5th Indian Cine Film Festival-2017

Entries Open: Feature Films, Shorts films, Animation, Documentaries & Music Videos.

Submission deadline: 20 Aug 2017

To submit entry visit: http://miniboxoffice.com/indiancinefilmfestival

For Participation Email: ICFF@miniboxoffice.com

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

You can literally pin down three “F” words to describe nearly every Darren Aronofsky film from his early work in PI (1998) to best-loved film REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000) to Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER (2008) to Natalie Portman’s Oscar-winning turn in BLACK SWAN (2010) to obsessive Russell Crowe in NOAH (2014). Fixated. Fragile. Freakish. Herein lies the latest work by this Harvard-trained filmmaker, MOTHER!, complete with an exclamation point. 

Marked by a stellar cast of Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer, Aronofsky has somehow managed to tease a much-anticipated, weird-yet-inviting, horror thriller. Which makes you wonder what is it with this guy, always flushing out the Grand Guignol, or wild punch in the head from any dramatic circumstance.

First he drops a Jennifer Lawrence in floral gown poster with an illustrated version of herself tearing her own bleeding heart out, literally and in the iconography; then there’s a new one-sheet unveiled today from Paramount with Javier Bardem on fire, literally, flames engulfing him in a chair also implying some heavy iconic imagery.

James Jean (Google for credits, very interesting) is the artist, with a Taiwanese/New York-trained sensibility melded into a thrilling mix of comic and blue-chip fine art haute imaginings, and MOTHER! is right.

But the way the studio is pitching it is so matter-of-fact, as if this Aronofsky-helmed movie is somewhere neat and normal:

“A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.”

Watch MOTHER! & Try Not To Stare…

Forewarned about the forbidden, you can now resume your summer blockbuster watching, as MOTHER! won’t be released until Sept. 15. Meanwhile the studio will upload a new trailer Aug. 8. Watch for it.

On a side note, Jennifer Lawrence being Aronofsky’s real-life, off-screen love interest gives one pause… then again, ex-fianceé Rachel Weisz survived him to end up with James Bond, her now-husband Daniel Craig. Maybe Lawrence will end up with a better outcome in real-life too, neither fixated, fragile nor freakish. Because any fate seems better than what looks like will happen to her in his film, and forgive the gratuitous use of the French term Grand Guignol, but that grandiose term skin-tight fits the end product of Darren Aronofsky’s view-finder.

MOTHER! Of All Details, Social Media-wise

mother! Official Channels Hashtag: 

#mothermovie

Facebook: /OfficialMotherMovie

Twitter: @MotherMovie

Instagram: @MotherMovie Website: MotherMovie.com

MOTHER! is released by Paramount Pictures; directed by Darren Aronofsky, and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer.

# # #

Student filmmakers Esteban Bravo (left) and Beth David Courtesy of Esteban Bravo and Beth David

The Montreal International Animation Film Festival is one of the first festivals to confirm an exclusive screening of In a Heartbeat a short animation film in the student film competition taking the internet by storm going viral with over 5 million views in just a few days.

Two animation students at Ringling School of Art and Design in Florida were able to raise more than $14,000 on Kickstarter to finance the making of "In a Heartbeat last December. When a trailer for the film was finally released in the spring, the short clip went viral across social media and was viewed more than one million times.

Now the completed animated short film — titled “In a Heartbeat” — has just been released on Vimeo and Youtube, and the YouTube clip alone has garnered nearly 2.4 million views in just one day. David and Bravo hope the film can help tackle what they believe is a lack of LGBTQ representation in media and animation.

BRAVO and see you in Montreal! August 17 - 20

News & Reviews

• ""In a Heartbeat" Short Film Features a Boy's Heart Chasing the Guy of His Dreams"

  Teen Vogue

  http://www.teenvogue.com/story/in-a-heartbeat-short-film-gay-crush

• "Adorable Animated Film Offers Beautiful Story Of Two Boys Falling In Love"

  Huffington Post

  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/animated-film-in-a-heartbeat_us_5925ab0ee4b0ec129d317fc7

• "This 25-second trailer of two boys falling in love is going to make you cry"

  Mashable

  http://mashable.com/2017/05/20/in-a-heartbeat-trailer-gay

Filmtake.com reports Sony’s co-financing partner, LStar Capital, informed the studio at the last minute that they would no longer invest in their slate.

LStar was scheduled to forward $50 million to Sony Pictures, but the company exercised an option to withdraw from the agreement on the day before funds were due on the studio’s latest animation feature, The Emoji Movie.

Additional films avoided by LStar’s early exit include Flatliners, Hotel Transylvania 3, and Peter Rabbit.

Institutional investors are currently reviewing LStar’s ownership interest in Sony’s film library for a potential buyout. However, with a portfolio of underperforming films and ongoing marketing and overhead expenses, it’s unclear why any investor would consider a buyout.

Thumb On The Scale

In 2014, LStar committed $200 million in slate financing to Sony, but typical of studio financing; Sony had the choice of which projects were to use LStar’s funds.

Not surprising, popular titles were fully-financed by Sony, while inevitable bombs, such as The Brothers Grimsby and Aloha were co-financed.

This strategy is as old as Hollywood, and the reason why Paramount Pictures and Elliot Management parted ways and spent years in litigation over the Melrose investment vehicles.

New Money Disappears

Hollywood’s problems were seemingly solved when several China-based firms announced sizable investments in multiple studios. However, now that several deals are falling apart amid tighter capital controls and a mounting debt crisis, the industry is in dire straits.

Several billionaires, including Australia’s James Packer, have recently called it quits on their film financing ambitions. Less publicized exits by private equity groups and banks are slowing production on mid-level independent and studio projects alike.

It’s becoming clear that new capital sources are drying up and existing investors are fleeing in droves.

Without vast changes in slate financing structures, Sony and Paramount face uncertain futures.

Village Roadshow, another co-financier of Sony, just announced a massive reduction in film financing. Media Rights Capital stands as Sony’s last meaningful capital partner – for how long is anyone’s guess.

http://www.filmtake.com/finance/hollywood-financing-broke/

VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY

In Competition

MELITA

by NICOLÁS ALCALÁ

Animation film / USA / 24’ / Oculus Stand Up

LA CAMERA INSABBIATA

by LAURIE ANDERSON, HUANG HSIN-CHIEN

Animation film / USA / 20’ / Installation

THE LAST GOODBYE

by GABO ARORA

USA / 20’ / Installation

MY NAME IS PETER STILLMAN

by LYSANDER ASHTON, LEO WARNER

Animation film / Great Britain / 6’ / Oculus Stand Up

ALICE, THE VIRTUAL REALITY PLAY

by MATHIAS CHELEBOURG

with Robin Berry, Josh Jefferies / France / 20’ / Installation

ARDEN’S WAKE (EXPANDED)

by EUGENE YK CHUNG

Animation film / USA / 16’ / Oculus Stand Up

GREENLAND MELTING

by NONNY DE LA PEÑA

USA / 11’ / Vive Stand Up

DONGDUCHEON (BLOODLESS)

by GINA KIM

South Korea, USA / 12’ / VR Theater                  

NOTHING HAPPENS

by URI KRANOT, MICHELLE KRANOT

Animation film / Denmark, France / 14’ / Vive Stand Up

SHI MENG LAO REN (THE DREAM COLLECTOR)

by MI LI

Animation film / China / 11’ / Oculus Stand Up

SNATCH VR HEIST EXPERIENCE

by RAFAEL PAVÓN, NICOLÁS ALCALÁ

with Rupert Grint, Luke Pasqualino, Lucien Laviscount, Phoebe Dynevor

USA / 5’ / Installation

NEFERTITI

by RICHARD MILLS, KIM-LEIGH PONTIN

Animation film / Great Britain / 15’ / Vive Stand Up

PROXIMA

by MATHIEU PRADAT  

with Adde Fabrice, Djaga Maud, Denis Guillaume / France / 9’ / VR Theater

CHUANG (IN THE PICTURES)

by QING SHAO

Animation film / China / 5’ / VR Theater

DISPATCH

by EDWARD ROBLES

Animation film / USA, Great Britain / 6’ / Oculus Stand Up

THE ARGOS FILE

by JOSEMA ROIG

with Joshua Furtado, Matthew Amerman, April Fritz, Jamie Slovon / USA / 4’ / VR Theater    

GOMORRA VR - WE OWN THE STREETS

by ENRICO ROSATI

with Marco D’Amore, Salvatore Esposito, Fabio De Caro / Italy / 14’ / VR Theater

DRAW ME CLOSE, CHAPTERS 1-2

by JORDAN TANNAHILL

Canada, Great Britain / 15’ / Installation

JIA ZAI LANRE SI (THE DESERTED)

by TSAI MING-LIANG

with Lee Kang-sheng, Chen Shiang-chyi, Lu Yi-ching, Yin Shin / Taiwan / 55’ / VR Theater

I SAW THE FUTURE

by FRANÇOIS VAUTIER

France / 5’ / VR Theater

HVER SIN STILHED (SEPARATE SILENCES)

by DAVID WEDEL           

with Elias Munk, Sine Lindstorff Kjeldsen, Marcus Aurelius Christensen, Anna Nøhr Tolstrup, Erik Engedal Christensen / Denmark / 17’ / Installation     

FREE WHALE

by ZHANG PEIBIN

Animation film / China / 7’ / Oculus Stand Up

Biennale College Cinema – VR

Out of Competition

CHROMATICA 

by FLAVIO COSTA / producer: LAURA CATALANO

with Camilla Diana, Christian Burruano / Italy / 17’ / VR Theater   

DENOISE (BEAUTIFUL THINGS)

by GIORGIO FERRERO / producer: FEDERICO BIASIN

with Van Quattro, Danilo Tribunal, Andrea Pavoni Belli, Vito Mirizzi / Italy / 12’ / VR Theater

ON/OFF

by CAMILLE DUVELLEROY, ISABELLE FOUCRIER / producer: LAURENT DURET

France / 10’ /  VR Theater

The three projects were developed at Biennale College Cinema. Denoise (Beautiful Things) was entirely financed by La Biennale di Venezia. Chromatica was also financed by La Biennale di Venezia, with support from SONY.

Venice Production Bridge – VR

Out of Competition

SENS – PART 1

by CHARLES AYATS, MARC-ANTOINE MATHIEU

Animation film / France / 10’ / VR Theater

ALTERATION

by JEROME BLANQUET

Fiction / France / 16’ / VR Theater

NAIVE NEW BEATERS “HEAL TOMORROW”

by ROMAIN CHASSAING

Music Video / Great Britain / 4’ / VR Theater

MULE

by GUY SHEMERDINE

Fiction / USA / 6’ / VR Theater

The four projects participated in the 2016 Venice Gap-Financing Market of the Venice Production Bridge.

Best of VR – Out of Competition

DEAR ANGELICA

by SASCHKA UNSELD

Animation film / USA / 13’ / Oculus Stand Up

MIYUBI

di FÉLIX LAJEUNESSE, PAUL RAPHÄEL

with Owen Vaccaro, P.J. Byrne, Richard Riehle, Emily Bergl, Ted Sutherland, Tatum Kensington Bailey, Lindsay Arnold, Noah Crawford, Jeff Goldblum

Canada / 40’ / VR Theater  

The 74^th Venice Film Festival will screen the three feature films which have been selected, developed and produced as part of the fifth edition (2016/2017) of Biennale College - Cinema, an advanced training laboratory, open to young filmmakers from all over the world for the production of low-budget films. The Biennale launched the laboratory at the 2012 Venice Film Festival. The three movies are:

BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA

BEAUTIFUL THINGS

by GIORGIO FERRERO, producer: FEDERICO BIASIN

starring Van Quattro, Danilo Tribunal, Andrea Pavoni Belli, Vito Mirizzi, Vittoria De Ferrari Sapetto, Andrea Valfrè / Italy / 94’

SHAHEED (MARTYR)

by MAZEN KHALED, producer: DIALA KACHMAR

starring Carole Abboud, Hamza  Mekdad, Rabih  Zaher, Mostafa  Fahes, Hadi  Bou Ayash, Rachad  Nasredine / Lebanon / 80’

STRANGE COLOURS

by ALENA LODKINA, producers: KATE LAURIE, ISAAC WALL

starring Kate Cheel, Daniel P Jones, Justin Courtin / Australia / 85’

The three feature films, which are first or second works, will be presented at the 74^th Venice International Film Festival (August30 – September 9, 2017), directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale, chaired by Paolo Baratta.

The nine projects which did not advance to the second phase of development will receive online support and will be offered various opportunities for finding co-producers in collaboration with IFP and TorinoFilmLab, among others.  

Biennale College – Cinema is supported by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities – Cinema Head Office; for the fifth consecutive year, academic support is provided by IFP in New York and TorinoFilmLab, and the collaboration with the Busan International Film Festival continues. The Laboratory’s Director is Alberto Barbera and the Head of Programme is Savina Neirotti.

BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA – ITALIA and BIENNALE COLLEGE – CINEMA - INTERNATIONAL
With the 6^th edition (2017-2018) of Biennale College - Cinema, it was decided to expand the international Biennale College – Cinema project and add a path reserved to Italians. Hence, there was a new call for teams composed exclusively of a director and a producer, both of whom must be Italian. The Biennale College Cinema – Italia call is in addition to that of the Biennale College – Cinema – International.

The Italian call has seen the participation of teams composed of directors making their first or second film, in association with producers who have made at least three audio-visual works, a fiction feature film, or a documentary, which have been distributed and/or presented at film festivals. Eight micro-budget projects were selected and invited to participate at a development workshop, held in English, on July 10-16, 2017 in Venice. At the end of the workshop, a further selection was conducted and the three projects which have been chosen will be announced during the 74^th Venice International Film Festival (August 30 – September 9, 2017). These three Italian projects will enter the next phase alongside the nine projects selected from the international call, and will participate in a 10-day workshop held in Venice in October 2017. Of these twelve projects, three (including one from the Italian section) will be selected and receive the Biennale’s support covering the production costs (which cannot exceed 150,000 Euros). These three feature films will be presented at the 75^th Venice International Film Festival in 2018. The educational activities of the sixth edition are supported by the Creative Europe-Media program.

BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA - ITALIA
The projects selected after the call:

•       Device– Paolo Bernardelli, director; Luca Legnani, producer

•       Fear for Fun – Caterina Salvadori, director; Adam Selo, producer

•       Hesychia – Filippo Ticozzi, director; Federico Minetti, producer

•       Pomodoro– Simone Rovellini, director; Michele Caspani, producer

•       Puro Sangue– Marco Mucig, director; Barbara Guieu, producer

•       Stellanera– Valentina Bertuzzi, director; Alessandra Grilli, producer

·         The Ice Break– Margherita Ferri, director; Chiara Galloni, producer

·         Wild Youth– Lorenzo Lodovichi, director; Ines Vasiljevic, producer

BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA – VIRTUAL REALITY

Last January, the Biennale launched the first edition of Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality to select 9 teams composed of a director and a producer, for the development of VR projects lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. Throughout the production phase, the teams will receive support on such aspects as the creative process, producing and developing initiatives to attract audiences, identifying markets of reference, and financing.

Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality was created with the contribution of the Creative Europe – Media program and the Netherlands Film Fund, and collaboration is also provided by TorinoFilmLab. The nine projects (director/producer) chosen for this first edition are:

•       Chromatica (Flavio Costa, Italy / Laura Catalano, Italy)

•       Dinner Party (Angel Soto, Puerto Rico / Charlotte Stoudt, USA)

•       Ice Cave (Maja Friis, Denmark / Sara Namer, Denmark)

•       ON/OFF (Camille Duvelleroy, Isabelle Foucrier, France / Laurent Duret, France)

•       My Girl Matryoshka (Nir Saar, Israel / Kevin Molloy, UK)

•       Spomenik (Ivan Knezevic, Serbia / Ivan Beres, Serbia)

•       A Day With Hope (Erika del Mundo, Philippines / Jack Weinstein, USA)

•       The Little Black Pawn (Quentin de Cagny, France / Francois Bouille, France)

•       The Neighbour (Romero Rudolf Borgar, Netherlands / Esther Rots, Netherlands)

Of the 9 projects which will be developed during the workshop, a maximum of two VR projects will each receive a production contribution of € 30,000, thanks to the support of SONY, and will be presented at the 74^th Venice International Film Festival in 2017. The technical sponsor of the projects receiving the contribution is SGO, a company which provides support during the postproduction phase. The other seven projects excluded from the financing will receive visibility during the Venice Production Bridge, as an integral part of the Gap Financing Market activities. For the second year running, the Venice Production Bridge Market will present eight other VR film projects under development. Thus, a total of 15 VR projects under development will be supported by the Biennale di Venezia.

The finalist project of this first edition - which will be presented at the 74th Venice Film Festival - is Chromatica.

PAST EDITIONS

The thirteen feature films made during the first (2012/2013), second (2013/2014), third (2014/2015) and fourth (2015/2016) editions of Biennale College – Cinema had their world premiere during the past four editions of the Venice Film Festival.  These films were later presented at other festivals and received awards and critical acclaim, proof of their international success.

The three films from the first edition of  Biennale College-Cinema (2012-2013)

·         Memphis by Tim Sutton (director, USA), John Baker (director, USA).

·         Mary is Happy, Mary is Happy by Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (director, Thailand), Aditya Assarat (producer, Thailand).

• Yuri Esposito by Alessio Fava (director, Italy), Max Chicco (producer, Italy).

The three films from the second edition of  Biennale College-Cinema (2013-2014)

·         Blood Cells by Joseph Bull (director, UK), Luke Seomore (director, UK), Ben Young and Samm Haillay (producers, UK).

·         H. by Rania Attieh (director, Lebanon), Daniel Garcia (director, USA), Shruti Rya Ganguly (producer, India), Pierce Varous (producer, USA).

·         Short Skin by Duccio Chiarini (director, Italy), Babak Jalali (producer, Iran/UK).

The three films from the third edition of  Biennale College-Cinema (2014-2015)

·         Baby Bump by Kuba Czekaj (director, Poland), Magdalena Kaminska and Agata Szymanska (producers, Poland).

·         Blanka by Kohki Hasei (director, Japan), Flaminio Zadra (producer, Italy).

·         The Fits by Anna Rose Holmer (director, USA), Lisa Kjerulff (producer, USA).

The four films from the fourth edition of  Biennale College-Cinema (2015-2016)

·         La soledad by Jorge Thielen-Armand (director, Venezuela), Adriana Herrera (producer, Venezuela), Manon Ardisson (producer, France)

·         Una hermana by Sofia Brockenshire (director, Canada), Verena Kuri (producer, Argentina)

·         Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) by Shubhashish Bhutiani (director, India), Sanjay Bhutiani (producer, India)

·         Orecchie by Alessandro Aronadio (director, Italy), Costanza Coldagelli (producer, Italy)

Italian director Giuseppe Piccioni (Not of This World,Light of My Eyes, These Days) will chair the Jury of Cinema History Students which – for the fifth time – will award the VENEZIA CLASSICI AWARD for the BEST RESTORED FILM and the BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA.

The list of the films selected for the Venezia Classici section of the 74^th Festival:

VENEZIA CLASSICI

IL DESERTO ROSSO (RED DESERT)

by MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI               

restoration: CSC-Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce - Cinecittà with the cooperation of RTI-Mediaset / Italy (1964) / 120’

NOVECENTO (1900)

by BERNARDO BERTOLUCCI

restoration: 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Istituto Luce - Cinecittà and Cineteca di Bologna, with the cooperation of Alberto Grimaldi and the support of Massimo Sordella

Italy (1976) / 316’

L’OEIL DU MALIN (THE THIRD LOVER)

by CLAUDE CHABROL

restoration: Studiocanal with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée France (1962) / 91’

BATCH ‘81

by MIKE DE LEON

restoration: Asian Film Archive / Philippines (1982) / 108’

NON C’È PACE TRA GLI ULIVI (UNDER THE OLIVE TREE)

by GIUSEPPE DE SANTIS

restoration: CSC-Cineteca Nazionale with the cooperation of CristaldiFilm by Zeudi Araya and Massimo Cristaldi / Italy (1950) / 107’

LA DONNA SCIMMIA (THE APE WOMAN)

by MARCO FERRERI

restoration: Cineteca di Bologna and TF1 Studio with the cooperation of Surf Film

Italy, France (1964) / 92’

ČERNÝ PETR (BLACK PETER)

by MILOŠ FORMAN

restoration: Národní filmový archiv / Czechoslovakia (1963) / 89’

DEUX OU TROIS CHOSES QUE JE SAIS D’ELLE (TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER)

by JEAN-LUC GODARD

restoration: Argos Films with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée

France (1967) / 87’

DAÏNAH LA MÉTISSE

by JEAN GRÉMILLON

restoration: Gaumont with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée

France (1931) / 55’

LES BALISEURS DU DÉSERT / EL-HAIMOUNE (WANDERERS OF THE DESERT)

by NACER KHEMIR

restoration: Cinémathèque royale de Belgique / Tunisia, France (1984) / 95’

IDI I SMOTRI (COME AND SEE)

by ELEM KLIMOV

restoration: Mosfilm (producer of the restoration, Karen Shakhnazarov) / USSR (1985) / 143’

INTO THE NIGHT

by JOHN LANDIS

restoration: Universal Pictures / USA (1985) / 115’

ROSITA (Pre-opening film)

by ERNST LUBITSCH

restoration: MoMA, with the support of The Film Foundation / USA (1923) / 97’

CHIKAMATSU MONOGATARI (A STORY FROM CHIKAMATSU)

by KENJI MIZOGUCHI

restoration: Kadokawa Corporation, The Film Foundation with the cooperation of The Japan Foundation / Japan (1954) / 102’

SANSHŌ DAYŪ (SANSHO THE BAILIFF)

by KENJI MIZOGUCHI

restoration: Kadokawa Corporation, The Film Foundation with the cooperation of The Japan Foundation / Japan (1954) / 126’

OCHAZUKE NO AJI (FLAVOR OF GREEN TEA OVER RICE)

by YASUJIRŌ OZU

restoration: Shochiku Co., Ltd. / Japan (1952) / 115’

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

by STEVEN SPIELBERG

restoration: Sony Pictures Entertainment / USA (1977) / 137’

ZÉRO DE CONDUITE (rushes)

by JEAN VIGO

restoration: Gaumont with the support of Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée

France (1933) / 20’

THE REVOLT OF MAMIE STOVER

by RAOUL WALSH

restoration: 20th Century Fox / USA (1956) / 93’

THE OLD DARK HOUSE

by JAMES WHALE

restoration: Cohen Film Collection, Cohen Media Group / USA (1932) / 72’

The Venezia Classici section will also feature the presentation of a selection of documentaries about cinema and its filmmakers.

VENEZIA CLASSICI DOCUMENTARIES

In Competition

AÑOS LUZ (LIGHT YEARS)

by MANUEL ABRAMOVICH              

Argentina, Brazil, Spain / 75’

EVVIVA GIUSEPPE

by STEFANO CONSIGLIO

Switzerland, Italy / 90’

LA LUCIDA FOLLIA DI MARCO FERRERI (DANGEROUS BUT NECESSARY)

by SELMA JEAN DELL’OLIO

Italy, France / 77’

L’UTOPIE DES IMAGES DE LA RÉVOLUTION RUSSE  (THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION THROUGH ITS FILMS)

by EMMANUEL HAMON

France / 88’

THE PRINCE AND THE DYBBUK

by ELWIRA NIEWIERA

Poland, Germany / 82’

LA VOCE DI FANTOZZI

by MARIO SESTI

Italy / 78’

THIS IS THE WAR ROOM!

by BORIS HARS-TSCHACHOTIN

Germany / 13’

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

LA LUNGA STRADA DEL RITORNO

by ALESSANDRO BLASETTI   

Italy (1962) / 130’

BARBIANA ’65 LA LEZIONE DI DON MILANI

by ALESSANDRO G.A. D’ALESSANDRO

Italy / 62’

LIEVITO MADRE – LE RAGAZZE DEL SECOLO SCORSO

by CONCITA DE GREGORIO, ESMERALDA CALABRIA

Italy / 60’

“Pillole” from the Istituto Luce archive

(edited by Nathalie Giacobino – film editing by Patrizia Penzo)
 

In 2017, Cinecittà - its legendary Studios, “the dream factory,” the ideal home for Federico Fellini and Italy’s collective imaginary - turned 80. This is an important birthday and the Istituto Luce Cinecittà absolutely had to celebrate it. In Venice, too, where, for several years now, the Pillole d’Archivio (“Archive Capsules) have been sparking the curiosity, the surprise and the applause of audiences before the screening of a number of films in the Festival’s official selection. Audience are offered 18 short films which weave together Italy’s dreams and its history, such as the black and white film of the Studios’ founding in 1937; Scipio the African, the first blockbuster shot at Via Tuscolana; Cinecittà’s history enters the sound stages, which after the war were turned into a city-dormitory for displaced people; the stupendous take borrowed from Visconti’s Bellissima starring Anna Magnani who, in 3 seconds and with a hand in her hair, shows what it means to be an actress. Kim Novak appears on another set: Cinecittà has become Hollywood’s sister. A legend returns with an “imperial” Totò as he struggles with Maciste; Charlton Heston is eternally Ben-Hur, all the way to the magical set of Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor. Speaking of magic, there is also Comencini’s Pinocchio and his enormous cardboard whale, and the master of the house, Federico Fellini, happily lost in the fog, the lights, and the fire of his imaginary city. To paraphrase a quote: the world is big and Cinecittà is even bigger. These capsules show us how its dream hasn’t aged over these past 80 years.

80 years of Cinecittà

1) In studio 8 at Cinecittà, Ildebrando Pizzetti records a chorus for Scipio the African (Scipione l’Africano) by C. Gallone (1937)

2) Benito Mussolini inaugurates the new city of cinema:  Cinecittà (1937)

3) Movie makeup lessons at Cinecittà (1938)

4) The Seige of the Alcazar (L’assedio dell’Alcazar, 1940) comes back to life in the film by Augusto Genina

5) In studio 7, The Iron Crown (La corona di ferro, 1940), by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Gino Cervi, is being shot  

6) The city of cinema is transformed into a refugee camp. Studio 5, organized as a dormitory (1943-47)

7) Anna Magnani’s first takes in Bellissima (1951) by Luchino Visconti

8) The director Carmine Gallone on the set of his final film, The Affairs of Messalina(Messalina, 1951)

9) Anna Magnani directed by Jean Renoir in the film The Golden Coach (La carrozza d'oro, 1952)

10) The legendary Sins of Rome (Spartaco, 1953) by Riccardo Freda is being shot

11) On the sets of Cinecittà: Lualdi and Interlenghi in Non c’è amore più grande, Dapporto and Delia Scala in Giove in doppiopetto, and Kerima and Gian Gaspare Napolitano in the film Tam Tam Majunba (1955)

12) Kim Novak arrives on the set of The Awakening (Suor Letizia, 1956) by Mario Camerini, starring Anna Magnani

13) Big sets and staging for the blockbuster Ben-Hur directed by William Wyler (1959)

14) Anita Ekberg stars in the film Sign of the Gladiator (Nel segno di Roma, 1958) by Guido Brignone

15) Totò vs. Maciste (Totò contro Maciste, 1962), the new movie by Fernando Cerchio

16) In the Cinecittà swimming pool, the whale is launched for the TV movie The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio, 1972) by Luigi Comencini, starring Nino Manfredi and Gina Lollobrigida

17) Federico Fellini and Cinecittà: Fellini’s Casanova (Casanova, 1976), and And  the Ship Sails On (E la nave va, 1983) 

18) On the set of the film The Last Emperor (L’ultimo imperatore, 1987) by Bernardo 

Xavier LEGRAND,  Jusqu’à la garde (France) (Venezia 74)

Ali ASGARI, Napadid shodan (Disappearance) (Iran, Qatar) (Orizzonti)

Sofia DJAMA, Les bienheureux (France, Belgium) (Orizzonti)

Cosimo GOMEZ, Brutti e cattivi (Italy, France) (Orizzonti)

Amichai GREENBERG, Ha Edut (The Testament) (Israel, Austria) (Orizzonti)

Alireza KHATAMI, Los versos del olvido (France, Germany, Netherlands, Chile) (Orizzonti)

Jason RAFTOPOULOS, West of Sunshine (Australia) (Orizzonti)

Annika BERG, Forever 13 (Denmark) (SIC)

Natalia GARAGIOLA, Temporada de caza (Argentina, USA, France, Germany, Qatar) (SIC)

Silvia LUZI, Luca BELLINO, Il cratere (Italy) (SIC)

Bertrand MANDICO, Les garçons sauvages (France) (SIC)

Helena WITTMANN, DRIFT (Germany) (SIC)

Katharina WYSS, Sarah joue un loup garou (Switzerland, Germany) (SIC)

Emre YEKSAN, Körfez (The Gulf) (Germany, Greece) (SIC)

Valentina PEDICINI, Where the Shadows Fall (Italy) (Venice Days)

Sara FORESTIER, M (France) (Venice Days)

Wishing you all much success on the festival circuit!

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Discount Passes for Montreal International Animation Film Festival for our audience

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL & INDUSTRY August 30 - September 9, 2017 

Debut films competing for the Lion of the Future “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film

    Xavier LEGRAND,  Jusqu’à la garde (France) (Venezia 74)   Ali ASGARI, Napadid shodan (Disappearance) (Iran, Qatar) (Orizzonti) Sofia DJAMA, Les bienheureux (France, Belgium) (Orizzonti) Cosimo GOMEZ, Brutti e cattivi (Italy, France) (Orizzonti) Amichai GREENBERG, Ha Edut (The Testament) (Israel, Austria) (Orizzonti) Alireza KHATAMI, Los versos del olvido (France, Germany, Netherlands, Chile) (Orizzonti) Jason RAFTOPOULOS, West of Sunshine (Australi...

 

“Pillole” from the Istituto Luce archive

 

“Pillole” from the Istituto Luce archive (edited by Nathalie Giacobino – film editing by Patrizia Penzo)   In 2017, Cinecittà - its legendary Studios, “the dream factory,” the ideal home for Federico Fellini and Italy’s collective imaginary - turned 80. This is an important birthday and the Istituto Luce Cinecittà absolutely had to celebrate it. In Venice, too, where, for several years now, the Pillole d’Archivio (“Archive Ca...

 

Special screenings in Venice

 

SPECIAL SCREENINGS     LA LUNGA STRADA DEL RITORNO by ALESSANDRO BLASETTI    Italy (1962) / 130’   BARBIANA ’65 LA LEZIONE DI DON MILANI by ALESSANDRO G.A. D’ALESSANDRO Italy / 62’   LIEVITO MADRE – LE RAGAZZE DEL SECOLO SCORSO by CONCITA DE GREGORIO, ESMERALDA CALABRIA Italy / 60’                   ...

 

The restored films of Venezia Classici

        Italian director Giuseppe Piccioni (Not of This World, Light of My Eyes, These Days) will chair the Jury of Cinema History Students which – for the fifth time – will award the VENEZIA CLASSICI AWARD for the BEST RESTORED FILM and the BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA.   The list of the films selected for the Venezia Classici section of the 74th Festival:   VENEZIA CLASSICI   IL DESERTO ROSSO (RED DESERT) by MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI ...

 

Biennale College – Cinema The films of the fifth edition (2016/2017)

 

The 74th Venice Film Festival will screen the three feature films which have been selected, developed and produced as part of the fifth edition (2016/2017) of Biennale College - Cinema, an advanced training laboratory, open to young filmmakers from all over the world for the production of low-budget films. The Biennale launched the laboratory at the 2012 Venice Film Festival. The three movies are:   BIENNALE COLLEGE CINEMA   BEAUTIFUL THINGS by GIORGIO FERRERO, producer: FEDERICO ...

 

VR Line Up in Venice

VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY In Competition     MELITA by NICOLÁS ALCALÁ Animation film / USA / 24’ / Oculus Stand Up   LA CAMERA INSABBIATA by LAURIE ANDERSON, HUANG HSIN-CHIEN Animation film / USA / 20’ / Installation   THE LAST GOODBYE by GABO ARORA USA / 20’ / Installation   MY NAME IS PETER STILLMAN by LYSANDER ASHTON, LEO WARNER Animation film / Great Britain / 6’ / Oculus Stand Up   ALICE, THE VIRTUAL REAL...

 

 

VR from MK2 in Venice

                   

 

Bleiberg’s new production “The Cousin” will screen in Orrizzonti Competition at Venice International Film Festival

> TALLINN BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVALS   

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event : submit your projects to Works In Progress, Storytek Creative Hub and more!

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event Works in Progress presents 24 projects in two showcases for international sales agents, distributors and festival programmers on November 29 and 30, 2017.
Deadline: 15 September, 2017. For additional information please contact us at wiptallinn@poff.ee.

 

Call for Entries for Script Pool Tallinn, Baltic Event Co-Production Market and POWR Baltic Stories Exchange

Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event in partnership with Telepool, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and Storytek Creative Hub, have launched the script competition Script Pool Tallinn to help new exciting stories reach the screen. Projects of a full-length fiction film (theatrical or TV), TV series, web series, new platforms (VR / AR / other) are eligible with the best film or series script awarded with 5000 Euros and script doctor support by Telepool, and the best transmedia / multiplatform / interactve project invited to pitch at Storytek spring 2018 incubator session.

Deadline: 15 August, 2017.

For additional information please contact us at scriptpooltallinn@poff.ee.

 

> PEOPLE  

GoodBye Sam Sheppard RIP

Known professionally as Sam Shepard, was an American playwright, actor, author, screenwriter, and director whose body of work spanned over half a century. He was the author of forty-four plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in The Righ...

 

Vanessa Paradis and Jeanne Moreau duo in Cannes

Sad news of the loss of Singer Actress Jeanne Moreau who passed away aged 89 at her home in Paris 17th area.   Happy to share this unforgettable magic moment in Cannes where Jeanne Moreau sang a duo with Dame Moreau "Le Tourbillon de la vie", title song from Jules et Jim de by  François Truffaut. ...

 

French star Jeanne Moreau no more

French star Jeanne Moreau no more Jeanne Moreau has died at her Paris home today, aged 89. She leaves behind a legacy of memorable films, including classic vehicles of Louis Malle and François Truffaut. Born to a French restaurateur father (Anatole Moreau) and English cabaret dancer mother (Katherine Buckley) on 23 January 1928 at Paris, she studied at Collège Edgar-Quinet and Conservatoire National d’Art Dramatique. In 1948, she became an actress with Comédie Fran&...

Elizabeth Sheldon has launched a new film distribution and sales company, Juno Films

 

Licinio Azevedo’s Train of Salt and Sugar and Cahier Africain Are Lead Acquisitions   Elizabeth Sheldon has launched a new film distribution and sales company, Juno Films, to partner with agents, producers and filmmakers to execute bespoke investment, sponsorship and distribution strategies in North America. Sheldon brings two decades of experience in film distribution and international sales, with a specialty in distribution to the educational and non-profit market, to he...

 

Beth Barrett Named Seattle Fest Artistic Director

Beth Barrett, former Director of Programming, has been named SIFF’s new Artistic Director. With her advancement, Barrett becomes SIFF’s first female Artistic Director, one of only a select few women in the United States holding this position for a major film festival. Barrett assumed the mantle of Interim Artistic Director last October, leading the organization though a very successful 43rd Seattle International Film Festival.    Barrett began her career at SIFF i...

 

Directors statement on making DOA

why you decided to make DOA? We thought that it has been a while since a good Noir film has been made and we were very much attracted to the concept of a man being poisoned with less than 24 hours to live!  The idea of what you would do if you are caught in a small town where you cannot trust anyone and your clock is ticking was pretty intriguing.  This concept was very exciting for me as a director.    Our film is inspired by the 1950 DOA, but it is certainly not...

 

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala

    ...

 

 

Rory Fradella Producer of Dead on Arrival DOA

Tyson Sullivan and Rory Fradella in Dead on Arrival (2017) Rory Fradella is an actor and writer, known for Law of the Fish and Dead on Arrival(2017) ...

 

Stephen Sepher The Director of Dead on Arrival DOA

Stephen C. Sepher Stephen's passion is to tell stories that move the audience as a writer, actor, and director. In 2015, he starred alongside Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Dave Bautista in the action thriller Heist, which he also wrote and produced. His latest project is Dead on Arrival, which he wrote and directed. Stephen C. Sepher is an accomplished filmmaker/actor who has a passion for telling stories. He is the creative force behind the Lionsgate Thriller Heist, known in...

 

 

The Cast of Dead on Arrival - DOA

Billy Flynn Emmy nominated Billy Flynn got his big break in 2014, when he signed a contract with the NBC drama series, Days of Our Lives. Billy has a worldwide following with millions of fans for the role of Chad DiMera. Dead on Arrival marks his first starring role in a feature film. Christa B. Allen Christa B. Allen is an actress known for her role as Charlotte Clarke in over 70 episodes of ABC’s TV series Revenge, 13 Going on 30 (2004) and Youth in Revolt (2009). Chris Mulkey ...

> AWARDS WATCH     

PriFest Awards 2017

PriFest Awards 2017 On the 20th of July, Prishtina International Film Festival held its closing and award ceremony where around 13 foreign filmmakers went back home with a PriFest award. Mellow Mud by Renars Vimba won Best European Film Award and Media Jury Award while the Special Jury Prize in the Best European Film Category went to Chronicles of Melanie by Viestur Kairish. Amok by Vedran Tozija won the Fipresci Jury Award.   All the winners are enlisted below accordin...

 

 

Video Junkee 2017 Festival Awards

  The inaugural Video Junkee 2017 Festival took place over the weekend (July 28 – 29) and saw hundreds of video hungry content creators and lovers flock to an array of events, talks and screenings across Sydney. Ahead of Yael Stone’s keynote address on the Friday evening, the inaugural Video Junkee Awards were held at Sydney’s Carriageworks. Awarded by the 2017 Creative Committee and presented by the duo Kristina Ross and Vanessa Buckley (from the J...

> PARTNERS FESTIVAL NEWS   

 16th GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL  
March 22 -25 , 2018
 

2018 Call for Entries July 1- December 1, 2017! 

The 8th Taiwan International Children's Film Festival (TICFF)

March 29, 2018 to April 05, 2018
 
August 15 Early Bird Deadline
 

Held once every two years, the festival brings young children and adults too, to enjoy the works in this international exhibition, which will take place March 29, 2018 to April 05, 2018. PTS, the organizers of this event, are now signing up entries for this tremendous series of showings, attracting some of the finest film makers from around the world with the lure of USD 25,000 in prize money.  
 

A biennial film festival, TICFF brings young children and adults to enjoy the works in this international exhibition, which will take place in April 2018 for its eighth edition.

Click to enter via Withoutabox

I Website I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact  

Buffalo Dreams November 3 - 12 2017 Horror Fantasy Calling

July 1, 2017 Regular Deadline I August 28, 2017 Late Deadline I September 7, 2017 Extended Deadline

Montreal International Animation Film Festival - ANIMAZE 
August 17 – 20, 2017

Buy your passes with filmfestivals.com discount

In partnership with filmfestivals.com

Montreal International Animation Film Festival is a people's film festival an dindutry conference dedicated to the art of animation for film and technology. 

Animaze is an international film festival and conference exploring the world of animation in all its diversity. Filmmakers and professionals from over 65 countries will converge on Montreal from August 17-20. Filmfestivals.com has partnered with Animaze to offer our audience discount on the industry passes.

EMAIL US  FOR DETAILS ON THE DISCOUNT PASSES AUGUST 17 -20, 2017  Click here and use the waiver code filmfestivalscom on filmfreeeway

Animaze - Montreal International Animation Film Festival's blog I Website I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact Laurie Gordon

Horror Calling

FEARnyc New York's premier horror film festival October 27 – 29, 2017 - Horror Calling

Morbido Festival Mexico October 26 – November 5, 2017 - Horror Calling

Contact I Email I 52 55 52 08 80 07 I Tabasco 93 A Colonia Roma Delegacion Cuauhtemoc Mexico City, D.F 06700 Mexico I Website I Facebook I Twitter I Instagram

 

RIP Horror Film Festival November 10 -13 - Horror Calling

A genre-defying mixture of horror, sci-fi, myth, mystery and thrills told as four interlocking tales in one intelligent anthology. Ghosts, spirits, creatures, demons...  The Bloody Dolls are Killin It at RIP Horror Hollywood! All filmmakers can submit direct to submissions@riphorrorfilmfest.com Not all submissions will be selected, only TOP 12 Features, TOP 18 Shorts and TOP 20 Micro Shorts will be accepted as official selections. In celebration of our 5th year Fees are FREE for stu...

Horror Calling

Toronto After Dark Film Festival Oct 12-20, 20 - Horror Calling

Shriekfest Announces its Commercial Contest!

Monsters of Film Festival: The Stockholm based festival is calling with final deadline july 6th

13Horror.com accepting film and screenplay submissions - Horror calling

> FILMS FOCUS     

On 55th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, new film to reveal unheard recordings about what really happened

Production launches this week on a new film, American Icon: Marilyn Monroe, as fan clubs and devotees from around the world converge on Los Angeles to mark the 55th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death on August 5.    Delving into the complexities of Monroe's life, the film will feature previously unheard interviews which were embargoed until after the passing of some interview subjects; finally disprove the major conspiracy theories; and become the catalyst for a movement t...

 

Film Financing in death spiral - Sony's co-financing lifeline LStar says soyanara

Filmtake.com reports Sony’s co-financing partner, LStar Capital, informed the studio at the last minute that they would no longer invest in their slate. LStar was scheduled to forward $50 million to Sony Pictures, but the company exercised an option to withdraw from the agreement on the day before funds were due on the studio’s latest animation feature, The Emoji Movie. Additional films avoided by LStar’s early exit include Flatliners, Hotel Transylvania 3, ...

 

Will you consider The Ones to watch By filmfestivals.com August 2017 Selection

Dear Festival programmers  I would like to share with you these amazing films which I have selected for festival consideration. They are part of our 'Ones To Watch' section.  And I believe each of them has a story that can change the way we see life.   "Ones to Watch' by filmfestivals.com"  DEAD ON ARRIVAL D.O.A. by Stephen Sepher - Thriller  - USA  - June  2017 -  96 minutes Emmy nomi...

 

Synopsis for Dead on Arrival by Stephen C. Sepher

Emmy nominated Billy Flynn stars in an ensemble cast as Sam Collins, a pharmaceutical sales rep who visits a small town in Louisiana to close the business deal of a lifetime. He finds himself in a dark world of sex, corruption and murder as he is poisoned with no antidote to save his life. Desperate for answers, with less than 24 hours to live, Sam turns to a local girl Jesse. Their path leads to a voodoo priestess who only confirms Sam’s doomed fate. On the run, caught in a deadly verti...

 

Dead on Arrival Premiering at Rhode Island International Film Festival

Thought-provoking, unforgettable and brilliant films from around the world await audiences at the August 8th Opening Night Celebration of FLICKERS -- and indeed throughout the week. The evening’s exhilarating line-up will showcase some of the finest examples of independent and international short films and World Premieres.   We could not be more pleased to be back the the magnificent Providence Performing Arts Centerfor the Festival’s Opening Nig...

 

Que Cera, Cera? Michael Cera Resurfaces in PERSON TO PERSON Like Now

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent What do we know about 29 year-old Canadian actor Michael Cera? Well, he was 16 on hit TV show “Arrested Development” and brought that wise-old-young-man sensibility to alternative-feeling benchmark films like NICK & NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST and SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD. Add odd roles in JUNO with Oscar nominee Ellen Page, and the zeitgeist turn in SUPERBAD that same year, 2007, he seemed poised to be a coming-of-age fixture...

 

 

Call for Movies until 25th of August!

Encon­tram-se aber­tas as ins­cri­ções para a 23.ª Edi­ção do Fes­ti­val Cami­nhos do Cinema Por­tu­guês. Entre o dia 20 de Julho e o dia 27 de Agosto pode­rão ser sub­me­ti­das via Film­Fre­eway as obras para a Selec­ção Cami­nhos e Selec­ção Ensaios. O Fes­ti­val Cami&...

> "FILMFESTIVALS.COM ONES TO WATCH ON THE CIRCUIT" FOR FESTIVAL CONSIDERATION

DEAD ON ARRIVAL D.O.A. by Stephen Sepher - Thriller  - USA  - June  2017 -  96 minutes

Emmy nominated Billy Flynn stars in an ensemble cast as Sam Collins, a pharmaceutical sales rep who visits a small town in Louisiana to close the business deal of a lifetime. He finds himself in a dark world of sex, corruption and murder as he is poisoned with no antidote to save his life. Desperate for answers, with less than 24 hours to live, Sam turns to a local girl Jesse. Their path leads to a voodoo priestess who only confirms Sam's doomed fate. On the run, caught in a deadly vertigo with no one to trust, Sam and Jesse find themselves running from police detectives, the Mob and a dirty sheriff who wants him dead.

Inspired by the 1950 classic noir thriller D.O.A. 

http://www.doafilm.com I Twitter I Facebook I Request a screener and Festival bookings

THE EVIL WITHIN by late Andrew Getty 
Winner in Houston WorldFest and Fantasporto

OFFENSIVE, Jon Ford's thriller.Winner in Houston Worldfest

"They were forced beyond breaking point; they have no regrets, does that make them bad people? The first part of this film will enrage you ! The second part will sate you !". Bruno Chatelin - Filmfestivals.com

A retired couple, Bernard and Helen Martin, inherit a remote house in rural France, the very same village Bernard’s war hero father liberated during the Second World War, over 70 years earlier. This peaceful couple quickly become the target of a crual gang of street kids, who terrorise the village.

An e-generation permanently plugged into their devices, devoid of empathy, a new breed of technological psychopath…Pushed beyond breaking point, can Bernard live up to his father’s legend, as the situation explodes into a brutal war of generations ?

Website I Festival Bookings I Facebook I Contacts @ Production I Synopsis I Trailer I Poster

Revolution by Rob Stewart  

over 40 festival wins so far

Eco Documentary feature film by Rob Stewart April 2015, 82 minutes (Sharkwater)
Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed SHARKWATER (36 festival wins) documentary continues his remarkable journey; one that will take him through 15 countries over four years, and where he'll discover that it's not only sharks that are in grave danger -- it's humanity itself.

Website I Epk on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I Email us for a screener

> THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT     

The Tartu Love Film Festival announces its full lineup

  The 12th Tartu Love Film Festival, aka TARTUFF, the biggest open air film festival in the Baltics has announced its full lineup. This year's programme is made up of 13 features and 5 documentaries. The feature programme includes Keep the Change directed by Rachel Israel, which won several awards at Karlovy Vary and Tribeca this year; another Tribeca award winner The Divine Order by director Petra Biondina Volpe; the winner of the Un Certain Regard Best Actress...

 

ВRIDGE of ARTS will sign an agreement with European Children's Film Association ECFA. Business program of the forum

International Motivational Film and Sport Festival BRIDGE of ARTS has announced the program of its business forum which would take place on August 24-25, 2017. The forum’s focus is «Cinema economics: new markets». The forum’s target goal is bringing investment into the industry in general, and into children’s and family films production sector in particular. The forum discussions will result in signing the agreement with European Children’s Fil...

 

MIAFF Student film goes VIRAL with 5 million views! New Pixar style movie In a Heart Beat at Animaze

  Student filmmakers Esteban Bravo (left) and Beth David Courtesy of Esteban Bravo and Beth David The Montreal International Animation Film Festival is one of the first festivals to confirm an exclusive screening of In a Heartbeat a short animation film in the student film competition taking the internet by storm going viral with over 5 million views in just a few days.   Two animation students at Ringling School of Art and Design in Florida were able to raise more...

 

 

Boulder Adventure Film Festival

Don't miss the world premiere of the 13th annual Adventure Film Festival & Street Fair at the Boulder Theater. Presented by Intrepid Travel and Patagonia, this three-day action-packed event showcases a diverse collection of the year’s most groundbreaking and insightful independent films from serious exploration to environmental heroism to gripping tales from the edge of the believable. Plus, Community Night Street Party, Family & Kid’s Show with Jeff &am...

 

Flickerfest 27th International Short Film Festival

FLiCKERFEST 27th International Short Film Festival 12-21 January 2018, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia Flickerfest is an Academy® Accredited and BAFTA-recognised festival. FLiCKERFEST, Australia’s premier international short film festival, will be held at the Bondi Pavilion on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach in January 2018. The Festival in 2018 will celebrate 27 years of screening the best short films from Australia and around the world in competitions and special showc...

 

In Mexico GIFF wraps 20th edition

Leopoldo Soto, filmfestivals.com correspondent   Guanajuato Film Festival founded and directed by Sarah Hoch, - started as a festival dedicated to shorts - used to be one of the emerging festivals in Mexico; Then in America; And twenty years later, with International presence; Collapses due to an inappropriate censorship of the most respected press not only in Mexico, but abroad.    Excluding is a form of censorship. To Columba Vértiz, of the influential  Proceso M...

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Partner Film Festivals Calling. Fast-Approaching Deadlines

Need more and better film submissions for your festival? don't miss the one month booster

Filmfestivals.com was established 1995 as world reference in this niche, we are proud of our track record in helping festivals attract more legitimacy, visibility and film submissions from our large base of international film professionals (370 000 unique filmmaker visitors each month), 159 500 subscribers to the newsletter. ONE TIME OFFER We suggest this quick one month booster program for your call for entry including  with 4 newsletter ads, your call for entry promoted one month lon...  

The Bulletin Board I Pro Services's blog |  Advertise your festival in the next eBlast to our filmmakers.   

Major Buzz Factory : Expérience de Bruno Chatelin du marketing Digital pour les films

Fort d'une expérience acquise dans la distribution de films pour deux Majors (Sony et Fox mariée sous a direction avec UGC) Bruno Chatelin propose une expérience pointue au service de votre stratégie digitale à Travers sa structure de Conseil MAJOR BUZZ FACTORY Le fondateur Bruno Chatelin : un Professionnel de la communication entouré de spécialistes, son expérience est ancrée sur trois univers La publicité, Le mark.eting et le digital.

TOUTES LES NEWS EN FRANCAIS

Le Festival international d’animation de Montréal lance la quatrième édition de son festival

Le Festival international d’animation de Montréal (Le MIAFF), présenté par Animaze, va tenir une conférence de presse au musée McCord pour lancer la quatrième édition du festival.  Le programme du festival, ses événements, et ses conférenciers invités, seront dévoilés. Des cinéastes Montréalais, la Croix-Rouge, des associations communautaires, ainsi que des entrepreneurs en r&... 

 

Top 10 des entrées hebdo France du 26/07/2017 au 01/08/2017

    ...

 

Jeanne Moreau : Une grande dame s'éteint à 89 ans

Jeanne Moreau est une actrice, chanteuse et réalisatrice française, née le    23 janvier 1928  dans le 10e arrondissement de Paris et morte le  31 juillet 2017  dans le 8e arrondissement de Paris1. Sa filmographie compte de grands noms du cinéma européen et américain, parmi lesquels Luis Buñuel, Theo Angelopoulos, Wim We...

The italian 'Cultural Association Bmovies' is the organizer of Brianza Film Corto Festival (Brianza Short Film Festival alias BFC) from the year 2008.
Participation in the Festival is 10 €. The pre-registration form will be available up to 30 September 2017.
Allowed works of fiction, animation and documentary manufactured after October 1st, 2015. Film industry, advertising and propaganda will not be admitted to the competition. Participation in the competition may be refused to video technically not able to guarantee a good public projection. The works not in Italian must be subtitled in Italian.
Duration of the work must not exceed 20 minutes (including credits).
The Festival will take place in the month of 2017 November 10th, in Seveso (MB) Italy (15 Km from Milano).
In the event of a change in dates and places, it will be communicated to all participants exclusively to the email address used when registering on the site www.brianzafilmcorto.it, and published over the site www.brianzafilmcorto.it

The italian 'Cultural Association Bmovies' is the organizer of Brianza Film Corto Festival (Brianza Short Film Festival alias BFC) from the year 2008.
Participation in the Festival is 10 €. The pre-registration form will be available up to 30 September 2017.
Allowed works of fiction, animation and documentary manufactured after October 1st, 2015. Film industry, advertising and propaganda will not be admitted to the competition. Participation in the competition may be refused to video technically not able to guarantee a good public projection. The works not in Italian must be subtitled in Italian.
Duration of the work must not exceed 20 minutes (including credits).
The Festival will take place in the month of 2017 November 10th, in Seveso (MB) Italy (15 Km from Milano).
In the event of a change in dates and places, it will be communicated to all participants exclusively to the email address used when registering on the site www.brianzafilmcorto.it, and published over the site www.brianzafilmcorto.it

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

Want some film news? Okay. This lazy heat of summer meets Summerstorm Entertainment (Germany) with an announcement about the Henry James adapt THE ASPERN PAPERS now shooting in Venice, Italy.

They've added Jonathan Rhys Meyers to a cast that already includes some marquee names, notably Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, and Poppy Delevingne, as well as a newcomer, Morgane Polanski.

What? You've heard that last name before somewhere?

Yes, she is the daughter of Roman Polanski and Emmanuelle Seigner. Hey, Morgane's brother is named Elvis Polanski, she has only the Arthurian Legend to bear, not the Graceland baggage, luckily.

And get this: Rhys Meyers was once EMMY-nominated playing Elvis... a tenuous connection, yes, and possibly an even worse segue? Granted.

How about James Ivory executive produced this, an important detail to remember. Read on.

On That Note: The Press Notes for THE ASPERN PAPERS

Jon Kortajarena, Poppy Delevingne, Morgane Polanski, Alice Aufray and Barbara Meier Join the Cast with Production Underway in Venice, Italy 

VENICE, ITALY (August 4, 2017) Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, “The Tudors”), Jon Kortajarena (A Single Man, “Quantico”), Poppy Delevingne (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Morgane Polanski (“Vikings,” The Ghost Writer), Alice Aufray (Un village presque parfait) and Barbara Meier (Schreie der Vergessenen) have joined Academy Award^® Winner Vanessa Redgrave (Foxcatcher, Julia, Howards End) and Golden Globe^® Nominee Joely Richardson (Snowden, “Nip/Tuck,”The Patriot) in the adaptation of Henry James’s novel The Aspern Papers.  Julien Landais is directing from an adaptation he wrote with Jean Pavans and Hannah Bhuiya.

Set in Venice in 1885, Morton Vint (Rhys Meyers), an ambiguous young writer and publisher fascinated by iconic romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern, strives to get his hands on the letters Aspern wrote to his beautiful mistress, Juliana Bordereau (Redgrave). Now, decades later, Juliana lives in a Venetian palazzo with her niece (Richardson), whom she dominates and Morton tries to seduce. Production is currently underway on original location in Venice, Italy.

Gabriela Bacher is producing for Film House Germany’s Summerstorm Entertainment, alongside Julien Landais for Princeps Films. Executive Producers include James Ivory (who supported Landais through development), Charles S. Cohen of Cohen Media Group, Francois Sarkozy, Christian Angermayer, Klemens Hallmann and Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz. Bruno Wang serves as Co-Executive Producer. ARRI Media will be handling foreign sales.

Rhys Meyers was Emmy^® nominated and won a Golden Globe^® for his role in “Elvis,” and has since starred as King Henry VIII in “The Tudors,” for which he garnered two Golden Globe^® nominations, as Dracula in “Dracula,” which he also produced, and currently stars as Bishop Heahmund in the History Channel’s Emmy Award^® Nominated series “Vikings.” Notable film credits include: the Academy Award^®nominated Match Point, Vanity Fair, Mission Impossible III, From Paris with Love, and many more.

Kortajarena is known for his role as Felix Cordova in ABC’s “Quantico,” and has previously starred in films including A Single Man, The Cliff, Skins, and more. Delevingne has appeared in television series including “The Royals” and “Love Advent,” and films including Pirate Radio, Elvis & Nixon, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and Kingman: The Golden Circle. 

Polanski most recently starred in the History Channel’s Emmy Award^® Nominated series “Vikings,” and her slate includes roles in films such as The Pianist, Oliver Twist, and The Ghost Writer. Aufray has previously appeared in Un village presque parfait. Meier is a German actress also known as the winner of the second cycle of Germany's Next Top Model.

More Info Than You Need, But, So Well Written...

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and CAA; Jon Kortajarena by View Management and Untitled Entertainment and ICM Partner; Poppy Delevingne by LINK Entertainment and WME; Morgane Polanski by Jen Turner at Finley Management and 42 in the UK; Alice Aufray by Rosallie Miller Mann; and Barbara Meier by StormSolutions and bluesparrow.

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by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent

If you’re old enough to remember when MIT had a virtual glove and Jaron Lanier threw together a little company called VPL, you’re probably ahead of the game. Suffice it to say, while READY PLAYER ONE (RP1) is the first big bang BO Hollywood VR blockbuster attempt, the weird road to virtual reality headsets and handsets began somewhere in the mid-80’s.

Or you could peg Thomas Zimmerman in 1982 with a ‘wired glove’ patent which leads to Lanier’s freakish hand-contraption into a second non-sensory world we now take for granted as Virtual Reality. Zimmerman worked at ATARI with Lanier, and you can throw in NASA, USC, as well as MIT as the early VR hotspots for R&D. Basically a bunch of super-smart people were reaching around in the blind dark looking for applications for remote handling of non-existence things to simulate remote handling of existent things on space ventures and in the gaming world. “Controllers” is the catch-phrase that knits together this whole VR gambit. (Your 101 on VR follows below.)

This has nothing to do with the Ernest Cline book “Ready Player One,” adapted by Cline and Zak Penn, now directed by “cinematic game-changer” Steven Spielberg, a/k/a the most money-making human ever to have topped the Hollywood Food Chain. But, in order to get a grasp of why RP1 is so important, the backgrounder you’re about to get in two seconds is key.

Still from RP1, from Warner Bros

For instance, as of May 2017, Google, a/k/a Alphabet, bought a little company called Owlchemy which is arguably the most successful company in VR *gaming* history, which came to life in 2010 on $5 million in start-up bucks from some huge name players: Qualcomm Ventures, HTC, Colopl VR Fund, The Venture Reality Fund and Capital Factory,

If you’re secretly saying, ‘hey, I just want to hear about the new movie’ to be unleashed from Warner Bros in March 2018, hold the smartphone a sec before you scroll. Google bought Owlchemy means VR is here, means RP1 is also product placement, means you’ll be wearing the equivalent of a thing as heavy as a lead-lined scuba face mask soon. (Usually VR takes up about a six-foot by five-foot playing space.)

Just wait, because HTC VIVE, HTC is a smartphone-maker, is the VR engine driving this project. So, while there was major hoopla on July 22 when the RP1 footage was teased at Comic-Con in San Diego, wow, that’s just the tip of the sales and marketing iceberg coming to a Titanic wallet near you.

This technology is no where near cheap yet, in fact a backpack for part of a system can cost $1999, almost two grand not counting all the ancillary items needed. A good question, one handled by venerable The Guardian newspaper in the UK at the time of Cannes Film Festival in spring 2016, is: why would Spielberg sully his pristine worldview that movies are a stand-alone art form by mucking up the concept with VR? An astute reporter from Cannes covered Spielberg in the Guardian as first saying VR is “dangerous” to movie audiences because it shifts focus from the director’s control.

Yet now the Hollywood Legend who raised us on JAWS, ET, and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, almost so familiar we can call him Unlce Spielberg, has cratered to the VR momentum? By getting onboard with READY PLAYER ONE and helming the book-adapt as a movie? But also a “VR Activities & Experiences” tie-in with HTC VIVE? Obviously our biggest money-grosser of all time and all tentpoles has found a loophole in the VR world that allows him (Spielberg) to maintain creative control — and that would be? Control the whole tie-in experience with HTC VIVE and Warner Bros, of course.

RP1 leads are Olivia Cooke, Tye Sheridan, T. J. Miller, and Ben Mendelsohn. Nobody too famous, apart from Spielberg’s current favorite actor Oscar-winner Mark Rylance and Simon Pegg, are leads because this is about teaching us what VR is, how it can be integrated into society as an accepted activity like going to the movies, and there’s that darn headgear to learn. Here is where it actually gets fun, though.

Tomorrow’s Tom Sawyer, Or Spielberg Offers a New Shark in READY PLAYER ONE?

o the players in the VR hardware field are interesting. Oculus Rift, the Facebook entry is thought by some as reigning supreme because it is light and easy to wear; there’s PS (PlayStation) VR, but HTC VIVE has gone so wireless you can now walk around and “lunge” and dip and flip your lid without cramping the works. But wait, there’s more.

Google or shadow overlord company Alphabet (sorry Google, hate the Alpha-name) has introduced a concept VR project happily named “Daydream” whereby they plan to plant your Pixel phone, which they make, onto a headset for instant VR readiness. The Pixel, Samsung phone, also Motorola and others will be snap-in ready when they get this show on the road.

“Experience Daydream standalone headsets built with our partners HTC VIVE, a leader in VR, and Lenovo, a leader in mobile & computing innovation,” Alphabet engineers coo, as if life itself has just taken a backseat to the future of digital emptiness dressed for a party. Digression, true, but RP1 is on deck as the thought leader dressed as a Hollywood blockbuster which crosses the psychological Maginot Line for movies.

Okay, enough about that, RP1 stars Olivia Cooke, Tye Sheridan, J. T. Miller, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance and Simon Pegg as mentioned.

It’s a narrative-heavy, feel-good quasi coming-of-age story set in an overcrowded dystopia where everyone escapes into a digital facsimile mysteriously called The Oasis. Ernest Cline really had his game on when writing this book, as it seems to have been shiny enough to hook Spielberg back into the director’s chair in a direction he had been so reluctant to venture. Warner Bros is set to release next Spring.

Here’s a Second Look, Since It Debuted at Comic-Con

Best Boilerplate in the History of Boilerplate from HTC VIVE

“The virtual reality world within Ready Player One is extremely advanced, sophisticated and engaging, and with Vive, we chose the best system to represent the future of VR. Vive is the perfect partner to bring that to life and also has the broadest reach to global markets for the use of VR in home, mobile and offline channels,” said Blair Rich, President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. “We’re delighted that HTC Vive will be partnering with Ready Player One and very excited to work with them leading up the movie’s release in Spring 2018.”“Ready Player One is one of the most anticipated movies in the world, and has tremendous potential to engage and entertain the worldwide market, showcasing the transformative nature of VR, and what it can and will be,” said Rikard Steiber, President, Viveport.

“Vive is delivering on the promise of VR and continues to be the most advanced and immersive VR experience available to consumers, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with Warner Bros. to bring these experiences to consumers, on all platforms, around the globe.”

411 on  Ready Player One

Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan) directed Ready Player One, starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn and T.J. Miller, with Simon Pegg and Mark Rylance. Zak Penn and Ernest Cline wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by Cline. The film is produced by Spielberg, Donald De Line, Dan Farah and Kristie Macosko Krieger, with Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris DeFaria and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. Ready Player One is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Amblin Partners, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures. An Amblin Production, A De Line Pictures Production, A Steven Spielberg Film, Ready Player One will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

BONUS POINTS: Immerse Yourself in the Coming VR Revolution, Your Absolutely FREE 101

Click from archive here from MIT Tech Review to here to Jaron Lanier http://www.jaronlanier.com. Skip over to “VR’s Long Weird History” from Polygon. Next read up on Alpha-threat, oops, Alphabet’s possible dominance of the VR world with this from TechCrunch. Then on to DayDream where platforms include HTC Vive, PS VR and Oculus Rift. Jump to phone-ready VR, as in snap the smartphone into a headset, in other words… look for your model here. And Ernest Cline’s book can be found here.

Warner Bros Spins the Prose on RP1

This is how Warner Bros is positioning RP1: “From cinematic game changer Steven Spielberg comes Ernest Cline's holy grail of pop culture. Ready Player One” - In Theaters March 30, 2018.

Seems like a lot of extra frosting on the tagline with that Holy Grail thing, ps very Monty Python unintended, but everyone has high hopes Uncle Spielberg leads Hollywood into a non-oppostional and relatively seamless paradigm-shifted, digital-embracing, techno-hip future. [Editor's Note: Hyphen police have been notified...] 

READY PLAYER ONE can be found here.

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LOWLIFE (USA, 2017, 96 min)

directed by: Ryan Prows; written by: Ryan Prows, Tim Cairo, Jake Gibson, Shaye Ogbonna, Maxwell Michael Towson; cast: Mark Burnham, Nicki Micheaux, Jon Oswald, Ricardo Adam Zarate, Santana Dempsey, Shaye Ogbonna, Jose Rosete…

Despite a currently pretty much tedious so called independent scene of the United States, stellar Montreal international film festival FanTasia, like every year, managed to find a few worthy pieces. The best of all was a highly energetic and clever debut feature film of Ryan Prows (one of the five writers of the movie) which has competed among 16 others for the FanTasia Grand Prix award - Cheval Noir, and ended up with Special Mention Jury Prize, and the 2nd Best North American, South American, or European Feature Film Audience Award.

Lowlife intersects stories of: fallen hero El Monstruo (a luchador with an iconic mask of the famous Mexican patron of the poor, passed down from generation to generation) and his pregnant wife, a former (?) drug addict; a middle-aged women (convincing Nicki Micheaux) who is trying to provide her alcoholic husband with a kidney transplant (turns out that the "available" kidney supposed to come from the preceding pregnant woman); a prison returnee with the Swastika tattooed over his face yet who is all but a Nazi (superb Jon Oswald) and his black friend... Apart from poverty, linking force between them is a brutal cartel organ smuggler played by Mark Burnham which gave an impressive performance (unforgettable cop from Quentin Dupieux’s Wrong, 2012, and Wrong Cops, 2013).

Lowlife delivers all ideals of the FanTasia concept: bold and confident filmmaking that deals with a socially engaged topic, freshness and inventiveness in its approach, highly dynamic piece charged with an intense conflict that involves a great cast… and all that executed on a tight budget; it's enough to say that the film was shot in only 18 days. So, it comes as no surprise to hear comments of some critics and specialists such as: Lowlife might be the most serious world premiered movie at the Fantasia in recent years, or, that’s what cinema is all about.

Altogether, a few questions remain: how come that prestigious non-genre film festivals around the world are not acknowledging the existence of brave movies such as this one, and race to show them?  Why Lowlife still doesn’t have a theatrical distributor? What can we expect from the next Prow’s project? And finally, how is it possible that Mark Burnham, a skillful and charismatic actor whose performance(s) resemble some of the most memorable of the classical and early post-classical Hollywood, is not already well-known in the contemporary American cinema? Anyhow, this is a must see movie!