Real Film Festival is back!

The Real Film Festival is a three-day community, arts and Industry event showcasing documentaries, independent short and feature films based on true stories. The Program comprises of film screenings, Industry development workshops, panel discussions, networking events and film competitions for filmmakers of all ages and experience.
The Festival Program includes a variety of entertainment including the Opening Night Gala held at Tower Cinemas with a party to follow at one of Newcastle's unique venues. The Festival will also deliver an Open Air Cinema in Civic Park, film screenings at Tower Cinema and short film screenings at Newcastle Museum and a variety of other locations.

Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival Launched in Cannes  

Reproduced from Britflicks.com  Fri, 03 Jun 2016

The 1st Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival, which will take place from 23 to 26 March 2017, officially launched at the Cannes Film Festival, supported by the Ramsgate Town Team.  The fabulous Royal Harbour was featured on promotional material and the reception was amazing.  Many people had never heard of Ramsgate and the prospect of a vacation in the area encouraged filmmakers to enter their work straight away.  In just a few days, submissions, which opened on May 11th had already come from the UK, the US, Canada, India, France, Italy, Spain and Turkey.  Other countries have since joined the list.

The Ramsgate IFTV Fest is presided by Brenda Blethyn.  It will open with a Gala evening and the screening of the Out Of Competition movie "Leave Now" directed byStephen Frost, entirely shot in the Ramsgate area.
The best works in competition will receive Anchor Awards and the Special Brenda Blethyn Prize will be awarded to the Best First Feature Film.  All features in competition are UK Premieres.  Some celebrities are expected to attend.
 The amazing Anchor statuette has been especially crafted by local sculptor Dominic Grant.  The enclosed picture shows Dominic and the clay prototype.
The competition winners will be also be presented with original works of art by local artists, especially commissioned for the Festival, in collaboration with Ramsgate Arts.



A Youth Challenge will be organised earlier on to develop interest in films and film making in the younger mainly local generation. Each participant will have to write, shoot and edit a 3 mins film from a given title and genre over a set period of time.  During the weeks leading up to the Festival, a dedicated committee will review and select the best films, which will be screened during the Ramsgate IFTV Fest, with generous prizes for the winners. 

In addition to screening films from around the world, workshops and talks by highly regarded industry professionals, will be offered to the public and to visiting/local filmmakers.  Tim Highsted (Senior Editor - Chanel 4) and Codie Entwistle (Film Content Manager - The Vue Entertainment Group) are the first speakers to have confirmed their attendance, as they will participate in a discussion panel about Distribution and new Media.  Other events will be announced at a later date.

A local competition will be launched in July to design the Festival poster.

The Ramsgate IFTV Fest is a great opportunity to increase audience development as local residents will be able to discover new movies they wouldn't normally get the chance to see.  But his festival will also help put Ramsgate firmly on the map and attract more visitors to the area.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s leading animation film festival, is excited to present NIGHTOWL, an interactive, multi-level rager in celebration of the Festival’s 40th Anniversary. On Saturday, September 24, 2016 the OIAF will take over 50 Sussex Drive for a night of music, food, sci-fi, art, animation, cosplay, robots and more!  

The party begins at 8PM with a free outdoor screening of Space Madness: DYI Sci-Fi.  Presented by the NCC, CFI and CBC and featuring Canadian filmmakers Chad VanGaalen (Tarboz) and Nick DiLiberto (Nova Seed), the OIAF invites you to open your mind and snag a ride on a rocket ship deep into the unknown. Rain or shine (don’t worry! There’s a tent!), these meticulously drawn DIY animations will kick start your imagination.

In the NIGHTOWL DISCO ROOM, Cybertronic Spree, sponsored by Guru Studio, gets things going at 9:30PM. An over-the-top hair metal band, the Cybertronic Spree rolls out classic tunes while dressed like your favourite TV space robots from the 80s. At 11:30PM, DJ Skid Vicious takes over to kick start a late-night dance party!

Need to kick off your dancing shoes? Sketch and chill in the SHAW ROCKET FUN(D) ROOM where Cosplayers will be posing for short life-drawing sessions all night. Don’t forget to bring your gear – pencils, wigs, or otherwise.

Or checkout the NIGHTOWL ARCADE! The Arcade and Invest Ottawa host some of the newest games coming out of Ottawa from Gigataur, Magmic and Brinx. The Arcade is also the spot for BOOGIE DOODLE! Using Lines, the never-before-seen program by Simon Drouin, the National Film Board of Canada invites artists, students, fans and friends to jump into an animation improve – don’t miss out on the chance to animate alongside of some of the best artists in the world!

When all that dancing, drawing and gaming works up an appetite, you can head out to the gourmet food trucks to grab a bite. Seed to Sausage and Dash Mobile Cookery will be on site to provide you with the tastiest ethically raised meats and other local treats.

NIGHTOWL runs from 8PM – 2AM on Saturday September 24, inside and outside of the former Canada and the World Pavilion (and former home of the NFB!) at 50 Sussex. Tickets are $15 online or at the door and free for all TAC Anima, Anima, Saturday, and Weekend Passholders! It’s also ALL AGES! (ID required to purchase alcohol). A free shuttle service will run from Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and the Arts Court out to NIGHTOWL from 7:30PM – 2AM.  

For more information, including details on how to buy tickets/passes, and venue information, please visit http://goo.gl/tCRxfk. Experience the first NIGHTOWL – a party for the geek in you.

The ''biggest film theatre in the world'' as it was dubbed by Oliver Stone, will turn thirty in 2016

On its 30th anniversary as a film theatre, the Antonio Elorza Velodrome will host the European premieres of two animated movies and the world premiere of a collective production consisting of twelve portraits of San Sebastian.

Sausage Party is an animated comedy for adults helmed by Conrad Vernon (Madagascar 3) and Greg Tiernan (Thomas & Friends) about supermarket products who learn the truth about their fate and rebel against it. The caustic comedy brought to us by screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad), alongside Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir (The Night Before) features in its original version the vocal talents of a who’s who of today’s comedy stars: Jonah Hill, James Franco, Kristen Wiig, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd and Salma Hayek, in addition to Rogen himself. The film, a US box-office leader since it hit the screens, to be distributed in Spain by Sony Pictures Releasing. The showing will take place on September 20th, precisely thirty years after the space first opened as a film theatre with Oliver Stone’s Salvador.

Storks is an animated movie based on the myth of storks and babies… and package deliveries for a global internet giant. This family comedy is directed by Doug Sweetland, among others animator of Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, and Nicholas Stoller, helmer of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement and Neighbors, who also penned the screenplay. The voices of the characters in the original version are provided by actors Andy Samberg (Hotel Transylvania 2, presented last year in the Velodrome) and Kelsey Grammer (Cheers, Frasier). Figuring in the version dubbed into Spanish, which will be heard for the first time in the Velodrome on the 18th are José Luis Gil, Belén Cuesta, Juan Ibáñez, Damian Mollá, Christian Gálvez, Almudena Cid and José Corbacho.

The Velodrome will also be the venue on September 21st for the screening of Kalebegiak, the biggest audiovisual undertaking of San Sebastian, European Capital of Culture 2016. This project consisting of twelve tales shot and/or inspired in San Sebastian includes the participation of filmmakers Koldo Almandoz, Asier Altuna, Luiso Berdejo, Daniel Calparsoro, Iñaki Camacho, Las chicas de Pasaik (María Elorza and Maider Fernández Iriarte), Borja Cobeaga, Telmo Esnal, Isabel Herguera, Ekain Irigoyen, Julio Medem, Izibene Oñederra, Gracia Querejeta and Imanol Uribe, accompanied by technical and artistic teams on which hallowed names and newcomers coexist.

The Velodrome will similarly be the setting every morning during the Festival for a screening for children under the agreed programme with schools. This year the young audience will be treated to the Danish animated movie, Albert, directed by Karsten Kiilerich.

And, as usual the venue dubbed by Oliver Stone as the biggest film theatre in the world will host on the 24th a session including a broadcast of the awards gala, screening of the closing film L’Odyssée / The Odyssey and of the film closing Pearls, Arrival, Denis Villeneuve’s latest movie. Completing the screening is a short film created under the Gas Natural Fenosa Cinergía project: Cabra y Oveja (Goat and Sheep), directed by Kike Maíllo with a script by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo.

Filmmakers Bertrand Bonello, Jean-Gabriel Périot and Ivan I. Tverdovsky will give masterclasses as part of the XV International Film Students Meeting at the San Sebastian Festival.

Bonello (Nice, France, 1968), who will compete in this year’s Official Section with Nocturama and in Zabaltegi-Tabakalera with the short film Sarah Winchester, opéra fantôme, will present a free-spirited dissertation at the Meeting to students from film schools in Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom, in addition to any members of the general public who wish to attend. The masterclass will take place on Tuesday 20th, from 12:15 to 14:00, in the Tabakalera cinema.

For his part, Jean-Gabriel Périot (Bellac, France, 1974), author of Une jeunesse allemande / A German Youth, opening film of last year’s Panorama section at the Berlinale also selected for Zabaltegi, will give a masterclass from 17:00 to 18:30 in the same place with a similiarly free approach to the theory and praxis of filmmaking. His second film, Lumières d’été - Natsuo no hikari / Summer Lights, is a contender in the New Directors competition.

Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section will include the participation of Ivan I. Tverdovsky (Shelkowo, Russia, 1981) with his second film, Zoology. Tverdovsky will give a conference on Friday 23rd, from 11.30 to 14:00, in which he will explain his experience with short films and his process of transition to feature-length movies. The occasion will include screening of his works As If Waiting For A Bus (2009), his film school graduation work, Snow (2011), starring Natalya Pavlenkova, the actress of Zoology, and Space Dog (2012), which competed in Amsterdam and was selected for different documentary film festivals worldwide.

All of the masterclasses given at the International Film Students Meeting are free of charge. Admission is free until all seats are taken, with priority for students and accredited Festival guests.

Official Sponsors:



Official Collaborators:


Associated Institutions:





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Numerous industry activities are scheduled for the 64th San Sebastian Festival. Said activities are detailed in the Professional Agenda and it will be updated on the Festival website. Updates will also be included in the daily Newsflash sent out to registered industry members.  

Throughout the Festival, and particularly on the 19th, 20th and 21st, to coincide with the V Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum and Films in Progress 30, San Sebastian will become a meeting place between members of the international industry from all over the world.

The event Audiences in Motion. Listening to the User, meetings, presentations, round tables and professional rendezvous will be organised to facilitate networking, cooperation between professionals and the international circulation of films.

Professional Agenda - Saturday, September 17

• 12:00-13:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Canary Islands: Best Tax Benefits in Europe (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 13:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Congress Bar
  Cockail offered by Canary Islands (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 16:30-17:30 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Short films associations. Annual report and new goals for next year (Accreditation holders)
   
• 19:30 – Bataplán Disco Terrace
  Cocktail - Presentation: La Palma, the best set to shoot stories (With invitation)
   
• 19:30-21:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Press Club
  Happy Hour We all love stories. 25th anniversary of MEDIA (Industry and Press accreditation holders)

Professional Agenda - Sunday, September 18

• 09:30-13:30 – San Telmo Museum, Function Hall 
  EUROPEAN FILM FORUM: Audiences in Motion. Listening to the User
  Co-organised with Creative Europe-MEDIA, in collaboration with Donostia / San Sebastián 2016, European Capital of Culture (Accreditation holders)
  • 09:30-10:00 – Welcome coffee 
  • 10:00-10:15 – Presentation
  • 10:15-10:45 – Keynote
  • 10:45-11:45 – Panel 1: Audience Participation
  • 11:45-12:15 – Coffee Break
  • 12:15-13:15 – Panel 2: Distribution – Understanding European Audiences
  • 13:15-13:30– Wrap-up Summary and conclusions

• 11:00-13:30 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Pitching preparation workshop for selected projects in the V Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum (Closed)
   
• 16:00-18:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  EFADs (European Film Agency Directors)-CACI (Conference of Ibero-American Cinematographic Authorities) working group meeting (Closed)
   
• 16:00-18:30 – Tabakalera, Zineuskadi
  Day of co-production Europe-Latin America, organised by Europa Creativa MEDIA Euskadi (With invitation)
   
• 19:30-21:00 – Kursaal, Press Club
  Films in Progress 30 welcome drink (With invitation)

Professional Agenda - Monday, September 19

• V EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM (Industry accreditation holders)
  San Telmo Museum
  • 09:00-10:00 – Breakfast (Cloister)
  • 10:00-14:00 – Networking and informal meetings (Cloister)
  • 12:00-13:30 – Round table The gold rush? Or how can independent films finally hope to dig some gold out of VoD? – Fostered by Europa Distribution(Function Hall)
  • 14:00-15:00 – Lunch (Cloister)
  • 15:00-19:30 – Pitchings session: V Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum and Ikusmira Berriak (Function Hall)
  • 19:30-21:00 – Happy Hour Networking with Canada (Cloister)

• FILMS IN PROGRESS 30 (Industry accreditation holders)
  Príncipe Cinemas
  • 09:30 –Un gran dragón (A Great Dragon) by Jaime Osorio Márquez (Colombia - 110')
  • 12:00 –La familia (The Family) by Gustavo Rondón Córdova (Venezuela / Chile / Norway - 79')

• 10:00-14:00 – 16:00-18:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 8
  CACI (Conference of Ibero-American Cinematographic Authorities) Advisory Council – Programa Ibermedia (Closed)
   
• 13:30 – Tabakalera, Zineuskadi
  Annual meeting of Glocal Cinema (Closed)
   
• 15:00-18:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Europa Distribution Workshop (Closed)
   
• 15:30-19:00 – Tabakalera, Room K
  Ibero-American LGBTI Film Festivals Conference (Closed)

Professional Agenda - Tuesday, September 20

• V EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM (Industry accreditation holders)
  San Telmo Museum
  • 09:00-10:00 – Breakfast (Cloister)
  • 10:00-11:30 – Round table Digital talent: new creators, new channels, new audiences – Fostered by PROA (Federated Audiovisual Producers from Catalonia) (Function Hall)
  • 10:00-14:00 – Networking and informal meetings (Cloister) and one to one meetings with representatives of the selected projects (Church)
  • 12:00-13:30 – Round table Film Branding & Marketing. Tools to create additional value to your movie (Function Hall)
  • 14:00-15:30 – Lunch (Cloister)
  • 15:30-20:00 – Networking and informal meetings (Cloister) and one to one meetings with representatives of the selected projects (Church)

• FILMS IN PROGRESS 30 (Industry accreditation holders)
  Príncipe Cinemas
  • 09:30 – Las olas (The Waves) by Adrián Biniez (Uruguay / Argentina - 90')
  • 12:00 – La educación del Rey (Rey's Education) by Santiago Esteves (Argentina - 66')

• 10:00-14:00 – 15:30-19:00 – Tabakalera, Rooms 2 and 3 Kutxa
  Pitching preparation workshop for the XII. Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-Production Forum - IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country) (Closed)
   
• 10:30-14:00 – Tabakalera, Room K
  Ibero-American LGBTI Film Festivals Conference (Closed)
   
• 11:00-13:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Film and Technology Workshop: The Challenge of Shooting in 4K - Hispasat (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 15:00-18:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Room 9
  Europa Distribution Workshop (Closed)
   
• 17:00 – Kursaal, Press Club
  Filmarket Hub: Online marketplace for scripts and co-production (Industry and Press accreditation holders)
   
• 20:30-22:30 – Ni Neu Restaurant
  Conoce Panamá Cocktail – Panamá Film Commission (With invitation)

Professional Agenda - Wednesday, September 21

• V EUROPE-LATIN AMERICA CO-PRODUCTION FORUM (Industry accreditation holders)
  San Telmo Museum
  • 09:00-10:00 – Breakfast (Cloister)
  • 10:00-11:00 – Round table A film affair. A boost to co-productions between Europe and Latin America (Function Hall)
  • 10:00-14:00 – Networking and informal meetings (Cloister) and one to one meetings with representatives of the selected projects (Church)
  • 12:00-13:30 – Round table Co-productions between Europe and Latin America. 3 practical cases – Fostered by AECID (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation) (Function Hall)
  • 14:00-15:30 – Lunch (Cloister)
  • 15:30-16:30 – Networking and informal meetings (Cloister) and one to one meetings with representatives of the selected projects (Church)
  • 21:00 – Industry cocktail - Announcement of awards (Church and Cloister)
    • V Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum Best Project Award
    • EFADs-CACI Europe-Latin America Co-Production Grant
    • ARTE International Prize
    • Films in Progress 30 Industry Award
    • CACI/Ibermedia TV Films in Progress Award

• FILMS IN PROGRESS 30 (Industry accreditation holders)
  Príncipe Cinemas
  • 09:30 – El silencio del viento (Silence of the Wind) by Álvaro Aponte-Centeno (Puerto Rico / Dominican Republic / France - 83')
  • 12:00 – Medea by Alexandra Latishev Salazar (Costa Rica / Chile - 75')

• 10:00-14:00 – 15:30-19:00 – Tabakalera, Rooms 2 and 3 Kutxa
  Pitching preparation workshop for the XII. Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-Production Forum - IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country) (Closed)
   
• 17:00 – Bokado Bar, San Telmo Museum
  Meet your better half, cocktail offered by Proimágenes Colombia and Cinema do Brasil (With invitation)

Professional Agenda - Thursday, September 22

• 09:30-14:30 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Rooms 8 and 9
  XII. Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-Production Forum - IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country) (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 16:00-20:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club
  XII. Lau Haizetara Documentary Co-Production Forum one-to-one meetings with the Commissioning Editors – IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country) (Closed)
   
• 16:00-18:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Rooms 8 and 9
  Conference by Ove Rishøj Jensen, film consultant of the European Documentary Network (EDN) – IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country), in collaboration with Europa Creativa MEDIA Euskadi (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 18:00-19:00 – Kursaal, Press Club
  ARRI - Presentation of new film shooting equipment (Accreditation holders)
   
• 19:00-21:00 – Kursaal, Press Club
  Cocktail offered by ARRI (Industry Accreditation holders)

Professional Agenda - Friday, September 23

• 9:00-12:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club
  Consultancy for documentary projects with Ove Rishøj Jensen, film consultant of the European Documentary Network (EDN) – IBAIA (Association of Independent Production Companies of the Basque Country), in collaboration with Europa Creativa MEDIA Euskadi (Prior registration required)
   
• 11:30-13:00 – Kursaal, The Industry Club, Rooms 8 and 9
  Financing at the service of the Audiovisual Sector – Crea SGR, Elkargi SGR, Triodos Bank and Basque Government Department of Education, Language Policy and Culture (Industry accreditation holders)
   
• 13:00-14:00 – Kursaal, Congress Bar
  Cocktail offered by Crea SGR, Elkargi SGR y Triodos Bank (Industry accreditation holders)

Festival runs 20-25 September in Watershed, Bristo

Catch the best new short and animated films from across the globe in Bristol. Encounters is the UK’s leading short film festival combining film screenings, special events, industry masterclasses and workshops in a jam packed programme of activity.

The Encounters programme is bursting at the seams with a glorious selection of things to do, see, watch and experience. This year’s highlights include an Aardman Retrospective, celebrating their 40th year; a country focus on Ukraine; and an exceptional programme of European shorts featuring films from each of the 28 EU member states. Special guests include author and screenwriter David Nicholls, filmmaker, musician and DJ Don Letts, and writer, broadcaster and filmmaker Paul Mason.

The 22nd Festival will present over 400 films and 40 events, and the International Competition is a gateway to some of the biggest awards out there – filmmakers who screen their shorts at Encounters can go on to win the Academy Awards® the BAFTAs, Cartoon d’Or and the European Film Awards. See them here first.

Find out more about the festival, see the full programme and sign up to the Encounters newsletter at encounters-festival.org.uk 

WILLiFEST is back for its eighth season this Saturday with screenings all day. The Williamsburg International Film Festival's three day event launches with an invite-only Opening Night party on Friday, September 9th.
 

Saturday brings a full day and night of screenings at returning partner Knitting Factory starting at 1:00pm with our famed Animation Program. An Industry Panel on the fascinating technology of Virtual Reality takes place at Videology Bar & Cinema at 1:00pm. This panel is presented by the Center of Active Learning and will feature VR designers Jack Donovan of IrisVR, Richard Bottoms of GlassHand VR and Max Bolotov of Koncept VR.

On Saturday evening we proudly premiere the film Here Comes The Train by Joie Lee and feature film Second Chance directed by Carlos Cardona at 5:30pm. At 8:00pm we present the premiere of Dark Harvest starring Cheech Marin and directed by and co-starring James Hutson.


Sunday at 4:30pm we present the premiere of A Brilliant Genocide directed by Australian filmmaker Ebony Butler. This raw film exposes the brutal campaigns by the Yoweri Museveni regime with support from foreign governments.

Sunday evening brings us the premieres of Smile Again, Jenny Lee directed by Carlo Caldana at 6:30pm and at 8:30pm is Concealed directed by Shane T. Hall.

Tickets and Passes are available on our website at www.willifest.com/2016/tickets.

Direct Media inquiries and request press passes at www.willifest.com/2016/press.

Our full film lineup is available at www.willifest.com/2016/films.

Our entire schedule is available at www.willifest.com/2016/schedule.

Rather unusual, rather trapped on the border between dream and reality, silent film has for several years found affirmation at the PSSST! Silent Film Festival organised by the Trešnjevka Cultural Centre.

PSSST! is a unique film festival presenting the art of silent film in a new, exciting and entertaining way. This Festival is a rare gem on the cultural scene which lacks initiatives offering artists the opportunity to try out their skills in this specific (and demanding!) artistic form.

The event confirms its status as a festival in the classic sense of the word through its competition programme in which contemporary “silent” titles are screened to an audience. The best film in the competition is awarded the Brcko Grand Prize, the official award of PSSST! named after the main character of Croatia’s first feature film Brcko in Zagreb made back in 1917.

But how many real silent films are made today, someone may rightfully ask? Certainly very few are made (although we can’t say none), and so we could ask the question – what is the point of the competition, what is the point of the Brcko Grand Prize? But the concept of this festival should be understood as a media experiment, created in the spirit of heterogeneity and the visual wealth of silent film. Authors can send films to PSSST! which they think could function and communicate even after we remove the original sound, and our festival is responsible for providing high-quality sound support, live music which will accompany the silent projection. Our expert improvisers cover a range of different genres and their hybrids – from rock via classical to jazz and electronic music, providing the audience with an interesting synaesthetic experience. This of course creates a film completely different from the original from which we removed the soundtrack, which is precisely why PSSST! is so exciting.

Apart from the competition programme, the Festival screens a rich selection of film classics from the golden era of silent film – masterpieces of Russian, Danish, Japanese and Swedish cinematography were already presented and this year we are dealing with the relation of psychoanalysis and silent film.

Silent film, with an expressive musical accompaniment, will lull you into a state of reverie. Its hypnotic power is not destroyed by the rude reality of the spoken word and so it becomes clear that dreams and silent films have much in common – they both deal with simple, direct emotions and action, such as love, hate, conflict or escape. This dimension of silent film emphasises its undying charm.

If you wish to open the door to a different world of unusual poetics again this year, come to PSSST! where the art of silent film lives on.

This year's Battle of Ideas, at the Barbican in London on 22 & 23 October, is our 12th annual festival. Organised by The Institute of Ideas, the Battle has always managed to be wide-ranging, thought-provoking and wonderfully argumentative, but the festival has never seemed more important and urgent as this year's.

From the Brexit vote to the rise of Trump across the pond, politics - and the future direction of society - hasn't felt so open and contested for decades. After years when the outcome of elections has felt like changing the nameplates on the doors rather than changing the course of society, the upsurge in political engagement in recent months has been thoroughly exciting. So this year’s festival will have sessions discussing the American elections, a State of the Nation strand of debates post-Brexit, the prospects for the world economy, plus discussions on the attempted coup in Turkey, the soft coup in Brazil, the collapse of the ANC in South Africa, and the increasing tension and around Eastern Europe.

Of course, we'll be debating so much more than that, from future visions of society, 500 years on from Thomas More's Utopia, to the dismal, censorious state of our universities, from terrorist attacks in France to decolonising the curriculum. We have over 400 speakers from across the world, across the political spectrum and across disciplines from the arts to sciences, from humanities to engineering.

This year’s programme includes exciting debates spanning politics, the arts, science and technology, such as: The new populism · The moral case for abortion · Can America be great again? · Generational Inequality – Who should pay for the future?· Are political parties over? and Cultural appropriation: homage or theft? There are also themed strands of sessions, including: · Gender Wars · Battle for Education · Technology and Ethics · Emotional Intelligence · Utopias · Culture Wars · State of the Nation 2016 · Eye on the World · Moral Dilemmas and more.

Overview of the draft programme:here

SPEAKERS THIS YEAR INCLUDE:
Julian Baggini; Tom Bennett; Dr James D. Boys; Dr Yaron Brook; Jeremy Browne; Nick Cater; Professor Sarah Churchwell; Professor Tim Crane; Dr Theodore Dalrymple; Nick Cater; Professor Frank Furedi; Jonathan Glancey; Timandra Harkness; Professor Julia Hobsbawm; Barb Jungr; James Kirchick; Professor Ivan Krastev; Kwasi Kwarteng MP;  Tim Loughton MP; Professor Robin Lovell-Badge; Kenan Malik; Professor Camille Paglia; Vicky Pryce; Professor Sir Simon Wessely; Professor Bruce Whitelaw; Dr Joanna Williams and many more.

The 14th edition of the Tofifest IFF will take place from 15th to 23rd October, in Torun

Gearing up for the 46th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) with an ongoing focus on championing auteur films, celebrating innovative cinematic art and bringing this to a broad audience, festival director Bero Beyer presented the festival's renewed and reinforced team tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival.

To optimize the support and services the festival offers to extraordinary film talent from around the world, IFFR is taking the momentum to reshape its industry activities. As Head of Industry Marit van den Elshout will oversee this reshaping process. Having run the Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) for more than seven years, current HBF chief Iwana Chronis has decided to move on after the next festival, handing over the reins to Van den Elshout. 

Head of Programme Chris Schouten will extend her activities, also supervising IFFR’s various distribution initiatives, and programmer Bianca Taal will oversee IFFR’s Talent Development schemes, such as BoostNL, the recently introduced coproduction market collaboration between CineMart and the Netherlands Film Festival’s Holland Film Meeting (HFM). Former Brave Talk Coordinator Müge Demir and Shorts Programmer Julian Ross have joined the programming team to handle research for territories in Asia.
 
The festival also welcomed new team members. Press Officer Jenny Canters, formerly at Benelux distributor Lumière, will handle International Press. Further appointments include Fiscal Peters as Head of Marketing and Susan Gloudemans, who joins IFFR in November from the Rijksakademie, as Head of Development.
 
Festival director Bero Beyer: “In the rapidly shifting marketplace in which the traditional cinematic contact with audiences is being challenged, the role of film festivals is increasing. With the coproduction market CineMart, the funding schemes of HBF and through distribution endeavours like IFFR Unleashed and IFFR Live the festival is taking on a greater responsibility in bringing films to life. Having an integrated approach is just as crucial as a matching team like ours, with such valuable experience, impeccable and daring filmic taste and boundless energy.”
 

The 40th Anniversary of the Ottawa International Animation Festival is almost upon us! This September 21 - 25, 2016, the city of Ottawa will transform into the center of the animation universe.

http://www.animationfestival.ca/

Wishing you all much success on the festival circuit!

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Bruno Chatelin, your editor, stands for re election at the Board of European Film Academy

Bruno Chatelin, french Business School HEC alumni, began his marketing career with the largest international Advertising Agencies: Publicis, DMM Masius and JWT, handling accounts such as Kellog’s, Unilever, Colgate Palmolive, Mars Foods, Mastercard... Former film distributor   He started in 1985 working for Sony and UGC FOX in France (Marketing Director and Managing Director) He has launched over 200 films and has worked closely with key creative talents, he runs a film marketing consulting agency and filmfestivals.com.

YOUR SUPPORT (DEAR EFA  MEMBERS) WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED  ...AND WELL USED.

>  The Montreal World Film Festival Dailies

Montreal FFM Grand Prix of the Americas went to Rajko Grlic’s Constitution (FFM 2016)

Review by Dejan Nikolaj Kraljacic  The Constitution (Ustav Republike Hrvatske), Croatia, Czech Republic, UK, Slovenia, Macedonia Directed by Rajko Grlic; written by Ante Tomic & Rajko Grlic; cast: Nebojsa Glogovac, Dejan Acimovic, Ksenija Marinkovic, Bozidar Smiljanic... The Story: Four characters (or rather three and a half, since the father of the protagonist is tied up to a deathbed with amputated legs, hardly able to speak) live in the same building, yet separate...

 

> VENICE DAILIES  

73rd Venice Film Festival - Awards Ceremony highlights and full Video

VENEZIA 73 The Venezia 73 Jury, chaired by Sam Mendes and comprised of Laurie Anderson, Gemma Arterton, Giancarlo De Cataldo, Nina Hoss, Chiara Mastroianni, Joshua Oppenheimer, Lorenzo Vigas and Zhao Wei having viewed all 20 films in competition, has decided as follows:   GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: ANG BABAENG HUMAYO (THE WOMAN WHO LEFT) by Lav Diaz  (Philippines)   SILVER LION - GRAND JURY PRIZE to: N...

 

Old French Lion Belmondo Honored with Career Lion at Venice 73

by ALEX DELEON Unquestionably the most expectantly awaited arrival of the 73rd festival week was that of living french screen legend Jean-Paul Belmondo, now 83 and not in the best of health. The  erstwhile Gallic superstar and French Nouvelle Vague idol was here to receive a richly deserved life-time career Golden Lion and his arrival was reserved for the tail end of the festival allowing for anticipation to build up. In the hot afternoon sun of Thursday, festival day nine, t...

 

 

Natalie Portman Astonishing as the Grieving First Lady --

Thursday morning Venice Day 8 -- JACKIE. at massive Aerdrome hangar-like Sala Biennale. Incredible Natalie Portman as Newly widowed wife of JFK. shoo-in for Best Actress Oscar in Feb. 2017 She had the accent (fey debuttantish speech style during White House tour) absolutely down pat to the point where it was eerie -- but also the supreme dignity after the shooting. All nails hit squarely on the head by Chilean director backed up by American Producer Aronofsky. incredible fil...

 

The Graduate - Le Concours by Claire Simon awarded best documentary on Cinema at Mostra 73

Find more at: www.widehouse.org     VENICE CLASSICS AWARD BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA   THE GRADUATION           DCP - HD - 2016 – France – 119 min   Dire...

 

A Woman's Life by Stéphane Brizé wins FIPRESCI Prize in Venise 2016

 "A deeply moving tale" Variety     “Judith Chemla is a revelation in the title role and utterly mesmerizing and credible” ...

 

 

Silver Lion and good reviews for Andrei Konchalovski's Paradise, what else?

Russian director Andrey Konchalovskiy was awarded the title of best Director (Silver Lion) for the film “Paradise” at the Venice film festival 2016 Trailer Paradise from Antipode Sales on Vimeo. “Paradise”, drama, 2016, Russia-Germany, B/W,  131 min., Russian-German-French budget: euro  4 500 000   CAST Julia Vysotskaya (The Lion in Winter, House of Fools, Gloss) Christian Clauss (Reckless) Philippe Duquesne (Babysitting) ...

 

MALICK at Venice, An underwhelming "VOYAGE of Time~ Life's Journey"

by Alex Deleon, < Filmfestivals.com> Terrence Malick's first documentary has been described by the director himself as "one of my greatest dreams". It is a collage film (like Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio) that intends to illustrate the birth and death of an undiscovered universe. A film that promises to be highly experimental and perhaps Malick's most ambitious film. The story of the universe itself, with powerful images, from the Big Bang to the Mesozoic era and ...

 

The Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement to Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jerzy Skolimowski

French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski are the recipients of the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement of the 73rd Venice International Film Festival.   The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, upon recommendation of the Director of the Venice Film FestivalAlberto Barbera.   ...

 

Best Director Award goes to HOME by Fien Troch at the 73rd Venice Film Festival - Orizzonti

Fien Troch won Best Director Award for her film HOME @ Venice Film Festival tonight. HOME portrays the struggle between two generations. Teenagers who explore a thin line between trust, friendship and loyalty and adults who seem alienated from their past younger selves. The clash can be more brutal than expected.   17-year-old Kevin, sentenced for violent behavior, is just let out of prison. To start anew, he moves in with his aunt and her family and begins an apprentice...

 

 

Three awards for ORECCHIE (Ears) - Biennale College Cinema - @ Venice Film Festival 2016

After winning the Premio Nuovo Imaie yesterday, ORECCHIE (Ears) wins two other awards: the Arca CinemaGiovani award (Young Cinema award) and the FEDIC Award with an honorable mention.   Arci CinemaGiovani Award (Young Cinema award) is an award given by a jury of young European aged from 18 to 25 year old to the best Italian film at the Venice Film Festival.   ORECCHIE won a special mention from the FEDIC award for proposing  the most significative scene in relation with f...

 

 

Los Nadie (The Nobodies) wins the Audience Award of the 31. Venice Critics' Week!

Juan Sebastián Mesa, the 27 year old director, wins the Circolo del Cinema di Verona Audience Award for LOS NADIE (The Nobodies) at the 73rd Venice Film Festival. Seventeen years after the victory of Mondo Grúa, the film that revealed the talent of Argentinean Pablo Trapero, Latin America triumphs again in the Venice International Film Critics’ Week thanks to the Colombian film Los Nadie, winner of the Circolo del Cinema di Verona Audience Award of this 31st ...

 

Andrej Konchalovskij with Philippe Duquesne and Julia Vysotskaya at the Venice Movie Stars Lounge for Paradise

Day 9: Official selection of the 73 International Film Festival of Venice, press activities at the Venice Movie Stars Lounge     On September 8th the Venice Movie Stars Lounge hosted the silver lion director of the in competition film Rai (Paradise) Andrej Konchalovskij with Philippe Duquesne and Julia Vysotskaya. The three talent, arrived aboard of two Jaguar F – PACE, answered the questions of journalists in the garden of lounge and inside the greenhouse, hobnobbing in ...

 

Unesco award for HOTEL SALVATION (Mukti Bhawan) @ Venice Film Festival 2016!

  UNESCO jury has awarded the XXIIIrd Prix "Enrico Fulchignoni" to Shubhashish Bhutiani for his movie HOTEL SALVATION (Mukti Bhawan).   Jury's motivation : "For the values finely expressed on the importance of family, time passed together in respect and with love, and those valuesof human rights which we all share.   The maturity and depth of emotions and cinematic vocabulary used to display these belie the young age of the director, and ...

 

Activities at the Venice Movie Stars Lounge

Day 8: Official selection of the 73 International Film Festival of Venice, press activities at the Venice Movie Stars Lounge     On September 7th the Venice Movie Stars Lounge hosted the actress Natalie Portman and the director of the in competition film Jackie, Pablo Larrain. The two talent, arrived aboard of two Jaguar F – PACE, answered the questions of the journalists in the garden and inside the lounge, hobnobbing in television and print...

 

Best actor award for ORECCHIE - Biennale College Cinema

  Daniele Parisi the main actor of ORECCHIE was awarded the Premio Nuovo Imaie as best debuting actor. The Premio Nuova Imaie is awarded to two Italian debutant and already talented actors who moved the Lido's audience with their interpretation. It is organized in collaboration with the Union of Cinema Critics.   ORECCHIE, directed by Alessandro Aronadio, is a fresh Italian comedy from this year's Biennale College Cinema section.    Haven't seen it yet? ...

 

VIDEOS FROM VENISE

Golden Lion for Jean Paul Belmondo, tribute to 50 years in the business

He loves Italian cinema and worked with the most beautiful actresses, and remembers them well Claudia Cardinale Sophia Loren...     Year Title Role Director Notes 1956 Moliere Le Merluche Norbert Tildian short film 1957 On Foot, on Horse, and on Wheels (À pied, à cheval et en voiture) Venin Maurice ...

 

73rd Venice Film Festival - The Magnificent Seven Closing Film Press conference with Denzel Washington and director Fuqua

 

73rd Venice Film Festival - In Dubious Battle Q&A session with James Franco

73rd Venice Film Festival - Paradise by Andrei Konchalovsky Press conference and photocall

73rd Venice Film Festival - Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey

 

73rd Venice Film Festival - Natalie Portman on the Jackie press conference - film by Pablo Larraín

73rd Venice Film Festival - Press conference and photocall of the film “La región salvaje” (The Untamed) by Amat Escalante

73rd Venice Film Festival - Presentation of the film “Dawn of the Dead” by George Romero

 

 

73rd Venice Film Festival - Red carpet of Nocturnal Animals by Tom Ford

> TORONTO DAILIES   

GUILLERMO DEL TORO Pan's Labyrinth | TIFF 2016

 

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FELICITY JONES "It is always windy in Toronto" Interview for Monster Calls at TIFF 2016

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IKO UWAIS & SUNNY PANG Fight!!! | TIFF 2016

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MICHAEL FASSBENDER One Last Selfie | TIFF 2016

 

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LEONARDO DICAPRIO Giving the scientific community a voice | TIFF 2016

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Cast of Magnificent 7, opening film, Studio shoot and press conference at TIFF

An all-star cast — including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun and Peter Sarsgaard — saddles up for this blazing remake of the 1960 western classic from director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer), about seven gunslinging mercenaries protecting a small community from a rapacious robber baron. ...

 

DENZEL WASHINGTON Shows Toronto love | TIFF 2016

 

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PIERS' Pick La La Land | Festival 2016

 

An ambitious jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone) fall in love while pursuing their dreams of stardom, in this dazzlingly stylized homage to the classic Hollywood musical from Whiplash director Damien Chazelle. ...

 

THE VESSEL / Starring Martin Sheen / From Executive Producer Terrence Malick  / In Theaters September 16th 

From Executive Producer, Terrence Malick & Sarah Green :  THE VESSEL A Film by Julio Quintana   In Theaters September 16, 2016 Starring: Martin Sheen (TV's “The West Wing,” Apocalypse Now) Lucas Quintana (Wing it, Death of an Ally) Jacqueline Duprey (Under Suspicion, Entre Nos) Aris Mejias (Gabi, “Incógnita”)   Director Julio Quintana Music, Dancing, Fireworks, Childbirth. In an unnamed coastal town somewhere i...

 

TIFF Cynthia Nixon A Quiet Passion

 

 DDI (New UK Distributor replacing Metrodome) sells A QUIET PASSION at TIFF    Jason Moring, Double Dutch International CEO, announced today a series of sales on Terence Davies' A QUIET PASSION.    A QUIET PASSION, which is having its North American premiere at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12 in the Masters section, has been sold to Paname Distribution for France, Mimosa Films for Japan and Soda Pictures for United King...

 

TIFF16: The Exchange acquires James Franco's King Cobra

 

    Brian O'Shea, The Exchange CEO, announced today that the company acquired Justin Kelly's KING COBRA international sales rights, the porn industry picture starring James Franco, Christian Slater, Molly Ringwald, Alicia Silverstone, Garrett Clayton and Keegan Allen.   KING COBRA joins new titles like IRREPLACEABLE YOU by Stephanie Laing in The Exchange's lineup to be presented to the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival buyers. The Exchange represented Kelly&...

 

 

XX director Jovanka Vuckovic will be at the helm for the feature film RIOT GIRLS Ffrom Clique Pictures

Clique Pictures producer Lauren Grant announced today that XX director Jovanka Vuckovic will be at the helm for the feature film RIOT GIRLS.   Vuckovic won the 2012 Fantasia Film Festival Best Short award for The Captured Bird, which was executive produced by Guillermo del Toro. She also wrote and directed a segment for XX, the groundbreaking all-female horror anthology produced by XYZ Films to be released by Magnet Releasing in 2017. She's scheduled to direct t...

 

 

Arclight Films – TIFF 2016 Screening Schedule and Lineup

 

Chilean Cinema at Toronto International Film Festival

JESUS by FERNANDO GUZZONI France/Chile/Germany/Greece/Colombia | 86 minutes | International Premiere | 2016 ...

 

Scandinavian Films at TIFF 2016

 

15 titles at TIFF, check the full list and the contacts in TIFF DANISH FILM INSTITUTE Lizette Gram Mygind Cell: +45 248 23 758 Christian Juhl Lemche Cell: +45 214 88 522 FINNISH FILM FOUNDATION Jaana Puskala Cell: +358 50 593 2068 Jenni Domingo Cell: +358 40 841 2849 ICELANDIC FILM CENTRE Christof Wehmeier Cell: +354 662 6066 NORWEGIAN FILM INSTITUTE Stine Oppegaard Cell: +47 908 59 638 SWEDISH FILM INSTITUTE Pia Lundberg ...

 

Dutch cinema is strongly represented at the Toronto International Film Festival

FROM THE NETHERLANDS @ TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2016 Dutch cinema is strongly represented at the Toronto International Film Festival (8-18 September 2016), with no fewer than ten productions and co-productions in various sections. The Dutch selection includes Layla M. by Mijke de Jong which will world premiere in the Platform competition and Martin Koolhoven's Brimstone, which is screened as a Special Presentation. For a complete overview of the Dutch titles and screening...

 

 

Four Powerful South African films to be showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival

 

South Africa's AAA Entertainment is embarking on a trip to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada to represent, promote and showcase the best of South African films. The team will be at TIFF from the 12th until the 15th of September 2015.   Under the solid leadership of Mayenzeke Baza and Pascal Schmitz, AAA Entertainment offers a unique service which includes packaging of content, marketing services, sales, access to co-production incentives and funds eligible for p...

 

Indivisible by Edoardo De Angelis has been selected at the tiff in Contemporary World Cinema

 

After being screened successfully at the 73rd Venice Film Festival / Venice Days, we're happy to announce you that Indivisibili (Indivisible) by Edoardo De Angelis has been selected at the tiff – Toronto International Film Festival in Contemporary World Cinema section.   INDIVISIBILI (INDIVISIBLE) ​by Edoardo De Angelis   PEREZ., 2014       Original Title: INDIVISIBILI  Cast: Angela Fontana, Marianna Fontana, Antonia Truppo (They Call Me Je...

 

TIFF 2016: Werner Herzog's INTO THE INFERNO Launches on Netflix October 28

INTO THE INFERNO   A film by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer Directed, Written and Narrated by Werner Herzog    Werner Herzog's Decades-in-the-Making, Astonishing Look at Volcanoes and the People Who Surround them,  Plays at the Toronto International Film Festival, Launches on Netflix on October 28        "AWE INSPIRING. Every Werner Herzog documentary is ultimately about the same two self-contradictory th...

 

SC Films International at TIFF 16'

CURRENT SLATE     ...

 

"CHAMPIONS": Inspiring, Empowering and available in several territories

Amadeus Entertainment is Introducing at TIFF a wonderful, inspiring and empowering film from Director Artem Akseninko - THE CHAMPIONS. Based on the true story of 3 Russian Olympic athletes, it proves that when you set your mind nothing can stop you!     CHAMPIONS: FASTER.HIGHER.STRONGER  Year: Released in Russia by 20th Century Fox, February 2016 Genre: Drama/Action  ...

 

Pyramide Films in Toronto

 

Gravitas Inks Deal for Fest Winner FRIENDS EFFING FRIENDS EFFING FRIENDS

 

Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the festival award winning comedy film FRIENDS EFFING FRIENDS EFFING FRIENDS starring  BELLFLOWER’s Tyler Dawson, indie darling, Jillian Leigh (CITY BABY, A BIG LOVE STORY) and acclaimed horror actor Graham Skipper (ALMOST HUMAN, THE MIND’S EYE).  The film will be released on VOD October 11, 2016.  With a legendary lineage, filmmaker Quincy Rose’s shares his hysterically fresh, insightfully voice on ...

 

 

Film Sales Support for Europeans at TIFF 2016

 

  Film Sales Support for Europeans at TIFF 2016 01.09.2016 SAFARI by Ulrich Seidl The upcoming Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF), one of the most important gateways to the North American market for films from Europe, has again generated strong interest by 29 different European sales companies for EFP’s Film Sales Support (FSS) which is financially supported by the Creative Euro...

 

Jim Harvey joins Covert Media as Senior Vice President of International Sales

 

HARVEY WILL TAKE THE LEAD ON LEXICA FILMS LABEL;  NEW TITLE ‘THE NIGHT WATCHMEN’ ANNOUNCED     Independent feature production, financing, and distribution company Covert Media today announced the hire of the veteran executive Jim Harvey as Senior Vice President of International Sales. Reporting to President of International Liz Kim Schwan, Harvey will handle sales for Covert’s current and upcoming production slate as well as titles being championed through Cov...

 

> PARTNERS FESTIVAL NEWS   

Ramsgate International Film and TV Festival March 23 -26, 2017

September 30, 2016 Regular Deadline

The first Ramsgate International Film and TV Festival will be held in Ramsgate with its stunning Royal Harbour, unique in England. It is run by the Ramsgate Film & TV Institute, which will also run a variety of screenings throughout the year to bring international independent cinema to local audiences.

President of the Festival is Brenda Blethyn (Secret & Lies, Vera,...), BAFTA, Globe and Cannes Best Actress Winner and Oscar Nominated. Brenda will also pick the winner of the First Feature Film Category.

The Festival focus is to show new works and help promote film makers. Screenings are complemented by a strong programme of quality events and seminars, with industry professionals of high reputation, who have already confirmed their attendance. Do check the website for more all news as they come. 
www.ramsgateiftvfest.org

 

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I SUBMIT I Contact Sylvie Bolioli

 

NYC Indie Film Festival May 2 – 7, 2017

Regular deadline November 30, 2016

NYC Indie Film Festival honors the Best in Category which includes Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Narrative, Best Super Short, Best Music Video, as well as Best Director and Best Screenplay.

Be part of the New York City Independent Film Festival! The 8th Annual NYC Indie Film Festival will take place May 2 - 7, 2017 and will present indie films from around the world, panels, live shows, parties, and more! NYCIndieFF celebrates the power of independent filmmaker and offers awards valued at over $12,000 USD. Submit your film today for your chance to win and join us in New York next spring! .

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I  SUBMIT I Contact Dennis Cieri

New York Festivals  
The 2017 Television & Film Awards gala will take place at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 25th, 2017

Deadline October 15

The New York Festivals International TV & Film Awards honors the World’s Best TV and Films at its annual gala at NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 25th. Founded in 1957, NYF TV & Film Awards offers a powerhouse of categories including: 30 categories for documentaries and dozens of categories for news, drama and performers. New York Festivals welcomes network, studio, independent, and student productions of all lengths across all platforms. Late entries accepted until January 5th, 2017. For more information visit: http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/tvfilm/

NYF TV & Film Awards New Categories for 2017: Heroes, Ecotourism, and Best Use of Technology

I Website I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact Rose Anderson

 

 

The Myrtle Beach International Film Festival April 19 – 22, 2017

The Myrtle Beach International Film Festival has been awarded several prestigious awards including one of the "Top 25 film festivals worth the entry fee" by Movie Maker Magazine. The MBIFF screens projects in a multi-million dollar theater, housing state of the art technology. 
Being billed as the East Coast's answer to Sundance, the MBIFF has a reputation for outstanding films including writings and blogs making the statement that the MBIFF has the best film line up in the World. We continue to be a venue for up and coming film makers as well as seasoned professionals. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance with their films, and will be available for Q&A sessions.

Website I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact 

 

Mountain and Adventure Film Festival  February 16th - March 19th, 2017

Submit by November 30th

We encourage you to submit all your great films, both current and past. Great mountain and adventure films don't go out of style. Film Festival Flix is the intersection between filmmakers and film lovers, working to build the most complete Mountain & Adventure film library, so audiences can find and purchase every film they've heard about in the past 50+ years.

General Submission: June 1st - August 31, 2016 
Late Submission: September 1st, 2016+ (acceptance at the Festival's sole discretion)

 

Official Line Up Announced: December 1st, 2016

Email I Website I Facebook I Twitter I Submit

HALLOWEEN HORROR FEST  October 1 - 31, 2016

Deadline August 31

Celebrating world-class horror films and the filmmakers who terrify, disgust, and disturb us. 

Submission: June 1st - August 31st, 2016 (Submission Fee - $25)
Official selections will be announced September 13th, 2016
Official competition dates: October 1st - 23rd, 2016
Winners Week: October 24th - 31st, 2016

Festival Home Page: http://filmfestivalflix.com/festival/halloween-horror-fest/#.V2MeeOYrKi5

Submission: http://filmfestivalflix.com/hhf-pages/film-submission/

Categories, Prizes & Benefits: http://filmfestivalflix.com/hhf-pages/prize-categories/ (under construction)

Submission Period: June 1st - August 31st

We encourage you to submit all your films, both current and past. Great films don't go out of style.

Email I Website I Facebook I Twitter I Submit

 

Fantasporto 2017
February 24 - March 4, 2017

EARLY ENTRY DEADLINE: OCTOBER 30TH, 2016!  

Fantasporto’2017 | Oporto International Film Festival announces our Call for Film Entries for the 37th annual festival, running February 24th till March 4th.

This Call is for Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi features and shorts in the Fantasy competition. The Director’s Week is for features only, in all genres except fantasy.

Deadlines for Entries for 2017 edition are October 30th (Early Call) and December 5th (Final Call).

Films can be submitted now using the film submission website www.fantasporto.com

Fantasporto enjoys incredible loyalty and support from the large film-appreciating community all over the World. In the last edition, Fantasporto was attended by over 20,000 enthusiastic genre film fans and over 200 members of the film press and industry.

Considered in 2015 as the first of the independent film festivals in the world by TRIPPER, Fantasporto is among the top film festivals  for the discovery of new talent, having revealed countless of now famous directors, producers and actors.

The World Heritage City by UNESCO of Porto, twice considered Europe’s Best Touristic Destination,  is another factor adding interest . Founded in 1981, the 37th edition has the support of the Portuguese State.

Check the  Regulations on the site www.fantasporto.com.

Fantasporto'sblog I Website  I Submit I  Facebook I Twitter I Contact Mario Dorminsky

 

> SAN SEBASTIAN DAILIES  

The producers Nadia Turincev and Corinne Castel make up the Official Jury and the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera’s jury, respectively

Share on Facebook   Share on Twitter Two outstanding professionals from the film scene will join the juries of the 64th San Sebastian Film Festival. The producers Nadia Turincev and Corinne Castel will make up the Official Jury and the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera’s jury, respectively. The Official Selection Jury is chaired by the Danish moviemaker Bille August. The author of Pelle erob...

 

 

Savage Cinema has lined up a selection of mind-blowing surf and snowboard titles

Travis Rice, Peter Hamblin, Takuji Masuda, Craig Stecyk, Patrick Trefz and Art Brewer will join various others in San Sebastian to present the titles in the Savage Cinema section The 2016 edition of Savage Cinema has lined up a selection of mind-blowing surf and snowboard titles, which will bring both fresh and iconic personalities and filmmakers to the city   ...

 

 

Fifteen Ibero-American films compete for the Cooperación Española Award

Share on Facebook   Share on Twitter Images in high resolution The San Sebastian Festival and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation Development (AECID), the latter under the aegis of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation will, for the second year running, give the Cooperación Española Award to the producer of the...

 

Ten films selected for Zabaltegi-Tabakalera will be screened in October as part of the Tabakalera programme

The 64th edition of the San Sebastian Festival will continue until October 28th in five double showings including the combined screening of one short and one feature film From September 15th, the installation by Andrés Di Tella will be open for visit in Tabakalera Share on Facebook   Share on Twitter The Zabaltegi-Tabakalera section will not end on 24th September. From September 30t...

 

A long list of actors have confirmed their presence in San Sebastian

In addition to Donostia Award-winners Sigourney Weaver and Ethan Hawke and winner of the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Latin Cinema Award, Gael García Bernal, a long list of actors have confirmed their presence in San Sebastian: Monica Bellucci, Fan Bingbing, Jennifer Connelly, Javier Bardem, Richard Gere, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hugh Grant, Isabelle Huppert, Ewan McGregor, Cynthia Nixon, Ken Watanabe, Lambert Wilson, Shailene Woodley and Lee Yoo-young Others who will attend the event to accompan...

 

San Sebastian Festival 2016: Industry Agenda

Share on Facebook   Share on Twitter Numerous industry activities are scheduled for the 64th San Sebastian Festival. Said activities are detailed in the Professional Agenda and it will be updated on the Festival website. Updates will also be included in the daily Newsflash sent out to registered industry members.   Throughout the Festival, and particularly on the 19th, 20th and 21st, t...

 

The XV International Film Students Meeting will include masterclasses by Bonello, Périot and Tverdovsky

  Filmmakers Bertrand Bonello, Jean-Gabriel Périot and Ivan I. Tverdovsky will give masterclasses as part of the XV International Film Students Meeting at the San Sebastian Festival. Bonello (Nice, France, 1968), who will compete in this year’s Official Section with Nocturama and in Zabaltegi-Tabakalera with the short film Sarah Winchester, opéra fantôme, will present a free-spirited dissertation at the Meeting to students from film schools in Argentina, Be...

 

The Velodrome will house the world premiere of the collective film ''Kalebegiak'' in addition to the European premieres of the a

The ''biggest film theatre in the world'' as it was dubbed by Oliver Stone, will turn thirty in 2016       Kalebegiak Koldo Almandoz, Asier Altuna, Luiso Berdejo, Daniel Calparsoro...

> FILMS FOCUS      

Wah Taj, Trailer and Preview: Heritage fight

Wah Taj, Trailer and Preview: Heritage fight ‘Wah’ is an Indian expression, roughly equivalent to the English ‘wow’ or ‘great’. The Taj in the title refers to Taj Mahal, India’s biggest tourist attraction, among the Official New 7 Wonders of the World. It was elected by more than 100 million votes, to represent global heritage, and announced at the Declaration Ceremony, on 07.07.07. Among the many brands the monument has spawned are the Taj group of i...

 

 

How the movie distribution model is changing

 

How the movie distribution model is changing   Watching a movie is not like it used to be. The big screen, the glamor, the chattering from the back row, the usherettes, the popcorn - all these things are still out there, but today there are many alternative and complementary options. Why is this happening? Is it an inevitable result of the appearance of new forms of media? Does it represent a new way of thinking about movies? One thing is for sure, it’s giving movie lovers a lot mor...

 

> "FILMFESTIVALS.COM ONES TO WATCH ON THE CIRCUIT" FOR FESTIVAL CONSIDERATION 

Enoc The Resplendent Stargate by Martha Marin Premiering in Cannes

World premiere in Cannes

An artistic journey between fiction and documentary film at the same time, throughout space, time, dimensions, light and music, that are conducting through the full sequence to a live experience of Enoc the Resplendent Stargate Energy®

Website I Trailer I Contact us for a screener I

Paranoid Girls 

Paranoid Girls Comedy by Pedro del Santo was qualified for Oscar selection running for best film, best original song...

Ana, Paula and Veronica become fascinated by modeling and the life that it offers. Yet, they gradually begin to discover the dark side of fashion hidden behind the fame and glamour of the spotlights. The women experience downfall as they engage with an antagonistic photographer who drags models into a high stakes abyss of danger. The women learn to value friendship over the lures of fashion pitfalls and enjoy life's simplicities in the end.

Longer synopsis I Trailer I Casting I Website I Electronic Press Kit I Facebook I Paranoid Girls the song running for Best Original Song I Contact the director I Ask for a  screener

Revolution by Rob Stewart (Sharkwater) 

over 40 festival wins so far

Eco Documentary feature film by Rob Stewart April 2015, 82 minutes (Sharkwater)
Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed SHARKWATER (36 festival wins) documentary continues his remarkable journey; one that will take him through 15 countries over four years, and where he'll discover that it's not only sharks that are in grave danger -- it's humanity itself.

Website I Epk on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I Email us for a screener

Get Happy by Manoj Annadurai 

Feature - Feel Good Movie  - World premiered in Montreal World Film Festival Winner best romantic comedy in Manhattan Fest

Charlie Kane can’t catch a break. He grew into a man who expects the worse out of life and gets it. But that changes when, by chance, he meets a bright, sunny sprite of a woman named Holly who turns him from a dour drip into someone finally allowing himself to be happy.Then a bus flattens her before Charlie eyes. Charlie opts for suicide but can’t even successfully give up on life. Left with no other choice, he adopts Holly’s ethos of positivity and just decides to be happy... by ignoring all the bad things in life. But his cynical best friend isn’t buying Charlie’s new-found happiness and sets out to save Charlie by making him miserable again. 

Website I Epk on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I  Email us for a screener

> THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT    

WoFF 2016: Line-up and Schedule announced

World of Film International Festival has announced full line-up and Schedule for the third edition of the festival, coming up September 29th to October 2 in Glasgow, Scotland.  This year’s selection of feature and short films includes a variety of international entries across all three main festival sections - First Features and Short Film Competition, the Female Perspective Competition and the newly introduced Focus on Balkan Cinema.  Highlights include Get Happy by Manoj An... 

Ottawa International Animation Festival ready to Celebrate its 40th Anniversary with the world

The 40th Anniversary of the Ottawa International Animation Festival is almost upon us! This September 21 - 25, 2016, the city of Ottawa will transform into the center of the animation universe. http://www.animationfestival.ca/       ...

 

 

IFFR presents reinforced team at TIFF

  Gearing up for the 46th edition of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) with an ongoing focus on championing auteur films, celebrating innovative cinematic art and bringing this to a broad audience, festival director Bero Beyer presented the festival's renewed and reinforced team tonight at the Toronto International Film Festival. To optimize the support and services the festival offers to extraordinary film talent from around the world, IFFR is taking ...

 

Thelma & Louise are back. The rebellion of women is the leading topic of the 14th edition of Tofifest IFF

The 14th edition of the Tofifest IFF will take place from 15th to 23rd October, in Torun             ...

 

Battle of Ideas event: The festival slogan is FREE SPEECH ALLOWED, an antidote to today’s climate of offence taking

BATTLE OF IDEAS FESTIVAL Thought provoking debate This year's Battle of Ideas, at the Barbican in London on 22 & 23 October, is our 12th annual festival. Organised by The Institute of Ideas, the Battle has always managed to be wide-ranging, thought-provoking and wonderfully argumentative, but the festival has never seemed more important and urgent as this year's. From the Brexit vote to the rise of Trump across the pond, politics - and the future direction of soc...

 

PSSST! is a unique film festival celebrating the art of silent film

Rather unusual, rather trapped on the border between dream and reality, silent film has for several years found affirmation at the PSSST! Silent Film Festival organised by the Trešnjevka Cultural Centre. PSSST! is a unique film festival presenting the art of silent film in a new, exciting and entertaining way. This Festival is a rare gem on the cultural scene which lacks initiatives offering artists the opportunity to try out their skills in this specific (and demanding!) art...

 

 

 

The 8th Annual MiFo LGBT Film Festival (www.mifofilm.com) kicks off its Fort Lauderdale edition on October 7, 2016

   The 8th Annual MiFo LGBT Film Festival (www.mifofilm.com) kicks off its Fort Lauderdale edition on October 7, 2016, spanning two weekends, with seven days of film and events through October 16.  MiFo is proud to present more than 50 films from throughout the world, guest appearances by actors, directors and producers, and a lineup of spectacular parties and events. The array of films includes features, documentaries, narratives and shorts.   Rebranded in 2015 as &ld...

 

 

Don't Stop Milano Film Festival

Don't stop us now       &n...

 

 

Revealed Poster and Trailer for Tokyao Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections

The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) and the Japan Foundation Asia Center today unveiled the official poster and trailer of Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections, the first of the omnibus film series co-produced by the two organizations. The poster and trailer designs were created to evoke the title, signifying new points of light reflected from the mirrors of history and culture. The trailer is available at www.image.net/tiff2016_reflections_en Asian Three-Fold Mirror ...

 

 

WILLiFEST Returns to Williamsburg this Saturday

WILLiFEST is back for its eighth season this Saturday with screenings all day. The Williamsburg International Film Festival's three day event launches with an invite-only Opening Night party on Friday, September 9th.     Saturday brings a full day and night of screenings at returning partner Knitting Factory starting at 1:00pm with our famed Animation Program. An Industry Panel on the fascinating technology of Virtual Reality takes place at Videology Bar &...

 

Encounters 22nd Short Film and Animation Festival opens 20-25 September in Bristol)

    Festival runs 20-25 September in Watershed, Bristo Catch the best new short and animated films from across the globe in Bristol. Encounters is the UK’s leading short film festival combining film screenings, special events, industry masterclasses and workshops in a jam packed programme of activity. The Encounters programme is bursting at the seams with a glorious selection of things to do, see, watch and experience. This year’s highlights include an Aardman Re...

 

 

Ottawa International Animation Festival Celebrates its 40th Anniversary with a Night of Interactive Fun.

 

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s leading animation film festival, is excited to present NIGHTOWL, an interactive, multi-level rager in celebration of the Festival’s 40th Anniversary. On Saturday, September 24, 2016 the OIAF will take over 50 Sussex Drive for a night of music, food, sci-fi, art, animation, cosplay, robots and more!   The party begins at 8PM with a free outdoor screening of Space Madness: DYI Sci-Fi.  Presented by the NCC, ...

 

Britflicks review on the festival

Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival Launched in Cannes   Reproduced from Britflicks.com  Fri, 03 Jun 2016 The 1st Ramsgate International Film & TV Festival, which will take place from 23 to 26 March 2017, officially launched at the Cannes Film Festival, supported by the Ramsgate Town Team.  The fabulous Royal Harbour was featured on promotional material and the reception was amazing.  Many people had never heard of Ramsgate and the prospect of a vaca...

 

 

Real Film Festival 2016

Real Film Festival is back! The Real Film Festival is a three-day community, arts and Industry event showcasing documentaries, independent short and feature films based on true stories. The Program comprises of film screenings, Industry development workshops, panel discussions, networking events and film competitions for filmmakers of all ages and experience.
The Festival Program includes a variety of entertainment including the Opening Night Gala held at Tower Cinemas with a party to follow ...

> PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT     

EFA Honours french author Jean-Claude Carrière

In recognition of a unique and dedicated contribution to the world of film, the European Film Academy takes great pleasure in presenting Jean-Claude Carrière with the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for his outstanding body of work.   (picture: Roman Bonnefoy) The French novelist, screenwriter, and actor started out writing short novels based on the films of Jacques Tati. Through Tati he met Pierre Étaix with whom he made several films,...

 

CINEFEMME launches diner with dames networking events that pairs show business veterans with emerging females in film

CINEFEMME LAUNCHES DINNER WITH DAMES TO SPARK DIALOGUE ABOUT GENDER DISPARITY IN HOLLYWOOD Female-focused non-profit invites industry leaders to tackle diversity issues during meals with up and coming women filmmakers.  Cinefemme today announced that Simon Barrett (Blair Witch, The Guest) will host its premiere Dinner with Dames on September 22, 2016. Dinner with Dames is a unique series of networking events that pairs show business veterans with emerging female filmmakers and...

 

Jonás Cuarón (Gravity) to present his feature film, Desierto, on September 25 as the Closing Night feature of CineLatino

  CO-WRITER OF ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED FILM GRAVITY WILL PRESENT DESIERTO IN-PERSON AT CLOSING NIGHT OF CINELATINO   DENVER FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCES JONÁS CUARÓN WILL ATTEND CLOSING NIGHT OF CINELATINO   The Denver Film Society announced today that Jonás Cuarón, who co-wrote Gravity, with his father, Oscar winning Director, Alfonso Cuarón, will appear in-person to present his feature film, Desierto, on September 25 as the...

 

 

Chris Hemsworth says Byron Bay Film Festival is the best in the World

Hollywood Heavyweights Get Behind Australia's Favourite Film Festival     ...

 

FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - will spotlight six of the most influential German actresses

 

National advisory body German Films launches major new initiative to showcase German cinema success   German Films Service + Marketing, the national advisory centre for the promotion of German films worldwide, has launched a campaign to promote a new wave of German cinema achievements to international audiences and to showcase exceptional German talent worldwide.   The initiative – entitled FACE TO FACE WITH GERMAN FILMS - will spotlight six of the most influential German act...

 

 

 

> STRICTLY BUSINESS   AND SPECIAL OFFERS FOR OUR READERS

Zurich Summit - Speaker Announcement and filmfestivals.com offer

3rd Annual Zurich Summit | September 24 - 25, 2016 | Zurich, Switzerland   PROGRAM SPEAKERS JOIN The Zurich Summit is one of the leading platforms for the creative industries. Producers, start-ups, investors, tech minds and game changers gat...

 

 

Register to Fest Forums Santa Barbara with a filmfestivals.com discount

 

Register Now  using Bruno2016SB and receive a 20% discount on your pass   ...

 

Partner Film Festivals Calling. Fast-Approaching Deadlines

Need more and better film submissions for your festival? don't miss the one month booster

Filmfestivals.com was established 1995 as world reference in this niche, we are proud of our track record in helping festivals attract more legitimacy, visibility and film submissions from our large base of international film professionals (370 000 unique filmmaker visitors each month), 159 500 subscribers to the newsletter. ONE TIME OFFER We suggest this quick one month booster program for your call for entry including  with 4 newsletter ads, your call for entry promoted one month lon...  

The Bulletin Board I Pro Services's blog |  Advertise your festival in the next eBlast to our filmmakers.   

Major Buzz Factory : Expérience de Bruno Chatelin du marketing Digital pour les films

Fort d'une expérience acquise dans la distribution de films pour deux Majors (Sony et Fox mariée sous a direction avec UGC) Bruno Chatelin propose une expérience pointue au service de votre stratégie digitale à Travers sa structure de Conseil MAJOR BUZZ FACTORY Le fondateur Bruno Chatelin : un Professionnel de la communication entouré de spécialistes, son expérience est ancrée sur trois univers La publicité, Le mark.eting et le digital.

TOUTES LES NEWS EN FRANCAIS

Le palmarès de Deauville 42ème édition 2016

Le Jury de la 42e édition du Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville, présidé par Frédéric Mitterrand, entouré de Françoise Arnoul, Eric Elmosnino, Ana Girardot, Douglas Kennedy, Emmanuel Mouret, Radu Mihaileanu et Marjane Satrapi a décerné les prix suivants : GRAND PRIX BROOKLYN VILLAGE DE IRA SACHS   PRIX DU JURY CAPTAIN FANTASTIC DE MATT RO...

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SIFF and TV5MONDE present French Cinema Now, a celebration spotlighting the state of contemporary Francophone cinema. The week-long event runs September 29 through October 6 at SIFF Cinema Uptown, and features seventeen extraordinary French language features and documentaries from around the world.

The week kicks off on Thursday with the Opening Night film, Lost in Paris, which marks the return of filmmaking duo Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel (The Fairy). In this whimsical adventure, a small town librarian heads to Paris to help her elderly aunt (Oscar® nominee Emmanuelle Riva), but after a slew of wild catastrophes finds herself relying on a a seductive but annoying bum who refuses to leave her alone. An after-party will take place at Bastille Café + Bar in Ballard. 

Other French Cinema Now films were created by seasoned directors like Robert Guédiguian, Joachim Lafosse, and Danielle Arbid, playing alongside relative newcomers like Mélanie Laurent, Louis Garrel, Guy Édoin, and Jihane Chouaib. Highlights include the winner of the VPRO Big Screen Award at the 2016 Rotterdam Film Festival, Ogres, about a close-knit group of actors from the traveling theatrical company Chekhov Cabaret who share everything, family, work, friendship and even their bodies; Made In France, a riveting thriller ripped from the headlines about a group of young men who are drawn into following Hassan, a psychopathic French Islamic convert; Reset (with introduction by Peter Boal, Artistic Director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet), a documentary taking viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opéra National de Paris, to witness artistic director Benjamin Millepied (the man behind the ballet for the film Black Swan) craft his first gala production for the company; and France's biggest documentary of the past year, Tomorrow, a film by Mélanie Laurent and Cyril Dion, about affecting positive change in a world faced with seemingly insurmountable environmental challenges.

As a bonus, Virginie Paradis, founder of French Truly, will be presenting two films, Parisienne and Eva & Leon, with entertaining and informative 30 minute visual introductions of the cultural context of the respective films.

SIFF Director of Programming, Beth Barrett is particularly enthusiastic about this year's program, "The 2016 French Cinema Now lineup is one of the most exciting in years - with four US premiere screenings, and award winning films from master filmmakers to first time directors - the world of Francophone Cinema is better than ever!"

Carl Spence, Chief Curator and SIFF Director, says "We're very excited about this year's lineup, being able to bring such a diverse group of films to the Francophile Seattle audience. Our continued partnership with TV5 Monde has allowed French Cinema Now to reach not only the Seattle viewers, but nationally through the TV5 Monde channel."

See the Full Lineup Here

The 2016 Wildlife Conservation Film Festival & Biodiversity Conference will take place in October 14-23. Ten days of films screenings, field trips, conference, receptions and parties. Join us as we celebrate our six year anniversary.

2016 Film Festival Pass
October 17-23
New York, NY
All film screenings and conference sessions
$175.00
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2596102

*BEST VALUE, Film festival pass is for all film screenings and conference sessions. Savings of over $225 if you purchase film screenings separately.

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October 14, 2016
Private Reception and Viewing for Film Producer’s & VIP guests
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
6:00-9:00 pm

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October 15
Field Trip
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
& Gateway National Recreation Area
Brooklyn, NY
Time: TBA

————————————-

October 16
Field Trip
New York Urban Field Station
Fort Totten Search Facility
Queens, NY
Time: TBA

Private Dinner
Film Producers, Scientists & VIP’s
7:00 pm

————————————–

Monday, October 17
Film Series 1
6:00-8:00 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2593852
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

The Magic and Mystery of Sable Island
45 minutes – William Barton, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Canada

Red Wolf Revival
24 minutes – Roshan Patel, Producer
New York Premiere – Country: USA

Pangolins in Peril
15 minutes – Ali Ijaz, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Pakistan

Sun Bear
12 minutes – Eddie Roqueta, Producer
Forest Clay Productions
East Coast Premiere – Country: Malaysia

* Panel Discussion/Q&A with William Barton, Bram Gunther

——————————————————————–

Monday, October 17
Film Series 2
8:30-10:30 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2593865
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Madagascar’s
5 minutes – Camille Wainer, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Madagascar

Whale Aware
8 minutes – Lauren Gilbertson, Producer
New York Premiere

Yosemite
52 minutes – Oliver Goetz, Producer
East coast Premiere – Country: Germany

Medieval Monsters
10 minutes – Oliver Mueller, Producer
Country: United Kingdom – East Coast Premiere

The Drills of the Afi Mountains
12 minutes Tom Richards, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Nigeria

*Q&A with Lauren Gilbertson

——————————————————————

Tuesday, October 18
Film Series 3
6:00 -8:00 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2594769
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Stop the Burning
10 minutes – Narrated by Dr. Jane Goodall
North America Premiere – Country: USA

The Grouper Mystery
54 minutes – Jaques Hinstin, Producer / Andromede Oceanologie
World Premiere – Country: France
Language: French

Tree Lions
48 minutes – Gryphon Productions
Peter & Sheera Von Puttkamer
North America Premiere – Country: Uganda

——————————————————————

Tuesday, October 18
Film Series 4
8:30 -10:30 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2594788
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Yellowstone
54 minutes – Oliver Goetz, Producer
East coast Premiere – Country: Germany

The Lonely Planet
6 minutes – Amandalyn Dorner, Producer
World Premiere – Country: New Zealand

Return of the Salmon
8 minutes – Tim Plowden, Producer
World Premiere – Country: USA

Red-Shanked douc: Primates on the Edge
4 minutes – Tim Plowden, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Vietnam

Soul of the Elephant
50 minutes – Beverly & Dereck Joubert, Producers
East Coast Premiere – Country: Botswana

Panel discussion/Q&A with Amandalyn Dorner & Catherine E. Semcer
———————————————————–

Wednesday, October 19
Film Series 5
 6:00-8:o0 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2594876
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

The Realm of the Snow Leopard
42 minutes – Volker Angres, Producer
North America Premiere – Country: Kyrgyzstan

Crabs of Kawar
12 minutes – Radha Rangarajan and Ardarsh Raju, Producers
North America Premiere – Country: India

Pakke Paga-Protecting the hornbills of Arunachal Pradesh
12 minutes – Adarsh Raju, Producer
North America Premiere, Country: India

Safe Harbor
25 minutes – Richard Elson, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Canada

The Truth Behind Swimming With Dolphins
20 minutes – Oleg Finodeyev and Meera Aminova
World Premiere – Country: Russia

* Q&A with Richard Elson

———————————————————

Wednesday, October 19
Film Series 6
8:30-10:30 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2595648
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Into the Wild of Borneo
52 minutes – Jorge Camilo Valenzuela, Director / F Productions
World Premiere – Country: Malaysia

I Am Morgan
5 minutes – Dr. Ingrid Visser and Daniel Azarian, Producers
East Coast Premiere – Country: USA

Animal Rescue Heroes: The Mother of the Monkeys
25 minutes – Alejandra Samper and Luis Carlos Urrutia, Producers
Fundacion Natibo – World Premiere
Language: Spanish (English subtitled) – Country: Colombia

Voces del Mar
Alvaro Farias and Amaro Gomez-Pablos, Producers
36 minutes – World Premiere
Country: Chile -Language: Rapa Nui

Q&A with Jorge Camillo Valenzuela

—————————————————–

Thursday, October 20
Film Series 7
6:00 -8:00 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2595656
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Knights of the Monsoon
15 minutes – Saurabh Sawant & Ramit  Singal, Producers
World Premiere – Country: India

Mountain Gorillas
48 minutes – Gryphon Production
Peter & Sheera Von Puttkamer, Producers
North America Premiere – Country: Rwanda

The Secret Life of Mountain Lions
6 minutes – Sharon Negri, Producr
Chris Morgan, Narrator
East Coast premiere – Country: USA

Pathways to CoExistence
18 minutes – Richard Huges and Dr. Amanda Stronza, Producers
North America Premiere- Country: Botswana

*Q&A with Peter & Sheera Von Puttkamer and Dr. Amanda Stronza

———————————————————

Thursday, October 20
Film Series 8
8:30 -10:30 pm
Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2595819
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Americas Amazon
60 minutes
Country: USA – East Coast Premiere

The Nature of People
12 minutes – The Nature Conservancy
Bess Tassoulas, Producer
Languages: English & Spanish
World Premiere

We’re Oyster Farmers
5 minutes – The Nature Conservancy
Stefan Beaumont & Corey Adams, Producers
World Premiere – Country: USA

Yubartas
27 minutes – Natalia Merchan, Producer
Languages: English & Spanish
World Premiere – Country: Colombia

*Panel Discussion/Q&A with Bess Tassoulas and Stefan  Beaumont

——————————————————–

Friday, October 21
Screening & Awards Reception
TBA

Speechless to the Polar Realm
45 minutes – Richard Sidey, producer,
World Premiere – County: New Zealand

Badlands
5 minutes – Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, Producers
World Premiere – Country: USA

Acadia
5 minutes – Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, Producers
World Premiere – Country: USA

Baja
5 minutes – Erick Higuera, Producer
New York Premiere – Country: Mexico

Wild Alaska
6 minutes – Richard Sidey, Producer
World Premiere

Finisterra
5 minutes – Erick Higuera, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Mexico

In Harmony with Whales
6 minutes – Erick Higuera, Producer
World Premiere – Country: Mexico

——————————————————-

Saturday, October 22

Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater
5 West 63rd Street & Central Park West
New York, NY 10023

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2595861
$18.00 in advance $25.00 at the door (if available)

Film Series 9
11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Kaziranga
15 minutes – Mariah Wilson, Producer
Languages: Assamese & English
World Premiere – Country: India

A Tale of Crows
7 minutes – Roy Taylor, Producer
World Premiere – Country: USA

Wildlife Detectives: Sharks of Puget Sound
52 minutes – Katie Campbell & Michael James Werner, Earthfix
North America Premiere – Country: USA

Flying Rainbow
48 minutes – Vishal Jadhav, Producer
World Premiere – Country: India

Tasveer is proud to announce the lineup for its 11th annual Seattle South Asian Film Festival. Slated for October 14-23, 2016, SSAFF 2016 includes 23 feature films and 22 shorts from nine countries, plus a landmark community symposium about film censorship in South Asia and topical film programs centered on youth, sexual minorities, and mental health.

A fabulous Opening Night Gala at Seattle Art Museum kicks off the eleven-day Festival on Friday, October 14, featuring 2016 Bangladeshi drama AYNABAJI, a dark and engrossing urban thriller to be honored after the screening with a party including live music at the Triple Door. The film’s director Amitabh Chowdhury and celebrated Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury are expected to attend.

On Tuesday, October 18, a diverse group of panelists moderated by Dr. Alka Kurian and including filmmakers Mostofa Farooki, Shailaja Padindala, Andy Schocken, Chanchal Chowdhury, and Varun Tandon will weigh in at Symposium: Race, Sexuality and Censorship: Film, Art and Activism in India and Beyond at the University of Washington Thompson Hall, presented in collaboration with the UW’s South Asia Center.

At the Centerpiece Gala at Seattle Asian Art Museum on Thursday, October 20, SSAFF welcomes leading-edge Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki with his acclaimed comedy ANT STORY, a wry and fantastical comedy, with a reception to follow on site.

The Festival’s Closing Awards and Reception in Renton on Sunday, October 23 features WAITING, a charming tale of an unlikely friendship by Indian director Anu Menon and featuring South Asian superstars of the silver screen Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. WAITING is a heartrending story about confronting grief with optimism and living with courage, loving with faith, and laughing with hope.

Bangladesh is in the spotlight at SSAFF 2016 with an exceptional program of comedies, dramas, and shorts from one of Asia’s most dynamic and densely populated nations.

Embracing and embodying the theme Love Wins, the program of the 2016 Seattle South Asian Film Festival engages with our difficult and dynamic moment in history, championing the idea that love can elevate our common humanity and allow us to overcome obstacles together that seem insurmountable to individuals acting alone.

Over the past decade, SSAFF has grown to become the largest, longest, and most diverse South Asian film festival in the United States, and the only one of its size with a determined emphasis on human rights and social justice, instigating vital and groundbreaking conversations about minority oppression, immigration, women’s issues, and globalization engaged through the art of film from across the South Asian sub-continent.

A full schedule of screenings and special events is available online at ssaff.tasveer.org/2016/. Single tickets are $12 general admission; various discounts available. Special event ticket prices vary. Passes cost $75-$150 with full-fest, first weekend, and second weekend passes available. All proceeds support Tasveer. Sponsorship levels and benefits available online or contact the Executive Director at info@tasveer.org.

Festival screeners, interviews, press kits, and images available by request to

Sara Huey, Festival Publicist

sara.huey@hueypr.com | 206-619-0610

Full Listing

11th Seattle South Asian Film Festival

The latest schedule can always be found at ssaff.tasveer.org/2016/.

Opening Night Gala

Friday, October 14 at 7:00 PM – Seattle Art Museum

Aynabaji (dir. Amithabh Chowdhury, 90min, Bangladesh)

A dark comedy about an obsessive actor who gets paid handsomely to serve jail time for the rich and powerful of Dhaka. It’s a great gig until he falls for the girl of his dreams. Director Amitabh Chowdhury and star actor Chanchal Chowdhury expected to attend.

A Ride to Remember (dir. Amar Ramesh, 4min, India)

The amazing story of auto-rickshaw driver Annadurai, also a TEDx speaker.

Opening Night Gala to follow at the Triple Door with special musical guest DJ RDX of Wicked Karma.

Pratham Youth Program

Saturday, October 15 at 12:00 PM – SIFF Film Center

Lost in Transit (dir. Ajit Giri, 2min, India)

An abstract version of how a child loses himself while he confronts the real world, which is the complete contrast of the world he aspires for.

Help Wanted (dir. Jacquile Kambo, 16min, Canada)

Pavan, a Punjabi teenager, gets involved in his local gang in order to support his fragmented family. When a drug deal goes wrong and tensions run high with his two-faced gang leader, Pavan must make a tough decision that could ultimately threaten his life and the family he has worked so hard to protect. Director Jacquile Kambo and Producer Jasleen Kaur expected to attend.

Any Other Day (dir. Vikrant Dhote and Srikant A, 12min, India)

It was just another day for Kabir and Arnav, but their lives take a turn for the worse when two cops decide to make a spectacle of them.

Syaahi (dir. Varun Tandon, 30min, India)

A young boy. A quaint hilly town. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong – but perhaps that is what metamorphosis needs. Director Varun Tandon expected to attend.

Mina Walking (dir. Yosef Baraki, 110min, Afghanistan)

Saturday, October 15 at 2:00 PM – SIFF Film Center

Mina Walking tells the story of Mina, an impulsive twelve-year-old Afghan street seller saddled with a senile grandfather and a neglectful father. Mina sees her future slipping away when she is forced to neglect her education and walk the streets of Kabul to support her family.

Himalayan Stories

Saturday, October 15 at 4:30 PM – SIFF Film Center

Tashi and the Monk (dir. Andrew Hinton, 39min, USA/India)

Former Buddhist monk Lobsang left a life as a spiritual teacher in the United States to create a unique community in the foothills of the Himalayas, rescuing orphaned and neglected children. Five-year-old Tashi is the newest arrival. Director Andrew Hinton expected to attend.

The Song Collector (dir. Erik Koto, 54min, USA/India)

A Himalayan folk singer struggles to reconcile his culture’s decline with the advantages of modernization. Director Erik Koto expected to attend.

Let Her Cry (dir. Nadya Perera, 104min, Sri Lanka)

Saturday, October 15 at 7:00 PM – SIFF Film Center

A university professor’s affair with a young student threatens the carefully established routines of his middle class family as the student’s behavior becomes obsessive and possessive. Through an unusual correspondence, the student keeps the professor’s wife informed of the affair. Then the wife makes a decision that will change everyone’s life: she brings the girl to their home to live with them.

Erotic Shorts

Saturday, October 15 at9:00 PM – SIFF Film Center

While You Slept (dir. Nadya Perera, 23min, Sri Lanka)

A Sri Lankan girl working in a “massage parlor” becomes fixated on imitating her competition, but soon her obsession takes on a life of its own.

Tell Me a Story (dir. Shobhna S. Kumar, 22min, India)

Tell Me a Story is a video project that creates space for queer people to share their stories with an aim to populate the mainstream storytelling environment with their experiences.

The Woman... and the Man (dir. Sarmistha Maiti and Rajdeep Paul, 18min, India)

Every morning, an ordinary milkman gazes at a free-spirited single woman at the balcony of a big house. A target of social misogyny and running rumors, the woman is unfazed and enjoys her independence while the man’s voyeuristic fixation slowly turns into an obsession. Torn between a compulsive desire to possess the woman and his inability to attain it, the man ultimately experiences a cruel twist of fate that challenges him to question the way he looks at women and his very notion of beauty.

Memories of a Machine (dir. Shailaja Padindala, 10min, India)

A woman narrates memories of her early sexual instincts, experiences of discovery, and struggles of being a sexually curious young lady amid the traditionally bound system in South India. Director Shailaja Padindala expected to attend.

The Farmer and I (dir. Irja von Bernstorff, 81min, Bhutan)

Sunday, October 16 at 12:00 PM – SIFF Film Center

German documentary filmmaker Irja von Bernstorff and Bhutanese farmer Sangay explore how Bhutan, after centuries of isolation, begins to fall into traps of modernization and unsustainable growth. Passionate and idealistic that the trend can be reverted, the two team up to make a 25-episode fiction TV series for the only Bhutanese TV channel, promoting an autonomous, modern, and sustainable agriculture. Offering an alternative to city life, the series appeals to a young Bhutanese audience in identity crisis. However, Irja and Sangay risk failure when the very forces that threaten Bhutan begin to put a strain on their relationship.

LGBTQ Program

Sunday, October 16 at 1:30 PM – SIFF Film Center

Black Sheep (dir. Reshel Shah, 72min, India)

An unflinching look into the lives of transgender women living in the slums of India. The Hijras of India come to bless weddings, yet they are shunned by the very society that seeks their blessings. Who are these women? What motivates them? Whom do they love? As filmmaker Reshel Shah attempts to answer these questions, she sets out to meet and live with a group of Hijras. Director Reshel Shah expected to attend.

That’s My Boy (dir. Akhil Sathyan, 24min, India)

Sonu was born a girl but always knew his physical body and mental identity were at odds with each other. Amidst adverse circumstances and an extremely poor social background, he flies toward the goal of a synergetic relationship between body and mind.

Ringan (dir. Makarand Mane, 105min, India)

Sunday, October 16 at 4:15 PM – SIFF Film Center

In this winner of India’s National Award for the Best Marathi Feature Film in 2016, a debt-ridden, suicidal farmer and his young son set off on a religious quest to visit Pandharpur, home to Vithal, Maharashtra’s beloved deity. They are both looking for answers to difficult questions, and throughout their beautiful journey, they succeed in finding one another.

Free Symposium: Race, Sexuality, and Censorship: Film, Art and Activism in India and Beyond

Tuesday, October 18 at 11:00 AM – University of Washington Thompson Hall

In collaboration with the South Asia Center at the University of Washington, SSAFF 2016 presents film screenings, academic presentations, and panel discussions that explore race relations in South Asia and here in the US, sexuality from the lens of LGBTQ cinema, and how migration from South Asia to the Middle East affects migrant workers as well as the families they leave behind. This free event is moderated by Dr. Alka Kurian; panel discussion to include visiting filmmakers Mostofa Farooki, Shailaja Padindala, Andy Schocken, Chanchal Chowdhury and Varun Tandon.

Cry Out Loud (dir. Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan, 66min, India)

**Screening at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, October 18 as part of the free Symposium on Race, Sexuality, and Censorship at UW Thompson Hall

This collaboratively produced film puts cameras in the hands of a crew of young Somalis who live in Khirki Extension, Delhi, India. Together, director Ethiraj Gabriel Dattatreyan and the crew narrate the stories of everyday life of Cameroonian, Nigerian, Ugandan, Ivorian, and Somali students, entrepreneurs, and refugees that put into perspective the violent eruptions that target Africans as undesirable outsiders and have catapulted Khirki Extension and Delhi into the international media spotlight.

Lecture: Censorship of Film & Art in South Asia

**Scheduled at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, October 18 as part of the free Symposium on Race, Sexuality, and Censorship at UW Thompson Hall 

Through the use of historical, archival, and filmic material, a panel of scholars and filmmakers will interrogate the rise of cultural and intellectual intolerance in South Asia by looking at the role played both by state and non-state actors in controlling and erasing ideas, creativity, and human lives.

India’s Queer Cinema: Not Many Sinners, an academic paper presented by Lyle Pearson

**Scheduled at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, October 18 as part of the free Symposium on Race, Sexuality, and Censorship at UW Thompson Hall

Despite a rich tradition of queer mythology in India, Henry VIII’s anti-buggery law took effect as part of British imperialism in 1860. Many contemporary depictions of homosexuality in Indian film endeavor to overturn this law, known as Section 377, rather than perpetuate it.

My Child is Gay & I’m Happy (dir. Sopan Muller, 32min, India)

This series of interviews with parents of LGBTQ children shows a remarkable journey from being unsuspecting and often unaccepting to the caring, supportive parents they are today. This important documentary gives the viewer a peek into the lives of the LGBTQ community, in the conservative society of India, where homosexuality continues to be a crime.

Dancing Queens: It’s All about Family (dir. Jeff Roy, 10min, India)

This short documentary features bittersweet stories from Mumbai's premiere professional LGBTQ dance troupe known as the Dancing Queens. Filmed over the course of five years, Dancing Queens captures the heartache of losing out to discrimination, the triumph of family, and all the dances in-between.

The Unnamed (dir. Tauquir Ahmed, 90min, Bangladesh)

Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00 PM – University of Washington Thompson Hall

A poor farmer from a remote Bangladeshi village faces challenges from bureaucracy, from his peers, and from the traditional mindset after receiving the dead body of an ‘Oggatonama’ – the unnamed – as he receives news of the death of his son who was an expatriate working in the Middle East as an unskilled laborer. The story portrays a typical Bangladeshi village, its inhabitants and economic strength through export of manpower while acknowledging that these exports involve illegal human trafficking, mistrust, and broken hopes.

Song of Lahore (dir. Andy Schocken, 82min, Pakistan)

Wednesday, October 19 at 7:00 PM – Stroum Jewish Community Center

Lahore was once a haven for a musical culture passed down for centuries to the beat of the tabla drum. Today, Islamization, ethnic divisions, war, and corruption have torn apart the cultural fabric of Pakistan. Director Andy Schocken expected to attend.

It Takes Two Hands to Clap (dir. Nadya Shah, 20min, Pakistan)

A group of folk musicians from Pakistan visit small towns in America as part of a larger Muslim cultural engagement project.

Centerpiece Gala

Thursday, October 20 at 7:00 PM – Seattle Asian Art Museum

Ant Story (dir. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, 92min, Bangladesh)

Every day, on the way back to his suburban home, struggling young graduate Mithu envisions the dazzling city of Dhaka as a big pie. Everybody wants to have a stake in that pie. Mithu feels he is not properly equipped to win over his stake, so he starts to equip himself in an unusual and unethical fashion. Director Mostofa Sarwat Farooki expected to attend.

Centerpiece Gala reception to follow on site at Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Life Stories

Friday, October 21 at 7:00 PM – Redmond Senior Center

Many Rivers Home (dir. Baljit Sangra, 47min, Canada)

Mixing reflections on aging, mortality, and love, this documentary examines the ties that bind South Asian families in a Lower Mainland seniors’ residence. With rich human portraiture and a depiction of a vibrant ethnic community, the core of the film is the director’s love for her mother. Director Baljit Sangra expected to attend.

In Her Words: the Journey of Indian Women (dir. Annie Zaidi, 42min, India)

Through the verses of nuns, bhakti devotee rebels, folk songs, verses written by courtesans, amateur anthropologists, the memoirs of activists, and modern literature, witness the oppressions and aspirations of Indian womanhood over two millennia.

Recitations Not From Memory (dir. Sunita Prasad, 18min, India)

This experimental video features non-actor men reciting true experiences of gender discrimination originally imparted by women in anonymous interviews. As men recount these stories as their own, unrehearsed and via a teleprompter, subtle reactions and interpretations within their performances de-center assumptions about which experiences belong to which bodies.

Let’s Talk Mental Health

Saturday, October 22 at 12:00 PM – Carco Theatre

Stuck in Time (dir. Nabhan Zaman, 5min, Bangladesh)

A man decides to end his life and quit his misery, but soon discovers his mistakes when something mysterious finds him.

Unbroken Glass (dir. Dinesh Sabu, 56min, USA)

Raised by his siblings, documentarian Dinesh Sabu had little idea who his parents were or where he came from. Now as an adult with a burning curiosity, Dinesh sets out on a journey across the United States and India to piece together their story. Uncovering a silenced family history of mental illness, Dinesh confronts the legacy of having a schizophrenic mother who died by suicide, the reality of growing up an orphaned immigrant, and the trauma of these events. Director Dinesh Sabu expected to attend.

The Cart (dir. Ashraf Shishir, 76min, Bangladesh)

Saturday, October 22 at 2:00 PM – Carco Theatre

This is the story of the indomitable dream of two young brothers, their incredible journey in life, and their hand-driven cart that has never been defeated. The story of human spirit, sufferings and simple joy.

Durga (dir. Vivek Kajaria, 14min, India)

Bhola lived his life in irony: an artist known to give eyes to lifeless idols who could not do anything about the blindness of his precious granddaughter, Durga. In the end, Bhola makes a life-altering choice and justifies his very purpose toward his granddaughter and his own gifted skill as an artist.

KrishnoPokkho – The Dark Fortnight (dir. Meher Afroz Shaon, 110min, Bangladesh)

Saturday, October 22 at 4:00 PM – Carco Theatre

This delightful musical romance drama revolves around star-crossed lovers who are not destined to be together. Based on the novel of the same name by Humayun Ahmed.

Zeal for Unity Program

Saturday, October 22 at 6:00 PM – Carco Theatre

Jeewan Hathi (dir. Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, 55min, Pakistan)

A satire and black comedy on the world of media and its manufactured reality that thrives on daily controversy and sensationalism. This film follows a symbolic tale of how the media generates and creates conflict in society.

Silvat (dir. Tanuja Chandra, 47min, India)

Noor has been living by herself for the last five years and seldom hears from her husband, who took a job abroad in the first week of their marriage. Over time, Noor realizes that she has fallen in love with a much younger man, a tailor named Anwar. Her feelings are reciprocated but Anwar fails to see the unspoken love she harbors for him, and thinks his love will remain unrequited. Can Noor keep up with the role of devout wife or will she give in and reach out to the lover she yearns for?

A panel discussion on the Zeal for Unity project will follow the screenings. 

Gardaab (dir. Harune Massey, 93min, Pakistan)

Saturday, October 22 at 8:30 PM – Carco Theatre

Trapped in the web of ethnic strife in the brutal underbelly of Karachi, Gardaab is a tale of two lovers’ journey, as they struggle to break away from the unending cycle of violence that haunts the metropolis. Director Harune Massey expected to attend.

The Unseen

Sunday, October 23 at 12:00 PM – Carco Theatre

Cities of Sleep (dir. Shaunak Sen, 74min, India)

This film is set in a world where just being able to secure a good night’s sleep often becomes a matter of life and death. Trailing the lives of two individuals, we enter a heady world of night-shelters, improvised sleeping spots, and the infamous ‘sleep mafia’ of Delhi to look at the enormous influence the otherwise banal activity of sleeping is able to exert on a large number of people.

Hellhole (dir. Mobeen Ansari, 10min, Pakistan)

This short silent film takes us into the world of conservancy workers, more commonly known as gutter cleaners. We follow the life of one such worker in Karachi and witness his oft-forgotten humanity.

Kalo Pothi (dir. Min Bahadur Bham, 90min, Nepal)

Sunday, October 23 at 2:00 PM – Carco Theatre

Two young boys embark on a journey to seek their lost happiness, unaware of the tyranny brought by a broken ceasefire. They witness unimaginable events, experiencing anger, blame, guilt, frustration, and finally hope. Filmmakers Min Bahadur Bham, Shanti Rai, and Debaki Rai expected to attend.

Closing Night Gala

Sunday, October 23 at 4:00 PM –uns Carco Theatre

Waiting (dir. Anu Menon, 90min, India)

Two people befriend each other unexpectedly in a hospital while nursing their individual spouses in coma and, in time, develop a special relationship. It is a film about grief, yes, but it is also about confronting it. Tenderly and humorously, the film asks, does love mean letting go or unconditional acceptance in any shape or form?

Brother, Omar Mateen (dir. Saad Khan, 5min, USA)

This short documentary follows a Muslim queer Pakistani immigrant to the US and sympathizes with Omar Mateen, drawing parallels between his identities with that of the Orlando shooter.

Award ceremony and reception to follow film screenings.

A total of 280 films that we have received from 58 countries this year all indicate the existence of vast knowledge regarding the ecological realities of the planet that we live in. The selection process with regard to the documentaries that you have produced with extraordinary efforts posed quite a challenge for us.

Some of the major themes of #BIFED 2016 include ‘coal mines and plants’, ‘return to village’, ‘global warming’, ‘disappearance of indigenous people’, and particularly the issue of ‘garbage.’ Migrations that are triggered by ecological problems, wars, and human rights violations also constitute one of the significant issues for our festival.
 

We are happy to announce the finalists of #BIFED 2016 International Competition and the candidates of Gaia Student Award. The programme regarding the special screenings has not been finalized yet; we will provide further information once this process is completed. You can follow our festival and us from our social media account and website, www.bifed.org. We hope that the film makers that we were not able to include in our programme this year will see this as a result of the limitation that our resources enforce on us in terms of time and space. The selection process that we have had to go through among all these documentaries has really proven to be highly challenging due to the quality of the films that we have received.

International Competition
 

1. Sigh - Soluk, Metin Kaya, Türkiye, 2015,47’                      
2. Dark Atlas - Kara Atlas, Umut Vedat, Türkiye, 2016, 70’
3. Rendala, the Mikea - Rendalalı Mikea, Alain Rakotoarisoa, Madagaskar/ Fransa, 2016, 62’
4. Doughter of the Lake - Gölün Kızı, Ernesto Cabellos, Peru, 2015, 88’
5. No Word for Worry - Endişe için Kelime Yok, Runar Jarle Wiik, Norveç/Myanmar/Tayland, 2015, 89’
6. All of Me - Herşeyim, Arturo Gonzalez Villasenor, Meksika, 2014, 86’
7. The Day Sun Fell - Güneşin Düştüğü Gün, Aya Domenig, İsviçre/Finlandiya, 2015, 78’
8. The Good Life - Güzel Hayat, Jens Schanze, İsviçre/Almanya/Kolombiya, 2015, 97’
9. Waste Mandala - Çöp Mandala, Alessandro Bernard, İtalya, 2015, 52’
10. Sugar Blues - Şeker Blues, Andrea Culkova, Çek Cumhuriyet, 2014, 78’
11. Lampedusa in Winter - Kışın Lampedusa, Jakob Brossmann, Avusturya/İtalya/İsviçre, 2015, 93’
12. Coal Sea - Kömür Denizi, Gian Luca Rossi, İtalya, 2015, 78’
13. If This Village Wasn't Mine - Eğer Bu Kasaba Benim Değilse, Felipe Pena, Brezilya, 2014, 52’
14. Good Thing Await - İyi Şeyler Bekler, Phie Ambo, Danimarka, 2014, 95’ 
15. Dreaming of Life - Hayatı Düşlemek, Morteza Jafari, Yunanistan, 2016, 66’
    Racing to Zero - Sıfıra Doğru, Christopher Beaver, ABD, 2014, 57’

Gaia Student Awards
 

1. Fidelity - Vefa, Baran Vardar, Türkiye, 2016, 13’16’’
2. Up and Down Galata - Aşağı Yukarı Galata, Çağan Duran, Ali Uluç Kutal, 2015, Türkiye, 2015, 80’
3. Qillit - Kıllıt, Zeynep Altay, Türkiye, 2016, 18’
4. Katık, Yahya Ercan, Türkiye, 2015, 17’
5. The Burden 'Lives Made of Paper' - YÜK 'Kağıttan Yaşamlar', Eren Akman, Türkiye, 2016, 18’
6. When the Boat Comes In - Tekneler Dönerken, Khin Maung Kyaw, Myanmar/Almanya, 2014, 30’
7. Motel Hasankeyf, Valeria Mazzucchi, Türkiye/İsviçre, 2015, 28’
8. Djado Ivan, Silke Meya, Almanya, 2015, 20’
9. Arlette. Courage is a Muscle - Arlette. Cesaret bir Kasdır, Florian Hoffmann, İsviçre/Almanya, 2015, 84’
10. Women of Imetsen - Imetsen’in Kadınları, Kawtar Hilali, İsviçre, 2015, 31’
    The Tree - Ağac, Roya Eshraghi, Küba/İran/Kosta Rika, 2015, 13’

by ALEX DELEON

Just back from closing night on the Lido. Saturday, September 11 --
In terms of number of outstanding flms seen and personalities such as J.P. Belmondo, Sophie Marceau, and John Landis encountered up close, it was the best film festival I've winged thru in years.
The closing awards watched on big screen in the Press Room was a noteworthy event in itself and I then caught a double header of prize winning flicks after that to close out the festival week.

 "La Region Salvaje",  misdirected by Amat Escalante (Mexico) which shared the Best Director award, ex aqueo, was a stomach turning pornographic abortion,  but the very last closer was a thinking man's thriller called NOCTURNAL ANIMALS -- (Special Jury Prize) with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal ~~ and I even managed to snare two festival posters to enrich my wall collage in Budapest.

LIST of Best films will follow but My Absolute most memorable one was a Japanese musical and theatrical doc about the incredible Taiko Drummers of Sado Island. Title ONDEKOZA -- a Shochiku restoration from 1981 ~~ Totally blew me away. The drumming enters your bones!

Surprising Art film made by a Gangster (Yakuza) film specialist, Kato Tai.
 

Another main event was Natalie Portman's JACKIE and a disappointing main event was Malick's latest orgy of self indulgence "Voyage to blablablahh --
OKAY:
Here are the best ten films I saw selected from an incredibly rich  array of possibilities:
1. Hjertasteinn (Heart of Stone)-- Beautiful Icelandic film about four teenagers, two boys and two girls, discovering sex and growing up in rough familial conditions in a fishing village far from the capital.
2. Mil Jeong  (밀정 ~ The Age of Shadows) -- Historical drama about resistance to the Japanese occupation of Korea around 1920. This mix of shootout action, psychological drama, and historical detail was so powerful I felt like I was like watching a Beethoven symphony. Tremendous lead actor Song Gang-ho, 49, has the charisma and presence of a Korean John Wayne.
3. Gukoroku, Japanese psycho thriller Whodunnit and study of elite college cliques is the background for a young investigative Journalist conducting a one man investigation of an unsolved triple murder. Guess what -- he finds out that his own sister diddit. Slick style and highly appealing young actors got a long standing ovation. Young director Kei Ishikawa may be the next big thing in Japanese cinema helming.

4. Another Japanese winner was the dazzling restored print of
ONDEKOZA, (鬼太鼓座) "demon drum group"),
the 1979 theatrical documentary on the Taiko drummers of Sado Island with some hypnotic Japanese dances performed by women in dazzling Kimonos. One of a kind film done as a succession of fantastic drumming and highly stylized dance performances executed by Tai Katô, one of the ace directors of Yakuza eiga (Japanese gangster films).
This stands out as the most thrilling slambang screen experience of the entire week. Immediate inclusion in my BestTen of 2016. A truly unique and truly artistic film.
5. Piuma -- Searching social drama about irresponsible teenage pregnancy and the oroblems it causes. Erroneously called a "Light comedy" by the Italian press, which it is anything but --
6. Jackie -- Portman outdoes herself! Full review elsewhere.
7.  THE BRAT (La Trovatella) Ford, 1931 --an early non-western by the king of Hollywood westerns. --very good. Typical twenties slang works to set the period in place. Fashion plate writer takes in homeless young woman  he discovers at a kindly judges court -- But all he wants to do is study her as material for his new novel. A charming shot from the early days of sound and a perfect restoration job.
8.  "Opfergang" (Veit Harlan, color, 1945)-- the usual love triangle in early German color process --plush straightforward social drama directed by talented Third Reich director Harlan  who was a favorite of Propaganda Minister Goebbels. Noted for the ultimate Nazi anti-Semitic tirade picture. "Jud Suess".
9.   "Réparer les Vivants" --Dir.. Katell Quilévéré, with Emanuelle Seignier (Mrs. Roman Polanski) and popular French Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (The Cut). The subject is Heart transplanting -- most vividly, indeed gorily, presented -- and the morality issues surrounding the organ donation in question. Gripping and thoughtful.

10. "Nocturnal Animals", Tom Ford (Silver Lion jury award) with Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal
  The story within the story was better than the framing real story set in the wealthy upper strata of today's Los Angeles. Basically a glossy psycho thriller using the device of a fiction novel used by the writer to recapture the heart of his lost love twenty years later. Slick savvy entertainment. Texan Tom Ford won the hearts and minds of the awards night audience by delivering his acceptance speech in near perfect Italian!