Month: September 2019

Woodstock Film Festival 2019 18 TO PARTY

Director/ Screenwriter: Jeff Roda

Starring: Alivia Clark, Tanner Flood, James Freedson-Jackson, Oliver Gifford, Nolan Lyons, Sam McCarthy, Ivy Miller, Taylor Richardson and Erich Schuett.

Producers: Nikola Duravcevic, Emily Ziff Griffin, Andrew Cahill and Stephanie Marin.

Including music by: The Alarm, Big Audio Dynamite, Mick Jones, The Velvet Underground and many more.

WFF 2019 Official Screenings:

Friday, October 4th
WORLD PREMIERE: 9:30PM (Upstate Films, Woodstock)
Q&A to follow with filmmaker and key cast.

Sunday, October 6th 
3:15PM (Rosendale Theater)
Q&A to follow with filmmaker and key cast.

It’s 1984 and outside a small-town nightclub, a group of 8th graders gather, grappling with a spate of recent suicides, UFO sightings, their absentee parents, and each other. 18 TO PARTY spans a single evening in the lives of these kids, but manages to transport us fully to a time when waiting for something to happen felt just as significant as the thing itself. Gorgeously atmospheric, with a pulsating sense of anticipation that steadily builds, the film pulls us into the fears, wounds, and desires of each character, ultimately revealing that hope may arrive from the last place we expect. The meticulously authentic production design, killer soundtrack, and universally excellent performances recall the spirit of classic 80s teen movies like Stand By Me and The Breakfast Club.

18 TO PARTY is a spot-on love letter to Gen X, awkward teenagers, and the transcendent power of friendship.

FILMMAKER JEFF RODA

Jeff Roda has written screenplays for DreamWorks, Universal, Paramount Pictures, New Regency, TriStar, and television pilots for HBO, CBS, and Warner Bros. Additionally, he was a producer on the Sony Pictures Classics feature, Love Liza, starring Academy Award winning actors Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathy Bates. 18 TO PARTY marks his directorial debut.

Roda is a local resident of Woodstock area and the film is set in Upstate New York.

WFF 2019 Ticket Information: http://woodstockfilmfestival.org/ticketinfo

IF THE DANCER DANCES, will be released on VOD on November 12

IF THE DANCER DANCES

** New York Times Critic’s Pick** 

Produced by: Lise Friedman and Maia Wechsler

Directed by: Maia Wechsler

 Official Selection: Dance On Camera 2018, Raindance 2018

Feature Documentary, 83 Minutes, USA IF THE DANCER DANCES will be released on VOD and all major digital platforms including  Itunes, Amazon, Vimeo, Google, Sony, and NMS on November 12, 2019.

IF THE DANCER DANCES invites viewers into the intimate world of the dance studio. Stephen Petronio, one of today’s leading dance-makers, is determined to help his dancers breathe new life into RainForest (1968), an iconic work by the legendary choreographer Merce Cunningham. With help from three members of the former Cunningham company, the film tracks Petronio’s dancers as they strive to re-stage this great work, revealing what it takes to keep a dance – and a legacy – alive. Timed to coincide with Cunningham’s centennial, IF THE DANCER DANCES  is the first documentary on the subject of Cunningham’s work since his passing in 2009.

“The dance studio is a private and mysterious place. IF THE DANCER DANCES grants us rare access, bringing us into the studio to watch the staging of a Merce Cunningham masterwork on the Stephen Petronio Company. It’s the tracking of this intimate process, a dance being passed one body to another, that makes this film a great gift.”  Mikhail Baryshnikov on IF THE DANCER DANCES

Merce Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who stood at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 60 years. As a choreographer, teacher, and leader of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Cunningham had a profound influence on modern dance and earned some of the highest honors bestowed in the arts, including the National Medal of Arts and the MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellowship. Cunningham is also notable for his frequent collaborations with artists of other disciplines, including the musicians Radiohead and John Cage (also his life partner), as well as visual artists Andy Warhol, who did the décor for  RainForest, the dance featured in If the Dancer Dances, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. 

Cunningham’s centennial is being celebrated worldwide in 2019 with performances, installations, films and other special events to honor his legacy. 



JOKER World Premiere

JOKER release date in United States: October 4, 2019

Running time:    122 minutes
Writers: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Based on Characters by DC Comics
Star: Joaquin Phoenix
Music:  Hildur Guðnadóttir
Cinematography: Lawrence Sher
Editor: Jeff Groth
Production companies: DC Films, Village Roadshow Pictures, Bron Creative, Joint Effort
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget $55 million

Terrance Howard Receives His Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Terrance Howard, Oscar nominated actor, singer and songwriter, received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on Tuesday, October 24, 2019.

The recognition of his body of work, was on the same day as the premiere on “Empire”, which is also its final season.

Director Michael D. Lee, he directed Howard in the 1999 his film “Best Man” and its sequel “The Best Man Holiday”, spoke in his honor, as well as director, Dito Montiel, who directed  him in the 2009 film “Fighting”.

His fiancée and his two young sons and Evan Ross were there to share in his special day.

Terrance Howard’s star is right next to his “Empire” co-star, Taraji P. Henson.

Congratulations Terrance Howard!

The 44th Annual Toronto International Film Festival Winners

The winners at the 44th Annual Toronto International Film Festival.

The IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film went to Chloé Robichaud for Delphine.

An honourable mention went  to Theodore Ushev’s The Physics of Sorrow for its impressive filmmaking and detailed craftsmanship.

IWC Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film  Lasse Linder for All Cats Are Grey in the Dark.

An honourable mention went to Federico Luis Tachella’s The Nap.

The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film was given to Matthew Rankin’s The Twentieth Century. The jury stated, “Rankin’s debut feature is superb in its imaginative wildness, taking an otherwise staid historical Canadian figure and propelling him into the heart of one of the most creative, visual, and compelling experiences of the Festival.”

The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film was awarded to Sophie Deraspe’s Antigone. The jury said that “Antigone stands out on its own as an electrifying piece of cinema. Tackling with vigour contemporary realities of immigration in Canada through the framework of Greek tragedy, Deraspe created magnificent onscreen humanism. It is imperative to point out Nahéma Ricci’s performance, reminiscent of Renée Falconetti’s Jeanne d’Arc.” The jury gave an honourable mention to Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn’s The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open.

Selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), the NETPAC Award went to Oualid Mouaness’ 1982. The jury remarked that this film was elected “for its adventurous, imaginative style and subtle, confident filmmaking, bravely juxtaposing and framing the universal innocence and charm of youth within harrowing historical context.”

This year marked the 42nd year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favourite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year, audiences chose Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit as the recipient. The first runner-up was Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, and the second runner-up was Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award went to Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s The Platform. The first runner-up for this was Andrew Patterson’s The Vast of Night, and the second runner-up was Jeff Barnaby’s Blood Quantum. Finally, the Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award was given to The Cave, directed by Feras Fayyad. The first runner-up was Garin Hovannisian’s I Am Not Alone, and the second runner-up was Bryce Dallas Howard’s Dads.

The 45th Annual Toronoto International Film Festival will take place September 10th-September 20th, 2020.

 

76th International Venice Film Festival Winners

The Winners at the 76th International Venice Film Festival 

Venezia 76

The Venezia 76 Jury, chaired by Lucrecia Martel, and comprised of Stacy Martin, Mary Harron, Piers Handling, Rodrigo Prieto, Shinya Tsukamoto, Paolo Virzì, having viewed all 21 films in competition, has decided as follows:

 

GOLDEN LION for Best Film to:
JOKER
by Todd Phillips (USA)

SILVER LION - GRAND JURY PRIZE to:
J’ACCUSE
by Roman Polanski (France, Italy)

 

SILVER LION - AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to:
Roy Andersson
for the film OM DET OÄNDLIGA (ABOUT ENDLESSNESS) (Sweden, Germany, Norway)

COPPA VOLPI
for Best Actress:
Ariane Ascaride
in the film GLORIA MUNDI by Robert Guédiguian (France, Italy)

COPPA VOLPI
for Best Actor:
Luca Marinelli
in the film MARTIN EDEN by Pietro Marcello (Italy, France)

AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to:
Yonfan
for the film JI YUAN TAI QI HAO (No.7 CHERRY LANE) by Yonfan (Hong Kong SAR, China)

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to:
LA MAFIA NON È PIÙ QUELLA DI UNA VOLTA
by Franco Maresco (Italy)

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD
for Best Young Actor or Actress to:
Toby Wallace
in the film BABYTEETH by Shannon Murphy (Australia)

Orizzonti

The Orizzonti Jury of the 76th Venice International Film Festival, chaired by Susanna Nicchiarelli and composed of Eva Sangiorgi, Álvaro Brechner, Mark Adams, Rachid Bouchareb, after screening the 19 feature films and 13 short films in competition has decided to award:

the ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to:
ATLANTIS
by Valentyn Vasyanovych (Ukraine)

the ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to:
Théo Court
for the film BLANCO EN BLANCO (Spain, Chile, France, Germany)

the SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to:
VERDICT
by Raymund Ribay Gutierrez (Filippine)

the ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to:
Marta Nieto
in the film MADRE by Rodrigo Sorogoyen (Spain, France)

te ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to:
Sami Bouajila
in the film BIK ENEICH – UN FILS by Mehdi M. Barsaoui (Tunisia, France, Lebanon, Qatar)

the ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to:
Jessica Palud, Philippe Lioret, Diastème
for the film REVENIR by Jessica Palud (France)

the ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to:
DARLING
by Saim Sadiq (Pakistan, USA)

the VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2019 to:
CÃES QUE LADRAM AOS PÁSSAROS (DOGS BARKING AT BIRDS)
by Leonor Teles (Portugal)

Venice Classics

The Venice Classics Jury, chaired by Costanza Quatriglio and composed of 22 cinema history students – nominated by their professors – from Italian universities, DAMS performing arts courses, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, has decided to award:

the VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to:
BABENCO - ALGUÉM TEM QUE OUVIR O CORAÇÃO E DIZER: PAROU (BABENCO – TELL ME WHEN I DIE)
by Bárbara Paz (Brazil)

the VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to:
EXTASE (ECSTASY)
by Gustav Machatý (Czechoslovakia, 1932)

Venice Award for a Debut Film

The Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film Jury at the 76th Venice Film Festival, chaired by Emir Kusturica and comprised of Antonietta De Lillo, Hend Sabry, Terence Nance and Michael Werner, has decided to award:

LION OF THE FUTURE
“LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to:
YOU WILL DIE AT 20
by Amjad Abu Alala (Sudan, France, Egypt, Germany, Norway, Qatar)
GIORNATE DEGLI AUTORI

as well as a prize of 100,000 US dollars, donated by Filmauro, to be divided equally between the director and the producer.

Venice Virtual Reality

The Venice VR Jury of the 76th Venice International Film Festival, chaired by Laurie Anderson and composed of Alysha Naples and Francesco Carrozzini, after viewing the 27 projects in competition has decided to award:

the GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST VR IMMERSIVE WORK to:
THE KEY
by Céline Tricart (USA)

the BEST VR IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT to:
A LINHA
by Ricardo Laganaro (Brazil)

the BEST VR IMMERSIVE STORY FOR LINEAR CONTENT to:
DAUGHTERS OF CHIBOK
by Joel Kachi Benson (Nigeria)

 

Fantastic Fest 2019 KOKO-DI KOKO-DA

Dark Star Pictures

FANTASTIC FEST 2019

KOKO-DI KOKO-DA

Director - Johannes Nyholm (THE GIANT)

Cast - Peter Belli, Leif Edlund, Ylva Gallon, Katarina Jackobson, Brandy Litmanen

Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Seattle Film Festival, Karlovy VaryFilm Festival, Fantasia Film Festival 2019 (WINNER! AQCC-Camera Lucida Prize), and Fantastic Fest 2019

OFFICIAL FANTASTIC FEST 2019 SCREENINGS: TO BE ANNOUNCED

VIEWING LINKS ARE AVAILABLE TO CONSIDER COVERAGE TIMED TO FESTIVAL BY REQUEST TO: EMMA@EG-PR.COM

TALENT AVAILABLE:

Filmmaker Johannes Nyholm will be available for interviews by request to: emma@eg-pr.com.

***KOKO-DI KOKO-DA WILL OPEN THEATRICALLY IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES IN NOVEMBER WITH A NATIONAL RELEASE TO FOLLOW.***

 

Elin and Tobias are a happily married couple who regularly vacation with their young daughter. The family is on a dreamy holiday when an innocuous case of food poisoning derails their plans and forever alters the course of their lives. Three years later, the once loving couple is on the road again to go camping, looking for one last chance to go back to the way things used to be. But what once was is lost, and our characters instead find themselves having to relive the same nightmarish events, as that day and the horrors it brings repeat themselves infinitely. Together, they must overcome their trauma, reconcile with their past and fight for their lives. Over, and over, and over again.

KOKO-DI KOKO-DA- PHOTO KEY SET:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6rr028kkm0ly2ss/AABWLAngCRs7waKQ3ucyp64aa?dl=0

Distributed by LA-based Dark Star Pictures.

RT: 86 minutes; Color; Language: Swedish with English subtitles;

Rating: Not Rated 
For more information, please contact:

Emma Griffiths (EG-PR)
E: emma@eg-pr.com
W: www.eg-pr.com