Reviews and Events - Page 19 of 59

“The Umbrella Men” World Premiere on September 10th, 2022, at TIFF Festival View New Trailer and Screening Schedule

An incredible cinematic ride, embracing the best of caper heist comedy set in the colourful and culture-rich Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town “The Umbrella Men” is a must-see TIFF film. “The Umbrella Men” follows a troupe of musicians who are forced to rob a bank during the city’s Carnival in an effort to save their beloved nightclub – spiritual home to their whole community. The music is written by South African Jazz pianist extraordinaire, Kyle Shepard.

AUDIENCE	DATE	TIME	VENUE
Public	10th September	12:35PM	Scotiabank 14
Press & Industry	12th September	2:10PM	Scotiabank 6
Public	14th September	10:00AM	digital TIFF Bell Lightbox
Public	14th September	9:30PM	Scotiabank 14
Press & Industry	15th September	5:40PM	Scotiabank 7
Public	16th September	11:55AM	Scotiaban

World famous ‘Kendal Mountain Festival’ Tour is coming to North America for the first time in its history – launching Sept 19th 2022.

After 42 years – the UK’s leading adventure film and speaker Festival finally brings the best cinematic adventure stories to audiences in over 75 locations.

(Denver, CO—August 29, 2022) The Kendal Mountain Tour is coming to the USA and Canada for the first time this fall bringing a selection of the very best short adventure documentaries to North American audiences. Adventure Entertainment with support from presenting partners Montane, and OS Maps will bring this epic festival to audiences theatrically across North America (U.S.A. and Canada) in cinemas in more than 75 markets beginning on September 19^th. So what's different about the films you'll see on the Kendal Mountain Tour? Simple – these are films you won't catch elsewhere, incredible stories from award-winning filmmakers with a uniquely British and European slant. It's your chance to discover new people and places, characters you'll instantly warm to, in amazing locations you'll instantly make top of your bucket list.

The program is carefully selected by the team from Kendal Mountain Festival in the UK, which attracts over 20,000 outdoor enthusiasts to this legendary event every year. A similar program tours throughout the UK on an annual basis, and is now available to North American audiences, viewing in theaters across the U.S.

Kendal Mountain Festival, with presenting partners Montane, and OS Maps, will bring the Kendal Mountain Tour throughout the U.S.A. and Canada premiering with Santa Cruz, CA on September 19^th, Seattle on September 22^nd, Boston on October 4th and Denver on October 5^th, before expanding into over 75 additional markets throughout the fall. View the Kendal Mountain Tour trailer here and get a glimpse into the world of cutting-edge outdoor storytelling, action sports and adventure.

The Kendal Mountain Tour is proudly produced in the USA & Canada by Adventure Entertainment.

Adventure Entertainment with support from presenting partners Montane, and OS Maps will bring this epic festival to audiences theatrically across North America (U.S.A. and Canada) in cinemas in more than 75 markets beginning on September 19^th. Montane, and OS Maps, as our presenting sponsors will be working collaboratively to share adventure stories with new audiences across the US. The concept is simple. Take the spirit and essence of the premiere adventure festival, the Kendal Mountain Festival, and put it on tour. The result? Fun, great speakers, carefully curated films, bags of inspiration… and yet more fun. ‘Kendal’ is all about adventure, stories of extreme human endurance, breathtaking environments, and adrenaline-fueled excitement. This spirit of adventure and exploration is distilled into a traveling film tour of short adventure films and adventure speakers on stage.

"We’re incredibly excited and honored to finally be bringing the Kendal Mountain Tour to our friends across the Atlantic! We’ve worked hard to program the best Festival films alongside hosting great guest speakers at our live events across North America. Join us for an evening that will celebrate adventure stories from some of the most spectacular places on earth. You’ll be guided through our curation featuring a unique collection of travelers, athletes, activists, and creatives”, says Steve Scott, Director of Kendal Mountain Festival.

Matt Hickman, Global Marketing Manager of Montane, says: “We are a long-term supporter of the Kendal Mountain Festival and are looking forward to expanding this support into the North American tour. At Montane, we aim to inspire people to immerse themselves in nature and push their boundaries of what is possible- what better way to do this than sharing a range of inspirational stories that our industry produces.”

Britain’s national mapping service Ordnance Survey (OS), which operates navigation app OS Maps, has confirmed its support for the ‘Kendal Mountain Film Tour’, with OS Maps joining the new US tour as a Presenting Partner. The two organizations will combine to host a selection of tales of inspiration and high-quality tools for adventure to new audiences in the US and Canada.

Nick Giles, Managing Director for OS Leisure says: “We are delighted to join together with the ‘Kendal Mountain Film Tour’ on their expansion into the US and Canada. Both our organizations are driven by a shared passion for the outdoors; focusing on encouraging and inspiring more people to explore their local neighborhood or further afield.”

To find theaters near you screening Kendal Mountain Tour, go to: https://us.kendalmountaintour.com/

About Kendal Mountain Festival: Over 40 years ago, back in October 1980, Kendal hosted a new low-key two-day event. Named the ‘Kendal Mountaineering Film Festival’, visitors experienced art, seminars, films, photography and - importantly - "two bars". Little did they know what they had started, or how influential the event would become. As the event grew in stature and popularity it attracted greater audience numbers, plus a veritable 'who's who' from the world of climbing and mountaineering. Yvon Chouinard, Reinhold Messner, Catherine Destivelle, Fred Beckey, Barry Blanchard, Lynn Hill, Jeff Lowe, Tommy Caldwell, Chris Sharma, Ueli Steck and Will Gadd to name but a few of those who have stood on the Kendal stage. And in film, the Festival became globally respected as a launchpad and international showcase for mountain and outdoor film, premiering or screening such classics as ‘The Bat’, ‘Five Days One Summer’, ‘Hard Grit’, ‘Touching The Void’ and more recently ‘Free Solo’, ‘14 Peaks’ and ‘The Rescue’. ‘Kendal’ became recognized as the main annual social event for outdoor enthusiasts in the UK and Europe, and built its strong international reputation. Since then, Kendal has gone on to become a global touring film festival spreading across the United Kingdom, China and now coming to the United States and Canada for the first time.

About Adventure Entertainment:
Australian-based, and operating in more than 12 countries, Adventure Entertainment is making literal and metaphorical waves in the adventure film world with more than 10 touring film festivals, and dozens of feature films in recent distribution. Specializing in producing live, eventized, theatrical film screenings, AE is leading the way in innovative, community-based marketing and generating pre, and post-show buzz in the entertainment industry. Adventure Entertainment owns and operates the Women’s Adventure Film Tour, One Ocean Film Tour, Vertical Life Film Tour and RunNation Film Festival. Their recent feature film experience includes releases from National Geographic's; "Torn", Red Bull Media House's "La Liste: Everything or Nothing", "Buried”, from Oscar-winning producers Evan Hayes and Michael Sugar, and Summer 2022 surf releases "Big Wave Guardians" and "Five Summer Stories", from MacGillivray Freeman Films. See more at adventureentertainment.com

About Montane:
Pushing the limits of endurance and versatility for almost 30 years, the British outdoor performance specialist, Montane, engineers innovative, lightweight, breathable clothing, and equipment of uncompromised quality for multi-activity adventures, mountain activities and extreme environments. The drive to find, see and do more in the outdoors has driven Montane to evolve for efficiency through a simplified ‘less is more’ approach. The brand works closely with serious mountain professionals, leading adventurers, and top-performance athletes to be at the forefront of developing a clothing range that allows people to be immersed in nature, no matter the environment. Montane uses its unrivalled expertise to create a collection of reliable and versatile running, walking, and mountaineering clothing allowing its wearer to go FURTHER. FASTER in the outdoors.”

About OS Maps:
OS MAPS: HIKING & BIKE TRAILS – Plan hikes, runs & bike rides. Explore the great outdoors the way you want, all while staying safe with OS Maps. Whether you want to hike, bike or run, OS Maps will guide you with amazing trails across the USA. Want to find new places in your local neighborhood? Or plan that next thru-hiking adventure? From breathtaking National Parks to easy walks along the coast, experience the thrill of finding a brand-new trail that you never even knew existed with OS Maps.

Theatrical Booking Contact:
Henry C. Lystad/ Ph: 970.275.1234
E.henry@adventureentertainment.com

OUR AMERICAN FAMILY: Review

Bottom Line: They Say, Blood is Thicker Than Water and Now You Can Say, Blood is Thicker Than Addiction

Year: 2022
Directors: Hallee Adelman & Sean King O’Grady Octobero
Writers: Hallee Adelman & Sean King O’Grady
Cast: Linda Geraghty, Nicole Caltabiano, Chris Caltabiano Jr., Stephen Caltabiano, Bryan Geraghty
Genre: Feature Length Documentary
Country: United States
Language: English
Run Time: 1 hour 27 minutes

When All You Have is Love and Hope

Directors Hallee Adelman and Sean King O’Grady’s captivating film OUR AMERICAN FAMILY takes you into the heart wrenching and complicated lives of Linda Geraghty, her adult children Nicole Caltabiano, Chris Caltabiano Jr. and Stephen Caltabiano, and her very patient husband, Bryan Geraghty as they put forth a heroic effort to overcome and break the cycle of addiction and keep their family intact against many odds.

Photo 4- Our American Family (Giant Pictures)

Our American Family (Giant Pictures) Our American Family (Giant Pictures) Our American Family (Giant Pictures) Our American Family (Giant Pictures)

OUR AMERICAN FAMILY puts the devastating effects of drug addiction on full display. No matter how difficult, do not give up on yourself or those you love.

Something that stood out to me was the family’s ritual of seating down to dinner. Making a point of coming together each day as a family and using food, a universal need, the motivation.

Cinematographer Seamus Tierney captures the conditions that engulfs them all with the film’s opening with dark clouds, rain and the grim scenes of life on the streets. A backdrop that follows them around.

Photo 3- Our American Family (Giant Pictures)

Photo 1- Our American Family (Giant Pictures)

The editing by Joel Plotch and James Carroll allows the film to flow effortlessly from one scene to the next providing a full picture of the family’s push to over come their life circumstances.

Hallee Adelman, “The power of the story lies in radically honest moments of confrontation and love and family unfolding in scene after scene.” Our vérité camera is unflinching, so the audience witnesses the struggles, clashes, and subtle, life changing shifts that come as a result of each character’s earnest, if imperfect efforts to transform.”

This is a great film that shows the value of love, family and hope to have the strength and determination to not give-up or in.

HALLEE ADELMAN, DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Hallee Adelman is a writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of World of HA Productions. She is an executive producer on the Emmy-winning documentary “The Social Dilemma,” and the Oscar-nominated international film, “Writing with Fire.” Other titles include the Academy shortlisted, “The Truffle Hunters,” the Sundance premiere “UsKids,” and the soon to be released, “Art & Krimes by Krimes.” Recent festival premieres, “Aisha,” “Broadway Rising,” and “Your Friend, Memphis.” Adelman is a Board Member of the International Documentary Association. Adelman co-directed and produced OUR AMERICAN FAMILY after a writing project deepened her connection with the brave participants featured in the film.

SEAN O’GRADY, DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Sean King O’Grady is a filmmaker based in Michigan. His award-winning feature films have screened at Sundance, Tribeca, Telluride, Berlinale, Sitges, SXSW and dozens of other festivals around the world.

ABOUT GIANT PICTURES

Giant Pictures is a leading digital distributor that partners with studios and filmmakers to release movies and series across all major streaming platforms, including Apple TV, Netflix, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, IMDb TV, Peacock, and more. Release your movie your way with Giant Pictures.
Learn more at: giant.pictures.

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

Toronto International Film Festival 2022 Intl Premiere of South African Caper Heist Comedy Feature Film “The Umbrella Men”

Mila played by Bronté Snell, Cope played by Rob Van Vuuren, Tiger played by Joey Rasdien, Jerome played by Jaques De Silva, Mortimer played by Keenan Arrison

“The Umbrella Men” will have its world premiere on September 10^th, 2022, followed by an additional two public screenings, as well as press & industry screenings as a part of TIFF.

The international premiere of the extraordinary South African caper heist comedy feature film, “The Umbrella Men,” selected for Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) set for September 10^th, 2022, as a selection of the international arm of its Contemporary World Cinema slate.

“The Umbrella Men” is directed by John Barker (“Bunny Chow: Know Thyself,” “Isibaya”) and is written by John Barker and Philip Roberts and stars the captivating talents of Jaques Da Silva, Shamilla Miller (“Love Lies and Hybrids”), Keenan Arrison (“Atlantis”) and Bronte Snell (“Atlantis”). Produced by Joel Phiri, Dan Jawitz, Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri, Themba Mfebe and John Barker, “The Umbrella Men” draws inspiration and comparisons to critical and audience favorites in this incredible ensemble genre including: “The LadyKillers,” “Set It Off,” “The Inside Man,” “Sexy Beast,” “The Italian Job,” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” among others.

Loukman played by Dann-Jacques Mouton, Jerome played by Jaques De Silva, Mortimer played by Keenan Arrison

The film has received excellent reviews at home in South Africa. For example, The Sunday Times (South Africa) wrote that “through the “Afrikaaps” phrases, nuances and Humour, Barker has beautifully captured a marginalised and often misrepresented culture.” The film is being sold in Toronto by Known Associates Entertainment.

SOILSIÚ FILMS PRESENTS YOUNG PLATO

Directors: Neasa Ní Chianáín (School Life) and Declan McGrath
Producer: David Rane

YOUNG PLATO will open theatrically in New York (Angelika Film Center) on Friday, September 23 with a regional expansion to follow on September 30 in Washington DC (Angelika Pop Up), Dallas (Angelika Dallas), San Diego (Angelika Carmel Mountain), Sacramento (Tower Theater), Plano, Tx (Angelika Plano),Fairfax, VA (Angelika Mosaic) and more.

US Theatrical release supported by Screen Ireland and Meath County Council, and by our coproduction partners, Aisling Productions, Clin D’Oeil Films and Zadig Productions.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: DOC NYC, CPH DOX, SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL, SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL AND MANY MORE.

WINNER! NINE AWARDS AND CURRENTLY SHORTLISTED FOR UK GRIERSON AWARD FOR BEST CINEMA DOCUMENTARY.

Young Plato- Kevin With Students (Photo Credit_ Soilsiu Films)

At Holy Cross Boys School in Belfast, Northern Ireland schoolyard conflicts are resolved at the Philosophy board where the youngsters learn to reason and think for themselves. School Principal Kevin McArevey, a Stoic who sings along to Elvis Presley, is rocking the status quo by teaching Philosophy to students in a community plagued by urban decay, sectarian violence, poverty and drugs. In an atmosphere of deep caring and support, his students learn new ways to manage their emotions based on Ancient texts. YOUNG PLATO deftly addresses the social division and intergenerational trauma of a city divided by Peace Walls where "the troubles" are more than a memory in a story filled with the mischievous charm of young boys learning to question the mythologies of war and violence. "Young Plato" shines a positive light on contemporary Northern Ireland, offering a model for building a culture of peace in these troubling times.

YOUNG PLATO - Awards and Festivals
World Premiere at DOC NYC 2021. Winner of nine (9) international and Irish awards, including the Irish Film & Television Academy Award for Best Feature Doc 2022, presented by Michael Moore. Selected for nearly 40 festivals worldwide.

Neasa Ní Chianáín (Director) is one of Ireland's most established documentary talents and has directed four features, four shorts and a TV series. Neasa was named one of Europe's 10 most promising women directors at the Sydney Film Festival's 'Europe! Voices of Women in Film' program. Immediately prior to “Young Plato” Neasa directed 'In Loco Parentis' (aka 'School Life' ) a Magnolia Pictures release which premiered at IDFA 2016 and Sundance 2017. Awards: Special Jury Prize, Golden Gate Awards, San Francisco Film Festival; Audience Award, Visions du Réel, Nyon. Directing credits: ‘Frank Ned & Busy Lizzie,’ ‘Fairytale of Kathmandu,’ and 'The Stranger.' Neasa is currently in post-production on a new feature documentary, 'The Alexander Complex.’

Declan McGrath (Director) is a Belfast based filmmaker and a Director of the feature documentary YOUNG PLATO. Declan is also the Director of the award-winning 'Lomax in Éirinn ' (TG4) which screened at festivals worldwide and 'Mary McAleese & The Man Who Saved Europe '(RTE, BBC). He has written two books on the craft of filmmaking (Screencraft: Editing & Post Productions and Screencraft: Scriptwriting), both translated into 5 languages. He is also a regular contributor to the New York film journal Cineaste. Additional directing credits include: 'My Struggle For Life,' Tír Eoghain: The Unbreakable Bond’ 'Women Of The Oireachtas.”

Kevin McArevey (Protagonist) has been Headmaster at Holy Cross Boys School in Ardoyne, North Belfast, Northern Ireland for the last 10 years.

PR CONTACT:

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

CHARCOAL (Carvão)

Director and Writer: Carolina Markowicz
Starring: Maeve Jinkings (Aquarius, Neon Bull), and Argentine actor César Bordon (Wild Tales, The Headless Woman), Camila Márdila (The Second Mother)
Genre: , Feature Film, Dark Satire
Country: Brazil
Language: Portuguese and Spanish with English Subtitles
Run Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

TIFF 2022--PLATFORM SECTION--WORLD PREMIERE

Brazil, 2022. In a remote area in São Paulo's countryside, a rural family who lives beside a charcoal factory accepts a proposal to host a mysterious foreigner. The home soon becomes a hideout as the so-called guest happens to be a highly wanted drug lord. The mother, her husband and child will have to learn how to share the same roof with this stranger, while keeping up appearances of an unchanged peasant routine.

TIFF 2022- SCREENINGS

PRESS SCREENINGS

Friday, September 9 at 3:15PM
Location: Scotiabank 13

Tuesday, September 13 at 9:15AM
Location: Scotiabank 10

PUBLIC SCREENINGS

WORLD PREMIERE
Sunday, September 11 at 9:45PM
Location: TIFF Bell Lightbox Cinema 2

Tuesday, September 13 at 6:45PM
Location: Scotiabank 9

Saturday, September 17 at 6:45PM
Location: Scotiabank 9

Carolina Markowicz is a screenwriter and director based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her short films have won many international awards and have played in more than 200 festivals worldwide including TIFF, SXSW and Cannes' Directors’ Fortnight (Queer Palm winner with The Orphan).

TIFF 2022 PAGE: https://tiff.net/events/charcoal

ALL PRESS- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW PLEASE CONTACT:

EMMA GRIFFITHS
EMMA GRIFFITHS PR
E: emma@eg-pr.com
W: www.eg-pr.com

SALES AGENT-(AVAILABLE FOR US, CANADA AND KEY INTERNATIONAL TERRITORIES)

FLORENCIA GIL - LOUISE RONZET
URBAN SALES
E: florencia@urbangroup.biz – louise@urbangroup.biz
W: www.urbandistrib.com

SQUEAL: Film Review

PRESENTS

To Live Free and Starve, Or To Eat and Die In Bondage

Director Aik Karapetian fable SQUEAL brings the Greek mythical goddess Circe to life through his female lead Kirke (Laura Siliņa), a pig farmer’s daughter, named after the Goddess. When she encounters Samuel (Kevin Janssens), who is searching for his father. A man he has never seen or met.

Photo 1-Kevin Janssens in Aik Karapetian's SQUEAL (Photo Credit_ GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT)

Kevin Janssens and the magical pig in Aik Karapetian's SQUEAL (Photo Cr

Looking at the interactions between Kirke and Samuel on the farm, I am reminded of slave masters  and their treatment of their slaves and their bondage on the plantations and their treatment of the slaves that automatically creates a dark picture of what is to come.

According to Karapetian, “My focus was originality and simplicity, but at the same time speaking about the universal topics of love, freedom, greed, brutality, tenderness and jealousy.”

These topics of  love, freedom, greed, brutality, tenderness and jealousy vividly comes through with the dialogue and film plot written by Aik Karapetian, Aleksandr Rodionov.

Aik Karapetian's SQUEAL (Photo Credit_ GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT) b

Something that stands out is how Aik Karapetian flipped the script and has his female lead behind the abductions, enslavement and brutality of  Samuel (Kevin Janssens). It reminds me of the film Misery with Kathy Bates and James Caan.What stands out?

SQUEAL is an engaging film that struggles with the human animal’s desire for security and freedom. See it.

Release Date: Theatrical:   Aug 19, 2022  Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 19, 2022
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment
Producer: Inese Boka-Grube, Gints Grube
Production Co: Good Deed Entertainment And Cranked Up Films
Run Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Cast: Kevin Janssens,Laura Siliņa,Aigars Vilims,Normunds Griestiņš,Juris Bartkevičs,Guntis Pilsums
Director: Aik Karapetian
Writers: Aik Karapetian,Ale][ksandr Rodionov
Cinematography: Jurģis Kmins
Editor: Paula Popmane 
Composer: Justine Bourgeus
Run Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

ABOUT GOOD DEED ENTERTAINMENT
Good Deed Entertainment (GDE) is an Ohio based independent studio dedicated to producing, financing, and distributing quality entertainment for under-served audiences. Its distribution slate includes recent releases Summertime, Ma Belle, My Beauty, and Lucky Grandma, in addition to the Academy Award nominated, Loving Vincent, and Spirit Award nominated, To Dust.

Website: http://www.gooddeedentertainment.com/

Yellow Veil Pictures Acquires World Sales Rights For Fantastic Fest Premiere Documentary KING ON SCREEN focused on Stephen King’s Adapted Work for Cinema and TV

Los Angeles/ New York– August 17, 2022- Yellow Veil Pictures have acquired world sales rights to Daphné Baiwir’s feature documentary KING ON SCREEN. The documentary, approved by Stephen King, will premiere at Fantastic Fest in September, with more festivals to be announced throughout the fall.

In 1976, Brian de Palma directed Carrie, the first novel and adaptation of Stephen King’s work. Since then, more than 50 directors have adapted the master of horror’s books, in more than 80 films and series, making him now the most adapted author still alive in the world.

KING ON SCREEN features an inside look with the majority of directors who have adapted Stephen King’s work for screen, showcasing the unique relationship as they reimagine his work for film. KING ON SCREEN, which interviews the lion’s share of the filmmakers who have adapted his work to screen, includes Frank Darabont, Mick Garris, Mike Flanagan, Greg Nicotero and more. Directed by Daphné Baiwir (The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland ), KING ON SCREEN is an intimate look at the unique relationship between Stephen King’s vast body of work and the directors famous for reimagining it for the screen.

The documentary is produced by Sebastien Cruz for Les Films de la Plage, Jean-Yves Roubin for Frakas Productions and Zoe Salmon for Mr Salmon Films, with the participation of OCS.

Hugues Barbier, Co-Founder from YVP said: “KING ON SCREEN gives a great insight in the mind of the filmmakers adapting King’s work, and Daphné did an incredible job capturing the essence of the process. We are really excited to bring Daphné’s vision to Fantastic Fest and its crowd of film connoisseurs.”

Filmmaker Daphné Baiwir said: “I’m so glad we managed to gather such stellar names for KING ON SCREEN, who gave such insight into King’s work and its journey to the big screen. With illustrious directors and the celebrated actors who collaborated with us to recreate some of the iconic look and situations of King's adaptations as an introduction to the documentary including Jeffrey DeMunn, James Caan, Tim Curry, Amy Irving, Dee Wallace and Carel Struycken, the experience was unbelievable!”

The deal was negotiated by Yellow Veil Pictures Co-Founders Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick, with Sebastien Cruz.

For all inquiries please contact Emma Griffiths (EG PR) : emma@eg-pr.com

ABOUT YELLOW VEIL PICTURES

Formed in 2018 Yellow Veil Pictures is a New York City and Los Angeles-based film sales and distribution company focusing on boundary-pushing genre cinema. Yellow Veil Pictures have released titles including Gaspar Noé’s LUX ÆTERNA, Frida Kempff’s Sundance hit KNOCKING, and the Venice and TIFF selection THE LONG WALK from director Mattie Do.

The company's sales slate includes such films as Tilman Singer’s debut feature LUZ, The Adams Family’s HELLBENDER, George A. Romero’s THE AMUSEMENT PARK, and Philip Gelatt & Morgan Galen King’s THE SPINE OF NIGHT.

Yellow Veil Pictures seeks to highlight emerging and established filmmakers who exist on the cusp of commercial and arthouse cinema.

Yellow Veil Pictures Acquires World Sales Rights For Fantastic Fest Premiere Documentary KING ON SCREEN focused on Stephen King’s Adapted Work for Cinema and TV

The documentary is produced by Sebastien Cruz for Les Films de la Plage, Jean-Yves Roubin for Frakas Productions and Zoe Salmon for Mr Salmon Films, with the participation of OCS.

The deal was negotiated by Yellow Veil Pictures Co-Founders Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick, with Sebastien Cruz.

###

For all inquiries please contact Emma Griffiths (EG PR) : emma@eg-pr.com

Bill Russell’s Impact on me and The Pan African Film Festival

I am Ayuko Babu, Executive Director of the Pan African Film Festival. Brother Bill Russell had a profound impact on my life. When I played center on my high school team in Cheyenne, Wyoming, we won the Wyoming State Championship and I won a full scholarship to the University of Wyoming and Otero Junior College in La Junta, Colorado (where the new Laker head coach Darvin Ham played before he moved on to Texas Tech and pro ball.) I moved on to play at LA City College and joined the civil rights/Black Power Movement. I had patterned my whole basketball game after Brother Bill, especially in defense. At that time, Cheyenne had no television station, so I religiously listened to the broadcasts of all Bill's games when they aired on the radio in Cheyenne. When able, I watched Bill and the other bad brothers on the Boston Celtics on television by antenna from Denver, Colorado. He had a major impact on me. The way he looked and carried himself was noble. With his goatee and mustache and his 6’10” muscular frame, he looked like an African chief.

When I came out to Los Angeles in July 1962, I went to see Bill and the Boston Celtics play the Lakers at the old Sports Arena, which was new at the time. A friend of mine, Gene Wiley, was playing center for the Lakers. Brother Gene was from Amarillo, Texas, where I was born and lived until my family moved to Cheyenne. Gene got me tickets to see that game. Needless to say, it was an incredible game. I learned many invaluable basketball lessons that night watching Bill and Gene battle.

Even at that time, I knew Bill was very much into Pan Africanism; not only basketball. He had bought a rubber plantation in the Republic of Liberia (West Africa). After the game, I was hoping to talk to Bill for a few minutes. So my brother Jaheed and I waited outside the locker room for him to come out. When he finally came through the door and into the hallway, I spoke to him and he smiled. I asked him about his rubber plantation in Liberia. He was happy to know that I knew about it. He stood there and talked to me and my brother for about an hour about the plantation and its operation. He proudly told us he had 200 workers and when he realized that his workers needed a school to increase their education and level of development, he built a school for them. It was my first experience speaking with someone who actually had a successful project and a program on the Continent. I was spellbound. During our encounter, Bill never spoke about the game we had just seen or basketball in general. His entire enthusiastic conversation was about the plantation and the incredible possibilities that these kinds of projects could open up for Black folks.

Needless to say, he fueled my determination and drive to be a part of the Pan African experience. He became the role model that led me to facilitate Brother Stevie Wonder’s first trip to Africa to perform at the 2^nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture in Lagos, Nigeria in 1977. The Grammy organization flew to Nigeria to broadcast Stevie's performance and to present his Grammys in Lagos. The performance, directed and produced by Stan Lathan, was broadcast to a worldwide TV audience of 90 million people. Stevie performed his famous song Sir Duke with his band and Duke Ellington’s band and the George Faison dancers. It was Bill's influence and that early conversation after the Laker/Celtic game that spurred me on to bring the world-famous dance company Les Ballets Africains from the Republic of Guinea to perform at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Bill's impact was so inspirational to me that I, along with actress, singer and composer Ja’Net DuBois and actor Danny Glover, was able to create The Pan African Film Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2022. This is the kind of impact that Pan Africanist Bill Russell had on my life and will continue to have on my life.