We Can Only Do This If We Do It Together

• Lou Andreas-Salomé: The Audacity to be Free, Best Film at NDR Young Talent Awards, has New York Premiere at SRFF

• Opening night films include docs When I Stutter, Stickman, and the narrative short Malik and the Turtle

Lou-and-Nietzsche- Lou Andreas-Salome

NEW YORK - March 9, 2018 - PRLog -- [NEW YORK, NY] SR Socially Relevant Film Festival 2018(SRFF 2018) punctuates its Fifth Edition opening night with the feature film Lou Andreas-Salomé: The Audacity to be Free, an award-winning German production by Cordula Kablitz-Post, Best Film at the NDR Young Talent Awards 2018. It is a fearless depiction of the famous female philosopher, scholar, and contemporary of Freud. Cinema Village March 16, 2018, 7:00 pm. Director Present. Tickets via Eventbrite.

N.Y. PREMIERE
Lou Andreas-Salomé: the Audacity to be Free
Cordula Kablitz-Post
Germany | 2016 | 113 min
German, Italian, Russian w/English subtitles

Lou Andreas-Salomé, the woman who enraptured 19th century Europe's greatest minds, recounts her life to Ernst Pfeiffer in this German film directed by Cordula Kablitz-Post.  Salomé became the first female psychoanalyst under the tutelage of Sigmund Freud.

Website for details and images.
Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6eag18
Friday, March 16, 7:00 pm

A post-screening by-invitation reception will be held at farm-to-table restaurant Villanelle.
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An inspiring documentary that explores the stigma surrounding individuals with speech-impediments, aptly titled When I Stutter, precedes the opening film. Comedian Joze Piranian opens with a short stand-up routine about his stutter. A pairing of films starring charming underdog protagonists, Stickman and Malik and the Turtle, from the US and France respectively, close the night.

N.Y. PREMIERE
When I Stutter
John Gomez
USA | 2017 | 67 min

Over the course of 4.5 years, 19 people share stories about how stuttering has impacted their lives, and help bring greater understanding and empathy about an often misunderstood communication disorder. These stories run the gamut of human emotions. Some are dark, some funny, others are triumphant!
Director present for Q&A.

Website for details and images.
Trailer:  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x64u1qw
Friday, March 16, 5:15 pm
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N.Y. PREMIERE
Stickman
Margaret Galbraith
USA | 2017 | 63 min

A knife altered the course of Roosevelt Wilkerson's life twice. As a young man, it sends him to prison. Later, homeless and angry, he picks up a stick and begins carving. Stickman is the incredible story of Roosevelt's journey off the street and it demonstrates that love and compassion hold no economic or racial boundary.
Director present for Q&A.

See website for more details and images.
Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x68wwcu
Friday, March 16, 9:30 pm
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U.S. PREMIERE
Malik and the Turtle
Adnane Tragha
France | 2017 | 19 min 17 s
French w/English subtitles

Eighteen-year-old Malik lives with his mother in a northern suburb of Paris. His dream is to become a top athlete. When his coach announces to Malik that he is registered for the next Junior French Championships, his entourage suspect him of taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Website for details and images.
Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6eadmp
Friday, March 16, at 9:30 pm.
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The rapidly-growing, social-issue based festival is now in its fifth year. SRFF embodies the cultural values of New York showcasing 70 films across an array of platforms from international and local filmmakers. Visit www.ratedsrfilms.org for schedule, synopses, bios, and sponsors.

The festival closes on March 22 with a glistening Awards Ceremony and an afterparty at Doux Supperclub.

SRFF is proud to be supported by LMCC, Fairways Law Firm - Paris, Soletech, the German Consulate General of New York, The Dutch Consulate General. Industry partners and sponsors include Cinema Libre Studio, Candy Factory, InkTip, Final Draft, Resolution rentals (https://www.resolutionrentals.com/), UniFrance (https://en.unifrance.org/) and more. Trophies are by Michael Aram (http://www.michaelaram.com/nsite/home.aspx?utm_source=ppc&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI58WIqYyS2QIVRrjACh1DFwFdEAAYASAAEgJ8uvD_BwE).

ABOUT SR SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM FESTIVAL NY

SR Socially Relevant ™ Film Festival New York is a 501(c) 3 non-profit film festival founded by actress Nora Armani. The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant™, human interest stories dealing with social issues. SR™ believes in the power of cinema in raising awareness and promoting positive social change. Submissions re-open May 2018. www.ratedsrfilms.org.

Press contact Armen Spendjian (347) 301 3548 or A.L.spendjian@gmail.com

Nora Armani

Founding Artistic Director

SR - Socially Relevant Film Festival NY

Tel: +1 (212) 253 2022

 at Cinema Village. Read the Press Release here. Download the Pdf here.

• "SR is sure to appeal to cinema fans of all interests. So come on and support New York’s latest festival.” Catherine Fisher: Tribecafilm
• "..an important program of films” Peter Belsito: IndieWire: Sydney’s Buzz
• “..it would be very good if it became a permanent feature of New York’s rich cultural and political tapestry”  Louis Proyect: The Unrepentant Marxist
• "Amy Goodman provided a rousing keynote address" Chris Atamian: The Huffington Post

SR Socially Relevant™ Film Festival New York - 5th edition - March 16-22, 2018

SR Socially Relevant Film Festival™ New York, a non-profit 501(c)3 film festival that showcases socially relevant films with human interest stories as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling. SRFF believes in promoting positive social change through the powerful medium of cinema. For details on partner organizations and sponsorship opportunities please visit the festival’s website: http://www.ratedsrfilms.org/

An old cliché turned
into a fun crime story! 

Michele Fiascaris and Filippo Polesel create
the trailer for 20^th Far East Film Festival.

UDINE– Alluding to a Guns N’ Roses album, the title Spaghetti Incident has ROCK written all over it. It in fact ridicules the old cliché that has bothered Italians and Chinese since the dawn of time: what was invented first? Spaghetti or noodles? The answer of course is not of great importance, but two young directors, Michele Fiascaris from Udine and Filippo Polesel from Venice, played around with this eternal question, transforming it in an actual mini-film: a fun crime story in perfect Hong Kong style, 1 minute 15 seconds long, chosen by the Far East Film Festival as the official trailer for 20^th edition!

«Spaghetti Incident– explain Fiascaris e Polesel– is a brief sketch with a gangster style backdrop, which makes fun of the unsolvable ‘origin of spaghetti’ myth. Who invented them? Us Italians or the Chinese? No doubt it’s an innocent and frivolous discussion, unless the ones having this discussion are two violent criminal bosses of the Chinese and Italian underworld».

The two bad guys, watched over by their own bodyguards, sit at a table with Dan Dan Noodles in front of them: one is played by Wai Wong, Hong Kong actor who has lived in the UK since he was born (we caught a glimpse of him in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight), the other is played by Luca Zizzari, born in Milan and raised in London, known to the public for playing Matteo in the cult series Peaky Blinders.

Filmed in London’s Chinatown, where Fiascaris and Polesel are in a groove both as directors and as producers, Spaghetti Incident will entertain audiences at the 20^th Far East Film Festival (20^th– 28^th April). As already announced, goddess Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia will be responsible for symbolically cutting the ribbon, officially opening the 20^th edition, Friday 20^th April, and Udine will once again, for 9 days, be transformed into the European epicentre of Asian cinema.

photo by Alexander Short

The Artemis Women In Action Film Festival (AWIFF) is delighted to announce its recent partnership with The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as a lead sponsor for the fourth edition; AWIFF is a film festival that was founded for the purpose of raising awareness of strong female characters in movies and television. Known for their A-list talent, CAA serves as the catalyst to further the movement to feature powerful women on screen and to build an even stronger presence for enthusiastic moviegoers. Sadly, “strong women” are still being grossly underrepresented.

“In today's world, we have a persistent cultural and societal illusion that women are a weaker, inferior sex. Once again, our festival returns to continue eroding this illusion with an edition that resoundingly proves otherwise. Recent events provide a stark view of the power, fortitude, vigor, and determination that is woman, words of which we are being reminded. As women we are relearning, and beginning to understand that words like ‘power,’ ‘determination,’ ‘strength,’ and ‘grit’ are not only attributable to the male of the species. Every single film we screen is a testament to this fact.” –Melanie Wise, Artemis Women in Action Film Festival Founder.

The mission of feminine strength, both of character and physique, is championed by this groundbreaking film festival, which started in 2015. Since this inaugural event, founder Melanie Wise, a stuntwoman and actor, has convinced audiences that physically empowered women in film were not only positive, but popular. Now in its fourth year, Wise continues the tradition of showing a stronger image of women onscreen. The film festival is also pleased to announce sponsorships from LA Weekly and AGENDA magazine.

“I am absolutely overjoyed by the generous support of our sponsors. It is a truly bold pioneering support of women and women’s empowerment. We simply could not be more thrilled.“—Melanie Wise

With approximately 70 films dedicated to women in action, AWIFF includes narrative features, short films, and a variety of genres, which range from action to drama to documentaries. Some of the festival’s outstanding films include the following notable features:

"Stuck" is a dark Comedy by director/actor Jillian Armenante (Judging Amy, Fresh Off the Boat) with cast Joel McHale ("Community,""Great Indoors"), Felicia Day ("Eureka,""Supernatural"), and Heather Matarazzo ("Welcome to the Dollhouse"); "Mary Janes": The Women of Weed is a documentary by multi-award-winning documentarian Wendy Borman, featuring Melissa Etheridge; "Perfume Wars" is based on a true story by best-selling author Barbara Stegemann; Beauty Bites Beast is a documentary with Lisa Long ("Castaway" and "What Women Want"); "5th Passenger," directed and produced by Scotty Baker with cast Doug Jones, Marina Sirtis, and Mindy Robinson is a gothic murder mystery; "Riley Parra" (Marem Hassler, Liz Vassey, Conner Trinneer) is an action, Sci-Fi thriller; and "Living in the Future’s Past" is a documentary directed by Susan Kucera, Narrated and Presented by Jeff Bridges, with cast Piers Sellers, and Leonard Mlodinow.

The AWIFF traditionally recognizes stuntwomen who have made a significant impact in film and television. The following are the honorees for 2018.

Alicia Vela-Bailey - Artemis Stunt Icon Award: As a stuntwoman and an actress who portrays dynamic female characters, Alicia’s first film as a stunt double had her stepping in for the star of "Bloodrayne" (2015 Artemis Honoree Kristanna Loken). In her second film Ultraviolet, Alicia doubled for Milla Jovovich. She continued to create amazing stunts in television and tent-pole studio actioners—being able to do amazing fight action as well as falls and driving. Alicia has worked in "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,""Underworld," and "Wonder Woman." Alicia has just finished her work in the highly anticipated Robert Rodriguez vehicle: "Alita: Battle Angel," and currently in the "Avatar" sequels. As an actor, she plays a recurring role in Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,""The Purge,""Hostel 3," and "Lights Out."

Heidi Pascoe - Artemis Stunt Warrior Award: A professional high-diver who has performed death-defying stunts throughout her career, Heidi Pascoe has won cliff-diving championships, which segued into a profession of stunt work. She has amassed over 120 credits in films and television, including "Bones,""CSI," and "NCIS." She has won awards from Taurus World Stunt Awards and the Screen Actors Guild. Heidi Pascoe is most famous for doubling Anna Paquin in the popular series "True Blood."

Danielle Burgio - Artemis Stunt Unsung Heroine Award: Danielle Burgio, stuntwoman and actor, has an endless body of work. She has doubled Jennifer Garner, Michelle Monahan, and Carrie Anne Moss (Trinity) in "The Matrix" sequels. Her credits include "Ghost Whisperer,""Angel,""Scandal,""Daredevil,""The Green Hornet"; and she was stunt coordinator for "The Blackout."“My journey in this industry has been a lesson in facing fear and learning the true definition of perseverance, and one that wouldn't be possible without the love and support of my friends, family and peers. Thank you for showing me that grit pays off!” exclaims Danielle Burgio.

Cassandra Ebner - Artemis Stunt Next Wave Award: Ms. Ebner has amassed a huge body of work in a short time. Cassandra does stunts for "Game of Thrones,""Arrow,""The Flash," and "Once Upon a Time." She has also written and directed plays, short films and videos. “As a performer amongst an industry full of many people with amazing talents, I am absolutely honored to be recognized for mine. I grew up watching powerhouse action women and superheroes, hoping I could be as confident, cool, hilarious, and bring an incline of that inspiration to others. To be honored for an award for Stunt Next Wave at a film festival that celebrates empowerment and women in action is a dream come true,” states Casandra Ebner.

The Artemis Awards Gala will be held Thursday, April 26, 2018, at the Ahrya Fine Arts Theater at 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. The Red Carpet begins at 6:00 PM, and the awards presentation begins at 8:00 PM. Screenings take place on Friday, April 27th through Sunday April 29th at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, located at 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For the complete schedule of screenings, visit http://www.artemisfilmfestival.com/2018-festival/2018-schedule/.

The Sponsors:

About Creative Artists Agency (CAA) 
Leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) represents many of the most successful professionals working in film, television, music, theatre, video games, sports, and digital content, and provides a range of strategic marketing and consulting services to corporate clients. CAA is also a leader in sports, representing more than 1,000 of the world’s top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, Olympics and action sports, and golf, and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, licensing, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities.

DENVER FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 2018 WOMEN+FILM FESTIVAL

Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), and sponsored by Vodafone Red, Turkey’s biggest international cinema eventIstanbul Film Festival is preparing to meet cinema lovers for the 37th time. The 37th Istanbul Film Festival, with a programme comprising highlights from Turkey and world cinema will take place between 6 and 17 April.

The Istanbul Film Festival presents a rich programme in its 37th edition that ranges from the latest productions of world cinema to cult films, to the latest titles from Turkey and classics alike, new discoveries, masterpieces, and hidden treasures. The festival hosts 198 feature films, as well as 12 short films, in 18 different categories, and in addition to the screening of a total of 210 films by 218 directors from 43 countries, there will be Q&As and festivaltalks with guest filmmakers, concerts, and other special events.

The 37th Istanbul Film Festival Press Conference

The press conference of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival was held on Wednesday, 14 March at The Marmara Hotel Taksim, the Official Hotel Sponsor of İKSV.

In his opening speech, İKSV General Director Görgün Taner said: “The Istanbul Film Festival is an event that is unified with its audience and the city, with significant contributions to the nurturing of a generation of filmmakers and film audience. We believe the meticulously curated sections and sophisticated selection of the festival will expand the intellectual horizons of many more filmmakers and film lovers. We would like to thank all our sponsors and supporters, especially the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, for their contributions and this year’s Festival Sponsor, Vodafone Red. We would also like to thank our valuable press members for their efforts in the announcement of our festival.”

Speaking for Vodafone Red, the sponsor of 37th Istanbul Film Festival, Consumer Business Unit Director of Vodafone Turkey Engin Aksoy said: “As Vodafone Red, we are happy to sponsor Turkey’s most comprehensive and largest film festival, the 37th Istanbul Film Festival. We value digitalisation of the screen arts including cinema. We aim at extending the reach of the Film Festival with our digital setups and means. We will enable the whole nation to monitor most of the festival events through digital media. We will organise a digital cinema session and Virtual Reality previews for the first time in Turkey. We believe that providing cinema lovers with the opportunity to access the festival content also on digital platforms will be exciting.” Speaking after Aksoy, Head of Brand and Marketing Strategy of Vodafone Turkey Ebru Özgüç shared details about the technological innovations that Vodafone Red will bring to the festival.

Istanbul Film Festival Director Kerem Ayan, introducing the 37th edition of the festival and its programme, later unveiled the films to vie in the International Competition, Human Rights in Cinema Competition, National Competition, National Documentary Competition and the National Short Film Competition.

Head of Meetings on the Bridge, Gülin Üstün, revealed further information about the 13th edition of the Meetings on the Bridge, the co-production platform of the Istanbul Film Festival, which brings filmmakers, directors and scriptwriters from Turkey and the neighbouring countries together with professionals from the international film industry.

The technological innovations of 37th Istanbul Film Festival

The collaboration of the Istanbul Film Festival and Vodafone Red ensures that the festival reaches a wider audience with technological innovations this year. Many events of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival such as the opening ceremony, red carpet and award ceremony can be watched live. Also, the festival talks, and selected interviews with national and international guests, to be held at the festival centre, Yapı Kredi Culture Centre, will be followed digitally. Film lovers not only from Istanbul, but also from all over Turkey, will enjoy watching films on digital sessions that will be announced their times and programmes by the festival for the first time.

This year will also see the Virtual Reality (VR) experiences to be featured for the first time at the festival thanks to the collaboration of Istanbul Film Festival and Vodafone Red. VR experiences, which take place in major festival programs abroad, will offer interactive experiences to the followers of the Istanbul Film Festival through special virtual glasses.

Nine movie theatres

The 37th Istanbul Film Festival films will be screened at nine movie theatres: Atlas (two halls) and Beyoğlu movie theatres, as well as Pera Museum Auditorium in Beyoğlu district, Cinemaximum City’s Nişantaşı (two halls), Cinemaximum Zorlu Center in Gayrettepe, Rexx and Kadıköy movie theatres in Kadıköy.

The screenings will be at 11.00, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00 and 21.30.

The festival’s gift to students prevails this year: with the support of the patrons, student tickets for 11.00, 13.30 and 16.00 screenings on weekdays will be sold for 1 TL.

Members of Vodafone Red and Vodafone FreeZone purchasing one ticket on Biletix sales channels and from the festival’s box offices for screenings, will receive a second ticket free of charge between 24 March and 19 April. Gift tickets are limited. Limited student tickets on weekdays sold for 1 TL are not included in this campaign.

Yapı Kredi Culture Centre, renewed this year to restore Beyoğlu’s former allure, will be the festival centre of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival. The centre, which will host press meetings, panel discussions, festival talks, seminars and other related events, will be the heart of the festival.

Cinema Honorary Awards

The Cinema Honorary Awards of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival, presented to distinguished figures of the cinema of Turkey, will be bestowed to 5 revered figures this year: Perihan Savaş, a key actress with 130 films and TV series crowning a brilliant career; a unique writer and scriptwriter, Osman Şahin; the most prolific, “naughtiest” filmmaker in Turkish cinema Aram Gülyüz, and celebrated filmmaker and producer Arif Keskiner. The Outstanding Contribution to Cinema Award will be given to Cevdet Pişkin, a familiar face for film buffs in Beyoğlu, who has served as the Managing Director of Atlas Movie Theatre for 20 years. The recipients will be presented their awards at the Opening Ceremony of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival on Friday, 6 April.

Meetings on the Bridge

Meetings on the Bridge, organised within the scope of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival for the 13th time brings filmmakers from Turkey and the neighbouring countries together with international film professionals and will take place between 6 and 13 April.

While providing an opportunity for filmmakers to hold the first international presentations of their new film projects at Film Development Workshop and films in post-production at Work in Progress, Meetings on the Bridge also aims to pave the way for co-productions and organises panels, master classes and forums. Neighbours platform was launched in 2015 in order to initiate new collaborations and enhance communication between filmmakers from Turkey and the neighbouring countries. The Neighbours platform builds a ground for institutions and individuals to co-operate while facilitating the development of common stories.

The award reception of Meetings on the Bridge will take place on Friday, 13 April.

Competitions across the festival

The competitions of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival will begin on 8 April. The winners of the International Competition, Human Rights in Cinema, National Competition, the National Documentary and the National Short Film competitions will be announced at the 37th Istanbul Film Festival Award Ceremony to be held on Tuesday,17 April.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

In the International Competition section of the Istanbul Film Festival, 11 films from 11 countries, under the “New Perspectives in Cinema” theme will vie for the Golden Tulip.

The International Competition, presented in memory of Şakir Eczacıbaşı, will be supported with a 25,000 Euro monetary prize given by the Eczacıbaşı Group. The director of the Best Film will be awarded the Golden Tulip, the grand prize of the festival, and 10,000 Euros, the local distribution company of the film in Turkey will be awarded 10,000 Euros, and the director of the film to receive the Special Jury Prize will be awarded 5,000 Euros.

The jury of the International Competition, presided by the director who won the Golden Tulip in 2017 in the International Competition with his film O Ornitólogo / TheOrnitologist, director João Pedro Rodrigues, comprises the actress known from the films such as Dogtooth and The LobsterAngeliki Papoulia, director of Las Herederas which won the Best Actress and Silver Bear Alfred Bauer awards at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival Marcelo Martinessi; known from Ferzan Özpetek’s Hamam and Harem films’ soundtracks, musician Pivio, and director of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Tiina Lokk.

International Competition films:

• Chien / Dog / Samuel Benchétrit / France
• Tuzdan Kaide / The Pillar of Salt / Burak Çevik / Turkey
• Cocote / Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias / Dominican Republic-Argentina-Germany-Qatar
• As Boas Maneiras / Good Manners /Marco Dutra & Juliana Rojas / Brazil-France
• Western /Valeska Grisebach / Germany-Bulgaria-Austria
• Pewnego razu w listopadzie / Once Upon a Time in November / Andrzej Jakimowski / Poland
• Soldatii. Poveste din Ferentari / Soldiers. Story from Ferentari / Ivana Mladenovic / Romania-Serbia-Belgium
• Vinterbrødre / Winter brothers / Hlynur Palmason / Denmark
• Marlina Si Pembunuh Dalam Empat Babak / Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts / Mouly Surya / Indonesia-France-Malaysia-Thailand
• The Home / Asghar Yousefinejad / Iran
• The Rider / Chloe Zhao / USA

HUMAN RIGHTS IN CINEMA

The Human Rights in Cinema Competition is being presented only at the Istanbul Film Festival since 12 years. The Award endorsed by the co-production fund Eurimages, comprises a 5,000 Euros monetary prize. The Jury is comprised of Shirin Neshat, visual artist from New York and director of Looking for Oum Kulthum which will be in the festival programme; Christine Masson, producer of the French radio and television culture-art programmes, and Erol Mintaş, producer and director.

Human Rights in Cinema Competition films:

• Central Airport THF / Karim Ainouz / Germany-Brazil-France
• Razzia / Nabil Ayouch / Morocco-France-Belgium
• Frost / Sharunas Bartas / Lithuania-France-Ukraine-Poland
• Muhi – Generally Temporary / Rina Castelnuovo-Hollander, Tamir Elterman / Israel-Germany
• Styx / Wolfgang Fischer / Austria-Germany
• Une Saison en France / A Season in France / Mahamat-Salah Haroun / France
• Kaçış / The Escape / Kenan Kavut / Turkey
• Ptaki spiewaja w Kigali / Birds are singing in Kigali / Joanna Kos-Krauze, Krzysztof Krauze / Poland
• Obscuro Barroco / Evangelia Kranioti / France-Greece
• Pailalim / Underground / Daniel Palacio / Philippines
• Andið eðlilega / And Breathe Normally / Isold Uggadottir / Iceland-Sweden-Belgium

NATIONAL COMPETITION

13films that were completed in the 2017-18 season will be vying for the Golden Tulip in the National Competition of the festival, 10 of them world premieres and 1 of them Turkey premiere.

The National Competition Jury will distribute awards in 9 categories: Golden Tulip Best Film, Best Director, Special Prize of the Jury, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer, Best Editing, and Best Original Music.

Golden Tulip Best Film in the National Competition will be awarded with 150,000 TL, the film winning the Special Prize of the Juryin memory of Onat Kutlar will be awarded 50,000 TL. The prizes for Best Actress and Best Actor will be 10.000 TL each. Best Director will be awarded 50.000 TL given by Türk Tuborg A.Ş.

The jury of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival’s National Competition will be presided over by writer-director Pelin Esmer and comprises cinematographer Gökhan Tiryaki, actress Selen Uçer, poet-writer Küçük İskender, and film critic Barbara Lorey de la Charrière.

National Golden Tulip Competition films:

• Tuzdan Kaide / The Pillar of Salt / Burak Çevik
• Halef / Murat Düzgünoğlu
• Buğday / Grain / Semih Kaplanoğlu
• Kelebekler / Butterflies / Tolga Karaçelik
• Kaçış / The Escape / Kenan Kavut
• Renksiz Rüya / Hewno Bêreng / Colorless Dream / Mehmet Ali Konar
• Aydede / Road to the Moon / Abdurrahman Öner
• Yol Kenarı / Sideway / Tayfun Pirselimoğlu
• Borç / Debt / Vuslat Saraçoğlu
• Güvercin / The Pigeon / Banu Sıvacı
• Sofra Sırları / Serial Cook / Ümit Ünal
• Put Şeylere / Put to the Things / Onur Ünlü
• Körfez / The Gulf / Emre Yeksan

Out of Competition:

• Bekçi / Watchman / Durmuş Akbulut
• Locman / Lodging / Şükrü Alaçam
• Kuluçka / Incubation / Mehmet Selçuk Bilge
• Paranın Kokusu / The Smell of Money / Ahmet Boyacıoğlu
• Benim Küçük Sözlerim / My Short Words / Bekir Bülbül
• Dört Köşeli Üçgen / Four Cornered Triangle / Mehmet Güreli
• Eksi Bir / Minus One / Orhan Oğuz
• Taksim Hold’em / Michael Önder
• Bağcık / The Shoelace / Görkem Yeltan

NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The Istanbul Film Festival will be awarding a 10,000 TL worth Best Documentary Award, in order to support documentary film-makers and documentary film production in Turkey. The National Documentary Competition jury consists of director Ayat Najafi, the Chairman of Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey Mustafa Ünlü, and the Director of Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological DocumentaryPetra Holzer. 10 of the documentaries will have their Turkey premieres at the Istanbul Film Festival.

National Documentary Competition films:

• Parçalar / Fragments / Rojda Akbayır
• Onun Filmi / Her First / Su Baloğlu, Merve Bozcu
• Saraybosna Yürüyüşü / Sarajevo March / Ersan Bayraktar
• Güzel Adam Süreyya / Süreyya the Kitman / Gökçe Kaan Demirkıran
• Turtle Shells / Schildkröten Panzer / Tuna Kaptan / Germany
• Zavar, Çocuk ve Keklik / Zavar, The Kid and Partridges / Zeynep Gülru Keçeciler
• Fındıktan Sonra / Gone with the Hazelnuts / Ercan Kesal
• Yerel TV / Local TV / Özgür Fırat Kınay
• Araf / Didem Pekün
• Başka Tren Gıdı Gıdı / Another Train Gıdı Gıdı / Yasin Ali Türkeri

Special Screenings

Three documentary portraits of three celebrated figures in Turkey, will be screened during the Istanbul Film Festival in a special section. These documentaries portray the lives of Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, one of the world’s most important Sumerologists who is 104-years-old; Duygu Sağıroğlu, director, art director, scriptwriter and educator; and world-renowned writer Yaşar Kemal.

• Muazzez Mucizesi 104 Yaşında / Miracle Worker 104 Years Old / Nurdan Arca
• Bitmeyen Yolculuk / Endless Journey / Mehmet Güleryüz
• Yaşar Kemal Efsanesi / The Legend of Yaşar Kemal / Aydın Orak

NATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

The National Short Film Competition is organised to encourage short film-making, supporting the development in this field, and bringing together the audience and short films of quality. The jury, composed of art director and co-founder of Transilvania International Film Festival Mihai Chirilov, and directors Ceylan Özçelik and Onur Saylak will select the Best Short Film from among 12 films which will be awarded 5,000 TL. FIPRESCI will also select a film to award the FIPRESCI Prize in this category.

National Short Film Competition films:

• Kötü Kız / Wicked Girl / Ayce Kartal
• Anadolu Yok / There is no Anatolia / Ferit Katipoğlu
• Doğu Yakası / East Side / Harun Durmuş
• Arîn/ Mizgin Müjde Arslan
• Bitmiş Aşklar Müzesi / Museum of Broken Love / Murathan Özbek
• Sana İnanmıyorum Ama Yerçekimi Var / I Don't Believe In You But Then There Is Gravity / Umut Subaşı
• Hit Me Baby / Semih Gülen
• Toprak / Soil / Alican Durba
• Tapınak Şövalyeleri / The Knights' Templar / Arda Ekşigil
• Keçi / Bizin / Goat / Boğaç Uzun
• Sirayet / The All Seeing Blind / Nuri Cihan Özdoğan
• Kaset / The Tape / Serkan Fakılı

SEYFİ TEOMAN BEST DEBUT FILM PRIZE

The Istanbul Film Festival presents the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize in memoriam director and producer Seyfi Teoman, who passed away in 2012. Director of the film awarded with the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize will be presented 30,000 TL by CMYLMZ Fikirsanat. All the 12 debut feature fiction films from Turkey in the Turkish Cinema (National Competition and “Out of Competition”) sections are eligible for the prize. Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Prize jury consists of editor Osman Bayraktaroğlu, scriptwriter and producer Elma Tataragić, and director Özcan Alper.

Films to compete for the Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Award:

• Tuzdan Kaide / The Pillar of Salt / Burak Çevik
• Kaçış / The Escape / Kenan Kavut
• Renksiz Rüya / Hewno Bêreng / Colorless Dream / Mehmet Ali Konar
• Aydede / Road to the Moon / Abdurrahman Öner
• Borç / Debt / Vuslat Saraçoğlu
• Güvercin / The Pigeon / Banu Sıvacı
• Körfez / The Gulf / Emre Yeksan
• Bekçi / Watchman / Durmuş Akbulut
• Locman / Lodging / Şükrü Alaçam
• Kuluçka / Incubation / Mehmet Selçuk Bilge
• Benim Küçük Sözlerim / My Short Words / Bekir Bülbül
• Taksim Hold’em / Michael Önder

FIPRESCI AWARD

The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) will award the FIPRESCI Award to a film each from the International Competition, the National Competition, and the National Short Film Competition. The FIPRESCI jury will be headed by Massimo Lechi from Italy, and will include Elaine Guerini from Brazil, Jan Storø from Norway, Martin Kanuch from Slovakia and Ayça Çiftçi and Ali Ercivan from Turkey.

Festival’s stellar section: Vodafone Galas

Istanbul Film Festival’s popular section Vodafone Red Galas will include the Turkey premieres of 12 most anticipated films by celebrated directors and star actors.

This year, the Vodafone Galas section features a wide array of interesting, award-winning, and striking productions, including Isle of Dogs, director Wes Anderson’s latest which screened at the opening of the 2018 Berlin Film Festival; Disobedience by Sebastián Lelio, who won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams; The Bookshop by Isabel Coixet, adapted to screen from the novel by Penelope Fitzgerald and had its world premiere at 2018 Berlin Film Festival; The Happy Prince starring the celebrated British actor Rupert Everett who was behind the camera for the first time to play Oscar Wilde; and Early Man, Oscar-winning animator Nick Park’s new hilarious stop-motion animation film.

Other films that will be screened at Vodafone Red Galas are Beast, directed by Michael Pearce with its spectacular landscapes and increasing tension in the suffocating society pressure, which had its premiere at Toronto Film Festival; Transit, German auteur Christian Petzold's latest film which had its world premiere at 2018 Berlin Film Festival; Cannes awarded You Were Never Really Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix, directed by Lynne Ramsay; Unsane, Steven Soderbergh's latest movie which was shot on iPhone and had its world premiere at 2018 Berlin Film Festival, Black River by Erick Zonca adapted from the bestseller by Dror Mishani, who is also the scriptwriter of Wisdom of the Crowd TV series. 

The festival will open with Lean on Pete, also within the Vodafone Red Galas section. Directed by Andrew Haigh, who is known for Weekend and 45 Years and praised for his tenderness and elegance in his approach to small and simple narratives. Moreover, Romanian director Adina Pintilie's first feature film Touch me Not, which has been awarded the Golden Bear at 2018 Berlin Film Festival, will have its Turkey Premiere right after the festival on 19 April. 

The newest section of the festival: No More Flowers

The newest section of the festival brings together 10 films featuring strong women as protagonists, who do not give in to oppression, who determine their own paths, and manage to stand on their own feet. From Iran to Belgium, Argentina to Georgia, women in these films in their personal or business lives–as executive, judge, photographer, or homeless–reject to be bossed around and stand up for their rights. Scary Mother, returning from many international festivals with awards through a sense of absurd humorous tones, a view of creativity mechanisms and a liberating female figurine approach; Negar, directed by Iran's celebrated actor Rambod Javan; Number One, the story of a French business woman; Of Skin and Men, ridiculing the concepts of masculinity, loyalty and obscenity; Alanis, directed by Anahí Berneri, who has drawn a clear and extraordinarily realistic portrayal of Argentina; and more are included in this section.

Ingmar Bergman: 100 years

The Istanbul Film Festival in its 37th edition will celebrate the talent and legacy of the great Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman with a special selection, on the centenary of his birth, with the sponsorship of Volvo Car Turkey. 10 filmmakers from Turkey selected 9 films that are their favourites, and they will be introducing these films at their screenings during the festival in April.

Here are the filmmakers and their selected films for the Ingmar Bergman: 100 Years section:

Kazım Öz – Smultronstället / Wild Strawberries (1957)

Emin Alper – Det sjunde inseglet / The Seventh Seal (1958)

Semih Kaplanoğlu – Nattvardsgästerna / Winter Light (1962)

Reha Erdem – Tystnaden / The Silence (1963)

Can Evrenol – Persona (1966)

Ümit Ünal – Skammen / Shame (1968)

Aslı Özge – Viskningar och rop / Cries and Whispers (1972)

Melik Saraçoğlu & Hakkı Kurtuluş – Scener ur ett äktenskap / Scenes from a Marriage (1973)

Yeşim Ustaoğlu – Höstsonaten / Autumn Sonata (1978)

A Turkish film classic, Bilge Olgaç’s İpekçe is on the screen with its restored copy

The Istanbul Film Festival has been running the project Turkish Classics Revisited for ten years with the support of Zurich Sigorta for the first time this year, renovating significant works of the Turkish cinema and reintroducing them to contemporary viewers. This year sees the renovation of İpekçe (1987), based on true-life events told by master storyteller Osman Şahin, and written by Şahin and Bilge Olgaç, which tells the story of an unfortunate prostitute and the hypocrisy that surrounds her. The film, restored by Atlas Post Production, will meet the audience 30 years after its production. İpekçe, awarded with the 1987 Ministry of Culture Certificate of Achievement and the 1990 Ankara Film Festival AFSAD Special Prize, stars Perihan Savaş as the eponymous heroine with Berhan Şimşek, and features Gülsen Tuncer, Oktar Durukan, Kemal İnci andŞener Gezgen. Perihan Savaş, is one of the recipients of the Cinema Honorary Award of the Istanbul Film Festival this year. The gala screening of the restored version of İpekçe will take place on Tuesday, April 10 at Nişantaşı City’s.

Architectural Utopias–Cinematic Dystopias with the artist Ali Mahmut Demirel

37th Istanbul Film Festival cooperates with the art space Arter for a programme that takes a holistic approach to the production process of Berlin-based artist Ali Mahmut Demirel. Known for his experimental video works, live visual designs, performances, and the music videos he produced for Plastikman, Richie Hawtin and Captain Comatose; Demirel’s solo exhibition curated by Başak Doğa Temür, Islewill take place at Arter between 16 March and 15 July 2018. The films The Last of England (Derek Jarman), Stalker(Andrei Tarkovsky) and Kuyu / The Well (Metin Erksan), which inspired Demirel’s three exhibition videos will be screened at the festival as part of the project.

Ali Mahmut Demirel, at the performance based on The Well by Metin Erksan will emphasise the theme desperation of humankind on 11 April. The tickets can be purchased on Biletix sales channels and from the Biletix and Salon İKSV box offices.

Festival Talks

The 37th Istanbul Film Festival offers a dynamic schedule not only with its film programme, but also with its festival talks with special guests. Shirin Neshat, one of the jury members of the Human Rights in Cinema Competition whose second feature film, Looking for Oum Kulthum is included in the programme of the festival this year will share her thoughts and experiences on photography, visual art, and cinema.

One of the festival’s International Competition jury who is known in Turkey for his music for Ferzan Özpetek's film Hammam and whose film music for Ammore e malavita, to be shown at the festival, was awarded at the Venice Film Festival, Pivio will share the turning points of his musical journey with audience and music lovers.

Known as the cornerstones of Turkish cinema, “Toros summit of our storytelling,” Osman Şahin; “Yeşilçam's most productive and ‘naughtiest’ filmmaker” Aram Gülyüz; and a name who crossed each filmmaker’s path, Arif Keskiner will come together at a festival talk titled From Yeşilçam to Today with Atilla Dorsay, the honorary member of the Advisory Board of the Istanbul Film Festival, as the moderator. Author and scriptwriter Osman Şahin is considered the most adapted writer in Turkish cinema. The number of films that Aram Gülyüz made as a director from 1958 to this day reaches 140. Arif Keskiner is a producer who has brought many masterpieces to Turkish cinema.

Another talk of the festival titled Literature on Film, Küçük İskender, who has produced works in many literary genres such as poetry, novels, essays and journals, on the National Competition jury, will discuss the relationship between cinema and literature. Gökhan Tiryaki, whose career took off at the Turkish National TV (TRT) and continued as cinematographer to esteemed directors including Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Çağan Irmak and Pelin Esmer, since 1996, has won numerous awards at national and international festivals and is a jury of the festival’s National Competition will meet with film lovers and enthusiasts at another festival talk.

Events of the festival

As it is every year, the 37th Istanbul Film Festival will organise a series of events including concerts, exhibitions and special performances. Photographer Muhsin Akgün’s portraits of the actors from the National Competition using an iPhone will be on display as part of the festival’s events. The solo exhibition, Festival Studio will be opened on 4 April at Galeri Işık Nişantaşı.

Not Gray, Black: Ankara Rocks! to be screened as part of the programme within the Musicians section is a documentary that tells the story of Ankara's exciting underground music scene of the 70s, 80s and 90s. A concert attached to the documentary will take place on 12 April at 21.00 at Salon İKSV.

Mediha Didem Türemen's solo exhibition Myths, inspired by Ingmar Bergman who said “When film is not a document, it is dream,” will be realised with the cooperation of Bergman Foundation, Adahan Istanbul and Mixer Gallery.

Follow the festival on social media

All films in the festival programme were tagged in 65 categories to ensure a smoother and easier selection process for our audiences while making their own programmes for the Istanbul Film Festival. With this system, you can easily distinguish the types and categories of the films with tags and choose the films you prefer.

You can follow all updates, further information on the films, events, and guests, as well as tips on the programme of the Istanbul Film Festival on our social media accounts. The audience will get to know the programme better, get a chance to win surprise presents, and be part of the festival by using the hashtag #istfilmfest. You can also access all information pertaining to the festival on İKSV Mobilapp, developed with the contributions of Vodafone Turkey and downloadable on AppStore and Google Play, and read the festival catalogue on your iPad on the İKSV Kitaplık app, downloadable on AppStore.

#istfilmfest

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When and where festival tickets go on sale

Festival tickets will be available for purchase as of Saturday, 24 March at10.30. The tickets can be purchased on Biletix sales channels and from the box offices at the Atlas and Rexx movie theatres, without any service charge.

Ticket Prices

Weekday daytime screenings (11.00, 13.30, 16.00) are only8 TL; for students only 1 TL (limited to capacity.)

Weekday 19.00 screenings and weekends (11.00, 13.30, 16.00, 19.00) are 22 TL; for students and seniors (over 65) 15 TL.

All 21.30 screenings are 22 TL.

Screenings at Pera Museum Auditorium are 8 TL.

Tulip Card holders will, as always, benefit from the advance sales and special discounts up to25% on the festival tickets. During the advance sale period, tickets can be purchased at the Atlas and Rexx movie theatres, as well as from the Tulip Card Communications Centre (+90 216 556 98 56), and on the Biletix website(biletix.com) and Biletix sales points. Advance sales period for Tulip Card members: 20 March for Black and White Tulip Card members and 21-22-23 March for Red and Yellow Tulip Card members.

An essential guide for filmgoers during the festival, festival catalogue with film synopses, festival schedule, and all the details, will be on sale for 8 TL at Atlas and Rexx movie theatres and at İKSV as of Monday, 20 March.

Members of Vodafone Red and Vodafone FreeZone purchasing one ticket on Biletix sales channels and from the festival’s box offices for screenings, will receive a second one free of charge between 24 March and 19 April. Gift tickets are limited. Limited student tickets on weekdays sold for 1 TL are not included in this campaign.

Students enjoy weekday daytime screenings at 1 TL

A total of 20,000 festival seats for weekday screenings at 11.00, 13.30, and 16.00 will be reserved for students for 1 TL. Please see film.iksv.org for a detailed list of patrons who have contributed towards the realisation of this project. Students who benefit from 1 TL tickets will be required to present valid student IDs at the entrance. Viewers who do not present a valid student ID will have to purchase additional tickets compensating the difference between full price and discount tickets. These tickets are limited in capacity.

Supporters of the 37th Istanbul Film Festival

The 37th Istanbul Film Festival is held with the support of more than 20 institutions. The festival is organised by the generous support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey General Directorate of Cinema. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Beşiktaş Municipality, Beyoğlu Municipality and Kadıköy Municipality continue their publicity support for the festival.

There are 10 theme sponsors:

• Vodafone Red                                     “Vodafone Red Galas”
• Türk Tuborg A.Ş.                                “National Competition and Turkish Cinema”
• Sabah Newspaper                               “Best of the Fests”
• ATV                                                    “Challenging the Years”
• NTV                                                    “Documentary Time with NTV”
• Istanbul Ayvansaray University           “Cinemania”
• Selpak                                                “Antidepressant”
• NESCAFÉ GOLD                                 “Young Masters”
• Volvo Car Turkey                                “Ingmar Bergman: 100 Years”

The Istanbul Film Festival continues to reintroduce the distinguished works of the Turkish cinema on the silver screen in its “Special Screening: Turkish Classics Revisited” section, which was launched ten years ago under the sponsorship of the Zurich Sigorta.

The Istanbul Film Festival continues its collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Istanbul, German Films, and Kino 2017, as it did in 2016, as well as numerous cultural institutes and foreign missions, including Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Institut Français Istanbul and many more featured in the catalogue.

The Leading Sponsor of all İKSV festivals is Eczacıbaşı Group, the Official Communications Sponsor is Vodafone Turkey, the Official Carrier is DHL Worldwide Express, and the Hotel Sponsor The Marmara Collection. The service sponsors are Zurich Sigorta, Acıbadem Health Group, Navitas, GFK, directComm and AGC. 

 The 9th Annual NYC Independent Film Festival will take place this year from May 7th to May 13th in the heart of New York City. The Festival will screen over 250 films from over 30 countries, as well as hosting networking events and educational panels. For more information, please visit: www.nycindieff.com

Watch Festival founder, Dennis Cieri, speak about last year’s Festival on NBC News 4 New York: http://bit.ly/1L8U0dk

The Festival serves as a showcase for the best of indie film from over 30 countries around the world. Official selections at the Festival have gone on to be shortlisted at the Oscars, most recently including 2018 Best Animated Short nominee In a Heartbeat, as well as get distribution at our events, including 2017 official selection Bruce, acquired by Comedy Dynamics. The Festival is placing a heavy emphasis on educating young, independent filmmakers by offering panels and presentations on topics including Film Distribution, Music Licensing, Film Finance, Women in Film, and many more.

For the second year, the Festival will be holding a Virtual Reality showcase, exhibiting the finalists in the category. The VR showcase is open to the public for free! In response to multiple sold out screenings in 2017, the Festival will also be hosting live performances by our short sketch finalists after their video screening.

The NYC Independent Film Festival celebrates true independent cinema. The non-profit organization’s mission is to support independent filmmakers and showcase the best independent films, from all around the world, to the public and the entertainment industry in New York City.

Mega Platform Gathers Industry Leaders for Cross-sector Collaboration

HONG KONG, Mar 19, 2018 - (ACN Newswire) - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 22nd edition of the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) opened today and continues through 22 March at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), raising the curtain for the largest marketplace of its kind in Asia.

- A global entertainment trading platform to create opportunities

This year, FILMART, as a premier trading platform, features some 850 exhibitors from 37 countries and regions, including emerging markets such as Colombia, Mongolia, Nigeria, and Ukraine. Exhibitors from across the world continue to set up pavilions at FILMART to promote their entertainment productions to global buyers, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, India, Thailand, France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

A range of prominent Hong Kong film companies also returned to FILMART to show their keen support for the prime trading platform, including China 3D Digital Distribution Limited, Emperor Motion Pictures, Media Asia Distribution Limited, MediaQuiz Entertainment International Company Limited, Mega-Vision Project Workshop Limited, Mei Ah Entertainment Group Limited, One Cool Film Production Limited, PCCW Media Limited, Pegasus Motion Pictures Distribution Limited, Sil-Metropole Organisation Ltd, Sun Entertainment Culture Limited and Universe Films Distribution Company Limited.

- Record-breaking participation from the Chinese mainland

This year's FILMART sees record-high exhibitor participation from various Chinese mainland provinces and cities. In particular, exhibitors from Beijing, Fujian, Guangdong, Hangzhou, Hunan, Ningbo and Shanghai are setting up regional pavilions, encouraging global buyers to leverage the potential of the mainland's film market. One of the thematic seminars held this morning featured a number of leading figures in the mainland TV sector, including studios, distributors; OTT platform and big data research company, and discussed the prospect, challenges and forecasted changes in the mainland market.

- New themes under the spotlight

Two new themes make their debut at the fairground to cater to the diverse needs of global industry players. The Doc World gathers more than 200 exhibitors to showcase the latest productions, while the Global Filming Support features 14 exhibitors from 8 countries and regions, including the US, Finland, Spain and Taiwan, to highlight the business opportunities presented by various filming incentives.

With documentaries under the spotlight, Daniel Braun, Co-President of Submarine Entertainment from the US will join other global industry leaders to discuss viewers' needs at the "Documentaries: From Local to Global" seminar.

- TV and new digital production on display

TV World and the Hong Kong Animation and Digital Entertainment Pavilion continue to be the highlights of FILMART this year. The Hong Kong Animation & Digital Entertainment Pavilion, sponsored by Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, showcases 36 Hong Kong companies from three major sectors of digital entertainment, including animation, digital effects and interactive solutions. Eight winners from the 5th Animation Support Programme are joining the pavilion for the first time.

Another highlight is the Digital Entertainment Summit 2018, where industry experts will examine the potential for monetisation of live-streaming.

- Nine thematic seminars to explore new industry frontiers

In addition to the exhibition, FILMART also features a remarkable line-up of leading industry representatives from sectors including film, TV, digital entertainment and animation to share their insights. Speakers include Kang Hye Jung, Producer of Korean Blockbuster The Battleship Island and CEO of Filmmakers R&K; David Kosse, Executive Producer of Academy Award-winning films The Theory of Everything and Room; Andrew Hevia, Co-Producer of Moonlight, the Academy Award winner for Best Picture; and Juno Mak, renowned Hong Kong director whose work includes Sons of the Neon Night and Rigor Mortis.

At the "VR/AR: What Will This Change the Animation Industry" conference, speakers including Brandon Oldenburg, Academy Award winner for Best Short Film, Animated and Chief Creative Officer of Flight School Studio, will examine how VR is changing story-telling in animation along with other prominent speakers.

A wide range of networking activities, thematic seminars and press conferences will also be held at the four-day event to help open doors to more business opportunities, including 105 global and Asia premieres. A total of 25 award-winning titles will be featured at the Market Screenings.

- Opening ceremony of 14th Entertainment Expo

The high-profile cast of officiating guests at the opening ceremony this afternoon included Paul Chan, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government; Raymond Yip, Acting Executive Director, HKTDC; Zhou Jiandong, Deputy Director-General, Film Bureau State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China; Terry Lai, Chairman of the HKTDC Entertainment Industry Advisory Committee; Leon Lai, Hong Kong Entertainment Ambassador; and organisers and supporting organisations of the nine events under the Entertainment Expo umbrella, including three founding events and six core events.

The three founding events are: the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and the Hong Kong Film Awards Presentation Ceremony (HKFA); while the six core events are: the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival (HKAMF), ifva (Incubator for Film & Visual Media in Asia Festival), the 11th Asian VFX and Digital Cinema Summit, the Digital Entertainment Summit and TV World International Forum.
 

The 2018 program features an Oscar-nominated animated feature set in Afghanistan (The Breadwinner), a celebration of the art of public speaking from France (Speak Up), global science students tackling environmental problems (Inventing Tomorrow), and the tricky process of training guide dogs for the blind (Pick of the Litter). Screening 7–19 June at the Hayden Orpheum at Cremorne, the Ritz Cinema in Randwick and Casula Powerhouse. For more details: click here.

ATOM study guides for each film will be available to download for free from The Education Shop.
The Speak Up guide is available now – click here to download. The other ATOM study guides will be available soon.

Guests will introduce each screening and take questions afterwards. 

Tickets: $10 per student per film; teachers free with groups of 5+

Aspiring film writers are encouraged to submit a 750-word review of a film they’ve seen at Screen Day Out. The winner receives 12 double film passes courtesy of Event Cinemas and a Flexipass 10 for the 2019 Sydney Film Festival.

Teachers are also invited to register their class for a free Field Trip to the Apple Store. These hands-on sessions can be tailored to complement classroom projects with topics such as ‘Exploring Creative Storytelling’ and ‘Elevating Ideas to Action’. Register for field trips at apple.com/au/retail/fieldtrip.

Click here to book now

by Leopoldo Soto

The 33rd FICG, directed by Iván Trujillo, is consolidated as the most important in Latin America, offered three "Master Class" by Guillermo del Toro, each lasting four hours, taught by the winner of two Oscars, who had an audience of 1,200,000 students, present in theaters and on TV.

Wonderful facilities with five times more space and capacity than the TIFF headquarters (Toronto International Film Fest.), The Cinematheque of Ontario, the most important in North America, as they claim.

Carlos Saura, present, received the Mayahuel award for his career.

The CEA, Performing Arts Ensemble, was opened (twelve rooms) with capacity for eleven thousand spectators, and will be added to the Telmex Auditorium.

Catalonia, guest of honor, offered in addition to the film exhibition with the presence of Ventura Pons, an exhibition at the Sitges Festival, the work of photographer Tony Catany deserved a magnificent exhibition at the MUSA (Museum of the Arts).

Raul Padilla, president of the Board of Trustees of the FICG, reported that this year 263 films were screened, 112 in Competition, 32 screens but with greater capacity, with 1,800 and 900 spectators; respectively. In addition the "Wide Screen" that includes the entire front of the Cinemateque.

If we analyze the subject, we could affirm that "identity" and "human values" would be common denominator of works like "Killing Jesus" by Laura Mora, which portrays the violence in Medellín; as well as "8 out of 10" by Umansky Brenner, about violence against women, "Ayotzinapa, the passage of the turtle" by Enrique García Meza, is a denunciation of state violence; all this, common to all Latin America.

On the other hand it is hopeful that this festival detonated the career of the director Jimena Montemayor, who in "Remains of wind" portrays an atmosphere of memories and nostalgia.

FICG is part of Film4 Climate, an environmental organization that is part of the World Bank, and its representative Giulia Braga was present.

A privilege to have witnessed this great celebration of the festival, where Guillermo del Toro, one of its founders, returned as a consecrated person, holding two Oscar Awards.