THE CITY EYES THE FESTIVAL

34TH ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF ON 4 APRIL

The 34th Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by AKBANK for the 11th edition, will take place on 4-19 April 2015. The city will satiate with cinema in the two weeks of the festival that will provide a rich palette of award-winning films of the world cinema, the latest of the Turkish cinema, classics, masterpieces and the latest discoveries, along with talks with directors and actors and the most entertaining parties.

It’s only a few days to the Istanbul Film Festival, which proudly keeps its position as the standard-bearer after 34 years, for the diversity and the quality of its content. To be held between 4-19 April this year, Istanbul Film Festival will once again offer cinephiles a most generous programme that pushes the boundaries of creativity, encompassing the newest films from 2014 and 2015, as well as the masterpieces of all times, the latest films of great directors, and those of the up-and-coming prodigies yet to be discovered. Further to the 20 odd sections featuring 204 films by 222 directors from 62 countries, there will also be free-of-charge talks and workshops by renowned filmmakers, master classes, and other special events within the scope of the festival.

The programme of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival was announced at a press meeting led by the Istanbul Film Festival Director Azize Tan, also with the participation of İKSV General Director Görgün Taner, and Akbank General Manager Hakan Binbaşgil, at İKSV’s official accommodation sponsor Martı Istanbul Hotel today, 10 March.

Please find detailed 34th Istanbul Film Festival and 10th Meetings on the Bridge press releases and the festival's programme. 

THE CITY EYES THE FESTIVAL

34TH ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF ON 4 APRIL

The 34th Istanbul Film Festival, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by AKBANK for the 11th edition, will take place on 4-19 April 2015. The city will satiate with cinema in the two weeks of the festival that will provide a rich palette of award-winning films of the world cinema, the latest of the Turkish cinema, classics, masterpieces and the latest discoveries, along with talks with directors and actors and the most entertaining parties.

It’s only a few days to the Istanbul Film Festival, which proudly keeps its position as the standard-bearer after 34 years, for the diversity and the quality of its content. To be held between 4-19 April this year, Istanbul Film Festival will once again offer cinephiles a most generous programme that pushes the boundaries of creativity, encompassing the newest films from 2014 and 2015, as well as the masterpieces of all times, the latest films of great directors, and those of the up-and-coming prodigies yet to be discovered. Further to the 20odd sections featuring 204 films by 222 directors from 62 countries, there will also be free-of-charge talks and workshops by renowned filmmakers, master classes, and other special events within the scope of the festival.

34th Istanbul Film Festival Press Meeting

The programme of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival was announced at a press meeting led by the Istanbul Film Festival Director Azize Tan, also with the participation of İKSV General Director Görgün Taner, and Akbank General Manager Hakan Binbaşgil, at İKSV’s official accommodation sponsor Martı Istanbul Hotel on Tuesday, 10 March.

Underlining Istanbul Film Festival’s significance in the establishment of a culture and tradition of cinema in Turkey, Hakan Binbaşgil, General Manager of Akbank said, “Every year, this impressive artistic event presents the most prestigious and original films. The festival also plays a major role in the advancement of our cinema. I think one of the key reasons behind the success of the Istanbul Film Festival as a world-renowned event is the passionate support of its viewers. The ceaseless enthusiasm of viewers since 34 years encourages the organisers to always aim higher.” Binbaşgil continued: “Akbank is glad to support this prominent festival for the 11th time in a row.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has worked to turn the Istanbul Film Festival into a prestigious event that also contributes greatly to cinema on an international scale. First and foremost, I would like to commemorate Şakir Eczacıbaşı with great respect; he will always be remembered as a mentor and a pioneer. And, of course, I would like to thank Chairman Bülent Eczacıbaşı and his successful team at İKSV, an organisation that has contributed tremendously to our artistic and cultural lives for more than 40 years.”

Istanbul Film Festival Director Azize Tan briefed the guests on the festival programme and the events, while also announcing the films that will compete for the International Golden Tulip Competition, National Golden Tulip Competition, as well as those in the FACE Human Rights in Cinema and the newly launched National Documentary Competitions. Azize Tan noted that this year was the 20th anniversary of the death of Onat Kutlar
–co-founder of the festival–and the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Cinematheque Association, which was also founded by Kutlar and his friends in 1965. In her speech, Tan also referred to the insufficiency of movie theatres in Istanbul, stating that the festival still had difficulty after all these years in finding adequate venues for screenings.

The press meeting of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival was broadcast live on film.iksv.org and medyamerkezi.vodafone.com.tr, with the kind support of İKSV’s Official Communication Sponsor Vodafone.

Cinema Honorary Awards

This year, the Istanbul Film Festival Honorary Awards will be given to five esteemed figures of the Turkish cinema: director-producer Yılmaz Atadeniz, musician Cahit Berkay, actress Nebahat Çehre, writer-director Safa Önal, and actor Süleyman Turan. The Honorary Awards will be presented at the festival's Opening Ceremony at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center on Friday, 3 April.

As a tribute, the festival will screen Yılmaz Güney’s unforgettable film Seyyit Han (1968) starring Yılmaz Güney and Nebahat Çehre, Yılmaz Atadeniz’s Maskeli Beşler / The Masked 5 (1968) with Süleyman Turan in the lead alongside Tamer Yiğit, Selma Güneri and Erol Taş and Temel Gürsu’s Dikkat Kan Aranıyor / Attention! Blood is Wanted featuring Süleyman Turan and Ekrem Bora.

Festival Programme

The programme of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival is replete with films that recently premiered at the Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals, as well as with documentaries, children’s movies, and the latest masterpieces of master directors, along with many other features. The festival’s traditional sections such as the Akbank Galas, Masters, From the World of Festivals, New Visions, Documentary Time with NTV, Mined Zone, Antidepressant, Kid’s Menu and Midnight Madness will this year be complemented with extra sections and special screenings.

The festival catalogue that gives comprehensive information about the films and the events, as well as the screening schedule and all other details about the festival, will be available at all the festivalmovie theatres and Biletix sales points for 5 TL.

New Sections in the Festival

·         Balkans: Cinema of Flames: This year, the Istanbul Film Festival dedicates a special section to the cinema of the Balkans, for which Kujtim Cashku says “The Balkans is the land of stories and storytellers” and which Nuri Bilge Ceylan describes as “a certain type of character, a certain type of spirit, an essence.” “The Balkans: Cinema of Flames”, inspired after Professor Dina Iordanova’s book of the same title, will bring together the best and the most contemporary films from this very special region. Seven films in total from Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Albania, Croatia, and Macedonia will be screened within the scope of this section.

·         Family Ties: Another new section in this year’s Istanbul Film Festival focuses on the family, which Brad Pitt refers as “a risky venture”, for which actress Aishwarya Rai says “My family is my strength and my weakness”, and which Haneke deconstructs in each and every one of his films. The ties that constitute a family–the most sanctified, the most criticized, and the most exploited social institution of all–are approached, scrutinized, questioned, and even battered in the 10 films in this section.

·         Special Screening: Little Truths: In its 10th year, the Istanbul Modern pays a tribute to the centenary of the Turkish cinema with a film project, for which five directors or director duos chosen by the Istanbul Modern Cinema made short films referring to cinema in Turkey. These short films that contribute to the country’s cinematic history from a contemporary point-of-view were produced specifically for Istanbul Modern’s project with the support of Istanbul Development Agency, and they will be screened together under the title of “Little Truths” in the festival.

·         German Animation Cinema: This section is a collaboration of the Istanbul Film Festival and Goethe-Institut and includes German animation films from the past three years from young upcoming and already celebrated directors and filmmakers. The programme to be formed by two sections is prepared by Annegret Richter, Head of the Animation Programme of the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animation Film.

Lisandro Alonso Retrospective at the Festival

The festival celebrates the work of writer-director Lisandro Alonso, a leading figure in the New Argentine Cinema, by screening his entire filmography for the first time in Turkey. This special section, which comprises Alonso’s latest movie Jauja (2014) with Viggo Mortensen in the lead, as well as his tetralogy Liverpool (2008), O Fantasma (2006), Los Muertos (2004), and La Libertad (2001), provides a unique opportunity for cinephiles who would like to explore the enchanting and mysterious atmosphere typical to the movies by Alonso, who combines the conventional techniques of fiction and documentary cinema.

A Masterpiece of Turkish Cinema Renovated: Metin Erksan’s “Revenge of the Snakes”

With the collaboration of Groupama, the Istanbul Film Festival has been renovating the distinguished works of the Turkish cinema and reintroducing them to the modern viewers, for eight years now. This year sees the restoration of one of the masterpieces of the Turkish cinema: Metin Erksan’s 1962 film, Revenge of the Snakes. Restored by Fanatik Film Revenge of the Snakes will premier within the scope of the Turkish Classics Revisited section on the evening of 9 April and subsequently meet its audience on 12 April.

The Festival Commemorates Onat Kutlar

Tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the Turkish Cinematheque: “Il Gattopardo”

The festival commemorates Onat Kutlar on the 20th anniversary of his death with a special screening. The Istanbul Film Festival pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Cinematheque Association, founded in 1965 by Onat Kutlar and his friends, who was also among the founders of the festival, by a special screening of one of Kutlar’s favourite directors. Visconti’s masterpiece Il Gattopardo / The Leopard (1963) will be screened at the festival from its restored print, while Kutlar’s article on Visconti, originally published in the Yeni Sinema Magazine in 1967, will be republished in the festival catalogue. A panel will be held on Friday, 10 April at Istanbul Modern, where the mission and heritage of “Cinematheque years” will be discussed.

The Golden Tulip Excitement at the Festival

The Istanbul Film Festival’s competition films will meet the audiences, along with the jury, during the second week of the festival. The winners will be announced at an Award Ceremony at the Lütfi Kırdar International Convention and Exhibition Center on Saturday,18 April.

International Golden Tulip Competition: In the “International Competition” section of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival, 12 films dealing with themes of art and artist or literature adaptations will vie for the Golden Tulip.
The International Competition Golden Tulip Award, presented in memory of Şakir Eczacıbaşı, will be supported with a 25,000 Euros monetary award by the Eczacıbaşı Group. The jury of the International Golden Tulip Competition, presided by Rolf de Heer, consists of director Bence Fliegauf, writer-director George Ovashvili, producer Cédomir Kolar, and actress Melisa Sözen.

National Golden Tulip Competition:11 cream of the crop films that were completed in the 2014/15 season, will be vying for the Golden Tulip in the National Competition of the festival, while raising the occasion to threeTurkey and six world premieres. The National Competition Jury will be headed by the prominent Turkish film director Zeki Demirkubuz, with actor Tansu Biçer, cinematographer Emre Erkmen, author Şebnem İşigüzel, and the International Berlin Film Festival Panorama Section Selection Committee Member and TEDDY Award Founder, filmmaker and author Wieland Speck as its members.

Best Film in the “National Competition” selected by the jury headed by the prominent Turkish film director Zeki Demirkubuz, will be awarded with the Golden Tulip and 150,000 TL, and the Best Director will be awarded with 50,000 TL. Best Actress and Best Actor will be awarded with 10,000 TL each. The Istanbul Film Festival National Golden Tulip Competition Jury will also give the Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Music awards. Producer of the movie awarded with the Special Jury Award in memory of Onat Kutlar will be given 60,000 TL by AnadoluEfes.

National Documentary Competition:The 34th Istanbul Festival will be awarding prizes in the documentary category in the TurkishCinema section, with the support of Anadolu Efesfor the first time. The Istanbul Film Festival, which has shown great interest in documentary film production in Turkey for many years, will be awarding a Best Documentary and Special Jury Prize, in order to support documentary film-makers and documentary film production in Turkey. The Documentary Competition Jury, assembled for the first time this year, will be awarding a total of 15,000 TL with the support of Anadolu Efes, in the categories of Best Documentary and the Special Jury Prize. The National Documentary Competition jury consists of documentarian Emel Çelebi, director and producer Pelin Esmer, and director Paul Poet. 11 world premieres and 2 Turkey premieres will be held at the Istanbul Film Festival National Documentary Competition.

Human Rights in Cinema: The Film Award of Council of Europe FACE:FACE, exclusive to the Istanbul Film Festival, continues to be awarded with the support of the Council of Europe. The FACE Award will be presented to one of the films screened in the “Human Rights in Cinema” section, which aims to raise public consciousness and sensitivity to human rights related issues. A representative from the Council of Europe will present the 10,000 Euros monetary prize to the director of the winning film. Eurimages Fund of the Council of Europe supporting co-production, distribution, and presentation of cinema is a partner to the FACE Award.

In the “Human Rights in Cinema” section, 10 films will meet the audiences, along with the FACE Award Jury that comprises author, actor and screenwriter Ercan Kesal, European Film Fund Eurimages Executive Director Roberto Olla, Palestinian screenwriter and director Najwa Najjar, and Leyla Kayacık who is the Senior Adviser at the Private Office of the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General on matters related to Human Rights and Supremacy of Law.

In Memoriam Seyfi Teoman: Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize: The Istanbul Film Festival presents the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize in memoriam director and producer Seyfi Teoman, who passed away at a young age. Director of the film awarded with the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize will be presented 30,000 TL by CMYLMZ Fikirsanat. All the debut fiction films from Turkey in the International Golden Tulip Competition, Human Rights in Cinema and the Turkish Cinema (National Golden Tulip Competition, “Out of Competition” and “New Turkish Cinema”) sections will be eligible for the prize. Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize jury consists of scriptwriter and director Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun, actor and director Syllas Tzoumerkas and actress Selen Uçer.

FIPRESCI Award:The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) will give awards in the Istanbul Film Festival as in the previous years. One film from the International Competition and one film from the National Competition will receive the FIPRESCI Award. The FIPRESCI jury will be headed by Alexander Grozev from Bulgaria and will have Antti Selkokari from Finland, Sasja Koetsier from The Netherlands, Giovanni Ottone from Italy and Senem Erdine and Şenay Aydemir from Turkey.

Cineuropa.org Prize: Cineuropa.org Prize, will be presented to a film that besides having indisputable artistic qualities also brings out the idea of European dialogue and integration. Cineuropa.org Prize will be presented to a film in the National Golden Tulip Competition section of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival and selected by film critic Vladan Petkovic.

Radikal People’s Choice Award: Since 2000, Radikal, as one of the media sponsors of İKSV, has been presenting one film from the National and one from the International Golden Tulip Competitions the Radikal People’s Choice Award. Festival audiences will submit their online votes on the terminals set up at the festival movie theatres to determine the people’s choice. The award-winner will be travelling to the Sarajevo Film Festival as the guest of Radikal.

Meetings On The Bridge Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

Bringing filmmakers from Turkey together with international professionals, Meetings on the Bridge will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015 as part of the Istanbul Film Festival and sponsored by Anadolu Efes. Meetings on the Bridge has contributed to the realisation of 29 film projects over the past 9 years and has raised close to 430,000 Euros for 36 different projects.

The Film Development Workshop, where directors, screenwriters, and producers give the first international presentations for their feature-length fiction or documentary projects, is aimed to create opportunities for finding the necessary support to initiate the production process. The Film Development Workshop, within the scope of Meetings on the Bridge, will be held on 15-16 April 2015 and will culminate in the award ceremony on Thursday, 16 April. For more information about Meetings on the Bridge: film.iksv.org/en/meetingsonthebridge

This year, initiated in the 10th year of Meetings on the Bridge, there will be a training program for the first time including workshops and group works on script development, pitching, production, distribution, and marketing held by experienced international filmmakers and trainers.

In its 10th year, the Meetings on the Bridge launches a new project, inviting film projects from neighbouring countries with a view to fostering the dialogue and cultural exchange between the nations and pioneering new collaborations in co-productions by creative people of similar cultures.

Festival Guests

The Istanbul Film Festival continues to bring guest directors and actors together with the festival audiences. Presentations and Q&A sessions before and after screenings will host such renowned figures of the cinema including;

-     Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi (Words with Gods), known for his films A Time for Drunken Horses and Turtles Can Fly,

-     Iranian actress Simin Fatemah Motamed-Aria (Nabat), who served in the Golden Tulip International Competition Jury of the Istanbul Film Festival in 2013,

-     Director of An Education and One DayLone Scherfig (The Riot Club) who has proven her ability to make literature adaptations and directing star actors and actresses,

-     The leading actor of Peter Greenaway’s Eisenstein in Guanajuato to be screened in the Masters Section of the festival Elmar Back,

-     Italian director Duccio Chiarini (Short Skin) who competed in the Generation section of the Berlinale this year,

-     Kurdish director based in Norway Hisham Zaman(Letter to the King) who has been awarded in several international festivals,

-     Ivano De Matteo, director of The Dinner who has won the Best European Film in the Venice Days section of the Venice Film Festival and Pasinetti Special Award, and the leading actor of the film Luigi Lo Cascio,

-     The leading actress of The Duke of Burgundy, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews at Toronto, Rotterdam and London Film Festivals, Chiara D’Anna, who has also worked with the director Peter Strickland in Berberian Sound Studio,

-     Severija Janušauskaitė, actress of the Golden Tulip International Competition Film Star, among many other guests.

Cine-concert: Damon & Naomi play “Fortune”

The festival also hosts a cine-concert this year, with the collaboration of the Salon İKSV: Damon & Naomi play ‘Fortune’. The Damon Krukowski and Naomi Yang duo has contributed to the soundtracks of various films such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Greenberg, as well as of TV shows including The Sopranos and The Ghost Whisperer. The duo’s performance will be based on the 30-minute silent movie ‘Fortune’, directed by Naomi Yang, with Norman von Holtzendorff and Anabel Vazquez Rodriguez in the leads. Damon and Naomi started off their musical career at the Galaxie 500 and conjured the intimacy of the 70’s music through their enchanting, comforting, and fresh sound, which weaves the elements of folk, psych, dream pop, and indie rock together with the electro-guitar. Damon and Naomi will be at Salon İKSV on Saturday, 11 April, at 21:30 and the tickets for this performance will be on Biletix and the İKSV box office.

Festival Parties will expand to both sides of Istanbul just like the festival

Istanbul Film Festival and Fil’m Hafızası will expand the festival festivities to the Anatolian side of Istanbul with a party from 18.00 on Saturday, 4 April in Kadıköy. Attendance will be free of charge to the party in 8 different venues including Dunia, Stereogun, Lâl, Masal Evi, Liman Kahvesi, Flu, Trip and Hera, where cinema chats and competitions awaits party-goers.

Another party within the scope of the festival in collaboration with Fil’m Hafızası will get the cinephiles together at the European side of the city at InnPark on Friday, 17 April. Following the screening of Dead Snow2: Red vs Dead by Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola at Beyoğlu Movie Theatre at 24.00, surprise guests, DJ performances and film chats will meet the audiences. The tickets for this party will be sold for 25TL (full) and 15TL (student) while the ticket holders for the screening of Dead Snow2: Red vs Dead before the party will be able to attend the party free of charge.

The city eyes the festival, social media throbs with excitement

You can follow the festival’s social media channels for easy and instant access to all information on films, events, guests, and other details. You can carry along the festival excitement with you wherever you go–while whether you are making your festival programme or taking a break between two films, you can always check the festival’s Facebook and Tumblr pages, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Also, fun competitions will allow you to learn more about the programme while winning surprise presents. You can use the #istfilmfest15 hashtag to be a part of the festival buzz.

To follow the Istanbul Film Festival on social media:

facebook.com/istanbulfilmfestivali

twitter.com/ist_filmfest

instagram.com/istfilmfest

istfilmfest.tumblr.com

youtube.com/iksvistanbul

İKSV Mobile Anew: Follow the Festival on Your Phone

You can access the festival programme from the official festival website film.iksv.org, as well as from İKSV Mobile application, renewed with the contributions of Vodafone which is free for download on AppStore and Google Play. The new version of the application has an improved user-friendly interface and offers a multifunctional calendar and dynamic user notification. The new features allow users to access the upcoming events easily, to filter events according to date range, type, and location, and to add events to their personal calendars. 

Festival Movie Theatres and Screening Times

The 34th Istanbul Film Festival screenings will take place at the Atlas (2 halls), Beyoğlu movie theatres and Institut Français in Beyoğlu, Feriye in Ortaköy, and Rexx (2 halls) movie theatres in Kadıköy, as well as the IstanbulModern Cinema hall. Screening times are 11.00, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00 and 21.30. In the “Midnight Madness” section of the festival, a film will be screened at 24.00 every Friday at the Beyoğlu and every Saturday at the Atlas throughout the festival.

Festival Tickets

The festival tickets will be on sale starting from 10.30 on Saturday, 28 March. The tickets can be purchased through Biletix sales channels, main box offices at festival movie theatres Atlas and Rexx.

Ticket Prices:

Weekday daytime screenings at 11.00, 13.30 and 16.00 are only5 TL.

Weekday 19.00 screenings and weekend 11.00, 13.30, 16.00 and 19.00 screenings are 17 TL; student and senior (over 65) tickets are 12 TL.

All 21.30 screenings are 17 TL.

First screenings of Akbank Galas at Atlas and Rexx movie theatres are 20 TL.

Early Bird Discount

Everybody who buys tickets as of 28 March before the Istanbul Film Festival starts on 4 April will get a special discount of 10% this year.

Special Discounts for Tulip Card Holders:

Tulip Card holders enjoy the advance sale privilege and 25%special discount on the festival tickets. Advance sale for Tulip Card members: 24 March for Black and White Tulip Card members and 25-27 March for Red and Yellow Tulip Card members at the festival theatres Atlas and Rexx, as well as at the Tulip Card Communication Centre and Biletix website.

Festival Sponsor AKBANK provides special advantages to Axess Card holders. The Axess Card holders will get a 20% special discount on the festival tickets, except for the weekday morning sessions.

PasoFilm! Card Exclusive to Students

The 34th Istanbul Film Festival introduces a special advantage card exclusive to students. Undergrad and high school students will be able to get a PasoFilm! card for 20 TL by showing their student ID’s at the İKSV main box office. The card will give them priority in ticket sales, discount at certain venues during the festival period, and a free festival catalogue. PasoFilm! card holders will be able to buy tickets from the Atlas and Rexx movie theatres, providing their students ID’s together with their cards, as of 27 March Friday, 13:00.

Supporters of the 34th Istanbul Film Festival

The 34th Istanbul Film Festival is held with the support of more than 20 institutions. The festival is organised by the generous support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Beyoğlu Municipality continue their publicity support for the festival.

Apart from the Festival Sponsor Akbank, 6 theme sponsors support the festival:

-         Anadolu Efes          “National Competition and Turkish Cinema”

-         Sabah Newspaper   “From the World of Festivals”

-         NTV                       “Documentary Time with NTV”

-         Pupa Bilişim           “Antidepressant”

-         NESCAFÉ Gold       “New Visions”

-         TV2                         “Midnight Madness”

-         MUBI                       “Mined Zone”

“Akbank Galas” supported by Akbank are shown as part of the festival.

Istanbul Film Festival brings the masterpieces of Turkish cinema by restoring them to the silver screen in its “Special Screening: Turkish Classics Revisited” section, initiated seven years ago under the sponsorship of Groupama.

In 2015, Renault will transfer the guests of the Istanbul Film Festival.

The leading sponsor of all festivals of İKSV is Eczacıbaşı Holding, the Official Communications Sponsor is Vodafone, the Official Carrier is DHL, The Official Accommodation Sponsor is Martı Istanbul Hotel and the service sponsors are Zurich Sigorta, GFK, Memorial Health Group, PDR Group, directComn Marketing Group and AGC.

2015 marks the 100th anniversary  of Bulgarian Cinema and special acknowledgement of SOFIA as one of the UNESCO's Creative Cities of Film.

For 19th year Sofia International Film Festival will gather together in Sofia films, guests, stars, journalists and cinema fans from 5th until 29rd March 2015. Featured in Variety’s Top 50 of cinema festivals, the event presents Bulgaria to the world as the host one of the important film festivals in Europe and takes place annually in March. What started as a thematic music film festival, went through 18 previous editions to become the cinema event of the year, bringing the current world cinema trends to the domestic viewers in Bulgaria and the latest in Bulgarian cinema to the rest of the world.

 WE OPEN NEXT WEEK!!  

13th ANNUAL GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL FEATURES 180 FILMS 

Premieres and Award-Winning Work Presented  

 Atlantic City, NJ - March 5, 2015 - International, domestic and local filmmakers will showcase 180 films from 19 countries including a number of premieres and award-winners.  "The festival program really runs the gamut this year and the quality is outstanding," says festival executive director and founder, Diane Raver.  "We are also excited by the well-known personalities from both sides of the camera who will be available to the festival attendees to discuss their work."

Notables include festival honorees Ed Asner (MVP), Armand Assante (Lifetime Achievement), Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Spirit of New Jersey), Eric Roberts (Wave of Excellence), and James Wilder (Independent Spirit).  They will be joined by a host of other featured actors from the presented films along with directors, cinematographers, composers and producers.  Atlantic City VIPs attending the festival include the festivals 2014 and 2015 Honorary Chairmen Mayor Don Guardian and Resorts Casino Hotel Mark Giannantonio; and Deborah Frank, EVP of Frank Theatres and this year's Impact Award recipient for Arts and Business Alliance.  They will gather at the Opening Night Kick-Off Cocktail Party in Resorts Ballroom on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are $25.00 and include the first screening.  

                                                             
AS THE CROW FLIES

Following the party at 8:20 p.m. in the Superstar Theater, the opening screenings begin with the short, The Girl and the Gondola. Directed by award winning writer/director Abbe Robinson, it's a coming of age story shot in Venice about a young girl who wishes to follow in the footsteps of her gondolier father.  The premiere feature is Jacob LaGuardia's As the Crow Flies, an exciting adventure about a brother-sister duo of modern-day bootleggers as they transport cash from a bank robbery over mountain trails outwitting FBI agents and hijackers along the way.  Up and comers Alec Shaw (Meridian), and Morgan Wolk (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) play the siblings, Boe and Bird.

Charlie, Trevor and a Girl Savannah

In addition to this feature, suspense and mystery are the themes of several films headlined by well-known talent.  Charlie, Trevor and a Girl Savannah is a psychological thriller making its worldwide premiere at the festival on Saturday, March 21 at 8:15 p.m. in Resorts Ballroom. Eric Roberts leads a young and talented cast as a psychiatrist trying to help a disturbed young man named Trevor, played by Toby Hemingway, with Ty Hodges and Emily Meade as Charlie and Savannah, respectively.   Art and madness are explored in The Painting directed by Robert Rothbard, also making its worldwide premiere at the festival.  With the help of his faithful butler, the talentless son of a famous dead artist will stop at nothing short of murder to be famous himself in this chilling drama playing Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the Claridge Showroom -3rd floor. 

Three Holes, Two Brads and a Smoking Gun

 

Starring James Wilder is the award-winning black comedy, Three Holes, Two Brads and a Smoking Gun (theatrical release title: 3 Holes and a Smoking Gun).  Wilder is garnering awards and critical acclaim as an ex-Hollywood screenwriter turned teacher in a battle of wits with a devious student.  Scott Fivelson won for best screenplay and Wilder for best actor at the 2014 Downtown Film Festival in Los Angeles.  Screening is Saturday at 5:45 p.m. in Resorts Screening Room.  

The Antwerp Dolls, an independent film from the U.K. makes its U.S. premiere at the festival.  Directed by Jake L. Reid, this British crime thriller stars Jason Wing (Rise of the Footsoldier, Hamlet) as a ruthless gangster, who struggles to maintain his crumbling 'business' empire.  It screens 8:15 p.m. on Saturday in the Screening Room  13th Floor at Resorts.
Dramatic and comedic full-length features with popular performers include Porter Farrell's Windsor, starring noted character actor Barry Corbin (Lonesome Dove, No Country for Old Men), Nick Kraus (The Descendants, Boyhood) and Quinn Shephard (Unaccompanied Minors).  Shephard is the festival's 2015 Rising Star, an annual honor bestowed on an up-and-coming actor/actress with New Jersey roots.  She plays best friend to the daughter of a Texas farmer who collides with big agribusiness resulting in long-term and devastating effects on his family in the drama screening on Sunday, March 22 at 2:45 p.m. in Resort's Superstar Theater Dining Level. Director Phil Falcone's Joe's War screens at Resorts Superstar Theater - Dining Level on Saturday at 8 p.m.  Co-starring Michael Markiewicz as Joe, Armand Assante and Ed Asner, the film deals with the challenges faced by a local hero on his return home from the war on terror.    

Hollywood royalty - Shirley Jones, Lee Meriwether and Sally Struthers - add to the hilarity in director Jenn Page's Waiting in the Wings: The Musical in which a savvy male stripper takes a naïve farm boy under his wing as they pursue their dreams on Broadway via on-line contests.  Starring Jeffrey A. Johns and Adam Huss as the mismatched pair, the film screens Saturday at 5:45 p.m. in the Claridge Hotel Showroom. 3rd Floor.  Joseph Pernice's film Chasing Yesterday was shot on location in Monmouth County with an all-star cast of both seasoned and up-and-coming actors including Steve Schirripa (The Sopranos, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), Eric Nelsen (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Epic), Courtney Baxter,  (Night Has Settled, Hallows' Eve) and Blanche Baker (Sixteen Candles, The Girl Next Door).  This story of a washed up twenty something and former hometown hero, convinced by a local sweetheart to run a marathon and get his life back on track, screens at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday in Resorts Superstar Theater.

Full-length documentaries include The Millionaires Unit directed and produced by Ron King and based on the book by Marc Wortman.  Known as the First Yale Unit, and dubbed 'the millionaires' unit' by the New York press, a privileged group of college students became the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve and were the first to fly and sacrifice for the U.S. in World War I.  Descendants of these heroic men will attend the screening on Saturday in Resorts Screening Room at 12:15 p.m. Jeffrey Bonna's film  Oro Macht Frei (Gold Will Set You Free) is the heartbreaking revelation of the plight of Rome's Jewish population in World War II.  After Italy's Armistice with the Allied Armies in 1943, much of Italy fell under the control of the Germans.  In their nine-month occupation of Rome, the Nazis stripped Jews - whose families has prospered for generations in the most Catholic of cities - of their rights, assets and, in a false promise of salvation, demanded all their gold.  It screens Sunday at noon in Resorts Ballroom. -Dining Level

Flory's Flame, directed by Curt Fissel, also concerns Jewish populations in Europe preceding and following the two World Wars.  Flory Jagoda was born in Sarajevo to a musical family whose roots stretched back to Spain for centuries prior to the Jewish expulsion in 1492.  These Sephardic Jews were among the last few speakers of their ancient and native tongue, Ladino.  Songs were passed down through generations, ultimately reaching Flory, the only member of her extended family to survive the Holocaust.  Now 90, she is a living archivist and preservationist of Ladino and has spent her career composing, recording and performing this music for worldwide audiences.   The film is a compelling life history and a celebration of musical lore, and screens Sunday at 3:00 p.m. at Resorts Horizon Room-Dining Level.

Women athletes are the subject of two contrasting documentaries. The subject of

Stella Walsh was one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time. After winning a gold medal in the 1932 Olympics 100 meters, she was a popular national figure until she was killed in a robbery and it was discovered that she had ambiguous gender.  Directed by Rob Lucas, the film explores how this revelation generated controversy and bigotry; and features interviews with friends, trainers, members of the media and a geneticist.  It screens at 2:45 on Saturday at Dante Hall. In Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story, director Brian Gillogly introduces us to Kathy Kohner Zuckerman and how her account of surfing Malibu in the mid-50's became the basis for a best-selling novel by her father Frederick Kohner. The documentary screens on Sunday at 3:00 PM Resorts Ballroom- Dining level. 

FILM SCREENING TICKETS AND INFO CLICK HERE

In addition to film screenings and the cocktail party, panel discussions, book signings, Q & A sessions, educational programs, an open casting call, and a black-tie awards ceremony are offered to festival attendees.  Weekend passes are $45 and provide access to all screenings and sessions. Individual screening ticket are $12 and the Awards Dinner is $125.  All can be purchased at www.gsff.org where information on films and the festival is also provided.  

The 18th Cine Las Americas Film Festival is excited to be presenting the debut screening of The Martini Shot (Dir. Demetrius Navarro) as its opening night film. On Wednesday, April 22nd, the Festival will hold inaugural ceremonies atThe Marchesa Hall & Theatre, including a presentation at 7pm of this independent U.S. Latino film.

A D Street Films production, directed by Demetrius Navarro and written by Enrico Natale, this dark comedy is the story of two small time producers who are threatened by their boss to make a successful movie. They then turn to the only way they can think of – kill one of the lead actors and the movie is guaranteed to make money. To succeed in this business…you have to make a KILLING!

The talented cast and crew includes James Russo (Public Enemies, Donnie Brasco, Django), Valente Rodriguez (McFarland USA, George Lopez Show), Demetrius Navarro (Friday, The Yardsale, 187, ER), Daniel Lujan (Collateral, Gone Hollywood), Malcolm Danare (Godzilla, Lords of Discipline), and special effects artist Harvey Lowry (Passion of Christ, Benjamin Button).

The presentation of The Martini Shot marks the most recent collaboration between Cine Las Americas and D Street Films. Over the years, the D Street team and associates have been integral supporters of Cine’s mission to showcase independent films with Latino creatives at the core, and audiences have really enjoyed their films. Previous Cine Las Americas festival editions have included screenings of two films shot in Texas and featuring Texas-born film and TV star Valente Rodriguez: the romantic comedy Gone Hollywood (2011, Dir. Demitrius Navarro), and the young adult/adventure film Los Scavengers (2013, Dir. Valente Rodriguez).

For the 18th consecutive year, Austin will serve as host to a wide range of national and international films and filmmakers, as the festival creates networking opportunities for industry professionals, and provides a rich cultural experience for statewide audiences. US, Canada, Latin America (North Central, South America, and the Caribbean) and the Iberian Peninsula. All films are presented in English and/or subtitled.

As this year’s festival nears, we look forward to announcing guests and more films!

9th Asian Film Awards Recognizes Miki NAKATANI with Excellence in Asian Cinema Award

Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy, the Asian Film Awards (AFA) will present the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award to popular Japanese actress Miki NAKATANI at the AFA Ceremony at the Venetian Theatre of the Venetian Macao, on March 25, 2015 (Wed). Previous AFA special award winners include Japanese director Yoji YAMADA, Indian actor Amitabh BACHCHAN, Chinese director ZHANG Yimou, Taiwanese director HOU Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong director Ann HUI, Malaysian actress Michelle YEOH and others. The Excellence in Asian Cinema Award aims to highlight distinguished talents and affirm their achievements and contributions to Asian film industry and culture.

Miki Nakatani is one of the most all-rounded and popular performers in Asia, and is regarded as one of the best actresses from Japan. Her talents in writing, singing, dancing and acting have found both popular appeal and critical recognition. Since the start of her career in the 1990s, she has received many awards, published nine books, released seven music albums and acted in 40 TV drama series and more than 30 films. Nakatani successfully played a variety of characters that depict the everyday life of Japanese women – as an office employee, teacher, doctor, housewife and many others. She has also played characters of different periods to receive critical acclaim. Her natural style and subtle charm has enabled her to connect comfortably with audiences. A milestone of her acting journey was marked by her leading role in Tetsuya Nakashima’s “Memories of Matsuko” (2006), which further consolidated her reputation as a truly versatile actress. The film won her numerous Best Actress prizes including the Asian Film Award, the Japan Academy Prize and the Hochi Film Award. Her other notable films include Yojiro Takita’s “When the Last Sword is Drawn” (2003), Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s “Happy Ever After” (2007), Yoshishige Miyake’s “Hankyu Railways – A 15-Minute Miracle” (2011), Yasuo Tsuruhashi’s “Tale of Genji -A Thousand Year of Enigma-” (2011) and Mitsutoshi Tanaka’s “Ask This of Rikyu” (2013). Her prestigious TV, film and theatre acting awards include two Best Actress prizes from the Drama Academy Awards, the Galaxy Individual Award from the Galaxy Awards, three Best Actress prizes and two Best Supporting Actress prizes from the Japan Academy Prize. In 2011, she won the Kinokuniya Theater Awards’ individual award and the Best Actress prize from the Yomiuri Theater Awards for ‘The Hunting Gun’. In 2013, she won the Best Actress Award from the Yomiuri Theater Awards for ‘Lost in Yonkers’.

Last year, she served as the Festival Muse of the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival. With her many talents, formidable achievements and distinct charisma, she has often been regarded as “goddess” in popular media. In Nakatani’s latest film, Yukiko Mishima’s “A Stitch of Life” (2015), she plays the owner of a dressmaking shop that avoids mass production and branding. In her upcoming film, a Japanese-French co-production titled “Foujita” directed by Kohei Oguri, she plays the last and beloved wife of the famous Japanese painter Tsuguharu Foujita. “The Asian Film Awards Academy is proud to present Ms. Nakatani with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award,” said Miki NAKATANI ActressFor further information or inquiries, please contact; Tokyo International Film Festival, Publicity and Advertising Tel: +81-3-3553-4793; Fax: +81-3-3553-4788; email: tiff-pr2015@tiff-jp.net

http://tiff-jp.net/

Dr. Wilfred WONG, Chairman of the AFA Academy, “Over her productive career, she has left her professional peers and audiences with indelible impressions. Her ability to play a wide variety of characters as well as achievements on stage, screen and TV in Japan and overseas testify to her commitment and dedication to the art and craft of acting. She is a role model of the Asian film industry and deserves far and wide recognition.” The AFA will also announce the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award soon. The 9th Asian Film Awards will be held at The Venetian Theatre of the Venetian Macao on March 25, 2015.

ASIAN FILM AWARDS (AFA)

http://www.asianfilmawards.asia/

Inaugurated in 2007, the Asian Film Awards celebrates excellence in Asian cinema through the annual presentation of awards to the many diverse talents and films that make up the dynamic film industries of the region. Awards night is a spectacular gathering of celebrities, industry professionals and the media that highlights and publicizes the year’s achievements in Asian movies.

Presented in Hong Kong in its first seven years, the Awards were held last year in one of Asia’s fastest growing entertainment hubs, Macau. With this historic move, the Awards take one step closer to its long-term plan of being held in different Asian cities to reflect its broad reach across the entire region. Following last year’s success, the Asian Film Awards will be held again in Macau for its ninth edition.

ASIAN FILM AWARDS ACADEMY (AFAA)

Established in Hong Kong in late 2013, the Asian Film Awards Academy aims to promote and develop Asian cinema, its talents and audiences.

In an unprecedented landmark collaboration, the three long-established and major international film festivals in Asia, that is Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo have joined together as the founding members of the Asian Film Awards Academy. Together, they will provide an impact and influence that will promote Asian cinema through the annual flagship Asian Film Awards, and year-round initiatives such as professional exchanges, mentorship and development programs for young filmmakers, and strategies for regional and international audience development.

Asian Film Awards Academy members come from all over Asia. They are drawn from all past nominees and winners at the Asian Film Awards. Additional members who are prominent in their field may also be inducted into the Asian Film Awards Academy.

Members will be given voting rights for the Asian Film Awards and also participate in various Academy activities around the region.

The Asian Film Awards Academy expresses the increasing global importance and creative strength of the cinemas of Asia and will help to unite the industries and talents of this fast-growing region.

Tokyo International Film Festival

http://tiff-jp.net/

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) started in 1985 as Japan’s first major film festival and the only Japanese film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film ProducersAssociations (FIAPF). Since then, TIFF has grown to become one of the biggest film festivals inAsia.

Every year in October, filmmakers and film fans of all ages gather in Tokyo to enjoy excellent films from around the world and TIFF’s many colorful events. These include TIFF's multi-content market TIFFCOM, seminars for students, professionals, and business people, and symposiums and workshops for networking with the world film industries, developing international co-productions, and promoting the global film business.

The 28th TIFF will take place October 22-31, 2015 at Roppongi Hills and other venues in Tokyo.

16th HFFNY runs April 9-17, 2015

The 16th Havana Film Festival NY announced that eighteen films will be competing to receive the Havana Star Prize for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as the Havana Star Prize for Best Documentary. The awards will be announced at the festival's Closing Night Ceremony on April 17 at the Directors Guild Theatre.

Prominent members of Latino culture and film industry will choose the winning films. In the fiction category, the jury will include director and screenwriter, Alberto Ferreras (HBO's Habla series, Que Viva la Música); film producer and director of Festival International del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano de la Habana, Ivan Giroud; and actress and singer, Cristina Morrison. In the documentary category, the jury will include director and producer, Catherine Murphy (Maestra); director and cinematographer, German Gutiérrez (Coca-Cola Case, Who Shot my Brother) and Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Fairfield University, Michelle Farell.

The films in competition come from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, México, Nicaragua, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Many of the filmmakers will be in New York to present their films.

The films competing for the Havana Star Prize in Fiction are:

REFUGIADO - N.Y. Premiere                                                                                                       

Diego Lerman | Argentina | 2014 | Fiction | 90min                                                                 

A 7-year-old Matías and his newly pregnant mother Laura flee their house after another outburst of violence from his father, Fabian. Through the eyes of Matías, we experience 

their escape and their search for a new, secure home.

A ESTRADA 47/ ROAD 47 - N.Y. Premiere                                                                            
Vicente Ferraz | Brazil | 2013 | Fiction | 107min                                                            

Based on real events about Brazil's involvement in World War II, this film recreates an unusual meeting between deserters from three different nationalities (Brazil, German and Italy) during the war.

DESASTRES NATURALES / NATURAL DISASTERS - N.Y. Premiere                          
Bernardo Quesney | Chile | 2014 | Fiction | 75min
Raquel is a teacher who resists the idea of retiring. After being replaced with someone much younger, she returns to occupy the classroom with the help of her former students.  

TIEMPO PERDIDO / WASTING TIME - N.Y. Premiere
Alexander Giraldo | Colombia | 2014 | Fiction | 104min

In the city, five people with simple lives, with illusions and dreams, who don't know each other, will be connected by the same question: Are they unhappy today because they wasted their time in the past?

BOCCACCERIAS HABANERAS/ BOCCACIO IN HAVANA - N.Y. Premiere 

Arturo Sotto | Cuba | Fiction | 2014 | 100min 

Boccaccerias Habaneras intertwines three stories through a main thread: a writer's room where people go to share anecdotes hoping to make some money and become characters of a novel or a movie. An urban Boccaccio, a Havana Decameron; the film exudes sensuality, irreverence and hidden passions.

LA PARED DE LAS PALABRAS / THE WALL OF WORDS - U.S. Premier

Fernando Pérez | Cuba | 2014 | Fiction | 90min

This is the story of a family that falls apart when one of the sibblings becomes disabled. However, La pared de las palabras is not about people with disabilities but about the deep paths on human communication.

VESTIDO DE NOVIA / HIS WEDDING DRESS - N.Y. Premiere

Marilyn Solaya | Cuba | 2014 | Fiction | 104min

In 90s' Havana, a nurse and a construction worker, hopelessly in love, live happily married. A fact in her past will test their feelings and undermine their most basic principles.

VENECIA / VENICE - N.Y. Premiere

Kiki Álvarez | Cuba - Colombia | 2014 | Fiction | 74min

Mónica, Violeta and Mayelín work at a beauty salon. On payday, they go shopping for a dress, starting an unexpected journey into the depths of Havana's nightlife.

LOS BAÑISTAS / OPEN CAGE - N.Y. Premiere

Maximiliano Zunino | Mexico | 2014 | Fiction | 83min

The economy has collapsed. Among those affected are rebel teenager Flavia and her elderly and grumpy neighbor Martin. Both will learn to relate to each other, not only to survive the crisis, but to find the meaning of their lives.

MR. KAPLAN - N.Y. Premiere                                                                                                  

Álvaro Brencher | Uruguay | 2014 | Fiction | 98min

Uruguay's submission for the last Academy Awards, Mr. Kaplan is a vibrant comedy about a Jewish retiree who believes a German café owner is a former Nazi.

The films competing for the Havana Star Prize in Documentary are:

UN ASUNTO DE TIERRAS / A MATTER OF LAND - U.S. Premiere

Patricia Ayala | Colombia | 2014 | Documentary | 78min

The film recounts the first year of the implementation of Colombia's Land Restitution Act from the perspective of a community that has decided to engage with the process.

OMARA: CUBA - World Premiere

Lester Hamlet | Cuba | Documentary | 2015 | 90min

This moving documentary about the life and career of Omara Portuondo, known as the Diva of Buena Vista Social Club, features touching recollections by personalities of Cuban culture, including Eusebio Leal, Pablo Milanés, Chucho Valdés, José María Vitier, Rodulfo Vaillant, Amaury Pérez, Rosa Fornes, Luis Carbonell, Fernando Perez and Santiago Alfonso.

OTRA ISLA / ANOTHER ISLAND - N.Y. Premiere

Heidi Hassan | Cuba - Switzerland | 2014 | Documentary | 70min

Spain, 2012. An exiled Cuban family living in Spain feels abandoned by their adoptive country. When they decide to camp in a square in Madrid, they have to confront the capitalist reality they had dreamed so much about.

TÚ Y YO / YOU AND ME-N.Y.Premiere

Natalia Cabral, Oriol Estrada | Dominican Republic | 2014 | Documentary | 86min

The daily lives of two women, a white widow in her seventies and her young Afro-Caribbean maid, as they struggle to keep the house clean, the meat seasoned and the soap opera on TV without killing each other at the end of the day.

LLÉVATE MIS AMORES   / ALL OF ME - N.Y. Premiere

Arturo González Villaseñor | Mexico | 2014 | Documentary | 90min                         

This documentary provides an intimate insight into the Patronas, a group of Mexican women who, every day since 1995, make food and toss it still warm to the migrants who travel atop a freight train as it makes it way to the U.S.

THE TROUBLEMAKER, BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE UNITED NATIONS - U.S. Premiere  Roberto Salinas | Nicaragua - U.S. - Italy | 2014 | Documentary | 83min        

What happens when a Latin American priest suspended by the Pope for his        involvement in revolutionary politics becomes President of the General Assembly of  the United Nations? This documentary offers a unique behind the scenes look at  the only global parliament in the World through the eyes of this controversial figure.

HAVANA CURVEBALL - N.Y. Premiere

Marcia Jarmel & Ken Schneider | U.S. - Cuba | Documentary | 2014 | 60min  

Thirteen-year-old Mica takes to heart his Rabbi's dictate to help "heal the world," and launches a grand plan to send baseballs to Cuba-a country with a mysterious pull.

EL SILENCIO DE LAS MOSCAS / THE SILENCE OF THE FLIES                                           

Eliezer Arias | Venezuela | 2013 | Documentary | 92min

Against the majestic backdrop of the Venezuelan Andes, Marcelina and Mercedes recount the story of their daughters, who committed suicide at the precarious age of 15. The film places their deaths in the broader perspective of rural communities where suicide is taking on epidemic proportions.

The presenting sponsor of the 16th HFFNY is NBC / Telemundo 47. Additional sponsorship is provided by El Diario La Prensa, AARP, Xael Charters, Queens Latino, Pie Derecho, Rockamedia, Copacabana Pizza & Grill, School of Visual Arts (SVA) and King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center at NYU. HFFNY is made possible with public funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, a state agency, and supported, in part, by public funds from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Havana Film Festival New York is a project of American Friends of the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba (AFLFC), a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that builds cultural bridges between the U.S. and Cuba through programs in the arts.

For Havana Film Festival New York information and schedule visit www.HFFNY.com. 

Winners to Receive Cash Prizes and Option Consideration from Kickstart Productions

Geena Davis and ARC Entertainment’s Bentonville Film Festival (BFF) has instituted a new feature film screenplay competion dubbed the ‘Dernsie” – a name coined by Jack Nicholson in describing BFF Board of Advisors member Bruce Dern’s acting technique when they were filming the movie DRIVE.

Hollywood Legend Bruce Dern has worked with talented screenwriters such as Academy Award® winners Hal Ashby, Alexander Payne, Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, John Frankenheimer and Ernest Lehman, to name a few.

The “Dernsie” screenplay competition is sponsored by Jason Netter through his Kickstart Productions banner and Bruce Dern. The winning script writer will receive $1,500 and a custom award, presented by Bruce Dern during the main award ceremony that takes place during the Festival, May 5th-9th, 2015.

With a combined 75 years in the entertainment industry, Bruce and Jason, through the Bentonville Film Festival and the presentation of the Dernsie Screenwriter Competition Award, look forward to contributing to help create opportunities and champion talented women and minority screenwriters who struggle to have their projects produced.

At the discretion of Kickstart Productions, the winner may also receive an additional $1,500 for an 18-month option of the script with Kickstart Productions.

Two runner-up winners will be awarded $500. These winners may also receive an additional $500 for a 12 month script option with Kickstart Productions.

As the film festival is dedicated to championing women and diversity in film, submitted screenplays must have female protagonist or a racially diverse protagonist – or the writer must be a woman or a minority. The scripts also must be English language.

A “Dernsie” script will be unique. This can be through diversity in character, invention in story, or anything else that makes the script stand out.

Scripts can be submitted to www.filmfreeway.com/festival/BentonvilleFilmFestivalScreenplayCompetition

Only online submissions will be considered. The last deadline to enter the competition is April 6th, 2015

Finalists will be notified via email by April 20th, 2015 and the overall winners will be announced no later than April 27th, 2015.  An award will be presented to the Grand Prize Winner during a ceremony at the Bentonville Film Festival.

BFF is a one-of-a-kind event designed to champion women and diversity in film, and is the first and only film competition in the world to offer guaranteed theatrical, television, digital and retail home entertainment distribution for its winning films.

BFF is hosted by ARC Entertainment, Walmart, Coca-Cola and AMC Theatres, and chaired by Academy Award® winner Geena Davis, who’s research institute, “The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media” has sponsored the largest amount of research ever done on gender depictions in entertainment media, covering a 20+ year span. Davis has pioneered the use of rigorous research combined with direct advocacy and education to leading entertainment industry creators and decision makers, causing a sea change in the quality and quantity of female characters on screen.

75 films will be screened at BFF, ranging from studio premieres to independent features and documentaries.

Following the debut of BFF, the Bentonville Film Foundation as part of the Bentonville Film Festival initiative will launch a year-round event calendar to promote women and minority filmmakers, artists, directors, and producers at colleges and universities around the country in partnership with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which is the official non-profit partner of the festival.

BFF Advisory Board members include a number of notable actors and filmmakers such as Angela Bassett, Nick Cannon, Viola Davis, Bruce Dern, Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, Randy Jackson, Eva Longoria, Julianne Moore, Paula Patton, Natalie Portman, Shonda Rhimes, M. Night Shyamalan, and Shailene Woodley.

Walmart is the proud founding sponsor of the Bentonville Film Festival and its investment ensures it is unlike any other nationwide. As the largest seller of DVD and Blu-Ray movies, Walmart is always looking for new and compelling content to offer the 140 million customers who shop their stores each week. That’s why, for the first time, the winners of three categories - Jury Selection, Audience Award and Best Family Film – are guaranteed distribution in Walmart stores and online through its instant video demand service VUDU.

Walmart chose to support the Bentonville Film Festival in large part due to its focus on women and minority filmmakers. Empowering women and supporting diversity are two key company initiatives which Walmart has long supported, because the retailer believes it is the right thing to do and important in being a successful business. The festival is also a great opportunity for the retailer to showcase Northwest Arkansas, one of the country’s best-kept secrets.

For more information on the festival please visit www.bentonvillefilmfestival.com

Fest Head Jesús de la Pena Sevilla, FIPRESCI General Secretary Klaus Eder

IBAFF, the International Film Festival of Murcia, Spain, presented an Honorific Award to FIPRESCI. Film critics would, so the motivation, "for more than half a century have had the courage to stimulate works that have been formally daring. These works have determined the course, in one way or another and sometimes radically, of the cinematic universe of their time".

A small series of FIPRESCI-awarded films included: 
— "Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Cuba 1968),
— "La ciénaga" (Lucrecia Martel, Argentina 2001),
— "Jauja" (Lisandro Alonso, Argentina, 2014),
— "Sacrifice" (Andrei Tarkovski, Sweden 1986),
— "El sol del membrillo" (Victor Erice, Spain 1992),
— "Blisfully Yours" (Apichatpong Weerasethekul, Thailand 2001),
— "Leviathan" (Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Véréna Paravel, Puerto Rico 2013), and
— "Entranced Earth" (Glauber Rocha, Brazil 1967).

"The selected works", stated the festival, "share the editorial policy of our festival and have become not only study cases, but also emblematic works that are part of the emotional and sensorial memory of many generations of cinephiles."

Murcia fest head Jesús de la Pena handed the prize over to FIPRESCI General Secretary Klaus Eder.

This year at the International Women's Film Festival in Dortmund, the RWE Film Award is being conferred for a sixth time on a feature film director. With the prize money totalling €15,000, eight feature films have been entered – all made by women directors who can look back on a long and notable career of film-making. Including works from Poland, Colombia, Japan and Iran, the spectrum ranges from a Balkan comedy to a radical docufiction drama about cancer and thus celebrates a wealth of film creativity that could hardly be more diverse. Four of the films to be screened in Dortmund are receiving their German premieres.

The award will be decided by an international jury: Kate Kinninmont, Chair of Women in Film & Television UK and the film director and festival manager Amal Ramsis, who comes from Egypt, confirmed their participation yet.

The prize money is to be divided between the director (€5,000) and the German distributing company (€10,000) to help promote the cinema release of the winning film in Germany.

Silke Räbiger, Festival Director of the Dortmund | Cologne International Women's Film Festival: "In recent times, there's been a lot of movement come into the issue of gender equality in the movie business – with the Dortmund | Cologne festival having played no small part. After all, it is one of the most active women's film festivals around the world in terms of initiating networks and debates."

Carl Ernst Giesting, CEO of RWE Vertrieb AG, a power company: "The International Women's Film Festival is an inseparable part of the cultural life of the city. RWE Vertrieb AG is pleased once again to support this future-oriented project for the entire region."

Birgit Jörder, Mayor and Festival Patron: "Here we get to see the entire gamut of female film-making creativity while also giving career starters an opportunity to come and see their role models."

BODY by Małgorzata Szumowska (PL), EDEN by Mia Hansen-Løve (F), ELLA by Libia Stella Gomez (COL), FRAILER by Mijke de Jong (NL), FUTATSUME NO MADO by Naomi Kawase (JP/F/ES),
LOVE ISLAND by Jasmila Žbanić (HR/B|H/D/CH), PELO MALO by Mariana Rondón (VEN), RED ROSE by Sepideh Farsi (IR/GR/F).

All films also compete for the audience award sponsored by trailer ruhr magazine.

 

 

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This year at the International Women's Film Festival in Dortmund, the RWE Film Award is being conferred for a sixth time on a feature film director. With the prize money totalling €15,000, eight feature films have been entered – all made by women directors who can look back on a long and notable career of film-making. Including works from Poland, Colombia, Japan and Iran, the spectrum ranges from a Balkan comedy to a radical docufiction drama about cancer and thus celebrates a wealth of film creativity that could hardly be more diverse. Four of the films to be screened in Dortmund are receiving their German premieres.

The award will be decided by an international jury: Kate Kinninmont, Chair of Women in Film & Television UK and the film director and festival manager Amal Ramsis, who comes from Egypt, confirmed their participation yet.

The prize money is to be divided between the director (€5,000) and the German distributing company (€10,000) to help promote the cinema release of the winning film in Germany.

Silke Räbiger, Festival Director of the Dortmund | Cologne International Women's Film Festival: "In recent times, there's been a lot of movement come into the issue of gender equality in the movie business – with the Dortmund | Cologne festival having played no small part. After all, it is one of the most active women's film festivals around the world in terms of initiating networks and debates."

Carl Ernst Giesting, CEO of RWE Vertrieb AG, a power company: "The International Women's Film Festival is an inseparable part of the cultural life of the city. RWE Vertrieb AG is pleased once again to support this future-oriented project for the entire region."

Birgit Jörder, Mayor and Festival Patron: "Here we get to see the entire gamut of female film-making creativity while also giving career starters an opportunity to come and see their role models."

BODY by Małgorzata Szumowska (PL), EDEN by Mia Hansen-Løve (F), ELLA by Libia Stella Gomez (COL), FRAILER by Mijke de Jong (NL), FUTATSUME NO MADO by Naomi Kawase (JP/F/ES),
LOVE ISLAND by Jasmila Žbanić (HR/B|H/D/CH), PELO MALO by Mariana Rondón (VEN), RED ROSE by Sepideh Farsi (IR/GR/F).

All films also compete for the audience award sponsored by trailer ruhr magazine.

 

 

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Aspen Film, a year-round film arts and education organization, announces the finalists invited to screen at its 24th annual Aspen Shortsfest, April 7-12, at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale. A record number of submissions--more than 3,100 from over 100 countries--were considered. Seventy shorts representing nearly 30 countries were ultimately selected for this year's International Competition. With premieres making up over a third of the program (a dozen of which are world premieres) as well as critically acclaimed films and favorites from the festival circuit, the 2015 edition will showcase a vibrant array of stories and styles in comedy, drama, animation and documentary film.

The official Shortsfest program is now available on the Aspen Film website, aspenfilm.org. Tickets to the general public will go on sale Friday, March 20 and are available through the Wheeler Opera House Box Office in Aspen and Boomerang Coffee in Carbondale, as well as aspenshowtix.com.

Aspen Shortsfest is widely recognized as a premier North American showcase for short film. Its centerpiece, the juried International Competition, offers a diverse slate of films running 2 to 40 minutes. A jury of esteemed film professionals will attend and determine this year's winners and cash prizes.

The festival brings the year's most imaginative films and storytellers to Aspen through this ground-breaking medium largely unavailable to general audiences. An Oscar®-recognized festival, Shortsfest qualifies award winners for future Academy Award® nomination.

"Our 2015 season explores an incredible array of characters, situations and subjects from around the world," says Aspen Film Co-Director George Eldred. "Through filmmaker innovation and heartfelt storytelling, these short films reveal a common thread about the universality of the human spirit, which we look forward to sharing with our audiences this spring."

Special Presentations and Program Highlights

On opening night, Shortsfest audiences can participate in an interactive performance and live film event called {THE AND} GAME, created by filmmakers Topaz Adizes and Nathan Phillips. Engaging both viewers and participants, {THE AND} explores what connects us to family, friends and lovers in a low-pressure environment. Through screenings at Sundance and performances in Los Angeles and Miami, {THE AND} has become a viral phenomenon, recently featured on CBS This Morning and in The Huffington Post and The New Yorker, among others.

Entering their fourth year of partnership, this spring Aspen Shortsfest and the Writers Guild Foundation present GENRE SMASH, a spirited and illuminating conversation with screenwriter, actress and producer Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect, New Girl, 30 Rock). A "master class" designed to discover the connections between creator and creation, GENRE SMASH will explore the personal forces that drive this Second City-trained comedy writer to make the artistic choices she makes. This special presentation will take place Saturday, April 11, 12 noon at the Wheeler Opera House.

On Saturday, at 3:30pm, PLAYLIST: Jason Reitman in Conversation brings award-winning writer- director and passionate film buff Jason Reitman (Up in the Air; Men, Women & Children) back to the Wheeler to share insights and anecdotes about the movies he loves and how they've influenced his creative vision. Mr. Reitman will screen clips from a few of his all-time favorites (and maybe a couple from his own works) as he shares some of the lessons and epiphanies that have shaped his artistic process.

Shortsfest presents special opportunities to engage with nearly 50 attending filmmaker guests. Three free FILMMAKER TALK BACKS will be held at noon on Wednesday, April 8, Thursday, April 9, and Friday, April 10. And, on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, a FAMILY FUN program will feature an international selection of animated and live action shorts from around the world for movie lovers age 8 and up.

TO VIEW THE OFFICIAL SHORTSFEST 2015 INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION LINEUP click here.  

Ticket Information

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 20. Tickets for all shows are available at the Wheeler Opera House Box Office in Aspen and via aspenshowtix.com. Crystal Theatre show tickets are also available at Boomerang Coffee in Carbondale. The full program is currently online at aspenfilm.org, and the official printed program guide is available in The Aspen Times daily edition March 18 and April 3, in the Aspen Times Weekly March 26 and in the Glenwood Post Independent April 3.

This 24th edition of Aspen Shortsfest is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor, The Aspen Times, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Creative Industries, City of Aspen, Aspen Out, Les Dames d'Aspen, Thrift Shop of Aspen and the Towns of Basalt and Carbondale. Additional sponsors include KQED, Aspen Public Radio, Alpine Bank and Land + Shelter.

For more information about the 24th annual Aspen Shortsfest, please connect with Aspen Film publicity contact, Jennifer Slaughter of Different Indeed.

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About Aspen Film. Established in 1979, Aspen Film is one of Colorado's most active film arts organizations, presenting dynamic programs and featured guest artists throughout the year. Internationally recognized, Aspen Film organizes a major film event in every season, along with an extensive education program: Aspen Filmfest, Academy Screenings, Aspen Shortsfest and Film Educates. With a mission to enlighten, enrich, educate and entertain through film, Aspen Film stimulates thought, encourages dialogue and broadens understanding of our world and selves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. To learn more, visit www.aspenfilm.org.

Festival to screen never-before-seen footage of Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson’s historic free climb of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall in Yosemite

The 12th annual Vail Film Festival takes place March 26 – 29, 2015, in one of the United States’ premier ski destinations, Vail, Colorado, and is pleased to announce that climber Kevin Jorgeson will be in attendance to screen never-before-seen footage of his recent epic climb of El Capitan’s Dawn Wall with Tommy Caldwell, from the new documentary by Big Up Productions and Sender Films. The screening takes place Saturday, March 28 at 4:30 p.m. at Cascade Theater in Vail, Colorado.

Considered by many, “The hardest route ever climbed,” and “The Climb of the Century,” the climb garnered worldwide media attention and was featured on the front page of the New York Times. Climber Kevin Jorgeson will be at the screening to answer questions and talk about his experience.

In 2009, Kevin Jorgeson asked Tommy Caldwell if he needed a partner for his new project on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Over the next six years, Tommy and Kevin spent hundreds of days working out the pieces, failing constantly, but keeping the dream alive that one day they might free climb the Dawn Wall. On December 27, 2014, Kevin and Tommy started their “push” to leave the ground and not return until they either succeeded or were stormed off. Nineteen days later, their dream became a reality when they stood on the top of El Capitan.

“We are thrilled to have Kevin Jorgeson as our guest at the Vail Film Festival and to share incredible footage from the Dawn Wall climb, a monumental achievement that showcases the triumph of the human spirit and that anything is possible,” said Festival Co-Director Sean Cross. 

For more information about the Vail Film Festival, or to purchase Festival passes, please visit: www.vailfilmfestival.com.

About Vail

Coveted as one of the largest ski resorts in the world with more than 5,200 acres of skiable terrain, seven legendary Back Bowls spanning seven miles, and the most groomed terrain on the planet, Vail has been an extraordinary winter vacation destination for passionate skiers and snowboarders for more than 50 years. It is home to world-class athletes during the U.S. Ski Team early-season training sessions in Golden Peak, the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships and the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships. Under blue skies more than 300 days each year, friends and families reconnect and celebrate here from year to year and generation to generation. The vacation experience is exceptional, from the Vail Ski & Snowboard School to events, activities and festivals, shops and spas, abundant culinary experiences and luxurious accommodations. Coupled with the vision inherent in the spirit of Vail’s founders, and a modern day commitment to excellence in all aspects of guest service and operations, Vail is a mountain resort like nothing on earth. For more information on a Vail vacation, please visit www.vail.com.

About Vail Film Festival

The 12th Annual Vail Film Festival, co-founded by Scott Cross and Sean Cross, will take place March 26 – March 29, 2015 in Vail, Colorado. Festival activities include film screenings, panel discussions, live music, nightly galas, and the filmmaker reception. The Colorado Film Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization dedicated to fostering independent cinema. The Colorado Film Institute’s primary initiatives are to promote the art of film by providing a screening platform for aspiring filmmakers and by providing a gathering place for film enthusiasts. Additionally, the Colorado Film Institute fosters new filmmakers by providing education, industry expertise, and industry access. The Colorado Film Institute is proud to stage the Vail Film Festival, a four-day event that enlightens and entertains thousands of film festival attendees and offers a creative outlet to the film world’s newest storytellers and innovators.

The Annapolis Film Festival, running for four days from March 26th to 29th, is presenting several panels of interest to filmmakers.

Friday Panels at the O’Callaghan Annapolis Hotel, 174 West Street

The Art of the Pitch

Friday, March 27, 10am-11am

“The Pitch” is one of the most and anxiety-inducing aspects of filmmaking.  Hear inside tips on how to sell an idea to the right people in a short period of time and how to put together elements that deliver a green light for your project. Understand the two-minute elevator pitch and perhaps be one of those who gets a chance to pitch the panel and receive a constructive critique of your effort.

Moderator:  Steve Burns – Producer, Commissioning Editor

Panel: Meghan O’Hara, director, In Country; Sylvia Bugg, Vice President, Diversity and Innovation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Jay Parikh, Vice President, Content Enterprises, Maryland Public Television; Mimi Edmunds, Producer and Professor of Broadcast Journalism, Emerson College

True Story to Screen

Friday, March 27, 11:30pm-12:30pm

Come behind the scenes of one of today’s most popular themes in film: the true story. Take a hard look at the realities of turning a true story into a narrative or documentary feature. For the narrative, what are the challenges of mixing fact and fiction? For the documentary, how hard is it to stay factual yet compelling; cinematic, but real? How do you manage the emotions and expectations of a film’s subject? 

Moderator: David D’Arcy – Producer, Writer, and Film Critic

Panel: Kurt Pitzer - Producer, Runoff; Neal Broffman - Director, Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi; Ambassador Shabazz - Producer, Diplomat; James Burns, film subject and co-producer, Jamesy Boy 

As The Web Turns: Movies and series that were created or distributed from the Internet Friday, March 27, 2pm-3pm

How do you successfully distribute your film on the web today and can you make money on it? Filmmakers and hobbyists alike discover working models championed by those who have done it. Explore and discuss new distribution platforms that defy the conventional distribution model of festival-to-theatrical-to-broadcast-to-VOD/website release. Learn how building your audience along the way and engaging them in the process can be your key to success. If you release your film on the web does it inhibit your chances for press and reviews, theatrical release, or festival inclusion?  Let the experts put you ahead of the game.

Moderator: Malaika Mose - IBM Software Developer and Writer, Beyond the Box Office

Panel: Jessica Tanenhaus - Director of Consulting Services, Mavenspire; Stephen Janson - Janson Media

Tech Talk: The Future of Digital Acquisition & Post Production in Film

Friday, March 27th, 4pm-5pm

As the digital world of filmmaking evolves into high resolution and data capture at the 2K, 4K and even 8K levels, learn about the latest practices for technical planning, camera selections, prime lenses and storage needs, workflow planning, and budgets. Explore field storage solutions, how to capture best quality footage per your budget and how to choose between camera systems and lenses for documentary vs. cinematic films. Learn how to get over the finish line with your deliverables.

Moderator:  Emil Gallina, Voice Actor and Producer

Panel: Rob Henninger, Henninger Media Services; Megan Rodney, LensProToGo

The African-American Experience Showcase at Asbury United Methodist Church, 87 West Street

50 Years of Civil Rights in Film

Friday, March 27th, 7 pm

It has been fifty years since Martin Luther King, Jr.’s groundbreaking Selma-to-Montgomery march.  This year the Annapolis Film Festival is hosting a Civil Rights panel to celebrate and commemorate the progress of the Civil Rights movement and how film has affected it and also been affected by it.  There will be a special preview screening of a yet-to-be-released PBS documentary JFK & LBJ A Time For Greatness.  The screening will be followed by an interactive conversation moderated by the Honorable Kurt Schmoke, former Mayor of Baltimore; featuring panelists Ambassador Shabazz, the eldest daughter of Malcolm X Shabazz and Dr. Betty Shabazz; and Chris Haley, Director for the Study of the Legacy of Slavery, Md. State Archives.

Saturday Panels at St. John’s Conversation Room, 60 College Avenue

Women Filmmakers of the 2015 Annapolis Film Festival

Film Fatales Present: Female Vision

Saturday, March 28, 10am-11:30am

Filmmakers always bring their own life experiences and perspective to a story, their own approach to working on set and in the edit suite. From camera angles to business collaboration, is there really such a thing as distinct "female vision"? And what could we gain by bringing more of it to today's cinematic landscape?

Moderator: Deborah Reinisch - Director, Sure Thing

Panel: Kimberly Levin - Director, Runoff; Meghan O’Hara - Director, In Country; Annette Porter - Producer, In An Ideal World; Lauren Shaw - Director, Angkor’s Children; Heather O’Neill - Producer, Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi; Courtney Baxter – Actor, Night Has Settled; Marlee Roberts, Actor, Night Has Settled.

Movie Critics: What Were They Thinking?

Saturday, March 28th, 12:00pm-1:00pm

Movie critics have long been loved or hated for what they say about films. How do they judge art and how much is personal taste?  These well-known film critics take us through their process and then face off with the audience. Here’s a chance to play hardball with a few of the top dogs in the industry.

Moderator - TBA

Panel: Joe Neumaier - Chief Film Critic/Film Editor, New York Daily News, The Movie Minute on WOR 710-AM; David D’Arcy - Film Critic, Producer, Writer; Ann Hornaday, Chief Film Critic, The Washington Post (invited).

Environmental Showcase at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (801 Chase Street)

Saturday, March 28th, 10 am

This year’s Environmental Showcase spotlights America’s coasts, where life on the edge of the rising sea has placed towns and cities on the front lines of climate change. Shored Up, directed by Ben Kalina, takes us to the heart of the climate change controversy where politics, economics, and science collide amid human efforts to literally beat back the sea. This feature documentary will be preceded by the short film Isle de Jean Charles and followed by a post-screening panel discussion in which leading environmental and scientific experts will address the critical issues of climate change and shoreline erosion. The panel will be moderated by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Executive Director, Al Todd. 

Sunday Panel at Rams Head On Stage, 33 West Street

Comedy Workshop: Up Close and Personal With Tom McCaffrey

Sunday, March 29th, 1pm-2:30pm

Comedian/Filmmaker Tom McCaffrey will perform stand-up, answer questions about his “amazingly interesting” life and discuss his experience and the challenge of trying to bring funny to the screen. He will also discuss performing on the Oscars telecast at age ten.  Finally, Tom will share the stage with a few local improv actors. Look out Rams Head, AFF’s comedy workshop is in the house.

Annapolis Film Festival adult tickets are $12; senior and student tickets are $8. The four-day Festival Passes are $105 which include the Opening Night film, After Party, and Best of the Fest on Sunday, March 29th.  Four-day student passes are $40.  All four-day passes include the Opening Night film, the After Party and unlimited films and panel discussions. One-day festival passes are available for $40.

Festival Passes can be purchased at www.annapolisfilmfestival.com.   There are a limited number of passes available, once sold out they are gone. Tickets and the full schedule are now  online at www.annapolisfilmfestival.com. Check the website for times and locations of all events.  Up-to-the-minute changes in schedule can be followed on the AFF Facebook Fanpage and Twitter.   For more information subscribe to our weekly e-blast by signing up on the website. 

Photo by Myrna Suarez 

Harvey Keitel will appear in the first season of Rio Heat opposite Victor Webster as Hubert Humbolt. Hubert is a mysterious figure, an ex-CIA operator who now owns the largest private investigation company in the world. He opens his Rio branch (enlisting our heroes to run it) as well as continuing to do contract work for his government cronies. Jon Cassar the Emmy-winning 24 producer/director will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the action/comedy series. Rio Heat will be shot entirely in Brazil. It is described as a cross between Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI and Moonlighting. The series was co-created by Canadian TV producer Ken Gord and Dean Hamilton Bornstein. The two-hour pilot will be launched theatrically by 20th Century Fox Brazil in multiple Latin American countries. Fox Pay-TV Latin America has licensed the pay TV window in Latin America for the first 13 episodes. Global Genesis Group is the worldwide distributor outside of Latin America.

About Global Genesis Group
Global Genesis Group's core business is the production and distribution of Television IP's, Feature Films and documentaries as well as creating and developing its own original IP's to generate global branding. Global Genesis Group is a full service Production, Distribution and IP management company.

The filmmaker of such blockbuster movies Men in Black, Get Shorty and Addams Family, Barry Sonnenfeld will direct and produce a film adaptation of the documentary  An Honest Liar. Now the question is who will be playing the charismatic James "The Amazing" Randi? Johnny Depp is our guess. See press links below.

Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

With HBO's true crime documentary The Jinx making headlines last week, we recognize today when documentary films are mixed with social media exposure, they can make a difference. Another film in the same vein was the true crime doc David & Me. The original version of this film premiered at Hot Docs last spring. As the film made its way through the festival circuit, it was brought to the attention of New York officials re-opening & reviewing cases deemed questionable. The film was part of the package under review for David McCallum, a man in jail for 29 years for a crime he did not commit. Remarkably, last October, David McCallum was released from prison. The filmmakers were there to capture the scene. Now the completed film, with the happiest of ending,  is presented here for the first time.

Finally, a new film creating serious buzz... see what a  surprising secret a former model and fashion photographer is hiding in Homme Less. See below information and screening links for these wonderful films.

David Piperni and Daniel Cantagallo will be at Stand P-1.A51  at MipTV and will also be present at MipDoc. See below other new releases in factual content including award winning, theatrically released documentaries, factual series, 

music/arts/popculture content and 

crime docos