2014 Schedule: 42 FILMS * 4 DAYS/NIGHTS OCTOBER 2-5TH, 2014

SHRIEKFEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR/SCI FI FILM FESTIVAL is thrilled to announce the full, expanded schedule for the FOURTEENTH annual horror film festival, returning to Raleigh Studios Chaplin theatres, October 2-5th, 2014.  Festival Director Denise Gossett says  "We are so honored to once again be at the same location we've been at for all 14 years!  That says a lot about a location's quality and a festival's continuity, filmmakers walk out of their screening saying their film has never looked so good"!

Festival goers will once again enjoy the finest in independent cinema from around the globe, selected from submissions that came in everywhere from the United Kingdom to New York; from Texas to Portugal. From our opening night screening of ALICE D, starring Kane Hodder, to the shorts from Australia, Germany, Canada, United Kingdom, and finally to the WORLD PREMIERE of  HOUSE OF PURGATORY  featuring  Brian Krause!  The 14th Annual Shriekfest Horror/SciFi Film Festival has worked hard to present a festival as diverse as the fans of the Los Angeles city itself.

American independent films are also well represented this year, on Friday, October 3rd – NIGHTMARE CODE, as well as KILL GAME, which is screening on Saturday, October 4th. We can't leave out ZUGZWANG starring Joanna Cassidy, BERKSHIRE COUNTY, TIME LAPSE, and CHRYSALIS.

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Not to mention our fabulous selection of short films. Movies like SOBREVIVO, ONE PLEASE starring Michael Berryman, CANNIBALS AND CARPET FITTERS, HONEY starring Ed Gale, TICE, EDWARD THE DAMNED,  and the clever EAT THE CAT challenge the viewers with provocative, well crafted original stories.

Once again SHRIEKFEST Film Festival exceeds at challenging the idea of what a horror film festival should screen, with eclectic selections (MACK BLASTER), to science fiction (THE DEVELOPER), comedy (SWALLOW), and even the disturbing (DRUDGE).

Entrance to SHRIEKFEST Film Festival 2014 is $10.00 per block, an All-Fest Pass, good for all four days of the festival, is now available on our website, for just $140.00, this pass includes the opening night party and guaranteed entrance to all films/Q&A's.

All films are un-rated, and unless specifically noted no one under 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian's accompaniment or permission. For more information on THE 2014 SHRIEKFEST FILM FESTIVAL, as well as news about other related events, including the Opening Night Party and the networking events, please visit our website:www.shriekfest.com

Shriekfest, the Los Angeles Horror/SciFi Film Festival continues its tradition as Los Angeles' Premier horror film event, presenting an exciting program of films each fall with beautiful Los Angeles as its backdrop. Now, in its 14th year, Shriekfest takes place at the legendary Raleigh Studios, which is the largest independent studio operator in the country. We offer filmmakers and film fans alike an ideal setting in a world-famous city. SHRIEKFEST draws in over 5,000 attendees each year. Both established and emerging filmmakers gain media exposure, connect with the region's diverse audiences, and participate in an acclaimed event attended by industry professionals as well as horror and scifi fans. Join us for an opening night party on Thursday and then enjoy the fest the rest of the weekend! Tickets and schedule are available at www.shriekfest.com/schedule. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more info: @shriekfest.

Cameron Bailey's Day 5 Picks
Five recommendations from our Festival Artistic Director:

ROGER & ME | Ryerson Theatre | 9PM
MAY ALLAH BLESS FRANCE! | Bloor Hot Docs Cinema | 4:15PM
CAKE | Visa Screening Room (ELGIN) | 2:30PM
MARGARITA WITH A STRAW | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 | 6PM
BLACK SOULS | Scotiabank 1 |7PM

Click here for more info.

The 34th Atlantic Film Festival announces special guests and details for the Gala Red Carpet Opening Night for event,
Sept. 11-18 in Halifax

 
(Halifax, NS) – The Atlantic Film Festival starts this Thursday and it is time to unveil some big names attending this 34th annual event. Charles Binamé, Xavier Dolan,
Danny Willliams, Émile Gaudreault, Ron Mann and Ruba Nadda are some of the talented celebrities and filmmakers in Halifax during the event, Sept. 11-18.

Kicking off the festival is the Gala Red Carpet Opening Night, featuring the presentation of Elephant Song at the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. Sponsored by NBC Universal, Téléfilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, the film opens with the disappearance of an eminent psychiatrist, with the last person to see him being Michael (Xavier Dolan), a troubled patient obsessed with all things elephant. The hospital director, Dr. Greene (Bruce Greenwood), is called in to help.
He insists on interviewing Michael, despite the warnings of Nurse Peterson (Catherine Keener), who understands all too well the devastating loss that still haunts Dr. Greene. Fueled by moving performances, brilliant writing and impeccable direction, Elephant Song is an exceptional trip into the world of imagination and desire. Director, Charles Binamé, producer, Richard Goudreau, writer, Nicolas Billon and international sensation,
Xavier Dolan will be in attendance at the Gala Red Carpet Opening Night festivities.
Doors open at the Dalhousie Art Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium at 6:30 p.m.

The Atlantic Gala screening of Heartbeat, sponsored by Bell Aliant Community One, is on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. The film marks the continuing collaboration of Andrea Dorfman and poet/songwriter, Tanya Davis, following their multi-million hit YouTube sensation, and recent book publication, How To Be Alone. With Davis playing a meek but determined office worker bound to follow love and music rather than convention, Heartbeat’s gentle love/loss/love plot, punctuated by quizzical bits of animation and propelled by Davis’ drop-dead gorgeous singer-songwriter adventures takes the story to a level of expression rarely seen in East Coast filmmaking. Writer/director Andrea Dorfman, actor, Tanya Davis, and producers, Bill Niven and Jay Dahl along with a large contingent of the cast and crew will be present at the Park Lane Cinemas. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

This year, the Festival will shine the Atlantic Spotlight on the world premiere screening of two films from Atlantic Canada: Deanne Foley’s big screen adaptation of Lesley Crewe’s novel, Relative Happiness screens on Saturday, September 13 at 7 p.m. Director, Deanne Foley, producers, Lynn Wilson, Alan Collins and Jill Knox-Gosse, along with a large contingent of cast and crew will be in attendance. And the career-spanning documentary, Danny of larger-than-life Newfoundland politician, Danny Williams will be presented on Saturday, September 13 at 9:30 p.m. Danny Williams will be in attendance for this World Premiere, along with co-directors, William D. MacGillivray and
Justin Simms and National Film Board of Canada Executive Producer, Annette Clarke.

The CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala presents eight short films, including works by Denis Theriault, Leah Johnston, Shaun Lowe, Lisa Rose Snow, Chris Devanney,Scott Simpson, Cayman Grant, and Justin Oakey. All eight talented filmmakers are expected to be in attendance at the Park Lane Cinemas on Sunday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

A large group of French filmmakers will be travelling to Halifax as part of Québec Cinéma’s La Tournée du cinéma Québécois. Special guests in attendance include, director, Mathieu Denis and actor, Anthony Therrien from Corbo; actor, Jean-Carl Boucher from 1987, director, Stephane Lafleur from Tu dors Nicole, and director,
Émile Gaudreault and writer, Pierre-Michel Tremblay for Le vrai du faux.

Also in attendance will be: respected documentarian, Ron Mann for Altman; the World Premiere of What We Have will see director/writer Maxime Desmons, executive Producer Damon D’Oliviera, producer, Sally Karam and actor, Marie-Eve Peron in attendance; director, Adam MacDonald, producer, Thomas Michael and producer/actor, Jeff Roop will be on-hand to present Backcountry; and rising star director, Ruba Nadda will be visiting Halifax along with producer, Daniel Iron for the Special Presentation screening of October Gale.

To view the full program or download a copy of the 2014 Atlantic Film Festival Program guide, visit:atlanticfilm.com

Tickets for screenings and special events along with Festival Passes are available by phone at 1-888-311-9090 and online at atlanticfilm.com or ticketpro.ca. Tickets are also available at all Ticketpro outlets in Nova Scotia, including Video Difference (6086 Quinpool Road). Please note that Ticketpro outlets accept cash or debit only. Tickets are also available at the Festival Box Office in Park Lane Mall (5657 Spring Garden Road).
For hours of operation, visit: atlanticfilm.com

The 2014 AFF iPhone app is now live and can be downloaded on iTunes. Discover the ultimate festival experience with the Atlantic Film Festival app. Browse through films by category, watch trailers and look up show times. Use the app to purchase tickets directly from your iPhone or iPad.

Another way to be part of the action is by visiting the Super Channel Festival Lounge located in the Georgian Lounge, at the Lord Nelson Hotel (1515 South Park Street).
Open from noon to midnight daily, this is a place for the industry and the public to connect.

About the Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival (AFF) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 11-18.

Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the AFF is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the AFF depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.

The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, AFF Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.

Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs, including sneak peeks and festival highlights on our online website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival, our Twitter account: /thefilmfest #AFF2014, our Pinterest profile: pinterest.com/atlanticfilm, our LinkedIn company page: linkedin.com/company/atlantic-film-festival and our Youtube channel: youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom.

 It was revealed today that the crime thriller NIGHTCRAWLER, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo and Bill Paxton, will have its European Premiere in Zurich as the Center Gala screening at the 10th Zurich Film Festival on Tuesday, September 30th. Rene Russo (THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, RANSOM, GET SHORTY, LETHAL WEAPON 3) will be on hand to present the film with writer/director Dan Gilroy.

NIGHTCRAWLER is a pulse-pounding thriller set in the nocturnal underbelly of contemporary Los Angeles. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal), is a driven young man desperate for work who discovers the high-speed world of L.A. crime journalism. Finding a group of freelance camera crews who film crashes, fires, murder and other mayhem, Lou muscles into the cut-throat, dangerous realm of nightcrawling -- where each police siren wail equals a possible windfall and victims are converted into dollars and cents. Aided by Nina (Russo), a veteran of the blood-sport that is local TV news, Lou thrives. In the breakneck, ceaseless search for footage, he becomes the star of his own story

The film is produced by Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Lancaster and Michel Litvak.  Betsy Danbury and Gary Michael are executive producers.

About the Zurich Film Festival

Celebrating its special milestone 10th anniversary, the Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) has established itself as one of the world’s top Films Festivals, discovering and promoting independent voices and talent from around the world, showcasing a diverse array of international films and serving as the setting for many World and European premieres.

The aim of the Zurich Film Festival is to offer audiences an insight into the work of young, upcoming filmmakers from around the globe and to promote the exchange of ideas between established film workers, young talent and the public.

ZFF is organized by Spoundation Motion Picture GmbH, based in Zurich, in cooperation with local institutions and sponsors. The Zurich Film Festival cooperates with numerous distributors and producers from Switzerland and abroad. The idea to found a festival in Zurich came from Karl Spoerri and Nadja Schildknecht, who serve as Directors of the Festival.

The Zurich Film Festival is generously supported by its main sponsors: Credit Suisse, upc cablecom, Die Schweizerische Post and Audi.

For more information please visit www.zff.com

Images in high resolution 

This year, the 62nd edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival will present six feature films in the Zinemira section for cinema produced in the Basque Country. The selection consists of two premieres and four titles from this year's production.

Both premieres will compete for the Irizar Basque Film Award alongside all other productions with a minimum Basque production of 20% presented as world premieres in any of the Festival sections. The Irizar Award is decided by a specific jury and carries €20,000 for the producer or producers of the film.

           'ZERO PLUS' INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S AND YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 
                                                   Nov 29 - Dec 3

Aim of the Festival "0+"
Promoting and giving incentives to talented directors, debutant directors and authors of scripts, the works of which contribute to development of audiovisual culture and to formation of positive thinking of children and adults, maintain the best traditions of the children’s and youth film and facilitate development of the world cinematography.

Tasks of the Festival
• Formation of high-quality audiovisual content, oriented to personal development of children and youth.
• Creation of conditions for development of children’s and youth cinema.
• Support for young talented cinematographers: promotion, popularization and realization of feature and short films. 
• Creation of a professional interactive environment of directors, scriptwriters as well as debutants and producers in cinematography and television, facilitating development of positive films and programmes.
• Development of film education in Tyumen region and Russia through organization of schools of cinematography, seminars and workshops, through carrying out theme-based screenings. 

SPECIAL PROGRAM "THE MAN OF LABOUR"
Aims and Tasks
- Bringing to light the value of labour, of one's personality and talent.
- Raising the significance of labour achievements in the contemporary society and showing the contribution of professionals, masters to the development of the country.
- Representing the panoram of existing in the Russian society professions, that can evoke young people's interest, expand their worldview, and help them make a choise of the future profession.
- Awarding film-makers who create films about people's working days.

Parts of the special program:
- «Professions Fair» - competitions of fiction and documentary films about various professions.
- «Energy Resource» - out-of-competition program of 2014 that presents fiction and documentary films, TV series, created by film-makers in the last decade, about power engineers, scientists, and other specialists relating to the sphere of energy development.
 

ELIGIBILITY
The Festival seeks to present films that:
• contribute to personal development of children and youth;
• convey the images of goodness and beauty, and common human values;
• form a positive attitude to life,
• narrate about professions and contribution of professionals into development of society (special programme «The Man of Labour»).
 

COMPETITIONS, NOMINATIONS, AWARDS

Competition programs invite films of any duration created in 2012-2014.

International competition:
- Best fiction film

Competition of сhildren's film studios:
- Best film

National (Russian) competition:
- Best fiction film
- Best documentary
- Best animation film
- Best debute film

Special programme "The Man of Labour":
- Best fiction film 
- Best documentary
________________

The Festival gives:
• 8 competition awards
• Grand Prix of the Festival
______________________

ENTRY
Deadline is October 29
There is an entry form attached below or found on zeroplusff.ru or bit.ly/bewith0plus that is supposed to be downloaded, filled and sent to the Festival Team to zeroplusff@mail.ru

(video capture by Leopoldo Soto)

The Fifth Edition of the New York Peruvian Film Showcase (NYPFS) will take place from September 16 September, 19, 2014, at Instituto Cervantes, 211 East 49th St., New York City. On Friday September 19 the internationally acclaimed film director, writer and producer Claudia Llosa will present her short film Loxoro, winner of a Teddy Award at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival 2012. Llosa´s movie The Milk of Sorrow was the first Peruvian film to win the Golden Bear award in the 59th Berlin International Film Festival and nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Academy Awards.

The New York Peruvian Film Festival will present 13 films from the last 50 years, including documentaries, features, shorts, and video art, as well as an homage to the life and work of the Peruvian documentary film director, producer and cinematographer Roberto Guerra, who left us this past January. Guerra´s films are international in scope and of timeless significance.  Major networks in more than thirty-five countries have broadcast over thirty of his films and many of them have been featured in international festivals in New York, Edinburgh, London, Cannes and Los Angeles. The film selection will also present, among many other groundbreaking works, The Mute, from award winning emerging directors Daniel and Diego Vega, and Dirge for a hug, from the legendary filmmaker Nora de Izcue, who is best known for her projects that reflect the daily life of the humble communities of inner Peru.

The Fifth Edition of the New York Peruvian Film Showcase is directed and produced by the photographer and filmmaker Lorry Salcedo Mitrani, in collaboration with UCP Backus & Johnston and the Wiese Foundation. NYPFS is made possible thanks to the   generous support of Mr. Guzman Aguirre Altamirano, Ms. Martha Meier Miro Quesada, Mrs. Ana Maria Estrada de Rosen and Mr. Carlos Sandoval de la Cruz, President of the Regional Government of La Libertad.

Cameron Bailey's Day 9 Picks
Five films not to be missed, as recommended by the Festival's Artistic Director:

THE DEAD LANDS | Scotiabank 1 | 9:45PM
MARGARITA, WITH A STRAW | Scotiabank 2 | 8:45PM
A DREAM OF IRON | Scotiabank 13 | 2:15PM
NED RIFLE | Winter Garden Theatre | 8PM
TIMBUKTU | TIFF Bell Lightbox 1 | 2PM
THE CONNECTION | Roy Thomson Hall | 6:30PM

Click here for more info.

2014 marks the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm International Film Festival. The festival, which is dedicated to the late Lauren Bacall, will be visited by distinguished directors and actors from all over the world, and more than a 180 films will be screened.

The 25th International Stockholm Film Festival starts November 5. The program will be released in full on October 14. A small selection of films that will be shown during the festival:

Mommy, the new Xavier Dolan feature about a tempestuous mother-son relationship, winner of the Jury prize in Cannes; Peter Sattlers’ debut feature Camp X-ray, starring Kristen Stewart and Peyman Moaadi, a salient testament of the inhumanities of Guantanamo Bay; and Catch Me Daddy, Daniel Wolfe’s directorial debut – a visually striking genre blender about a girl on the run from her father.

The festival’s opening feature is Gentlemen, by Mikael Marcimain (director of FIPRESCI-winning Call Girl). It’s an adaptation of the popular Klas Östergren novel with the same title, set in postwar Sweden, and revolves around jazz, boxing, spies and conspiracies, as seen through the eyes of a novelist. The film is currently being screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Each year, the festival is graced by a number of acclaimed actors and directors. 2014 is no different; among others, masterful brit Mike Leigh (Vera Drake and Happy-Go-Lucky) will visit the festival and be presented the Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award. There will also be an exclusive seminar with the director before the premiere screening of his latest film, Mr. Turner.

This year’s Stockholm International Film Festival is dedicated to late star and icon Lauren Bacall. In 2000, she was given the Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award.

Press contact:

Christel Lindgren (press manager), +46 73 519 4713 or Felix Bergenholtz (press assistant), +46 72 252 1462.

E-mail: press@stockholmfilmfestival.se


The 25th Stockholm International Film Festival November 5-16 2014.

Stockholm International Film Festival started in 1990 and is today one of the leading competitive film festivals in Europe. The festival takes place every year in November with more than 180 films from more than 50 countries. More than a festival: we organize exclusive screenings and the popular Summer Cinema – an outdoor mini- festival. Every year in spring the Stockholm International Film Festival Junior brings the latest films to youngsters between 6 and 16 years of age.

WE LOVE FILM!

Mexican Gonzalez, an extraordinary debut film of Christian Diaz Pardo (made for less than $100.000), arguably won Golden Zenith award for best first fiction feature (awarded from a jury headed by film scholar and connoisseur, Iranian filmmaker Bahman Maghsoudlou, author of the great documentary Abbas Kiarostami: A report, which I reviewed last year).

Gonzales is a story about a young man in debt who finds a new job as a call center operator of a Christian sect led by a highly seductive pastor (compelling performance by Carlos Bardem, brother of Javier). Quite disturbing and unexpected is the call center by itself, which looks like any other contemporary teleshop, with a number of employees working inside their inhuman cubicles, yet selling “comfort” to their customers! Always dressed in a suit, charismatic samurai-like Gonzalez, on the path of fulfilling his ambitions (to climb the ladder of power and become a new pastor), leads us through the harsh world of unscrupulous manipulation of religious feelings where the main victims are people living in poverty. What keeps the audience’s attention the most is the very mature Pardo’s directorial style and his clever approach to subject matter, without sentimentality and redundant moralization, which are so often exploited in cinema dealing with this issue (usual images of poverty, etc.).

This intense, well-crafted thriller with a social-issue concern that owes much to its brilliant title role of Harold Torres (also producer of the movie) certainly gives a new hope to Mexican cinema, establishing two great young talents - Pardo and Torres. 

Once again a debut film, Benedikt Erlingsson’s Of Horses and Men (Hross I Oss, shown out of competition, produced by acclaimed Icelandic producer and filmmaker Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, who was a member of this year FFM’s jury) is a piece that is very difficult to write about... Why? Because it is one of those rare films that have to be seen in order to be properly experienced. Or, probably because this is not just a great piece – this is a masterpiece!

It’s a true excitement when you can feel from the very beginning that you’re witnessing something completely new, in both content and form, especially in art-house cinema cuisine so much indoctrinated with mere form / concept / context. Erlingsson’s absolutely wondrous movie, skillfully intertwine several stories of inhabitants of a remote, small Icelandic village in the mountains by the sea (and one Mexican tourist), from the standpoint of their horses (!). Horses, whether as one of all time favorite symbols in top-notch art-house European cinema (like in works of Tarkovsky and Wajda, or Trear and Tarr), or obligatory extras in American westerns, have finally reached here the level of true characters, with their good traits, but also bad ones, just like any horse might have. In just 80 minutes, Of Men and Horses speaks about concealing emotions and instincts, pride and prejudice, hypocrisy and alcoholism, greed and love... and sure, unfortunately, shooting horses.

Witty and delicate at the same time, this aesthetically beautiful movie completely overwhelms the audience with its fast shifting (done in simply magical way) from brutal to gentle, from realistic to surreal... working as a profound metaphor while offering sort of unique ritual experience. Finally, what probably struck us the most is the purity of Erlingsson’s so genuine style. Groundbreaking! 

Every year FFM offers a few interesting feature documentaries, and once again, the most precious one was made by an Iranian author living abroad - Ayat Najafi’s No Land’s Song (German-French co-production). Arguably winning the audience award for best documentary, Najafi succeeded in his first feature to overcome all difficulties that a documentary filmmaker can encounter – telling a story in a compelling way engaging the audience as if it was a fiction movie, yet showing the facts truthfully, and being courageous.

No Land’s Song follows a young Iranian composer Sara Najafi in her attempt to organize a concert in Tehran with other female solo singers, something that is strictly forbidden under Islamic law; those voices may sexually arouse a man, as explained by an Islamic scholar, who compared that kind of sin to eating cheese – plain cheese is fine, but if you add more yummy ingredients to it, you may start enjoying it too much, and then problems will occur...

Dealing with another shocking restriction of 21st century Iranian Islamic country, Najafi’s film is very dynamic, honest, occasionally ironic, and above all brave (we even see Iranian female musicians without hijab(!)); with plenty of characters (Sara being supported by several Iranian and French musicians in their joined efforts to perform the concert), as well as informative (including precious archive footage before the Islamic revolution where a popular singer of 60’s sings in a sort of blues bar, and during performance takes shots of alcohol from time to time).

Finally, Najafi’s approach to subject matter is highly sophisticated, and therefore his piece cannot be classified as a mere ideological statement. On the contrary, No Land’s Song is a story above that; it’s a story with characters we really care about, and a certain amount of optimism and faith for a better tomorrow.