Looking at Film from Every Angle

The Inbox (Sep. 13-19, 2014)

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Wesley Lovell

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Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.


Image Gallery: The Good Lie

The Good Lie Gallery

Press Release: 2015 Parkes Elvis Festival Tickets Go On Sale

Parkes Putting On a Party for Presley

2015 Parkes Elvis Festival tickets on sale

Take my hand, take my whole life too…and take me to Parkes, NSW for the biggest Parkes Elvis Festival yet!

The program for the 23rd annual 2015 Parkes Elvis Festival has been announced and it’s certainly one fit for The King. Ticket sales have opened for program feature shows and events, so lace up those blue suede shoes and get booking!

Held over five days from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 January, 2015, the Festival theme this year is the 1964 film Roustabout.

The opening night of the Festival, Thursday 8 January, 2015 marks what would have been Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday. Being one of the first places in the world to celebrate the anniversary of the King’s birth, Parkes is putting on one hell of a carnival party.

The Opening Night Party will be an 80th Birthday Gala Dinner at the Parkes Leagues Club from 6pm on January 8. The ticket price includes a three-course dinner and entertainment featuring Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Damian Mullin, master of ceremonies Greg Page and legendary performer Mark Andrew telling the story of Elvis Presley’s life through words and song. Warm up those vocal cords and get ready to join the special guests and VIPs to cut the cake in honour of what would have been Elvis’ 80th year.

The ClubsNSW Keno Feature Concert Series is sure to be a smash hit at Parkes Elvis Festival this year, with four massive two-hour long shows by international sensation Justin Shandor. Performing on the 9th, 10th and 11th of January, Shandor will be taking audiences on a tour of the King’s greatest hits, from the Fifites on Friday, through the Sixties and Seventies on Saturday before mellowing into a Movie Years Matinee on Sunday. Get your tickets to each show now so as not to miss out on the whole ride – from back where it all began to our defining memories of Elvis Presley.

Hailing from the US, Shandor has been making a living as an Elvis tribute artist since he was 16 years old. He was named the Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc 2010 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist in Memphis and is the only Elvis Tribute Artist to grace the cover of USA Today. The impressive eight-piece Elvis in Concert Band will join Shandor for the Concert Series.

To close the Festival with a bang, the spectacular finale show, Legends of Rock, will pay tribute to three rock ’n’ roll greats. Held at the Parkes League Club on Sunday 11 January, Legends of Rock will star Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Sean Spiteri as Elvis Presley, Ross Mancini as Tom Jones and Aaron Mansfield as Roy Orbison.

Festival Director Emily Mann is thrilled with the 2015 program. “I’m so proud of the work that the Parkes Elvis Festival team has done this year in presenting such a fantastic program of events. We are hosting some of the most talented and incredible performers, and with the 2015 Festival landing on Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday, there’s no doubt that it’s going to be a rockin’ celebration, just as the King would’ve wanted!” Mann said.

In partnership with NSW TrainLink, Parkes Elvis Festival this year presents the NSW TrainLink Elvis Express to get festival-goers from Sydney to Parkes safely. Tickets are on sale from 10am today and are expected to sell out in minutes.

Parkes Elvis Festival will be jam-packed with free events, shows, concerts, street parades and much more.The program is now available online and in a print pocketguide format. The souvenir program will be available in November.

Press Release: Film Movement Announces Two DVD Boxed Sets

FILM MOVEMENT ANNOUNCES TWO DVD BOXED SETS SHOWCASING RECENT ISRAELI AND CROSS-CULTURAL CINEMA

BEYOND BORDERS arrives on September 30
FACES OF ISRAEL on October 7

Film Movement (www.filmmovement.com), the distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, announced that two DVD sets of films from Israel and concerning cultural and religious themes will be released in September on DVD. BEYOND BORDERS will be available on September 30 and FACES OF ISRAEL will be out on October 7.

The friendship between two people can lead to a better understanding of their different faiths. All three award-winning features in the box set BEYOND BORDERS reveal how discrimination and fear of the other can be resolved through individual connections. Included in the set are A Bottle in the Gaza Sea (2013), Thierry Binisti’s drama about the relationship forged against all odds by an Israeli girl in Jerusalem and a Palestinian boy in Gaza; Arranged (2007), Diane Crespo and Stefan C. Schaefer’s romantic comedy about an Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman who meet as first-year teachers at a Brooklyn public school; and Foreign Letters (2012), a comedy-drama from writer-director Ela Their, set in the 1980s and centering on an Israeli girl newly relocated to the U.S. and a Vietnamese refugee who becomes her friend in this strange new land.

In the last decade Israeli cinema has grown in both volume and quality, becoming a major presence at international film festivals and at the box office. The boxed set FACES OF ISRAEL collects some of the most enlightening and award-winning recent films from the country, highlighting the themes and issues that are intrinsic to its national identity. The set includes Campfire (2004), Israel’s Academy Award selection for Best Foreign-Language Film, written and directed by Joseph Cedar, about a widowed mother who moves from Jerusalem to the West Bank; For My Father (2008), Dror Zahavi’s drama about a suicide bomber whose deadly mission goes awry; Seven Minutes in Heaven (2008), Omri Givon’s story of a young survivor of a terrorist attack; and The Human Resources Manager (2010), Eran Riklis’ tragicomedy about the title executive trying to save the reputation of Israel’s largest industrial bakery business.

Press Release: Rooftop Films Announces 2014 Grant Winners

ROOFTOP FILMS ANNOUNCES THE 2014 ROOFTOP FILMMAKERS FUND GRANT WINNERS INCLUDING THE PIPER HEIDSIECK FEATURE FILM GRANT

Rooftop Films Program Director Dan Nuxoll, Filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour, and Senior Brand Director Piper-Heidsieck Romain Pianet

Ana Lily Amirpour (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night) Awarded $10,000 to Produce The Bad Batch

As Part of Notable Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund

– Rooftop Films today awarded fourteen cash and service grants to alumni filmmakers, including The Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund Piper-Heidsieck Feature Film Grant, which was awarded to director Ana Lily Amirpour. Amirpour was feted at a Piper-Heidsieck champagne reception at the spectacular garden rooftop of John Jay College on Monday in New York City and will receive a monetary grant of $10,000 to help finish her new film, The Bad Batch.

The Rooftop Films and Piper Heidsieck Feature Film Grant is the largest cash grant awarded as part of the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund this year. 14 different grants were awarded to Rooftop Films alumni in 2014, including grants supported by Eastern Effects, Edgeworx Studios, Technological Cinevideo Services, Domicile NYC, Downtown Community Television, and The Adrienne Shelley Foundation. To see a full list of the 2014 grantees with award details and film synopses, visit rooftopfilms.com/2014/info/produce.

COMPLETE LIST OF 2014 ROOFTOP FILMMAKERS FUND GRANTS:

Rooftop Films Piper-Heidsieck Feature Film Grant:
Ana Lily Amirpour, The Bad Batch

Rooftop Films Technological Cinevideo Services Camera Grant:
Rachel Israel, Keep the Change

Rooftop Films and Eastern Effects Equipment Grant:
Christina Choe, Nancy

Rooftop Films and Edgeworx Post-Production Grant:
Bernardo Britto, Jacqueline (Argentine)

Rooftop Films / DCTV Equipment and Services Feature Film Grant:
Trey Shults, Krisha

Rooftop Films / DCTV Equipment and Services Short Film Grant:
Frances Bodomo, Beatdown
Steven Girard, Floaters Dot Com

Rooftop Films Domicile NYC Sound Mix Grant:
Jarred Alterman and Ryan Scafuro, American Renaissance
Rooftop Films and Adrienne Shelly Foundation Short Film Grant For Women:
Debra Granik, Second Act

Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund Short Film Grant:
Joanna Arnow, Bad at Dancing
Frances Bodomo, Beatdown
Reka Bucsi, LOVE
Steven Girard, Floaters Dot Com
Efren Hernandez, Ham Heads

Selected for its grand and bold style of storytelling, Amirpour’s film is a highly twisted, unusual, romantic, and innovative movie set in a future dystopia. In a desert wasteland in Texas, a muscled cannibal breaks one important rule: don’t play with your food. The Bad Batch is a savage love story, like a psychedelic Road Warrior, inspired by films like El Topo and Wild at Heart. Shot in bold saturated hues and stylings of the 80’s & 90’s the film will also feature a wicked techno & western-laced soundtrack.

“Piper-Heidsieck has a long history of supporting the cinema, and we’re delighted to continue this tradition by recognizing Ana Lily Amirpour as the first-ever recipient of the Piper-Heidsieck Feature Film Grant,” says Romain Pianet, Senior Brand Director for Piper-Heidsieck. “The grant was created to support grand and bold direction in cinema, and we have selected a filmmaker whose past work and upcoming film exemplifies this direction. We are excited to be able to help bring this film to fruition.”

“A record number of entries were received this year and it was tougher than ever to select our winners from what was a stellar crop of films and scripts,” says Dan Nuxoll, programming director of Rooftop Films. “Each of the filmmakers that we awarded grants to this year have screened their impressive work at Rooftop Films events in the past and have demonstrated their talent, passion and perseverance throughout their careers. We are particularly excited to be supporting Ana Lily Amirpour’s latest work. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night screened this summer at Rooftop Films and that film showcases her extraordinary talent and unique flair for bringing unexpected, artful and innovative twists to a genre film. We are confident that The Bad Batch will be an exciting next step for one of the most exciting new filmmakers working in independent cinema today. A special thanks to Piper-Heidsieck –and all of our other sponsors, community partners, and audience members– for their significant help and commitment in support of these new and talented films and filmmakers.”

Amirpour was selected to attend the Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2014 for her script for The Bad Batch and the film is set to begin pre-production this fall and will begin shooting in the spring of 2015. Amirpour’s debut feature film, the Iranian Vampire Western A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, premiered in the NEXT section of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, screened to a sold out crowd on the roof of Industry City as part of the Rooftop Films Summer Series, and was opening night selection of the New Directors/New Films series at the MoMA. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night will be released in theaters this autumn by Kino Lorber.

Amirpour joins the ranks of past Rooftop Filmmakers Fund grantees, an illustrious group that includes Gillian Robespierre with her indie hit Obvious Child, Lucy Walker with her Academy Award-nominated short documentary The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Jeremy Saulnier’s Blue Ruin,which premiered at Cannes Director’s Fortnight and garnered the FIPRESCI Critics’ award, Keith Miller’s critically acclaimed and Tribeca Film Festival award winning Five Star, and Benh Zeitlin’s Academy Award-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild. Other Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund grantees have achieved tremendous success at film festivals and their films have reached audiences worldwide.

Press Release: “Dawn” to Have Oscar-Qualifying Run

ROSE MCGOWAN’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT DAWN

RSA/Black Dog Films announced today that after the critically acclaimed world premiere at Sundance Film Festival, the taut directorial debut from Rose McGowan, DAWN, will have an Oscar © qualifying run in Los Angeles at the Downtown Independent starting September 19th. Throughout the week, the short film will be accompanied by seven features, one per night, curated by McGowan at the first annual “Dawn Festival”.

“I’m curating a festival of directors that have given their lead women a strong voice. These stories could have been told with men in the title characters, but these directors showed us what happens when you break stereotypes. They have inspired me as a woman, as a director and as a person”, said Rose.

Realizing that her passion lies in filmmaking, Rose McGowan’s breakthrough directorial debut, DAWN, is a disturbing tale of a young girl’s budding sexuality and one’s desire to experience the unknown. Dawn (Tara Barr) is a quiet young teenager living in Kennedy era America who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life. When she strikes up an innocent flirtation with the boy who works at her local gas station (Reiley McClendon), she thinks that he is perhaps the answer to her teenage dreams. Though when she invites the boy and his friends into her otherwise cloistered world, she gets a lot more than she bargained for.

Carefully chosen by McGowan, the films that will accompany DAWN feature iconic performances by actresses that prove rich, complex and layered roles can and should be written for and by women. The following films will screen with Rose McGowan and special guests in attendance:

OSCAR © QUALIFYING RUN AT THE DOWNTOWN INDEPENDENT IN LOS ANGELES

Friday, Sep 19th, 8PM: THELMA & LOUISE
Saturday, Sep 20th, 7PM: SIXTEEN CANDLES
Sunday, Sep 21st, 7PM: ROSEMARY’S BABY
Monday, Sep 22nd, 8PM: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Tuesday, Sep 23rd, 7:30PM: HARLD AND MAUDE
Wednesday, Sep 24th, 8PM: CARRIE
Thursday, Sep 25th, 8PM: THE PARENT TRAP

Press Release: “On Strike!” On Home Video October 7

Coming to Home Video DVD and VOD on October 7 ON STRIKE! Films by Chris Marker & The Medvedkin Group

September 16, 2014: Icarus Films is proud to announce the October 7th home video release of two films on the workers’ strikes of 1968, BE SEEING YOU & CLASS OF STRUGGLE. After the filming of BE SEEING YOU (directed by Mario Marret & Chris Marker) about a landmark 1968 factory occupation, workers who were unhappy with their portrayal began being trained to make their own films collaboratively with Marker under the name The Medvedkin Group. Their first film was CLASS OF STRUGGLE.

This marks the tenth Chris Marker DVD released by Icarus Films Home Video, and coincides with the DVD release of Marker’s 1996 film LEVEL FIVE, also on 10/7/14.

Press Release: Winnie Lau Leaves FOrtissimo

LONG-TIME FORTISSIMO EXECUTIVE WINNIE LAU DEPARTING TO MOVE TO A SENIOR EXECUTIVE POSITION AT A LEADING PRODUCTION HOUSE

Fortissimo Films announced today that long time senior sales and acquisitions executive Winnie Lau, will be leaving the Company to go to a leading production house in a senior capacity there.

Lau has been has been with Fortissimo for more than 13 years serving in a variety of roles and had most recently been based in Beijing after stints in New York, Hong Kong and Amsterdam.

Michael J. Werner, Chairman of Fortissimo Films said, “Winnie has been a member of this special Fortissimo family for such a long time and we will all dearly miss her yet we are proud and thrilled for her that this unique opportunity has presented itself for her to work with an award winning director and producer in order to pursue a new phase in her career. “

Winnie Lau said, “Fortissimo is such a fantastic place for me to have come of age in the Industry. I had a great time and a great many years there and worked for and with some incredibly passionate and dedicated people like Michael Werner, Nelleke Driessen, Nicole Mackey and of course the late Wouter Barendrecht, who were not just colleagues but also dear friends. I am certain there are many more things that we will do and achieve together.”

Werner went on to say that additional executive announcements and appointments related to Fortissimo Films will be issued in the near future.

It is understood that a further press release with the designated company will be announced in the coming days.

ABOUT FORTISSIMO FILMS
Fortissimo Films is an international film, television and home entertainment sales organization specializing in the production, presentation, promotion and distribution of unique, award winning and innovative feature films from independent film makers from all over the world. For more information, please see www.fortissimofilms.com.

ABOUT DDA PUBLIC RELATIONS
DDA Public Relations, DDA Blueprint and DDA Event Management combine to form the largest independent agency in the entertainment sector. DDA was formed in 1970 in the UK and expanded to the United States in 1975. The Agency is managed by Chairman and Founder Dennis Davidson, CEO Lawrence Atkinson, COO John Stannard and President Dana Archer. DDA Event Management is run by partner Caroline Warburton and DDA Blueprint is run by Directors Aimée Norman and Janet Balmforth.

Press Release: “Under Our Skin 2” Available on DVD October 3

UNDER OUR SKIN 2: EMERGENCE Premiere screening in LA – Thursday, October 2nd at 7:30pm at the Music Hall

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star Yolanda Foster, Lyme sufferer and community advocate, will be appearing at the screening

DVD will be available on October 3rd

Open Eye Pictures is proud to present the DVD release of UNDER OUR SKIN 2: EMERGENCE, a film by Andy Abrahams Wilson. Following the premiere screening on Thursday, October 2nd at the Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles, the documentary will be available on DVD on October 3, 2014.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control says that 300,000 Americans contract Lyme disease each year—ten times more than previously admitted by health officials and higher than HIV and breast cancer combined. In fact, while the “Ice Bucket Challenge” has brought millions of dollars and unprecedented visibility to ALS, new research shows that untreated and undiagnosed Lyme disease often masquerades as ALS, as well as MS, Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and many other debilitating conditions.

In this dramatic follow-up to the widely acclaimed, award-winning UNDER OUR SKIN, EMERGENCE takes the viewer on a journey from horror to hope. We witness the emerging epidemic of Lyme disease as infection and education spread globally. We watch as the truth emerges about the disease’s persistence and reach, about promising new research, and about medical collusion and conflicts of interest in the CDC that continue to impede progress. We revisit the characters from UNDER OUR SKIN as they emerge into better health, reclaiming their lives and dignity, and offering hope to the legions now suffering. As Lyme disease surges, EMERGENCE shines a probing light on the issue and becomes a beacon in the dark.

About the Filmmaker:
Andy Abrahams Wilson studied journalism and anthropology at Northwestern University and received an MA from USC in visual anthropology and film. He is an Emmy-nominated producer and director of creative non-fiction films. Credits include THE GROVE (PBS), BUBBEH LEE & ME (HBO) and HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS (Sundance Channel). A recipient of a Pew Charitable Trust Fellowship in Dance/Media, Wilson has produced several dance films, including POSITIVE MOTION (Best of Show, Dance on Camera Festival) and RETURNING HOME (Grand Jury Award, Dance on Camera Festival). Wilson is a past Budget Director of the film distribution cooperative New Day Films and member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was recognized by the Northern California Marin Arts Coucil as an Outstanding Artisit, and by AMPAS for Outstanding Documentary Achievement. Andy produced and directed the critically acclaimed and multi award-winning UNDER OUR SKIN which was selected for the Oscar shortlist in 2009.

Press Release: American Film Institute Announces Key Dates for Annual Awards

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES AFI AWARDS 2014 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS AND KEY DATES

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN FILM AND TV CELEBRATED AT INVITATION-ONLY LUNCHEON ON JANUARY 9, 2015

HONOREES TO BE ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 8, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, LOS ANGELES, CA, September 16, 2014 – The American Film Institute’s “almanac” of the year’s most outstanding achievements in film and television, AFI Awards honorees will be announced on December 8, 2014, with an invitation-only luncheon to follow on January 9, 2015. Submissions are now being accepted online at AFI.com through 5:00 p.m. PT on October 23 for television and 5:00 p.m. PT on October 30 for film.

Favored by artists and entertainment executives for its intimacy and collaborative recognition, AFI Awards is the only national program that honors creative ensembles as a whole – those in front of and behind the camera. AFI will honor the talented teams that created the 10 most outstanding films and 10 most outstanding television programs of the year at a private luncheon in Los Angeles – popular among honorees because there are no winners and losers.

Marking the 15th chapter in the American Film Institute’s 21st century almanac, AFI Awards honorees are selected by a jury process comprised of experts from across the moving image communities – including film and television artists, scholars, critics and AFI Trustees.

Television Submission Deadline October 23, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. PT
Film Submission Deadline October 30, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. PT
Honorees Announced December 8, 2014
AFI AWARDS 2014 January 9, 2015

Press Release: “Still Waters” Set for November Release

CHRIS LOWELL’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT FILM BESIDE STILL WATERS SET FOR NOVEMBER RELEASE

TRIBECA FILM WILL RELEASE BESIDE STILL WATERS ON NOVEMBER 14TH THEATRICALLY AND ON NOVEMBER 18TH DIGITALLY

Directed, produced and co-written by Lowell with co-writer Mohit Narang, the film stars Ryan Eggold (“The Blacklist”), Beck Bennett (“Saturday Night Live”), Brett Dalton (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Erin Darke, Jessy Hodges, Will Brill, Britt Lower and Reid Scott (“Veep”).

Blending 16mm, Super 8mm & Lowell’s own B&W photography, Beside Still Waters received overwhelming support from its innovative Kickstarter campaign, where it quickly became the 13th most-funded narrative film of all time, and the only one of the top 100 to more than triple its goal, which was surpassed on the second day of a month-long campaign.

Winner of both the Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2013 Austin Film Festival, Beside Still Waters is about Daniel Thatcher (Ryan Eggold), a young romantic who has recently fallen on hard times, who enlists his childhood friends to relive the glory days of their youth, whether they like it or not.

Jason Potash and Paul Finkel produced through their Storyboard Entertainment banner and Lowell, Narang, and Steven Gorel also served as producers.

About Chris Lowell
Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Chris Lowell studied film production at the University of Southern California before continuing his studies at the New School. He has had great success in his acting career, performing in Oscar nominated films (The Help, Up in the Air) and award winning TV shows (Private Practice, Veronica Mars). Chris is also an alumnus of the highly respected Sundance Labs. Audiences recently saw Chris on the FOX comedy Enlisted and the Warner Bros. film Veronica Mars. He is currently in rehearsals for his theatrical debut at Ars Nova in the upcoming play Jacuzzi. In addition, Chris has built a successful career as a fine art photographer. His work is included in the Elton John Collection and the Sovereign Collection. His most recent exhibit “Thirty-One Days” recently opened at the Jackson Fine Art Gallery. As a writer, Chris’ first screenplay, The Bridgewater Umbrella was a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab.

About Tribeca Film
Tribeca Film is a comprehensive distribution label dedicated to acquiring and releasing independent films across multiple platforms, including theatrical, video-on-demand, digital, home video and television. It is an initiative from Tribeca Enterprises designed to provide new platforms for how film can be experienced, while supporting filmmakers and introducing audiences to films they might not otherwise see. Current and upcoming Tribeca Film releases include Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto, David MacKenzie’s Starred Up, Alex Ross Perry’s Listen Up Philip, and the documentary Nas: Time Is Illmatic.

Press Release: “Bronx Obama” Releases October 7

“BRONX OBAMA” DOCUMENTARY TO BE RELEASED ON ITUNES, VIMEO, AMAZON INSTANT VIDEO AND OTHER DIGITAL PLATFORMS OCTOBER 7, AHEAD OF NATIONAL TELEVISION DEBUT ON OCTOBER 29

New York Premiere Tomorrow Night 9/18 as Season Opener for the Stranger Than Fiction series at IFC Center; Los Angeles Premiere This Sunday 9/21 as Opening Night Film at Ambulante CA Film Festival

From director Ryan Murdock, Emmy-winning editor Jeremy Siefer, executive producers Greg Henry, Justin Weinstein, and consulting producer Dawn Porter

Featuring original music from Academy Award nominated Will Butler of Arcade Fire

NEW YORK – What if one day you looked in the mirror and saw the most powerful man in the world?

When Louis Ortiz shaved off his goatee one day in 2008, his life changed forever. He looked in the mirror and he didn’t see himself – a middle-aged, unemployed Puerto Rican father from the Bronx. He saw the face of change, of hope… of money. BRONX OBAMA tells the strange and improbable tale of a Barack Obama impersonator who tries to cash in on the “look of a lifetime” and chases a fevered American dream from opportunity to oblivion.

Filmmaker Ryan Murdock’s debut feature film has been in the making for over 3 years, as he intimately documented Mr. Ortiz’s transformation during Obama’s first term and throughout the 2012 election season. Murdock has rolled out this story in multiple parts – first as a 36-minute radio piece for NPR’s This American Life, then as a short film for The New York Times Op-Docs. The 90-minute feature documentary reveals a host of new characters; a manager who pushes Louis hard to “become Obama,” a seasoned “Bill Clinton” who dispenses advice, and a hard-working “Mitt Romney” who bets it all on his newfound career. Murdock captures unexpectedly hilarious moments along this Twilight-Zone-esque campaign trail while delving deep into the question of what it means to be someone you’re not.

BRONX OBAMA, which has been on the festival circuit throughout 2014 (it debuted at the True/False festival), is set for release on iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon Instant Video and other digital platforms on October 7. And it will have its national television debut on October 29, just days before the 2014 midterm elections.

A special preview screening will be held tomorrow night, September 18 as the season opener for the Stranger Than Fiction series at IFC Center in New York. Limited seats are available for press. Press interested in attending should e-mail NY_RSVP@the2050group.com.

The Los Angeles premiere will be this Sunday, September 21 at the opening night film at the Ambulante CA Film Festival. Press interested in attending should e-mail LA_RSVP@the2050group.com.

Director Ryan Murdock and Subject Louis Ortiz are available for interviews.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Ryan Murdock is an independent filmmaker and the creative director of his company, Saving Daylight Productions, which creates documentary media for clients and develops original editorial projects. His recent work has been featured on the BBC, The New York Times, MSNBC, The Huffington Post, and Gawker, among others. “Bronx Obama” is Ryan’s first feature length documentary. He adapted his story for an episode of This American Life and as a short for the New York Times.

Ryan has been working in documentary media for over 10 years. Before starting Saving Daylight, he worked at the PBS science series NOVA, where he produced Musical Minds, a documentary about the effects of music on the brain featuring Dr. Oliver Sacks that the New York Times called “revealing.” He also recorded over 300 audio interviews for StoryCorps, the NPR oral history project, and launched their podcast in 2007. His short work has screened at the IFC Center, DOCNYC, the Imagine Science Film Festival and numerous live performances. Murdock’s thesis film, a claymation short called Power Surge, won Best Animation at the 2004 Flicker Film Festival. He holds a B.S. in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University and is a graduate of the New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Entrepreneurship Program. He is also a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. The New York Times said Murdock “defies categorization,” which he considers a compliment.

WINNER – Best of Fest AFI Docs 2014
Official Selection HOTDOCS Film Festival 2014
Official Selection TRAVERSE CITY Film Festival 2014
Official Selection TRUE/FALSE Film Festival 2014 (World Premiere)
Official Selection FULL FRAME Film Festival 2014
Official Selection SARASOTA Film Festival 2014
Official Selection MONTCLAIR Film Festival 2014
Official Selection SF DocFest Film Festival 2014
Official Selection PORTLAND Film Festival 2014
Official Selection AMBULANTE CA Film Festival 2014

Press Release: Moonlight’s Hit Flicks Returns

A SUMMER NIGHT SEASON OF MOONLIGHT’S HIT FLICKS RETURNS

The bean beds have been fluffed, the lawns have been manicured and the silver screens are sparkling, ready to be lit up around the country for Moonlight Cinema’s nineteenth season in 2014/15.

Australia’s favourite and biggest outdoor cinema, Moonlight Cinema shows advance screenings, new releases and cult favourites all summer long. On gorgeous rolling lawns in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, film-lovers can recline on a picnic rug underneath the stars and catch a flick on the big screen for the quintessential summer cinema experience.

Drum roll please…the coming season dates are locked in and are as follows: Adelaide, Dec 4 – Feb 22 on the lawns of Botanic Park; Brisbane, Dec 4 – Feb 22 on the lawns of New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse; Melbourne, Dec 4 – Mar 29 on the Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens; Perth, Dec 7 – Mar 29 at Kings Park and Botanic Garden and Sydney, Dec 11 – Mar 29 on the lawns of Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park.

Saturday night live music sessions at the Sydney and Melbourne Moonlight Cinemas this season will be more than enough reason to get a big group of friends together and get there early. Bring some dips and cheese, pack a bottle or two of wine and enjoy some tunes as the sun goes down before the film. Barefoot dancing on the grass is almost mandatory.

No time to pack a picnic basket? No worries! A new LA style food truck will be serving up tantalising street fare at Moonlight Cinema nationally, adding a little extra pizzazz to the usual box of popcorn.

To toast the beginning of a long summer of cinema under the stars, Moonlight Cinema will be hosting glittering red carpet affairs at each venue, with celebrity guests adding a bit more star power to the already starlit event.

Returning this season will be the ever-popular Doggie Nights for film-loving pooches and their humans to catch a movie together, as well as everyone’s favourite cult classic nights and special themed screenings.

“The team at Moonlight Cinema are so excited to get the nineteenth season off and running,” said Ian Sutherland, the Director of Moonlight Cinema. “The new LA style food trucks and the live music nights at our Sydney and Melbourne venues are going to really bring a summer party vibe to Moonlight Cinema that I think people all over Australia will love to get involved in!”

As always, Moonlight Cinema’s Gold Grass offers the ultimate outdoor cinema experience; the perfect treat for someone special in your life. With reserved bean beds in a premium viewing location and wait service, you won’t even have to get up from your bean bed!

Moonlight Cinema brings the festival atmosphere to film-watching. Gates are open an hour and a half before the film starts so grab all your mates and loved ones for a night of summer fun, food and film under the stars!

Press Release: Film Movement Announces To Indie Releases for October 21

FILM MOVEMENT ANNOUNCES TWO ACCLAIMED INDIES AVAILABLE ON DVD OCTOBER 21

French period drama FOR A WOMAN and dark Spanish love story CANNIBAL available to own following strong theatrical releases

September 18, 2014 (NY, NY) – Film Movement, the distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films, announces today that FOR A WOMAN and CANNIBAL will be released on DVD on October 21. Both dramas, from France and Spain respectively, earned critical and audience acclaim following successful theatrical runs earlier this year.

The latest from Oscar®-nominated director Diane Kurys (Entre Nous, Peppermint Soda, Sagan), FOR A WOMAN is the semi-autobiographical story of Anne, a woman who discovers a family secret as her father lays dying. When her parents, Michel and Lena, escaped the concentration camps of World War II, they began a new life in France; not long after, Michel’s long-lost brother Jean shows up at their doorstep, and what ensues is a story of patriotism, rebellion, lust and desire. In a journey that stretches from post-war France to the 1980s, Anne’s destiny intertwines with her father’s past until they form a single unforgettable story. FOR A WOMAN opened theatrically in May, a film The Huffington Post calls “mysteriously watchable. It pulls you in without ever hinting at where it might take you. And that’s a gift!”

Called “a meditative study in precision, pain, loneliness and redemption” by Twitchfilm.com CANNIBAL enjoyed a theatrical release in July. A film by Spanish auteur Manuel Martin Cuenca and starring Goya Award-winning actor Antonio de la Torre (of Pedro Almodovar’s I’m So Excited!), CANNIBAL is the dark yet complex story of Carlos, the most respected tailor in Granada, Spain who also happens to have a macabre hobby he keeps to himself. When her twin sister goes missing, Nina arrives in town to find her, and soon Carlos is at a crossroads – will Nina be yet another victim in his fruitless, fatal search for love, or will she be the first to show him just what it means to forge a true connection to someone else?

Each DVD features a bonus short film specially selected to complement the feature. FOR A WOMAN includes the 20-minute short film from France, LA BALLON DE ROUGE, while CANNIBAL includes a 15-minute independent thriller, OGRE. Available to own on DVD October 21st, both feature films also become available to own digitally on all major platforms.

Press Release: PBS Acquires “Our Cameras, Our Stories”

PBS Acquires DCTV’s Landmark Documentary Series By Young New Yorkers

“Our Cameras, Our Stories” To Air Weekly On New York City WNET 13 And PBS Affiliates Across the Country

New York, NY (September 18, 2014) – Pioneering New York City media arts center Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) continues to find exciting ways to use media to empower New Yorkers by premiering short autobiographical documentaries by a group of talented high school film makers. “Our Cameras, Our Stories” is a six-week series of short documentary films made by young New Yorkers about their lives, and the often heartbreaking challenges of living in a very hard, big apple of a city. All the teenagers all used the facilities of DCTV to make their films.

From teenage homelessness, to coping with a crippling illness, to the difficulty of living in two widely divergent cultures, to dealing with a parent’s devastating mental illness… these stories are personal and intimate, told in a way that only those who have lived them can tell. And they are only the beginning. There are millions of New Yorkers under the age of 21. Can you imagine their stories? You don’t have to, because you can watch them.

“The most important aspect of this program is that it’s 100% kid built,” said DCTV co-founder and Co-Executive Director Jon Alpert. “They shot the films, they edited the films and, of course, they lived their films.”

17-year-old Jasmine Barkley was homeless for three years during high school. In her film When Life Hands You Lemons and despite coming from a broken family and having many of the responsibilities of an adult, she finds the strength she needs to survive in her passion for filmmaking and playing basketball, and in writing letters to her incarcerated father.
Ronald Merritt has lost 35 friends and relatives to gun violence at the tender age of 23. In My Camera’s My Gun Now, he breaks that cycle of violence.
Mohammed Yakub is a Bengali American, struggling between the world of his devout Muslim parents and his life as a typical American teenager.

These are only a few of the personal, heartfelt, and universal stories being told in “Our Cameras, Our Stories.”

There is no minimum age requirement to become a filmmaker and putting cameras in the hands of young people can enlighten us to stories that adults are not telling…or cannot tell. “There is nothing on TV that I want to see,” says filmmaker Derek Horton a 17 year-old from East New York. “Nothing that represents my life, my world.”

“We did the filming. We did the editing,” says Barkley. “I was homeless for 3 years while I was in High School. No one can imagine what it was like. No one else can tell my story, adding, “I want people to know what many young New Yorkers go through. And I want to inspire those facing the same challenges.”

“Far too often in our society, the young people are ignored,” said Alpert. “Their voices are no less valid than those of the adults in our world. This program gives the youth of New York a voice and we see no reason why it can’t serve as a pilot program for young people all over the world.”

“Our Cameras, Our Stories” will be broadcast every week on WNET 13, the nation’s largest and most prestigious public television station covering a population of over 20,000,000 viewers. This makes “Our Cameras, Our Stories” the most widely distributed series of youth made media in the country.

The series premieres on WNET 13 on October 4th at 1:30 pm followed by airdates all across the country. A total of 21 films by 21 young New York City young filmmakers will be featured as part of the series.

Downtown Community Television Center, Inc. (DCTV) is a non-profit independent media arts center that provides free and affordable public programs and services to NYC media artists, youth, and residents. These programs include media arts training workshops in moving image media, community access to state-of-the-art digital production equipment and edit systems, and production/screening facilities for public use.

Press Release: Industry Professionals to Speak at American Film Market 2014

INDUSTRY ELITES CONFIRM TO SPEAK AT AMERICAN FILM MARKET 2014

Top Independent Film Executives including Cassian Elwes, Mark Gill, Jill Jones and Russell Schwartz locked as panelists

Los Angeles – September 18, 2014 – The 2014 American Film Market, November 5-12th, proudly announced its initial speakers including some of the industry’s top independent producers, distributors, sales agents, marketing executives and film publicists. Renowned entertainment executives including Millennium Films’ President Mark Gill, WME Partner Mark Ankner and UTA’s Independent Film Group Co-Head Rena Ronson are confirmed to participate in the Production Conferences. The Distribution Conference attendees will hear from Tugg, Inc. CEO and independent producer Nicolas Gonda and Cinetic Media Founder John Sloss, while producer Cassian Elwes will take part in the Pitch Conference. Additional speakers include Relativity Media’s Russell Schwartz, CineTel President & CEO Paul Hertzberg, Mister Smith’s Jill Jones and UTA’s Alex Fragen.

AFM’s thought leadership programming spans over 30 sessions, giving participants access to exclusive knowledge and insights. Speakers will appear across various AFM platforms including the Conference Series, Producers Forum, Roundtables and Conversations. These engagements will run from Friday November 7th through to Tuesday November 11th.

“We are proud to host such a diverse group of industry experts from all over the world. AFM attendees will gain unique insights as our speakers reveal the future of film finance, marketing and distribution from a global perspective.” said AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf.

The confirmed list of speakers, in alphabetical order, include:

  • Richard Abramowitz, President, Abramorama
  • Rob Aft, President, Compliance Consulting
  • Mark Ankner, Global & Finance Distribution, WME
  • Dana Archer, President & Partner, DDA Public Relations
  • Tobin Armbrust, President, Worldwide Production and Acquisitions, Exclusive Media Group
  • Eric Brenner, Partner, Informant Media
  • Natalie Bruss, Vice President, Digital Partnership, ID PR
  • P. John Burke, Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP
  • Joseph Chianese, Executive Vice President, EP Financial Solutions
  • Mark Damon, CEO & Chairman, Foresight Unlimited
  • Clay Dollarhide, Publicist, Ginsberg/Libby
  • Bobby Downes, CEO & Founder, ChristianCinema.com
  • Cassian Elwes, Independent Producer/Agent
  • Clay Epstein, Senior Vice President, Sales & Acquisitions, Arclight Films
  • Alex Fragen, Global Distribution Strategist, UTA
  • Nolan Gallagher, Founder & CEO, Gravitas Ventures
  • Mark Gill, President, Millennium Films
  • Darrien Michele Gipson, National Director, SAGIndie
  • Nicolas Gonda, CEO, Tugg, Inc.
  • Ash Greyson, President & CEO, Ribbow Media
  • Rebecca Hawkes, Managing Director, Schedule 2
  • Paul Hertzberg, President & CEO, CineTel Films, Inc.
  • Kevin Iwashina, Managing Partner, Preferred Content
  • Susan Jackson, Co-President & Co-Founder, Freestyle Releasing
  • Jill Jones, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Partner, Mister Smith Entertainment
  • Sophia Karteris Kelly, Senior Vice President, Programming, UPtv
  • Marian Koltai-Levine, Executive Vice President Film, PMK*BNC
  • Jon Larson, Associate Western Executive Director, Directors Guild America
  • Adam Leipzig, CEO, Entertainment Media Partners
  • Barbara Mudge, President & Founder, Worldwide Film Entertainment
  • Emanuel Nunez, Agent, Paradigm
  • Stephanie Palmer, Founder, Good in a Room
  • Stacey Parks, Film Producer, Film Specific
  • Rena Ronson, Co-Head, Independent Film Group UTA
  • Russell Schwartz, President, Marketing, Relativity Media
  • John Sloss, Founder, Cinetic Media
  • Andrew Stevens, President & CEO, Stevens Entertainment Group
  • Adrian Ward, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Industries Division, Pacific Mercantile
  • Kay S. Wolf, Independent Film Executive , Writers Guild America, West
  • Anne Zeiser, President & CEO, Azure Media, LLC

For more information on all AFM 2014 panels and the full list of Conferences, Forums and Roundtables, please visit: http://www.americanfilmmarket.com/attendee

To book accreditation for this year’s AFM please visit: www.AmericanFilmMarket.com/attendee-options. For all media inquiries, including press credential, please visit: www.AmericanFilmMarket.com/press

About the American Film Market
The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market. The global film industry converges in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making on films in every stage of development and production, as well as screenings, conferences, networking and parties.

With 8,000 industry leaders from more than 70 countries, 700 screenings and the industry’s largest Conference Series, AFM is the pivotal destination for filmmakers, producers, writers, directors, distributors, financiers, industry executives, talent, the international media and all those who provide services to the worldwide motion picture industry.

The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance® the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television industry.

About The Independent Film & Television Alliance
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association for the independent motion picture and television industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the organization represents more than 150 member companies from 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies and financial institutions engaged in film finance. IFTA is dedicated to protecting and strengthening its Members’ ability to finance, produce, market and distribute independent films and television programs in an ever-changing and challenging global marketplace.

AFM Partner Events
AFM Partner Events offer participants many ways to connect with the film industry.

AFI FEST presented by Audi – November 6 – 13
The American Film Institute’s annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging filmmakers, AFI FEST features nightly red-carpet galas, special screenings, conversations and tributes. AFI FEST is the only film festival in the United States to hold the prestigious FIAPF accreditation, assuring a high standard of quality and reliability for the international film community.

The World Animation & VFX Summit – November 2 – 5
The World Animation & VFX Summit shapes the future of worldwide animation and VFX, connecting studio executives, producers, agents, distributors and talent, face-to-face in a warm and intimate club environment.

US-China Film Summit – November 5
The U.S.-China Film Summit focuses on how Chinese and Hollywood film industry leaders are navigating the East-West filmmaking process and addresses the trends and dynamics in the U.S.-China film relationship, including recent success stories.

The Britannia Awards – October 30
The Britannia Award is the highest accolade presented by BAFTA Los Angeles and is a celebration of achievement honoring individuals and companies who have dedicated their careers or corporate missions to advancing the art-forms of the moving image.

Press Release: “Monk with a Camera” Opens November 21

ALIVE MIND CINEMA OPENS MONK WITH A CAMERA: THE LIFE AND JOURNEY OF NICHOLAS VREELAND ON NOVEMBER 21 AT NEW YORK’S ELINOR BUNIN MUNROE FILM CENTER

Guido Santi, Tina Mascara and Nicholas Vreeland are available for Interviews

New York, NY – Sept. 18, 2014 – Alive Mind Cinema is proud to announce the national theatrical premiere of Monk with a Camera: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland, the latest documentary by Guido Santi and Tina Mascara (Chris & Don: A Love Story).

Set to open on November 21, 2014, at The Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center in New York City, Monk with a Camera will expand to Los Angeles, CA, on December 12 (with an exclusive engagement at the Laemmle Royal) and to other national markets in the following weeks.

Nicholas Vreeland, the grandson of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, walked away from a worldly life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk in 1972. He moved to India, cut his ties with his pleasure-filled world, and began living in a monastery with no running water or electricity. There, he would spend the next 14 years studying to become a monk.

Featuring up-close conversations with actor Richard Gere, his Holiness the Dalai Llama, and Vreeland’s Buddhist teacher Khylongla Rinpoche, among many others, Monk with a Camera gracefully chronicles Nicholas Vreeland’s cultural and spiritual journey, as well as his lifelong (and often conflicting) relationship with photography.

Trained early on by famed American photographer Irving Penn, Nicholas (Nicky) Vreeland developed a sophisticated aesthetic and was on a path to become a world-class photographer himself. But once a monk, he abandoned his cameras and devoted himself to a monastic life.

Yet, in an ironic twist of fate, Nicholas went back to photography years ago, in part to help rebuild their monastery after the 2008 economic crisis left them without much-needed financial assistance.

Recently, the Dalai Lama appointed Nicholas as Abbot of the monastery, making him the first westerner in Tibetan Buddhist history to attain such a highly regarded position. As such, Monk with a Camera: The Life and Journey of Nicholas Vreeland chronicles Nicky’s journey from playboy to monk and then, to artist.

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