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Adapted from Claudia Piñeiro’s novella of the same name, Netflix has brought us Elena Knows, a thought-provoking film directed by Anahí Berneri and starring Erica Rivas and Mercedes Moran. Elena Knows is a melancholic narrative following the tumultuous journey of Elena, an elderly lady diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. On the surface, the story of Elena Knows revolves around Elena’s journey to know the truth behind her daughter’s death, but the Netflix film sheds light on serious issues like abortion, mental health, and the concept of having freedom over one’s own body. Let’s discuss whether Elena can unravel the mystery of her daughter’s death at the end of the story.

Spoilers Ahead

Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?

Elena Knows is about the titular protagonist, Elena, an elderly woman with Parkinson’s disease, which is getting progressively more severe. Elena had no one but her daughter,...

Last fiscal year expenditure was $25bn.

Disney intends to spend $33bn on content in fiscal year 2022 in the latest example of how the streaming wars have pushed expenditure to unprecedented levels.

According to the company’s annual report filed with the Securities And Exchange Commission last fiscal year’s spend was $25bn. The fiscal year starts on October 1.

The filing said Disney plans to release around 50 titles for theatrical release and direct-to-consumer, which includes the company’s centrepiece platform Disney+ as well as Hulu, in the coming year.

The $33bn includes the company’s director-to-consumer platforms, theatrical, and linear TV...

Argentinian filmmaker aiming for start of production in second half of 2022.

Natalia Meta, director of Argentina’s international feature film Oscar submission The Intruder (El Profugo) is reteaming with stars Erica Rivas and Daniel Hendler on political drama The Spirit Of The Law.

Meta told Screen she hopes to commence production in the second half of 2022. Rivas will play a congresswoman fighting to pass a law for women’s rights when she is accused of sexual harassment.

The filmmaker is producing through her company Picnic Producciones and is in the process of putting together the financing. She said the title,...

Buenos Aires-based sales agency Meikincine Entertainment has closed a deal with Amazon Prime Video for the U.S. and Latin American rights to this year’s Argentine Oscar submission “The Sleepwalkers,” which will debut on the platform March 31.

“The Sleepwalkers” is the fourth feature from Argentine auteur Paula Hernández, who pulls double duty as the film’s screenwriter, and was produced by Tarea Fina in Argentina and Oriental Films in Uruguay. A hit at its Toronto Film Festival Platform competition world premiere, the film did the rounds in 2019-20, despite Covid setbacks, playing in competition at the San Sebastián, Miami and Havana festivals, to name a few.

Turning on discontented mother Luisa, played by three-time Argentine Academy Award-winning actress Erica Rivas (“Wild Tales”), and her sullen teenage daughter Ana, “The Sleepwalkers” unspools over a New Year’s holiday as the pair are forced into a crowded few days spent with...

Like many films at this year’s BFI London Film Festival, Natalia Meta’s The Intruder enjoys toying with what is real and what is supernatural in this Argentine psychological thriller. Reality becomes the dream and vice versa with apparent ease. Even lead character, Buenos Aires choir singer and a voice artist Ines (Erica Rivas from Wild Tales) becomes steadily confused and distressed by her experience of ‘something’ happening inside of her. This ‘something’ is the narrative’s mystery that we all hope to uncover in the end.

However, as curious as Ines’ investigation gets, the overplay of ambiguity favoured in filmmaker Meta’s second feature masks any truly satisfying resolutions – as fun as the film’s darkly playful and off-kilter nature is, even ending with a complete curve ball of something akin to Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin.

Whether alien invasion is the intended explanation, Meta’s muted...

Seven critics are participating in this year’s grid.

Screen has launched its jury grid for the Berlinale 2020 Competition films, with Natalia Meta’s The Intruder and Giorgio Diritti’s Hidden Away both marking average scores.

Participating critics on the grid for this year are:

Helena Lindblad, Dagens Nyheter, Sweden Anton Dolin, Meduza, Russia Katja Nicodemus, Die Zeit, Germany Wang Muyan, The Paper, China Rita Di Santo, The Morning Star, UK Paolo Bertolin, Segnocinema, Italy Screen’s own critic

As in previous years, each critic watches each Competition film and awards a star rating on the following scale: four (excellent...

Above: Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns BlueThis year is the 70th anniversary of the Berlin International Film Festival, and it celebrates with a change of guard: Out goes festival director Dieter Kosslick and in comes Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek, presumably managing the business side of the massive event, and Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian, who most recently held the same title at the Locarno Film Festival, leading the curation. This hand-over of responsibility is not unique to Berlin; last year, Locarno’s programming team was new; this year sees new heads of Sundance, Sheffield, and New York film festivals; and next year Rotterdam is under new leadership. As film culture is shifting under the just cultural pressure of inclusion and diversity, major festivals around the world are in the process of shifting gears.What does that mean for the Berlinale? In these early days—and in the first year with...

The Sound of My Voice: Meta Delivers Masterful Psychological Identity Horror

Does it come from without or within? ‘It’ being the perception of danger, delusion or paranoia in the case of the swift descent of the protagonist in The Intruder, a layered psychological genre piece from Argentina’s Natalia Meta, her first film since the 2014 debut Death in Buenos Aires. Based on a cult 1996 horror novel, El Mal Menor by C.E. Fieling, Meta consistently defies expectations in a film which eventually reveals itself to be more complex than any synopsis of its narrative could possibly dictate. Bolstered by an increasingly intense performance by Erica Rivas, who is supported by several noted Argentinean performers of international renown, it’s an oddly captivating odyssey which makes for as interesting a conversation piece as it does a cinematic experience.…...

Argentine writer and director Natalia Meta builds on the success of her popular first film, the gay mystery Death in Buenos Aires, in The Intruder (El Profugo), the story of a voice actress and singer whose vocal cords begin to betray her. The hypothesis, as she comes to formulate it, is that intruders who have escaped from her dreams are trying to take over her body. It’s pretty much a one-woman show for actress Erica Rivas, who brings a sense of fun to a fast-paced comedy about schizophrenia, if that’s what it is.

To be honest, there really isn’t ...

Argentine writer and director Natalia Meta builds on the success of her popular first film, the gay mystery Death in Buenos Aires, in The Intruder (El Profugo), the story of a voice actress and singer whose vocal cords begin to betray her. The hypothesis, as she comes to formulate it, is that intruders who have escaped from her dreams are trying to take over her body. It’s pretty much a one-woman show for actress Erica Rivas, who brings a sense of fun to a fast-paced comedy about schizophrenia, if that’s what it is.

To be honest, there really isn’t ...

Madrid — Just minutes after the Berlinale confirmed on Wednesday its selection in main competition, the pedigree producers of Argentine Natalia Meta’s “The Intruder” (“El Prófugo”) have dropped a first teaser-trailer for what has been described as a “pyscho-sexual fantastic thriller.”

They have also confirmed more details of one of the buzziest new titles from Latin America, announced with sales agent Film Factory Ent. in place at December’s Ventana Sur.

Film Factory has a strong record of crossover Argentine titles which roll off big fest berths to make a killing in Argentina and muscular theatrical takings abroad.

Can “The Intruder” go that way” Certainly, it has a potent South American cast: Erica Rivas as the neurotic protagonist, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (“Bpm (Beats Per Minute), Berlin best actor winner Daniel Hendler (“The Lost Embrace”) and Almodovar regular Cecilia Roth (“Pain and Glory”).

Some key pointers to the title were made public by Variety in December.

Buenos Aires — The last few years have caught Ventana Sur – Cannes Festival and Market’s biggest initiative outside France – taking place as the industry debated radical change. This year saw the Latin American industries in a state of transformation themselves, wracked by headwinds – Jair Bolsonaro’s government in Brazil – or looking to take advantage of negative scenarios, such as the Argentine peso plunge against the dollar.

But Ventana Sur is weathering these storms. Expanding from its film base into growth areas for the film industry – genre, animation, and now drama series and social media via a bolstered conference focus under co-director Ralph Haiek – Ventana Sur has evolved into an invaluable fixture in a round-the-year sales and co-production movie business, accelerating trading and expanding companies’ contact bases. Here are 12 Takeaways from a robust 2019 edition:

1.The Double Model

The rise of global platforms played out throughout Ventana Sur, in sales and announced strategic moves,...

Buenos Aires — In one of the biggest deals clinched at this year’s Ventana Sur, Vicente Canales’ Film Factory Ent. has acquired international sales rights outside Latin America to “El Prófugo” (“The Intruder”).

Described by its makers as a“psycho-sexual fantastic thriller,” “The Intruder” stars two of Argentina’s most internationally-rated actors: Erica Rivas, extraordinary as the cheated-upon bride in “Wild Tales,” and Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, who earned international fame and a French Academy Cesar for Cannes critical and sales hit “Bpm (Beats Per Minute).”

The powerful cast also takes in Berlin best actor winner Daniel Hendler (“The Lost Embrace”) and Almodovar regular Cecilia Roth (“Pain and Glory”),

Being brought onto the market at this week’s Ventana Sur in Buenos Aires, “The Intruder” is produced by Benjamín Domenech, Santiago Gallelli and Matías Roveda at Argentina’s Rei Cine, which has built via international co-production into one of the most important producers in Latin America.

Business continues after strong response to The Sleepwalkers and Chilean drama Los Fuertes.

Buenos Aires-based boutique sales agency Meikincine has announced key Asian deals on its slate trio of When You No Longer Love Me, Delfín, and Witch.

The company led by Lucia Meik and Julia Meik licensed Japanese rights during Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) to Interfilm Co on Marcelo Páez Cubells’ Witch (Bruja). After the festival it struck deals with Benchmark Films for Taiwan on Igor Legarreta’s drama When You No Longer Love Me (Cuando Dejes De Quererme), and Beijing Hualu Newmedia for China on Gaspar Scheuer’s Delfín.

Other titles reviewed are Paula Hernandez’ ’The Sleepwalkers’ and Alice Winocour’s ’Proxima’.

UK filmmaker Sarah Gavron’s Rocks is the early frontrunner on Screen’s Toronto 2019 Platform jury grid.

The film opened the Platform section - for strong and distinctive directorial voices – and is on 3.2 out of 4 with all the reviews in.

The London-set Rocks is Gavron’s third feature after Suffragette and Brick Lane, and follows a teenager who fears she and her little brother will be forced apart if anyone finds out they are living alone. Fable Pictures produced.

It received top marks from Sarah-Tai Black from...

Rita Cortese from Wild Tales, Valeria Lois to star.

Argentinian director Paula Hernández, in Tiff for her Platform selection The Sleepwalkers (Los Sonámbulos), has outlined details of her next film, Las Siameses.

Like The Sleepwalkers, the upcoming project also trains its sights on maternal relations. “It’s about a mother and daughter who take a trip to the beach,” Hernández told Screen, although she promises there will be “much more humour” in her new film.

Rita Cortese from Wild Tales and Hernández’s 2001 drama Inheritance will star opposite Valeria Lois from The Sleepwalkers as the daughter.

Juan Pablo Miller’s Argentinian Tarea Fina is producing,...

Madrid — Buenos Aires-based Meikincine Entertainment has acquired world sales rights outside Argentina to “Los Sonambulos” (“The Sleepwalkers”), just confirmed by the Toronto Film Festival as one of the films in its 2019 Platform competition.

After world premiering at Toronto, “The Sleepwalkers” segues for its European first night at the San Sebastián Horizontes Latinos, a showcase of many of the best Latin American movies over the year.

Variety has also had access to its international trailer. A family drama building to a raw, shocking climax – which audiences, like the victim’s parents, will tell themselves they should have seen all along – “The Sleepwalkers” marks a step-up in ambition for director Paula Hernández, whose three titles to date – 2001’s “Herencia,” 2008’s “Lluvia” and 2011’s “Un Amor” – have won multiple prizes, but never fully launched her into the international limelight.

Written by Hernández, “The Sleepwalkers” also represents the latest title from Argentina’s Tarea Fina,...

Lucia and Julia Meik’s boutique sales company Meikincine has announced three acquisitions out of this year’s Cannes Film Market: Gaspar Scheuer’s “Delfin”- which world premiered in the Cannes Écrans Juniors Competition; Marcelo Paez Cubells’ “Which”– part of this year’s Blood Window Showcase for films in progress; Sebastián Mega Díaz’s romantic comedy “The Big Love Picture.”

The three come after an announcement earlier this week that the company had acquired Omar Zúñiga’s debut feature “Los fuertes,” produced by Zúñiga, Dominga Sotomayor and Catalina Marín’s Cinestación Producciones, one of Chile and Latin America’s most exciting young production houses.

Scheuer’s third feature, “Delfin” is produced by Buenos Aires-based Tarea Fina Films, and follows 11-year-old Delfín. The boy and his single father wake up with the sun each morning and work hard to keep away a debt collector threatening to evict them before Delfín heads to school,...

The thirteenth edition of Santiago International Film Festival, Sanfic (August 20–27, 2017), the largest film festival in Chile, will present more than 100 international and Chilean films, including productions shown and awarded in festivals such as Cannes, Berlin and Venice. Among the feature films will be 7 world and 14 Latin American premieres.

Sanfic (Santiago International Film Festival) is opening the festival to international press this year with Variety Dailies and important international guests for their Sanfic Industry section. Guest attending include Kim Yutani (Sundance programmer), Javier Martin (Berlinale delegate), Molly O ́Keefe (Tribeca Film Institute — fiction features) and Estrella Araiza (Industry director of Guadalajara Iff), to name a few. Matt Dillon is its special guest along with the renowned director of photography Rainer Klausmann.

The Summit starring Ricardo Darín, Dolores Fonzi and Erica Rivas, with an appearance of Christian Slater and renowned Chilean actors Paulina Garcia and Alfredo Castro

The opening film of the...

Ricardo Darín in The Summit Argentinian star Ricardo Darín will receive a Donostia Award on September 26 at the 65th edition of the San Sebastian Festival, in the framework of presentation of his latest film The Summit (La cordillera). The award recognises the career of the 60-year-old star, who has worked with filmmakers including Adolfo Aristarain, Juan José Campanella, Fabián Bielinsky, Fernando Trueba, Pablo Trapero and Cesc Gay.

The Summit, written and directed by Santiago Mitre, is set at a Latin American presidential summit in Chile. Darín stars alongside Dolores Fonzi, Érica Rivas, Elena Anaya, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Alfredo Castro, Paulina García and Christian Slater. It had it's premiere in the Un Certain Regard section in Cannes.

Darín is a regular attender of San Sebastian and has already been honoured by the festival, taking home the acting Silver Shell in 2015 for [filmid=28105]Truman/film], about a terminally ill man spending four days with a friend.

“There’s nothing worse than a politician without ambition.” So says the newly inaugurated president of Argentina in Santiago Mitre’s “The Summit.” It’s the kind of boilerplate dialogue you could hear in any broody portrait of politics and power, but it sounds particularly egregious coming from this one. Despite its larger festival platform and starrier cast, “The Summit” remains a wan, frustrating, and narratively unambitious follow-up to Mitre’s Critics Week prizewinner, “Paulina.”

With big-name actors and top-level access, Mitre’s third feature is an impressively scaled-up production. “The Summit” opens in the halls of the Casa Rosada, the sprawling presidential palace in the heart of Buenos Aires, and Mitre shot in the actual palace. As the steadicam rigs sweep from the back entrance to the kitchen to the gilded corridors of power, it introduces us to the characters who make the country run. First among equals is...

“There’s nothing worse than a politician without ambition.” So says the newly inaugurated president of Argentina in Santiago Mitre’s “The Summit.” It’s the kind of boilerplate dialogue you could hear in any broody portrait of politics and power, but it sounds particularly egregious coming from this one. Despite its larger festival platform and starrier cast, “The Summit” remains a wan, frustrating, and narratively unambitious follow-up to Mitre’s Critics Week prizewinner, “Paulina.”

With big-name actors and top-level access, Mitre’s third feature is an impressively scaled-up production. “The Summit” opens in the halls of the Casa Rosada, the sprawling presidential palace in the heart of Buenos Aires, and Mitre shot in the actual palace. As the steadicam rigs sweep from the back entrance to the kitchen to the gilded corridors of power, it introduces us to the characters who make the country run. First among equals is...

Ariel Rotter's Incident Light was the big winner at the Sur Awards, the Argentine equivalent of the Oscars, which were announced Tuesday night at a ceremony in Buenos Aires.

Set in 1960s Argentina and starring Erica Rivas (Wild Tales), the film depicts a young widow, struggling to raise her twin daughters, who accepts the courtship of a charming but mysterious older suitor.

Incident Light, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, picked up six trophies, including for best film and director (Ariel Rotter), as well as best cinematography, editing, breakthrough performance by an actor (Marcelo Subiotto) and art direction.

Lorena...

The more “international” body of tastemaker critics have anointed Todd Haynes’ Carol, Hou Hsaio-Hsien’s The Assassin, George Miller’s Mad Max, Sean Baker’s Tangerine and Bruno Dumont’s Li’l Quinquin as the better film items for 2015 and top vote getters with the most noms for 2016 Ics Awards. Winners of the 13th Ics Awards will be announced on February 21, 2016. Here are the noms and all the categories.

Picture

• 45 Years

• Arabian Nights

• The Assassin

• Carol

• Clouds of Sils Maria

• The Duke of Burgundy

• Inside Out

• Li’l Quinquin

• Mad Max: Fury Road

• A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

• Tangerine

Director

• Sean Baker – Tangerine

• Bruno Dumont – Li’l Quinquin

• Todd Haynes – Carol

• Hou Hsaio-Hsien – The Assassin

• George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Film Not In The English Language

• Amour Fou

• Arabian Nights

• The Assassin

• Hard to Be a God

• Jauja

• La Sapienza

• Li’l Quinquin

• Phoenix

• A...

On Wednesday, May 27th, Premios Platino's hosts Alessandra Rosaldo and Juan Carlos Arciniegas alongside actor Eugenio Derbez, as well as Elvi Cano (Director Egeda Us) and Gonzalo Elvira (Fipca Mexico) will announce the nominees for the Awards in Los Angeles, CA.

During the press conference Mexican actress Kate Del Castillo will announce the recipient of the Premio de Honor (Lifetime Achievement Award). In addition Rick Nicita, Chairman of the American Cinematheque, will accept a special Platino Award to The American Cinematheque for its contribution to Iberoamerican Cinema.

Produced by Egeda, in collaboration with Fipca, the Premios Platino of Iberoamerican Cinema was born with the vocation to establish itself as a major international ceremony, promoting Latin American cinema as a whole and transcending borders. It is one of the most important tools to promote and support our film industry and all the professionals who, day after day, put forth all their effort and commitment so that audiences can enjoy the best films.

The candidates for the 2nd Platino Awards (Premios Platino) were announced during the 18th Málaga Film Festival in Spain. 73 feature films and 18 Ibero- American countries compete for the final nominations in the 14 categories for this prestigious award. The competing films had to be commercially released or premiered in an A-List Film Festival during 2014. The final nominations will be announced tomorrow at the Andaz Hotel West Hollywood. The Premios Platino Award Ceremony will take place on July 18, 2015 at Starlite Marbella in Spain.

As part of the same event The Premios Platino has distinguished the Málaga Film Festival with a special award for its contribution to the circulation and promotion of Spanish and Ibero- American cinema.

Here is the list of preselected candidates in each category ahead of tomorrow's final nominations

Premio Platino for the Best Ibero-American Fictional Film

· "Cantinflas"

(Kenio Films) (Mexico).

· "Conducta" (Behavior)

(Instituto Cubano Del Arte E Industria Cinematográfica, Rtv Comercial) (Cuba).

· "El Mudo" (The Mute)

(Maretazo Cine, Urban Factory) (Peru, Mexico).

· "El Niño"

(Vaca Films Studio, S.L., Telecinco Cinema, S.A., Ikiru Films, S.L., La Ferme! Productions, El Niño la película, A.I.E.) (Spain).

· "La Danza de la Realidad" (The Dance of Reality)

(Camera One, Pathe Y Le Soleil Films) (Chile).

· "La Dictadura Perfecta" (The Perfect Dictatorship)

(Imcine - Instituto Mexicano De Cinematografía, Estudios Churubusco Azteca, S.A., Bandidos Films, Fidecine, Eficine 226) (Mexico).

· "La Isla Mínima" (Marshland)

(Antena 3 Films, S.L., Atípica Films, S.L. y Sacromonte Films S.L.) (Spain).

· "Libertador" (The Liberator)

(Producciones Insurgentes, San Mateo Films) (Venezuela, Spain).

· "Matar a un Hombre" (To Kill a Man)

(Arizona Production, El Remanso Cine Ltda) (Chile).

· "Mr. Kaplan"

(Baobab 66 Films, S.L., Salado Media, Expresso Films) (Uruguay, Spain).

· "O Lobo Atrás da Porta" (A Wolf at the Door)

(Tc Filmes, Gullane Filmes) (Brazil).

· "Os gatos não têm vertigens" (Cats Don't Have Vertigo)

(Mgn Filmes) (Portugal).

· "Pelo Malo" (Bad Hair)

(Sudaca Films, Hanfgarn & Ufer Filmproduktion, Artefactos S.F., Imagen Latina, La Sociedad Post) (Venezuela Peru, Argentina).

· "Refugiado"

(Gale Cine, Burning Blue, El Campo Cine, Staron Films, Bellota Films, Río Rojo Contenidos) (Argentina, Colombia).

. "Relatos Salvajes" (Wild Tales)

(Kramer & Sigman Films, El Deseo P.C - S.A.) (Argentina, Spain).

Premio Platino for Best Directing

Alberto Rodríguez (Spain), for "La Isla Mínima." Alejandro Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La danza de la Realidad." Álvaro Brechner (Uruguay), for "Mr Kaplan." António-Pedro Vasconcelos (Portugal), for "Os gatos não têm vertigens." Claudia Pinto (Venezuela), for "La Distancia más Larga." Damián Szifron (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Daniel Monzón (Spain), for "El Niño." Daniel Vega (Peru) and Diego Vega (Peru), for "El Mudo." Ernesto Daranas (Cuba), for "Conducta." Fernando Coimbra (Brazil), for "O lobo atrás da porta." Fernando Pérez (Cuba), "La Pared de las Palabras." Luis Estrada (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta." Mariana Rondón (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Miguel Cohan (Argentina), for "Betibú." Sebastián del Amo (Mexico), for "Cantinflas. "

Premio Platino for Best Actor

Benicio Del Toro (Puerto Rico), for Escobar. "Paraíso Perdido." Damián Alcázar (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta. Dani Rovira (Spain), for "Ocho Apellidos Vascos." Daniel Candia (Chile), for "Matar a un Hombre." Daniel Fanego (Argentina), for "Betibú." Edgar Ramírez (Venezuela), for "Libertador." Fernando Bacilio (Peru), "El Mudo." Ghilherme Lobo (Brazil), "The Way He Looks." Javier Gutiérrez (Spain), for "La Isla Mínima." Jorge Perugorría (Cuba), for "La Pared de las Palabras." Leonardo Sbaraglia (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Oscar Jaenada (Spain), by "Cantinflas." Salvador del Solar (Peru), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Viggo Mortensen (USA), for "Jauja." Wagner Moura (Brazil), for "Futuro Beach" .

Premio Platino for Best Actress

Angie Cepeda (Colombia), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Bárbara Lennie (Spain), by "Magical Girl." Carme Elías (Spain), for "La Distancia Más Larga." Elena Anaya (Spain), for "Todos Están Muertos." Érica Rivas (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Geraldine Chaplin (USA), for "Dólares de Arena." Isabel Santos (Cuba), for "La Pared de las Palabras." Julieta Díaz (Argentina), for "Refugiado." Laura de la Uz (Cuba), for "Vestido de Novia." Leandra Leal (Brazil), for "O Lobo Atrás da Porta." Maria do Céu Guerra (Portugal), for "Os gatos não têm vertigens." Martha Higareda (Mexico), for "Cásese Quien Pueda." Paulina García (Chile), for "Las Analfabetas." Samantha Castillo (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Silvia Navarro (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta. "

Premio Platino for Best Original Score

Adán Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La Danza de la Realidad." Antonio Pinto (Brazil), for "Trash. A esperança vem do lixo." Edilio Paredes (Dominican Republic), Ramón Cordero (Dominican Republic), Benjamín de Menil (Dominican Republic), for "Dólares de Arena." Federico Jusid (Argentina), for "Betibú" Gustavo Dudamel (Venezuela), for "Libertador." Gustavo Santaolalla (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Juan A. Leyva (Cuba), Magda R. Galbán (Cuba), for "Conducta." Julio de la Rosa (Spain), for "La iIsla Mínima." Mikel Salas (Spain), for "Mr Kaplan." Pedro Subercaseaux (Chile), for "Crystal Fairy y el Cactus Mágico." Ricardo Cutz (Brazil), "O lobo atrás da porta." Roque Baños (Spain), for "El Niño." Ruy Folguera (Argentina), for" Olvidados." Selma Mutal (Peru), for "El Elefante Desaparecido." Vicent Barrière (France), for "La Distancia más Larga."

Premio Platino for Best Animated Film

"Até que a Sbórnia nos Separe" (Otto Desenhos Animados) (Brazil). "Dixie y la Rebelión Zombi" (Abra Prod. S.L.) (Spain) "El Ultimo Mago o Bilembambudín" (Fabula Producciones, Aleph Media S.A., Filmar Uno) (Argentina, Chile). "Historia de Cronopios y de Famas" (Prodarte) (Argentina). "La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato" (Ánima Estudios, S.A. De C.V.) (Mexico). "La Tropa de Trapo en la Selva del Arcoíris" (Continental Producciones, S.L, Anera Films, S.L., Abano Producions, S.L. La Tropa De Trapo, S.L.) (Spain, Brazil). "Meñique" (Ficción Producciones, S.L., Estudios De Animación Icaic) (Cuba, Spain). "Mortadelo y Filemón Contra Jimmy el Cachondo" (Zeta Audiovisual y Películas Pendelton) (Spain). "The Boy and the World" (Filme de Papel) (Brazil). "Pichinguitos. Tgus, la Película" (Non Plus Ultra) (Mexico, Honduras). "Ritos de Passagem" (Liberato Produçoes Culturais) (Brazil).

Premio Platino for Best Documentary Film

• "¿Quién es Dayani Cristal?" (Canana Films, Pulse Films Limited) (Mexico).

"2014, Nacido en Gaza" (La Claqueta Pc, S.L.Contramedia Films) (Spain). "Avant" (Trivial Media Srl, Tarkio Film) (Uruguay, Argentina). "Buscando a Gastón" (Chiwake Films) (Peru). "E agora? Lémbra-me" (C.R.I.M. Produçoes, Presente Edições De Autor) (Portugal). "El Color que Cayó del Cielo" (K & S Films) (Argentina). "El Ojo del Tiburón" (Astronauta Films, Gema Films) (Argentina, Spain). "El Río que Nos Atraviesa" (Ochi Producciones, Maraisa Films Producciones) (Venezuela). "El Sueño de Todos" (S3d Films, Tridi Films) (Chile). "El Vals de los Inútiles" (La Pata De Juana, Cusicanqui Films) (Chile, Argentina). "Invasión" (Apertura Films, Ajimolido Films) (Panama, Argentina). "Maracaná" (Coral Cine, S.R.L., Tenfield S.A.) (Uruguay, Brazil). "The Salt of the Earth" (Decia Films) (Brazil) "Paco de Lucía. La búsqueda" (Ziggurat Films, S.L.) (Spain) "Pichuco" (Puente Films) (Argentina).

Premio Platino for Best Screenplay

Alberto Rodríguez (Spain), Rafael Cobos (Spain), for" La Isla Mínima." Alejandro Jodorowsky (Chile), for "La Danza de la Realidad." Álvaro Brechner (Uruguay), for "Mr. Kaplan." Anahí Berneri (Argentina), Javier Van Couter (Argentina), for "Aire Libre." Carlos Vermut (Spain), for "Magical Girl." Claudia Pinto (Venezuela), for "La Distancia Más Larga." Damián Szifron (Argentina), for "Relatos Salvajes." Daniel Ribeiro (Brazil), for "The Way He Looks." Daniel Vega (Peru), Diego Vega (Peru), for "El Mudo." Ernesto Daranas (Cuba), for "Conducta." Fernando Coimbra (Brazil), for "O lobo atrás da porta." Luis Arambilet (Dominican Republic), for "Código Paz." Luis Estrada (Mexico), Jaime Sampietro (Mexico), for "La Dictadura Perfecta." Mariana Rondón (Venezuela), for "Pelo Malo." Tiago Santos (Portugal) for "Os gatos não têm vertigens. "

Premio Platino for Best Ibero-American Fiction Debut

"10.000 Km," by Carlos Marqués- Marcet (Lastor Media, S.L., La Panda) (Spain). "23 segundos," by Dimitry Rudakov (Clever Producciones) (Uruguay). "Branco sai, preto fica," by Adirley Queirós (Cinco Da Norte Serviços Audiovisuais) (Brazil). "Ciencias Naturales," by Matías Lucchesi (Tarea Fina, Metaluna Productions) (Argentina). "Código Paz," by Pedro Urrutia (One Alliance Srl) (Dominican Republic). "Feriado" by Diego Araujo (Cepa Audiovisual S.R.L., Abacafilms, S.A., Lunafilms Audiovisual) (Ecuador, Argentina). Historias del Canal (Hypatia Films, Manglar Films, Tvn Films and Wp Films) (Panama). "La Distancia Más Larga," by Claudia Pinto (Castro Producciones Cinematograficas, S.L.U., Sin Rodeos Films C.A., Claudia Lepage) (Venezuela). "Las Vacas con Gafas," by Alex Santiago Pérez (Cozy Light Pictures) (Puerto Rico). "Luna de Cigarras," by Jorge Bedoya (Oima Films, Koreko Gua, S.R.L., Sabate Films) (Paraguay). "Mateo," by Maria Gamboa (Hangar Filmsdiafragma, Fabrica De Peliculas, Cine Sud Promotion) (Colombia). "Perro Guardian," by Bacha Caravedo, Chinón Higashionna (Señor Z)(Peru). "Vestido de Novia," by Marilyn Solaya (Icaic) (Cuba). "Visitantes," by Acan Coen (Sobrevivientes Films, Akira Producciones, Nodancingtoday) (Mexico). "Volantín Cortao," by Diego Ayala and Aníbal Jofré (Gallinazo Films) (Chile)...

Here’s a solution for the indecisive moviegoers. Not sure if you’re in the mood for a drama or comedy or a thriller? Well, how about an anthology? It’s like a good short story collection, or you could call this type of flick a movie buffet or a cinema smorgasbord. Most of the time, these films, in their earlier incarnations, center around a setting (Grand Hotel), a gathering (Dinner At Eight), or an incident (the big cash winners in If I Had A Million). There are animation anthologies (the most famous may be Fantasia or Allegro Non Tropo) and musicals (Invitation To The Dance). The most prolific type may be those in the horror genre, beginning with 1945’s landmark Dead Of Night. In the 60’s and 70’s, Amicus Studios made their mark with Torture Garden and The House That Dripped Blood along with the EC Comics-inspired Tales From The Crypt...

Chicago – Road rage, parking fines and weddings are unlikely subjects designed to showcase criminal inhumanity, but “Wild Tales” – from Argentina – takes those common themes and provides some lessons on the breakdown of our civilizaton, in a momentous prologue and five stellar stories.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Personally, this is the nominated film that should have won the Best Foreign Language Film, because of its commonality and recognizable expression. After the audacious prologue, the titles are shown over animals in the wild, which in actuality we still are, and still inhabit. The five “wild tales” (“Relatos salvajes” in its native title) highlight murder, deception, betrayal, ignorance and the bliss of “civilization” that results from all of these societal ills. Yet as a whole it’s not a downer, because writer/director Damián Szifrón adds the spice of dark humor and a strange hope at the end. We are the sum of all our parts,...

Wild Tales

Written by Damián Szifron

Directed by Damián Szifron

Argentina, 2014

Wild Tales fulfills an Argentine need for release and catharsis. It’s engineered to reflect the zeitgeist or, at least, its own interpretation of the national mood. It stages a multidirectional offensive against marriage, city and national governments, illogical bureaucracy, class and ethnic resentment, and even parenthood. Damián Szifrón, its director and writer, locates six unconnected narratives in clearly Argentine contexts, but mostly avoids specifics: they happen in the present day, are symptomatic of ongoing social and political tensions, but also occur during an unspecified time, as likely today as yesterday and tomorrow, and no people, groups, or parties are explicitly singled out for criticism. No one and everyone is to blame for our spiteful and violent collective moment.

This is no subtle analysis of reasons and origins, only a spectacular, sensational snapshot, or rather an hilarious, infinitely-watchable, and ultimately adolescent cry.

Title: Wild Tales Director: Damián Szifrón Starring: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez Making a film as a series of unconnected segments is a brave endeavor. Often, vignettes written and directed by different filmmakers have been sewn together to create one cohesive whole, such as Paris, Je T’aime and Four Rooms. One director steering the entire ship is less common, but such an innovative approach bears a look. This Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film, from Argentina, formidably fulfills its title, spinning a handful of wild tales, all focused on those with severe issues repressing their anger, which leads to legendary outbursts that have [ Read More ]

The post Wild Tales Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

#1. "Maps to the Stars" (Feb 27)(Film Page) Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams Distributor: Focus World Criticwire Average: B Why is it a "Must See"? Cronenberg's followup to 2012's "Cosmopolis" (and the first project by the Canadian director shot in the United States) does a far better job of skewing capitalism's discontents by exploring their manifestations in the American movie business. Every missive hits its target hard with a comedy-horror combo aimed squarely at the kind of commercial stupidity that Cronenberg has avoided throughout his 45-year career. Now we know why.  #2. "Wild Tales" (Feb 20) (Film Page) Director: Damian Szifron Cast: Ricardo Darin, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Erica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, Dario Grandinetti Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics Criticwire Average: A- Why is it a "Must See"?...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

Argentina was the only Latin American country to have a film in the Official Competition in the Cannes Film Festival in 2014, eligible for the Palme d'Or. In the press conference announcing the selection, Thierry Fremaux, General Delegate of the festival, described it as “a surreal and controversial film which looks set to divide the waters in Cannes.” It also played Toronto and Telluride. It is the official selection of Argentina for consideration for the Academy Award Competition for Best Foreign Language Film.

It is a production of Argentina’s Kramer & Sigman Films and Spain’s El Deseo (Almodóvar’s production company), co-produced by Telefe, Argentina’s federal television station. It was written and directed by Damian Szifrón and stars Ricardo Darin, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez, Darío Grandinetti, Rita Cortese and Julieta Zylberberg, In Argentina, it grossed $17.2 million through November 2 thus helping to push Argentina’s 2014 local film market share toward 16%-17%, according to Lucrecia Cardoso, President of Argentina’s national film body Incaa.

It is being sold internationally by Film Factory. At its entry into the marketplace at Afm in 2013, it presold to Greece -Spentzos Film Sa, So. Korea -Doki Entertainment, Taiwan -Creative Century Entertainment Co., Ltd., Latin America -Palmera International, and for parts of Europe to Warner Bros. Entertainment Europe.

In Cannes it sold to Sony Pictures Classics for No. America; Warner Bros picked up French rights and Cinéart took Benelux rights. Since then it has also sold to Mozinet for Hungary,Prokino Filmverleih for Germany, Lucky Red for Italy and Gutek Film for Poland. As of press time, it has also sold to Metropole and Mongrel for Canada, Lev Films (Shani) for Israel, Actonfilm for Norway, Pris Audiovisuais for Portugal, Cinema Prestige for Russia and Artificial Eye for U.K.

"Wild Tales" is structured in six stories of different genres. As the first story opens, the mark of Almovodor is very strong and recognizable as the characters, passengers of an airplane, discover the most outrageous coincidences as they discuss events they were part of with one specific (and the same) individual. The absurdities of civilized conversation of this segment become increasingly degraded and the ending story takes the audience on a wildly Bunuel-escapade at what is described as a Jewish Wedding. Told with such an accelerated glee, the humor of the tales is finally accepted with joy, though getting to that point only comes after some equally grueling nightmarish stories of macho madness – but oh so wickedly funny!

Perhaps more aptly titled, Savage Tales, the people in these short stories are not like wild animals as much as they are like savages in the most primitive and barbaric ways. The thin veneer of civilization quickly cracks under the pressures of the worst aspects of modern existence today in our super capitalistic societies. The inner reserves of patience and perseverance have been depleted.

We recognize ourselves in these tales and want to hide our eyes as our own savage selves are revealed. Damian Szifron’s own statement on the film attests to this.

He says,

"These tales spring from the most unrestrained corners of the imagination. While I was working to develop other projects – often dispirited by the fact that they were impossible to realize – I began writing a series of short stories to vent my frustrations. When I put them together in one volume, I realized that they were connected by a series of themes that provided unity and coherence: They were all about catharsis, vengeance and destruction. And the undeniable pleasure of losing control.

I frequently think of Western capitalist society as a sort of transparent cage that reduces our sensitivity and distorts our bonds with others. “Wild Tales” presents a group of individuals who live within this cage without being aware of its existence. But at that point where most of us would repress – or get depressed – these people shift into gear."

I watched this with a friend (Tara Fass who blogs for Huffington Post) and am hereby stealing her very apt observation, that all theses stories are told “from within”. Not only are the settings “from within”: “Pasternak” is in an airplane, “The Rats” within a kitchen which is within a restaurant, “Road to Hell” within a car, “Bombita” is an exception, although it ends within a prison, “The Deal” I have already forgotten, and “Til Death Do Us Part” takes place within a wedding hall except when the bride escapes to the roof. On a parallel track, they take place from within the psyche and burst forth explosively into the reality of existence. Sometimes horrifying and sometimes hilarious and always the dark human element gaining the upper hand, this is a movie about people experiencing a reality as it shifts and becomes unpredictable causing them to cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Everyday encounters drive these characters to madness as they cede to the undeniable pleasure of losing control.

Will it get the Academy Award? No, and I predict it will not be nominated either because it does not fit the “Academy” tastes for serious drama, and the format is less appealing than a full blown feature film that satisfies the arc of characters and plot. But it is an unforgettable experience which I hope many people will pay to see. It reminds me of “Divorce Italiian Style”. This is a wild ride, an excruciatingly delectable trip.

Whenever I go to the Sundance Film Festival, the movies that I look forward to seeing most are the Park City At Midnight films. Those are the crazy fun genre movies that a lot of you would also enjoy watching. Sundance has announced the movie lineup for those film as well as the films in the Spotlight and New Frontier sections. It looks like there are a lot of cool movies that are going to be worth watching this year. Especially in the Park City At Midnight lineup. I'm really excited about going this year! Check out the Competition movie line-up here.

Park City At Midnight

From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.

Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon,...

John Nein was not always a Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival — it’s only been eight years. When he began at Sundance in 2002 he was always watching movies of course. More than that, like John Cooper said, he just didn’t shut up when he was in the room; he was opinionated and spoke his opinions. He also always liked international cinema as he was born in Ireland and grew up in The Netherlands, Belgium and London where his father worked for international companies. When he was 12 he came to the U.S.

The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.

John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.

There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.

Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?

John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.

He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “

Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.

John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.

All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .

Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.

John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.

And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.

Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .

Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.

John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.

Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?

John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:

“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.

Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.

John : Are there any that stand out for you?

Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?

John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.

Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.

John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.

Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.

Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!

For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.

The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film

The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.

Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.

I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.

The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.

People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.

Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.

The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.

Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.

Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.

The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.

Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.

U.S. Documentary Competition

Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.

3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.

Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.

Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.

Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.

Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.

City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.

Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.

Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.

How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.

Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.

Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.

Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.

(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.

Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.

Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.

The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.

World Cinema Dramatic Competition

Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere

Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere

Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere

Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk

Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere

Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere

Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere

The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere

Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere

Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere

The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.

Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere

World Cinema Documentary Competition

Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.

The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere

Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere

The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere

Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA

Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere

Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere

How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film

Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere

Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere

The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere

Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere

The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere

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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.

Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere

Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere

Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere

Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere

H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere

James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere

Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere

The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere

" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media

Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere

Spotlight

Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere

'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.

99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.

Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere

Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.

Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.

The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.

White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere

Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.

Park City At Midnight

From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.

Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere

The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere

Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere

It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.

Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere

The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere

Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere

Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere

New Frontier Films

The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere

Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere

The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere

Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere

Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere

Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere

New Frontier Installations

1979 Revolution Game

Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari

1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.

Assent

Artist: Oscar Raby

This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.

Birdly

Artist: Max Rheiner

Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.

Dérive

Artist: François Quévillon

This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.

Evolution of Verse

Artist: Chris Milk

Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.

Kaiju Fury!

Artist: Ian Hunter

A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.

Paradise

Artist: Pleix

Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.

Perspective; Chapter I: The Party

Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May

A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.

Possibilia

Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

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Title: Wild Tales (Relatos Salvajes) Director: Damián Szifrón Starring: Ricardo Darín, Óscar Martínez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylbergberg, Darío Grandinetti. ‘Wild Tales’ (Relatos Salvajes) is a beautifully cynical Argentine black comedy drama, that has been selected as the Argentine entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. The movie can boast the blessing of producers Pedro and Agustín Almldóvar, who teamed up with co-producers Hugo Sigman, Matías Mosteirín, Esther García, Claudio Belocopitt, Gerardo Rozín. The cast (Ricardo Darín, Óscar Martínez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylbergberg, Darío Grandinetti), is absolutely brilliant in giving life to the wildest and darkest sides of [ Read More ]

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99 Homes

Following yesterday’s announcement of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival’s In-Competition films, the festival has released its lineup of Spotlight, Park City At Midnight and New Frontier Films.

Among the lineup is 99 Homes, Ramin Bahrani’s Middle-America drama on foreclosures starring Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield. The film premiered at Toronto and Venice earlier this year and will finally get a release early in 2015. Joining it are the British Independent Film Award-nominated ’71, and the much hyped Eden from Mia Hansen-Løve and Girlhood from Céline Sciamma.

On the At Midnight circuit, the hot ticket is Knock Knock from Director Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves in what Deadline describes as a “psychosexual home invasion pic”.

Also included in this announcement is a lineup of New Frontier art installations that will be visible across Park City, including one called Way to Go by artist Vincent Morisset, a big collaborator with Arcade Fire.

We’ve been appreciating the clearly defined, distributor friendly, solid eight Spotlight section since it’s inception a couple of years back. In 2014 we had sugary, critic darlings from the world film festival circuit in films from Pawel Pawlikowski, Steven Knight and a solid foursome from Cannes from the likes of Jeremy Saulnier, Ritesh Batra, Jim Jarmusch and Alain Guiraudie. This year we have a pair from Berlin (Aloft, ’71), four films from Cannes (Girlhood, The Tribe, White Dog, Wild Tales), one from Venice (99 Homes), one from Tiff (Eden) and Mark Cousins’ London BFI preemed, 6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia. This really is a cinephile’s wetdream.

6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia/ United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a...

It’s less than two months until the streets and theaters of Park City are going to be packed with filmmakers, film fans and buyers attending the 2015 Sundance Film Festival from January 22 to February 1. Yesterday the Robert Redford-founded fest announced its U.S. and World Cinema dramatic and documentary competition selections along with the pics in its Next section. Today, with some Andrew Garfield, Keanu Reeves, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Bacon and Charlotte Rampling starrers among them, Sundance revealed its non-competitive Spotlight and Park City At Midnight slates along with the films and installations of the New Frontier category - see the full list below.

Like yesterday’s slate announcements there are some big, big screen names appearing at Sundance this year. Garfield, who has that other gig as certain webslinger, is in the Ramin Bahrani-directed 99 Homes with Michael Shannon and Laura Dern. Having played at Tiff and Venice,...

One day after announcing the World and Us Drama and Documentary Competition entries for both, Sundance revealed the films in the Spotlight and Park City at Midnight programs, as well as the films and art installations that will be part of the New Frontiers program at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Drew McWeeny will be handling the Park City at Midnight announcement, just as he'll be handling our coverage of the Midnight slate from Sundance. The Spotlight program is set aside for films that may have played in festivals around the world or even domestically, but have support amidst the Sundance selectors. The high profile entries in the Spotlight program include Kornél Mundruczó's "White God," which won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes last summer. It's the story of a girl who has to give up her mixed-breed dog and the journey girl and dog take to be reunited.

The 2015 selection includes a strong Latin American flavour, led by Eli Roth’s Chilewood psychosexual Park City At Midnight entry Knock Knock starring Keanu Reeves and Lorenza Izzo.

Mexico-based Dark Factory’s thriller Reversal also premieres in the section, while the New Frontier film slate includes Carlos Moreno’s Liveforever from Colombia-Mexico.

Spotlight — Sundance programmers’ tribute to their favourite films of 2014 — includes Argentinean box office smash and Academy Awards submission Wild Tales (pictured) from Damián Szifrón.

Among the Midnight films are Rodney Ascher’s sleep paralysis documentary The Nightmare, Bruce McDonald’s Hellions from Canada, Cop Car from the Us starring Kevin Bacon and Irish-uk forest-set The Hallow from Corin Hardy.

Spotlight selections also feature Yann Demange’s feted UK thriller ‘71, Kornél Mundruczó’s Hungarian drama White God and Mia Hansen-Løve’s Eden from France. Canadian auteur Guy Maddin is back withThe Forbidden Room, which he co-directed with Evan Johnson, in New Frontier...

Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales won all major categories at the Sur Awards, the Argentine equivalent of the Oscars, taking 10 of its 15 nominations. The dark comedy won 10 awards for best film, director (Szifron), actress (Erica Rivas), actor (Oscar Martínez), supporting actor (German De Silva), original screenplay (Szifrón), cinematography (Javier Julia), sound (Jose Luis Diaz), editing (Pablo Barbieri, Damian Szifron) and original score by two-times Oscar-winner Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel, Brokeback Mountain) “Thanks to all the people that worked in the film and allowed for this script to become something much better than what I had written. I also need to

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"It's socially committed, it's fun and it's massive"

The Argentine film "Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes) was part of this year's Cannes Official Selection. Here is piece on the film's recent press conference in its home country published by Filming in Argentina.

By Benjamín Harguindey

"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes) is easily the most hyped movie of the year: an international big-budget co-production signed by Pedro Almodóvar, scored by Academy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla, directed by the immensely popular TV showrunner Damián Szifron (in a comeback no less) and featuring a star-studded cast of A-list actors such as Ricardo Darín, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Oscar Martínez , Julieta Zylberberg, Rita Cortese, Erica Rivas and Darío Grandinetti . You haven’t seen a crowd-pleaser this big since "The Secret in Their Eyes."

The film is composed of a series of segments that are thematically related by everyday “slice of life” spiraling out of control and usually into the realm of dark comedy. Following a press screening, the director and his leading cast gathered around for a conference at Hoyts Abasto. They were joined by producers Axel Kuschevatzky and Hugo Sigman.

Actress Érica Rivas and writer/director Damián Szifron.

A lot of the stories in the movie are linked by the motif of social violence. Is that a comment on actuality? There’re those that refer to this social malaise. Did you mean to address it?

Szifron : I must’ve meant something by it, but I think the movie expresses so much more than just the stuff I consciously decided to address. I’m more interested in your view of the movie than mine. Regarding this “malaise”, one evidently becomes a sort of antenna that goes around picking up what’s happening in your surroundings. That happens to anybody dedicated to any form of artistic discipline. You feed on reality, and what you put up on that big screen feeds reality back. For as long as I have memory I’ve experienced this social malaise you talk about. I’ve seen it in many countries. But yes, the movie casts a critical eye on society and the distortion of social behavior.

Left to right: producer Hugo Sigman, actors Ricardo Darín, Oscar Martínez, Julieta Zylberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas, Darío Grandinetti, Rita Cortese, writer/director Damián Szifron and producer Axel Kuschevatzky.

How did you go about putting up this “dream team” for the making of this movie?

Sigman : The actors and actresses were enormously generous in taking part of the project, their collaboration was extraordinary and I’m not just talking about their performances. We saw the finished movie at the Warner Bros. studios in Spain, with Agustín and Pedro Almodóvar. When the screening ended, the Warner CEO said “This doesn’t feel like a Spanish or a Latin American movie”. We always dreamt of doing a movie this big. Our objectives were to do a movie with [social] content, to make it fun and to make it massive. To have such a wonderful writer and director like Damián [Szifron] as well as this group of exceptional professionals is what made it possible.

Left to right: actors Julieta Zylberberg, Darío Grandinetti and Érica Rivas.

The press questions started veering towards the cast and working with Damián Szifron.

Sbaraglia : Damián is a very precise director about what he wants, absolutely precise. He always directs you with the spectator in mind. He says “I’d like the audience to think this here, I’d like the audience to feel this there”. Sure enough, once you see the movie with an audience you realize how every little tweak adds up to that one effect he was going for.

Grandinetti : It was my first time working with him, and I was pleased to find a man that knew full well what he wanted and created a very good workplace atmosphere. When we actors find a director in whom we can trust, there’s nothing we like more than letting him direct us, letting him tell us what to do. That doesn’t happen a lot. You’re thankful when that happens.

Szifron : I could speak just as gratefully about them. They say it was easy for them, but for me it was even easier because they’d come and perform excellently since take one. We bui

Left to right: actors Ricardo Darín and Oscar Martínez.

Then there was some talk about the movie’s successful stint at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Szifron : We spent hours filling the entry application, trying to figure out what genre it belonged to. It has humor, but I wouldn’t say it’s a comedy. It has drama, but I wouldn’t call it drama either, there’s a lot of laughter. One of our producers suggested the term “catastrophe movie”. I thought that sounded good. It’s about characters that go through a process of unleashing themselves. And people can relate to that pleasure of losing yourself in something.

MartÍNez : People were laughing and stomping all throughout the eve of the premiere, in every single segment. They would applaud gestures, punchlines, endings, jokes, characters’ exit… Almodóvar himself was sitting right next to me that evening and he told me that this kind of reaction was uncommon in that kind of audience, who tend to express themselves more economically. It was a wonderful night. It felt like we were watching the movie back in a theater in Argentina.

"Wild Tales" premieres August 14th in Argentina; September 17th in France, Spain and Poland and October 30th in the Netherlands.

The 39th Toronto International Film Festival has announced its initial slate of galas and special presentations, which includes 37 world premieres and several films with Oscar ambitions. The Judge, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as a big-city lawyer who reluctantly returns home and ends up defending his revered father (Robert Duvall) against criminal charges, will have its world premiere in Toronto. His Avengers pal, Chris Evans, will unveil his own directorial debut in Toronto, titled Before We Go.

Also noteworthy: James Gandolfini’s final film, The Drop, which also stars Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace; another Jason Reitman Toronto world premiere,...

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its initial wave of 2014 premieres and galas this morning and it features some familiar awards titles, some big stars and some unexpected studio titles. Among the major studio films, David Dobkin's "The Judge" with Robert Downey Jr. and Antoine Fuqua's "The Equalizer" each received gala slots and should premiere over the festival's opening weekend. Other announced galas so far include Bennett Miller's acclaimed "Foxcatcher," which debuted at Cannes, and Mike Binder's "Black and White" starring Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer and Anthony Mackie. Toronto has also scheduled special gala screenings for David Cronenberg's "Map to the Stars" with Julianne Moore and Robert Pattinson, François Ozon's "The New Girlfriend," Ed Zwick's "Pawn Sacrifice" with Tobey Maguire, Lone Scherfig's "The Riot Club," Jean-Marc Vallée's "Wild," Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano's "Samba" and Shawn Levy's "This is Where I Leave You...

Recently during the 67th Edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Cinema23, an association created in 2012 to promote Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese film culture, announced the Fénix Film Awards (Premio Iberoamericano de Cine Fénix). This unique event will take place for the first time in Mexico City in October 2014.

The Mexican actor, director and producer Gael García Bernal (in absentia because of his duties on the jury for Cannes Competition), Portuguese director and actress Maria de Medeiros, Brazilian actress Alice Braga, Spanish actress Paz Vega and Mexican actress Ana de la Reguera, presented the Fénix Film Awards to the international media as one of the key strategies of Cinema23 to provide visibility and recognition of the cinema made in the region.

“There is great variety in our region´s cinema with different forms and languages that in many cases reflect part of who we are. However we are not always able to enjoy it in our own countries, much less worldwide. The activities carried out by Cinema23 aim to develop a closer engagement between the filmmakers and their audiences. It is extremely important to have more visibility in order to gain recognition for the diversity of cinema. This is the premise under which we organized the Fénix Film Awards, commented Ricardo Giraldo, Director of Cinema23.

Ana de la Reguera added: “We have great talent in the region, but it is barely known outside film festivals; it’s important to find another way to reach a broader audience and I believe the Fénix Film Awards is a great strategy and opportunity to achieve it.”

“It is very important for us to get together, allowing us to get closer to the work of our colleagues in order to discover, meet and recognize the voices that make us so different. A celebration like this one opens up a space for us to meet and get to know each other. More importantly it will set the basis for a more profound way for us to share our ideas, create, and cooperate”, added Alice Braga.

María de Medeiros also mentioned: “We are creating a film community that has not existed till now. A community that aims to be inclusive by integrating not only those who make films but also those who study, promote, teach, distribute and exhibit films; so that we all help, support and communicate with each another, allowing our work to be shared both within and outside the region.”

Paz Vega commented: “Collaboration provides an opportunity for creative exchange that strengthens and nourishes our film culture. This collaboration and integration allows our industries to grow without losing their identity and create better opportunities. In the end, difference is what unites us.”

For the past two years, Cinema23 has been shaping a diverse film community from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking. The tasks of this community include movie promotion, study, reviews, festivals, distribution, exhibition and filmmaking. The editorial project Cinema23 Notebooks, the conferences during festivals and the student program Classroom Cinema are developed throughout the year, seeking a creative, cultural and knowledge exchange between the different film cultures. These strategies are complemented and strengthened for the general audience through the Fénix Film Awards.

The Fénix Film Awards granted by more than 350 film professionals from Mexico, Latin America, USA, Europe and Canada, will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions.

It is worth noting that the members of Cinema23 all have an active role in the selection, nomination and voting process for the Fénix Film Awards. Members include:

Karim Ainouz, Elena Anaya, José Carlos Avellar, Héctor Babenco, Luiz Carlos Barreto, Alice Braga, Brigitte Broch, Demián Bichir, Eugenio Caballero, Javier Cámara, Sebastián Cordero, Enrique Chediak, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón, María de Medeiros, Guillermo del Toro, Amat Escalante, Dolores Fonzi, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Iván Giroud, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Salma Hayek, Carlos F. Heredero, Dolores Heredia, Pablo Larraín, Juan de Dios Larraín, Sebastián Lelio, Fernando León de Aranoa, Mónica Lozano, Emmanuel Lubezki, Diego Luna, Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Michel, Luis Miñarro, Wagner Moura, Bertha Navarro, Luis Ospina, Fito Páez, Marisa Paredes, Rodrigo Plá, Alejandro Ramírez, Édgar Ramírez, José Luis Rebordinos, Ana de la Reguera, Carlos Reygadas, José María Riba, Erica Rivas, Catalina Sandino, Ilda Santiago, Rodrigo Santoro, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Albert Serra, Juan Carlos Tabío, Paz Vega, Maribel Verdú & Monika Wagenberg.

Other international members that participate in the various activities of the association include:

Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director Toronto International Film Festival), Frederic Boyer (Artistic Director Tribeca Film Festival), Klaus Eder (President Fipresci), Robert Koehler (Film Critic), Claudia Landsberger (Vice-President Eye Film Institute) and Sydney Levine (Indiewire Blog Sydneys Buzz).

The award ceremony will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcast live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.

To view Cinema23’s promotional video, click on the following link:

www.vimeo.com/81518414

To find out more about Cinema23 and the Fénix Film Awards please visit:

http://www.cinema23.com

About Cinema23

Cinema23 is an association created in 2012 to promote, support and raise awareness for the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese film culture. It is formed by a diverse group of people with outstanding career trajectories from the film community mainly from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking: directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, art directors, sound designers, music composers, costume designers, festival directors and programmers, critics, researchers, distributors and film exhibitors.

Cinema23 seeks a more participative community amongst it members and provides a forum for creative and cultural exchange and cooperation among filmmakers from the region. Its yearly strategies and projects aim to promote and safeguard contemporary Ibero-American film culture, reaching new audiences, sharing ideas and enhancing the visibility and fostering the work of those who make films in Ibero-America.

About the Premio iberoamericano de cine Fénix®, (Fénix Film Awards)

The Fénix Film Awards is the key strategy to further Cinema23’s aims. It celebrates and emphasizes the work of film professionals, provides international visibility and strengthens bonds from the region’s film industry besides captivating and reaching a broader audience.

The first Fénix Film Awards’ gala will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions. It will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcasted live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.

Cannes -- As I was standing in line last night outside the Salle Debussy, it was obvious that things were out of the control of the people running the festival. For those unfamiliar with the way badge hierarchy works at these events, Cannes has a carefully segregated caste system. If you have a white badge or a pink badge, the world is your oyster. You are able to walk in first, and you are given your choice of location. If you have a blue badge, you have to wait until white and pink have all been seated. And then beyond that, there are at least two more colors that have to wait even longer, and there's a good chance many of those people don't even make it inside. I'm rocking a blue badge this year, somewhere in the middle of the pecking order, which means I need to spend some...

Sony Pictures Classics has snapped up buzzed about competition contender Wild Tales for North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The film, sold by Film Factory, receives its premiere in Cannes today.

Wild Tales is coproduced by Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo in Spain and Hugo Sigman’s Kramer & Sigman in Argentina and directed by Damián Szifron.

The film is made up of six separate stories. It’s billed as “a darkly comic story of tragedy, love, deception, the past, and the violence lurking beneath the surface of the everyday. The characters of Wild Tales are pushed toward the abyss and into the undeniable pleasure of losing control, crossing the thin line that divides civilization from brutality.”

The cast is led by Ricardo Darín (The Secret in Their Eyes), Óscar Martínez (Empty Nest), Leonardo Sbaraglia (Red Lights), Rita Cortese (Brother and Sister), Julieta Zylberberg (A Boyfriend for My Wife), Erica Rivas (Lock Charmer) and Darío Grandinetti ([link...

Set in a chaotic period in 2008 when a disrupting layer of smoke covered the city of Buenos Aires, Natalia Smirnoff’s sophomore directing effort "Lock Charmer” is a subdued character study about a locksmith’s newfound gift to see hidden aspects of people around him. Heavily marked by superstition and his unwilling journey into self-discovery, the film’s protagonist exhibits an absorbing complexity, which is central to making this uncanny mix of credible performances and magic realism work. Surrounded by a group of opinionated middle-aged coworkers, Sebastian (Esteban Lamothe) is a charismatic man in his 30s whose relationships are marked by his inability to commit. While certainly vocal about his fondness for having multiple partners, his intimate friend Monica (Erica Rivas) is probably the most constant presence in his life. Thus, when she confesses that she's pregnant and doesn't know the identity of the father, Sebastian’s first instinct is to suggest an abortion.

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner, and the Sundance Institute has released the full line-up for the competition films that will be premiering!

This year there were 12,218 total submissions, and 117 films were accepted from 37 countries around the world. It looks like there's a lot of good selection of films this year.

The Sundance Film Festival 2014 runs from January 16th to the 26th, and the GeekTyrant team will be there to cover as many movies as we possibly can.

U.S. Dramatic Competition

The 16 films in this section are world premieres and, unless otherwise noted, are from the U.S.

“Camp X-Ray” — Directed and written by Peter Sattler. A young female guard at Guantanamo Bay forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch.

“Cold in July” — Directed by Jim Mickle, written by Nick Damici.