Assorted recommendations inspired by the multifarious sequel.Sorry, Marky Mark, but you’ve already got a car-based franchise.
By the time you’re done watching The Fate of the Furious, you’re likely to have forgotten some of its distinctly differing parts. The sequel begins as one thing then becomes another and another and another, delivering a thrilling mix of action sequences that don’t quite fit together as a fluid and cohesive whole.
I was reminded of a number of dissimilar movies while watching the eighth Fast and the Furious installment, so this week’s list of recommendations could be an even more mixed assortment than usual. But I have no interest in prescribing bad-tasting medicine like The Game Plan in response to Dwayne Johnson’s soccer dad scene. I’m also ignoring Jason Statham’s cheeky insult reminding Johnson and us all of his dumb Hercules movie.
Instead of going with the usual chronological trip...
By the time you’re done watching The Fate of the Furious, you’re likely to have forgotten some of its distinctly differing parts. The sequel begins as one thing then becomes another and another and another, delivering a thrilling mix of action sequences that don’t quite fit together as a fluid and cohesive whole.
I was reminded of a number of dissimilar movies while watching the eighth Fast and the Furious installment, so this week’s list of recommendations could be an even more mixed assortment than usual. But I have no interest in prescribing bad-tasting medicine like The Game Plan in response to Dwayne Johnson’s soccer dad scene. I’m also ignoring Jason Statham’s cheeky insult reminding Johnson and us all of his dumb Hercules movie.
Instead of going with the usual chronological trip...
- 4/14/2017
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Mark Whitaker, Ken Burns, Marina Goldman and Matthew Justus with Artemis Joukowsky Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the Le Cirque lunch hosted by Dan Abrams, Kerry Kennedy, Lawrence O’Donnell and producers Dan Cogan (Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's Havana Motor Club; Edet Belzberg's Watchers Of The Sky, featuring Luis Moreno Ocampo), Geralyn Dreyfous (Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz's Land Ho!; Kirby Dick's The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground) and Judith Helfand (Martha Shane and Lana Wilson's After Tiller) for Defying The Nazis: The Sharps' War, I spoke with the directors, Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.
Ken Burns with Artemis Joukowsky: "And this is a feminist tale as well! From the very beginning, she has defied her parents, she has defied her husband, she has defied the Nazis." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Marina Goldman, who gives her voice to Martha Sharp, let me know that she never got to meet Tom Hanks,...
At the Le Cirque lunch hosted by Dan Abrams, Kerry Kennedy, Lawrence O’Donnell and producers Dan Cogan (Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's Havana Motor Club; Edet Belzberg's Watchers Of The Sky, featuring Luis Moreno Ocampo), Geralyn Dreyfous (Martha Stephens and Aaron Katz's Land Ho!; Kirby Dick's The Invisible War and The Hunting Ground) and Judith Helfand (Martha Shane and Lana Wilson's After Tiller) for Defying The Nazis: The Sharps' War, I spoke with the directors, Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky.
Ken Burns with Artemis Joukowsky: "And this is a feminist tale as well! From the very beginning, she has defied her parents, she has defied her husband, she has defied the Nazis." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Marina Goldman, who gives her voice to Martha Sharp, let me know that she never got to meet Tom Hanks,...
- 9/19/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Suncoast Credit Union Gasparilla International Film Festival (Giff) has announced the official program for its 10th year anniversary in Tampa, Florida. The 10th annual festival will be held March 30-April 3 at the Tampa Theater and Ybor City’s Carmike Cinemas. With 115 films, the festival will host international and regional premieres of narrative features, documentaries and short films around the world, special tributes, master classes, panel discussions and much more.
This year’s special tribute will celebrate the many accomplishments of Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony winner Rita Moreno. Giff will honor Moreno with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, her film, "Remember Me" will screen at the festival.
A jury of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will be presenting awards to competition films in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary, Spotlight and Shorts.
Highlights include:
Opening Night Film (Narrative)
"Eye in the Sky" (UK): Academy Award winner Helen Mirren stars alongside Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Iain Glen in this timely thriller about a terrorist-targeting drone mission that becomes a flashpoint when a civilian girl enters the kill zone. Directed by Gavin Hood.
Closing Night Film (Narrative)
"Everybody Wants Some" (USA): A group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Starring Zoey Deutch, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Blake Jenner. Directed by Richard Linklater
Narrative Features:
"Precious Cargo" (World Premiere) : After a botched heist, Eddie, a murderous crime boss, hunts down the seductive thief Karen who failed him. In order to win back Eddie’s trust, Karen recruits her ex-lover and premier thief Jack. Starring Bruce Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani. Directed by Max Adams. "Embrace Of The Serpent" (Colombia. Florida Premiere): Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of 40 years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant. Starring: Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolivar. Directed by Ciro Guerra "Ma Ma" (Spain. Florida Premiere): A woman recently diagnosed with cancer forms an unexpected bond with a soccer scout (Luis Tosar) whose wife has been gravely injured in a car accident. Starring: Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz. Directed by Julio Medem "Love and Friendship" (France/Netherlands. Florida Premiere): In the 18th century, the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan uses devious tactics to win the heart of the eligible Reginald De Courcy. Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny. Directed by Whit Stillman. "The Daughter" (Australia. Florida Premiere): A young man returns to his dying hometown and discovers a dark family secret that could tear apart the lives of those he left behind, in this contemporary adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. Starring: Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, with Odessa Young and Sam Neill. Directed by Simon Stone. "The Debt" (USA. Florida Premiere): A hedge-fund honcho puts through the deal of a lifetime: the redemption of a billion-dollar debt owed by the Peruvian government to its citizens. The quick buck soon turns into a nightmare. Starring: Stephen Dorff, Alberto Ammann, Carlos Bardem, and David Strathairn. Directed by Barney Elliott"The Adderall Diaries" (USA. Florida Premiere): Based on the bestselling memoir by Stephen Elliott, The Adderall Diaries is the story of an author paralyzed by writer's block and an escalating drug dependency who is sucked down the rabbit hole of a high-profile murder case. Starring:James Franco, Ed Harris and Amber Heard. Written and directed by Pamela Romanowsky"One More Time" (USA. Florida Premiere): After one too many big city problems, Jude heads to the Hamptons home of her father, an over-the-hill crooner desperately charting his musical comeback. Starring: Amber Heard, Kelli Garner and Christopher Walken. Directed by Robert Edwards. "Little Men" (USA. Florida Premiere): Jake is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler when he meets the affably brash Tony at his grandfather's funeral. The budding friendship is put at risk, however, when a rent dispute between Jake's father, Brian and Tony's mother, Leonor, threatens to become contentious. Starring: Greg Kinnear, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri and Alfred Molina. Directed by Ira Sachs "A Beautiful Now" (USA. Florida Premiere): As a beautiful dancer balances between reality and fantasy, she asks her friends to help her figure out the passions and relationships that have shaped her identity. Starring: Abigail Spencer, Cheyenne Jackson, Collette Wolfe. Directed by: Daniela Amavia "Puerto Ricans in Paris" (USA. Florida Premiere): Two Puerto Rican NYPD detectives head to Paris to track down a stolen handbag. Starring: Luiz Guzman, Rosie Perez, Rosario Dawson. Directed by Ian Edelman "The Black Coat’s Daughter" (USA. Florida Premiere): Beautiful and haunted Joan makes a pilgrimage across a frozen landscape toward a prestigious all girls prep school where Rose and Kat find themselves stranded after their parents mysteriously fail to retrieve them for winter break. Starring: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, James Remar, Lauren Holly. Directed by Osgood Perkins "The Truth About Lies" (USA. Florida Premiere): A desperate, unemployed man (Fran Kranz) who lives with his mother weaves an ever-growing web of lies to impress a beautiful woman. Starring: Fran Kranz, Odette Annable. Directed by Phil Allocco. Documentaries
"Hair I Go Again" (World Premiere): Facing a mid-life crossroads, two longtime friends risk everything as they set out to fulfill their dreams of achieving rock & roll stardom. Directed by: Steve McClure. "Hano! A Century in the Bleachers" (Florida Premiere): Meet Arnold Hano, 93, legendary sportswriter and social activist. Baseball fan, war veteran and storyteller emeritus: few have lived and chronicled the American experience as extensively. Directed by: Jon Leonoudakis. "Smart" (Florida Premiere): Groundbreaking feature-length documentary about a group of highly trained, adrenaline-fueled professionals who risk life and limb to rescue animals. They're Los Angeles' Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team! Directed by Justin Zimmerman "No Greater Love" (Florida Premiere): U.S. Army Chaplain Justin Roberts goes on missions with the legendary No Slack battalion in Afghanistan in 2010/2011 armed with only a camera. Directed by Justin Roberts.
Cuban Sidebar: Films focusing on Cuba
"Craving Cuba" (World Premiere): A Cuban-American woman seeks to understand her true identity. Directed by: Zuzy Martin Lynch "The Forbidden Shore" (World Premiere)- The amazing diversity of contemporary Cuban music is gorgeously explored in Ron Chapman’s third documentary feature. Chapman captures the full gamut of what’s happening now in Cuba, both the most exciting artists and the distinct musical scenes they move In. Directed by Ron Chapman. "Havana Motor Club" (Florida Premiere): Reforms have offered opportunity in Cuba but the children of the Revolution are unsure of the best route forward. For a half-dozen drag racers, this means last-minute changes to their beloved American muscle cars, as they prepare for the first sanctioned race in Cuba since 1960. Directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
Florida Focus : World premiere of independent films made in Florida
"Waiting on Mary" : A struggling actor, traumatized by a brutal divorce, assumes the personality of a colonial character he played at a failed amusement park as a way of retreating from his pain. Directed by: Corey Horton "Bear With Us" : A modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his plan falls apart when a ravenous bear stumbles on their charming cabin in the woods. Directed by: William Stribling. "Dooder And the Lighthouse" : Dooder Parker is eighty-six and full of life. When the historic lighthouse in his hometown becomes doomed to fall into the Gulf, his recounting of local history evolves into a reflection on his love for his wife. Stories intertwine to paint a portrait of a vanishing way of life. Directed by: Clayton Long & Lisa Long In addition to feature length films, Giff will present over 70 short films. Short film blocks include:
“Lol”: Comedic short films · “Films on a Mission”: Short films focusing on a specific cause
· “Thrill Ride”: Thriller, action, and horror short films.
· “Love is In the Air”: Romantic short films
· “ Motion Tunes”: Short films related to music
· “Save the Drama”: Drama short films
· “Films 101”: College made short films
· “High School Film Showcase”: Giff’s high school filmmaking competition sponsored by Suncoast Credit Union
Additionally, Gasparilla will feature in-depth, informative Industry Panels, including, Meet The Press, Casting Directors, “The Performance” Actor’s panel, Special Effects, Do’s, Don’ts for a Film Festival Run and “The Pitch.” Additionally, Giff is proud to welcome Academy Award nominated animator Bill Plympton (1987’s Your Face).
For more information on all the films to be screened and industry events, please go to:
www.gasparillafilmfestival.com...
This year’s special tribute will celebrate the many accomplishments of Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony winner Rita Moreno. Giff will honor Moreno with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, her film, "Remember Me" will screen at the festival.
A jury of industry professionals and acclaimed filmmakers will be presenting awards to competition films in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary, Spotlight and Shorts.
Highlights include:
Opening Night Film (Narrative)
"Eye in the Sky" (UK): Academy Award winner Helen Mirren stars alongside Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Iain Glen in this timely thriller about a terrorist-targeting drone mission that becomes a flashpoint when a civilian girl enters the kill zone. Directed by Gavin Hood.
Closing Night Film (Narrative)
"Everybody Wants Some" (USA): A group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Starring Zoey Deutch, Tyler Hoechlin, Ryan Guzman, Blake Jenner. Directed by Richard Linklater
Narrative Features:
"Precious Cargo" (World Premiere) : After a botched heist, Eddie, a murderous crime boss, hunts down the seductive thief Karen who failed him. In order to win back Eddie’s trust, Karen recruits her ex-lover and premier thief Jack. Starring Bruce Willis, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Claire Forlani. Directed by Max Adams. "Embrace Of The Serpent" (Colombia. Florida Premiere): Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. The story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together over the course of 40 years to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant. Starring: Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolivar. Directed by Ciro Guerra "Ma Ma" (Spain. Florida Premiere): A woman recently diagnosed with cancer forms an unexpected bond with a soccer scout (Luis Tosar) whose wife has been gravely injured in a car accident. Starring: Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz. Directed by Julio Medem "Love and Friendship" (France/Netherlands. Florida Premiere): In the 18th century, the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan uses devious tactics to win the heart of the eligible Reginald De Courcy. Starring: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny. Directed by Whit Stillman. "The Daughter" (Australia. Florida Premiere): A young man returns to his dying hometown and discovers a dark family secret that could tear apart the lives of those he left behind, in this contemporary adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck. Starring: Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, with Odessa Young and Sam Neill. Directed by Simon Stone. "The Debt" (USA. Florida Premiere): A hedge-fund honcho puts through the deal of a lifetime: the redemption of a billion-dollar debt owed by the Peruvian government to its citizens. The quick buck soon turns into a nightmare. Starring: Stephen Dorff, Alberto Ammann, Carlos Bardem, and David Strathairn. Directed by Barney Elliott"The Adderall Diaries" (USA. Florida Premiere): Based on the bestselling memoir by Stephen Elliott, The Adderall Diaries is the story of an author paralyzed by writer's block and an escalating drug dependency who is sucked down the rabbit hole of a high-profile murder case. Starring:James Franco, Ed Harris and Amber Heard. Written and directed by Pamela Romanowsky"One More Time" (USA. Florida Premiere): After one too many big city problems, Jude heads to the Hamptons home of her father, an over-the-hill crooner desperately charting his musical comeback. Starring: Amber Heard, Kelli Garner and Christopher Walken. Directed by Robert Edwards. "Little Men" (USA. Florida Premiere): Jake is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler when he meets the affably brash Tony at his grandfather's funeral. The budding friendship is put at risk, however, when a rent dispute between Jake's father, Brian and Tony's mother, Leonor, threatens to become contentious. Starring: Greg Kinnear, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri and Alfred Molina. Directed by Ira Sachs "A Beautiful Now" (USA. Florida Premiere): As a beautiful dancer balances between reality and fantasy, she asks her friends to help her figure out the passions and relationships that have shaped her identity. Starring: Abigail Spencer, Cheyenne Jackson, Collette Wolfe. Directed by: Daniela Amavia "Puerto Ricans in Paris" (USA. Florida Premiere): Two Puerto Rican NYPD detectives head to Paris to track down a stolen handbag. Starring: Luiz Guzman, Rosie Perez, Rosario Dawson. Directed by Ian Edelman "The Black Coat’s Daughter" (USA. Florida Premiere): Beautiful and haunted Joan makes a pilgrimage across a frozen landscape toward a prestigious all girls prep school where Rose and Kat find themselves stranded after their parents mysteriously fail to retrieve them for winter break. Starring: Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka, James Remar, Lauren Holly. Directed by Osgood Perkins "The Truth About Lies" (USA. Florida Premiere): A desperate, unemployed man (Fran Kranz) who lives with his mother weaves an ever-growing web of lies to impress a beautiful woman. Starring: Fran Kranz, Odette Annable. Directed by Phil Allocco. Documentaries
"Hair I Go Again" (World Premiere): Facing a mid-life crossroads, two longtime friends risk everything as they set out to fulfill their dreams of achieving rock & roll stardom. Directed by: Steve McClure. "Hano! A Century in the Bleachers" (Florida Premiere): Meet Arnold Hano, 93, legendary sportswriter and social activist. Baseball fan, war veteran and storyteller emeritus: few have lived and chronicled the American experience as extensively. Directed by: Jon Leonoudakis. "Smart" (Florida Premiere): Groundbreaking feature-length documentary about a group of highly trained, adrenaline-fueled professionals who risk life and limb to rescue animals. They're Los Angeles' Specialized Mobile Animal Rescue Team! Directed by Justin Zimmerman "No Greater Love" (Florida Premiere): U.S. Army Chaplain Justin Roberts goes on missions with the legendary No Slack battalion in Afghanistan in 2010/2011 armed with only a camera. Directed by Justin Roberts.
Cuban Sidebar: Films focusing on Cuba
"Craving Cuba" (World Premiere): A Cuban-American woman seeks to understand her true identity. Directed by: Zuzy Martin Lynch "The Forbidden Shore" (World Premiere)- The amazing diversity of contemporary Cuban music is gorgeously explored in Ron Chapman’s third documentary feature. Chapman captures the full gamut of what’s happening now in Cuba, both the most exciting artists and the distinct musical scenes they move In. Directed by Ron Chapman. "Havana Motor Club" (Florida Premiere): Reforms have offered opportunity in Cuba but the children of the Revolution are unsure of the best route forward. For a half-dozen drag racers, this means last-minute changes to their beloved American muscle cars, as they prepare for the first sanctioned race in Cuba since 1960. Directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
Florida Focus : World premiere of independent films made in Florida
"Waiting on Mary" : A struggling actor, traumatized by a brutal divorce, assumes the personality of a colonial character he played at a failed amusement park as a way of retreating from his pain. Directed by: Corey Horton "Bear With Us" : A modern farce about a guy who attempts to propose to his girlfriend in the most romantic way possible, but his plan falls apart when a ravenous bear stumbles on their charming cabin in the woods. Directed by: William Stribling. "Dooder And the Lighthouse" : Dooder Parker is eighty-six and full of life. When the historic lighthouse in his hometown becomes doomed to fall into the Gulf, his recounting of local history evolves into a reflection on his love for his wife. Stories intertwine to paint a portrait of a vanishing way of life. Directed by: Clayton Long & Lisa Long In addition to feature length films, Giff will present over 70 short films. Short film blocks include:
“Lol”: Comedic short films · “Films on a Mission”: Short films focusing on a specific cause
· “Thrill Ride”: Thriller, action, and horror short films.
· “Love is In the Air”: Romantic short films
· “ Motion Tunes”: Short films related to music
· “Save the Drama”: Drama short films
· “Films 101”: College made short films
· “High School Film Showcase”: Giff’s high school filmmaking competition sponsored by Suncoast Credit Union
Additionally, Gasparilla will feature in-depth, informative Industry Panels, including, Meet The Press, Casting Directors, “The Performance” Actor’s panel, Special Effects, Do’s, Don’ts for a Film Festival Run and “The Pitch.” Additionally, Giff is proud to welcome Academy Award nominated animator Bill Plympton (1987’s Your Face).
For more information on all the films to be screened and industry events, please go to:
www.gasparillafilmfestival.com...
- 3/23/2016
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Samuel Goldwyn Films has obtained worldwide distribution rights to Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt’s four-year project "Havana Motor Club." The film is a timely documentary that explores not just the exciting world of underground car racing, but also a nation amidst political change as seen through the eyes of the racing community. The film is described by Samuel Goldwyn Films as both "a pulse-pounding film about underground drag racers in Cuba and their pursuit to hold the first official car race since the 1959 Revolution" and "a personal, character-driven story about Cuba's vibrant community." Perlmutt previously co-directed the documentary "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel," about the prolific Harpers Bazaar editor. The film was also released by Samuel Goldwyn Films. "Havana Motor Club" had its world premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. The film is planned to be released in 2016. Read More: Samuel Goldwyn Films...
- 11/3/2015
- by J. Carlos Menjivar
- Indiewire
Plus… La Film Festival announces partnership with ArcLight Cinemas for 2016; Lakeshore, Phantom Four partner on Miles, Seattle grant finalists; Davoli and Davids merge firms.Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired worldwide rights from Submarine Entertainment and Rosalind Lichter to Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt’s Havana Motor Club (pictured) about underground drag racers in Cuba. The film premiered in Tribeca and will open in 2016.The La Film Festival produced by Film Independent has announced a partnership with ArcLight Cinemas that will see the 22nd edition of the La Film Festival take place at ArcLight Cinemas across the city next summer from June 1-9.Paramount Television has closed a two-year overall television deal with Beasts Of No Nation director Cary Fukunaga and his production company Parliament Of Owls. Fukunaga is collaborating with Paramount Television as director and executive producer of The Alienist for TNT. Benicio del Toro, an awards season contender for Sicario, will take place in an on-stage conversation about his career...
- 11/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Gawker Media's Jalopnik Film Festival is Accepting Submissions (and Volvo Wants to Help You Make a Car Film) The Jalopnik Film Festival, now in its third year, is motoring west to Los Angeles for the weekend of September 25-26. The festival, devoted to all-things automobile, will feature a full day of documentary and narrative films at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Titles slated for screening include Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's "Havana Motor Club," Adam Carolla's "Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman" and "Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans." John Frankenheimer's "Ronin" and George Miller's original "Mad Max" will also be getting the big screen treatment. The festival will include a reader-submitted short film competition, judged by Carolla, L.A. Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson, filmmaker Jeff Zwart and TV personality Spike Feresten. Read More: Here Are All the Movies Opening Today, May 22;...
- 9/17/2015
- by Aubrey Page
- Indiewire
Back in March I had the great pleasure of attending the Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, a world-class event with an incredible program, enriching industry events, and outstanding parties as they could only happen in Miami. But the festival doesn't only shine in the spring, its permanent fall event is yet another film lovers haven and was created to whet Festivalgoers' appetites for next year’s 33rd edition running March 4-13, 2016.The lineup for this event, appropriately titled Gems 2015, was announced this morning
Taking place over four days (October 22 – 25, 2015), Gems will premiere highly acclaimed films from Cannes, Berlin & Sundance; Oscar hopefuls; and international box office sensations from the U.S., Spain, Chile, Italy, France, Colombia, and many others. Mdc's Tower Theater Miami will serve as the exclusive venue for all screenings and seminars. Note that this is the only major film festival worldwide produced by a college or university.
Gems will open with director John Crowley’s "Brooklyn," which premiered at Sundance back in January and stars Oscar-nominates actress Saoirse Ronan. The festival will close with Warner Bros' anticipated "The 33" starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Rodrigo Santoro, Cate Del Castillo, Mario Casas and Lou Diamond Phillips.
The Festival’s Executive Director & Director of Programming Jaie Laplante states, “Film festivals are dazzling times, when the shiniest lights of the current cinema are collected in one place for a concentrated moment. So it is with this year's Gems selection, and I invite film lovers of all types to experience las joyas de la corona of the season."
The Gems film slate includes:
1. "Brooklyn" (USA / Ireland), directed by John Crowley *Opening Night Film
Adapted by Nick Hornby ("An Education") from the Colm Toibin bestselling novel, this 1950s story follows the life of a young Irish woman caught between tradition and passion, between two countries and two futures. Starring Oscar nominee for Atonement, Saoirse Ronan, the cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Emory Cohen, and Domhnall Gleason.
2. "The 33" (USA / Chile), directed by Patricia Riggen *Closing Night Film
An international rescue effort to save 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,300 foot underground for 69 days in the Copiapó mine riveted over a billion people in 2010, and now a superb international film adaptation recreates the details of that unprecedented event. The epic list of cast names includes Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche and Rodrigo Santoro.
3. "The Assassin" (Taiwan), directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien *Winner of the Best Director Award at Cannes 2015
In 9th century China, 10-year-old Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who transforms her into an impressive warrior. One day, she is sent back to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man whom she was promised, and Nie Yinniang must choose: assassinate the man she loves or break forever from the scared honor of her training.
4. "The Club" (El club) (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín
Director Pablo Larraín's follow-up to his global success and Oscar-nominated "No," (starring Gael Garcia Bernal), is a tough, scathing and psychologically sobering indictment on the Catholic Church's handling of moral failings within the institution.
5. "Embrace of the Serpent" (El abrazo de la serpiente) (Colombia), directed by Ciro Guerra *Winner of the Top Directors' Fortnight Award at Cannes 2015
Guerra’s previous film, "The Wind Journeys" (2009), was an international hit and one of the 2010 Festival's most popular films in Miami. For his new film, Guerra travels deep into the wilds of the Amazon jungle, and into the dangerous territory of the historical past. This is an epic and thrilling journey, capped with velvety, rich black & white cinematography, confirming Guerra's status as one of Latin America's most confident talents.
6. "Havana Motor Club" (USA / Cuba), directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
One of the most fascinating events of Miami International Film Festival in 2014 was filmmaker Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's special presentation on his creative process in constructing his portrait of Cuba's top underground drag racers of classic American cars. A year later, the film is now complete, and Gems is delighted to bring Perlmutt back to Miami to share the finished work.
7. "It’s Now or Never" (Ahora o nunca) (Spain), directed by Maria Ripoll
This summer's biggest homegrown box office hit in Spain, It's Now or Never pairs Spain's newest film star, Dani Rovira, whose charms help propel "Spanish Affair" (Ocho apellidos vascos) to become Spain's all-time box office champion, with the luminous Goya winner María Valverde, who gets a rare opportunity to demonstrate her comedic gifts. The result is a frothy, frisky comedy of first-class creative power, expertly timed and filled with joyous performances, from the leads to the delightful character actors found in even the smallest roles. Clara Largo and Alicia Rubio co-star in this comedy that once again proves no one does inspired silliness quite like the Spanish.
8. "Krisha" (USA), directed by Trey Edward Shults
Winner of both the Grand Jury Price and the Audience Award at SXSW earlier this year, Trey Edward Shults’ highly personal and compelling hypnotic drama was also selected at this year’s Critics Week in Cannes. Shults has already drawn comparisons to the work of legendary American independent director John Cassavetes for their use of family members in the cast and also their maverick avant-garde style of shooting favoring characters and scenes that envelop the viewer in both observation and emotion.
9. "Mia Madre" (Italy), directed by Nanni Moretti
Nanni Moretti’s "Mia Madre" is possibly his most personal film, and a master class on autobiographical cinema. It displays without question why Moretti is considered one of the most skilled living filmmakers to create powerful universal drama out of our smallest little big tragedies. John Turturro co-stars.
10. "My Golden Days" (France), directed by Arnaud Desplechin *Winner of Directors Fortnight Award at Cannes 2015
After years working abroad, anthropologist Paul Dedalus (Mathieu Amalric) returns to France to find an explosive emotional time bomb awaits him. This epic coming of age tale portrays first love as a candid, sensual and unique experience that his alter-ego discovers could leave a mark that will last as long as life itself.
11. "A Perfect Day" (Spain), directed by Fernando León de Aranoa.
Spanish director Fernando León de Aranoa makes his first English language film with this Cannes-debuting tale of 24 hours in the lives of two veteran humanitarian aid workers in the waning days of the 1995 Balkan War. Veteran Hollywood stars Benicio del Toro and Tim Robbins are in fine form as the leads, who hold on to their boyish charms even as they age with graceful wisdom.
12. "Trash" (U.K. / Brazil), directed by Stephen Daldry. *Special Gems Preview Night on October 5, 2015.
Three-time Best Director Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliott," "The Hours," "The Reader") delivers the soaring triumphs of his earlier successes, while shining a spotlight on the sobering challenges facing one of the world's most closely-watched cities, Rio de Janeiro. The high-powered cast includes Brazilian superstars Wagner Moura ("Elite Squad") and Selton Mello ("Jean Charles," "The Clown"), as well as Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara.
13. "Yona" (Israel), directed by Nir Bergman
Like a "living thunderbolt", the bold and nonconformist Yona Wallach stormed through Tel-Aviv's male-dominated political and poetry circles in the 1960s. Yona’s work eventually became recognized in the most prominent literary books and magazines of her time, and she was honored with the Israeli Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 1978. Director Nir Bergman’s biopic vividly captures Yona’s highs, lows and her brave rebellion against a chauvinistic society with her unique voice.
14. "Youth" (Italy), directed by Paolo Sorrentino
The space (and communion) between the generations is the subject of Paolo Sorrentino's newest Fellini-tinged masterpiece. Coming off his 2014 Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film for "The Great Beauty," the Italian auteur is on a roll, orchestrating grand themes around life's wisdom with a phenomenal cast of actors including Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, and Jane Fonda.
In addition to Gems slate of premieres, the festival will be hosting a heartfelt special Master Class Tribute to the late James Horner. Known as Hollywood’s ultimate movie composer, he passed away in an aircraft accident this past June, not long after completing what would turn out to be one of his final great scores – the music for Patricia Riggen’s "The 33." On the eve of the premiere of the film Miami-based feature film composer Carlos Rafael Rivera ( "A Walk Among The Tombstones," 2014) will take an in-depth look at Horner’s work and career, using cues to demonstrate the powerful, yet often subtle, creative influence Horner brought to specific scenes and entire films.
Tickets will go on sale to Miami Film Society members exclusively on Friday, September 25, 2015 and to the general public on Thursday, October 1, 2015. Tickets: 1-844-565-6433(Miff) or www.miamifilmfestival.com/Gems.
Taking place over four days (October 22 – 25, 2015), Gems will premiere highly acclaimed films from Cannes, Berlin & Sundance; Oscar hopefuls; and international box office sensations from the U.S., Spain, Chile, Italy, France, Colombia, and many others. Mdc's Tower Theater Miami will serve as the exclusive venue for all screenings and seminars. Note that this is the only major film festival worldwide produced by a college or university.
Gems will open with director John Crowley’s "Brooklyn," which premiered at Sundance back in January and stars Oscar-nominates actress Saoirse Ronan. The festival will close with Warner Bros' anticipated "The 33" starring Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche, Rodrigo Santoro, Cate Del Castillo, Mario Casas and Lou Diamond Phillips.
The Festival’s Executive Director & Director of Programming Jaie Laplante states, “Film festivals are dazzling times, when the shiniest lights of the current cinema are collected in one place for a concentrated moment. So it is with this year's Gems selection, and I invite film lovers of all types to experience las joyas de la corona of the season."
The Gems film slate includes:
1. "Brooklyn" (USA / Ireland), directed by John Crowley *Opening Night Film
Adapted by Nick Hornby ("An Education") from the Colm Toibin bestselling novel, this 1950s story follows the life of a young Irish woman caught between tradition and passion, between two countries and two futures. Starring Oscar nominee for Atonement, Saoirse Ronan, the cast also includes Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Emory Cohen, and Domhnall Gleason.
2. "The 33" (USA / Chile), directed by Patricia Riggen *Closing Night Film
An international rescue effort to save 33 Chilean miners trapped 2,300 foot underground for 69 days in the Copiapó mine riveted over a billion people in 2010, and now a superb international film adaptation recreates the details of that unprecedented event. The epic list of cast names includes Antonio Banderas, Juliette Binoche and Rodrigo Santoro.
3. "The Assassin" (Taiwan), directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien *Winner of the Best Director Award at Cannes 2015
In 9th century China, 10-year-old Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who transforms her into an impressive warrior. One day, she is sent back to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man whom she was promised, and Nie Yinniang must choose: assassinate the man she loves or break forever from the scared honor of her training.
4. "The Club" (El club) (Chile), directed by Pablo Larraín
Director Pablo Larraín's follow-up to his global success and Oscar-nominated "No," (starring Gael Garcia Bernal), is a tough, scathing and psychologically sobering indictment on the Catholic Church's handling of moral failings within the institution.
5. "Embrace of the Serpent" (El abrazo de la serpiente) (Colombia), directed by Ciro Guerra *Winner of the Top Directors' Fortnight Award at Cannes 2015
Guerra’s previous film, "The Wind Journeys" (2009), was an international hit and one of the 2010 Festival's most popular films in Miami. For his new film, Guerra travels deep into the wilds of the Amazon jungle, and into the dangerous territory of the historical past. This is an epic and thrilling journey, capped with velvety, rich black & white cinematography, confirming Guerra's status as one of Latin America's most confident talents.
6. "Havana Motor Club" (USA / Cuba), directed by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
One of the most fascinating events of Miami International Film Festival in 2014 was filmmaker Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt's special presentation on his creative process in constructing his portrait of Cuba's top underground drag racers of classic American cars. A year later, the film is now complete, and Gems is delighted to bring Perlmutt back to Miami to share the finished work.
7. "It’s Now or Never" (Ahora o nunca) (Spain), directed by Maria Ripoll
This summer's biggest homegrown box office hit in Spain, It's Now or Never pairs Spain's newest film star, Dani Rovira, whose charms help propel "Spanish Affair" (Ocho apellidos vascos) to become Spain's all-time box office champion, with the luminous Goya winner María Valverde, who gets a rare opportunity to demonstrate her comedic gifts. The result is a frothy, frisky comedy of first-class creative power, expertly timed and filled with joyous performances, from the leads to the delightful character actors found in even the smallest roles. Clara Largo and Alicia Rubio co-star in this comedy that once again proves no one does inspired silliness quite like the Spanish.
8. "Krisha" (USA), directed by Trey Edward Shults
Winner of both the Grand Jury Price and the Audience Award at SXSW earlier this year, Trey Edward Shults’ highly personal and compelling hypnotic drama was also selected at this year’s Critics Week in Cannes. Shults has already drawn comparisons to the work of legendary American independent director John Cassavetes for their use of family members in the cast and also their maverick avant-garde style of shooting favoring characters and scenes that envelop the viewer in both observation and emotion.
9. "Mia Madre" (Italy), directed by Nanni Moretti
Nanni Moretti’s "Mia Madre" is possibly his most personal film, and a master class on autobiographical cinema. It displays without question why Moretti is considered one of the most skilled living filmmakers to create powerful universal drama out of our smallest little big tragedies. John Turturro co-stars.
10. "My Golden Days" (France), directed by Arnaud Desplechin *Winner of Directors Fortnight Award at Cannes 2015
After years working abroad, anthropologist Paul Dedalus (Mathieu Amalric) returns to France to find an explosive emotional time bomb awaits him. This epic coming of age tale portrays first love as a candid, sensual and unique experience that his alter-ego discovers could leave a mark that will last as long as life itself.
11. "A Perfect Day" (Spain), directed by Fernando León de Aranoa.
Spanish director Fernando León de Aranoa makes his first English language film with this Cannes-debuting tale of 24 hours in the lives of two veteran humanitarian aid workers in the waning days of the 1995 Balkan War. Veteran Hollywood stars Benicio del Toro and Tim Robbins are in fine form as the leads, who hold on to their boyish charms even as they age with graceful wisdom.
12. "Trash" (U.K. / Brazil), directed by Stephen Daldry. *Special Gems Preview Night on October 5, 2015.
Three-time Best Director Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry ("Billy Elliott," "The Hours," "The Reader") delivers the soaring triumphs of his earlier successes, while shining a spotlight on the sobering challenges facing one of the world's most closely-watched cities, Rio de Janeiro. The high-powered cast includes Brazilian superstars Wagner Moura ("Elite Squad") and Selton Mello ("Jean Charles," "The Clown"), as well as Martin Sheen and Rooney Mara.
13. "Yona" (Israel), directed by Nir Bergman
Like a "living thunderbolt", the bold and nonconformist Yona Wallach stormed through Tel-Aviv's male-dominated political and poetry circles in the 1960s. Yona’s work eventually became recognized in the most prominent literary books and magazines of her time, and she was honored with the Israeli Prime Minister’s Literary Award in 1978. Director Nir Bergman’s biopic vividly captures Yona’s highs, lows and her brave rebellion against a chauvinistic society with her unique voice.
14. "Youth" (Italy), directed by Paolo Sorrentino
The space (and communion) between the generations is the subject of Paolo Sorrentino's newest Fellini-tinged masterpiece. Coming off his 2014 Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film for "The Great Beauty," the Italian auteur is on a roll, orchestrating grand themes around life's wisdom with a phenomenal cast of actors including Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, and Jane Fonda.
In addition to Gems slate of premieres, the festival will be hosting a heartfelt special Master Class Tribute to the late James Horner. Known as Hollywood’s ultimate movie composer, he passed away in an aircraft accident this past June, not long after completing what would turn out to be one of his final great scores – the music for Patricia Riggen’s "The 33." On the eve of the premiere of the film Miami-based feature film composer Carlos Rafael Rivera ( "A Walk Among The Tombstones," 2014) will take an in-depth look at Horner’s work and career, using cues to demonstrate the powerful, yet often subtle, creative influence Horner brought to specific scenes and entire films.
Tickets will go on sale to Miami Film Society members exclusively on Friday, September 25, 2015 and to the general public on Thursday, October 1, 2015. Tickets: 1-844-565-6433(Miff) or www.miamifilmfestival.com/Gems.
- 9/3/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Read More: Meet the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival Filmmakers Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, co-directer of 2011 fashion doc "Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel," is back with "Havana Motor Club," an exciting film about drag racers in Cuba. As this underground community of racers prepare for their first sanctioned race in Cuba since 1960, the drama and the motors heat up. "Havana Motor Club" offers a look inside an exclusive and competitive world teaming with ingenuity and promise. What's your film about in 140 characters or less? Change is racing down Havana’s streets, where Cuba's top underground drag racers prep for the first official car race since the Revolution. Now what's it Really about? "Havana Motor Club" tells a personal, character-driven story about Cuba's vibrant community of underground drag racers and their quest to hold Cuba's first official car race since shortly after the 1959 Revolution. It tackles how Cuba’s recent reforms — the...
- 4/17/2015
- by Anya Jaremko-Greenwold
- Indiewire
Andrew Renzi‘s directorial debut about a third wheel starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James, Reed Morano‘s relationship testing drama featuring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, Onur Tukel‘s secret unleashed on the airwaves and Gregory Kohn‘s hallucinatory tale with Eléonore Hendricks topling are part of the American independent offerings at the 14th Tribeca Film Festival. Renzi’s Franny and Morano’s Meadowland will be competing in the dozen selected in the World Narrative Competition while Tukel’s Applesauce and Kohn’s Come Down Molly are among the in the Viewpoints sidebar. Here are the selected titles below sans synopsis.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
World Narrative Feature Competition (12)
The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.
Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.
Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere
Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.
- 3/3/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Top brass at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) presented by At&T have announced the World Narrative and Documentary Competition and Viewpoints selections.
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
Organisers also said that At&T’s Film For All Friday will return with free screenings on April 24. The festival is set to run in New York City from April 15-26 and the festival hub is Spring Studios.
Tuesday’s announcement covers 51 films out of a total 97 features at the upcoming 14th edition. As previously announced, Tribeca will open with the documentary Live From New York!
The line-up includes world premieres of Andrew Renzi’s Franny starring Richard Gere, Pamela Romanowsky’s The Adderall Diaries with James Franco, Amber Heard, Ed Harris and Cynthia Nixon and documentaries In My Father’s House by Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and In Transit from Albert Maysles and four co-directors.
Thirty of the festival’s feature film directors are women –the highest percentage in Tribeca history. Nine of...
- 3/3/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Here's your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you'll have the chance to vote for your favorite. In the meantime: Is this a movie you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments. "Havana Motor Club" Tweetable Logline: "Havana Motor Club" explores Cuba's vibrant drag-racing community & their quest to hold the 1st official car race in Cuba since the Revolution Elevator Pitch: As Cuba lifts its fifty-year ban on racing, five of its top underground drag racers, longtime friends and rivals, prepare their American classics to compete. The vast changes sweeping Cuba are evident in these drivers’ hopes and struggles, as they gear up for the first official race since the Revolution. Production Team: Director, Producer: Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt Producer, Cinematographer: Zelmira Gainza Executive Producers: Magnus Andersson, Raja Sethuraman, Dan Cogan Editors: Armando Croda, Julio Perez IV,Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt Additional Cinematography: Armando Croda,...
- 4/8/2014
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
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