The 28th edition of AFI FEST will take place November 6 through 13, 2014, in Hollywood, California. The film festival is the only one of its stature that is free to the public, and is the only festival in North America with a market partner, the AFM (American Film Market).
Submissions are now open and filmmakers are invited to submit narrative, documentary, experimental, animated and short films
IFC Midnight has released the official trailer for Zack Parker’s PROXY , schedule to open theatrically at The IFC Center in NYC and on VOD April 18th, 2014, with nationwide rollout to follow.
Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) feels alone in this world. When she is viciously attacked by a hooded assailant, it almost seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group, especially from the kindly Melanie (Alexa Havins). The two women strike up a close friendship and Esther’s life of sadness and solitude is opened up to understanding and even acceptance. However, their bond gets increasingly dangerous as they can no longer tell what’s real and what’s in their heads.
The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) announced the film line-up for the Narrative and New Director Competitions, taking place April 17 – 26, 2014. NaFF has expanded to 10 days and two locations, with competition films, red carpet events, and opening and closing night parties at Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 and free films nightly at the Nissan Multicultural Village at Walk of Fame Park, downtown Nashville.
Films include the World Premiere of UNDISCOVERED GYRL directed by Allison Burnett, and starring Britt Robertson, Robert Patrick, Christian Slater, Justin Long, Martin Sheen, Kimberly Williams-Paisley. UNDISCOVERED GYRL follows the life of Katie Kampenfelt, a beautiful, imaginative teen who, after graduating from high school, decides to take a year off before college. Almost immediately Katie’s life begins to veer off course. Through the prism of a blog she writes, the audience is given a rare, voyeuristic glimpse into the imagination, sexual yearnings, and haunted psyche of a soul in progress.
THE IDENTICAL directed by Dustin Marcellino
The Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) announced the Special Presentations line-up for the 45th annual Festival, taking place April 17 to 26th 2014. Films on opening day include the World Premiere of THE IDENTICAL directed by Dustin Marcellino and starring Blake Rayne, Ashley Judd, Ray Liotta, Seth Green, Joe Pantoliano, Amanda Crew, Brian Geraghty. THE IDENTICAL is the story of a young couple, who give birth to identical twin boys in the depths of the Great Depression. Unable to care for both, the couple gives one son to be raised and adopted by an evangelist minister and his wife. The film tells the story of the separated twins, Drexel Hemsley and Ryan Wade, and the very different lives they lead–different except for a shared passion for music. Other films include the Tennessee Premiere of CHASING GHOSTS directed by Josh Shreve, and THE CASE AGAINST 8 directed by Ben Cotner and Ryan White.
Brian Owens, NaFF’s Artistic Director, programmed Opening Day with Nashville in mind. These are films made in or near the city, by a Tennessee filmmaker, or by a filmmaker well-loved by the NaFF festival audience.
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival Audience Award-winners today from the Narrative Feature Competition, Documentary Feature Competition, Narrative Spotlight, Documentary Spotlight, Visions, Midnighters, Episodic, SXGlobal, Festival Favorites and Design Award categories. BEFORE I DISAPPEAR directed by Shawn Christensen was awarded to the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and VESSEL directed by Diana Whitten was voted the winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. In the Spotlight section, DAMNATION directed by Ben Knight and Travis Rummel won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and CESAR CHAVEZ directed by Diego Luna won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film.
TEENAGE, the new documentary film written and directed by Matt Wolf (Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell) is based on the book Teenager, by Jon Savage, and uses both found footage and lush, fake Super 8 recreations to illustrate how adolescents came into being, as both a social and actualized concept, in the early-to-mid twentieth century.
By Francesca McCaffery
With his latest film NYMPHOMANIAC, bad boy and cinematic provocateur Lars von Trier has found a way to communicate through film that is rarely felt, even in literature: Whether you agree with what is being portrayed onscreen, or not, you still have the feeling of being spoken to in the most profound of ways- both cerebrally and viscerally- the sheer ride that only the most dazzling, life-changing novel can offer.
NYMPHOMANIAC, VOL 1, is one of two films, (Vol 2 being released in the US in April ) both released in their uncut, European versions. The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg as Joe, who meets lonely bachelor Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård) only after he finds her lying, curled up, bloody and beaten, in his courtyard as he goes out to get his daily cup of coffee and rugalach.
THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL by Chapman Way and Maclain Way
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival announced additional programming for the 2014 festival: 4 Center Frame programs, 5 Free Screenings, this year’s Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant recipients, and the Southern Documentary Fund: In-the-Works program. THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL by Chapman Way and Maclain Way will screen as the Free Closing Night Film on Sunday, April 6.
FRANK
The Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) announced the 2014 festival line up today. CUFF will bring 31 feature films from all over world to Calgary from April 7-13 at Globe Cinema. The festival opens on April 7, 2014 with the Canadian premiere of FRANK. In the film, an amateur musician,Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) who finds himself mixed up with some seriously strange bandmates, led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender). Based on the memoir by Jon Ronson (THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS) and his experiences playing with ultimate outsider musician Chris Sievey.
The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), today announced the lineup for the eighth annual Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival. The Sports Festival was founded to broaden the audience for independent film through stories about sports and competition. The program includes feature and short films, an outdoor screening, special conversations, and an ESPN Films 30 for 30 program on soccer. The 2014 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will run during the 13th edition of TFF, taking place April 16 – April 27 at locations around New York City.
The world premiere of the 30 for 30 documentary WHEN THE GARDEN WAS EDEN will serve as the gala premiere of the program on Thursday, April 17. In the film, Rapaport focuses on the glory days of the Knicks championship teams of the early 70’s and their larger impact through a series of interviews with storied figures such as Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley and Phil Jackson.
Philadelphia Film Society Theater at the Roxy
The Philadelphia Film Society will produce the Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF): Spring Showcase, a 7-day film event scheduled to take place from Friday, April 11 to Thursday, April 17, exclusively at the PFS Theater at the Roxy. According to the PFS, the Spring Showcase offers a preview of the kind of diverse programming that audiences can expect from the annual Philadelphia Film Festival, October 16 – 26, 2014. A small collection of exciting new films including summer releases and other hits from the festival circuit, it is a great sampler of the kinds of films that will be presented in the line-up this fall.
Richard Linklater
Filmmaker Richard Linklater will be the recipient of the 2014 Founder’s Directing Award at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 24 – May 8), honoring the quintessentially American director’s expansive body of work and celebrating the upcoming release BOYHOOD, his groundbreaking new film. The award will be presented to Linklater at Film Society Awards Night, Thursday May 1.