First 10 Films Revealed for 2014 Maryland Film Festival incl. Michael Tully's PING PONG SUMMER

First 10 Films Revealed for 2014 Maryland Film Festival incl. Michael Tully’s PING PONG SUMMER

Ping Pong SummerPing Pong Summer

Maryland Film Festival has begun unveiling the lineup for its 16th annual festival, which will take place May 7-11, 2014, in downtown Baltimore and include approximately 50 feature films and 10 short-film programs from around the world. The first ten feature films announced for MFF 2014 include the area premieres of a number of highly anticipated independent, documentary, and international features, including Michael Tully’s star-studded, shot-in-Maryland Ping Pong Summer; Josephine Decker’s beautiful and provocative Thou Wast Mildand Lovely; Fernando Eimbcke’s poignant coming-of-age comedy Club Sandwich; and Stanley Nelson’s riveting civil-rights documentary Freedom Summer.

LAST CALL(TERCERA LLAMADA) to Open and BAD HAIR (PELO MALO) to Close 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

LAST CALL(TERCERA LLAMADA) to Open and BAD HAIR (PELO MALO) to Close 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival

 TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL)TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL)

The 17th Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, which runs April 22-27, 2014, will open with Francisco Franco’s TERCERA LLAMADA (LAST CALL), Winner of Audience Awards in Lima and Guadalajara, Best Editing at the Havana Film Festival and the award for the entire female cast at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in 2013. TERCERA LLAMADA stars Irene Azuela, Ricardo Blume, Anabel Ferreira, Kristyan Ferrer, Karina Gidi, Rebecca Jones, Fernando Luján, Jorge Poza, Cecilia Suárez, Mariana Treviño, and Silvia Pinal in her first film role in 20 years.

 PELO MALO (BAD HAIR) PELO MALO (BAD HAIR)

Closing the festival is PELO MALO (BAD HAIR), directed by Mariana Rondón, PELO MALO, which has enjoyed great international success, including acclaimed premieres in Toronto and Cartagena, and the prestigious Concha de Oro award for best film at the 2013 San Sebastián International Film Festival.  

Toni Collette, Christine Lahti, Jeff Goldblum, Whoopi Goldberg Among Jurors Announced for 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

Toni Collette, Christine Lahti, Jeff Goldblum, Whoopi Goldberg Among Jurors Announced for 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

 Toni Collette, Christine Lahti, Jeff Goldblum, Whoopi Goldberg Among Juror Announced for 2014 Tribeca Film Festival

 The 2014 Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), today announced its jurors – a diverse group of 33 industry leaders, including award-winning filmmakers, writers, producers, acclaimed actors, respected journalists and entrepreneurs. The jury will be divided among the seven competitive Festival categories. The winning films, filmmakers and actors in each category will be announced at the TFF Awards Night ceremony on April 24. The 2014 Festival runs from April 16 –27.

"The House That Jack Built" Leads Winners and Awards of 2014 Phoenix Film Festival

“The House That Jack Built” Leads Winners and Awards of 2014 Phoenix Film Festival

The House That Jack Built directed by Henry Barrial The House That Jack Built directed by Henry Barrial

The House That Jack Built directed by Henry Barrial is the big winner of the 2014 Phoenix Film Festival, winning the awards for Best Picture, Best Director for Henry Barrial, and Best Screenplay posthumously went to Joseph Vasquez. According to the filmmakersThe House That Jack Built took nearly 20-years to complete. The script was written by Joseph Vasquez, whose life was cut short in 1995 when he died of AIDS after an extended struggle with severe Bi-polar disorder, a story documented in Entertainment Weekly.  

in the film, Jack Maldonado is an ambitious young Latino man who, fueled by misguided nostalgia, buys a small apartment building in the Bronx and moves his boisterous family into the apartments to live rent-free. His parents, Carlos and Martha, sister Nadia, brother Richie and his wife Rosa, Grandmother / Abuela and cousins Hector and Manny, all under one roof. Tension builds quickly as Jack imposes his views on everyone around him, including his fiancée, Lily. All the while, he hides the fact that his corner store is a front for selling marijuana, but soon has to deal with new unwanted competitive forces. It’s only a matter of time before Jack’s family and ‘business’ lives collide in tragic fashion

Sonoma International Film Festival Announce 2014 Award Winners; "Brahmin Bulls" Starring Mary Steenburgen Wins Best American Independent Feature

Sonoma International Film Festival Announce 2014 Award Winners; “Brahmin Bulls” Starring Mary Steenburgen Wins Best American Independent Feature

 Brahmin BullsBrahmin Bulls

The Sonoma International Film Festival’s 17th edition which ran April 2 to 6, 2014, came to a close Sunday night and bestowed awards on the winning films and filmmakers. Brahmin Bulls directed by Mahesh Pailoor and starring Mary Steenburgen, Justin Bartha and Michael Lerner won the award for Best American Independent Feature. In the film, a disillusioned architect and his distant father come together after many years, but when a woman from the past resurfaces, old wounds threaten to break their new-found relationship.

RADiUS-TWC to Work with Duplass Brothers on a "CREEP" Trilogy; Sets Release Date for "THE ONE I LOVE"

RADiUS-TWC to Work with Duplass Brothers on a “CREEP” Trilogy; Sets Release Date for “THE ONE I LOVE”

 CREEPCREEP

RADiUS-TWC, a division of the Weinstein Company will partner with the Duplass Brothers and Blumhouse Productions on a CREEP trilogy after the film’s ‘highly praised and fear inducing” SXSW premiere.  CREEP stars Mark Duplass (SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED) who co-wrote the film with Patrick Brice, making his directorial debut. Produced by Jason Blum (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE PURGE, INSIDIOUS and SINISTER franchises) and Duplass, CREEP is a unique two-man psychological thriller that upends expectations at every turn.  

The One I LoveThe One I Love

RADiUS is also distributing Duplass’ THE ONE I LOVE which the company acquired out of Sundance and plans to release on August 15.

VIDEO | Poster and Watch Trailer for Jon Favreau's Chef Starring Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson

VIDEO | Poster and Watch Trailer for Jon Favreau’s Chef Starring Sofia Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson

chef movie-poster

Check out the first poster and trailer for CHEF written and directed by John Favreau and released in theaters on May 9, 2014.  Favreau wrote, directed and stars in the comedy film that also features Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo,Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey Jr. Favreau plays Carl, a chef who loses his job and decides to launch a food truck business, while attempting to reunite his estranged family. 

If you want to catch the film before then, Chef, which had its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, also screens as part of the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival and is the opening night film of the Montclair Film Festival.

Indie Pop Band 'of Montreal' Documentary "THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL" Acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories for Late 2014 Release

Indie Pop Band ‘of Montreal’ Documentary “THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL” Acquired by Oscilloscope Laboratories for Late 2014 Release

 Jason Miller’s THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired worldwide rights to Jason Miller’s THE PAST IS A GROTESQUE ANIMAL, described as an intimate, enlightening portrait of the endlessly versatile indie pop band of Montreal. The film, which is currently in post-production and is set to bow later this year, is the result of a passionate fanbase that brought the project to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign that resulted in nearly $100,000 in pledges.

Ashland Independent Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; 'The Case Against 8' Sweeps Awards for Best Documentary

Ashland Independent Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; ‘The Case Against 8’ Sweeps Awards for Best Documentary

 The Case Against 8The Case Against 8

 The  Ashland Independent Film Festival  announced the 2014 juried and audience award winning films at an Awards Celebration gala at the Historic Ashland Armory. The festival’s opening night film, The Case Against 8, directed by Ben Cotner and Ryan White, took home the Les Blank Award for Best Feature Length Documentary, given by the festival’s jurors, as well the Rogue Creamery Audience Award for Best Documentary, voted on by the audience. The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the historic case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. The filmmakers and two of the plaintiffs attended the festival and participated in a lively Q&A with audiences following the screening of the film.

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; "Evolution of a Criminal" Wins Grand Jury Award

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Announces 2014 Award Winners; “Evolution of a Criminal” Wins Grand Jury Award

Evolution of A CriminalEvolution of A Criminal

The 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival award winners were announced this afternoon at the festival’s annual Awards Barbecue. The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award was presented to Evolution of a Criminal, directed by Darius Clark Monroe. Ten years after robbing a bank as teenager, filmmaker Darius Clark Monroe returns home and turns the camera on himself — to tell the story of what happened and look at the fallout from his actions.

Jury members Shola Lynch, Robb Moss, and Christine O’Malley stated: “For its mix of autobiographical storytelling and inventive use of recreations, for its ability to disrupt what has become a familiar narrative, we award the Grand Jury Award to Evolution of a Criminal.”

VIDEO | Watch Trailer for Award Winning Matthew Shepard Doc MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

VIDEO | Watch Trailer for Award Winning Matthew Shepard Doc MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

Watch the trailer for the Matthew Shepard documentary, MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINEwinner of the Audience Choice Award For Best Film at the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF).  MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE follows director Michele Josue, a close friend of Matt’s, as she travels to pivotal locations in Shepard’s life, interviewing other friends and family members, and gaining insight into the beautiful life and devastating loss of Matthew Shepard.

Documentary About Matthew Shepard Wins Top Award at 38th Cleveland International Film Festival

Documentary About Matthew Shepard Wins Top Award at 38th Cleveland International Film Festival

MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINEMATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

A personal documentary about 21-year-old college student, Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in 1998 because he was gay, won the Audience Choice Award For Best Film at the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF).  The film, MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE, directed by Matthew Shepard’s childhood friend Michele Josue, also won the Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Competition. The film takes you on a journey to learn about Matt Shepard’s charismatic personality, which is documented through family photos, vacation videos, and even his personal diary entries. Some of the film’s most compelling scenes are with Matt’s parents, Judy and Dennis. 

The winners and awards of the the 38th Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF):