Posted by editor@vimooz.com on April 30, 2009 under WorldFest-Houston | 
- WorldFest 2009 Grand REMI Awards for BEST THEATRICAL FEATURE - “Bitter/Sweet”
WorldFest-Houston, the 3rd longest-running International Film Festival in North America, celebrated the conclusion of its 10-day run of film, fun and fanfare in its 42nd annual independent film showcase with a 10% increase in overall audience attendance!
Kick-off was the world premiere of WorldFest alum, Jim Amatulli’s “Flying By” with film luminary and Oscar winner, Patricia Neal on-hand to receive her Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday, April 17th, Opening night of the 42nd edition of WorldFest.
Mid-week, veteran actor Rip Torn and family jetted in to enjoy the premiere of his daughter Angelica’s, film, “Lucky Days”. Both French and British consuls feted their respective attending directors, Serge Bozon (La France) and David Rocksavage (Shadows in the Sun) with receptions to honor their film premieres at this year’s WorldFest.
WorldFest 2009 Grand REMI Awards are:
BEST THEATRICAL FEATURE - “Bitter/Sweet”, WorldFest alum, Jeff Hare, Angel & Bear Productions, USA/Thailand;
BEST FILM & VIDEO - “Mysteries of the Great Lakes”, David Lickley, Science North, Canada;
BEST TV & CABLE PRODUCTION - “Moon Machines, Command Module”, Duncan Copp,Dox Prdns., UK;
BEST NEW MEDIA - “The BMW Experience: Passion for Innovation”, Scott Clements, Alp Communications, Canada;
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM & VIDEO - “Intinahui- In the Eye of the Sun”, Klaus Schrefler, Syndicate, Austria;
BEST SHORT SUBJECT - “Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)”, Ute Dilger, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Germany;
BEST TV COMMERCIAL - “My Houston - ZZ Top, Ballet, & Scrap Daddy”, Zen Film, USA;
BEST STUDENT FILM - Paris Mavroidis for “Divers”, USA;
BEST MUSIC VIDEO to Barbara Misto for “Goin’ Down to Mexico”, USA.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE film which went to “God’s Little Garden”, Jacek Bromski, Zebra Film Studio, Poland. “God’s Little Garden” also garnered 2 more awards; Best Music to composer, Henri Seroka, and REMI Special Jury Award contending for Best Feature Film.
Moving Images Group & Coral Gate Media’s Chris Weatherhead was a triple-winner also for “All for Liberty” with a Special Jury Award, Best Art Direction and a Platinum in feature trailers. Kodak’s Crystal Vision award went to “Tender as Hellfire”, Jason Stone, USC, USA.
The Best Texas award went to “The Heart of Texas”, Mitchell Wright & Dan Patrick, Plaid Shirt Pictures, USA.
The Best Houston Award went to “Las Luciernagas, (The Fireflies)”, Robert Minervini, Pulpa Entertainment, Houston, TX.
All other award results from this year’s WorldFest competition are now posted on the festival website at www.worldfest.org - There were more than 4,200 category entries in all film and video competitions, and between 12-15% of submitted entries won awards.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on April 29, 2009 under Edinburgh International Film Festival |
- Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin in “True Blood”
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) announced today two unique programme highlights and two established strands, ahead of the Festival’s main programme launch on Wednesday 6 May.
CINEMATIC TELEVISION is the first time the EIFF has married cinema and television in their programme, offering audiences the UK premieres of high concept TV drama on the big screen. Ahead of its UK July transmission on FX, the EIFF will screen the first two episodes of much anticipated US vampire drama TRUE BLOOD, from creator Alan Ball (SIX FEET UNDER). The ‘first week’ of daily HBO drama IN TREATMENT, starring Gabriel Byrne, will have its exclusive UK premiere - screening 5 episodes of the critically acclaimed and award winning series. Examining the growing trend of CINEMATIC TELEVISION, a panel event will allow audiences the chance to interact with industry professionals who are directly involved in the phenomenal success of high quality ‘event’ TV shows boasting production values at least as high as those of the average cinema release.
Bringing West Bengal to Edinburgh at the Paradise Movie Hall, the EIFF presents a three day Bengali cinema extravaganza, curated by Mark Cousins, which will convert St Johns Church Hall in the heart of the city into a magical forest cinema. Screening seven classic Bengali films by Satyajit Ray (DEVI; DAYS AND NIGHTS IN THE FOREST), Ritwik Ghatak (THE CLOUD CAPPED STAR; A RIVER CALLED TITAS), Tapan Sinha (NIRJAN SAIKATE; WHEEL CHAIR) and Anup Singh (THE NAME OF A RIVER), the Paradise Movie Hall is in partnership with the British Council and Scottish Government, and is followed by a programme of West Bengali films touring Scotland in the autumn. Bengali muse of Ray and legendary Bollywood movie star, Sharmila Tagore, will also be attending the Festival for an In-Person onstage interview where she will be discussing her passion for West Bengali film culture; her work as Chair of India’s Board of Film Certification and UN Goodwill Ambassador, and her cinema career.
Paradise Movie Hall curator, Mark Cousins, said: “By turning a wee Scottish church hall into a magical space, we’re trying to re-capture the wonder of movie-going when you are a kid. We’re showing West Bengali films in that little forest cinema because the creative heart of Indian cinema is in West Bengal. We invited the first lady of Bengali cinema, Sharmila Tagore, because she’s a legend and her career is unique. We hoped she’d come, but it was a long shot. It paid off. We’re totally thrilled. She can tell us first hand about Indian cinema’s Chekhov, Satyajit Ray, and the great Tapan Sinha. She can open a window of the world on the great Bengali films. In our wee makeshift Paradise Movie Hall. How great is that? This is what film festivals are for.”
Cult late night sections NIGHT MOVES and UNDER THE RADAR boast an international array of kitsch, horror, raw and risk-taking work, as well as films from established filmmakers. Genre maestro Dario Argento’s world premiere of GIALLO screens as part of NIGHT MOVES, alongside the world premieres of Stuart Hazledine’s EXAM and Laurence Gough’s SALVAGE, both from the UK. Jamie Blanks directs Jim Caviezel in Australian film LONG WEEKEND, and classic Asian horror is resplendent in Kelvin Tong’s RULE #1. Rufus Sewell and Emmanuelle Béart are also in dangerous Thai/Burmese waters in Fabrice Du Welz’s VINYAN while PONTYPOOL from Bruce McDonald will satisfy all zombie fans and Scott Sanders’ BLACK DYNAMITE is a razor sharp parody of the 70’s Blaxploitation genre.
UNDER THE RADAR returns to the Festival for the second time, after last year’s successful unveiling of cutting edge new movie making to enthusiastic audiences. Featuring five films, including two world premieres, no subject matters are taboo across UNDER THE RADAR, including Zach Clark’s wild, deadpan sex satire MODERN LOVE IS AUTOMATIC. Zombies return in the world premiere of ROMEO & JULIET vs THE LIVING DEAD from Ryan Denmark while Appalachian mountain dancer Jesco White is portrayed as a gory legend in Dominic Murphy’s debut, WHITE LIGHTNIN’. Sinister secrets of a lonely London life are revealed in the world premiere of Gerard Johnson’s urban nightmare TONY and Robert Byington’s hilarious HARMONY AND ME is an anti-romcom that tackles heartbreak, bad sex and the social rights of coma victims.
EIFF Artistic Director Hannah McGill commented: “In many ways NIGHT MOVES and UNDER THE RADAR are the heart of EIFF: these after-dark screenings are where you find the real die-hards, the people hellbent on a really extreme film experience. This is a varied selection, though, with full-on horror like GIALLO rubbing shoulders with out-and-out comedy, low-budget British fare and US indie comedy. What brings it all together is the filmmakers’ slightly deranged commitment to making exactly the films they want to make - regardless of taste, dignity, budgetary constraints or moral principles! We look forward to unleashing this wild and exciting work on our audiences.”
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under Mendocino Film Festival |
The Mendocino Film Festival on Northern California’s coast presents a rich and varied selection of independent films in this village by the sea from May 29 to May 31.
Some highlights for filmgoers this spring:
- Kim Rivers Roberts and Scott Roberts outside their flood-damaged home in New Orleans in TROUBLE THE WATER, a film by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. A Zeitgeist Films release.
Trouble the Water, Executive Producer Danny Glover, nominated for an Academy Award. This documentary tells the story of New Orleans’ 2005 flooding catastrophe and its aftermath through the eyes of an aspiring rap artist and her streetwise husband.
- Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music
Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music, presented by special arrangement, a 1969 documentary on this legendary performer at his peak. This offering was directed by Robert Elfstrom, who will be receiving the Albert Maysles Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking during the Festival this year.
- Harvard Beats Yale 29-29
Harvard Beats Yale 29-29, part sports movie, part document of the 60s. It contrasts the blue-bloods of Yale (including George W. Bush and Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau) and the proletariat underdogs of Harvard (including Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones) as these institutions faced off in a stunning football upset during the tumultuous days of 1968.
- Dirt! The Movie
- Jordan - Girls in Al Karak in “The World We Want”
The “Films for Our Future” category features Dirt! The Movie, about the history and future of our relationship with soil, and The World We Want, an inspirational look at the way young teens around the globe are changing their local communities for the better.
- Greetings From the Shore
Greetings From the Shore, winner of 45 awards, is a coming-of-age film starring Paul Sorvino, Jay 0. Sanders and Kim Shaw, and will screen opening night.
- Archeology of Memory
- The San Francisco Opera chorus sings passages from the Bhagavad-Gita in John Adams’ and Peter Sellars’ new opera Doctor Atomic in “Wonders Are Many”
The “Films on the Arts” category includes Archeology of Memory, about Chilean exile musician Quique Cruz creating a multimedia artwork to heal his wounds from the Pinochet regime’s torture, and Wonders Are Many, about the making of the opera “Doctor Atomic,” by John Adams and Peter Sellars, based on atomic bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer’s story.
Additionally, there is a children’s program, an opening party and a “meet the filmmakers” reception.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on April 28, 2009 under New York Surf Film Festival |
NYSFF will host a special screening of Bruce Brown’s THE ENDLESS SUMMER (1964) as a part of the 2009 festival program. Now in its second year, the New York Surf Film Festival is proud to continue the tradition of providing New York City audiences the opportunity to view timeless cult classic surf films alongside the latest releases from independent surf filmmakers.
Both directed and written by Bruce Brown, THE ENDLESS SUMMER is the search for the perfect wave. On any day of the year it’s summer somewhere in the world. Bruce Brown’s color film highlights the adventures of two young American surfers, Robert August and Mike Hynson who follow this everlasting summer around the world. Their unique expedition takes them to Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii and California. Share their experience as they search the world for the perfect waves which may be forming just over the next horizon.
NYSFF Co-founder Morgan Rae Berk says, “We are thrilled to be showcasing yet another cult classic surf film. After opening our 2008 festival with a Bud Browne tribute, it seems proper to follow up in our second year with THE ENDLESS SUMMER on the big screen. We like to pay homage to the foundations that have led to where we are today.”
Look for actual screening times and ticket information in August 2009 at nysurffilm.com.
Submissions
Get your submissions in! Only one month left until the May 31, 2009 deadline. The submission form and complete information regarding eligibility and entry rules for the 2009 New York Surf Film Festival are available on the New York Surf Film Festival website at www.NYSurfFilm.com. Information is also available through Don’t Drop In, LLC at 917.658.2927, info@nysurffilm.com, or by regular mail to Don’t Drop In, LLC P.O. Box 310361 Brooklyn, NY 11231.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under City of Lights City of Angels (COL•COA) |
- “Eden is West” directed by Costa- Gavras
“Eden is West,” co-written and directed by Costa- Gavras, was awarded the top prize by the jury of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association at the 13th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels, A Week of French Film Premieres in Hollywood.
- “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life” directed by Rémi Bezançon
LAFCA’s Special Prize went to “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life,” written and directed by Rémi Bezançon. Actress Yolande Moreau was given a Special Mention for her work in “Séraphine,” her César Award-winning performance, as well as her turn in the comedy caper “Louise-Michel.”
“There were so many wonderful films at this year’s COL•COA — comedies, romances, family chronicles, psychological dramas, espionage thrillers, a crime-epic, a superb documentary, and several moving journeys of self-liberation, whether through the making of art, the mastering of chess or simply swimming for your life,” cited jury president FX Feeney. “How could we choose? Fortunately, in “Eden is West” Costa-Gavras succeeds in nearly all of these forms of excellence. He holds up a truthful mirror to the cruel divided nature of our world, of its brutal displacements and callous barriers — yet he never loses his sense of humor. He reminds us time and again of the silent power of movies to illuminate the soul, thus giving a voice to the voiceless. In so doing, he breaks bread with Chaplin and Fellini, and invites us to believe that “magic” may be the thing that saves us,” he added.
- “Welcome” directed by Philippe Lioret
- “Baby Love” directed by Vincent Garenq
The equally moving closing film that follows the path of a Kurdish youth’s struggle to emigrate from Iraq to the UK via Calais, “Welcome,” co-written and directed by Philippe Lioret, won the COLCOA Audience Award, while “Baby Love,” written and directed by Vincent Garenq, garnered both the COLCOA First Feature and Audience special prize awards.
- “Mesrine: A Film in Two Parts” directed by Jean-François Richet
Audience Special Mention went to the gangster epic “Mesrine: A Film in Two Parts,” written by Abdel Raouf Dafri and directed by Jean-François Richet, a thriller that won him a César for Best Director. Senator Distribution opens the film to the public in mid-August.
“Make Yourself at Home” written and directed by Gautier About, won the COLCOA Short Film Award while “Nous,” written and directed by Olivier Hems was awarded the COLCOA Short Film Special Prize. “Skhizein” written and directed by Jeremy Clapin won a Special Animation Prize and the duo Cécile Ducrocq/Raphaël Goldman won a Special Mention for their acting in “A Private Lesson.”
Tags: A Private Lesson, Abdel Raouf Dafri, Baby Love, Cécile Ducrocq, City of Lights City of Angels, COLCOA, Costa- Gavras, Eden is West, Gautier About, Jean-François Richet, Jeremy Clapin, Louise-Michel, Make Yourself at Home, Mesrine: A Film in Two Parts, Nous, Olivier Hems, Philippe Lioret, Raphaël Goldman, Senator Distribution, Séraphine, The First Day of the Rest of Your Life, Vincent Garenq, Welcome, Yolande Moreau
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under Kansas City FilmFest |
- Anna Kozlova and Alison Bartosik prepare to compete in the Olympics in “Sync or Swim” (Cheryl Furjanic)
Kansas City FilmFest has announced the winning films for this year 2009 festival. And the winners are:
U.S./international features: Best film: “Sync or Swim” (Cheryl Furjanic); honorable mention: “Idiots and Angels” (Bill Plympton).
Heartland features: Best film: “Cell Divide” (Barbara Langsam Shuman); honorable mention: “From Inside” (John Bergin).
U.S./international shorts: Narrative: “Toyland” (Jochem Freydank); honorable mention (tie): “In the Name of the Son” (Harum Mehmedinovic) and “Warrior Queen” (Hezekiah Lewis); documentary: “Chapter XV:12″ (Fernando Pinheiro); animation: “Chainsaw” (Fiona Cochrane); experimental (tie): “Near the Egress” (Antonio Martinez) and “The Nightgardener” (Jennifer Hardacker).
Heartland shorts: Narrative: “The Wonderful Way-Ahead Machine” (Todd Norris); documentary: “Untitled” (Andrea Agosto); animation: “Truth Blues” (Mike Snell); student film: “The Loneliest Place on Earth” (Cody Stokes).
Best of fest short: “Truth Blues” (Mike Snell).
Babelgum best comedy short: “The Wonderful Way-Ahead Machine” (Todd Norris)
CinemaJAZZ: Best feature (tie): “I Hear a Rainbow” (Eli Tal-El) and “Electric Heart - Don Ellis” (John Vizzusi); short (tie): “Lesa Terry & Women’s Jazz Orchestra” (Leena Pendharar) and “Why I Was Born” (Marlon Gonzalez); honorable mention: “L’Arbre Harmonica” (Paul Shannon).
Outstanding Service to the KC Film Community Award: Gwen Widmer and Patrick Clancy.
Volunteer Award: Maggie Wood.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under Palm Beach International Film Festival |
It was a true celebration of film as the Palm Beach International Film Festival celebrated its 14th installment, which took place April 23 - 27, 2009. After five days of screenings, the jury votes were tallied to determine the winners for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Film and Best Director, while audiences voted for their favorite in categories of features, documentaries and shorts. Jury winners were announced at an afternoon press conference, and the Audience Choice Awards were announced at the Closing Night Party.
Randi Emerman, PBIFF Executive Director, commented, “We enjoyed some tremendous audiences this year, which is proof positive that our community is starved for some great independent films. But at the center of our success this year were the filmmakers, who were enthusiastic, engaging and passionate!”
The jury for the 14th PBIFF consisted of: Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand & Fog, and the upcoming Stoning of Soraya M.) and Debbie Frank, COO of the Frank Theatres, who judged the Feature Films; Director Aaron Wells (whose film Rock and A Hard Place screened at last year’s fest) and writer/director Tas Salini, Film Professor, Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, who judged Documentary Films; and Emmanuel Itier, film producer, who judged the Short Films. The jury was particularly appreciative of the effort each filmmaker put into their projects and felt they should be commended for the creative energy that went into each film! The winning films were:
There was a tie for the Award for Best Feature Film:
- Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian
Skin, directed by Anthony Fabian and starring Sophie Okonedo, Sam Neill and Alice Krige, based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era. Commented Feature Film Jurors Shohreh Aghdashloo and Debbie Frank, “This is a hopeful and powerful story that is still relevant after 50 years, with race issues, religion issues…all the same universal struggle to understand we are all human, despite our differences.”
- Uberto Pasolini’s ‘Machan’ the true story of 23 Sri Lankans who obtain German visas by forming an imaginary handball team, the ‘Sri Lanka National Handball Team’
And Machan, directed by Uberto Pasolini, which was shot in Italy, Germany and Sri Lanka. Living on the margins of society, under impossible pressures, a group of desperate slum dwellers find an invitation to a handball tournament in Bavaria.
Said our jurors, “The story of these loveable losers who transcend their humble origins to make a whole new life, starts on a serious note about believing in one’s self and makes you laugh along the way.”
- The Stone of Destiny
The Award for Best Director of a Feature Film went to Charles Martin Smith for his charming film, The Stone of Destiny. Said Aghdashloo and Frank, “Charles took an ordinary story and made it a human experience. None of us are from Scotland but we certainly did connect with it for the fact that everybody struggles to have their own identity.”
- The Legacy, directed by Andrés Faucher
The Award for Best Documentary Feature went to The Legacy, directed by Andrés Faucher, which made its World Premiere. Commented juror Tas Salini, “The Legacy is a celebration of life, hope and passion for music. It was beautifully shot and skillfully edited.” Aaron Wells added, “It’s a well-told story and intertwining Ludwig & David Arben’s stories, each at opposite ends of their careers, made it much more than documentary about a bunch of kids and their love for music. It’s one of those films where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
The Award for Best Short Film went to Gone Fishing directed by Chris Jones. Said juror Emmanuel Itier, “Gone Fishing is a tale full of humanity and love; words that are so commonly forgotten in these days and times of struggles. This is truly a film about fishing for your dreams and how the ones you love are the ones who make you shine. After watching Gone Fishing you really want to say to that special one: ‘I love you’.”
- In My Pocket directed by first-time director David Lisle Johnson
The Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film went to In My Pocket, a World Premiere feature directed by first-time director David Lisle Johnson. The film details the harrowing journey down the dark spiral of drug addiction.
- Gotta Dance, directed by Dori Berinstein
The Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Feature went to Gotta Dance, directed by Dori Berinstein. The film chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets first-ever, senior citizen hip-hop dance team - 12 women and 1 man - all dance team newbies, from auditions and rehearsal through center court stardom.
There was a tie for the Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film, which went to Parental Guidance and A Bit of Counseling. Parental Guidance, written and directed by Meredith Scott Lynn, featured best friends Max and Ava who go camping with their respective parents and remind each other of the mature high-road they are forced to take in light of the inadequacy of grownups. A Bit of Counseling, a comedy written and directed by Deb Hiett, Richard Kuhlman, was about a couple seeking therapy for an unusual problem, and finds an unusual solution.
The Voices of Local Films honors were awarded to “The Outlaw Emett Deemus & The Porno Queen” for both Best Film and Audience Favorite. Best Director was awarded to Afgen Sheikh for “La Huerfana” (The Orphan).
Following the awards ceremony, PBIFF closed its 14th edition with 500 Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on April 27, 2009 under Fallbrook Film Festival |
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
Best Student Film: The Miracle, Director Jeffrey Jon Smith, Oak Park, Illinois
Best Narrative Short: In the Dark, Director Alex Fazeli, Los Angeles, CA
Best Narrative Feature: La Camera Oscura, Maria Victoria Menis, Argentina
Best Documentary Short: Fowl Play, Director Adam Durand, Rosewood NY
Best Documentary Feature: Bicycle Dreams, Director Stephen Auerbach, Santa Monica,CA
Best Animation: Stay in My Memory, Director Katy Davis, United Kingdom
2009 Nominees listed alphabetically
Best Student Film
Bean, Bicycle Love, Jackson, The Last Page, The Miracle
Best Narrative Short
Against the Wind, Help, In the Dark, Not Haunted, The Straight and Narrow
Best Narrative Feature
Coyote County Loser, Fuel, La Camera Obscura, Split Ends
Best Documentary Short
Fowl Play, Something to Eat, a place to sleep.., Thinking Grande!
Best Documentary Feature
Bicycle Dreams, Catching Dreams, Fagbug, Karearea, Surfing 50 States
Best Animation
Stay in My Memory
via: Fallbrook Film Festival
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under Edinburgh International Film Festival |
- Seamus McGarvey. Courtesy Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) announced today that BAFTA and Oscar® nominated cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey, joins Sean Connery, Tilda Swinton and Robert Carlyle as a Festival Patron.
McGarvey’s hugely varied career to date includes working with directors such as Oliver Stone, Stephen Daldry and Stephen Frears as well as lensing critically acclaimed films (ATONEMENT, THE HOURS) and box office hits (CHARLOTTE’S WEB). Most recently he has wrapped THE SOLOIST with Robert Downey Jnr and Jamie Foxx, and is currently shooting Sam Taylor-Wood’s second feature, NOWHERE BOY.
McGarvey will also be welcoming onstage at the EIFF 2009’s Oscar® winner, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE). Returning to Scotland in the year of Homecoming, Anthony will be interviewed in front of a public audience at a Festival In-Person event, discussing his body of work including the LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and 2006’s EIFF Michael Powell winner, BROTHERS OF THE HEAD, to his most recent project with Lars Von Trier.
Seamus McGarvey commented: “I am absolutely delighted to become a Patron of the EIFF, it is a film festival particularly close to my heart and it has played a significant part in my professional life as well. I am really looking forward to continuing my conversations with cinematographers especially as this year I will be talking to Anthony Dod Mantle, one of the most inventive filmmakers in the world.”
EIFF Chair Iain Smith said: “We are delighted that Seamus has agreed to join our distinguished group of EIFF patrons. Not only has he has been a longstanding and keen
supporter of the Festival, he represents a vital connection with the industry, at a time when the Festival is uniquely refocusing on young talent, new media and technology. His patronage signifies the Festival’s intention to engender contact and discussion between talent, content and technology; between culture and commerce, innovation and industry.”
As part of the ongoing commitment to expand their industry initiatives, the EIFF will be hosting a series of presentations, debates, screenings and masterclasses that look at cinematography and 3D stereo production, led by professionals working at the cutting edge of motion picture technology, with the aim of assisting filmmakers with the vast range of film and digital choices that are available.
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on under Tribeca Film Festival |
The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, the founding sponsor of the Festival, along with the Tribeca Film Institute on Friday night announced the winners of the sixth annual Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Awards at City Winery along with the musical accompaniment of DJ Questlove. Tribeca All Access (TAA), a program designed to help foster relationships between film industry executives and filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities, is made possible by Bloomberg.
At the Tribeca All Access Awards at City Winery in lower Manhattan, the following winners were announced:
- Narrative section prize - Miguel Aviles for “Somnium,” in which one man confronts his darkest fears, through his dreams, in order to salvage his life and get his true love back.
- Emerging Narrative section prize - Andrew Bui for “Bronxopolis,” in which a geeky Vietnamese teen turns his crush on his Dominican neighbor into a comic book character that is far from their lives in the Bronx.
- Documentary section prize - George Reyes for “La Muneca Fea (The Ugly Doll),” in which a group of elderly sex workers in Mexico City seek peace and find community at a refuge established by a former colleague.
- Screenwriting section prize - Jinho Ferreira aka “Piper” for “Walter’s Boys,” in which a clandestine training operation led by an ex-CIA agent recruits urban teens, but faces treacherous consequences from the trainees’ intent to break free with the help of a former mentor.
Honorable mentions were given to:
- Narrative - Jennifer Phang for “Look For Water,” in which a couple wakes up one morning to find they have literally lost sight of one another, igniting a path to rediscover each other and others lost along the way.
- Emerging Narrative - Hugo Perez for “The Immaculate Conception,” in which the death of Maria’s popstar husband Poblito, leaves her with the chance to make a decision that may finally bring her happiness, but requires some divine intervention.
- Documentary - Stephen Maing for “High Tech, Low Life,” in which truth and potential fame motivates a young Chinese vegetable seller to become China’s first citizen reporter, covering controversial and censored news via his blog, digital camera and blackberry.
The winners were selected from 21 eligible projects from the 27 in the program and based on the strength of their vision and filmmaking promise. The 2009 TAA Creative Promise Award comes with a prize of $11,000 for narrative, documentary and emerging narrative and $7,000 for screenwriting as well as an original piece of art from a contemporary artist. All of the filmmakers participating in the program have scripts or documentary proposals for which they are seeking funding and/or representation.
“The caliber of talent of Tribeca All Access’ filmmakers continues to amaze us,” said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Institute. “I am proud that TAA is helping to bring these voices and visions to the forefront - ultimately enhancing all of our film experiences.”
“Like the rest of the Tribeca All Access program, tonight was a celebration that all of the participants could say they felt as if they were a winner. We’ve accomplished a lot in just this week and will continue to pave the way for our filmmakers to collaborate amongst themselves and with the industry as a whole,” said Tamir Muhammad, Director of Tribeca All Access.
2009 Tribeca All Access participants were selected from a pool of more than 475 submissions, and six projects through international associations. A jury of respected industry professionals selected the four winners and three honorable mentions. Since its founding in May 2004, TAA has supported the careers of more than 155 filmmakers from traditionally underrepresented communities within the film industry and facilitated 2,432 one-on-one meetings for them with key industry personnel. From 2004 - 2008, a total of 158 projects have participated in TAA.
Jurors for this year’s Tribeca All Access included Viola Davis, Sanaa Lathan, Fenton Bailey, Anne Carey, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Luis Guzman, Darnell Martin, Amy Robinson, Ellen Kuras, Lola Ogunnaike and Lance Reddick.
Author, L’Oréal Spokesperson and Unicef Ambassador Dayle Haddon presented Jennifer Phang with the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth “Vision” Award for her screenplay “Look For Water,” which also received an honorable mention in the narrative category. Female writers/directors actively participating in the emerging narrative section of the 2009 TAA program were eligible for the award, and Phang received a limited edition compact designed by Carelle and a $15,000 cash award from L’Oréal Paris to help further her creative vision through filmmaking.
TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship
As part of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation’s mission to aid in the advancement of talented women filmmakers, the foundation has teamed with the Tribeca Film Institute to form the TFI Adrienne Shelly Foundation Screenwriting Fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded to one selected Tribeca All Access filmmaker to further her career and creative projects. A total of $5,000 will be awarded in addition to support and mentorship throughout a 10-month period. The late actress’ husband Andy Ostroy, who also serves as Executive Director of the foundation, and advisory board member Emily Deschanel presented the award to Ana Lily Amirpour for “The Stones,” in which class, tradition and love all violently collide in modern day Tehran, as a young working class girl embarks on a forbidden love with a wealthy young man with fatal consequences.
“It is truly an honor to be partnering with the Tribeca Film Institute on this new fellowship,” said Ostroy. “Adrienne lived and worked in Tribeca, so it’s an especially meaningful addition to her growing legacy that the foundation that bears her name will be helping other talented women achieve their own filmmaking dreams through TAA.” Ostroy is producing Ms. Shelly’s follow-up script to her 2007 hit film WAITRESS, SERIOUS MOONLIGHT, which is directed by Cheryl Hines, stars Meg Ryan and Tim Hutton, and has its world premiere April 25th at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Jurors for this year included Annie Sundberg, Michelle Byrd and Adam Brightman.
Also, Tribeca All Access, together with 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, announced the first annual Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award. TAA filmmakers, both present participants and alumni, are invited to submit original short film works to compete for grants from 46664 for future film projects. The opportunity will encourage filmmakers to bring Nelson Mandela’s values to life in cinematic form, helping people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them. Submissions will open June 8, 2009, and five winners will be selected to receive the Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award, a grant in the amount of $10,000 each to put toward the making of a short film. Recipients of the Mandela Day Tribeca All Access Award will have the opportunity to have their completed film shown at a special Tribeca All Access screening event during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival in NYC.
Tribeca All Access provided this year’s 31 participating directors and screenwriters the opportunity to meet one-on-one with more than 100 potential investors, development executives, producers and agents in prescheduled meetings. During the six-day event, Tribeca All Access arranged more than 430 meetings total for program participants. For the second year, Tribeca All Access included international delegates by featuring six projects through its associations with the UK Film Council, Screen Australia (formerly Australian Film Commission) and Canadian Film Centre.
All participants in the 2009 program are now eligible to apply to “Tribeca Access OnTrack,” an expansion of the program designed to provide year-round support to TAA alumni.
TAA is made possible by Bloomberg. Additional support is provided by Time Warner, L’Oréal Paris, the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
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