RUSH directed by Ron Howard
The ninth Zurich Film Festival will open on Thursday, 26 September, 2013, with the Formula One racing drama RUSH from director Ron Howard. RUSH portrays the legendary rivalry between the two Formula One drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth).
Woodstock Film Festival to honor Mira Nair and Peter Bogdanovich
The Woodstock Film Festival (WFF) will recognize acclaimed filmmaker and activist Mira Nair as this year’s honorary recipient of the 3rd annual Meera Gandhi Giving Back Award, and acclaimed director, actor, producer, film historian and writer Peter Bogdanovich will receive the honorary Maverick Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to accepting this honor, Bogdanovich will star in the film Cold Turkey by Will Slocombe, which will make its New York premiere at this year’s festival.
The Napa Valley Film Festival in Napa, California, to be held this year from November 13 – 17, 2013, announced the 10 films selected to take part in the NVFF 2013 Narrative Feature Competition and the 10 films selected for the NVFF 2013 Documentary Feature Competition Films. Beyond partaking in the Narrative Feature Competition, the directors of each films will be participating in the NVFF 2013 Artists-In-Residence Program.
THE TRUTH ABOUT EMANUEL
BendFilm, in Bend, Oregon, announced the first of the films selected for the fest’s ten year celebration. The 10th annual Festival will open with THE TRUTH ABOUT EMANUEL (previously known as EMANUEL AND THE TRUTH ABOUT FISHES). Written and directed by Francesca Gregorini, the character-driven, psychological, drama/thriller follows Emanuel (Kaya Scoledario) who becomes obsessed with her new, mysterious neighbor Linda (Jessica Biel). Emanuel offers to babysit Linda’s new baby and unwittingly enters her fragile world. But Emanuel will have to go to a place that she herself has never dared to enter to truly save Linda. Also stars Frances O’Connor and Alfred Molina. The short narrative A HOUSE, A HOME will precede EMANUEL on opening night. In Daniel Fickle’s film, a love, a death, and another death are reconciled in a subterranean world.
Located in the spectacular Coast Mountains of British Columbia, and just two hours north of Vancouver, the 13th annual Whistler Film Festival will run December 4 to 8, 2013. The Whistler Film Festival will open with the Western Premiere of Jason Priestley’s “heart-warming and inspiring” road movie CAS & DYLAN, also starring Tatiana Maslany and Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss. This story follows a couple of mismatched road travelers and the festival says that the film “will not leave a dry eye in the house.” CAS & DYLAN is one of six titles that will be competing for this year’s coveted Borsos award.
Sundance Selects will release Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 Cannes Film Festival Palme D’Or Winner BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR with the MPAA rating of NC-17 in the United States, as opposed to trimming the film or releasing the film Unrated. Starring Lea Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos, the film is being rated NC-17 for “explicit sexual content.” Sundance Selects will release the film in theaters beginning on October 25, 2013, on the heels of screening as part of the 2013 New York Film Festival.
The clock is ticking; the days are passing, as she sits behind closed doors, paralyzed by fear.
SPARROWS DANCE, directed by Noah Buschel, explores the life of a former actress (Marin Ireland) who has been sequestered in her apartment for a year. Her daily existence is plagued by fear. This fear serves to clog her life, until she meets Wes the plumber (Paul Sparks).
David E. Talbert’s BAGGAGE CLAIM
The 17th Urbanworld Film Festival taking place September 18-22, 2013 in midtown Manhattan New York City, announced its 2013 lineup. The festival will open on September 19 with David E. Talbert’s BAGGAGE CLAIM, a romantic comedy starring Paula Patton, Taye Diggs, Boris Kodjoe,Tremaine Neverson, Adam Brody, Jenifer Lewis, Ned Beatty, Lauren London,Tia Mowry, La La Anthony , Christina Milian, Affion Crockett, Terrence J, Rickey Smiley, Thomas Miles and Academy Award-nominee Djimon Hounsou.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING
MANHATTAN SHORT announced the ten films to screen in the 16th Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival to take place in over 300 cinemas across six continents from Friday September 27 to Sunday October 6, 2013.
CONCRETE NIGHT
The second Finnish Film Affair, an initiative of Finland’s Helsinki International Film Festival – Love & Anarchy, will be held this year from September 24 to 26, 2013. A total of almost 30 new films will be screened, Including two Toronto International Film Festival-bound films: CONCRETE NIGHT by veteran Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo and HEART OF A LION by Dome Karukoski. CONCRETE NIGHT is described as a dreamlike odyssey of young Simo who, over the course of a night in the humid and stunning Helsinki, follows his criminal older brother through a series of fateful events. HEART OF A LION is an intense drama about neo-nazi Teppo (Peter Franzén) who tries to position himself as a stepfather for the colored son of the woman he has fallen passionately in love with (Sari, played by Laura Birn).
OF GOOD REPORT directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka.
The Toronto International Film Festival announced the lineup for the Discovery program, highlighting 28 first and second feature films made by outstanding filmmakers from Canada and around the world. The lineup includes the international premiere of the controversial South African film OF GOOD REPORT directed by Jahmil X.T. Qubeka.
WITCHING & BITCHING (LAS BRUJAS DE ZUGARRAMURDI)
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival today announced the films in the Masters program, which highlights the work of the world’s most compelling cinematic creators. The program features a diverse collection of new films including world premieres from Quebecois directors Robert Lepage and Pedro Pires and Finnish filmmaker Pirjo Honkasalo; and North American premieres by Jia Zhangke, Jafar Panahi, Kim Ki-duk, Edgar Rietz and Claire Denis. One additional title has also been announced in the Midnight Madness program: the world premiere of Alex de la Iglesia’s Witching & Bitching (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi).