to receive funding from the AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants.Now in their second year, the grants will support the outreach and social action campaigns for these six documentary projects that participated in the AFI DOCS 2016 Impact Lab, a two-day filmmaker workshop sponsored by NBCUniversal and presented in partnership with Picture Motion.

The 2016 Impact Lab took place in Washington, DC, from June 21–22, 2016, during AFI DOCS, the American Film Institute’s international documentary film festival held annually in the nation’s capital — with the goal to inspire change by bringing together the nation’s leaders and leading artists. Led by Heidi Nel (formerly with Picture Motion in Washington, DC), the Lab introduced participants to policymakers addressing a range of issues from the moral injury of American military veterans to caregivers, LGBT youth, gun violence, education and juvenile incarceration, and imparted filmmakers with the skills to engage with those policymakers at a grassroots level to catalyze lasting social change.

Spanning some of the most critical and urgent problems facing the world today, the projects supported by these grants demonstrated their ability to leverage distribution in 2016. The documentary projects receiving a total of $75,000 in support from the 2016 AFI DOCS/NBCUniversal Impact Grants are:

ALMOST SUNRISE
ALMOST SUNRISE

ALMOST SUNRISE
Michael Collins, Director

Two young Iraq War veterans hike a 2,700-mile course from the Midwest to the California Coast to raise awareness for those like themselves who struggle with memories of combat. Along the way, they meet other vets and supporters and talk through their traumas in this inspiring journey toward healing.

"Care" Documentary
CARE

CARE
Deirdre Fishel, Director

Millions of elderly Americans depend on compassionate caregivers to provide the support they need to age in place. These health care workers offer love and kindness to the elderly, but often don’t earn enough to keep a roof over their heads. With compelling stories of caregivers and those in need, CARE opens our eyes to the fragile human infrastructure that supports an aging America.

CHECK-IT
CHECK-IT

CHECK IT
Toby Oppenheimer, Director
Dana Flor, Director

In the heart of the nation’s capital, the Check It is a street gang comprised of gay and transgender teens who support each other in the face of outside bullying, attacks and discrimination. The group struggles with an existence underscored by violence, poverty and prostitution, but when a young mentor comes into their lives, he endeavors to help them find a more productive outlet: through the creative world of fashion. Finally faced with a better option, the Check It members must now attempt to beat the odds by getting off the street and working toward lives of purpose and accomplishment.

NEWTOWN
NEWTOWN

NEWTOWN
Kim A. Snyder, Director

On December 14, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and murdered 20 schoolchildren and six educators. In the aftermath of the killings, filmmaker Kim Snyder traveled to Newtown and trained her lens on a grieving community, following several families who came face to face with tragedy. NEWTOWN reveals both the indelible scars gun violence leaves behind and the resilience of people who come together to heal.

RAISING BERTIE
RAISING BERTIE

RAISING BERTIE
Margaret Byrne, Director

Filmed over the course of seven years, RAISING BERTIE is a sensitively made portrait of three African American teen boys living in the rural community of Bertie County, North Carolina. When the supportive community school they attend is forced to close, the boys must navigate a path of their own, which they hope will lead them away from the cycles of racism and poverty that threaten to engulf their lives.

THEY CALL US MONSTERS
THEY CALL US MONSTERS

THEY CALL US MONSTERS
Ben Lear, Director

This fresh look at juvenile justice follows three Latino teens awaiting sentencing for violent crimes as a legal debate rages on imposing life sentences for minors. The young men find their voice thanks to a teacher who helps them write, cast and produce a film based on their life experiences. The boys are complex, surprisingly lovable characters whose paths diverge as they enter a capricious court system, making a strong case for juvenile justice reform.

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(Source:blog.afi.com)

#Berlinale, Berlin Film Festival

First Films for the Competition of the Berlinale 2017

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

The first 14 films have been selected for the Competition and Berlinale Special section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. So far ten productions and co-productions have been invited to the Competition from Belgium, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Lebanon, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.

As part of the official programme, Berlinale Special also presents topical works by contemporary filmmakers, documentaries and extraordinary formats. To date four productions have been invited.

Further announcements regarding programme selections will be made in the coming weeks.

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Colo

Competition

Teströl és lélekröl (On Body and Soul)
Hungary
By Ildiko Enyedi (My 20th Century, Simon the Magician)
With Géza Morcsányi, Alexandra Borbély, Zoltán Schneider
World premiere

Ana, mon amour
Romania / Germany / France
By Călin Peter Netzer (Child‘s Pose, Maria)
With Mircea Postelnicu, Diana Cavallioti, Carmen Tănase, Adrian Titieni, Vlad Ivanov
World premiere

Beuys – Documentary
Germany
By Andres Veiel (Black Box Germany, Addicted To Acting, If not us, Who)
World premiere

Colo
Portugal / France
By Teresa Villaverde (The Major Age, The Mutants, Trance)
With João Pedro Vaz, Alice Albergaria Borges, Beatriz Batarda, Clara Jost
World premiere

The Dinner
USA
By Oren Moverman (The Messenger, Rampart)
With Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, Chloë Sevigny
World premiere

Félicité
France / Senegal / Belgium / Germany / Lebanon
By Alain Gomis (L’Afrance, Andalucia, Tey)
With Véro Tshanda Beya, Gaetan Claudia, Papi Mpaka
World premiere

The Party
United Kingdom
By Sally Potter (Orlando, Yes, Ginger & Rosa)
With Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall
World premiere

Pokot (Spoor)
Poland / Germany / Czech Republic / Sweden / Slovak Republic
By Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa, Bitter Harvest, In Darkness)
With Agnieszka Mandat, Wiktor Zborowski, Miroslav Krobot, Jakub Gierszał, Patricia Volny, Borys Szyc
World premiere

Toivon tuolla puolen (The Other Side of Hope)
Finland
By Aki Kaurismäki (The Match Factory Girl, I Hired A Contract Killer, Juha, Le Havre)
With Sakari Kuosmanen, Sherwan Haji
International premiere

Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman)
Chile / Germany / USA / Spain
By Sebastián Lelio (El Año del Tigre, Gloria)
With Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim, Amparo Noguera
World premiere

Berlinale Special

Berlinale Special Gala at the Friedrichstadt-Palast

La Reina de España (The Queen of Spain)
Spain
By Fernando Trueba (The Year of Awakening, Belle Époque, The Girl of Your Dreams)
With Penélope Cruz, Antonio Resines, Chino Darín, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Neus Asensi, Ana Belén
International premiere

Le jeune Karl Marx (The Young Karl Marx)
France / Germany / Belgium
By Raoul Peck (Sometimes In April, Moloch Tropical, Fatal Assistance)
With August Diehl, Stefan Konarske, Vicky Krieps, Hannah Steele, Olivier Gourmet
World premiere

Berlinale Special at the Kino International

Últimos días en La Habana (Last Days in Havana)
Cuba / Spain
By Fernando Pérez (Life Is to Whistle, Madrigal)
With Jorge Martínez, Patricio Wood, Gabriela Ramos
European premiere

Berlinale Special at the Volksbühne

Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day)
Federal Republic of Germany 1972 – TV series with 5 episodes
By Rainer Werner Fassbinder
With Hanna Schygulla, Gottfried John, Luise Ullrich, Werner Finck, Irm Hermann
World premiere of the restored version

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(Source: Berlinale Press Office press release)

#SBIFF, Showcase Series

#SBIFF The Showcase – Daughters of the Dust

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25TH ANNIVERSAY RESTORATION OF JULIE DASH’S LANDMARK FILM!

daughtersAt the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on the Sea Islands off of South Carolina – former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions – struggle to maintain their cultural heritage and folklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots.

Cohen Media Group is proud to present the 25th anniversary restoration of director Julie Dash’s landmark film “Daughters of the Dust.” The first wide release by a black female filmmaker, “Daughters of the Dust” was met with wild critical acclaim and rapturous audience response when it initially opened in 1991. Casting a long legacy, “Daughters of the Dust” still resonates today, most recently as a major in influence on Beyonce’s video album “Lemonade.” Restored (in conjunction with UCLA) for the first time with proper color grading overseen by cinematographer AJ Jafa, audiences will finally see the film exactly as Julie Dash intended.

DAUGHTERS OF THE DUST
Written and Directed by Julie Dash
Starring Alva Rogers, Bahni Turpin, Barbara-O, Cheryl Lynn Bruce,
Cora Lee Day, Tony King, Trula Hoosier
Country of Origin: USA, UK
Running Time: 112 min

Get Tickets Here

Screening:
Sunday, December 18 @ 2:00pm
Monday, December 19 @ 7:30pm
Tuesday, December 20 @ 5:00pm
Wednesday, December 21 @ 7:30pm
at the Riviera Theatre – 2044 Alameda Padre Serra

“A film of spellbinding visual beauty.”
Stephen Holden – NY Times

“Dash’s boldly imaginative, ecstatically visionary drama … is one of the best of all American independent films; she turns one family’s experience of the Great Migration into a vast mythopoetic adventure.”
Richard Brody – New Yorker

“It is an astonishing, vivid portrait not only of a time and place, but of an era’s spirit.”
Rita Kempley – Washington Post

(Source:sbiff.org)

#Sundance, Sundance Film Festival

Premieres, Midnight, Kids, And More: Latest Additions To 2017 Sundance Film Festival Lineup

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Posted by Larry Gleeson

Park City, UT — The final pieces of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival feature film program fall into place today, as Sundance Institute announces the lineup for Premieres, Documentary Premieres, Midnight, Spotlight, Kids and Special Events. The Festival hosts screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort January 19-29. Three projects announced today are part of The New Climate, the Festival’s new environmental program: Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman (Documentary Premieres), Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry (Spotlight) and RISE (Special Events).

screen-shot-2016-12-12-at-2-28-59-pmJohn Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Some of the most pressing themes that we can trace through the Festival lineup — the environment, political upheaval, social change — are distilled to their very human essences in both comic and dramatic stories. These stories, and the conversations they spark, start here and will extend well beyond the mountain and the Festival in the months ahead.”

 

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Powerful screen-shot-2016-12-16-at-7-20-51-amvisions of our times — past, present and future — resound throughout these sections. Inspired storytellers are shining a light on urgent issues or providing an exhilarating escape from them. From citizen journalists to robust and powerful roles for women — in front of and behind the camera — these projects are a testament to the force and value of the individual.”

 

Among the films that have premiered in these sections in recent years are Boyhood, Under The Shadow, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Captain Fantastic, The Lobster, Mistress America, Manchester By The Sea, Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, Shaun the Sheep, O.J.: Made in America and The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.

For a full list of films announced to date, including selections for the U.S. and World Competitions, NEXT and New Frontier, visit sundance.org/festival. The Short Film program announcement will be forthcoming.

PREMIERES
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.

Beatriz at Dinner / U.S.A. (Director: Miguel Arteta, Screenwriter: Mike White) — Beatriz, an immigrant from a poor town in Mexico, has drawn on her innate kindness to build a career as a health practitioner. Doug Strutt is a cutthroat, self-satisfied billionaire. When these two opposites meet at a dinner party, their worlds collide and neither will ever be the same. Cast: Salma Hayek, John Lithgow. World Premiere

Before I Fall / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriter: Maria Maggenti) — Samantha Kingston has everything. Then, everything changes. After one fateful night, she wakes up with no future at all. Trapped into reliving the same day over and over, she begins to question just how perfect her life really was. Cast: Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Elena Kampouris, Diego Boneta. World Premiere

The Big Sick / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Showalter, Screenwriters: Emily V. Gordon, Kumail Nanjiani) — Based on the real-life courtship: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail and grad student Emily fall in love, but they struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail must navigate the crisis with her parents and the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher. World Premiere

Call Me by Your Name / Italy, France (Director: Luca Guadagnino, Screenwriters: James Ivory, Luca Guadagnino) — The sensitive and cultivated Elio, only child of the American-Italian-French Perlman family, is facing another lazy summer at his parents’ villa in the beautiful and languid Italian countryside when Oliver, an academic who has come to help with Elio’s father’s research, arrives. Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel, Victoire Du Bois. World Premiere

The Discovery / U.S.A. (Director: Charlie McDowell, Screenwriters: Charlie McDowell, Justin Lader) — In a world where the afterlife has just been scientifically proven—resulting in millions of people taking their own lives to get there—comes this love story. Cast: Jason Segel, Rooney Mara, Robert Redford, Jesse Plemons, Riley Keough, Ron Canada. World Premiere

Fun Mom Dinner / U.S.A. (Director: Alethea Jones, Screenwriter: Julie Rudd) — Four women, whose kids attend the same preschool class, get together for a “fun mom dinner.” When the night takes an unexpected turn, these unlikely new friends realize they have more in common than just marriage and motherhood. Together, they reclaim a piece of the women they used to be. Cast: Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Adam Scott, Adam Levine. World Premiere

The Incredible Jessica James / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jim Strouse) — Jessica James, an aspiring NYC playwright, is struggling to get over a recent breakup. She sees a light at the end of the tunnel when she meets the recently divorced Boone. Together, they discover how to make it through the tough times while realizing they like each other—a lot. Cast: Jessica Williams, Chris O’Dowd, Lakeith Stanfield, Noël Wells. World Premiere. CLOSING NIGHT FILM

The Last Word / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Pellington, Screenwriter: Stuart Ross Fink) — Harriett is a retired businesswoman who tries to control everything around her. When she decides to write her own obituary, a young journalist takes up the task of finding out the truth, resulting in a life-altering friendship. Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Anne Heche, Thomas Sadoski, Philip Baker Hall. World Premiere

Manifesto / Germany (Director and screenwriter: Julian Rosefeldt) — Can history’s art manifestos apply to contemporary society? An homage to the twentieth century’s most impassioned artistic statements and innovators, from Futurists and Dadaists to Pop Art, Fluxus, Lars von Trier and Jim Jarmusch, this series of reenactments performed by Cate Blanchett explores these declarations’ performative components and political significance. Cast: Cate Blanchett. World Premiere

Marjorie Prime / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Almereyda) — In the near future—a time of artificial intelligence—86-year-old Marjorie has a handsome new companion who looks like her deceased husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. What would we remember, and what would we forget, if given the chance? Cast: Jon Hamm, Geena Davis, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins. World Premiere

Mudbound / U.S.A. (Director: Dee Rees, Screenwriters: Virgil Williams, Dee Rees) — In the post–World War II South, two families are pitted against a barbaric social hierarchy and an unrelenting landscape as they simultaneously fight the battle at home and the battle abroad. This epic pioneer story is about friendship, heritage and the unending struggle for and against the land. Cast: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund. World Premiere

The Polka King / U.S.A. (Director: Maya Forbes, Screenwriters: Maya Forbes, Wally Wolodarsky) — Based on the remarkable true story of the world’s only known Polka Ponzi scheme, this mix of comedy and tragedy is about Jan Lewan, a polish immigrant who believed in the American Dream. But with big dreams came big mistakes for the man who became the “King of Pennsylvania Polka.” Cast: Jack Black, Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, J.B. Smoove. World Premiere

Rebel in the Rye / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Danny Strong) — This portrait of the life and mind of reclusive author J.D. Salinger goes from the bloody front lines of World War II to his early rejections and the PTSD-fueled writer’s block that led to his iconic novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Sarah Paulson, Zoey Deutch, Hope Davis, Victor Garber. World Premiere

Rememory / U.S.A., Canada (Director: Mark Palansky, Screenwriters: Michael Vukadinovich, Mark Palansky) — A visionary inventor found dead. A machine that can record people’s memories. A man haunted by the past. This noir mystery explores the ways in which memory defines the present. Cast: Peter Dinklage, Julia Ormond, Martin Donovan, Anton Yelchin, Henry Ian Cusick, Evelyne Brochu. World Premiere

Sidney Hall / U.S.A. (Director: Shawn Christensen, Screenwriters: Shawn Christensen, Jason Dolan) — Over the course of 12 years, and three stages of life, Sidney Hall falls in love, writes the book of a generation and then disappears without a trace. Cast: Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Michelle Monaghan, Nathan Lane, Margaret Qualley. World Premiere

Where is Kyra? / U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu, Screenwriter: Darci Picoult) — Pushed to the brink after losing her job, a woman struggles to survive. As the months pass and her troubles deepen, she embarks on a perilous and mysterious journey that threatens to usurp her life. Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Kiefer Sutherland. World Premiere

Wilson / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriter: Daniel Clowes) — Wilson, a lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged misanthrope, reunites with his estranged wife and gets a shot at happiness when he learns he has a teenage daughter he has never met. In his uniquely outrageous and slightly twisted way, he sets out to connect with her. Cast: Woody Harrelson, Laura Dern, Judy Greer. World Premiere

Wind River / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Taylor Sheridan) — An FBI agent teams with the town’s veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that ocurred on a Native American reservation. Cast: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Jon Bernthal. World Premiere

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Renowned filmmakers and films about far-reaching subjects comprise this section highlighting our ongoing commitment to documentaries.

500 YEARS / U.S.A. (Director: Pamela Yates) — From a historic genocide trial to the overthrow of a president, the sweeping story of mounting resistance played out in Guatemala’s recent history is told through the actions and perspectives of the majority indigenous Mayan population, who now stand poised to reimagine their society. World Premiere

Cries from Syria / U.S.A., Syria, Czech Republic (Director: Evgeny Afineevsky) — This documentary attempts to recontextualize the European migrant crisis and ongoing hostilities in Syria, through eyewitness and participant testimony. Children and parents recount the revolution, civil war, air strikes, atrocities and ongoing humanitarian aid crises, in a portrait of recent history and the consequences of violence. World Premiere

Give Me Future: Major Lazer in Cuba / U.S.A., Cuba (Director: Austin Peters) — In the spring of 2016, global music sensation Major Lazer performed a free concert in Havana, Cuba—an unprecedented show that drew an audience of almost half a million. This concert documentary evolves into an exploration of youth culture in a country on the precipice of change. World Premiere

Legion of Brothers / U.S.A. (Director: Greg Barker) — Afghanistan, immediately post-9/11: Small teams of Green Berets arrive on a series of secret missions to overthrow the Taliban. What happens next is equal parts war origin story and cautionary tale, illuminating the nature and impact of 15 years of constant combat, with unprecedented access to U.S. Special Forces. World Premiere

Oklahoma City / U.S.A. (Director: Barak Goodman) — The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995 is the worst act of domestic terrorism in American history; this documentary explores how a series of deadly encounters between American citizens and federal law enforcement—including the standoffs at Ruby Ridge and Waco—led to it. World Premiere

Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman / U.S.A. (Directors: Susan Froemke, John Hoffman, Beth Aala) — From the Montana Rockies to the wheat fields of Kansas and the Gulf of Mexico, families who work the land and sea are crossing political divides to find unexpected ways to protect the natural resources vital to their livelihoods. These are the new heroes of conservation, deep in America’s heartland. World Premiere. THE NEW CLIMATE

TAKE EVERY WAVE: The Life of Laird Hamilton / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it. World Premiere

Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities / U.S.A. (Director: Stanley Nelson) — A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries—and path of promise toward the American dream—Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. They have been unapologetically Black for 150 years. For the first time ever, their story is told. World Premiere

This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous / U.S.A. (Director: Barbara Kopple) — A groundbreaking film that portrays the journey of Gigi Lazzarato, a fearless woman who began life as Gregory, posting fashion videos to YouTube from his bedroom, only to later come out as a transgender female. With never-before-seen personal footage, the film spotlights a family’s unwavering love for a child. World Premiere

Untitled Lucy Walker / Buena Vista Social Club Documentary / U.S.A., United Kingdom, Cuba (Director: Lucy Walker) — The musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club exposed the world to Cuba’s vibrant culture with their landmark 1997 album. Now, against the backdrop of Cuba’s captivating musical history, hear the band’s story as they reflect on their remarkable careers and the extraordinary circumstances that brought them together. World Premiere

MIDNIGHT
From horror and comedy to works that defy genre classification, these films will keep you wide awake, even at the most arduous hour.

78/52 / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandre Philippe) — This is an unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the “man behind the curtain,” and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. World Premiere

Bad Day for the Cut / Northern Ireland (Director: Chris Baugh, Screenwriters: Chris Baugh, Brendan Mullin) — A middle-aged Irish farmer, who still lives at home with his mother, sets off on a mission of revenge when the old lady is murdered. Cast: Nigel O’Neill, Susan Lynch, Józef Pawłowski, Stuart Graham, Anna Próchniak, Ian McElhinney. World Premiere

Bitch / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marianna Palka) — A woman snaps under crushing life pressures and assumes the psyche of a vicious dog. Her philandering, absentee husband is forced to become reacquainted with his four children and sister-in-law as they attempt to keep the family together during this bizarre crisis. Cast: Jason Ritter, Jaime King, Marianna Palka, Brighton Sharbino, Rio Mangini, Kingston Foster. World Premiere

Bushwick / U.S.A. (Directors: Cary Murnion, Jonathan Milott, Screenwriters: Nick Damici, Graham Reznick) — Lucy emerges from a Brooklyn subway to find that her neighborhood is under attack by black-clad military soldiers. An ex-Marine corpsman, Stupe, reluctantly helps her fight for survival through a civil war, as Texas attempts to secede from the United States of America. Cast: Dave Bautista, Brittany Snow, Angelic Zambrana, Jeremie Harris, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Arturo Castro. World Premiere

Killing Ground / Australia (Director and screenwriter: Damien Power) — Ian and Samantha arrive at an isolated campsite to find an SUV and a tent—with no sign of the occupants. The discovery of a distressed child wandering in the woods unleashes a terrifying chain of events that will test the young couple’s breaking point. Cast: Aaron Pedersen, Ian Meadows, Harriet Dyer, Aaron Glenane. International Premiere

Kuso / U.S.A. (Director: Steven Ellison, Screenwriters: Steven Ellison, David Firth, Zach Fox) — Broadcasting through a makeshift network of discarded televisions, this story is tangled up in the aftermath of Los Angeles’s worst earthquake nightmare. Travel between screens and aftershocks into the twisted lives of the survived. Cast: Iesha Coston, Zack Fox, Hannibal Buress, The Buttress, Tim Heidecker, Mali Matsuda. World Premiere

The Little Hours / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeff Baena) — A young servant fleeing from his master takes refuge at a dysfunctional convent in medieval Tuscany. Cast: Alison Brie, Dave Franco, Kate Micucci, Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon. World Premiere. DAY ONE

XX / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Annie Clark, Karyn Kusama, Roxanne Benjamin, Jovanka Vuckovic) — This all-female horror anthology features four dark tales from four fiercely talented women. Cast: Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey, Breeda Wool, Christina Kirk. World Premiere

SPOTLIGHT
The Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love from throughout the past year.

Colossal / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nacho Vigalondo) — An unapologetic party girl dreams of a fresh start only to discover a mysterious and fantastical connection between herself and a city-wrecking monster on the other side of the globe. Cast: Anne Hathaway, Dan Stevens, Jason Sudeikis, Tim Blake Nelson, Austin Stowell.

Frantz / France, Germany (Director: François Ozon, Screenwriters: François Ozon, Philippe Piazzo) — In a small German town after World War I, Anna mourns daily at the grave of her fiancé, Frantz, killed in battle in France. One day a young Frenchman, Adrien, also lays flowers at the grave. His presence, so soon after the German defeat, ignites passions. Cast: Pierre Niney, Paula Beer, Ernst Stötzner, Marie Gruber, Johann von Bülow, Anton von Lucke.

Lady Macbeth / United Kingdom (Director: William Oldroyd, Screenwriter: Alice Birch) — Rural England, 1865: Katherine is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man and his unforgiving family. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a stableman from the estate, the force unleashed inside her is so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Cast: Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton, Naomi Ackie, Christopher Fairbank. U.S. Premiere

Look and See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry / U.S.A. (Directors: Laura Dunn, Jef Sewell) — This cinematic portrait of the changing landscapes and shifting values of rural America in the era of industrial agriculture is seen through the mind’s eye of farmer and writer Wendell Berry. THE NEW CLIMATE

Raw / France (Director and screenwriter: Julia Ducournau) — When a young vegetarian undergoes a carnivorous hazing ritual at vet school, she develops an unbidden taste for meat, with unexpected consequences. Cast: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella, Laurent Lucas, Joana Preiss.

Sami Blood / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Amanda Kernell) — Elle Marja, 14, is a reindeer-breeding Sámi girl. Exposed to race biology examinations at her boarding school and the racism of the 1930s, she starts dreaming of another life—one that demands she become someone else and break all ties with her family and culture. Cast: Lene Cecilia Sparrok, Mia Sparrok, Maj-Doris Rimpi, Olle Sarri, Hanna Alström, Malin Crépin. U.S. Premiere

Their Finest / United Kingdom (Director: Lone Scherfig, Screenwriter: Gaby Chiappe) — During the 1940 London Blitz, untried screenwriter Catrin struggles to find her voice amidst war, as she and a makeshift cast work under fire to create a film to lift the nation’s spirits—and inspire America to join the war. Cast: Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Jake Lacy, Jeremy Irons. U.S. Premiere

KIDS
This section of the Festival is especially for our youngest independent film fans. Programmed in cooperation with Utah Film Center, which presents the annual Tumbleweeds Film Festival, Utah’s premiere film festival for children and youth.

The Mars Generation / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Barnett) — Aspiring teenage astronauts reveal that a journey to Mars is closer than you think. World Premiere. SALT LAKE CITY OPENING NIGHT FILM

My Life as a Zucchini / Switzerland, France (Director: Claude Barras, Screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — After his mother’s death, Zucchini is befriended by a police officer, Raymond, who accompanies him to a foster home filled with other orphans his age. There, with the help of his newfound friends, Zucchini eventually learns to trust and love as he searches for a new family of his own. World Premiere (English Version)

RED DOG: True Blue / Australia (Director: Kriv Stenders, Screenwriter: Daniel Taplitz) — When 11-year-old Mick is shipped off to his grandfather’s cattle station in Australia’s remote Pilbara, he prepares himself for a life of dull hardship but instead finds myth, adventure and a friendship with a scrappy, one-of-a-kind pup that will change his life forever. Cast: Levi Miller, Bryan Brown, Hanna Mangan-Lawrence, Thomas Cocquerel, Jason Isaacs. North American Premiere

SPECIAL EVENTS
One-of-a-kind moments highlighting new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience. An evolving section, this year includes episodic work, short films and live post-screening discussions.

Downward Dog / U.S.A. (Showrunners: Kat Likkel, John Hoberg, Creators: Michael Killen, Samm Hodges) — The story of a struggling millennial, Nan, as observed from the point of view of her lonely and philosophical dog, Martin. The Festival will premiere the first four episodes of the series, followed by an extended Q&A with the cast, creators and showrunners. Cast: Allison Tolman, Samm Hodges, Lucas Neff, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Barry Rothbart. World Premiere

The History of Comedy / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Sean Hayes, Todd Milliner, Mark Herzog, Christopher G. Cowen, Co-Executive Producer: Stephen J. Morrison) — Utilizing archival footage punctuated by contemporary interviews with comedy legends and scholars, this is the history of not only what makes us laugh, but how comedy has affected the social and political landscape throughout history. The Festival will premiere two episodes of this docuseries, Spark of Madness and Going Blue, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere

I Love Dick / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Soloway, Andrea Arnold, Kimberly Peirce, Executive Producers: Jill Soloway, Sarah Gubbins, Andrea Sperling, Victor Hsu) — Chris and Sylvere, a married couple in the intellectual community of Marfa, Texas, become obsessed with a charismatic artist named Dick. What follows is the unraveling of a marriage, the deification of a reluctant messiah and the awakening of the female gaze. The Festival will present the first three episodes of this Amazon original series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Hahn, Griffin Dunne, Roberta Colindrez, India Menuez, Phoebe Robinson. World Premiere

RISE / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Michelle Latimer) — This vibrant and immersive documentary series explores the front lines of indigenous resistance. Episodes Apache Stronghold, Sacred Water and Red Power examine factors that threaten indigenous liberation in the 21st century. A series of contrasts, this series is both a condemnation of colonialism and a celebration of indigenous peoples. Continuing Sundance Institute’s ongoing commitment to presenting bold stories from within the Native American and Indigenous communities, we are proud to debut three episodes: Apache Stronghold, Sacred Water and Red Power, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere. THE NEW CLIMATE

Shots Fired / U.S.A. (Executive Producers: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo) — After racially-charged shootings in a North Carolina town, an investigator digs into the cases alongside a special prosecutor. Together they seek justice while navigating the ensuing media attention and public unrest threatening the divided town. The Festival will premiere two episodes of this 10-hour series, followed by an extended Q&A. Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Stephan James, Helen Hunt, Richard Dreyfuss, Stephen Moyer, Mack Wilds. World Premiere

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story / U.S.A. (Director: Jenner Furst, Executive Producers: Jenner Furst, Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, Harvey Weinstein, David C. Glasser, Nick Sandow, Julia Willoughby Nason, Michael Gasparro) — After his arrest at age 16, Kalief Browder fought the system and prevailed, despite unthinkable circumstances. He became an American hero. The Festival will debut the first two episodes of this in-depth, humanizing look at a broken justice system, followed by an extended Q&A. World Premiere

Docuseries Showcase — The Festival is proud to debut individual episodes from two exciting new Netflix docuseries, featuring an extended Q&A with directors Morgan Neville and Rashida Jones.

  • Abstract: The Art of Design / U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Neville, Executive Producers: Morgan Neville, Scott Dadich, Dave O’Connor, Justin Wilkes, Jon Kamen) — A look beyond blueprints and computers into the art and science of design, showcasing great designers from every discipline whose work shapes our world. The Festival will debut one episode of the series, followed by an extended Q&A with Director and Executive Producer Morgan Neville. Cast: Christoph Niemann. World Premiere
  • Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On / U.S.A. (Director: Rashida Jones, “Women on Top,” Executive Producers: Rashida Jones, Ronna Gradus, Jill Bauer, Peter LoGreco) — This documentary series tells personal stories about people affected by the explosion of the internet, where pornography, dating apps, and virtual relationships are just a click away. Exploring the intersection of sex and technology, it tells stories of intimacy, connection, disconnection, self-promotion, race, and gender politics. The Festival will debut one episode of the series, followed by an extended Q&A with Director and Executive Producer Rashida Jones. World Premiere

Independent Pilot Showcase — We are proud to present the world premieres of these outstanding pilot presentations, highlighting the best in episodic series work from the independent community.

  • Playdates / U.S.A. (Writers: Giles Andrew, Dan Marshall, Creators: Giles Andrew, Dan Marshall, Alex Bourne) — Uprooted from their Midwestern life, Bennett, a new stay-at-home dad, and Julie, a working mom, are forced to take their kids on playdates inside the elitist parenting culture of Silicon Beach. Cast: Paul Scheer, Carla Gallo, Miles Fisher, Craig Frank, Gemma Brooke Allen, Landon Gordon. World Premiere
  • Shit Kids / U.S.A. (Director and creator: Kyle Dunnigan) — The daughter of an earth-shatteringly boring couple, along with the son of an equally humdrum set of parents, have decided to plot their parents’ murders. Cast: Kyle Dunnigan, Kevin Berntson, Candace Brown, Margee Magee, Grace van Dien, Doug Noble. World Premiere
  • When The Street Lights Go On / U.S.A. (Director: Brett Morgen, Screenwriters: Eddie O’Keefe, Chris Hutton) — The residents of a small town grapple with the ruthless killing of a young girl and a teacher. Cast: Max Burkholder, Odessa Young, Adam Long, Ben Winchell, Kelli Mayo, Graham Beckel. World Premiere

Made in Cuba — We are proud to present these three cinematic and affecting Cuban short documentaries, reflecting Sundance Institute’s longstanding commitment to international artists. These films were guided by the Institute’s Documentary Film Program in collaboration with La Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV) and Guardian documentaries.

  • Connection (Conectifai) / Cuba (Director: Horizoe Garcia Miranda) — ETECSA—Cuba’s only telephone company—installed Wi-Fi routers in 18 public parks in 2016. For many Cubans, this meant being able to go online for the first time. This film shows us how Cubans of all ages initially explore social media, online dating and more. U.S. Premiere
  • Great Muy Bien / Cuba (Director: Sheyla Pool Pástor) — The United States restored diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015, making it no longer unrealistic for Cubans to dream of one day living and working abroad. Cubans of all ages and diverse aspirations enroll at the makeshift Big Ben English school in Havana. U.S. Premiere
  • House for Sale (Casa en Venta) / Cuba (Director: Emanuel Giraldo Betancur) — After more than 50 years, the ban on individuals in Cuba selling their houses was lifted in 2011. Three Cubans invite us into their homes—full of memories, souvenirs and family members—to hear their “sales pitch.” U.S. Premiere

Midnight Episodic Showcase — For the after-dark crowd, we present the world premieres of two thrilling new episodic additions to our Midnight lineup: Pineapple, from Adaptive Studios, and Snatchers, from Stage 13, followed by an extended Q&A with the creators of both series.

  • Pineapple / U.S.A. (Director and writer: Arkasha Stevenson) — When a miner’s daughter is assaulted in the local coal mine, she utters only one word, leaving the town’s sheriff baffled. The event quickly spirals out of control, impacting the entire town. The Festival will premiere three short-form episodes of this uniquely cinematic drama series. Cast: Tyler Vickers, Kel Owens, Ron Gilbert, Gloria Vonn, Lucille Sharp, Brooklyn Robinson. World Premiere
  • Snatchers / U.S.A. (Directors: Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, Screenwriters: Scott Yacyshyn, Benji Kleiman, Stephen Cedars) — After status-obsessed teen Sara has sex for the first time, she wakes up the next day nine months pregnant—with an alien. Turning to her nerdy ex-bestie, Hayley (the only person she can trust without ruining her reputation), they strive to put an end to all the carnage. The Festival will premiere eight short-form episodes of this otherworldly horror-comedy series. Cast: Mary Nepi, Gabrielle Elyse, Austin Fryberger, J.J. Nolan, Nick Gomez, Rich Fulcher. World Premiere

Short-Form Episodic Showcase — A celebration of the evolving landscape of content consumption, we present these short-form episodic series as new voices in the medium, defying broadcast boilerplates with a redefinition of traditional episodic conventions.

  • The Chances / U.S.A. (Director: Anna Kerrigan, Creators: Josh Feldman, Shoshannah Stern) — Best friends Kate and Michael, who are deaf, try their best to see their friendship through new changes in their lives, as Kate adjusts to being newly married and Michael attempts to get over his ex-boyfriend. The Festival will debut five episodes of this short-form episodic series. Cast: Josh Feldman, Shoshannah Stern, Aaron Costa Ganis, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Darryl Stephens, Wilson Cruz. World Premiere
  • Gente-fied / U.S.A. (Creator: Marvin Lemus, Executive Producers: Charles D. King, Aaliyah Williams, America Ferrera) — Seven characters deal with the effects of change in LA’s Boyle Heights. Bicultural millennials and old-school business owners hustle to create spaces that celebrate their Latino identities—even while faced with rent hikes, a housing crisis, and a steady stream of outsiders threatening to gentrify their barrio. The Festival will debut three episodes of this short- form episodic series. Cast: Edsson Morales, Alicia Sixtos, Victoria Ortiz, Yareli Arizmendi, Salvador Velez Jr, Rafael Sigler. World Premiere
  • Strangers / U.S.A. (Directors: Mia Lidofsky, Celia Rowlson-Hall, Executive Producers: Michael B. Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Jesse Peretz, Mia Lidofsky) — Newly single and bisexual Isobel rents out her spare room in a last ditch effort to keep the home she loves. Along with her lesbian best friend, she navigates the most complicated time in her life—emotionally, sexually, and professionally—while sharing her home with a new stranger each episode. The Festival will debut the first three episodes of this short- form episodic series. Cast: Zoë Chao, Meredith Hagner, Jemaine Clement, Breeda Wool, Matthew Oberg, Shiri Appleby. World Premiere

 

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 Boyhood, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Life Itself, The Cove, The End of the Tour, Blackfish, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Super Size Me, Dope, Little Miss Sunshine, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious and Napoleon Dynamite. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2017 Festival sponsors to date include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire®, and Canada Goose; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, AT&T, DIRECTV, and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – American Airlines, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, Google VR, The Hollywood Reporter, IMDb, Jaunt, Kickstarter, Omnicom, Stella Artois® and the University of Utah Health. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and 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 Sponsor seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

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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 new 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. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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(Source: sundance.org)

Venice International Film Festival

Mahershala Ali to Receive Breakthrough Performance Award at 28th Annual PSIFF Film Awards Gala

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Palm Springs, CA (December 16, 2016) – The 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Mahershala Ali with the Breakthrough Performance Award for his role in Moonlight at its annual Film Awards Gala.  The Film Awards Gala, hosted by Mary Hart, will be held Monday, January 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The Festival runs January 2-16, 2017.

screen-shot-2016-12-13-at-7-27-10-am“Mahershala Ali is one of the most in-demand actors in film and television,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Ali gives one of the best supporting performances of the year in Moonlight as Juan, a Miami drug dealer who opens his doors to Little when he sees the boy being chased through the streets by a gang. For this role that has already received several awards and is sure to receive many more, it is our honor to present the Breakthrough Performance Award to Mahershala Ali.”

Past recipients of the Breakthrough Performance Award include Marion Cotillard, Jennifer Hudson, Felicity Huffman, Brie Larson, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Rosamund Pike and Jeremy Renner.  In the years they were honored, Cotillard, Hudson, Larson and Nyong’o went on to receive Academy Awards®, while Huffman, Pike and Renner received nominations.

A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami. At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, Moonlight is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. In additional to Ali, the film also stars Naomie Harris, Janelle Monáe, Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes and André Holland.

For his role in Moonlight, Mahershala Ali received a Golden Globe Award nomination, two Screen Actors Guild nominations and an NAACP Image Award nomination. Ali won two Broadcast Critics’ Choice Awards, and numerous Critics Circle awards including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Boston, etc. Ali was also honored with the Spotlight Award at the Savannah Film Festival and will receive the Virtuosos Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. In addition, the cast will be honored with the Robert Altman Ensemble Award at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Ali has a wide-ranging background in film, television and theater.  On television, he can be seen in the Netflix series’ Luke Cage and House of Cards.  His impressive list of film credits includes Free State of Jones, Kicks, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 & 2, The Place Beyond the Pines, Crossing Over, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Next up he can be seen in Hidden Figures, Roxanne, Roxanne which will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Festival and Alita: Battle Angel in 2018.

Previously announced honorees attending the 2017 Film Awards Gala are Amy Adams, Casey Affleck, Annette Bening, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Negga, the cast of Hidden Figures including Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner and Jim Parsons, and the cast of La La Land, including Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, and director Damien Chazelle.

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About The Palm Springs International Film Festival

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, annually welcoming more than 135,000 attendees for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Film Awards Gala, a glamorous, black-tie event attended by 2,500 guests, presented this year by Chopard and sponsored by Mercedes Benz and Entertainment Tonight.  The Film Awards Gala honors the year’s best achievements in cinema in front of and behind the camera.  The celebrated list of talents who have been honored in recent years includes Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Matthew McConaughey, Julianne Moore, Brad Pitt, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Reese Witherspoon.  PSIFF is organized by The Palm Springs International Film Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization with a mission to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness.

For more information, call 760-778-8979 or 800-898-7256 or visit www.psfilmfest.org.

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Media contacts:

Steven Wilson / Lauren Peteroy                                                                         David Lee

B|W|R Public Relations                                                                                        PSIFF

212.901.3920                                                                                                         760.322.2930

Steven.wilson@bwr-pr.com / Lauren.peteroy@bwr-pr.com                        david@psfilmfest.org

(Source: Press release courtesy of Nikki Croney/BWR

 

#SBIFF, Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

2017 #SBIFF Cinema Vanguard Award honoring Casey Affleck and Michelle Wiliams

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Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams will be honored with SBIFF’s Cinema Vanguard Award on Sunday, February 5, 2017 at the 32nd Festival.  The two actors will be celebrated for their remarkable roles in Kenneth Lonergan’s deeply poignant Manchester by the Sea and will be feted with a tribute at the Arlington Theatre. This announcement comes on the heels of their respective Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
The Cinema Vanguard Award was created in recognition of actors who have forged their own path – taking artistic risks and making a significant and unique contribution to film. Previous honorees include Rooney Mara, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo, Nicole Kidman,Christoph Waltz, Vera Farmiga, Stanley Tucci, Peter Sarsgaard, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ryan Gosling.

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Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Executive Director, Roger Durling. (Photo credit: The SB Independent)

SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling commented, “Throughout their respective careers, Casey and Michelle have impressed audiences with distinct, personal roles and we are excited to bring them together to honor their sublime performances in Manchester by the Sea.”

The Cinema Vanguard Award honoring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams will be held at the histroric Santa Barbara Arlington Theatre, Sunday February 5, 2017 at 8:00 PM. The event will be moderated by Pete Hammond.

Click here to attend

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Berlin Film Festival

Berlinale Launches Endowed Documentary Award

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For many years now, the Berlin International Film Festival has been committed to documentary film and diverse documentary forms.

Thanks to the support of Glashütte Original, watch manufacturer from Saxony, the Berlin International Film Festival is launching a new award, the Glashütte Original Documentary Award.

This prize for the best documentary film will be endowed with € 50,000, funded by Glashütte Original. A total of about 18 documentary entries from the current programmes of the Competition, Panorama, Forum, Generation, Berlinale Special and Perspektive Deutsches Kino sections as well as the Culinary Cinema special series will be nominated for the Glashütte Original Documentary Award. A three-member jury will pick the winner – the prize money will be split between the film’s director and producer.

Besides the prize money, Glashütte Original will also provide the trophy, which will be finely crafted in the Saxon manufactory and will be presented to the director of the winning film.

The prize will be awarded during the official Award Ceremony in the Berlinale Palast.

Here are the official documentary award guidelines: glashuette_original_documentary_award_guidelines

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(Source: http://www.berlinale.de)

*Featured photo courtesy of Berlinale Film Festival