By Maria Esteves – October 13, 2014

The 52nd New York Film Festival 2014 (NYFF52) Closing Night Gala Presentation of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu was held at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, Saturday, October 11, 9:00PM. Red carpet arrivals included industry executives, celebrity guests, cast and crew members. BIRDMAN in U.S. theaters Friday, October 17, 2014. Watch Trailer

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of BIRDMAN
red carpet arrivals: Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of BIRDMAN
red carpet arrivals: Fox Searchlight Pictures, co-president
Stephen Gilula.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of
BIRDMAN red carpet arrivals: Actor Michael Keaton.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of
BIRDMAN red carpet arrivals: Actress Emma Stone.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of
BIRDMAN red carpet arrivals: Actor Zach Galifianakis.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of
BIRDMAN red carpet arrivals: Celebrity guest
American poet Tess Gallagher.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of BIRDMAN red carpet arrivals:
Writer Armando Bo and his wife.

NYFF52 Closing Night Gala Presentation of BIRDMAN red
carpet arrivals: Writers Alexander Dinelaris, left, and
Nicolas Giacobone.

Celebrity Tributes include Kevin Costner and Jeremy Jordan. Notable Attendees include Shailene Woodley, Mike Myers, Shep Gordon, Anna Camp, Skylar Astin, Tate Donovan, Chris Messina, Joe Carnahan, Angela Kinsey, Carla Gugino, Melanie Lysnkey, Ned Benson, Richard LaGravenese, Matthew Lillard, James Keach and More

Napa, California – The fourth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) announces its complete line-up, Opening Night & Gala screenings, special events and honorees for its Celebrity Tribute Program. NVFF returns in full force with a five-day festival showcasing the year’s best new independent films in 14 unique screening venues in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, November 12-16. Organizers also showcase Napa Valley’s finest food and wine at all special events, VIP receptions and Vintners Circle dinners, pre-screen wine tastings, and a series of celebrity chef presentations and demonstrations on the Culinary Stage.

The Festival kicks off Opening Night, Wednesday, November 12, with a Red Carpet screening of The Imitation Game, fresh off winning the audience award at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, The Imitation Game, stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Director Morten Tyldum is expected to attend. Following the screening, NVFF Patron Circle Members and other VIP guests will enjoy an Opening Night Party at the Napa Valley Museum catered by Estate Events by Meadowood.

On Thursday, November 13, the extravagant Red Carpet Festival Gala will follow the screening of Director Mike Binder’s new film Black and White, starring Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer. NVFF Patron Circle Members and Pass Plus and Gala ticket holders will mingle with filmmakers and celebrities at the not-to-be missed party of the year. Guests will enjoy cuisine from more than 20 of the Valley’s top chefs including Ken Frank (La Toque), Bob Hurley (Hurley’s), Joseph Humphries (The Fox and the Farmer), and Victor Scargle (Lucy at Bardessono) and wines from more than 50 of Napa Valley’s boutique wineries.

Napa Valley Film Festival Co-Founders/Directors Brenda and Marc Lhormer are excited to announce that the BVisionary Award will be presented by Beaulieu Vineyards to Screen Icon Kevin Costner at the Celebrity Tribute Program. Domaine Chandon will present the Rising Star award to Jeremy Jordan who appears in the NVFF Selection The Last 5 Years opposite Anna Kendrick. The Tribute Program will take place on Friday, November 14 at the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville and will include video highlight reels and intimate on-stage conversations with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. Additional Tribute Honorees will be announced over the next few weeks.

Actress Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent, The Descendants) will receive Variety’s Indie Impact Award at the 10 Producers to Watch event, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, on Saturday, November 15 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Variety Executive Editor Steve Gaydos will also be conducting a “Contenders Conversation” with Kevin Costner at the event. A screening of The Fault in Our Stars will run Sunday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the Uptown Theatre in downtown Napa, and Ms. Woodley will be in attendance for the Q&A.

“This year’s lineup is particularly diverse, including work by established directors alongside promising debuts by newly emerging talents,” said Artistic & Executive Director Marc Lhormer. “We are so gratified to see how many directors, writers, producers, and actors are planning on attending in support of their films. The interaction between artists and audience conversing about the films and enjoying wonderful food and wine is truly magical to behold.”

Other film highlights include:

· Alex of Venice - In actor Chris Messina’s directorial debut feature, Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a workaholic environmental attorney, is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Messina will participate in the post-screening Q&As. (November 15, 12:30 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 16, 10:00 a.m., City Winery)

· Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me - An intimate, devastating, and inspiring look at the final tour of musical legend Glen Campbell as he faces the end of his career due to Alzheimer’s disease. This special screening takes place at the Uptown Theatre in downtown Napa that was the venue for Campbell’s final poignant performance. Director James Keach will attend the Q&A. (November 16, 5:30 p.m., Uptown Theatre)

· Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon – Mike Myers will attend the festival with Shep Gordon, the original mega talent manager and subject of Mike’s hilarious, touching and award-winning documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. Fandango’s Chief Correspondent Dave Karger will moderate an on-stage conversation with Myers and Gordon will follow the screening. (November 13, 2:00 p.m., Uptown Theatre)

· The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her & Him - A special presentation of a unique cinematic achievement: back-to-back screenings of Ned Benson’s two versions of a film about a marriage falling apart, one from the wife’s perspective and one from the husband’s, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. A post-screening discussion with Director Ned Benson will follow. (November 15, 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., City Winery).

· Sideways – 10th Anniversary - Few films have so accurately captured the ethos of friends, wine and wine’s place in modern civilization, as the 2004 romance/road film/buddy comedy Sideways. After the special screening of the movie, festival attendees can enjoy a grand tasting of some of the best Napa Valley Merlots (Screening: Friday, November 14, 1:00 p.m., Yountville Community Center; public tasting and expert tasting panel follow from 2:30-5:00 p.m. at the Yountville Wine Pavilion).

Additional sneak previews include:

· The Better Angels - Director A.J. Edwards’ debut feature tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood in the wilderness of Indiana. Starring Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling and Wes Bently (November 14, 12:30 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 16, 12:30 p.m., City Winery). California Premiere

· The Last 5 Years - Based on the 2002 off-Broadway musical, and adapted by writer/director Richard LaGravenese, The Last 5 Years is the story of a couple’s tumultuous relationship, from entanglement to denouement starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. An on-stage conversation with Mr. LaGravenese will take place after the screenings (November 12, 5:00 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 13, 8:30 p.m., City Winery). Mr. Jordan will join the Q&A on November 13). West Coast Premiere

· Match - A Seattle couple (Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard) travels to New York to interview an acclaimed former ballet star (Patrick Stewart) for a research project on the dance scene in the 1960’s. (November 14, 8:00 p.m., Cameo Cinema; Saturday, November 15, 5:30 p.m., City Winery). California Premiere.

· Escobar: Paradise Lost – The debut feature from writer/director Andrea Di Stephano traces the journey of a young Canadian surfer (Josh Hutcherson) who falls under the spell of a beautiful young woman in Columbia. Unfortunately she also who happens to be the niece of international drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro). An edgy crime drama and a soul-searching love story about family ties and loyalty, the film is a look at a dark chapter in the war on drugs and the casualties. (November 13, 5:00pm, Barrel Room Theatre; November 15, 5:30pm, Oddfellows Hall). West Coast Premiere

The Narrative and Documentary Feature Competitions are sponsored by Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in NVFF’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.

Documentary Competition: · #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator, Director Joe Piscatella (California Premiere) · American Native, Director Steven Oritt (World Premiere) · An Honest Liar, Directors Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom (California Premiere) · Botso, Director Tom Walters (Bay Area Premiere) · Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, Directors Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler (West Coast Premiere) · Flying The Feathered Edge; The Bob Hoover Project, Director Kim Furst (World Premiere) · Havana Curveball, Directors Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel· States of Grace, Directors Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman · Underwater Dreams, Director Mary Mazzio · What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?, Director A.W. Gryphon

Narrative Competition: · Amira & Sam, Director Sean Mullin (California Premiere) · East Side Sushi, Director Anthony Lucero (World Premiere) · Fall To Rise, Director Jayce Bartok (California Premiere) · Kinderwald, Director Lise Raven · Like Sunday, Like Rain, Director Frank Whaley · Little Accidents, Director Sara Colangelo · Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland (West Coast Premiere) · Sun Belt Express, Director Evan Buxbaum (California Premiere) · Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse · Thank You A Lot, Director Matt Muir (California Premiere) · The Road Within, Director Gren Wells · WildLike, Director Frank Hall Green (West Coast Premiere)

The rest of the NVFF film line-up is as follows:

Lounge Features: · All Stars, Director Lance Kinsey (West Coast Premiere) · Bar America, Director Matthew Jacobs · Big In Japan, Director John Jeffcoat (California Premiere) · Cheatin’, Director Bill Plympton · Gone Doggy Gone, Directors Brandon Walter and Kasi Brown · Goodbye To All That, Director Angus MacLachlan (West Coast Premiere) · Growing Up and Other Lies, Directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky · Mudbloods, Director Farzad Nikbakht (Bay Area Premiere) · Time Lapse, Director Bradley King (Northern California Premiere) · We’ll Never Have Paris, Directors Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg (California Premiere)

Special Presentations: · #standwithme, Directors Patrick Moreau and Grant Peelle (World Premiere) · Big Dream, Director Kelly Cox (Special Sneak Preview) · Buscando A Gaston (Finding Gaston), Director Julia Patricia Perez (US Premiere) · Food Chains, Director Sanjay Rawal (West Coast Premiere) · Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists, Director Leslie Buchbinder (West Coast Premiere) · Half The Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling, Director Kathryn Bertine · Harlem Street Singer, Directors Trevor Laurence and Simeon Hutner (West Coast Premiere) · Harmontown, Director Neil Berkeley · Last Days In Vietnam, Director Rory Kennedy · Stretch, Director Joe Carnahan (World Premiere) · True Son, Director Kevin Gordon · Impossible Light, Director Jeremy Ambers

2014 Festival Sidebar – Architecture (sponsored by Blue Homes): · Henry Hornbostel in Architecture and Legacy, Director Mark Fallone (California Premiere) · Lutah, Director Kum-Kum Bhavnani (Northern California Premiere) · Paolo Soleri: Beyond Form, Director Aimee Madsen (Northern California Premiere) · Robin Boyd: Australian Beauty, Director Kerry Gardner

Special Presentation Short Stories: · Ace of Diamonds, Director Ana Overgaard · LA Miner, Director Thomas Wood (Bay Area Premiere) · The War Photographers, Director Steven Kochones

Special Presentations: Pixar & Disney Programs: · Lava, Director James Murphy · The Tunes Behind the Toons, Director Dave Bossert (Bay Area Premiere)

Special Presentations: The Whinnies: · Freedom of the Heart, Director Jolanda Ellenberger (US Premiere) · Horse Medicine, Director James Anaquad Kleinert · Riding My Way Back, Directors Robin Fryday and Peter Rosenbaum

Documentary Short Programs: A Stroll the Park: An Asbury Symphony, Albie (World Premiere), Cab City (World Premiere), Crooked Candy (California Premiere), David Hockney in the Now: In Six Minutes, Slomo, The Bulletproof Stockings, The Lion’s Mouth Opens, The Ox, White Earth (Bay Area Premiere), The Invisible Peak

World Cinema Shorts: 5 Tropoina Pethaneis (5 Ways 2 Die), Bis Gleich, Chronophobe (California Premiere), Into the Silent Sea, Lan Yen, Rez Carz

Narrative Shorts:

His Keeper, Horrible Parents (World Premiere), Last Shot (Nor Cal Premiere), Mediation, My New Apartment, Pin It (Nor Cal Premiere), Snail (Nor Cal Premiere), Team Work (World Premiere), The Gunfighter, An Honorable Man (California Premiere), Care, Gift, Immaculate Reception, Looms, Be My Unfinished (World Premiere), New, One Foot In (World Premiere), Plain Clothes, Salvatore (Nor Cal Premiere), Selling Rosario (World Premiere), The Inheritance, Undercover, Bunion, Humpty (California Premiere), Leonard in Slow Motion, Neighbors, Sure Thing (Nor Cal Premiere), The Motion Picture Co. 1914 (Nor Cal Premiere), The Oven

Animated Shorts: Collectors, Silent, Humanexus, John Doe, Prelude, Sticky, The Box, The Duck, The Missing Scarf, The Umbrella Factory

Panel Discussions:

Each year the Napa Valley Film Festival welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for its informative and entertaining panels covering a wide range of topics. The Film Industry Panels take place Friday, November 14 – Sunday, November 16 and are located at 500 First Street, Napa.

Friday, November 14th · Pitch Contest Boot Camp - Industry veterans Peter Belsito and Scott Manville teach aspiring writers, directors and producers the ins and outs of how to successfully pitch a new project. Help decide which of the 24 semifinalists move on to the final pitch on Sunday. (10:00 a.m.) · Actors in Conversation - Moderator Dave Karger, Fandango’s Chief Correspondent, gets up close and personal with some of visiting actors as they discuss choosing projects and preparing for roles (12:00 p.m.) · Power Players - Top talent agents, managers, studio executives, producers and financiers talk about what it really takes to put movie projects together in today’s rapidly evolving entertainment industry. Moderated by J. Todd Harris. (2:00 p.m.)

Saturday, November 15th

· Bill Plympton Presents... – “The King of Indie Animation” unspools a tour de force presentation on the art of creative visual story-telling. (10:00 a.m.) · Hope For Film: A Conversation with Ted Hope - Multi-talented indie producer Ted Hope believes the best days of the film industry still lie ahead. (12:00 p.m.) · Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch - Variety’s executive editor Steven Gaydos moderates a roundtable discussion with some of the hottest rising stars in the producing world today. The conversation will dive deep into the myriad of challenges and opportunities they encounter every day. (2:00 p.m.)

Sunday, November 16th · Pitch Contest Final - A dozen finalists pitch their new ideas and audience members get to vote. The winner gets a $1000 cash prize from Scott Manville’s TV Writers Vault and a chance to present to The Weinstein Company. (10:00 a.m.)

· Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Women Behind the Camera - Lissa Gibbs moderates a discussion of the challenges faced by women writer-directors in an industry heavily dominated by men. Our female competition filmmakers share their experiences. (12:00 p.m.)

· Meet the Artists: Documentary Filmmakers - Documentary filmmaking has been having a great run over the past decade. Join 2013 Academy Award winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) and other directors for a lively discussion on bringing their stories to life on the big screen. (2:00 p.m.)

For information or to buy passes, visit NVFF.ORG or call 707-226-7500. About the Napa Valley Film Festival and Cinema Napa Valley The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) is produced by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley’s mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking and cinematic storytelling; enhance and diversify Napa Valley’s cultural landscape, and to provide educational opportunities in and out of the classroom for local students.

Major Sponsors: Mercedes-Benz (Official Automobile Sponsor), Amazon Web Services & Intel, Sterling Vineyards & Beaulieu Vineyards, Meadowood Napa Valley.

Leading Sponsors: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Stella Artois, Terlato Family Wineries, AVMS, Domaine Chandon, Caesarstone, BRKLY

Supporting Sponsors: ColorZone, The Vintage Estate, The Weinstein Company, Cognition Studio, Classic Party Rentals, Benchmark Wine Group, Indian Springs Resort & Spa, City Winery Napa, Westin Verasa Napa

Top Media and Marketing Partners: Variety, Traditional Home Magazine, More Magazine, Wine Spectator, NBC Bay Area, and XFINITY by Comcast

OFFICIAL NVFF PRESS RELEASE

By Alex Deleon, <filmfestivals,com>

Greetings from the Capitol:

Made it back to BP by Icetrain from Miskolc.

What a contrast! -- after a month in the provinces  I had almost forgotten that Budapest is one of the Great Capitol cities of Europe!

Magnificent openings gála party at the ultra modern Bartók music Palace was truly palatial. Plenty to eat and drink with slices of smoked goose leg one the many gastronomic delights. Checked into the 8th floor of the official festival Hotel MERCURE, overlooking the back of castle Hill here on the Buda side of town ~ nursing a slight sore throat but otherwise in one piece,

The opening film was a showing of a rare one hundred year old film,"TOLOCA"

From the year 1919 -- when Chaplin was all the rage elsewhere -- by director Mihály Kertész, later to become a Hollywood legend under the Americanized name of "Michael Cutiz" of Casablanca and countless other Hollywood Golden Era milestones.

A giant hanging photographic portrait of Kertész plus a hanging still from the film dominated the post screening bash in the upper balcony of the palace as a fine pianist provided a highly amplified medley of standard ballads including "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca. The only way to describe this setting  -- A XXI Century update of the castle in the "Adventures of Robin Hood" co-directed by Curtiz in 1938.  The silent film was accompanied by a full Hungarian orchestra in the main music hall of the palace where the cream of international classic music artists are the regular attraction. The last time I was here it was English maestro Simon Rattle wielding baton on stage.

In a word the revived Hungarian film week is off and running in grand style after a two year hiatus during which it was beginning to look like the glories of Hungarian cinema were a thing of the past -- dead and all but buried -- to the point that the Hungarian film week was abruptly cancelled by Bela Tarr two years ago, under the claim that there was no longer anything worth showing.

Now under the guidance of former Hollywood producer András "Andy" Vajna it looks like the Requiem for Magyar cinema was perhaps a bit premature.

If the films we see in the coming week live up to the promise of openings night we're in for a heady ride,

RIck Blaine, Budapest, looking for Letters of transit -- and, "Round up the usual suspects!"

As of February 2015, Berlinale’s industry platform – the European Film Market (EFM) with its Berlinale Co-Production Market division - will provide creators and producers of television series with the opportunity to present, sell and buy new high-profile television content.

On February 9 and 10, 2015, the EFM is organising special market screenings and a business lounge for buyers and sellers of television content. The Berlinale Co-Production Market is extending its programme for one day (February 10, 2015) and is in addition presenting a selection of new projects for television series. The Berlinale Co-Production Market is collaborating in this context with the Forum des Images, the organisers of the popular Séries Mania Festival for international TV series in Paris and its co-production forum.

Key players from the industry who have become well-known for their successful TV series in the past years will speak at EFM events or attend the Berlinale Talents Summit. This thriving platform for emerging film professionals will welcome for the first time young talents with a background in developing and producing television series.

“These new initiatives at the EFM acknowledge the fact that serial stories have become an integral part of audio-visual culture. Moreover, we want to improve how we accommodate the needs of our visitors for such projects in the next years,” explains Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director of the European Film Market.

This year the EFM will focus primarily on presenting TV series from North American and European countries, including the latest productions from a number of Scandinavian, British and German channels.

“Since many of our festival guests and filmmakers work both for the big screen and television, this new EFM initiative is a natural development,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick. “The Berlinale is an audience festival, which makes Berlin the right place to introduce our visitors to the best and most interesting series, and gives them the chance to experience these stories during the festival.”Partner of this EFM initiative is the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW. “As Germany’s leading site for television and a core region for creative filmmaking, North-Rhine-Westphalia plays an increasingly important role in international co-productions,” says Petra Müller, head of the funding institution. “We believe that by including top-quality TV series a significant new dimension will open up for the festival and the film industry as a whole. We are looking forward to accompanying the Berlinale and the EFM in developing this exciting initiative.”

Having paved the way in previous years with successful screenings of In Face of the Crime (Dominik Graf, 2010), Top of the Lake (Jane Campion, 2013) and episodes of the second season of House of Cards (Carl Franklin, 2014), the Berlinale itself will also continue to present outstanding serial works in its film programme for the public.

The EFM will be held from February 5 to 13, 2015.

The Hollywood Film Festival will showcase the best in regional and international cinema, presenting a unique combination of socially conscious filmmakers, emerging artists and master storytellers in the film capital of the world. 

The state of the art ArcLight Theater in Hollywood will host the Festival, presenting a number of documentaries and narratives, shorts and features, to enthusiastic audiences and film professionals. While socially conscious films will anchor the festival, there will be a diverse representation of innovative artists, master filmmakers and retrospectives.

This year, the HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL will showcase another side of Hollywood with the CineCause Spotlight Series, celebrating the artists, activists and industry leaders who support causes around the world. 

A series of films, presentations and tech demonstrations will be presented, providing audiences, cause advocates and filmmakers with new opportunities to leverage the power of film and technology to create change

EPISTLE 2 FROM BUDAPEST

DAY 2, Tuesday, October 24, 2014

Athletes in Exile, Dogs on a Rampage and an Unlikely elderly Star

  By Alex Delonian. <filmfestivals.com>

The first full day of the MAGYAR FILMHÉT was a busy one, 

Three interesting films, all in the big hall, one good rap with a director, and generally 

Meeting people and getting a feel for this newly modified once regular Budapest film event.

Film  number one was a great discovery. I was told it would be a doc about famous Hungarian

Soccer (Futbol) Heroes, but it turned out to be much more than that and I had a nice chat

With the Director, Tibor Kocsis,  following the screening in the buzzing Lobby. Ran into several People who recognized me from CINEFEST in Miskolc, and also a lady with Perfect English, Ágnes Hava, who is chief executive of the Hungarian National Film Fund and currently the  chief spokesman for Hungarian Cinema at Major Festivals such as Karlovy Vary -- in short, one if the prime movers in the campaign to get Hungarian cinema back to where it once belonged.

The Second film, WHITE GOD (Fehér Isten) is all about dogs and dogcatchers but it's no 'Lassie Come Home' -- more a surreal Tale of Mans Best Friend in collective Rebellion against his two legged Masters.  13 year-old Lili fights to protect her pet Hagen from the dog butchers. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing that love conquers all she ....

Won a Prize at Cannes but left the audience too stunned to applaud here. First Film I've ever Seen where not A dog, like Lassie -- but Canines inGeneral, are the stars. In a weird way it reminded me of Planet of the Apes. Definitely not a feel good film but a one-of-a-Kind thought provoker.   I had to sort of hide from it by taking Cat naps along the way and came out not really being able to say that I thought it was 'good or bad' -- but certainly not indifferent.  It is clearly meant to be seen as a metaphor for all the madness and Power Games at loose in the world today, but it is so realistically presented that it just exists for what it is -- a girl musician and her dog and their problems with the crazy dogcatchers and music teachers ... And on that level it's pretty scary -- almost a horror flick.

The big question is, how did director Kornel Mundruczo get all these dogs to do exactly what he wanted them to do on screen.  Mind bender.

Director Mundruczó Kornél and his two stars, HAGEN, and Psotta Zsofia at Cannes

The Third film of the day, the Nightcap that ended around Ten thirty, was Janos Szasz' arty WW II period Epic, "The Notebook" (A nagy füzet), the only really big Hungarian film of 2013, that I have been hoping to catch up with all year.  Classically filmed as are all of János's films, but a harrowing tale of two teenage twin boys who are left by their mother with an extremely stout, blunt, and tough-as-nails grandmother out in the country so they can survive the war. Left me drained -- the kind of drain You feel after taking an emotional roller coaster ride through a fully satisfying picture. Details later, but thus is one of the new recent Hungarian biggies.  Heavy set 69 year old actress Piroska Molnár, who is memorable from her very first scene in the picture playing the estranged acid-tongued country grandmother, is currently one of the busiest "Leading ladies" in magyar pictures. She was equally memorable in the highly controversial Hungarian Film Szemle winner TAXIDERMIA in 2006, and Will also be seen here this week in the lead role of the surrealistic chiller FREE FALL.

Sixty-nine year old actress Piroska Molnár is living Proof that You don't have to look like Scarlett Johansson to be a star -- gobs of outrageous talent can be enough and this gal has it.

 The Football film is known as "Hungarians For Barça" where Barça is the nickname of the Barcelona FC (football club) probably the most popular in all of Europe. The director is Tibor Kocis who has a long documentary track record and speaks fluent English. What Kocsis does is follow the lives,  careers,  and families of three postwar Hungarian Soccer stars who are more famous in Spain  than they are here because, to get away from Communism they built entire careers playing in Spain for the Barcelona club where they were absolutely idolized. But, again, this is far more than a Sportsumentary because it's more about the personalities of these magnificent athletes in self imposed exile, how they took worship in a foreign country in stride, and answered to a higher human purpose. This is a real heartfelt and heartwarming film and you don't really need to know anything about European soccer or Hungary itself to relate to it. I just loved it and Kocsis will be ringing this marvelous picture -- a documentary that is more like a lesson in life than a documentary -- to Los Angeles soon for the L.A. Hungarian film festival. Make absolutely sure not to miss it.

That's it for now, gotta hit the hay -- tomorrow is another big day, and thus time I'll bring My iPad along to take Pictures

World Premier of a Brave New Magyar Comedy  "NO MAN'S ISLAND" IS A WINNER

 by Alex Deleon <filmfestivals.com>

 The peak of  the week was reached early on Wednesday, day number 3,  with the World Premiere of a brand new Hungarian film entitled SENKI SZIGETE, in English "No Man's Island". There are other very recent Films on view this week but all have already been in commercial circulation whereas this film is the only absolutely new revelation of the festival week -- straight out of the can, and what a Revelation! 

SENKI SZIGETE is a dazzling comedic drama -- or dramatic comedy, take your pick, with style and confidence to burn and an ensemble cast where all have their arias and no one tries to upstage anyone else, although some figures stand out a little more than others in an extremely well balanced juggling act of interesting characters.  This is the fourth feature film of 44 year old director Ferenc Török and clearly announces him as a major new force on the reconfigured Hungarian cinema scene. 

A sampling of Budapest elite film society packed the theater lobby with cameramen grinding away, but it was nothing like the old Film Szemle days when an event like this would bring out almost everybody who is anybody.

The most famous face spotted in the crowd was that of now senior director Istvan  Szabo, hanging out with Sándor Pál, legendary producer of the film just shown, and of course the new festival's prime mover, white haired Andy Vajna who is around every day quietly looking things over. Other than that it was primarily People connected with the Sziget film itself, many of whom are "nachwuchs" up-and-comers but the only fully established star I was able to identify from  back in the Szemle era was  actress Judith Schell who had a Key role in tonight's film and has been a major film Star here for close to a decade.  Schell, is no Relation to the once famous Maria Schell but is of equivalent beauty and talent, although her Pretty Woman Sex appeal and flair for comedy place her more in the company of Julia Roberts.

However, to get back to the Main Event of the evening, the film itself, which was presented without subtitles (too new) has plot intricacies that had me baffled here and there, but did not impede the overall perception that this is a high class piece of entertainment, which once it gets the clarifying titles could well become a breakout film onto the world market for Hungary. The last Hungarian film that was a real global success -- (I caught it at a commercial screening in Tokyo!)-- was Szabo's Oscar winning Mephisto, 1981, but that was Hungarian in Name of director only, because the main cast was not Hungarian and the language of the film was German.  In contrast Ference Török's new movie is pure Hungarian all the way, as Hungarian as it gets -- but at the same time as International mainstream as one can imagine.

The essential Plot:

This is basically a modern fairy tale in which a number of young people struggle to fulfill their dreams of getting away to an Unpeopled Island, an imagined Paradise out in the Pacific where one lives peacefully ever after away from the madness and stress of the modern world. In the movie we see the magic island only in a funny model mockup. An unlikely ménage-à-trois develops between a beautiful runaway bride who becomes a skyscraper window washer (!) an unscrupulous female taxi driver who steals a bunch of money from a Mafia boss, and a failed wannabe NBA basketball star who beds down every girl he can gets his hands on. They are soon joined by a sexy older woman who is sitting on her mothers secret fortune but can't access it, and finally by the young bridegroom who was left in the lurch, to make it a kind of ménage-à-cinq at the end.

The feeling us something like an update of Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream with touches of Billy Wilder humor, but the execution is state-of-the-art international entertainment.  

The butch looking cabbie is played by EszterBánfalvy, a theater actress with striking off-beat looks, the handsome basketball player is Tamas Mohai, another young theater actor who comes on like a veteran in a rip-roaring film debut, effective and charming --the lady of the treasure is established film star Judith Schell, who doesn't exactly steal scenes, but you can't take your eyes off her when she's there (with that magical golden mascara!) and the runaway bride is Juli Jakab, a model with no film experience, who was cast by director Török because she looked perfect for the part --the camera loves her -- and she looks like a new edition of a very young Grace Kelly with ultra porcelain skin. The film has style, energy, a very colorful mise-en-scene  (pastel shade backgrounds and flying fish), a fast but not runaway pace, grippy situations, and winning performances all around -- even the bad guy looks good (popular Screen and Tv comedic actor András Stohl -- interesting how many Hungarian actors have Germannames!) -- SO, who could ask for anything more? -- Now all I have to do is see it again with English subtitles so I can make sure I wasn't just seeing things.

Juli Jakab, the runaway bride of  Ferenc Török's "No Man's Island"

The high International reputation of Hungarian cinema from the sixties on was built upon serious political and highly artistic works by a whole contingent of then young New Wave directors --Fábri, Jancsó, Makk, Szabo --serious cinema Art with a vengeance. The current picture is pure entertainment on a scale that could easily sell off the Hungarian shore, and yet maintains the quality production standards that made more serious Hungarian pictures famous in the now distant past.  In addition it is replete with all kinds of spectacular touches and savvy moves  that add up to make it a potential contender in the contemporary film market.  For a  number of years the local film industry has been in the doldrums for a variety of reasons -- withdrawal of government financial backing, political industry infighting, etc. -- with one or two worthy Pictures coming out here and there, but nothing like the steady output of masterpieces and near masterpieces that were almost commonplace in the latter half of the past century.  Signs of New life are now beginning to surface and Ference Török's "No Man's Island" is one of the brighter ones. 

Pseudonym has its world premiere in Tubingen in Horizons Section (October 29, November5, 2014) Then followed by a selection in Fantasporto one of the oldest genre film festival in Europe (Early March

Face à face est la devise du 31ème Festival International du Film Francophone de Tübingen | Stuttgart.

Von Angesicht zu Angesicht: Le plus grand (et le plus beau!!!) festival cinématographique francophone d’Allemagne est un lieu pour des rencontres uniques en leur genre entre les hommes et les films. La ville de Tübingen, son mélange entre tradition universitaire médiévale et ambiance jeune estudiantine que l’on ne trouve nulle part ailleurs, fait d’elle les parfaites coulisses en tant que centre du festival. Stuttgart, de son côté, apporte avec elle l’atmosphère de grande ville. Christopher Buchholz et son équipe ont prévu un programme ambitieux et vraiment jeune et attendent avec impatience la tenue d’un splendide festival de cinéma.

SEE NO EVIL. HEAR NO EVIL. SPEAK NO EVIL

Another eXperiment by Women Film Festival (AXWFF) promotes and screens moving images in any media, made by women, that encourage critical thinking and dialogue.

ANOTHER EXPERIMENT BY WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL (AXW for short) GIVES WOMEN’S WORK A REAL TIME & SPACE IN NYC!!

Presented through NEW FILMMAKERS NEW YORK

Wednesday November 19 , 2014 — 7:00pm

Anthology Film Archives, 2nd Avenue & 2nd Street, New York, NY
admission: suggested donation $6

**************

GARDEN of DeLIGHT

TRT: about 60 minutes
Curated by Lili White

THE D-BLOK SNAG; Joey Huertas (AKA Jane Public); 16mm Bolex in-camera editing; TRT: 5.10 min
A short film that examines poverty and inner-city landscape by a study of one single deplorable residential block in the South Bronx. Torched stolen cars, abandoned mutt dogs and dirty laundry are a few of the visual anchors that mold this “location study” together.

BLACK RECTANGLE; rhayne vermette; 16MM to digi; TRT: 1.30 min
This film documents a tedious process of dismantling and reassembling 16 mm found footage. Roused by Kazimir Malevich, the film collage imitates functions of a curtain, while the recorded optical track describes the flm’s subsequent destruction during its first projection.

FULL OF FIRE; rhayne vermette; 16MM to digi; TRT: 2.15 min
There are few alternatives for exiles. The homecoming may be postponed to an indeterminate future; one could settle for a replacement; and lastly, there is always madness.

SHE LEARNS TO LUNGE; Katya Yakubov; TRT: 6.40
How many shapes do the terrors of the mind take? Several transformation lead to an awakening between a modern house and a dark forest.
READ David Finkelstein’s review on Katya Yakubov’s film RETREAT: http://www.hi-beam.net/hi-beam/finkelstein.html

SWEETMEATS; Denise Iris; digi; TRT: 4.40
A meditation on illness. A flash of presence. A moment of what Robinson Jeffers calls “falling in love outward.”

TURQUOISE BEADS; Lili White; Sound: BUSHMEAT aka Thomas Stanley (with voices of: Marcel Duchamp, Langston Hughes, Krishnamurti); TRT. 38.14
Composed of landscapes from the cities of Chaco Canyon and the streets of New York after 9/11, portrayed in a atmospheric manner. Chaco Canyon was a major center of a thriving Indian culture from AD 850 to 1250, where, turquoise, a stone mythically born from the marriage between sky and earth, was traded extensively. The complexity of its community life, the high level of its social organization, and its far-reaching commerce created a cultural vision unlike any other seen before.
 

The Cellar Door Film Festival (CDFF) is excited to announced that tickets are now available for the inaugural edition of the festival! CDFF invites film fans to purchase advance tickets online at a discounted price of $9, while tickets may be purchased at the door on the day of the event(s) for $12 (cash only). All screenings take place at Club SAW in Arts Court, 67 Nicholas St, Ottawa, ON.

Tickets may be purchased here: https://www.uniiverse.com/cdff2014

Screenings are as follows:

Friday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 pm - Opening Night!

Roseville (Bulgaria, Martin Markariev, horror)

-preceded by Beauty Sleep (Canada, Andrew Robinson, experimental)

*Director Andrew Robinson will attend the screening.

Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 pm

Dys- (Canada, Maude Michaud, horror)

-preceded by We Wanted More (Canada, Stephen Dunn, psych. thriller)

-Director Maude Michaud will attend the screening.

Sunday, Nov. 9 at 12:00 pm

The Dragonphoenix Chronicles: Indomitable (Greece, Thanos Kermitsis, 127 min.)

-preceded by Cassandra (USA/France, Guy-Roger Duvert, fantasy)

Sunday, Nov. 9 at 3:30 pm

"From the Basement of the World: A Collection of Speculative Shorts"

-includes the Ottawa shorts The Phoenix (Carmelo Zucco, sci-fi) and Experiment 467 (Dylan Hunt-Weeks, sci-fi)

Sunday, Nov. 9 at 7 pm

Der Samurai (Germany, Till Kleiner, thriller/queer)

-preceded by Rattan (Samuel Kiehoon-Lee, Canada, horror/comedy)

*Doors open 30min before scheduled start time.

All screenings take place at Club SAW and are generously supported by CDFF’s presenting sponsor, The School for Studies in Art and Culture at Carleton University, as well as supporting sponsors the Alumni Association of Carleton University, GNA Heating and Cooling, The Haunted Walk of Ottawa, and Used Ottawa.

Please visit www.cdff.ca for full information on this year’s festival.

The 2014 Cellar Door Film Festival runs Nov. 7-9 at Club SAW in Arts Court at 67 Nicholas St.

--

About Cellar Door Film Festival

Cellar Door Film Festival (CDFF) aims to be Ottawa’s first showcase of speculative cinema while celebrating the creativity of the Ottawa film scene and spotlighting the city as a setting for the sinister and supernatural.

www.cdff.ca | facebook.com/CellarDoorFF | @CellarDoorFF

By Maria Esteves – October 22, 2014

The 52nd New York Film Festival 2014 (NYFF52) GONE GIRL press conference with director David Fincher, author/screenwriter Gillian Flynn, cast members two-time Academy Award winner Ben Affleck, English actress Rosamund Pike, Tony Award winning actor Neil Patrick Harris, and Award winning actor/author/screen playwright/producer/director/songwriter Tyler Perry moderated by director of programming/selection committee chair Kent Jones, Film Society of Lincoln Center, commenced Friday, September 26, 2014 at the AMC Lincoln Square. Cast and crew members discussed the making of the film and their respective roles. GONEGIRLnow in theaters!

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: (L-R) NYFF Director of Programming
/Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones, Film Society of Lincoln Center, with director
David Fincher, author/screenwriter Gillian Flynn, and cast members Ben Affleck,
Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: NYFF Director of Programming/Selection Committee
Chair Kent Jones, Film Society of Lincoln Center, left, with director David Fincher, GONE GIRL.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: Author/screenwriter Gillian Flynn,
and actor Ben Affleck, GONE GIRL.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: Cast members Neil Patrick Harris
and Tyler Perry, GONE GIRL.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: Cast members Rosamund Pike, and
Neil Patrick Harris, GONE GIRL.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: (L-R) Cast members Ben Affleck,
Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris, GONE GIRL.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference:
English actress Rosamund Pike, GONE GIRL.

Getting closer to our 6th Passion For Freedom Festival 5-15.11.2014 in Embassy Tea Gallery in Central London!

Be the first to book the tickets for the Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus and The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz !

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/passion-for-freedom-7605436983

The Film Section of the festival selects film makers who’ve proven their passion
for freedom in a politically correct or sensitive environment whilst answering
with their work 3 questions:

 WHAT IS FREEDOM?
 HOW EASY IS IT TO LOSE IT?
 HOW HARD IS IT TO GET IT BACK?

All the trailers of the nominees are being published on the festival
Youtube channel inspiring thousands of concerned citizens to watch quality films.
Set in a special setting of a gallery venue, surrounded by the various art
creations of the festival, we have arrange screenings for the awarded films followed
by a talk with the film makers for more than a hundred members of the audience.

http://www.passionforfreedom.co.uk/films-2014/#more-2475

https://www.facebook.com/passionforfreedom

MIDDLEBURG FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE OF PANELS AND FILMMAKER CONVERSATIONS

Filmmakers, actors, industry executives and journalists to gather in Virginia’s historic countryside for four days of film, wine and conversation

The Middleburg Film Festival announced today the schedule of panels and filmmaker conversations that round out the festival program. Directors, producers, industry executives and special guests will be on hand throughout the festival to discuss filmmaking and the movie business.  Highlights include a conversation with Richard LaGravanese, director and screenwriter of THE LAST FIVE YEARS, and a panel discussion with THE IMITATION GAME director Morten Tyldum, screenwriter Graham Moore, actor Allen Leech and General Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA.

The Middleburg Film Festival runs from October 30 to November 2 in Virginia’s historic wine country located one hour from Washington.

General public tickets to Middleburg Film Festival are now on sale. For ticketing, showtimes and festival information, please visit: www.middleburgfilm.org.

Follow us on Twitter @middleburgfilm and like us on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/MiddleburgFilmFestival

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30

THE LAST FIVE YEARS - Opening Night Film

8:00pm – Salamander Resort & Spa

Q&A with director/screenwriter Richard LaGravenese moderated by The Washington Post’s Ann Hornaday.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31

HUMAN CAPITAL

1:30pm – Buchanan Hall  (Upperville)

The Ambassador of Italy to the United States Claudio and Mrs. Bisogniero will introduce Italy’s foreign language submission to the Oscars.

LOW DOWN

4:00pm – The Hill School  

Q&A with producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa.

Distinguished Costume Designer Award

8:00pm – Salamander Resort & Spa

Conversation and film tribute to Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1

Panel on Film Distribution and Financing

9:30am – Library at the Salamander Resort & Spa

Rick Allen (CEO, SnagFilms), Pam Williams (Producer, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN), William Hasselberger (Film/Television Financier and Producer), Lauren Versel (Producer, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, CITY ISLAND), Mark Sennet (Producer, Sennet Entertainment) discuss the changing landscape and challenges for both financing a film and reaching a wide audience.

ALL FALL DOWN

10:00am – National Sporting Library & Museum  

Q&A with director Mary Posatko.

RED ARMY

10:45am – The Hill School  

Conversation with Ted Leonsis, CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Capitals, following the screening.

Master Class: Where Does the Music Come From?

12:00pm – National Sporting Library

Award-winning film composer George S. Clinton (AUSTIN POWERS) and Chair of Berklee College of Music’s film scoring department takes participants through his process of composing for film, from inception to final composition, while screening examples of his work. 

Fine Wine and Conversation

12:45pm – Boxwood Winery & Tasting Room  

Vanity Fair Special Correspondent Maureen Orth talks with producers Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, two of Hollywood’s most accomplished and respected film producers (NEBRASKA, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, ELECTION).

MR. TURNER

2:00pm – The Hill School

Conversation with Franklin Kelly, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of National Gallery of Art and

J.M. W. Turner expert.

Distinguished Composer Award

4:00pm – Salamander Resort & Spa

Conversation with Oscar-nominated composer Marco Beltrami (THE HOMESMAN, WORLD WAR Z, HURT LOCKER, SCREAM) and performance of his scores by the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra accompanied by film clips.

LOW DOWN

5:30pm – The Hill School  

Q&A with with director Jeff Preiss, producers Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, and composer Ohad Talmor.

THE IMITATION GAME – Centerpiece Film

8:00 pm – Salamander Resort & Spa

Q&A with director Morten Tyldum, screenwriter Graham Moore, actor Allen Leech and General Michael Hayden (former director of the CIA and NSA), The Washington Post’s Rajiv Chandrasekaran and moderated by John Horn, host of public radio’s arts and entertainment show,  “The Frame.”

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Keynote Address: “Why Films Matter”

10:00am – Library at the Salamander Resort & Spa

Join former Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman & CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America for the festival's keynote address on “Why Films Matter”.  Senator Dodd will be joined by Librarian of the Congress James H. Billington.

FORCE MAJEURE

12:30pm – Salamander Resort    

The Ambassador of Sweden to the United States Bjorn Lyrvall introduces Sweden’s foreign language submission to the Oscars.

About Middleburg Film Festival

The Middleburg Film Festival offers four days of fantastic films in a spectacular setting, only 30 minutes from Dulles International Airport and just one hour from Washington, D.C.

A carefully curated selection of narrative and documentary films will screen in an intimate theatre environment, followed by fascinating Q and A’s with world-renowned filmmakers and actors. The films include Oscar contenders, festival favorites, foreign films, regional premieres, and both narratives and documentaries.    

Festival attendees will also be able to experience the natural beauty, food, wine, and warm hospitality of Middleburg. 

By Maria Esteves – October 25, 2014

The 52nd New York Film Festival 2014 (NYFF52) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), press conference with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, cast members actor Michael Keaton, Academy Award nominated supporting actor Edward Norton, actor/stand-up comedian Zach Galifianakis, English actress Andrea Riseborough, Academy Award nominated actress Amy Ryan, actress/model Emma Stone and British actress Naomi Watts moderated by director of programming/selection committee chair Kent Jones, Film Society of Lincoln Center, held at AMC Lincoln Square commenced Saturday, October 11, 2014. Questions posed to director Iñárritu and cast members included "Tell us about your experience as an actor/actress on stage and how it translated into this role; what was the technical challenge in making the film; what was one of the most difficult part in playing this character; what was your role each of you in this theater person; how do you translate that theater experience, your history into doing it here in the film; what the film mean?" BIRDMAN now playing in theaters! Watch trailer

NYFF52 BIRDMAN Press Conference: (R-L) Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu
and cast members Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis,
Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: NYFF Director of Programming/Selection
Committee Chair Kent Jones, Film Society of Lincoln Center, right, with
director Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

NYFF52 GONE GIRL Press Conference: Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu
and actor Michael Keaton.

NYFF52 BIRDMAN Press Conference: Actresses Emma Stone, left,
and Amy Ryan.

By Maria Esteves – October 25, 2014

The 52nd New York Film Festival 2014 (NYFF52) U.S. Premiere of TIME OUT OF MIND, press conference with writer/director Oren Moverman and actor/producer Richard Gere moderated by NYFF Selection Committee Amy Taubin, Film Society of Lincoln Center, was held at the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, September 25, 2014. Questions posed to director Moverman and Gere by moderator Taubin and members of the press included "Did you have lots of different possibilities for the tone of each scene and did you tried them on camera; How you walked this path without making it sentimental or romantic those relationships?" TIME OUT OF MIND, a IFC Films will be released in 2015.

NYFF52 Time Out of Mind Press Conference: NYFF Selection Committee
Amy Taubin, Film Society of Lincoln Center, left, and actor Richard Gere.

NYFF52 Time Out of Mind Press Conference: NYFF Selection Committee
Amy Taubin, Film Society of Lincoln Center, left, and actor Richard Gere.

NYFF52 Time Out of Mind Press Conference: Director
Oren Moverman, right, and actor Richard Gere.