"I think I scare people. I really have to watch myself." - Joanna Cassidy

The 22nd Oldenburg International Film Festival has its guest star in Joanna Cassidy, a Hollywood icon who can look back on nearly fifty successful years in the film industry.

The actress will present her latest film, the neo-noir thriller "Too Late" alongside the director, Dennis Hauck, at the international premiere gala in Oldenburg. In addition, the festival will honor her with a Tribute and will screen "Blade Runner", "Under Fire" and "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" that she will also introduce.

In 1974 Cassidy moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, initially to work in television. She took on cameo appearances in TV's "Mission: Impossible" and "Starsky & Hutch". In cinema, she appeared in the 80s in films that have long since become classics. After her breakthrough on the big screen with her role of the replicant Zhora in Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", she acted with the likes of Nick Nolte and Gene Hackman in Roger Spottiswoode's "Under Fire", one the best films of the year, according to the film critic Roger Ebert. Cassidy's performance was highly praised and her role as a clever, strong, and independent woman established her cinematic image. Joanna Cassidy also left a lasting impression alongside Bob Hoskins in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" by Robert Zemeckis, the pioneering mixture of live action and cartoon, film noir and family film.

Joanna Cassidy is one of the very few actresses of her generation that never had a problem working with TV and cinema projects simultaneously. Some of her more recent work includes the path-breaking series "Six Feet Under" as well as "Body of Proof", "Call Me Fitz" or currently, "Odd Mom Out". She stood in front of the camera for more than 150 projects, was nominated for multiple Emmys, and won the Golden Globe for "Buffalo Bill" in 1984.

The Oldenburg International Film Festival is pleased to welcome Hollywood star Joanna Cassidy in September as its guest of honor.

The programme for the 59th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express® launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. BFI London Film Festival is Britain's leading film event and one of the world's oldest film festivals. It introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience. The Festival provides an essential platform for films seeking global success; and promotes the careers of British and international filmmakers through its industry and awards programmes. With this year’s industry programme stronger than ever, offering international filmmakers and leaders a programme of insightful events covering every area of the film industry‎ LFF positions London as the world’s leading creative city.

The Festival will screen a total of 238 fiction and documentary features, including 16 World Premieres, 8 International Premieres, 40 European Premieres and 11 Archive films including 5 Restoration World Premieres.[1] There will also be screenings of 182 live action and animated shorts.  A stellar line-up of directors, cast and crew are expected to take part in career interviews, ScreenTalks, Q&As and a new programme of Industry Talks: LFF Connects. The 59th BFI London Film Festival will run Wednesday 7 – Sunday 18 October 2015.

Taking place over 12 days, the Festival’s screenings are at venues across the capital, from the West End cinemas – Vue West End and the iconic Odeon Leicester Square; central London venues – BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, Picturehouse Central, the ICA, Curzon Mayfair, Curzon Soho, Cineworld Haymarket and Ciné Lumière; and local cinemas – Ritzy Brixton, Hackney Picturehouse, Curzon Chelsea, Vue Islington and Rich Mix.  Additional screenings and events will take place at Tate Modern. Audiences across the UK can enjoy the Festival via simultaneous screenings in their local cinemas.

GALAS

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

The Festival opens with the European Premiere of SUFFRAGETTE, starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep. Director Sarah Gavron returns to the Festival for a third time with a film that tells the story of the ordinary British women at the turn of the last century who risked everything in the fight for equality and the right to vote.

Audiences around the UK will have the chance to enjoy a live cinecast from the Opening Night red carpet via satellite to cinemas across the UK, followed by an exclusive preview screening of Suffragette. All the red carpet action will also be live-streamed on the BFI’s YouTube channel, thanks to our partners at Pathé and Google.

The European Premiere of STEVE JOBS will close the Festival, directed by Danny Boyle whose films Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and 127 Hours (2010) previously closed the Festival. Based on Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography, the film takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to create a revealing portrait of the man at its epicentre. The film stars Michael Fassbender in the title role, Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg and Katherine Waterston.

HEADLINE GALAS

Among the other highly anticipated Galas are the previously announced American Express Gala of Todd Haynes’ CAROL, a beautiful 1950s romantic drama about a young woman working as a clerk in a department store who meets and falls in love with an alluring woman trapped in a loveless convenient marriage.  The film stars Academy Award® winner Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, who won the Best Actress Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film. The Accenture Gala is the European premiere of TRUMBO, directed by Jay Roach and starring Bryan Cranston in a cracking performance as Dalton Trumbo, the Hollywood screenwriter who was blacklisted after refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1947.  Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning, Louis C.K. and John Goodman round out the cast. We are delighted to welcome back Official Airline Partner to this year’s Festival, Virgin Atlantic who will present Scott Cooper’s chilling crime drama BLACK MASS starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch and Joel Edgerton. The May Fair Hotel Gala is the European Premiere of the stirring drama BROOKLYN starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson and Emory Cohen, adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby from Colm Tóibin’s best-selling novel about the exquisite pain of choosing between an Irish homeland and the new promise of America.  The Centrepiece Gala supported by the Mayor of London is the European Premiere of director Nicholas Hytner’s THE LADY IN THE VAN adapted from writer Alan Bennett’s play and starring Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Jim Broadbent, Frances De La Tour and Roger Allam.  The Festival Gala is Ben Wheatley’s HIGH-RISE starring Tom Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Laing, a man who has just taken ownership of a luxurious apartment in this brilliant satire based on JG Ballard’s classic novel. The Archive Gala is the World Premiere of the BFI National Archive restoration of SHOOTING STARS, directed by A.V. Bramble and Anthony Asquith (1928).

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

This year, the Festival introduces three Special Presentations, they are: the Experimenta Special Presentation, Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson’s phantasmagoric opus THE FORBIDDEN ROOM which screens at BFI IMAX; the Documentary Special Presentation, Davis Guggenheim’s HE NAMED ME MALALA an inspiring portrait of an incredibly brave and resilient young woman who carries a message of hope for women in the world; and the previously announced Fellowship Special Presentation of James Vanderbilt’s TRUTH starring Cate Blanchett in honour of the actress receiving the BFI Fellowship at this year’s LFF Awards Ceremony.

STRAND GALAS

The nine programme strands are each headlined with a gala, they are: the Love Gala, Luca Guadagnino’s A BIGGER SPLASH; the Debate Gala, Stephen Frears’ THE PROGRAM; the Dare Gala, Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER; the Laugh Gala, Ondi Timoner’s BRAND: A SECOND COMING (European Premiere); the Thrill Gala, Deepa Mehta’s BEEBA BOYS (International Premiere); the Cult Gala, S. Craig Zahler’s BONE TOMAHAWK (International Premiere); the Journey Gala, Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s THE ASSASSIN; the Sonic Gala, Hany Abu-Assad’s THE IDOL (European Premiere) and the Family Gala is Rob Letterman’s GOOSEBUMPS (European Premiere). 

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS

The Best Film Award will again be handed out in Official Competition; the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition and the Grierson Award in Documentary Competition. This year there is also the newly introduced Short Film Award, presented to one of a shortlist of 12 films selected from across the programme. Each section is open to international and British films.

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

The Official Competition line-up, recognising inspiring, inventive and distinctive filmmaking, includes the following:

·         Jerzy Skolimowski, 11 MINUTES

·         Cary Fukunaga, BEASTS OF NO NATION

·         Apichatpong Weerasethakul, CEMETERY OF SPLENDOUR

·         Athina Rachel Tsangari, CHEVALIER

·         Simon Stone, THE DAUGHTER

·         Jonás Cuarón, DESIERTO (European Premiere)

·         Lucile Hadžihalilović, EVOLUTION

·         Johnnie To, OFFICE (European Premiere)

·         Lenny Abrahamson, ROOM

·         László Nemes, SON OF SAUL

·         Terence Davies, SUNSET SONG

·         Sean Baker, TANGERINE

·         Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya, VERY BIG SHOT (European Premiere)

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION

Titles in consideration for the Sutherland Award in the First Feature Competition recognising an original and imaginative directorial debut are:

·         Mai Masri, 3000 NIGHTS (European Premiere)

·         Eva Husson, BANG GANG (A MODERN LOVE STORY)

·         Magnus von Horn, THE HERE AFTER

·         Trey Edward Shults, KRISHA

·         Yared Zeleke, LAMB

·         Esther May Campbell, LIGHT YEARS

·         Ariel Kleiman, PARTISAN

·         Eugenio Canevari, PAULA

·         Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, TANNA

·         Piero Messina, THE WAIT

·         Nitzan Gilady, WEDDING DOLL (European Premiere)

·         Robert Eggers, THE WITCH

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The Grierson Award in the Documentary Competition category recognises cinematic documentaries with integrity, originality, and social or cultural significance. This year the Festival is screening:

·         João Pedro Plácido, (BE)LONGING

·         Mor Loushy, CENSORED VOICES

·         David Sington, THE FEAR OF 13 (World Premiere)

·         Alexandria Bombach, Mo Scarpelli, FRAME BY FRAME (European Premiere)

·         Alexander Sokurov, FRANCOFONIA

·         Frederick Wiseman, IN JACKSON HEIGHTS

·         Walter Salles, JIA ZHANGKE, A GUY FROM FENYANG

·         Tomer Heymann, MR. GAGA (International Premiere)

·         Patricio Guzmán, THE PEARL BUTTON

·         Sarah Turner, PUBLIC HOUSE (World Premiere)

·         Jennifer Peedom, SHERPA (European Premiere)

·         Hanna Polak, SOMETHING BETTER TO COME

SHORT FILM AWARD

In its inaugural year, the Short Film Award recognises short form works with a unique cinematic voice and a confident handling of chosen theme and content. This year the Festival is screening:

·         João Paulo Miranda Maria, COMMAND ACTION

·         Till Nowak, DISSONANCE

·         Nina Gantz, EDMOND

·         Peter Tscherkassky, THE EXQUISITE CORPUS

·         Mees Peijnenburg, A HOLE IN MY HEART

·         An van Dienderen, LILI (International Premiere)

·         Maïmouna Doucouré, MOTHER(S)

·         Shai Heredia, Shumona Goel, AN OLD DOG’S DIARY (European Premiere)

·         Caroline Bartleet, OPERATOR (World Premiere)

·         Jörn Threlfall, OVER

·         Vivienne Dick, RED MOON RISING (World Premiere)

·         Ziya Demirel, TUESDAY

FILM GUESTS

Key filmmaking talent due to attend the Festival’s gala and special presentation screenings include: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham-Carter, Meryl Streep, Sarah Gavron, Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Danny Boyle, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Todd Haynes, Bryan Cranston, Helen Mirren, Jay Roach, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scott Cooper, Saoirse Ronan, John Crowley, Nick Hornby, Colm Toíbín, Maggie Smith, Alex Jennings, Nicholas Hytner, Alan Bennett, Tom Hiddleston, Ben Wheatley, Luca Guadagnino, Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Yorgos Lanthimos, Ben Foster, Stephen Frears, Ondi Timoner, Randeep Hooda, Deepa Mehta, S. Craig Zahler, Hany Abu-Assad, Guy Maddin and Davis Guggenheim.

Additional filmmaking talent attending for films in competition include: for Official Competition: Jerzy Skolimowski, Cary Fukunaga, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Jonás Cuarón, Lucile Hadžihalilović, Lenny Abrahamson, Brie Larson, Terence Davies, László Nemes, Sean Baker; First Feature Competition: Mai Masri, Eva Husson, Magnus von Horn, Trey Edward Shults, Yared Zaleke, Esther May Campbell, Nitzan Gilady, Ariel Kleiman, Eugenio Canevari, Robert Eggers, Piero Messina; Documentary Competition: João Pedro Plácido, Mor Loushy, David Sington, Walter Salles , Tomer Haymenn, Patricio Guzmán, Sarah Turner and Hanna Polak.

The Festival will announce its complete guest line-up for all sections in early October.

STRANDS / PATHWAYS

The Festival programme is organised into categories clustered around the themes of Love, Debate, Dare, Laugh, Thrill, Cult, Journey, Sonic, Family and Experimenta– an approach designed to help Festival-goers find the films that appeal the most to them and to open up the Festival for new audiences.

LOVE

Love is a complex and many splendoured thing. The Love Gala is Luca Guadagnino’s feature A BIGGER SPLASH set on the volcanic, windswept Sicilian island of Pantelleria and starring Tilda Swinton as a rock star, Matthias Schoenaerts as her filmmaker lover, Ralph Fiennes as a cocky music producer and Dakota Johnson as his petulant, sexy daughter.

Other titles in this section include: Naomi Kawase’s sweet, light and leisurely AN; Tom Geens’ COUPLE IN A HOLE, about a couple living in an underground forest dwelling to be left alone to deal with their mysterious grief; DEPARTURE, Andrew Steggall’s delicate first feature about longing, loneliness and nostalgia for a sense of family that may have never existed; Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or-winner about a makeshift family trying to cement their bonds, DHEEPAN;  the World Premiere of Biyi Bandele’s FIFTY, a riveting exploration of love and lust, power and rivalry and seduction and infidelity in Lagos; the European Premiere of Maya Newell’s documentary GAYBY BABY, following the lives of four Australian children whose parents all happen to be gay; Mark Cousins returns to LFF with his metaphysical essay film I AM BELFAST, Stig Björkman’s documentary INGRID BERGMAN – IN HER OWN WORDS, a treasure trove of Bergman’s never-before-seen home movies, personal letters and diary extracts alongside archive footage; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s beautiful OUR LITTLE SISTER, focusing on the lives of four young women related through their late father in provincial Japan; the European Premiere of Mabel Cheung’s sweeping Chinese epic based on the true story of Jackie Chan’s parents A TALE OF THREE CITIES and Guillaume Nicloux’s VALLEY OF LOVE starring Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu in a tale of love, loss, memory and the mystical.

DEBATE

Debate thrives on conversation, which is never more engaging than when the world outside the cinema is reflected back at us.  This year’s Debate Gala is Stephen Frears’s THE PROGRAM starring Ben Foster as cyclist Lance Armstrong, charting his rise to near canonization and his subsequent fall from grace.

Other highlights in this section include: Pablo Larraín’s THE CLUB, a mordant morality tale set in a sleepy Chilean coastal town, which won Berlin’s Grand Jury Prize; CHRONIC, Michel Franco’s uncompromising study of grief and isolation, featuring a revelatory performance by Tim Roth; brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser’s feature directorial debut, DÉGRADÉ, a smart drama that moves seamlessly between humour and despair, set in a women’s hair salon in Gaza; the European Premiere of George Amponsah’s intimate documentary THE HARD STOP, revealing the story of Mark Duggan’s friends and family following his death after being shot in a ‘Hard Stop’ police procedure in 2011; Jonas Carpignano’s engrossing feature debut, THE MEASURE OF A MAN which won Vincent Lindon Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival, MEDITERRANEA, an ultra-topical tale of two young African men from Burkina Faso who, in search of a better life, make the difficult and dangerous trip across the Sahara desert and Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy; the drama MUCH LOVED, Nabil Ayouch’s searing, no-holds-barred look at the world of prostitution in Morocco; David Evans’ thought-provoking documentary MY NAZI LEGACY, which raises the harrowing question, ‘What if your father was a Nazi?’; the World Premiere of John Dower’s MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE which features Louis Theroux as he heads to Los Angeles to explore the Church of Scientology; Sebastián Silva’s beguiling, seductive and confrontational NASTY BABY; PAULINA, Santiago Mitre’s intelligent parable for contemporary Argentina, which won the Critics Week Grand Prize in Cannes; TAKLUB, Brillante Ma Mendoza’s riveting ode to a Filipino city wreaked by a typhoon; and Jafar Panahi’s latest film, TAXI TEHRAN, winner of the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale and set and shot from inside a car.

DARE

Here you’ll find films that are in your face, up-front and arresting, taking you out of and beyond your comfort zone.  The Dare Gala is Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER which stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Coleman, John C. Reilly, Léa Sedoux and Ben Whishaw in a bleakly hilarious skewering of fundamentalist diktats and rituals that is also a tender plea for genuine intimacy amid society’s self-imposed absurdities.

Other highlights in this strand include: Miguel Gomes’ mixes fantasy, documentary, docu-fiction, Brechtian pantomime and echoes of MGM musical in the epic ARABIAN NIGHTS; the World Premiere of William Fairman and Max Gogarty’s CHEMSEX, an unflinching, powerful documentary about the pleasures and perils associated with the ‘chemsex’ scene that’s far more than a sensationalist exposé; the European Premiere of CLOSET MONSTER, Stephen Dunn’s remarkable debut feature about an artistic, sexually confused teen who has conversations with his pet hamster, voiced by Isabella Rossellini; THE ENDLESS RIVER a devasting new film set in small-town South Africa from Oliver Hermanus, Diep Hoang Nguyen’s beautiful debut, FLAPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, a wry, weird socially probing take on the teen pregnancy scenario that focuses on a girl whose escape from village life to pursue an urban education has her frozen in mid-flight; LUCIFER, Gust Van den Berghe’s thrillingly cinematic tale of Lucifer as an angel who visits a Mexican village, filmed in ‘Tondoscope’ – a circular frame in the centre of the screen; the European premiere of KOTHANODI a compelling, unsettling fairytale from India; veteran Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s gritty and delicate portrait of a drug addicted petty thief in MADAME COURAGE; Radu Muntean’s excellent ONE FLOOR BELOW, which combines taut, low-key realism with incisive psychological and ethical insights in a drama centering on a man, his wife and a neighbor; and QUEEN OF EARTH, Alex Ross Perry’s devilish study of mental breakdown and dysfunctional power dynamics between female best friends, starring Elisabeth Moss.

LAUGH

This year’s Laugh strand encompasses richly diverse geography, subject matter and senses of humour, from gleeful to bittersweet and wickedly satirical.  This year’s Laugh Gala is the European Premiere of BRAND: A SECOND COMING, an energetic, complex and frequently hilarious documentary about Russell Brand directed by Ondi Timoner.

Other titles in this strand include: comic visionary Jaco Van Dormael’s scabrously provocative, philosophically asute parable THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT, which poses the question ‘What if God were Belgian and a cantankerous, vindicative slob who runs the whole show from a dilapidated apartment in Brussels?’; the World Premiere of Chanya Button’s debut feature BURN BURN BURN starring Downton Abbey’s Laura Carmichael, which takes the road trip buddy movie on its own smart, female-centric spin; Ali F. Mostafa’s FROM A TO B, a ‘dramedy’ following three estranged childhood companions who embark on a road trip to commemorate the fifth anniversary of a friend’s death and offers a new perspective on life in the Gulf and Middle East; Paul Weitz’s GRANDMA, a supremely enjoyable ‘road movie’ starring Lily Tomlin as the gloriously profane septuagenarian whose curt words and emotional armour can’t quite mask her broken heart; Bao Nguyen’s Saturday Night Live documentary LIVE FROM NEW YORK!; MEN AND CHICKEN, Anders Thomas Jensen’s dark, twisted and extremely animalistic comedy as black as pitch, but with the sweetest heart, starring Mads Mikkelsen; Fernando León de Aranoa’s black comedy A PERFECT DAY, a freewheeling tale centering on two veteran aid workers starring Benico Del Toro and Tim Robbins; the International Premiere of Brendan Cowell’s debut RUBEN GUTHRIE about an advertising exec trying to quit the booze, which spikes social observations with dark, wounded humour and the European Premiere of Japanese auteur/icon Takeshi Kitano’s latest comedy, RYUZO AND HIS SEVEN HENCHMEN, about a group of elderly, retired Yakuza who reteam to take revenge on a younger rival gang.

THRILL

This year’s Thrill strand features nerve-shredders that’ll get your adrenalin pumping and will keep you on the edge of your seat.  The Gala presentation for this strand is the International Premiere of Deepa Mehta’s BEEBA BOYS, an energetic gangster movie that also explores South Asian family values set in Vancouver’s Sikh immigrant badlands and starring Randeep Hooda.

Other highlights in this section include: the European Premiere of Choi Dong-hoon’s colourful period bullet opera, ASSASSINATION; the European Premiere of Daniel Junge’s thrill-a-minute BEING EVEL about the legendary daredevil Robert Craig ‘Evel’ Knievel; the European Premiere of David Farr’s crafty and suspenseful study in paranoia, THE ONES BELOW starring David Morrissey and Clémence Poésy; Atom Egoyan’s latest drama REMEMBER, offering a provocative study of the nature of evil as well as serving as a stark reminder of the atrocities of 20th century history, starring Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau; Gabriel Clarke and John McKenna’s gripping documentary STEVE MCQUEEN: THE MAN & LE MANS, featuring unseen archive footage, contemporary interviews and previously unheard commentary from McQueen himself; Stephen Fingleton’s thrilling, post-apocalyptic debut THE SURVIVALIST; Sebastian Schipper’s exhilarating one-shot sensation, VICTORIA; and THE WAVE, Roar Uthaug’s high-octane and nerve-shredding portrayal of a potential catastrophe.

CULT

In the Cult strand, the dark side is welcomed with outcasts and reprobates taking centre stage in this year’s crop of films. The Cult Gala is the International Premiere of S. Craig Zahler’s gloriously imaginative genre hybrid BONE TOMAHAWK starring Kurt Russell in a film with enough surprises to satisfy even the most jaded horror hounds and western fans.

Other highlights in this strand include: the World Premiere of Thierry Poiraud’s DON’T GROW UP, a stylish and inventive film about a group of teens on an unnamed island who wake up to find their youth facility eerily abandoned; the World Premiere of Jon Spira’s affectionate documentary ELSTREE 1976 about the bit performers who appeared in George Lucas’ box office behemoth Star Wars; GHOST THEATER, the latest film from director Hideo Nakata, the forerunner of J-horror; GREEN ROOM, Jeremy Saulnier’s latest exercise in edge of the seat suspense, starring Patrick Stewart, Imogen Poots and Anton Yelchin; returning for the third year running, Sion Sono screens LOVE AND PEACE, his tale of punk rock and talking turtles; and the fantastically prolific Takashi Miike’s riotous, unruly gangster vampire concoction YAKUZA APOCALYPSE.

JOURNEY

Journey is all about the temporal voyage.  This year’s Journey Gala is Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s breathtakingly elegant and mesmerizing first foray into wuxia (martial arts), THE ASSASSIN, which won him the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Hou Hsiao-Hsien is the subject of retrospective – Also Like Life– at BFI Southbank this month in the lead-up to the Festival and will participate in a career interview on Monday 14 September at BFI Southbank.

Other titles in this section include: Radu Jude’s vivid, Wallachian western AFERIM!, COWBOYS, the directorial debut of Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet and Rust and Bone co-writer Thomas Bidegain; the breathtaking ethnographic Colombian Amazon odyssey EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT; James Ponsoldt’s THE END OF THE TOUR starring Jason Segel as writer David Foster Wallace and Jesse Eisenberg as Rolling Stone journalist David Lipsky in this engrossing two-hander; Writer-Director Jayro Bustamante’s IXCANUL VOLCANO, the European Premiere Stevan Riley’s enthralling Marlon Brando documentary LISTEN TO ME MARLON; Jia Zhangke’s ambitious, astute and humane MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART; the European Premiere of Sylvia Chang’s often-ethereal magic-realist drama love story, MURMUR OF THE HEARTS; the European Premiere of THE NEW CLASSMATE about a single mum in India battling to ensure her daughter’s future; SEMBÈNE!, Samba Gadjigo and Jason Silverman’s incisive documentary on acclaimed African filmmaker Ousmane Sembène; Chloé Zhao’s SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME; and Paolo Sorrentino’s deliciously bittersweet drama YOUTH, starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Paul Dano and Jane Fonda.

SONIC

‘We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams’, so goes Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s 1873 poem Ode, and so goes this year’s Sonic strand.  The Sonic Gala is the European Premiere of two-time Oscar-nominated director Hany Abu-Assad’s new film THE IDOL, based on the incredible true story of Mohammad Assaf, winner of ‘Arab Idol’.

Other highlights in this strand include: the World Premiere of Bernard MacMahon’s documentary THE AMERICAN EPIC SESSIONS, a haunting collision of past and present, presided over by the high priests of the great tradition of American music, Jack White and T Bone Burnett; the World Premiere of James Caddick and James Cronin’s documentary ELEPHANT DAYS, which charts The Maccabees creative process as they record their 4th album Marks To Prove It in an anonymous studio in Elephant and Castle; JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE, Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg’s Janis Joplin documentary drawing on archival footage, contemporary interviews and the singer’s personal correspondences; punk filmmaker Khavn De La Cruz’s RUINED HEART: ANOTHER LOVE STORY BETWEEN A CRIMINAL AND A WHORE, an irreverent orgy of sex and crime with a banging soundtrack at its core; the International Premiere of Bobbito Garcia’s STRETCH AND BOBBITO: RADIO THAT CHANGED LIVES, a documentary about The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show which broadcasted on New York’s WKCP radio in the 1990’s and featured unsigned at the time artists such as Jay Z, Nas and Eminem; and the European Premiere of THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST: MALIAN MUSIC IN EXILE, Johanna Schwartz’s debut feature which intelligently captures the complexity and emotion of the life of musicians forced into exile and desperate to keep their music alive.

FAMILY

Showcasing films for the young, as well as the young at heart, this year’s Family section is a truly international affair, kicking off with the Family Gala, the European Premiere of Rob Letterman’s GOOSEBUMPS, featuring Jack Black. 

Other highlights are ADAMA a deeply moving animation about the life of a young boy in West Africa in 1914; Mamoru Hosoda’s THE BOY AND THE BEAST, an exquisitely animated fable about a boy who has run away from home and is alone in the human world following the passing of his mother; Jury Feting’s CELESTIAL CAMEL, a fascinating and thrilling tale about a 12 year old herder whose father has sold a young colt who may be the fabled ‘celestial camel’; Academy Award® winner Gabriele Salvatores’ THE INVISIBLE BOY, a charming coming of age tale about a shy boy, picked on by his peers, who gets his wish to hide from the world when he discovers a Halloween outfit that makes him invisible;  Alexandre Heboyan and Benoît Philippon’s hugely enjoyable CGI animated adventure MUNE, about a faun who lives in a faraway world; Studio Ghibli’s beautiful drama WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE, directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi; and the World Premiere of Tim Clague and Danny Stark’s WHO KILLED NELSON NUTMEG?, featuring Bonnie Wright from the Harry Potter series.

There is a dedicated section for animated shorts for younger audiences which bring together eclectic, exciting and colourful films from all around the globe. English language and subtitled, suitable for all ages. Amongst the highlights of this year’s 14 titles is director Sanjay Patel’s SANJAY’S SUPER TEAM from Pixar.

EXPERIMENTA

Experimenta, the LFF showcase of experimental cinema and artist moving image is programmed in partnership with LUX for a third year and is supported by the Arts Council England. Focused on films and videos by artists, it aims to screen films that use the moving image to change the way we think of film and how it functions. The Experimenta Special Presentation is THE FORBIDDEN ROOM, a gleeful, hypnotic and totally deranged epic directed by Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson.

An extensive selection of work from across the world is presented including the World Premieres of William English’s HEATED GLOVES and THE HOST, in which director Miranda Pennell delves deeper into her past and her late parents’ involvement with the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (BP); Ben Rivers’ THE SKY TREMBLES AND THE EARTH IS AFRAID AND THE TWO EYES ARE NOT BROTHERS, the feature element of Ben’s current Artangel installation at BBC White City; EVENT FOR A STAGE by Tacita Dean, a filmed presentation of her live theatrical happening in collaboration with actor Stephen Dillane at the 2014 Sydney Biennial; the European Premiere of Omer Fast’s REMAINDER, a London-set thriller adapted from Tom McCarthy’s acclaimed  novel of the same name; the European Premiere of INVENTION which highlights the possibilities of camera movement and the development of artistic apparatus and Kevin Jerome Everson’s PARK LANES, set in an American bowling alley over the course of a day.   

SHORTS

A hugely diverse range of original and exciting short films that will captivate audiences span the festival strands this year.

Films of Love and Devotion explores and attempts to explain the old adage that the course of true love never did run smooth with Rob Savage’s  ABSENCE starring Paul McGann as a grieving man and OFFLINE DATING, a documentary about a single man’s search for love without the use of the internet. The Last Man Standingis a Girl programme explores the role of young women in society with GROOVE IS IN THE HEART, a tale of music and memory revealed through a school girl’s mixtape and A GIRL’S DAY from German director Hannah Ziegler. The Family at War shorts attempts to show what families are really like and how we survive them with TAMARA by Sofia Safonova and VIDEO where we see Elaine having trouble balancing life between her teenage daughter and a secret evening job. Funny How? How am I Funny? explores the comedy in cultural misunderstanding with OTHRWISE ENGAGED and black comedy KUNG FURY. The Fight or Flight programme charts the human response to extreme situations and Wild at Heart and Weird on Top presents eleven shorts that explore the history of film. In the Neighborhood is human stories of love, death and life-changing moments and includes Oscar Hudson’s LORD AND LIDL, where God unexpectedly shows up at the supermarket. London Calling is a selection of shorts from some of the capital’s most exciting new filmmakers and is supported by Film London. Sound Mirrors features nine diverse shorts all on a musical theme and Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences bring together a mix of exciting stories from around the world to surprise and delight children and adults alike.

TREASURES

Treasures bring recently restored cinematic riches from archives around the world to the Festival in London. The previously announced Archive Gala is the World Premiere of the BFI National Archive restoration of A.V. Bramble and Anthony Asquith’s silent film SHOOTING STARS (1928), presented with a new live score by John Altman, BAFTA and Emmy award-winning composer whose work includes Titanic and Goldeneye. Asquith’s feature debut not only announced the arrival of a significant new director, it is an exuberant, joyful pastiche of the movie industry and is a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse and searing comment on the shallowness of the star system. The film restoration and new score is supported by a number of generous individuals, trusts and organisations.

A number of other major restorations will have their World Premieres at the Festival:  Carol Reed’s atmospheric Graham Greene adaptation of OUR MAN IN HAVANA (1959), set in Cuba at the start of the Cold War, makes timely viewing as US/Cuba relations thaw; Ken Russell’s reworking of D.H. Lawrence scandalous classic WOMEN IN LOVE (1970) stars Oliver Reed, Alan Bates and Glenda Jackson and shows two couple’s contrasting searches for love, and was restored by the BFI National Archive working alongside cinematographer Billy Williams; A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966) is directed by Fred Zinnemann from a script by great British screenwriter, Robert Bolt from Bolt’s play about Sir Thomas More, a perfect companion piece to Wolf Hall; Henry Fonda stars in the ripe-for-discovery WARLOCK (1959), a seething study of vengeance and repressed sexuality in a Utah mining outpost; and Bryan Forbes' THE RAGING MOON (1971) starring Malcolm McDowell and Nanette Newman in a tender story between two young people in wheelchairs which was ahead of its time in its attempts to change attitudes to disability.

From newsreels to comedy sketches, the 21 films that make up MAKE MORE NOISE! SUFFRAGETTES IN FILM (1934) are a historical accompaniment to our Opening Night film and a fascinating representation of women at the time that the battle for universal suffrage was being fought on the streets. 

Martin Scorsese said of Ousmane Sembène’s BLACK GIRL (1966): ‘An astonishing movie – so ferocious, so haunting and so unlike anything we’d ever seen. ’Sembène’s  first feature, which tells the tragic story of Diouana, a young Senegalese women eager to find a better life, draws from the Nouvelle Vague, but the film’s heart and soul is definitely African.  It is the perfect companion to Samba Gadjigo’s documentary SEMBÈNE!

And for a lighter-hearted but no less majestic cinema experience, George Sidney’s breathlessly delightful KISS ME KATE (1953) brings the Cole Porter penned musical to screen, here in magnificent 3D.

Rock and roll hall-of-famer Leon Russell is the heart of an ineffable, joyous collage of mesmerising live performance and vérité realism in A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON (1974), filmed between 1972-1974 by director Les Blank. Previously unavailable theatrically in the four decades since it was made.

Other highlights include Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated debut feature SALAAM BOMBAY! (1988); the Holy Grail of silent comedy shorts, a previously-thought-lost Laurel and Hardy THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY (1927), and Luchino Visconti's fully restored masterpiece ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (1960), starring Alain Delon in a grand emotional opus on imploding fraternal tensions.

Screen Talks

We are delighted to announce this year’s programme of events will include Screen Talks with filmmaker Todd Haynes, actor Saoirse Ronan, casting director Laura Rosenthal and filmmakers Jia Zhangke and Walter Salles.

This year, the BFI warmly welcomes Todd Haynes to discuss his inspiring and critically acclaimed directing career.  His latest film, the poignant CAROL, is screening as the American Express Gala in this year’s LFF. A pioneer of the Queer Cinema Movement Todd Haynes’ films explore the themes of identity and sexuality beginning with the controversial SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY, the acclaimed FAR FROM HEAVEN and the Bob Dylan biopic I’M NOT THERE in more recent years. – Thursday 15 October

We are thrilled to welcome Casting Director Laura Rosenthal to lead a Screen Talk about the work of a casting director when taking a film from script to screen. Having worked with a number of ground-breaking directors, Laura Rosenthal’s impressive credits include Paolo Sorrentino’s YOUTH, BUFFALO SOLDIERS, starring Joaquin Phoenix, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDIATE and most recently CAROL, continuing her long-standing collaboration with Todd Haynes. – Saturday 10 October

Saoirse Ronan shines in The May Fair Hotel gala Brooklyn in which she delivers a nuanced, mature performance that not only reinforces her acting credentials, it signals a new phase in her already impressive career. She received Academy and BAFTA Award nominations for her performance in Joe Wright’s Atonement (2007), a BAFTA nomination for Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones and has worked subsequently with directors the calibre of Wright, Peter Weir, Neil Jordan, Kevin MacDonald and Wes Anderson. – Sunday 11 October

Internationally-acclaimed Chinese director Jia Zhangke and the Academy and BAFTA award-winning Walter Salles will partner in a Screen Talk dedicated to discussing Salles’ documentary JIA ZHANGKE: A GUY FROM FENYANG and their respective approaches to film making. Both established film makers, the documentary is a tribute from one artist to the other as well as a revealing look at Jia’s life and work offering audiences a rare insight into the creative mind. – Thursday 8 October

LFF Connects

LFF Connects is a brand new series of thought-provoking high-impact talks intended to stimulate new collaborations and ideas by exploring both the future of film itself and how film engages with other creative industries including television, music, art, games and creative technology. 

LFF Connects: Film – Friday 9 October

As previously announced, the inaugural LFF Connects will feature British filmmaker Christopher Nolan, internationally acclaimed for some of the most original, compelling and successful films in contemporary cinema (Interstellar, Inception, The Dark Knight, Memento), and Tacita Dean, lauded for her art work in film (and whose grand-scale Tate Modern exhibition FILM transfixed audiences).

Christopher Nolan and Tacita Dean are both passionate advocates within their fields for film – not simply as a technology – but as a medium that offers intrinsically rich and unique qualities needed by artists and filmmakers, as well as a hugely engaging experience for audiences. Moderated by BFI Creative Director Heather Stewart, the conversation about the future of film as a medium will also include Alexander Horwath, Director of the Austrian Film Museum.

More LFF Connects events will be announced in the lead-up to the Festival.

INDUSTRY & EDUCATION

The Festival offers a full benefits package for Industry delegates supported by The Mayor’s Office and Film London.  This year’s industry programme includes the new LFF Connects strand, a Global Symposium on gender in media in partnership with the Geena Davis Institute and Women in Film & Television, talent development programme NET.WORK@LFF with Creative England, the launch of Screen International’s UK Stars of Tomorrow 2015, a Foreign Language Oscar® panel with AMPAS, Press and Industry screenings at Picturehouse Central, the Digital Viewing Library, new delegate hubs, discounts at new partner venues and numerous networking opportunities with delegates and filmmakers.  Visit www.bfi.org.uk/lff/professional-delegates  for further details.

The also Festival offers an exciting Education programme, thanks to event partners and our funding contributors Arts Council England, the Film Music Foundation and IdeasTap. It includes films from the festival programme and special events for schools, students and young people, plus the LFF Young Jury Project supported by the BFI Film Academy, all featuring a wide range of film industry professionals. It also includes student accreditation scheme, and the 'Film School Programme' presented in partnership with the National Film & Television School, London Film Academy, London Film School and Birkbeck College.

BFI PLAYER

The BFI London Film Festival experience can be enjoyed UK-wide on BFI Player, the BFI’s VOD service, featuring a Festival digital channel showing regular red carpet action and film maker interviews. BFI London Film Festival content will be a key attraction in the range of services on BFI Player – at player.bfi.org.uk/

Claudia Cardinale receives the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award of Hungary`s leading film festival, the Jameson CineFest - Miskolc IFF. On 11 September Ms. Cardinale will be present at the opening ceremony of the festival.

The divine CC: Claudia, Marcello Mastroianni’s – that is Guido, the director - love in the 8½; Angelica, Alain Delon’s – that is Tancredi Falconeri – love in The Leopard. Venus, Jean-Paul Belmondo’s love in the Cartouche. Jill, the dream of all men, in the Once Upon a Time in the West. Ginetta, in the Rocco and His Brothers. Gabriella, in The Immortal Bachelor. Molly, Klaus Klinski’s partner in Fitzcarraldo. Doroteia in Manoel de Oliveira’s last film Gebo and the Shadow. The festival`s Lifetime Achievement Award goes to the muse of Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Werner Herzog, Sergio Leone and Claude Lelouch, to one of the greatest starts of modern cinema: Claudia Cardinale.

In 2002 she was awarded with a life achievement award in Berlin, in 1993 in Venice, she won the David di Donatello prize several times – but even more importantly, she is one of the faces of European cinema, the idol and icon of millions and the UNESCO`s Goodwill Ambassador. 

And what else could the opening film be if not a Cardinale movie (with Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda): the audience of the CineFest will enjoy the perfect picture and sound of the re-mastered Once Upon a Time in the West with its spectacular long shots and Morricone’s unforgettable music.

New York Peruvian Film & Art Showcase 2015:   September 15 – 18, 2015

The New York Peruvian Film & Art Showcase (NYPFAS) is proud to announce the film line-up and art program for 2015. Through documentaries, an art exhibition, short films, feature-length fiction and live music performances, the NYPFAS will try to portray Peru´s migration legacy as well as honor all of those citizens that, through origin or adoption, made the birth of a new nation possible.

This Showcase, which returns to New York City for a sixth year, will take place on September 15, 16, 17 and 18, 2015 (program and additional information enclosed) at the Instituto Cervantes – New York (211 E 49th St). This year’s program includes a diverse schedule of over 10 features, shorts and documentaries. The film selection presents, among many other groundbreaking works, Seeking the light, documentary by Delia Ackerman; Madeleine Truel: The Peruvian Heroine of the Second World War, documentary by Luis Enrique Cam; Guard dog, feature-length fiction by Daniel Higashionna and Baltazar Caravedo and Aunt Helga, fiction short movie by Ruben Carpio. A retrospective of Japanese- Peruvian master painter Venancio Shinki (September 14-19, 2015- Instituto Cervantes-Gallery) will be part of this year´s program. Shinki is one of the living masters of Peruvian painting; his artworks recall Eastern, Western, and Andean traditions, which links this visionary and groundbreaking artist with other great Latin American creators.  

This year´s highlight is the participation of the internationally renowned Peruvian singer, two-times Latin Grammy Award winner and Minister of Culture of Peru in 2011, Mrs. Susana Baca. This special event on Friday September 18, 2015 at 6.00 pm, will feature a live music performance, film screenings and the presentation of her book TheBitter Road of Sugar Cane, recently published.

The Sixth Edition of the New York Peruvian Film & Art Showcase is directed and produced by photographer and filmmaker Lorry Salcedo, in collaboration with the Trade Commission of Peru in New York, Peruvian American Cultural Institute (ICPNA), Mr. Jeffrey Rosen and Ana Maria Estrada de Rosen, the Center for American Studies in Lima (CEA), Cerveza Cusqueña - Backus Corporation, the Consulate of Peru in New York and the Film Library of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (Filmoteca PUCP).

--

Javier Iturralde de Bracamonte

Marketing & Communications| New York Peruvian Film Showcase 

646 509 4298/ peruvianfilmshowcasepr@gmail.com

+ Info: http://nyperuvianfilmshowcase.com 

Bruno Chatelin, advisory Board Member of the Festival, is happy to announce the jury for the Third Edition of the Chelsea Film Festival (CFF), which runs from Thursday, October 15th to Sunday, October 18th.

The Chelsea Film Festival Jurors will select the Grand Prix Award for Best Picture, the Petite Prix Award for Best Short Film and ten other awards (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Special Jury Award, Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Special Mention by CFF Founders).

The Jurors will award $70,000 in prizes. The Grand Prix Winner will also receive a work of original art by acclaimed artist, Arturo di Modica (The Wall Street Charging Bull).

A Special Screening of the 2015 Chelsea Film Festival Grand Prix will be presented at the First Kino & Vino Series® in partnership with Bow Tie Cinemas on November 9th, 2015 at 7pm.

The winning films, filmmakers and actors will be announced at the Closing Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 18th. Tickets are now on pre-sale until September 15th.

2015 OFFICIAL JURORS



Estelle Parsons - Jury President
Estelle Parsons is most widely known for her Academy Award winning performance in BONNIE AND CLYDE and her ten years as Mother Bev on the hit Roseanne sitcom.  In the theater, she is best known for her portrayal of the tyrannical eighth grade teacher in Roberto Athayde’s classic about totalitarian power, MISS MARGARIDA’S WAY, which she performed on Broadway, all over the United States and in London, Dublin, Turkey and Australia. She has appeared in plays by the great writers of our time, including Edward Albee, Tennessee Williams, Dario Fo,  Arthur Miller, Samuel Beckett, Paul Zindel and Horton Foote.

Estelle starred in AUGUST,  OSAGE COUNTY by Tracy Letts on Broadway for a year and on the road for a year. Most recently she played in GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire and the Gershwin musical, NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT with Matthew Broderick. In 2012, she was directed by Neil LaBute in Marco Calvani’s THINGS OF THIS WORLD. In 2014, she received a Tony nomination for her performance in THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN by Eric Coble at the BoothTheater on Broadway.
As a director, she created the New York Shakespeare Festival Players for Joseph Papp in the 1980s.  For two seasons, they performed SHAKESPEARE ON BROADWAY for New York City school students and their families in an effort to develop a multicultural audience for New York   She also directed Al Pacino in Oscar Wilde’s SALOME: the Reading on Broadway.

Estelle Parsons is a member of the Actors’ Studio and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2004.

Tiffany Bartok - Jury Member
Tiffany Bartok received her BFA in theater from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Following a move to New York City, Tiffany worked consistently as an actress but soon discovered a talent for makeup artistry. She began to sharpen her skills on celebrities and film crews. Ultimately, the draw of the film world was contagious and Tiffany made the decision to direct and produce original films including her award winning documentary Altered By Elvis and the short film Little Pumpkin, which screened at the prestigious SXSW festival. She was also selected as a finalist for the AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. Her out of the box producing talents have been the subject of a New York Times Arts Section feature. She has been a past jury member for the Memphis International Film Festival and the Vail Film Festival. Recent projects include producing Fall to Rise (Panorama Entertainment) and Red River for Vinyl Foote Productions, Suddenly… the award-winning short adapted from Etgar Keret’s short story, and The Showdown.

Margarita Levieva - Jury Member
Margarita Levieva can next be seen in Leslye Headland’s SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE and Mari Heller’s DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL, which both premiered at Sundance this past year.

Margarita is best known as the role of ‘Amanda Clarke’ in the hit ABC show REVENGE opposite Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp. Margarita recently starred opposite Hope Davis in NBC’s ALLEGIANCE, written and directed by George Nolfi.

Margarita’s past film credits include: FOR ELLEN, THE LOFT, KNIGHTS OF BADASSDOM, NOISE, THE INVISIBLE, MOSCOW-RUSSIA EXPRESS, Lakeshore’s LINCOLN LAWYER, Miramax’s ADVENTURELAND and SPREAD opposite Ashton Kutcher.

Levieva made her Broadway debut in IMPRESSIONISM, an American play by Michael Jacobs. Margarita starred opposite Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons in the story of a world-traveling photojournalist and a New York gallery owner who help repair each other’s broken lives.
On television, in addition to REVENGE, Margarita could be seen in HBO’s LUCK and HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA and also starred in FOX's VANISHED.

When she was 11, her mother moved her and her twin brother to New York from Russia, where she later studied economics at NYU. Her true passion, however, had always been acting and she ultimately was accepted into the Meisner Training Program at the prestigious William Esper Studio.

Margarita currently resides in New York/Los Angeles.

Dorian Missick - Jury Member
Dorian Missick paved his way onto the scene when he starred opposite Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice. Most recently seen on the big screen in the Jerry Brukheimer produced “Deliver Us From Evil” and the Christmas season hit “Annie.” Other film roles include the AFFRM Films independent feature, "Big Words" (in the title role),Premium, Lucky Number Slevin, Things Never Said, The Manchurian Candidate,The Bounty Hunter, Freedomland and Rachel Getting Married.

Next up, Missick stars opposite RnB Superstar Brandy in the new BET series “Zoe Ever After” asnd recurring roles on the AMC series “Better Call Saul” and the HBO comedy series “The Brink.” Missick was a member of the cast of TnT's critically acclaimed series Southland as Detective Ruben Robinson, partner to Ms. Regina King, for the final two seasons. He was also seen in a multi episode arc on the SyFy network's hit series "Haven". Previously he was a regular on the NBC series “The Cape”, and on “Six Degrees”  for ABC (produced by JJ Abrams) .
 
Missick’s repertoire, however, is not limited to film and television. He starred off Broadway in the Pulitzer-prize winning drama “A Soldier’s Play” opposite Anthony Mackie and Taye Diggs at the Second Stage Theater.

Dorian Missick, some film credits include: Annie, Deliver Us From Evil, Big Words, Mooz-Lum, The Bounty Hunter, and Manchurian Candidate. Some Tv: SouthLAnd, The Cape, Six Degrees, Haven.

The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) announced today that Arnold Schwarzenegger will receive the coveted Golden Icon Award at this year’s Festival, taking place September 24 – October 4. The announcement was made by ZFF Directors Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht.

Serving as the Festival’s most prestigious symbol of recognition, awarded in appreciation of the lifetime achievements of an actor or actress, the Golden Icon Award will be bestowed to Schwarzenegger on the evening of Wednesday, September 30th at the corso Cinema.

In addition to receiving ZFF’s Golden Icon Award, Schwarzenegger will present his latest film, “Maggie,” and discuss his amazing body of work at a workshop presented within the public ZFF Masters series, now in its 10th instalment.

“We are extraordinarily proud to welcome Arnold Schwarzenegger one of Hollywood’s most iconic legends, to Zurich and are delighted that he will share his films and stories with our public,” said Zurich Film Festival Artistic Director Karl Spoerri. “Arnold has had a transformative career that no one in Hollywood can match and established himself as a global brand, even beyond the box office. We are honored to present him with our Golden Icon award at this year’s Festival.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most recognized individuals on the planet, having led an amazing life and achieving beyond his dreams in Hollywood, fitness, and public service. In an effort to give back to the country that allowed him to accomplish so much, Schwarzenegger ran for public office and was elected California’s 38th Governor.

As governor, Schwarzenegger worked with leaders of both major political parties to address the greatest challenges facing the state in a bold and historic manner. His leadership put California at the forefront of the nation in addressing climate change, pushing for the development of renewable energies, rebuilding critical infrastructure, investing in stem cell research, and putting in place health care and political reforms.

Since leaving office in 2011, he has continued to promote state and local clean energy efforts by founding the non-profit R20: Regions of Climate Action. Additionally in 2013, he established the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, devoted to seeking bipartisan solutions to environmental, economic, and other public policy issues. He serves as chair of the think-tank’s board and also holds a public policy professorship at the school.

Schwarzenegger has combined his love of global issues and entertainment to serve as executive producer and correspondent on Showtime’s Emmy winning climate change docu-series, YEARS OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY.

Most recently, Schwarzenegger starred in the critically-acclaimed independent drama Maggie and the global box office hit Terminator: Genisys, reprising one of his most famous roles as the Terminator.

The 11th Zurich Film Festival will open with Matthew Brown’s dramatic bio-pic THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY starring Jeremy Irons, Dev Patel, Toby Jones, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Northam and Kevin McNally.  Additional ZFF Gala Premieres include KILL YOUR FRIENDS from Owen Harris, MISTRESS AMERICA from Noah Baumbach, MISS YOU ALREADY from Catherine Hardwicke, HIGH-RISE from Ben Wheatley, MON ROI from Maïwenn, THE PROGRAM from Stephen Frears, BLACK MASS from Scott Cooper, COLONIA from Florian Gallenberger, SICARIO from Denis Villeneuve, THE END OF THE TOUR from James Ponsoldt, LIFE from Anton Corbijn and WALK IN THE WOODS from Ken Kwapis.

About the Zurich Film Festival

Now in its 11th edition, the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has established itself as one of the world’s top Films Festivals, discovering and promoting independent voices and talent from around the world, showcasing a diverse array of international films and serving as the setting for many World and European premieres.

The aim of the Zurich Film Festival is to offer audiences an insight into the work of young, upcoming filmmakers from around the globe and to promote the exchange of ideas between established film workers, young talent and the public.

ZFF is organized by Spoundation Motion Picture GmbH, based in Zurich, in cooperation with local institutions and sponsors. The Zurich Film Festival cooperates with numerous distributors and producers from Switzerland and abroad. The idea to found a festival in Zurich came from Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht, who serve as Directors of the Festival.

The Zurich Film Festival is generously supported by its main sponsors: Credit Suisse, upc cablecom, Die Schweizerische Post and Audi.

For more information please visit www.zff.com

Screening in Sydney from Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 October, the Antenna Documentary Film Festival today announces its full program.

With 47 films from 21 countries, Antenna celebrates its fifth year – bringing Sydneysiders the very best documentaries from Australia and around the world. From culturally confronting documentaries, innovative in style and exceptional in form, to emotionally evoking films, Antenna promises a festival with the richest and most diverse line-up yet.

"We have watched almost a thousand films in the last few months to select what I believe is a great representation of the most exciting films showing currently on the international circuit,” said Festival Director David Rokach.

Antenna kicks off Opening Night with the Australian premiere of Venice Film Festival winner On the Bride’s Side. A film that sounds like a romantic Euro-comedy as conceived by foreign policy reporters, Italian journalists disguise their Palestinian and Syrian refugee friends as a wedding party, then spirit them across Europe to asylum in Sweden. This emotionally charged journey juxtaposes the harsh system refugees face against the bravery and compassion of the journalists, who risked prison sentences in their attempts to get everyone to safety.

Another very topical film is the Hot Docs 2015 winner Warriors from the North offers chilling insight into the current trend of Western Muslim youth joining radical groups abroad. The film follows a father’s desperate attempt to extract his son from Al-Shabab and bring him home, as well as a young Somali-born Dane whose two close friends killed themselves in suicide attacks in Mogadishu. Enlightening and agonising, the film’s subjects talk openly about religion, family, social isolation and culture shock.

As promised, Antenna brings its audiences a series of confronting documentaries through first-hand accounts. One of the Australian competition films this year, Molly Reynolds’ Another Country offers a personal account of the clash between Indigenous culture and government policy, with the help of legendary actor David Gulpilil.  In Racing Extinction, Louie Psihoyos, Oscar-winning director of The Cove, urges audiences to join his mission to save the ocean. Using hidden cameras, Psihoyos exposes the illegal underground trade in endangered aquatic species, revealing the realities of mass extinction's impending doom.

Featuring the eminent and insightful intellectual Noam Chomsky, Requiem for the American Dream mourns the death of America’s egalitarianism with the deliberate concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the affluent. Filmed over four years, it captures Chomsky’s wisdom on the continuing erosion of America’s democracy, their capitalist system putting them on the leaderboard in terms of inequality.

Antenna keeps pushing boundaries with two films delving into private spaces. The Cult of JT Leroy follows the story of its mysterious literary namesake. Captivating readers and celebrities alike with a gritty memoir of his teen prostitution and heroin addiction, JT Leroy was catapulted to literary stardom at 19 years of age. But lurking just beneath the pages was a secret that would snowball into a scandal of grand proportions. The Ground We Won, on the other hand, is the story of a Kiwi town’s rugby team of farmers and their determination to redeem themselves after a series of bitter losses. With unprecedented access into men’s sacred spaces and rituals, the film offers  refreshing insight into male sporting culture and the hierarchy, humour and debauchery it entails.

An example of soulful documentary filmmaking, Thank You For Playing is a portrait of how people deal with grief using technology in the 21st Century. The film follows father and game developer Ryan Green, who creates a video game to communicate the experience of his son’s diagnosis and failed treatment of terminal cancer. While programming provides him with an avenue to cope with his grief, the game ironically and painfully duplicates his anguish.

Antenna invites audiences to toast the 2000-year-old tradition of artisanal sake-making in foodie favourite The Birth of Sake. Documenting the dying art, it unveils the meticulous approach employed by the Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned brewery in Northern Japan. The film tracks the team of men, led by a veteran brewmaster, through the six-month sake-making season as they work to keep the 2,000-year-old tradition alive.

Music’s universal eminence is celebrated through three powerful films from different countries. B-Movie: Lust and Sound in West-Berlin revisits the vibrant music and arts scene of 1980s West Berlin, where the city was like a B-movie – ugly and poor, but wild, creative and incredibly sexy. No Land’s Song follows the story of an Iranian female composer’s rebellious act to perform solo in public, which has been banned since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.  A political thriller and at the same time a musical journey, this film never loses sight of its real centre: the female voice. Finally, Dominguinhos is an evocative and sensual portrait of legendary Brazilian composer, accordionist and singer José Domingos de Morais, or Dominguinhos, chronicling his life, loves and music.

The occasionally surreal, frequently outrageous film The Sandwich Nazi follows deli owner Salam Kahlil; art collector, former male escort, amateur musician, and Lebanese-Canadian sandwich maker. In the midst of a documentary overflowing with dick jokes, other parts of his life emerge – compassion, philanthropy and a painful secret that runs under his affable exterior. This heartfelt and humorous film is bound to captivate audiences just when they least expect it.

The festival will culminate with the this year’s Sundance and SXSW hit Finders Keepers, preceded by announcing awards for Best International Feature Documentary, Best Australian Feature Documentary and Best Australian Short.

For tickets and more information, visit www.antennafestival.org 

FESTIVAL DETAILS

Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 October 2015

Palace Verona – 17 Oxford Street, Paddington
Chauvel Cinema – 249 Oxford St, Paddington (Cnr Oxford St & Oatley Rd)                        

Museum of Contemporary Art– 140 George St, The Rocks

General Admission – Adult $19, Concession $16

Multi Passes – 5 films: $85, 10 films: $150

KEY LINKS

Website: http://antennafestival.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antenna-International-Documentary-Film-Festival/158554644191954

Twitter: https://twitter.com/antennafestival

Instagram: https://instagram.com/antennafestival

Continuing its succession of sold out screenings, Revelation Perth International Film Festival proudly announces its next screening title

Australian Revelations is a celebration of Australian film via monthly screenings
and one of Australia’s great documentaries - Frontline - will headline the
Monday 28 September event.

An account of the Vietnam War as seen through the camera of Australian journalist
Neil Davis, Frontline was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (1981). Through enormously warm and candid interviews with the celebrated photographer this outstanding, fascinating and important documentary
examines the ethical issues facing a man on the frontline.

In his own cool and philosophical way, Davis discusses these experiences and
combined with extensive footage taken by him and others, the film makes for a compelling account of an Australian war correspondent – including the
famed moment when two communist tanks crashed through the gates of the
Presidential Palace in Saigon heralding the end of a bloody 30-year war.

September marks the 30th anniversary of Davis’ death. After a lifetime of filming the most dangerous of situations, he was killed in Bangkok while filming a minor Thai coup attempt the camera still rolling after he was fatally fired upon.

Acclaimed Australian documentary filmmaker and Frontline director
David Bradbury will present a Q+A via skype at the event.

“As a lover of documentary and with the timing of Davis’ passing, it’s an absolute pleasure to be screening this film” say Richard Sowada, Rev Director.
“It’s a constant surprise and one of this country’s great films.”

Each Australian Revelations feature screening will be accompanied by a
Western Australian made short film, providing opportunities for local filmmakers to
have their work seen by new audiences.  Australian Revelations will screen at the stunning new The Backlot Perth facility in West Perth and tickets are
available via trybooking.com at www.trybooking.com/JAJZ

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 THE FABULOUS INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Burns Court Cinemas and USF Sarasota/Manatee Campus, 

Friday, September 18, Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2015.

Scheduled to be held at Burns Court Cinemas in downtown Sarasota and USF Sarasota/Manatee campus, September 18, 19 and 20, the fifth annual Fabulous Independent Film Festival is continuing its tradition of celebrating diversity with 3 days of the best of LGBTq cinema.  The Fabulous IFF is a broken rules and Harvey Milk Festival co-production with all the proceeds going to HMF.  Tickets $8.50, opening and closing night films $10 are available at  www.fabulousiff.com, https://squareup.com/market/broken-rules-productions and at Burns Court Cinemas on the days of the festival.  New this year: the centerpiece film will be a free outdoor presentation on the Sarasota/Manatee campus in the courtyard, with donation suggested.

The Fabulous Independent Film Festival six awards winning films - DROWN, FOURTH MAN OUT, IN THE GRAYSCALE, LIZ IN SEPTEMBER, OUT TO WIN, TANGERINE are all eligible for the audience award.

Opening Night Film TANGERINE presented by Watermark Media, it’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block after being locked up for 28 days.  She and her best friend Alexandra take us on this rip-roaring odyssey through the various subcultures of Los Angeles in search of her rumored unfaithful pimp boyfriend (James Ransone).  FOURTH MAN OUT presented by USF and Stew Carrier from the BOX Office Bulls starring Evan Todd, Parker Young and Chord Overstreet is a funny, touching film following Adam, a car mechanic, coming out to his best friends on his 24th birthday.  This is a refreshingly unique take on coming out of the blue collar closet.  DROWN directed by Dean Francis known for his highly regarded “Boys Grammar,” is a superb drama exploring the forces unleashed by deep-rooted unsatisfied desires. This powerful film, not for the faint of heart, delivers strong performances.  Closing Night Film OUT TO WIN is a documentary examining the lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes from all over the world.  The locker room is one of the final frontiers for LGBT visibility in this country and OUT TO WIN celebrates the pioneers who have worked to make the world of sports a more diverse and inclusive one. Featuring interviews with Martina Navratilova, Brittney Griner and John Amaechi among others.  LIZ IN SEPTEMBER directed by Fina Torres (WOMAN ON TOP), is shot on a beautiful Caribbean beach where a tight-knit group of lesbian friends, lovers, and cordial exes meet every year to relax and let their guard down, without having to hide who they are, until Eva, a straight stranger, crashes the party.  IN THE GRAYSCALE this tenderly told tale of sexual discovery follows Bruno (Francisco Celhay) who faces challenging decisions about his identity.  This film which offers no easy answers, has earned comparisons to Andrew Haigh’s Weekend for its beautifully realized portrayal of two men in love. 

We are proud to add two locally made shorts: 

LET ME GO a Ringling School of Art + Design production directed by Nathaniel Allen Turner, will precede FOURTH MAN OUT at the free centerpiece screening on the USF Sarasota/Manatee Campus.

WHEN THE PARTY ENDS directed by KT Curran produced by Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and SOURCE Productions, will precede the Closing Night Film OUT TO WIN

Sarasota Film Society, USF Sarasota/Manatee & Stew Carrier from the Box Office Bulls, Watermark Media, Janice & John Shelton, Embracing Our Differences, Smokin’ Joes, RCMoore Construction, Sarasota Day, Through Women Eyes, WolfeVideo.com and Strand Releasing are among the Fabulous IFF sponsors making this festival a reality.  M.A.D.E. is our Opening Night Party sponsor, Ain’t No Thang food truck will be at the USF Sarasota/Manatee campus for the centerpiece presentation and will donate a percentage of their sales to the Harvey Milk Festival.  The complete list of sponsors is featured on the Fabulous IFF web site, www.fabulousiff.com. 

The Fabulous Independent Film Festival

Burns Court Cinemas (506 Burns Lane, Sarasota, FL 34236)

USF Sarasota/Manatee Campus’ Courtyard (8350 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34243) bring chairs and blankets.

Friday, September 18, 2015

8:15 PM  Watermark Media presents TANGERINE ( USA, 88 min.)

Saturday, September 19, 2015

3:30 PM  LIZ IN SEPTEMBER (Venezuela, in Spanish with english subtitles 100 min.) 

5:45 PM  DROWN (Australia, 96 min.) 

8:15 PM  USF Sarasota/Manatee & Stew Carrier from the Box Office Bulls present FOURTH MAN OUT (USA, 86 min.) in the courtyard, bring blanket and chairs.  Selby Auditorium is the back up plan in case of inclement weather.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

5:00 PM IN THE GRAYSCALE ( Chile, in Spanish with english subtitles, 101 min.) 

7:45 PM  OUT TO WIN (USA, 99 min.) 

Tickets to films available on www.fabulousiff.com, https://squareup.com/market/broken-rules-productions and at Burns Court Cinemas on festival days.

Opening Night Party - $3 beer and light bites

M.A.D.E. (1990 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236)

With local guest celebrity stylist Dylonn Cole bar-tending, all his tips will be donated to the Harvey Milk Festival

Friday, September 18, 2015

10 PM

Centerpiece Food Thing

Ain’t No Thang Food Truck will be serving tasty bites, a percentage of their proceeds will go to the Harvey Milk Festival

(c)naonori kohira

Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) is pleased to announce that Masato HARADA will be the first Directorin Focus of TIFF’s new section JAPAN NOW. Masato HARADA is the award-winning director of such works as “Bounce Ko Gals,” “Climber’s High,” “Chronicle of My Mother” and “The Emperor in August,” which continues to draw crowds to the theaters over a month after its opening.

On Friday, October 9, a JAPAN NOW Press Conference featuring Masato HARADA, with a very special English-subtitled screening of his jidaigeki film, “Kakekomi,” will be held at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ). We also will be welcoming Harada’s muse and legendary actress Kirin KIKI. We cordially invite members of the press to join this special opportunity to hear from them and the latest information about the 28th TIFF. The full JAPAN NOW lineup will be announced  on September 29, 2015

The sixth edition of the American Film Festival (AFF) will take place at the New Horizons Cinema in Wroclaw, Poland from October 20-25, 2015.

AFF presents the latest American films by both internationally acclaimed and emerging filmmakers. The festival aims to introduce new names and phenomena from American cinema to Polish audiences and to dismantle stereotypes about the function and integration of American films in the European film industry. The films presented at AFF 2015 will contribute to various panel discussions, lectures, and talks on a variety of social, political, and cultural themes. The festival is housed in the New Horizons Cinema, one of the largest cinemas in Europe, with nearly 3,000 seats and nine screens, and located in the heart of Wroclaw, near one of the largest market squares in Europe.

As the European Capital of Culture 2016, Wroclaw is gearing up to celebrate one of it's most culturally and artistically stimulating years to date, with AFF as 2015's final cinematic attraction. AFF has recently garnered global attention by scoring a nomination in the Polish Film Institute Awards and for being selected as one of MovieMaker's 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World. 

The Polish Film Institute (PISF) 2015 Awards

Awards created in 2008 to show appreciation for the efforts of many cinema enthusiasts and organizers who propagate knowledge about cinema, promote Polish films in Poland and abroad, educate young views, publish information about films, and organize festivals, retrospectives, exhibitions, and meetings with creators.
Nominated: Polish Film Event Award, American Film Festival 2014.
Winners to be announced at the Gdynia Film Festival on September 16, 2015.

MovieMaker's 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World 2015
American Film Festival 2015

"Cool theaters: screens of IMAX proportions. Cool audiences: fashionable young crowds and the hottest new bands. Cool digs: five-star accommodations, fancy dinners and tours of the local castles. No wonder Wroclaw is a hot ticket for U.S. moviemakers, 'dignitaries' to the 'best festival in Poland and perhaps all of Eastern Europe.' Celebrating a different kind of American cinema than what traditionally permeates those far-flung shores, AFF doesn't just showcase indies, it nurtures them: Panelists love their U.S. in Progress program, which awards cash prizes to features in post."

Just announced, the first titles of AFF 2015 include:

Dope by Rick Famuyiwa
Produced by Forest Whitaker, Pharrell Williams, and Puff Daddy
Polish premiere

Experimenter by Michael Almereyda
With Winona Ryder, Peter Sarsgaard, and John Leguizamo
European premiere

Krisha by Trey Edward Shults
With Krisha Fairchild
Polish premiere

Ned Rifle by Hal Hartley
With Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, and Liam Aiken
Polish premiere

The full AFF 2015 program will appear at www.americanfilmfestival.pl on October 7 at noon. The selected films will screen in one of the following selections:

Spectrum to feature contemporary American cinema and new feature films, including films by renowned filmmakers and new talents (In Competition).
American Docs to feature the most important documentary productions of the season (In Competition).
Highlights to feature newest well-known titles and premiere screenings by renowned directors.
On the Edge to feature discoveries, experiments, author films, or traditionally unacknowledged forms or unaccepted subjects.
Retrospectives to create a background for the presentation of contemporary films and by linking the present day and past years of American cinema.
Special Screenings and Festival Favorites to feature pre-premieres, select screenings, or 2015 festival favorites from around the world.

NOTE: The winning film of the AFF Audience Award competition from Spectrum will be awarded $10,000, and the winning film from American Docs will be awarded $5,000. Both awards are funded by BNY Mellon.

Ticket Prices & Important Dates

AFF passes go on sale online on September 14 at noon (sale ends October 11 or when the limited number of passes is sold out).

Online and box office ticket sales at New Horizons Cinema begin October 13 at 9am.

Applications for Media Accreditiation for the 6. American Film Festival will be accepted from 14th of September 2015.

Media contact:

Agata Burdzy, +48 606884810, agata.burdzy@snh.org.pl

The Anniversary Programme 2015 - Eastern Europe Between New Urbanity and a Traditional Understanding of Homeland

Facts:

- 25th FilmFestival Cottbus from 3 to 8 November

- ca. 160 Films

- prizes worth a total of 77,750 euro

- Focus: "Eastern Europe by the Cities"

- first prominent guests confirmed: István Szabó / Marianne Birthler

- new locations: Space Flight Planetarium / art museum Dieselkraftwerk /

  Gutsökonomie Castle and Park Branitz

From 3 to 8 November, Cottbus will take a look at Eastern European cinematography for the 25th time, which has always also reflected the geopolitical situation of the day. "The global mood naturally has an impact on the contributions to the anniversary edition of the FilmFestival Cottbus.

The filmmakers reflect upon the past, present and future, make statements, document events, or seek to change the viewers´ perspective," says Programme Director Bernd Buder. "But don’t worry!" he adds. "We will by no means only show gloomy cinema from Central and Eastern Europe. Many filmmakers comment on society with black humour or from a very personal perspective or shoot genre films that can indeed - both in technical and narrative terms – measure up to international competition."

This year, twelve contributions will take part in the Feature Film Competition for the coveted glass figurine named "Lubina" (Sorbian for "the charming one") and give an overview of the most important trends in current Eastern European cinema. The same applies to the Short Feature Competition with nine to 15 films demonstrating how the short film has become an independent art form in Eastern Europe and simultaneously providing an opportunity to discover young talents. The U 18 German-Polish Youth Film Competition draws comparisons between the daily life of adolescents in Germany and its Eastern neighbours. In the frame of the 25th FilmFestival Cottbus, prizes worth a total of 77,750 euro will be awarded. On the occasion of the anniversary, the Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrechten (GWFF) will increase the prize money of the Main Prize for Best Film to 25,000 euro. While the Competition presents the entire diversity of Eastern European cinema ranging from arthouse films to comedies, the Spectrum section addresses special target groups with unusual films plumbing the boundaries of cinema, from experimental film to the horror genre. The series National Hits features blockbusters from Central and Eastern Europe, some of which were larger audience successes at home than international film hits from Hollywood.

The Focus in 2015 deals with "Eastern Europe by the Cities", capturing the urban spirit of Eastern European metropolises, but also the attendant, radical social changes, such as gentrification and migration from the land.

Filmmakers direct their cameras to the contradictions between the search for individual freedom and the  construction of representational architecture – challenges that not only Eastern European societies are facing. With films dedicated to Islam in Eastern Europe, the FilmFestival Cottbus addresses another highly topical theme: How do historical extreme situations, such as the invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet troops or the massacre of Muslims during the war in Bosnia, effect Islamic consciousness in Eastern Europe and beyond? What liberties does Islamic everyday culture offer, and what are its constraints?  Since 2010, the Polskie Horyzonty (Polish Horizons) have been inviting the audience to explore Poland’s contemporary film scene – since "Ida" won an "Oscar", one of the world’s leading cinematographies. The Russkiy Den (Russian Day) has a similar ambition, presenting a cross-section of Russia’s rich film production.

The German-Polish-Russian Film Forum "Change in Remembrance" invites guests to a "trialogue" between these two countries and Germany, with a film series presenting the different reflections on and interpretations of the transformation processes that have taken place from the 1990s until today in

(East) Germany, Poland and Russia.  Furthermore, there will be a top-class panel discussion attended by, among others, the former human rights activist and retired Federal Commissioner for Stasi Documents, Marianne Birthler.

Opportunities to enter into a dialogue with film professionals are provided during the entire festival week by the Film Talks (Q & A) and the MasterTalks introduced last year – succinct eynote speeches by professionals of the film industry. This year’s speakers include the Hungarian cult director István Szabó, "Oscar" award-winner and Honorary President of the FilmFestival Cottbus.

The aim to make guests from around the world aware of regional filmmakers and themes is pursued during the festival week by the Homeland | Domownja section. The 13th Cottbus FilmShow, staged on the evening before the opening of the festival, offers insights into regional filmmaking. The event functions as a "small" festival for committed and talented filmmakers from the region. The FilmFestival Cottbus is at home in selected and extraordinary festival venues. The large auditorium of the State Theatre Cottbus provides the glamorous setting for the opening of the 25th festival edition on 3 November, 2015, while the awards ceremony on 7 November will be held in the Stadthalle Cottbus, which functions as the festival centre. In addition to the Stadthalle, films will be screened in the successfully established network of venues – from the historical Weltspiegel, to the Kammerbühne and Glad-House-Halle, which are transformed to cinema halls, to the municipal cinema Obenkino.

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the FilmFestival Cottbus additionally invites the audience to special places in the city. The entertainment hall of the Gutsökonomie will present a special on the Branitz Park and Castle as a shooting location, the Space Flight Planetarium will show fulldome films and the art museum Dieselkraftwerk will feature a screening corresponding with the Focus theme, "Eastern Europe by the Cities", as well as an installation dedicated to modern, socialist, urban development concepts of the 1930s. A varied supporting programme with concerts, exhibitions, readings and festival parties provides entertainment beyond the cinema seat.

The festival is substantially supported by the State of Brandenburg, the Medienboard Berlin- Brandenburg, the City of Cottbus as well as the MEDIA - Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

42nd TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL

 2015 PROGRAM

Twenty-seven new feature films to screen in the main program

Danny Boyle, Adam Curtis and Rooney Mara to receive Silver Medallion Awards

Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, today announced its official program selections for the 42nd edition of the Telluride Film Festival. TFF’s annual celebration of artistic excellence brings together cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and artists to discover the best in world cinema in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado. TFF will screen over seventy-five feature films, short films and revival programs representing twenty-seven countries, along with special artist Tributes, Conversations, Panels, Student Programs and Festivities. Telluride Film Festival takes place Friday, September 4 - Monday, September 7, 2015.

42nd Telluride Film Festival is proud to present the following new feature films to play in its main program:

·       CAROL (d. Todd Haynes, U.S., 2015)

·       AMAZING GRACE (d. Sydney Pollack, U.S., 1972/2015)

·       ANOMALISA (d. Charlie Kaufman, U.S., 2015)

·       BEAST OF NO NATION (d. Cary Fukunaga, U.S., 2015)

·       HE NAMED ME MALALA (d. Davis Guggenheim, U.S., 2015)

·       STEVE JOBS (d. Danny Boyle, U.S., 2015)

·       IXCANUL (d. Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala, 2015)

·       BITTER LAKE (d. Adam Curtis, U.K., 2015)

·       ROOM (d. Lenny Abrahamson, England, 2015)

·       BLACK MASS (d. Scott Cooper, U.S., 2015)

·       SUFFRAGETTE (d. Sarah Gavron, U.K., 2015)

·       SPOTLIGHT (d. Tom McCarthy, U.S., 2015)

·       RAMS (d. Grímur Hákonarson, Iceland, 2015)

·       MOM AND ME (d. Ken Wardrop, Ireland, 2015)

·       VIVA (d. Paddy Breathnach, Ireland, 2015)

·       TAJ MAJAL (d. Nicolas Saada, France-India, 2015)

·       SITI (d. Eddie Cahyono, Indonesia, 2015)

·       HEART OF THE DOG (d. Laurie Anderson, U.S. 2014)

·       45 YEARS (d. Andrew Haigh, England, 2015)

·       SON OF SAUL (d. Lázló Nemes, Hungary, 2015)

·       ONLY THE DEAD (d. Michael Ware, Bill Guttentag, U.S.- Australia, 2015)

·       TAXI (d. Jafar Panahi, Iran, 2015)

·       HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT (d. Kent Jones, U.S., 2015)

·       TIME TO CHOOSE (d. Charles Ferguson, U.S., 2015)

·       MARGUERITE (d. Xavier Giannoli, France, 2015)

·       TIKKUN (d. Avishai Sivan, Israel, 2015)

·       WINTER ON FIRE: UKRAINE’S FIGHT FOR FREEDOM (d. Evgeny Afineevsky, Russia-Ukraine, 2015)

Additional Sneak Previews may play outside the main program and will be announced through the Telluride Film Festival website over the course of the four-day weekend. Visit the TFF website for updates: www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

The 2015 Silver MedallionAwards, given to recognize an artist’s significant contribution to the world of cinema, go to filmmaker Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) who will present his latest film, STEVE JOBS; documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis (THE POWER OF NIGHTMARES) who will present his latest work, BITTER LAKE; and actress Rooney Mara (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) who will present CAROL. Films will be shown following the on-stage interview and medallion presentation.

“We are thrilled to present such an exhilarating, diverse program for the 42nd Telluride Film Festival,” said executive director Julie Huntsinger. “This year was an abundance of riches, particularly within the documentary category, and we feel privileged to celebrate these films and their artists with our audience in one of the most beautiful locations in the world.”

Guest Director Rachel Kushner, who serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s program, presents the following revival programs:

·       THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE (d. Jean Eustache, France, 1973)

·       MES PETITES AMOUREUSES (d. Jean Eustache, France, 1974)

·       WAKE IN FRIGHT (d. Ted Kotcheff, Australia, 1971)

·       COCKSUCKER BLUES (d. Robert Frank, U.S., 1979)

·        A DAY IN THE COUNTRY (d. Jean Renoir, France, 1936) + UNCLE YANCO (d. Agnès Varda, France, 1967)

·       THE MATTEI AFFAIR (d. Francesco Rosi, Italy, 1972)

Additional film revival programs include DIE NIBELUNGEN (d. Fritz Lang, Germany, 1924) presented by Pordenone Silent Film Festival; L’INHUMAINE (d. Marcel L’Herbier, France, 1924) with the Alloy Orchestra; RETOUR DE FLAMME, a collection of short films curated by Serge Bromberg; and RESTORING NAPOLEON with Georges Mourier who is currently overseeing the six-and-half-hour restoration of the film for Cinémathèque Francaise.

Backlot, Telluride’s intimate screening room featuring behind-the-scenes movies and portraits of artists, musicians and filmmakers, will screen the following nine programs:

·       CINEMA: A PUBLIC AFFAIR (d. Tatiana Brandrup, Russia, 2015)

·       THE CENTURY OF THE SELF (d. Adam Curtis, U.K., 2002)

·       INGRID BERGMAN – IN HER OWN WORDS (d. Stig Björkman, Sweden, 2015)

·       IN THE SHADOW OF THE GREAT OAKS (d. George Mourier, France, 2005)

·       PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT (d. Lisa Immordino Vreeland, U.S., 2015)

·       SEMBENE! (d. Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman, U.S.-Senegal, 2015)

·       DREAMING AGAINST THE WORLD (d. Tim Sternberg, Francisco Bello, U.S., 2015) + TYRUS (Pamela Tom, U.S., 2015)

Telluride Film Festival annually celebrates a hero of cinema that preserves, honors and presents great movies. The 2015 Special Medallion award goes to Participant Media. Jonathan King and Diane Weyermann will be presented the award prior to a screening of HE NAMED ME MALALA. Other Participant Media films in the festival include SPOTLIGHT and BEASTS OF NO NATION.

Telluride Film Festival’s SHOWcase for Shorts features eight short films chosen to precede select feature films; Filmmakers of Tomorrow includes three programs: Student Prints, Great Expectations, and Calling Cards from nineteen emerging filmmakers.

Telluride Film Festival’s Student Programs present students the opportunity to experience film as an art and expand participants’ worldview through film screenings and filmmaker discussions. The Student Symposium provides 50 graduate and undergraduate college students with a weekend-long immersion in cinema. The City Lights Project brings 15 high school students and five teachers from three schools the opportunity to participate in a concentrated program of screenings and discussions. FilmLAB offers a master-class program for UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television graduate filmmaking students. The Roger Ebert/TFF University Seminars give university professors and students the opportunity to travel to the Festival each year to participate in special programming and to attend screenings throughout the weekend. The newly implemented FilmSCHOLAR program gives young film scholars and aspiring critics the opportunity to immerse themselves in a weekend of cinema and learn from some of the best in the field. Created in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin.

Telluride Film Festival’s Talking Heads programs allow attendees to go behind the scenes with the Festival’s special guests. Six Conversations take place between Festival guests and the audience about cinema and culture, and three outdoor Noon Seminars feature a panel of Festival guests discussing a wide range of film topics. These programs are free and open to the public.

Additional Festivities will take place throughout the Festival including Book Signings with Emma Donaghue (Room), and Guest Director Rachel Kushner (The Flamethrowers); and a special outdoor screening of SHERPA (d. Jennifer Peedom, Australia, 2015) will play on Friday evening.

Corporate support at Telluride Film Festival plays an essential role in the life of the Festival and underscores the Festival’s commitment to quality, adventure and distinction in the art of cinema. TFF is privileged to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned consumer and entertainment brands.  This year we are thrilled to welcome new Premier Sponsor The Guardian, a global force in quality, independent media coverage, who will sponsor the Festival's Noon Seminars, featuring filmmakers and actors in discussion about their projects, and the Festival’s closing celebration, the Labor Day Picnic. Julie Huntsinger said: “The festival could not be more proud to partner with the Guardian, an international voice, that shares the same values that our organization works hard to preserve."  We also welcome the sleek, fast, all-electric Tesla Model S to town. A fleet will be on display and available to test drive during the festival. 

We are extremely proud of our committed relationships, each of which are aligned with a unique feature of the festival and contribute to enhancing the festival experience, including Signature Sponsors: Turner Classic Movies, EY, Meyer Sound, National Endowment for the Arts, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association; Major Sponsors: Universal Studios, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Américas Film Conservancy; and Festival Sponsors The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Vimeo, The London West Hollywood, Dolby, Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media, Teatulia Organic Teas, Shopkeep POS, Telluride Alpine Lodging, New Sheridan Hotel, Dell and Boston Light and Sound, among others. We welcome new media partners Entertainment Weekly and Travel+Leisure. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will also feature highlights from the Telluride Collection at The Academy Archive.

The 42nd Telluride Film Festival’s program will be posted in its entirety at 12:00 noon on Thursday, September 3, 2015. Visit www.telluridefilmfestival.org to download the Program Guide.

HELLO MiFo! CURTAIN TO RISE ON MiFo LGBT FILM FESTIVAL

WITH NEW NAME, NEW DIRECTOR AND UNBRIDLED MOMENTUM

MiFo LGBT Film Festival: October 9 – 18, 2015 in Fort Lauderdale
 

The newly named MiFo LGBT Film Festival kicks off its Fort Lauderdale edition October 9, 2015 with two weekends of dramas, comedies and documentaries that touch upon various aspects of  lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) life. Now in it 7th year, MiFo includes 7 documentaries, 18 shorts and 28 narratives, including 13 premieres.

Presented by Merrill Lynch, Showtime and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Office of Film, Music & Entertainment, MiFo is one of the most highly regarded LGBT film festivals in the nation.

The 2015 MiFo Festival in Fort Lauderdale will take place on Friday, October 9 through Sunday, October 11; and on Thursday, October 15 through Sunday, October 18.  Screenings will be held at the Classic Gateway Theatre, 1820 East Sunrise Boulevard; Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6th   Street; and Opening Night at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.

There is meaning and momentum behind the new moniker.  "MiFo" joins together the Miami and Fort Lauderdale LGBT film festivals under one umbrella and one brand name, to solidify South Florida’s leadership position in LGBT film and media. The Miami Festival recently celebrated its 17th year with record attendance, while Fort Lauderdale enters its 7th solid year with an unprecedented 45 films.

To foster this progressive environment and rebranding effort, MiFo has appointed Victor M. Gimenez as its new Executive Director.  “Victor brings together business expertise, film knowledge and activism at this consequential time,” said Mark Gilbert, MiFo Board Chair. “He will continue moving MiFo forward as one major South Florida brand.”

As executive director, Gimenez is responsible for business development, corporate sponsorship, membership relationship and customer service. Gimenez had served as MiFo Board Chair since 2014, and has held various roles during the past five years. Prior to MiFo, he worked in construction management and ran his own business. An avid movie lover, Gimenez currently is active on the boards of several cultural and social organizations.

“Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale festivals have earned widespread acclaim individually,” said Gimenez. “Together under one brand we will continue to grow exponentially, thanks to their combined size and the benefits of combined marketing efforts.  As we continue into the 21st Century, MiFo will highlight the vibrancy of South Florida’s LGBT community,  solidifying our position of pre-eminence. The result will be greater support from our community and our sponsors as we debut World premieres, North American premieres and East Coast premieres.”

Look for updates on movies, times and happenings by visiting MiFo at www.MiFofilm.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mifofilmfest
The MiFo LGBT Film Fest is committed to its mission: To inspire, entertain and educate the public, encourage a sense of community through international and culturally diverse film, video and other media that offer historical and contemporary perspectives on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender experience.

La Belle Saison de Catherine Corsini, 
Dheepan by Jacques Audiard,
La Loi du Marché by Stéphane Brizé,
Marguerite by Xavier Giannoli,
Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.