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KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FOURTH ANNUAL GOLDEN KEY AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT

Delaney Buffett
Delaney Buffett

 

The Key West Film Festival announced today the recipient of its 4th annual Golden Key Award for Emerging Talent.  The Golden Key for Emerging Talent, given to actors and directors whose work will be destined to grace our screens for years to come, will be presented to Delaney Buffett for her breakout role in front of the camera and deft direction behind it that can be seen in ADULT BEST FRIENDS. The film will screen as a Spotlight title at the festival.

Past recipients of the award include Kodi Smit-McPhee for his Oscar nominated performance in Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, Elegance Bratton for his work behind the camera in The Inspection, and Thomasin McKenzie in her tour-de-force performance alongside Anne Hathaway in Eileen.

Delaney Buffett is a writer and director from Florida. Her directorial debut, The Spring, a short documentary about a mermaid amusement park, premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the 2017 Toronto International Short Film Festival. She’s directed several other short documentaries, including Wallace, a film about a small town in Idaho where brothels were open and tolerated until 1991, which premiered at the 2019 Sun Valley Film Festival, 2020 Aspen Shorts Fest and 2019 Crested Butte Film Festival as well as Mooptopia, a short documentary that follows a young influencer who loses her fame overnight, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. Her first narrative short, Pal, was an official selection at the 27th LA Comedy Festival. ADULT BEST FRIENDS is her feature debut as a director.

Michael Tuckman, Director of Programming of the Key West Film Festival, “We are elated to present this award to Delaney Buffett and especially pleased to shine the spotlight on another incredible artist to hail from Florida. We at KWFF are so proud to play a role in continuing to showcase and spotlight her brilliant directing, writing and acting that has been on display since the film first premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. We know she won’t be thought of as “emerging” for much longer as her star shines brighter every day.

Visit https://keywestff.com for full program information – which will be announced on October 16, along with a schedule of events.

 

Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival Announces Lineup for 25th Anniversary Edition in Minneapolis, Rochester, and Austin

 

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival (November 13-17 in Minneapolis, December 5-8 in Rochester, and December 12-14 in Austin) announced the film lineup for this year’s 25th Anniversary edition, presented by Pryes Brewing Company, of the groundbreaking film festival. The rare three-city presentation this year will not simply be a celebration of Sound Unseen’s impact on the world of music documentary filmmaking but will also mark the festival’s last in the current format, as Sound Unseen will take a festival hiatus beyond its monthly screening series and special one-off presentations for the next calendar year.

In Minneapolis, Chris Smith’s DEVO (Opening Night), Don Hardy’s Linda Perry: Let It Die Here (Closing Night), and Don McGlynn’s Spider John Koerner: Been Here…Done That (Tribute Screening), will be lead the impressive Sound Unseen lineup screening in three cities over two months in November and December.

Rochester will also feature Dana Flor’s 1-800-On-Her-Own, the second screening ever of Twin/Tone Records’ 7 Nights In The Entry (2007) and a special presentation of Robert Wiene’s classic German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) accompanied by a live music performance of the film’s score. Austin will highlight Paul Levantino’s Bastards of Soul, and J. Budro Partida’s Bloody & Bruised: The Untold Story Of The Back Roomamong its screenings

For their 25th year Sound Unseen is also making live music a much bigger priority than it has in the past. Grammy nominated Linda Perry anchors the music lineup with solo acoustic performances in both Minneapolis and Austin alongside screenings of her documentary, and a live performance by REVO will accompany the Opening Night presentation of DEVO. Highlights for Minneapolis include folk mainstay Charlie Parr playing before Spider John Koerner: Been Here…Done That, two nights with Bloodshot Records artist Lydia Loveless, a post Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted performance by Soul/R&B legend Swamp Dogg, and a closing night live show by Minneapolis glam trailblazer Venus Demars. The Rochester festival will feature an opening night party with punk heavyweights Rad Owland Scrunchies along with a closing night party featuring surf rock trio Black Widows and country artist James Eugene Russell.

Sound Unseen’s Festival Director, Jim Brunzell, said, “Being that this is both Sound Unseen’s 25th Anniversary along with a planned break from organizing an annual festival, our entire programming team wanted to offer an eclectic mix of the best rock documentaries on the festival circuit and something completely different in our programming with a few special sidebars including Sounds Like WTF? (music films with Genre elements) and Land of 10,000 Sounds (featuring Minnesota based artists and films). This year’s lineup includes films from across the globe from top tier festivals including Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca, Venice, TIFF and Edinburgh festivals and our short programs really capture this year’s overall vibe of artists and filmmakers taking risks in their storytelling. The bands we have scheduled to perform at our partnered music venue Cloudland, the panels we have planned, and all of the events that we have made a name for ourselves with film and music festivals in each of these three cities. It is an exciting and diverse program with documentaries, narrative films, shorts, music videos, returning alumni, and new discoveries – all designed to have a much beloved celebration and intermission.”

Headlining the screenings in Minneapolis are the Opening Night presentation of Chris Smith’s DEVO, an exploration of the band’s 50-year career and odyssey looking at the growth of their “de-evolution” from a cult following to near-rock star status featuring their groundbreaking 1980 hit “Whip It”, all while preaching an urgent social commentary. Don Hardy’s Linda Perry: Let It Die Here focuses on Perry’s extensive influence far beyond “What’s Up” and her band 4 Non Blondes offering an intimate look at a vulnerable and courageous woman who dreams big but still struggles with the past and present, with fear, shame, identity, and the burdens of family. Hardy and Perry will both be on hand for a post -screening Q&A. A Special Tribute screening of Don McGlynn’s Spider John Koerner: Been Here…Done That will make for a prime-Minneapolis moment celebrating a stalwart in the local music scene, who also touched many familiar music icons along the way like The Kinks and David Bowie and Ian Anderson, The Doors, Bonnie Raitt, and more. McGlynn will attend the screening as well.

Highlighted films in Sound Unseen’s Rochester screenings include Dana Flor’s 1-800-On-Her-Own, about the brutally honest, famously foul-mouthed and totally hilarious musical force Ani DiFranco and how she became a worldwide phenomenon when she beat the male-dominated music industry at its own game by founding Righteous Babe Records, the first “woman-run non-corporate queer-happy” label, still going strong after nearly 35 years. Twin/Tone Records’ 7 Nights In The Entry (2007) is a film that was shown once before, at Sound Unseen in 2007, and likely won’t be seen for another 20 years. It captures bands like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü in their beginnings and offers a rare chance to relive being in the room when it was dirty and dangerous. Sound Unseen will also present a special screening of Robert Wiene’s classic German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) accompanied by a live music performance of the film’s score.

Additional films getting the spotlight in Austin will be Paul Levatino’s Bastards Of Soul offers a deep dive into the heart of an electrifying Texas band on the cusp of international recognition, providing an intimate behind-the-scenes look at frontman Chadwick Murray and the band’s final recording sessions, their lives, and the electric energy they command on stage. J. Budro Partida’s Bloody & Bruised: The Untold Story Of The Back Room chronicles one of the most notoriously known (and often disregarded) music venues in Austin, Texas telling the story of the club through nearly 70 interviews with various musicians, former staff, journalists, and fans, and incorporates thousands of pieces of archive videos, photos, ticket stubs, flyers, and even highly stylized reenactments. Both Levatino and Partida will be in attendance to participate in post-screening Q&As.

Additional highlights in Minneapolis include Sander Maran’s Chainsaws Were Singing, an absolutely bonkers action-horror-musical-comedy B-movie epic from Estonia which was a fan favorite at the most recent Fantasia and Fantastic Fests. Director Kurt St. Thomas remake of the film noir D.O.A. starring legendary musician and actor John Doe (X) as a detective who, dying from a slow-acting poison, must bring his own killer to justice. The film is shot in black and white with a cast that includes Matt Pinfield and John Byner and John Doe will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a Q&A afterwards. Al X Gav’s M-80 is another rarely screened concert gem from Minneapolis (circa 1979) featuring performances by The Fleshtones, The Suicide Commanders, The Monochrome Set, Tuxedomoon, The Suburbs, Dark Day, James Chance and the Contortions, Judy Nylon, and a host of others – including rare footage of DEVO performing under the name ‘Dove’. Sound Unseen will also present a 100th Anniversary screening of Robert Wiene’s The Hands Of Orlac (1924) featuring a live performance of the score by Katie Condon.

Sponsors for this year’s festival include:
Pryes Brewing Company, Moxy Minneapolis Uptown Hotel, Dark Star Pictures, Frances Modern Inn, Campari, Film Festival Alliance, Love & Victory, Sociable Cider Werks, Selig Polyscope Co., Liaison Creative Marketing and Extreme Noise Records

Media Partners include:
The Current, KUTX, Racket, Austin Chronicle

Community partners include:
Consulate General of Canada, FilmNorth, Pop’s Art Theater, Thesis Brewing, Treedome Records, Austin Film Society, Cloudland Theater, The Parkway Theater, Trylon Cinema, Bryant Lake Bowl, The Main Cinema, Uptown VFW, East Lake Legal, EMI Audio, Familia Skateshop, Twin Cities Gay Scene, and Transmission

For more information about Sound Unseen, as well as how to purchase tickets, go to: http://www.soundunseen.com.

 

The 2024 Sound Unseen Film Festival official selections:

SCREENING IN MINNEAPOLIS

OPENING NIGHT FILM

DEVO  
Director: Chris Smith
Country: USA, UK; Running Time: 94 minutes
Explore Devo’s 50-year career through never-before-seen archival and interviews with co-founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale. Born in response to the Kent State massacre, Devo took their concept of “de-evolution” from a cult following to near-rock star status with their groundbreaking 1980 hit “Whip It”, all while preaching an urgent social commentary.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Linda Perry: Let It Die Here
Director: Don Hardy
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 minutes
As one of the most recognizable artists of the last 30 years, Linda Perry became an icon with her signature hat, attitude and chart-topping hit “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non Blondes. Since then, she has gone on to make a name for herself as a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, creating hits for artists such as Adele, Christina Aguilera, Brandi Carlisle, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Pink and Gwen Stefani.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

D.O.A. 
Director: Kurt St. Thomas
Country: USA; Running Time: 82 minutes
Frank Bigelow is a private detective hired to follow the husband of a St. Augustine socialite. He has been poisoned and has only days to live. Can he solve the mystery, exact his revenge, and save his own soul before time runs out? Legendary musician and actor John Doe (X) stars in this reimagining of the classic noir tale of a detective who, dying from a slow-acting poison, must bring his own killer to justice.

Spider John Koerner: Been Here…Done That              
Director: Don McGlynn
Country: USA; Running Time: 98 minutes
Spider John Koerner and his pals Dave Ray and Tony Glover, along with their coffee house friend Bob Dylan, were a primary inspiration to the music scene in Minneapolis in the early 1960s. Band members from The Beatles, and many musicians from the British Invasion like The Kinks and David Bowie and Ian Anderson, and on the West Coast The Doors, were fascinated with Koerner, Ray and Glover’s part wild style and part reverence toward the Blues tradition. Bonnie Raitt covered his songs and became a lifelong friend. And more recent musicians like Beck loved his music.

Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted                           Land of 10,000 Sounds 
Directors: Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 minutes
Hidden away in the suburbs of Los Angeles, legendary cult musician Swamp Dogg, along with housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, have transformed their home into an artistic playground. Together, they navigate the tumultuous music industry, forging a unique and inspiring bond across time and space.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

1-800-On-Her-Own
Director: Dana Flor
Country: USA; Running Time: 79 minutes
1-800-ON-HER-OWN takes us on a wild cinematic road trip, from Ani DiFranco’s punk-folk past to her life today as she reinvents herself as a passionate activist and revered rock star. Throughout the ride, she’s brutally honest, famously foul-mouthed and totally hilarious. Her daily challenges resonate as we reveal both an enduring, inspiring musical icon and a very relatable contemporary “everywoman” with her own epic fails and hard-won victories.

7 Nights In The Entry                                                   Land of 10,000 Sounds
Director: Twin/Tone Records
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 minutes
For a week in September of 1981 Twin:Tone Records took over this recently started small stage at First Avenue, back before it was legendary, and did a show that helped start the legend. This film was only shown once before, for sound Unseen ’07 and likely not to be screened again for 20 years, so this a rare chance to see it in movie theater gloriousness. This film captures bands like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü in their beginnings. A rare chance to relive being in the room when it was dirty and dangerous. The film also captures groups like Things That Fall Down, and the Hypstrz, that never found commercial success but had a massive impact on bands that did.

A Desert                                                                      Sounds Like WTF?
Director: Joshua Erkman
Country: USA; Running Time: 103 minutes
A past his prime photographer heads out on a road trip across the American Southwest to recapture the magic and success of his previous work. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the dark and chaotic underbelly of America and unwittingly drags his wife and a shady private detective down into this nightmare world with him. Director Joshua Erkman’s feature debut A Desert is a special kind of genre hybrid, taking inherently dark narrative touchstones from noir cinema and darkening them even further with visceral horror featuring a hypnotic and pulsating score by indie-rocker Ty Segall and intense supporting role played by The Jesus Lizard’s David Yow.

Art & Life: The Story Of Jim Phillips  
Director: John Makens
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 minutes
A pioneer of graphic art, Jim Phillips, known for his bold and eye-popping imagery, has left an unforgettable mark on the world of rock posters, surf, and skateboard art. Drawing inspiration from his life in Santa Cruz, California, Jim’s journey from publishing his first artwork in 1962 to becoming the art director for Santa Cruz Skateboards, shaped the golden era of skateboarding. Beneath the thriving success, however, lay the weight of high demands and built up tensions, leading to the closure of Phillips Studios. A resilient spirit, Jim bounces back by freelancing and reviving his rock poster art career, crafting cherished collectible posters for renowned musicians.

Born To Be Wild: The Story Of Steppenwolf  
Director: Oliver Schwehm
Countries: Canada/Germany; Running Time: 88 minutes
Steppenwolf is one of the most iconic and enigmatic bands in the history of rock music. On the edge of mainstream and the psychedelic underground, their song “Born to Be Wild” opened the cult movie Easy Rider and became an anthem for an entire generation. Steppenwolf’s sound descended upon the 60’s music scene like a dagger in the heart of the summer of love: it is no coincidence that they were the very first band to use “Heavy Metal” in their lyrics.

Chainsaws Were Singing                                            Sounds Like WTF?
Director: Sander Maran
Country: Estonia; Running Time: 117 minutes
Monty Python meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets… Les Misérables. Chainsaws Were Singing is an absolutely bonkers action-horror-musical-comedy B-movie epic from Estonia. Shot guerilla style in 2013, this true love letter to crowd-pleasing exploitation cinema then spent a modest 10 years in post-production and is finally out in 2024.

Decibel                                                                         Sounds Like WTF?
Director: Zac Locke
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 minutes
Decibel follows Scout, a talented but struggling musician, who performs in a small, sparse club. Her unique looping performance catches the attention of Donna Alby, a wealthy and enigmatic former biotech entrepreneur turned record label owner. Donna invites Scout to record at her isolated, cutting-edge studio in the desert, promising her creative freedom and financial reward. Scout is intrigued and agrees, seeing this as a chance to elevate her music. However, upon arriving at Donna’s high-tech, wirelessly integrated studio, Scout quickly realizes that Donna’s intentions go beyond mere music production. The studio is more than it appears—its technology monitors and manipulates Scout’s biorhythms, and Donna pushes Scout to create under increasingly stressful and invasive conditions.

Fifty Years In Sixty Minutes: Films From                     Land of 10,000 Sounds
The Bob Dylan Archive
Director: Various
Country: USA; Running Time: 60 minutes
Spanning decades and musical styles, this far-ranging one-hour program of short films and videos from the Bob Dylan Archive features rare and previously unreleased clips of Dylan on stage and in the studio. Selections include Dylan’s first film soundtrack for 1961’s “Autopsy on Operation Abolition;” a devastating solo rendition of “Ballad of Hollis Brown” from the 1963 TV special “Folk Songs and More Folk Songs;” a rollicking 1976 take on “I Pity the Poor Immigrant” with Joan Baez; a gospel-infused “Blowin’ in the Wind;” an apocalyptically rocking “When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky” with Dylan backed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; loving tributes to Johnny Cash and Tony Bennett; a glimpse into the Archive’s film restoration project with never-before-seen footage of “It’s All Over Now

Garland Jeffreys: The King Of In Between     
Director: Claire Jeffreys
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 minutes
Hubris, anger, prejudice…doo-wop, reggae, rock…expectations, heartbreak, transformation… Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between examines the fifty-year career of this genre-bending, biracial singer-songwriter. An enigmatic performer since his start in the Greenwich Village clubs, Jeffreys never reached the success predicted for him. The film asks why, and explores how his commitment to writing about race in America is more relevant now than ever.

Hello Dankness                                                           Sounds Like WTF?
Director: Soda Jerk
Country: Australia; Running Time: 70 minutes
Hello Dankness is a political fable that bears witness to the psychotropic spectacle of American politics from 2016 to 2021, and the mythologies and lore that took root around it. Taking form as a suburban stoner musical, the film follows a neighborhood through these years as consensus reality disintegrates into conspiracy and other contagions. What unfolds is a rogue retelling of history in which hotdogs debate the culture wars, trashcans preach QAnon, zombies rally for revolution, and real events are refashioned as Broadway bangers from Cats, Les Miserables, Annie, and The Phantom of the Opera.

It Was All A Dream     
Director: dream hampton
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 minutes
The year is 1993 and hip-hop is primed for its eventual global takeover. Wu-Tang’s “Enter The Wu-Tang” and A Tribe Called Quest’s “Midnight Marauders” are released on the same day, Salt-N-Pepa’s fourth album “Very Necessary” pushes them into the mainstream while Doggystyle breaks into the Billboard 200 at number one, and all this is just the tip of the iceberg. Armed with a camera and a front-row seat is provocative music journalist dream hampton.

It’s All Gonna Break   
Director: Stephen Chung
Country: Canada; Running Time: 88 minutes
In the early 2000’s in Toronto, a group of young creative musicians collectively known as, Broken Social Scene, got together and soon became a worldwide phenomenon. Cinematographer and friend, Stephen Chung was there, behind the lens of his camera, capturing it all. Words were not his strong suit, but his camera was. Friendships, relationships, business and art… Stephen lovingly documents the highs and lows of a band who only wanted to create music on their own terms, and ended up changing everything.

M-80                                                                            Land of 10,000 Sounds
Director: Al X Gav
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 minutes
In September of 1979, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis hosted the first ever “New-No-Now-Wave Festival”, featuring music by The Fleshtones, The Suicide Commanders, The Monochrome Set, Tuxedomoon, The Suburbs, Dark Day, James Chance and the Contortions, Judy Nylon, and a host of others – including rare footage of DEVO performing under the name ‘Dove’. This is a concert film of New Wave in its infancy before MTV.

New Wave       
Director: Elizabeth Ai
Country: USA; Running Time: 88 minutes
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, she uncovers much more than just music and fashion. In the heart of Orange County, California, this counterculture movement takes the youth by storm, becoming a sanctuary for rebellious teens.

Omar And Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird     
Director: Nicolas Jack Davies
Country: Germany; Running Time: 127 minutes
Get an all-access pass into the masterminds behind Grammy award-winning band The Mars Volta: Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Whittled down from hundreds of hours of footage shot by Omar throughout their lives, the film shows the iconic duo’s journey from the hardcore scene in El Paso, Texas, to rock and roll acclaim; from growing up as minorities to their rise to success; from struggles with loss, addiction, and scientology to their blazing come-back.

Pavements     
Director: Alex Ross Perry
Country: USA; Running Time: 128 minutes
An examination of the iconic 1990s indie band Pavement appears to be just another music documentary—until it isn’t. A prismatic hybrid of narrative, scripted, documentary, musical, and metatextual forms, the film intimately shows the band preparing for their sold-out 2022 reunion tour while simultaneously tracking the preparations for a musical based on their songs, a museum devoted to their history, and a big-budget Hollywood biopic inspired by their saga as the most important band of a generation.

Pretty Ugly- The Story Of The Lunachicks                  
Director: Ilya Chaiken
Country: USA; Running Time: 91 minutes
30 years after their teenaged debut, we meet the Lunachicks as they convene to work on their memoir “Fallopian Rhapsody.” From their gritty ‘80s punk roots to ’90s worldwide cult band, defying a sexist industry with their irreverent humor, theatricality, and musical chops, the film brings their history to life while documenting their hilarious and poignant journey back to the stage.

S/He Is Still Her/e                     
Director: David Charles Rodrigues
Country: USA; Running Time:    97 minutes
Very few artists lived their art, Genesis died three times for it. Pioneering electronic musician/avant garde artist/spiritual explorer/gender revolutionary/cult leader? Genesis P. Orridge has been featured in numerous films and videos, but never the full story…never this intimate… until now. In this authorized but extremely raw and personal documentary, award-winning director David Charles Rodrigues (Gay Chorus Deep South) documents the final year of P-Orridge’s existence as they grapple with mortality.

Salad Days: A Decade Of Punk In Washington Dc
(10 Year Anniversary: Director’s Cut) 

Director: Scott Crawford
Country: USA; Running Time: 102 minutes
Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90) is a documentary film that examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation’s Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Void, Faith, Rites of Spring, Marginal Man, Fugazi, and others released their own records and booked their own shows—without major record label constraints or mainstream media scrutiny. Contextually, it was a cultural watershed that predated the alternative music explosion of the 1990s (and the industry’s subsequent implosion). Thirty years later, DC’s original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction.

Shari & Lamb Chop                 
Director: Lisa D’Apolito
Country: USA; Running Time: 92 minutes
Shari Lewis changed the face of children’s television even before Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street. Through the creation of her sock puppet sidekicks, Hush Puppy, Charlie Horse, and the beloved Lamb Chop, Shari created a playful, non-judgmental world for children and adults alike. As the daughter of the Official Magician of New York City and a performer with her own aspirations, Shari rose to fame at a young age, hosting pioneering children’s shows. When her own national show was unexpectedly canceled, Shari moved to Hollywood – and later to Las Vegas – to reinvent herself as an actress and dancer. But no matter how hard she worked, audiences only wanted to see Lamb Chop. It was a blessing and a curse that she created something as magical as Lamb Chop, who was becoming a cultural icon and threatened to overshadow Shari herself.

Since Yesterday: The Untold Story                             NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Of Scotland’s Girl Bands                     
Directors: Carla J. Easton, Blair Young
Country: UK; Running Time: 85 minutes
A feature-length documentary unearthing the Scottish girl bands from 1960 onwards that are missing from the ranks of global success; artists whose work was, and continues to be, ignored by the selective bias of a male-dominated industry. Blending personal anecdotes with a scrapbook-style audiovisual aesthetic, the film takes us on a decade-by-decade adventure, crafting the ultimate visual mixtape.

Something Better Change      
Director: Scott Crawford
Country: USA; Running Time: 79 minutes
In 2018, after 40 years of fighting against oppression, homelessness, and corporate greed in the U.S. and in his native Canada, D.O.A. frontman, activist, and cultural politician Joey “Shithead” Keithley decided to turn art into life and run against the outspoken Mayor of Burnaby (population: 250,000+), Derek Corrigan. Against all odds—and with only a $7000 campaign budget—Keithley won a city councilor seat in Burnaby, BC that year and helped to unseat the entrenched five-term Corrigan who once famously said, “I would never bend over to give a homeless person a dime because he might steal my watch.”

Soundtrack To A Coup D’etat              
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Country: Belgium; Running Time: 150 minutes
United Nations, 1961: the Global South ignites a political earthquake, jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach crash the Security Council, Nikita Khrushchev bangs his shoe, and the U.S. State Department swings into action, sending jazz ambassador Louis Armstrong to the Congo to deflect attention from the CIA-backed coup. Director Johan Grimonprez explores a moment when jazz, colonialism, and espionage collided, constructing a riveting historical rollercoaster that illuminates the political machinations behind the 1961 assassination of Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.

Takin’ Care Of Business         
Director: Tyler Measom
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 minutes
From a young age, Canadian Randy Bachman dreamed of becoming a famous rock star. His aspirations took off when he invested in a 1957 Gretsch 6120 guitar, which seemed to have a magical quality that inspired him to write hit songs effortlessly. His bands, The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, became famous with chart-toppers like “American Woman” and “Takin’ Care of Business,” all written on that Gretsch guitar. Despite his success, his world came crashing down when the guitar was stolen in 1977, triggering a series of personal and professional setbacks. The documentary film Takin’ Care of Business explores the ups and downs of Randy’s life, his relentless 45-year search for the stolen guitar, and his journey of hope, determination, and resilience.

Teaches Of Peaches                
Directors: Philipp Fussenegger, Judy Landkammer
Country: Canada, Germany; Running Time: 102 minutes
Capturing Peaches’ transformative journey on ‘The Teaches of Peaches Anniversary Tour’ in 2022, this documentary blends exclusive archival gems with dynamic tour footage. From stage show inception to riveting performances, it offers an intimate look at the inner workings of feminist icon Peaches, a fearless force challenging gender norms for over two decades. Her biting wit advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights and confronts societal stereotypes, leaving an indelible mark on popular culture.

The Hands Of Orlac 
(100th Anniversary, Live Score W/Katie Condon)
Director: Robert Wiene
Countries: Austria/Germany; Running Time: 112 minutes
A pianist has a transplant operation that gives him a new pair of hands. Unfortunately, the hands belonged to a murderer, and he finds the hands starting to take over his life and commit crimes. A seedy magician suspects what is happening and tries to blackmail him.

The Target Shoots First
Director: Chris Wilcha
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 minutes
Christopher Wilcha’s fascinating feature-length video reminds us how seldom we’re allowed to see certain businesses operating from the inside. Wilcha, a 22-year-old college graduate and alternative-rock enthusiast, was hired by the Columbia Record and Tape Club—apparently as a fluke—to help launch a whole new niche-marketing division, which brought him face-to-face with the contradictory meanings of the term ‘alternative’ once it’s been embraced by the mass market. He brought his video camera to work every day, and what emerge are selective glimpses of—and thoughtful reflections on—his extended stint with the company.

The World According To Allee Willis               
Director: Alexis Manya Spraic
Country: USA; Running Time: 98 minutes
Take one look at award-winning songwriter/artist Allee Willis and you see someone unafraid to be themselves. Dressed in a cacophony of prints and colors, her signature asymmetrical haircut and famed parties at her real-life Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, Allee didn’t waste any opportunity to tell you what she was about. But privately, Allee struggled with not fitting established gender and sexual norms. She buried herself in her work, until true love manifested her ultimate masterpiece – self-acceptance.

This Is A Film About The Black Keys              
Director: Jeff Dupre
Country: USA; Running Time: 89 minutes
This is a film about The Black Keys traces Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s journey from a jamming session in a basement in Akron, Ohio, to rock ’n’ roll super-stardom. They barely knew each other when they made their first recordings, yet quickly realized they shared a powerful musical connection and a drive to succeed. Touring relentlessly for ten years, the duo navigated the highs and lows of life on the road, finally reaching escape velocity with their hit records Brothers and El Camino.

Zenithal                                                                       Sounds Like WTF?
Director: Jean-Baptiste Saurel
Country: France; Running Time: 80 minutes
Ti-Kong, the famous Kung-fu master, is found dead. Could the assassin be the Machiavellian doctor Sweeper? Insecure Francis falls into his clutches as he becomes a crucial part of Sweeper’s scheme to preserve absolute male domination over the globe. That is unless Sonia, Francis’ girlfriend, decides to take action to save him, restore their relationship, and establish peace between the sexes.

SHORT FILMS

À Toi Les Oreilles        
Director: Alexandre Isabelle
Country: Canada; Running Time: 13 minutes

Baseball Furies: Extra Innings            
Director: Jason Dummeldinger
Country: USA; Running Time: 7 minutes

Beijing Story   
Director: Khalid Ali
Country: USA, China; Running Time: 22 minutes

Dale                 
Director: Justin Streichman
Country: USA; Running Time: 9 minutes

Dion & Denver             
Director: Zack Hosseini
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 minutes

Farm Grrrl Folk Punk: Motherwort      
Director: Austin Bunn and the students of “Documenting Local Lives”
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 minutes

Heavy Metal Parking Lot          
Directors: John Heyn, Jeff Krulik
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 minutes

Hi! You Are Currently Being Recorded            
Directors: Anna Maguire, Kyle Greenberg
Countries: USA/UK/Canada; Running Time: 8 minutes

Keep The Party Going
Director: Mick Marseilles
Country: Canada; Running Time: 15 minutes

Look At My Furniture  
Director: Michael X. Ferraro
Country: USA; Running Time: 21 minutes

Stud Country   
Directors: Lina Abascal, Alexandra Kern
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 minutes

The Falcons     
Director: Taniel Kilajian
Country: Armenia; Running Time: 14 minutes

The Machine Room     
Director: Jack Ethan Perry
Country: UK; Running Time: 16 minutes

The Music Factory
Directors: Cina Espejond og, Alf Martin Løvvold
Country: Norway; Running Time: 9 minutes

Tr(Ol)L: New Kids On The Block, Total Request Live And The Chain Letter That Changed The Internet                    
Director: Yourgo Artsitas
Country: USA; Running Time: 17 minutes

Used To Be      
Director: Dan Schneidkraut
Country: USA; Running Time: 12 minutes
MUSIC VIDEOS

Ed Sheeran – “That’s On Me”   
Director: Beatriz Santamaria Pinha
Country: UK; Running Time: 5 minutes

Gozie Ukaga – “Interstate Ninety-Four”           
Director: Gabriel Broderick
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 minutes

Holding Hour – “Parallel Lines”           
Director: Hannah Rosalie Wright
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 minutes

In The Darkness                      
Director: Adilet Abish
Country: Kazakhstan; Running Time: 6 minutes

Murf – “5 Iron”  
Directors: Dane Cree, Dan Hoffstrom
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 minutes

Seesaw            
Directors: Daniel Bloch, Jan Bloch
Country: USA; Running Time: 6 minutes
MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Wed. Nov. 13   Dead History + Gay Witch Abortion + Big Salt
Cloudland | 6:30pm | $12 / $15

REVO w/ DEVO (Opening Night film)
Parkway Theater | 7pm | $25 / $30

Transmission
VFW Uptown | 9pm | FREE

Thu. Nov. 14    Lydia Loveless + Faith Boblett
Cloudland | 6:30pm | $28 / $30

Charlie Parr w/ SPIDER JOHN KOERNER:  BEEN HERE… DONE THAT screening
Parkway Theater | 7pm | $30 / $35

Fri. Nov. 15      Lydia Loveless + Jesse Thorson
Cloudland | 6:30pm | $28 / $30

Sat. Nov. 16     Linda Perry w/ LINDA PERRY: LET IT DIE HERE closing night screening
Parkway Theater | 5:15pm | $35 / $40

Venus DeMars + Elour + Partial Traces + DJ Shannon Blowtorch
Cloudland | 7:30pm | $15

Swamp Dogg w/ SWAMP DOGG GETS HIS POOL PAINTED screening
Parkway Theater | 9:30pm | $30 / $35

Sun. Nov. 17    Courtney Yasmineh w/ FIFTY YEARS IN SIXTY MINUTES: FILMS FROM THE BOB DYLAN ARCHIVE screening
Parkway Theater | 11:30am | $20 / $25

SCREENINGS IN ROCHESTER

1-800-On-Her-Own                   
Director: Dana Flor
Country: USA; Running Time: 79 minutes
Ani DiFranco crashed onto the music scene in the early ‘90s, a thundering new voice in the cultural wilderness, unapologetically bisexual, political and feminist. She toured relentlessly, thrashing out hundreds of frenzied shows that were part mosh pit, part hootenanny and part full-on tent revival, then selling cassette tapes from the trunk of her car to make it to the next gig. Ani became a worldwide phenomenon when she beat the male-dominated music industry at its own game by founding Righteous Babe Records, the first “woman-run non-corporate queer-happy” label, still going strong after nearly 35 years. The press called her “an entrepreneurial wonder” and “the industry’s worst nightmare.” Prince called her “my hero.” Ani simply called herself a folk singer, dedicated to art, activism and staying true to herself, no matter the cost.

7 Nights In The Entry               
Director: Twin/Tone records
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 minutes
For a week in September of 1981 Twin:Tone Records took over this recently started small stage at First Avenue, back before it was legendary, and did a show that helped start the legend. This film was only shown once before, for sound Unseen ’07 and likely not to be screened again for 20 years, so this a rare chance to see it in movie theater gloriousness. This film captures bands like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü in their beginnings.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
Director: Robert Wiene
Country: Germany; Running Time: 67 minutes
At a carnival in Germany, Francis (Friedrich Feher) and his friend Alan (Rudolf Lettinger) encounter the crazed Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss). The men see Caligari showing off his somnambulist, Cesare (Conrad Veidt), a hypnotized man who the doctor claims can see into the future. Shockingly, Cesare then predicts Alan’s death, and by morning his chilling prophecy has come true — making Cesare the prime suspect. However, is Cesare guilty, or is the doctor controlling him?

The Secret of Sleep (1970)
Director:
Country: USA; Running Time: 59 minutes
A photo-skit starring Spider John Koerner and Willy Murphy in which John receives a mysterious call and embarks on a utopian quest.

Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted               
Directors: Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 minutes
Hidden away in the suburbs of Los Angeles, legendary cult musician Swamp Dogg, along with housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, have transformed their home into an artistic playground. Together, they navigate the tumultuous music industry, forging a unique and inspiring bond across time and space.

This Is A Film About The Black Keys              
Director: Jeff Dupre
Country: USA; Running Time: 89 minutes
This is a film about The Black Keys traces Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s journey from a jamming session in a basement in Akron, Ohio, to rock ’n’ roll super-stardom. They barely knew each other when they made their first recordings, yet quickly realized they shared a powerful musical connection and a drive to succeed. Touring relentlessly for ten years, the duo navigated the highs and lows of life on the road, finally reaching escape velocity with their hit records Brothers and El Camino.

Zombies Live (2003)
Director: Dee Limvere
Country: USA; Running Time: 35 minutes
Zombies Live is a DIY zombie film made by skaters and punk rockers in Rochester, MN. The film was screened once at the LoVEuGLY Cabaret in 2003 and then a limited number of VHS copies were sold at local shows and record shops. This is the first and last time (maybe) the film will be shown publicly since the premiere.

MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Thu. Dec. 5      Rad Owl + Scrunchies + TBA
Treedome Records | 7pm | $10

Sun. Dec. 8      James Eugene Russell + Black Widows + TBA
Little Thistle Brewing | 7pm | $10

SCREENINGS IN AUSTIN

FEATURES

Bastards Of Soul                     
Director: Paul Levatino
Country: USA; Running Time: 83 minutes
Bastards of Soul offers a deep dive into the heart of an electrifying Texas band on the cusp of international recognition. As they navigate their burgeoning success and spellbinding live performances, a global pandemic and the sudden tragic loss of their unexpected frontman, Chadwick Murray, cast a somber shadow. Having made his mark primarily as a bass player, Chadwick’s transition to lead singer was captivating, revealing a dynamism that few could have predicted.

Bloody & Bruised: The Untold Story Of The Back Room                    
Director: J. Budro Partida
Country: USA; Running Time: 104 minutes
A documentary feature film that chronicles one of the most notoriously known (and often disregarded) music venues in Austin, Texas. It’s a film that spans the 33 year history of the east Riverside club, from its meager beginnings in the early 70s as a watering hole for country folk and bikers, to its glory years of 80s glam rock and metal, through its 90s grunge and hardcore era, and into the early 2000s punk and hip hop scene, before it’s demise in 2006.

Linda Perry: Let It Die Here                 
Director: Don Hardy
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 minutes
Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years. The hat, tattoos, attitude, and of course, her massive hit single “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non Blondes made her an icon. But, in the decades since that song topped the charts, Linda’s been even more successful as a songwriter and producer for artists like Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, and Pink.

Takin’ Care Of Business                      
Director: Tyler Measom
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 minutes
From a young age, Canadian Randy Bachman dreamed of becoming a famous rock star. His aspirations took off when he invested in a 1957 Gretsch 6120 guitar, which seemed to have a magical quality that inspired him to write hit songs effortlessly. His bands, The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, became famous with chart-toppers like “American Woman” and “Takin’ Care of Business,” all written on that Gretsch guitar. Despite his success, his world came crashing down when the guitar was stolen in 1977, triggering a series of personal and professional setbacks.
SHORTS/MUSIC VIDEOS

Dale                 
Director: Justin Streichman
Country: USA; Running Time: 9 minutes

Dion & Denver             
Director: Zack Hosseini
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 minutes

In The Darkness                      
Director: Adilet Abish
Country: Kazakhstan; Running Time: 6 minutes

Pizza My Heart                                                 WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Elizabeth V. Newman
Country: USA; Running Time: 12 minutes

Stud Country   
Directors: Lina Abascal, Alexandra Kern
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 minutes

The Heart Of Texas                  
Director: Gregory JM Kasunich
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 minutes

Tr(Ol)L: New Kids On The Block, Total Request Live And The Chain Letter That Changed The Internet                    
Director: Yourgo Artsitas
Country: USA; Running Time: 17 minutes

Too Much                    
Director: Bobby Ross
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 minutes

Variety – Plover                        
Director: Taylor Browne
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 minutes
MUSIC PERFORMANCES

Thu. Dec. 12    Linda Perry w/ LINDA PERRY: LET IT DIE HERE opening night screening
Austin Film Society | 7:30pm | $35

LEAP OF FAITH – Interview with Filmmaker Nicholas Ma

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Filmmaker Nicholas Ma talked with our Gadi Elkon about the feature documentary, LEAP OF FAITH.

Brooklyn’s Greenpoint Film Festival 2024 Announces Filmmaker Awards

Between Earth & Sky  
Between Earth & Sky  

 

Brooklyn’s 13th Annual Greenpoint Film Festival announced the winning films and filmmakers following the conclusion of the most expansive and successful edition in the event’s history. Ewa Wikiel’sKRZYK: Losing Control took home the Best Narrative Feature award. Miwene, directed by a team consisting of Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga, and Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua, won Best Documentary Feature.

Honorable mentions in the Narrative Features category included Marco Amenta’s Anna, and Flora Martinez’s Itzia, Tango & Cacao. Katie Dellamaggiore’s Small Town Universe was a Runner Up in the Documentary Feature category.

Greenpoint Film Festival Creative Director Ricardo Vilar, said, “This year’s edition of the film festival was by far the most ambitious and impactful edition we have presented here in North Brooklyn. From tripling our submissions to running 3 venues simultaneously with a program of 115 films screenings & 3 XR exhibits, to having sold over 1,000 tickets, our team truly outdid themselves. This year has set the vibes and tone we have been yearning for since the current team took the reins and we hope to continue expanding in the coming years, not just in numbers but in quality and fastidious care for filmmakers and their films.”

Winners in the Short Films section included Julia Elihu’s In the Garden of Tulips (Best Narrative Short Film) and Andrew Nadkarni’s Between Earth & Sky (Best Documentary Short Film). The Narrative Short Film Runner Up was Szymon Wackowski’s The Joy of Living, and Honorable Mentions went to Melvin Mak’s Lie With Me, Eva Matz’s I Don’t Want to Have to Be Loud, and Laurier Fourniau’s Vambora. The Documentary Short Film Runner Up was Vika Evdokimenko’s I Don’t Need Adult Conversation. Honorable Mentions went to Trisha Pickelhaupt’s Apples to Oranges, Lucy Morales Carlisle’s DelMar, and Andrés Salaberri Pueyo’s Sheep, Marriage, and Smuggling.

Executive Programmer and Film Curator of GPFF, Roy Wol said, “As the festival comes to a close, it’s incredibly fulfilling to see the impact these films have had on our audiences and the connections formed throughout the events. The awards reflect the outstanding talent and unique stories we had the honor of presenting, and our case study panels showcased some of the most unique projects and talents of the year. As programmers, we are driven by a passion for bringing the richness of international and under-told cinema to our local audiences and to the media executives seeking fresh talent.”

The 2024 Greenpoint Film Festival broke attendance records both online and in person. The festival’s PERSPECTIVES theme was celebrated by setting up and designing 3 warehouses at the ELM Foundation hub (191 N. 14th Street) into 2 screening rooms showcasing 108 films and an XR Gallery with 3 exhibits. Each venue was designed and named after a unique stance of differing perspectives: House of Motions, House of Stillness and House of the Observer. All venues were linked by a central outdoor area where networking between filmmakers, sponsors and neighbors took place while enjoying food and drinks supplied by various festival vendors. That location also served as the home for the film festival’s two Green Carpets backed by Greenpoint Film Festival’s distinctive carved step and repeat on Opening and Closing Night.

Once again, the film festival took care to pay homage to the cultural heritage of the neighborhood of Greenpoint which is inherently Polish. This year, that traditional focus was led by a special program of 7 feature length films presented at Film Noir (122 Meserole Avenue). Several Polish filmmakers traveled to Brooklyn from Poland for the occasion and added a vibrant presence, context, and passion for cinema to each of their post-screening Q&A sessions.

In addition to the increased audience attendance, the Greenpoint Film Festival enjoyed the attendance and participation of over 100 filmmakers and creative film teams from countries worldwide representing their films at the festival. From the U.S., those filmmakers came from California, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Vermont, and Alaska, and internationally, filmmakers came from Poland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. Notable guests included Academy Award nominees Paul Giamatti, and Josh Seftel, and Tony Award winner Debra Monk. We hosted filmmakers in Brooklyn traveling stateside from California, Florida, Georgia, Connecticut, Vermont, and Alaska, and from outside U.S. filmmakers came from Poland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

To find more information on the Greenpoint Film Festival, please visit: https://greenpointfilmfestival.org/.

2024 Greenpoint Film Festival Filmmaker Awards

 

FEATURE FILMS

Best Narrative Feature Film

KRZYK: Losing Control

Director: Ewa Wikiel

 

Honorable Mentions
Anna 
Director: Marco Amenta

Itzia, Tango & Cacao   
Director: Flora Martinez

Best Documentary Feature Film
Miwene
Directors: Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga,
Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua

Runner Up
Small Town Universe 
Director: Katie Dellamaggiore

SHORT FILMS

Best Narrative Short Film
In the Garden of Tulips  
Director: Julia Elihu

Runner Up 
The Joy of Living                                                                  
Director: Szymon Wackowski

Honorable Mentions
Lie With Me                                                                            
Director: Melvin Mak

I Don’t Want to Have to Be Loud                                        
Director: Eva Matz

Vambora
Director: Laurier Fourniau

Best Documentary Short Film
Between Earth & Sky  
Director: Andrew Nadkarni

Runner Up
I Don’t Need Adult Conversation                                        
Director: Vika Evdokimenko

Honorable Mentions
Apples to Oranges                                                               
Director: Trisha Pickelhaupt

DelMar  
Director: Lucy Morales Carlisle

Sheep, Marriage, and Smuggling                                       
Director: Andrés Salaberri Pueyo

TREASURE TRACKERS – A Review by John Strange

TREASURE TRACKERS – A Review by John Strange

This film is aimed at young teens.  The story is centered on the heroine, Leah (Charity Rose) who is pulled out of school in California (sixth grade) by her dad and dropped off at her aunt’s house in a town whose legends include the Raven Witch and Silas Carter’s cursed gold.

As happens so often in these movies, Leah is soon allied with two underdogs at school.  Together they decide to see if they can decipher the clues left in the legend and find the gold.  And when kids from the local high school turn up, also looking for the gold, the race is on.

Will the older kids force the youngsters to drop out of the race?  Will Leah’s team put their greater intellect to the task and beat the others to the treasure?  Will parents interfere and cost the kids the race?

The movie is fun to watch.  The story is pretty tight with some very good special effects.  The secondary characters are very quirky but that is a way that films in this genre can excel.  The crazy/different characters can flesh out the story and give it a depth it might lack if it holds strictly to the primary plotline.

Treasure Trackers is the first Halloween-related movie that I have watched this year.  I think that kids and teenagers will like it.  I know I did.

 

Director: Drew Garcia, Nate Garcia

Cast: Charity Rose, Amelia Salazar, Sean Jay, Kim Sandwich, Zephaniah Terry, Sam Coffelt

MPAA Rating: NR TV-PG

Selig Rating: 4 Stars

Runtime: 94 Min.

On-Demand Release Date: 10/1/2024

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, SCI-FI Fantasy, Independent

Trailer: TREASURE TRACKERS Official Trailer

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…

1 Star – Total waste of time.

WHITE BIRD – Interview with Executive Producer Andrew Erwin

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Executive Producer Andrew Erwin talked with our Gadi Elkon about Kingdom Story Company’s latest film, WHITE BIRD.

Boise Film Festival 2024 Announces Film Lineup Including Hockey-Fueled Opening Night Debut

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Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point

 

The inaugural Boise Film Festival will make its debut October 10-13 with a 20th Anniversary screening of Gavin O’Connor’s tale of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team’s Gold Medal journey, Miracle. The new film festival will present a highly curated list of 27 films (16 features, 11 shorts), along with master classes on producing and screenwriting as it brings filmmakers and film and television industry veterans (including prolific producer Mark Ciadi, and CSI’s Anthony Zuiker) to the city to celebrate independent film via a four-day event packed with programming and special events.

The film festival’s epicenter and all screenings will be held at Boise’s Egyptian Theater Screenings (700 West Main Street) and The Flicks (646 West Fulton Street).

Created to be a film festival focused on discovery, looking to find, highlight, and celebrate new cinematic voices and faces, to promote the next generation of film makers and artists. BFF will also include a special focus on films created and shot in the Pacific Northwest.

BFF Founders and Executive Directors, Christine, and Mark Holder, said, “We are thrilled with the inaugural line up of films and special events our team has lined up for this first edition of the Boise Film Festival. From the beginning, we have said we hope to be matchmakers here in our adopted city between film lovers and the type of films and filmmakers that we have championed in our careers as producers and filmmakers. Following what should be a fun night of hockey on film with our 20th anniversary presentation of Miracle, will be a carefully curated and diverse group of films spanning several genres, as well as highly anticipated film industry panels, Q&As, and master classes, bringing a lot of top talent right here to Boise.”

Programmed by veterans Ash Hoyle (Sundance Film Festival, Outfest LA, NewFest NY, Damn These Heels, Sun Valley Film Festival, Overlook Film Festival, and AFI Fest), and Caroline Bloom (Atlanta Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, and No Budget Film Festival), the depth of Boise Film Festival’s lineup has the look of a film festival several years into its run versus a year one debut.

Regarding the inaugural lineup for BFF, Ash, said, “We’re excited to bring these films to Boise and to give our audiences a chance to experience some of the most exciting work out there on the circuit this year. We’re proud to present films from Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Cannes, and from the local filmmaking community. We think we’re off to a strong start.” Bloom added, “The inaugural Boise Film Festival features an exciting mix of inspiring documentaries, quirky comedies, acclaimed dramas, spotlights on women in media, journeys of social change, and new takes on the thriller and sci fi genre. We’re equally thrilled about the short film program, which features a dynamic range of stories that celebrate the diversity and creativity of human connection. There truly is something for every type of moviegoer to enjoy.”

Opening the new film festival will be the 20th Anniversary screening of Gavin O’Connor’s crowd pleaser Miracle (2004) about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team’s seemingly impossible path to win the gold medal versus the juggernaut that was the Soviet Olympic team. On hand to talk about the film will be producer Mark Ciardi, as well as Mike Eruzione, the real-life captain of that legendary team, and Patrick O’Brien Demsey, who played Eruzione in the film. Preceding the screening will be a presentation of GameAbove Entertainment’s ECHL Unfiltered: Idaho Steelheads – For the Love of the Game, which will be the first episode of the docuseries on the NHL Network. Several members of the Idaho Steelheads hockey team will be in attendance, along with director and executive producer Tyler Nimmons.

Three films showcased as part of the Boise Film Festival’s special focus on films created and shot in the Pacific Northwest are Eric Esau’s sci-fi feature Saturn, Jacob Ronnow’s dramatic short Mankind, and the world premiere of Kyle LaMontagne’s short Mother of Portland. In Esau’s Saturn, a family in a picturesque seaside town find their lives upended when a strange planet appears in the sky on a collision course for Earth. The planet’s appearance forces the father to decide between running from his destiny or sacrificing everything he loves since he just might be humanity’s only hope. Ronnow’s drama Mankind is sparked by a confrontational run in between a homeless man “seeking change” outside of a prestigious law firm, and a young lawyer, who decides to offer the man a chance at redemption. LaMontagne’s documentary short Mother of Portland focuses on the life and work of chef and restauranteur Lisa Schroeder.

Additional highlights among the narrative features include Zoë Eisenberg’s Chaperone. The winner of two awards at Sundance, including the Grand Jury Prize, the film focuses on a young woman whose satisfaction in her unremarkable life is a stark disappointment to everyone around her until a new relationship with a teenager threatens to shake everything up. Executive produced by Common, Sam Friedman and Will Bermudez’s drama Grassland follows the conflict that happens when a single black mother’s illegal marijuana business becomes jeopardized due to her 9-year-old son’s new friendship with their new neighbors: a white boy and his police officer grandfather. Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina, a winner at the Deauville Film Festival, stars Rooney Mara and Oded Fehr in a high stakes’ drama set in a bustling Times Square kitchen as the back-of-house staff each chase the elusive American dream within that pressure-cooker environment.

Highlights among the documentary features include Silje Evensmo Jacobsen’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner A New Kind of Wilderness. The film follows a family living a wild and free existence on a small farm in the Norwegian forest, until a tragedy upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society. Don Hardy’s Linda Perry: Let It Die Here looks at the life and career of the 4 Non-Blondes icon and hit songwriter. Alison Tavel’s SXSW Audience Award winner Resynator is the filmmaker’s documentation of a personal project to rescue her father’s synthesizer prototype from her grandmother’s attic and start a curious resurrection project that turns into an insatiable, globe-trotting quest aided by a musical Who’s Who of estranged family, lost friends, fellow inventors, and celebrated musicians (Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Gotye & more).

As part of its focus on bringing Hollywood to Boise, BFF will feature two Inner Circle Master Classes focused on insider looks at film producing and screenwriting. Friday, October 11 Mark Ciardi (Secretariat, Million Dollar Arm, Chappaquiddick) will go through all the ins and outs of producing true stories for the big screen and television. From acquiring life rights, to development of the script, to production and delivery you will learn how to navigate the world of bringing real life heroes to the screen. On Saturday, October 12 Anthony Zuiker, creator of the landmark CSI franchise, will take attendees through all the ins and outs of writing successful television. The class will combine a nuts and bolts look at taking an idea to a finished script, as well as how best to navigate the business as a writer.

Previously announced, jury members for the inaugural edition of BFF include Academy Award-nominated producer David Permut, Academy Award-winning actor Octavia Spencer, Emmy Award-winning actor Paul Walter Hauser, Talent Agent David Boxerbaum, Manager/producer Andrew Wilson, and Boise State Film Professor Ryan Cannon.

The Closing Night Gala and Filmmaker Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 13, will be hosted by former NFL Pro Bowler and America’s Got Talent finalist, Jon Dorenbros. All filmmaker award winners (both jury and audience) will receive cash prizes along with their BFF Award during a ceremony held on closing night.

To purchase passes and tickets, or for more information, please go to:  https://www.theboisefilmfest.com/.

 

2024 BOISE FILM FESTIVAL (BFF) Official Selections

 

OPENING NIGHT GALA SELECTION

Miracle (2004)
Director: Gavin O’Connor
Country: USA; Running Time: 135 minutes
The true story of Herb Brooks, the player-turned-coach who led the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the seemingly invincible Soviet squad.
Preceded by
ECHL Unfiltered Episode 1: Idaho Steelheads – For the Love of the Game
Director: Tyler Nimmons
Country: USA; Running Time: 30 minutes
The first episode of the series looks at the Idaho Steelheads hockey team and the challenges they face in the new season and their quest for Kelly Cup glory.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

Audrey           
Director: Natalie Bailey
Country: Australia; Running Time: 97 minutes
Forgotten soap star and self-appointed Mother of the Year, Ronnie Lipsick is living the life she never asked for. An acting career derailed due to an untimely pregnancy 18 years earlier, dreams of stardom replaced with a suburban performing arts school. A husband, Cormack, whose lust, and love for life has gone as limp as his manhood. Youngest daughter, Norah, appears to have no use for her and finally, the ungrateful eldest, Audrey, who Ronnie has given the best part of her parenting time to mould into the success she always wanted to be. But when an accident lands Audrey in a coma, Ronnie gets her second chance at the life she actually wanted by taking on her daughter’s identity.

Birthrite          
Director: Ross Partridge
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 minutes
When a pregnant woman is bequeathed a home from an estranged aunt, she and her girlfriend leave the city behind to begin new chapter. But when a karmic debt threatens the life of their unborn child, they soon discover their place in the cursed history of the town.

Chaperone     
Director: Zoë Eisenberg
Country: USA; Running Time: 102 minutes
Misha Miyamoto, 29, lives alone in the house her grandmother left her, has held the same job since high school, and likes her life as is: simple. Unfortunately, her satisfaction disappoints everyone around her. Her boss can’t fathom why she won’t take a promotion, her lack of ambition dissuades potential love interests, and her parents push her to sell her estate since she has no interest in starting a family. These pressures leave Misha isolated and sick of justifying her choices. When an earnest 18-year-old mistakes Misha for a fellow student, she finds solace in his lack of expectation and begins a relationship with him. But as their relationship grows, so does Misha’s reckless behavior.

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point       
Director: Tyler Taormina
Country: USA; Running Time: 106 minutes
On Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own.

Cold Wallet    
Director: Cutter Hodierne
Country: USA; Running Time: 84 minutes
After losing everything in a cryptocurrency scam, a ragtag team of vigilante Redditors attempt to kidnap the kingpin who screwed them over. But when the home invasion takes a turn for the worst, they become victims in a sadistic game.

Grassland      
Directors: Sam Friedman, Will Bermudez
Country: USA; Running Time: 88 minutes
Grassland explores the failures of the criminal justice system from a unique angle by following Sofia, a single mother whose illegal marijuana business becomes jeopardized when her 9-year-old son Leo befriends the new neighbors: a white boy and his police officer grandfather.

La Cocina       
Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Country: Mexico, USA; Running Time: 139 minutes
In the heart of a bustling Times Square kitchen, dreams and desperation collide as the back-of-house staff each chase the elusive American dream. It’s a high-stakes drama that explores the intersection of the personal ambition and systemic exploitation of undocumented immigrant workers within the pressure-cooker environment of a Times Square restaurant.

Saturn
Director: Eric Esau
Country: USA; Running Time: 100 minutes
Saturn is a character-based science fiction film about a family in a picturesque seaside town whose lives are upended when a strange planet appears in the sky on a collision course for Earth. The planet’s appearance brings back a life that James thought he had left years ago when he settled down with his wife and young son. But, with the outside world in chaos and his perfect family slowly falling apart, James must decide between running from his destiny or sacrificing everything he loves. We slowly learn that James is more than meets the eye. He has a secret he’s never shared with anyone… a secret that is humanity’s only hope. Taking inspiration from classic and modern sci-fi, Saturnasks a simple question: how far would you go to save those you love?

Tapawingo
Director: Dylan K. Narang
Country: USA; Running Time: 109 min
An oddball becomes the bodyguard for a misfit teenager and finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s family of bullies.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

A New Kind of Wilderness   
Director: Silje Evensmo Jacobsen
Country: Norway; Running Time: 84 minutes
On a small farm in the Norwegian forest, the Payne family seeks a wild and free existence. They practice home-schooling and strive for a closely-knit family dynamic in harmony with nature. However, when tragedy unexpectedly strikes the family, it upends their idyllic world and forces them to forge a new path into modern society.

Every Little Thing     
Director: Sally Aitken
Country: Australia; Running Time: 93 minutes
Author and wildlife rehabber Terry Masear wants to save every injured hummingbird in Los Angeles, but the path to survival is fraught with uncertainty and drama. This intimate and profound story reveals her diminutive patients both visually, through breathtaking, beautifully detailed photography, and emotionally: over the course of director Sally Aitken’s moving documentary, we become invested in Terry’s hummingbird patients – Cactus, Jimmy, Wasabi, Alexa, and Mikhail – celebrating their small victories and lamenting their tiny tragedies. Through the eyes of America’s busiest bird rehabilitator, each bird becomes memorable, mighty, and heroic. The compassion and empathy that Masear shows her birds serves as a lesson to us all — a reminder that in the smallest of acts, and in the tiniest of creatures, we might find grace.

Linda Perry: Let It Die Here
Director: Don Hardy
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 minutes
Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years. The hat, tattoos, and massive hit single “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non-Blondes made her an icon. But in the decades since that song topped the charts, Linda has reinvented herself as a songwriter and producer penning hit-after-hit for artists like Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, Pink, and others. While the story of Linda’s career and craft is extraordinary, this film is about much more. Let It Die Here is an intimate look at a vulnerable and courageous woman as she navigates life-altering personal circumstances amidst gnawing career decisions. Linda‘s past and present collide as she struggles to answer the big questions she can no longer avoid: Who am I? Am I loved? What’s my purpose? What will I leave behind?

Maya and the Wave
Director: Stephanie Johnes
Country: USA; Running Time: 95 minutes
Pursuing her dreams against all odds, world champion Brazilian big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira challenges the status quo in a very patriarchal sport, as she is forced to battle chauvinism as well as the waves themselves to succeed beyond anyone’s expectations in the male-dominated world of surfing.

Porcelain War            
Directors: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev
Countries: Australia/USA/Ukraine; Running Time: 87 minutes
Porcelain War is a stunning tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, embodying the passion and fight that only artists can put back into the world when it’s crumbling around them. With extraordinary footage from a war-torn country, filmed by ordinary civilians, Porcelain War is a story much bigger than Ukraine, it’s a story about all of us.

Resynator      
Director: Alison Tavel
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 minutes
Inventor Don Tavel died suddenly when his newborn daughter was just ten weeks old. Growing up surrounded by mythical stories of her “genius” father, Alison’s life is consequently absent from any true connection to him. Resynator is a narrative documentary that begins when Alison rescues Don’s synthesizer prototype from her grandmother’s attic and starts a curious resurrection project that turns into an insatiable, globe-trotting quest. Aided by estranged family, lost friends, fellow inventors, and celebrated musicians (Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Gotye & more), Alison unlocks unsettling secrets and complex truths, through which a father/daughter relationship is finally born.

Shari & Lamb Chop  
Director: Lisa D’Apolito
Country: USA; Running Time; 92 minutes
Before Mister Rogers welcomed us to the neighborhood, Shari Lewis was captivating us with her iconic sock puppets Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy. A multi-talented dancer, singer, magician, conductor, puppeteer, and ventriloquist, Lewis was the pioneer of children’s television, starring in a number of programs including “The Shari Lewis Show” and (where millennials fell in love with her) on PBS’s “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along.” With a career spanning five decades, Lewis’ tenacious work ethic, lovable charisma, and unwavering dedication to her craft led her into millions of living rooms to laugh, play, interact, and empower kids to love themselves exactly as they are.

Sugarcane     
Directors: Emily Kassie, Julian Brave NoiseCat
Country: Canada; Running Time: 107 minutes
A stunning tribute to the resilience of Native people and their way of life, Sugarcane, the debut feature documentary from Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities.

SHORT FILMS

Bite     
Director: Jorey Worb
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 minutes
After being sexually assaulted by her dentist, a formerly confident young woman endeavors to find the power within herself to stand up to her attacker. Based on the writer/director’s personal experience.

Bird Drone     
Director: Radheya Jegatheva
Country: Australia; Running Time: 9 minutes
A lonely seagull looking for love struggles to accept that his newfound object of affection is a human-operated drone with a limited battery life.

Bogota Story
Director: Esteban Pedraza
Country: Colombia, USA; Running Time: 16 minutes
In 1992, as Colombia faces an era of drug violence, car bombs, and daily power outages, a young mother in Bogotá receives an internship opportunity in the US and eventually must decide between her dreams and her family.

Border Hopper
Director: Nico Casavecchia
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 minutes
Laura, a Latinx filmmaker, lands a life-changing career opportunity when she’s hired to direct a Super Bowl commercial for a video game. The catch? The shoot is in Europe, and she can’t travel due to her immigration status, a secret she’s kept from her employers. This creates friction with her husband Jorge, whose Green Card depends on hers. Laura decides to apply for a complicated emergency travel permit to take on the job. Her reality takes a surreal turn as she starts having hallucinations of a nightmarish video-game world. When immigration services deny her the travel permit, she finds support from Jorge to accept the job, even if it means risking their immigration status.

Chauncey
Directors: Reilly Anspaugh, Daniel Rashid
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 minutes
When Zoe brings her new boyfriend home for the first time, she decides to hide her childhood stuffed animal Chauncey in the sock drawer. But when she starts to hear Chauncey’s voice in her head, she has to choose whether to continue hiding him, or to reveal the truth and risk disaster.

Fanatic           
Director: Taran Killam
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 minutes
Charlie and Gerald revive their failed 2000’s boyband, 2N1, for a competition with prize money that could remedy all their financial woes. What could go wrong?

ILY, Bye          
Director: Taylor James
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 minutes
ILY, Bye follows Siobhan, a quirky, socially anxious mess who can’t seem to keep a job. Thanks to the help of her best friend Gary, she scores an interview with his boss, Mr. Litchfield. When her call to schedule the interview goes to voicemail, Siobhan panics and leaves a series of unhinged messages. Not wanting to lose the interview, she embarks on a chaotic mission to delete the voicemails herself.

Mankind
Director: Jacob Ronnow
Country: USA; Running Time: 26 minutes
After a confrontational interaction with a homeless man “seeking change” outside of a prestigious law firm, a young lawyer decides to offer this lost soul a chance at redemption. As fate would have it, an unlikely connection is formed between the two, leading both men to ultimately discover salvation.

Midnight Snack         
Directors: Samuel Dhooge, Rani Nagels, Jarne Meersman
Country: Belgium; Running Time: 2 minutes
A vampire tries to escape from the house he’s in, when he finds out there’s a solar eclipse happening.

Mother Of Portland                                                   WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Kyle LaMontagne
Country: USA; Running Time: 7 minutes
When there’s chaos in her kitchen, she’s there to help. When there is chaos in her city, she’s there to help. A gritty greasy look at what it means to be a modern-day hero. The story of the life and work of Lisa Schroeder.

The Soul Trader        
Director: Susan Dynner
Country: USA; Running Time: 12 minutes
An occult hitwoman has cornered the market for selling life-extending souls to the elite. But on her final hit before retirement, deadly competition emerges from the shadows.

 

Naples International Film Festival 2024 Announces Film Lineup

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Freedom Hair

 

Artis—Naples announced today the film lineup for the 16th annual Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), to be held October 24-27, 2024.

NIFF 2024’s Opening Night screening features a celebration of short film as an art form, marking the second time the festival showcases specially curated short films. This year’s opening night shorts package is titled Opening Night Shorts: New Perspectives, featuring six creative short films. The festival will close with a presentation of Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), featuring a live performance of Danny Elfman’s one-of-a-kind score by the Naples Philharmonic and conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

This year, NIFF will include 58 films (10 narrative features, 12 documentary features and 36 short films) representing 26 countries, with several of those films including in-person post-screening filmmaker Q&A conversations. Select filmmakers will also participate in panel discussions during the festival. All screenings and associated events will be held in person in Hayes Hall, Daniels Pavilion or Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus or at the festival’s new venue partner, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at Mercato.

“We are thrilled to present this year’s selection of films, each offering a unique lens through which audiences can explore the creativity of the human spirit,” said Artis—Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “The Naples International Film Festival is an opportunity to enjoy the power of storytelling reflected across experiences, cultures and artistic expression. This year’s lineup embodies our ongoing commitment to celebrating the diversity of perspectives offered by independent film, inspiring introspection and connection within our community. We look forward to the profound conversations and shared experiences these films will undoubtedly spark.”

“Our team has worked diligently to craft a slate of films that is representative of the diverse landscape of independent cinema,” said David Filner, executive vice president, artistic operations. “Whether through emotionally resonant documentaries or engaging narrative features, we’ve designed this year’s festival to provide audiences with an immersive cinema experience. NIFF continues to be a distinctive platform where filmmakers and cinephiles alike can come together, exchange ideas and celebrate the multidisciplinary nature of film as an art form.”

Festival Producer Shannon Franklin emphasized the lasting impact NIFF has on both audiences and filmmakers alike over the years. “Every year, NIFF serves as a dynamic meeting point for filmmakers and audiences, and this year is no exception. The festival has become a cornerstone for both emerging and established filmmakers, and we’re proud of the reputation it has earned as a welcoming, inspiring environment. We can’t wait to share these powerful stories with all the attendees who make NIFF so special.”

On Thursday, October 24, the Opening Night shorts program at Hayes Hall (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd) will feature: Adam J. Graves’ Anuja about a 9-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory who is offered a rare chance to attend boarding school; Nick Russell’s thriller Favourites, in which two young parents deal with an impossible choice during a family camping trip in the Australian Outback; Jumai Yusuf’s Nate and John about a friendship that develops in the 1960s between a young Black barber’s assistant and a surly teenage hippie who’s forced to get a haircut by his father.

Also screening that night will be Ballard C. Boyd’s wry comedy Night Session, during which a burglary quickly morphs into an impromptu therapy session where the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce—all while the resident assists the burglar in robbing his apartment. TJ O’Grady-Peyton’s Irish drama Room Taken follows a homeless man who secretly takes up residence in the home of an elderly blind woman—which results in an unexpected bond forming between the two. Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz’s SXSW special jury prize winner Trapped is centered on a janitor at a prestigious high school as he confronts a group of boys in the middle of a senior prank—putting him between the boys, his boss and his moral compass.

Hayes Hall will also be the location for the special presentation of Tim Burton’s colorfully eccentric superhero classic Batman (1989) on Closing Night, Sunday, October 27. The presentation of a classic or beloved film accompanied by a live performance of the film’s score has become a tradition and one of the celebrated highlights unique to the Naples International Film Festival. Under the baton of Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, the Naples Philharmonic will perform Danny Elfman’s groundbreaking score live as the film screens over the stage.

NIFF’s popular “Screenings Under the Stars,” shown on a large outdoor screen in beautiful Norris Garden on the Artis—Naples cultural campus on Friday, October 25, will include a special presentation of Dianne Houston’s Freedom Hair, which pits a determined, business-savvy mother starting a natural hair braiding business versus a powerful cosmetology cartel and her home state of Mississippi. On Saturday, October 26, Jeff Toye’s crowd-pleaser The Opener tells the tale of a struggling street musician who gets noticed after one of his songs goes viral and is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as an opening act on tour for one of his musical heroes. Director Jeff Toye and the documentary’s subject, Philip Labes, will be in attendance for a post-film Q&A and a brief performance by Labes.

Films in the Naples International Film Festival’s competition categories will vie for more than $10,000 in cash prizes, including the Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature and Best Short as well as the Focus on the Arts Award, given to a feature-length narrative or documentary film with an emphasis on one or more of the visual or performing arts. For the fifth consecutive year, NIFF will also present juried awards in the Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature categories. Selected award winners will be announced at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony in Daniels Pavilion.

The Narrative Feature Juried Competition slate includes Shaun Seneviratne’s romantic comedy-drama Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts about a man who visits Sri Lanka to rekindle his relationship with his girlfriend after a long separation and is thrown for a loop when her boss demands that she works throughout their vacation. Matthew Leutwyler’s Fight Like a Girl follows a young woman, kidnapped from her village in the Congo and forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, who escapes and joins a renowned all-women boxing club. Steven Grayhm’s Sheepdogexplores the physical and psychological repercussions of war. The film follows a combat veteran who is ordered into the care of a trauma therapist in training but is soon faced with overcoming a new hurdle, the arrival of his father-in-law, a Vietnam veteran who arrives on his doorstep, fresh out of prison.

The Documentary Feature Juried Competition includes Joe Wein’s 76 Days Adrift, about Steven Callahan’s harrowing tale of survival alone on an inflatable raft in the Atlantic Ocean. Making its North American Premiere will be Anthony Wonke’s The Accidental Spy, an incredible true story of America’s jihadist spy and how he was thrown to the wolves once he stopped being useful to his CIA spymasters. Jeremy Power Regimbal’s Between the Mountain and the Skyfocuses on Maggie Doyne, the 2015 CNN Hero of the Year, a devoted humanitarian who became guardian to over 50 Nepalese children after meeting a six-year-old who survived by breaking stones into gravel.

Additional highlights among the festival’s selected narrative features include H. Nelson Tracey’s award-winning Breakup Season, which stars The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs as a young man, who brings his girlfriend, Cassie, home to meet his family over the Christmas holiday only to have her promptly break up with him and get snowed in together. Tom Waller’s Kiss of the Con Queen focuses on an actor who arrives in Indonesia to play a huge role in a blockbuster film and soon discovers he’s been caught in a global scam. Anthony Lucero’s heartfelt The Paper Bag Plan follows the efforts of a father, just diagnosed with cancer, who must race against time to train his disabled son on how to bag groceries in hopes of landing his first job and a life without his dad.

Additional documentary feature highlights include Sally Aitken’s Every Little Thing which traces Terry Masear’s care for fragile hummingbirds. Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch’s Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager tells the story of trailblazing photographer Bunny Yeager and highlights her influence on pop culture—from the bikini and Playboymagazine to the modern selfie. Making its world premiere is Herbert James Winterstern’s Sanibel. The film began as an exploration of the people and businesses central to seashell culture in Southwest Florida. However, the arrival of Hurricane Ian, one of the most destructive hurricanes in history, changed things radically as the cameras caught the devastating effects on the area.

Themes for the Naples International Film Festival’s curated short film programs include Unexpected Journeys, Made for Each Other, Odds and Ends, Family and Community and the recurring Student Filmmaker Showcase.

Tickets for all screenings and activities at Alamo Drafthouse go on sale September 26. Tickets for the Opening Night Film and Party; the Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party; and Batman in Concert are on sale now. For more information, visit artisnaples.org/niff.

NIFF extends deep appreciation to Festival Presenting Sponsors Dr. Richard Lublin and Christine Lublin. Generous support is also provided by the Collier County Tourist Development Council.

Sincere thanks to Opening Night Film and Party Sponsor The Woodruff Institute, an anonymous Closing Night Awards Ceremony, Film and Wrap Party sponsor, and Theater Sponsors Entech, DeVoe Automotive Group, Bobbi and David Drobis, Debra and Vincent Maffeo and Tes and Brian Manley. NIFF is pleased to partner with Gulfshore Life and The Naples Press as exclusive Media Sponsors.

The 2024 Naples International Film Festival (NIFF) Official Selections:
OPENING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATIONS

Anuja
Director: Adam J. Graves
Countries:  India/U.S.; Running Time: 22 minutes
When an intelligent 9-year-old girl working in a back-alley garment factory is offered a rare chance to attend boarding school, she faces a choice that will determine the fate of her future and her family.

Favourites
Director: Nick Russell
Country:  Australia; Running Time: 5 minutes
When a family’s camping trip in Australia’s Outback turns deadly, two young parents are tested and soon come to grips with an impossible choice.

Nate and John
Director: Jumai Yusuf
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 8 minutes
John and Nate first meet in the 1960s, when John, a surly teenage hippie, is forced by his father to get a haircut. Nate, a young Black barber’s assistant, obliges. From this ordinary beginning, a deep and enduring friendship blossoms between the two men over years of haircuts.

Night Session
Director: Ballard C. Boyd
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 11 minutes
When a burglar runs into the resident of an apartment he just broke into, the burglary quickly morphs into an impromptu therapy session where the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce—all while the resident assists the burglar in robbing his apartment.

Room Taken
Director: TJ O’Grady-Peyton
Country:  Ireland; Running Time: 18 minutes
When a man newly arrived in Ireland finds himself experiencing homelessness, he secretly takes up residence in the home of an elderly blind woman. As he tries to remain unnoticed, an unexpected and unique bond forms between them, reshaping their lives in ways neither could have imagined.

Trapped
Directors: Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 15 minutes
A special jury prize winner at SXSW, Trapped follows Joaquin, a janitor at a prestigious high school, as he confronts a group of boys in the middle of a senior prank—putting him between the boys, his boss, and his moral compass.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM PRESENTATION

Batman (1989)
Director: Tim Burton
Country: U.S.; Running Time: 126 minutes
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.

NARRATIVE COMPETITION FEATURES

Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Director: Shaun Seneviratne
Countries:  U.S./Sri Lanka; Running Time: 110 minutes
When Ben Santhanaraj visits Sri Lanka hoping to rekindle his relationship with American NGO worker Suzanne Hopper after a long separation, their second chance at love is thrown for a loop when Suzanne’s boss demands that she work during their vacation, effectively blocking Ben’s attempts at intimacy.

Fight Like a Girl
Director: Matthew Leutwyler
Countries:  Rwanda/DR Congo; Running Time: 118 minutes
A young Congolese woman, kidnapped from her village and forced to work in an illegal mineral mine, escapes her captors and makes a new life for herself after joining a renowned all-women boxing club in the border city of Goma.

Sheepdog
Director: Steven Grayhm
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 122 minutes
Decorated U.S. Army combat veteran Calvin Cole is court-ordered into treatment and the care of a V.A. trauma therapist in training. Things become even more complicated when Calvin’s father-in-law, a Vietnam veteran, shows up on his doorstep … fresh out of prison.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION FEATURES

76 Days Adrift
Director: Joe Wein
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 110 minutes
Alone on an inflatable raft in the Atlantic Ocean without food or water, Steven Callahan gives a gripping first-hand account of finding the strength to survive in this stunning retelling of his New York Times bestselling memoir, Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea.

The Accidental Spy                                                                      NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Director: Anthony Wonke
Country:  UK; Running Time: 97 minutes
The Accidental Spy tells the gripping tale of one man’s entanglement in a dangerous complex geopolitical web, his ultimate sacrifice to protect his loved ones … and the crushing betrayal by the nation he risked everything to defend.

Between the Mountain and the Sky
Director: Jeremy Power Regimbal
Country:  Canada; Running Time: 93 minutes
After being named CNN 2015 Hero of the Year, Maggie Doyne, guardian to over 50 Nepalese children, faces a devastating loss. Following a chance encounter amidst her grief, Maggie allows a filmmaker into her life to document herself, her family, and soon enough, their love story.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

Breakup Season
Director: H. Nelson Tracey
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 102 minutes
Ben, an ambitious yet unemployed young man, brings his girlfriend, Cassie, home to meet his family over the Christmas holiday. But after a winter storm hits his rural hometown and a late-night conversation fractures their relationship, Cassie becomes stranded with her newly-minted ex and his family.

Days of Happiness
Director: Chloé Robichaud
Country:  Canada; Running Time: 118 minutes
In this Canadian drama written and directed by Chloé Robichaud, rising conductor Emma attempts to navigate a toxic relationship with her father/agent, Patrick, and her budding new romantic relationship with a cellist as she considers a new career opportunity with a prestigious orchestra.

Freedom Hair
Director: Dianne Houston
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 99 minutes
When a determined, business-savvy mother decides she no longer wants to live paycheck to paycheck and sets out to achieve financial independence by starting a natural hair braiding business, she is soon faced with overcoming unexpected obstacles imposed by a powerful cosmetology cartel and her home state of Mississippi.

Kiss of the Con Queen
Director: Tom Waller
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 116 minutes
An actor thinks he’s hit paydirt after he’s offered a huge role in a blockbuster film. But after arriving for a shoot in Indonesia, nothing goes as planned, and he uncovers a shocking truth: He’s been caught in a global scam.

My Sunshine
Director: Hiroshi Okuyama
Country:  Japan; Running Time: 90 minutes
On a Japanese island, Takuya becomes captivated by Sakura, a rising figure skater. Under the guidance of former champion Arakawa, they train as a duo for an upcoming competition. As winter deepens, so does their bond—but like the first snow, even strong connections can melt away.

Never Not Yours
Directors: John Klein, Steve Kniss
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 82 minutes
Chaos ensues when retired parents announce their divorce to their three 30-something children, and the family must grapple with their changing relationships and identities.

The Paper Bag Plan
Director: Anthony Lucero
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 107 minutes
Oscar has dedicated his life to the well-being of his disabled son, Billy. But when Oscar is diagnosed with cancer, he must race against time as he trains his son on how to bag groceries in hopes of landing his first job and preparing for a life of independence.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

Every Little Thing
Director: Sally Aitken
Country:  Australia; Running Time: 93 minutes
Every Little Thing uncovers profound truths in a simple story. As Terry Masear cares for fragile hummingbirds, their small victories and tragedies reflect Masear’s journey, reminding us that grace and healing can be found in the smallest acts in this beautifully shot film that brings these tiny creatures to life.

Giants Rising
Director: Lisa Landers
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 82 minutes
Giants Rising takes us deep into America’s iconic forests, unveiling the secrets of the towering redwoods—some of the tallest and oldest living beings on Earth. Through the voices of scientists, artists, Indigenous communities, and others, we explore the redwoods’ resilience, connections to humanity and the trees’ roles in shaping our future.

Mad About the Boy
Director: Barnaby Thompson
Country:  U.K.; Running Time: 90 minutes
Using his own words, music, and home movies, Mad About the Boy tells the amazing life story of writer, director, actor, singer, songwriter, and poet Noël Coward as he rose from poverty to become one of the greatest multitalented artists the world has ever known.

Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager
Directors: Dennis Scholl, Kareem Tabsch
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 73 minutes
You may not know her name, but you’ve probably seen her work. This documentary feature tells the story of trailblazing photographer Bunny Yeager and highlights her influence on pop culture—from the bikini and Playboy magazine to the modern selfie.

The Opener
Director: Jeff Troye
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 72 minutes
After a struggling street musician goes viral playing songs from his bedroom, he’s offered the chance to prove himself on the big stage as the opening act for sing Jason Mraz, one of his musical heroes.

Porcelain War
Directors: Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev
Countries:  Australia/U.S./Ukraine; Running Time: 87 minutes
Porcelain War is a powerful tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, following three Ukrainian artists as they find beauty amid war’s destruction. Filmed by ordinary civilians, this extraordinary documentary shows that, while fear is easy to create, passion and creativity are indestructible.

Rise Above
Director: Maryilene Blondell
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 53 minutes
Born into a life of poverty and not far from the rolling greens, dramatic slopes, and azaleas of Augusta National, Carl Jackson defied fate to become golf’s greatest caddie.

Sanibel                                                                        WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Herbert James Winterstern
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 65 minutes
Sanibel started as an exploration of the people and businesses central to seashell culture in Southwest Florida. Six weeks into production, Hurricane Ian, one of the most destructive hurricanes in history, nearly wiped the island off the map.

Shari & Lamb Chop
Director: Lisa D’Apolito
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 92 minutes
The legendary ventriloquist Shari Lewis rose to stardom with her beloved sock puppet, Lamb Chop. When her popular children’s TV show is canceled, Lewis must find a way to make peace with her alter ego. Together, they spend decades reinventing themselves in this uplifting documentary.

ADDITIONAL SHORT FILMS

À toi les oreilles
Director: Alexandre Isabelle
Country: Canada; Running Time: 13 minutes
While the townsfolk celebrate the village’s anniversary with a parade, Étienne tries the impossible: to show them the beauty of his family’s noisy chaos.

And Granny Would Dance
Director: Maryam Mohajer
Country:  U.K.; Running Time: 10 minutes
Six-year-old Marmar cherishes the stories her grandmother’s friends share, always remembering how granny would light up and dance whenever her grandad would play the accordion.

Beautiful Men
Director: Nicolas Keppens
Countries:  Belgium/France/Netherlands; Running Time: 19 minutes
Bald and insecure, three brothers travel to Istanbul for hair transplants in this animated short. Stuck with each other in a hotel far from home, the middle-aged brothers see their insecurities grow faster than their hairlines recede.

Bogotá Story
Director: Esteban Pedraza
Countries:  Colombia/U.S.; Running Time: 16 minutes
In an era of drug violence and corruption, a young mother in Bogotá, Colombia, receives an internship opportunity in the United States and must decide between her dreams and her family.

The Bullfighter
Director: Giselle Bonilla
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 16 minutes
Since retiring, ex-bullfighter Felipe Fernando de la Fernand has struggled to maintain the heroism he once felt in the arena. Now working as a flag-waving parking attendant, he finds himself corralling more chaos than any bull he’s faced.

The Calm Under the Water
Director: Cam Brooks
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 10 minutes
The Calm Under the Water follows the emotional journey of an artist paralyzed from the neck down following a skimboarding accident. With the help of friends and the community, he confronts and overcomes the obstacles that have kept him from reconnecting with the place he once treasured—the ocean.

Cantata
Director: Dave Fox
Country:  Ireland; Running Time: 12 minutes
Darren needs help. His fears are manifesting in the most unusual of ways—through opera. After visiting his therapist, he discovers that, to restore harmony in his life, all he has to do is simply face the music.

The Car That Came Back from the Sea
Director: Jadwiga Kowalska
Country:  Switzerland; Running Time: 11 minutes
Six friends, full of exuberance and frivolity embark on a carefree road trip to the Polish Baltic coast, but as their car—and country—fall apart, they discover that life, like their journey, keeps moving forward.

Catherine & Michael
Director: Kathy Fusco
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 15 minutes
An unhappily married couple’s weekend at their friends’ idyllic country home leads them to an unexpected—and unconventional—way to reignite their fading spark.

Collage
Director: Màrius Conrotto
Country:  Spain; Running Time: 10 minutes
Two museum employees, intrigued by a couple of patrons, embark on a “scientific” experiment to determine whether they’re flirting. What they uncover is a universal truth about love.

The Day Keeper
Director: Mark Kiefer
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 8 minutes
Cliff Wentworth, a Cape Cod lighthouse keeper who works the dayshift, struggles to keep his own inner light shining in this short, amusing mockumentary.

Hearts of Stone
Director: Tom Van Avermaet
Countries:  Belgium/Croatia; Running Time: 31 minutes
In the heart of a bustling metropolis, an impossible love blooms between Paula, a lonely street artist who entertains people as a living statue, and the silent stone statue she stands beside each day.

The Ice Cream Man
Director: Robert Moniot
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 34 minutes
Shortly after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, a popular Jewish ice cream parlor owner finds himself targeted by the infamous “Butcher of Lyon.”

I See You
Director: Briar March
Country:  New Zealand; Running Time: 17 minutes
After encountering a charismatic young man with Down syndrome, Julia, a young mother struggling to love and accept her daughter, senses a shift and finally begins to see her daughter for who she is—a beautiful baby girl.

L+T
Director: Nevena Nikolova
Country:  Bulgaria; Running Time: 18 minutes
A young woman makes a heartbreaking confession of love to a stranger in a bar. Neither of them imagined how far this would go.

Lip Virgin
Director: Shimrit Eldis
Country:  Israel; Running Time: 11 minutes
In Lip Virgin, a short dramedy from Israel, a 13-year-old girl imagines her first kiss in a very romantic and detailed manner. But, just like all important life events, it isn’t what she expects. Her pursuit of the perfect first kiss becomes a journey of disillusionment.

LUKi & the Lights
Director: Toby Cochran
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 10 minutes
Robot LUKi displays unwavering resilience when his battle against ALS transforms into a testament to the human (and robotic) spirit’s ability to find light in the darkest of times. With every choice he makes and second he cherishes, LUKi & the Lights paints a portrait of what it means to truly live.

Night Session
Director: Ballard C. Boyd
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 11 minutes
When a burglar runs into the resident of an apartment he just broke into, the burglary quickly morphs into an impromptu therapy session where the burglar assists the resident in processing his impending divorce—all while the resident assists the burglar in robbing his apartment.

Saving Superman
Directors: Adam Oppenheim, Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 10 minutes
When the town hero, a man with autism, faces eviction, the community rallies to save the person who has always been there for them.

SilverSizzle
Director: Brian Russell
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 13 minutes
Two recent widowers enlist the aid of a cemetery caretaker as they embark on a quest to find new love among widows visiting their departed spouses.

Walk with Me
Director: Adrien Boublil
Country:  Colombia; Running Time: 12 minutes
A man delves into his past, uncovering the influence of a pivotal figure in his life, as he seeks strength and reassurance on the day of his wedding. Directed by Adrien Boublil, Walk with Me was ranked in the top five among 300 short films produced in Colombia in 2023.

Wander to Wonder
Director: Nina Gantz
Countries:  Netherlands/France/Belgium/UK; Running Time: 14 minutes
After the creator of an ’80s children’s television series dies, the show’s miniature stars—Mary, Billybud and Fumbleton—are left alone in the studio and continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans.

Yuck!
Director: Loïc Espuche
Country:  France; Running Time: 13 minutes
In Yuck!, an animated short from France, little Léo plays along with his friends at summer camp. He says kissing on the mouth is gross, but secretly he wants to give it a try.

STUDENT FILMS

Cakewalk                                                                     WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Lauren Best
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 2 minutes
In an unapologetically pink world, an exceptional bakery delivery girl does whatever it takes to deliver a perfectly punctual cake.

Coercion                                                                      WORLD PREMIERE
Director: Kamdyn Atkinson
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 13 minutes
A man wakes up bound to a metal chair in a garage. With his memory hazy and the situation unclear, he faces a teenage interrogator who demands a confession. The only problem? The man has no idea what he’s guilty of.

Contracting the Cooties
Directors: Skylar Levine, Maya Bayewitch
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 3 minutes
When second-grader Maggie catches the dreaded cooties from a boy on the playground, her best friend Parker races against time to find the cure before it’s too late.

Gone
Director: Hunter Nickless
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 7 minutes
Haunted by the guilt of being the driver in a car crash that killed his friends, high school film student Luca uses pre-recorded video footage to mask his grief.

The Lake in the Sky
Director: Caleb Reese Paul
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 17 minutes
Warren is a nostalgic teenager stuck in his worst nightmare: the present. He attempts to relive every day over again, scouring for moments and memories worth recording. The only memories he does have that are worth preserving are locked away inside a mysterious machine.

The Lights Above
Director: Luke J. Salewski
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 17 minutes
Months after Pearl Harbor, a determined journalist teams up with a Japanese American photographer to investigate mysterious aircraft sightings over Los Angeles and prevent a potential attack.

Weathered
Director: Patrick Jang
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 9 minutes
In this documentary short, three teenagers share personal stories of struggle, resilience, and growth, demonstrating their incredible ability to weather turbulent inner battles.

When Beverly Met Reita
Director: Brianna Schatt
Country:  U.S.; Running Time: 15 minutes
Reita Green, an 87-year-old former Hollywood star, finds new purpose wallpapering homes with her best friend, about 60 years her junior. Together, they brighten lives and inspire others in this uplifting documentary.

ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION REWILDING – A Review by John Strange

ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION REWILDING – A Review by John Strange

I love documentaries.  I love learning more about things I know very little about.  Escape from Extinction Rewilding fits this perfectly.  The film tells the story of the world’s need to save as many endangered animal species as possible.

Narrated by the incomparable Meryl Streep, the film delves into the people working to save endangered species and shows us the strategies and methods related to this endeavor.  Rewilding is the process of repairing the environment (using many different methods, each method dependent upon what is needed) and then releasing members of the species back into the wild to begin the process of rebuilding their populations.

The filmmakers traveled all over the Earth to talk to the scientists working on the projects.  From the US coast (sea otters and the kelp forests) to central Africa (rebuilding the animal preserves) to pretty much every region of our planet, we are shown how species are being brought back from the brink of extinction.

I never thought about zoos being at the forefront of the repopulating process but several around the world are doing a great job working with the rewilding teams.

The idea of invasive species is also discussed as they showed all of the parts of the globe affected adversely by these species, some brought in on purpose and others by accident.  In most cases, these species must be culled to allow the native species to survive.

I found this film fascinating. 

 

Director: Matthew R. Brady

Cast: Meryl Streep (Narrator)

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Selig Rating: 5 Stars

Runtime: 90 Min.

Release Date: 9/27/2024

Language: English

Genre: Documentary

Movie Site: ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION REWILDING Official Site

Trailer: ESCAPE FROM EXTINCTION REWILDING Official Trailer

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…

1 Star – Total waste of time.

MEGALOPOLIS – A Review by Cynthia Flores

MEGALOPOLIS – A Review by Cynthia Flores

This film was produced, written, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  The iconic filmmaker who brought us everything from Apocalypse Now to The Godfather films. At this stage of the game, with nothing to prove. He sold off a portion of his wine business to completely fund this film himself.  His film as a fable shows America as a modern Rome. Whereas Rome fell due to its vice’s, Mr. Coppola sends out this message of hope for our country that stands at the crossroads.

That’s pretty heavy stuff to contemplate. By choosing to use a fable as the vehicle of his storytelling he tends to use a heavy hand to beat that drum of truth.

Megapolis tells the story of the city of New Rome (which looks a lot like New York City) and shows the conflict between Caesar Catalina (Adam Driver) and the greedy mayor Franklin Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). While Mayor Cicero likes the way things are and has grown quite wealthy because of it, Caesar dreams of a utopian future for all. He’s a brilliant, rich inventor and thinks he has the key to building the city of the future for everyone.

Embroiled in this struggle between the two men is Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel) the beautiful, brilliant, and self-destructive Mayor’s daughter. She first becomes involved with Caesar to get revenge for all the trouble he’s caused her father. However, the more she hangs out with him the more she gets to see the brilliant thinker that he is. And the attraction begins.

Caesar’s ex-lover Wow Platinum (Aubrey Plaza) takes a chance to seduce and marry for the love of money and power. Though she becomes the much younger wife of Hamilton Crassus III (Jon Voight), her black heart belongs only to Cesar. Hamilton has one son Clodio Pulcher (Shia LaBeouf) and two self-obsessed daughters, Clodia (Chloe Fineman) and Claudine (Isabelle Kusman). All are rumored to be sleeping with each other. They epitomize the vulgarity of the times. Clodio goes out of his way to make trouble for his cousin Caesar whom he hates with a passion.

As this fable goes along, there are betrayals, scandals, and victories all laid before the audience in a flashy and loud way. Some of the calmest bits are from Fundi Romaine (Lawrence Fishburne).  He is Caesar’s bodyguard, chauffeur, and only true friend. It is Fundi’s voice that narrates most of the film.

Megalopolis as a film has moments of brilliance but unfortunately, chunks of clunkiness in between those moments. Also, it seemed like the filmmaker was doing an homage to some of the best films that have ever been made.

I saw references to the black and white 1987 Wim Wenders classic Wings of Desire when Caesar is looking out over the city standing on a clock or outside his office window. Also, the whole setup in the film is when trapeze artists are performing. The way it was staged also reminded me of a pivotal moment from that black-and-white classic.

In Megalopolis, whether they’re quoting Shakespeare or the great thinker Marcus Aurelius, the way they delivered their lines was very stylized at times. It reminded me of the 1940s syncopated-style delivery of dialogue. Specifically, the performances from the Noir 1945 classic film by Billy Wilder called The Lost Weekend in which actor Ray Milland loses his mind to drink. There are pivotal moments when Caesar is dealing with his demons that mimic much of what Ray Milland did in the older film.

I’m not sure if it was just Coppola’s way of paying homage to all the films that came before his or if it was just an unconscious choice on his part.  Either way, the chosen stylized way of delivering the dialogue in a majority of this film may be difficult for some filmgoers to appreciate upon first viewing. 

Why do I say first viewing? Because there’s so much packed in the film and in the production value that it is worth seeing again and probably will be studied in film school. All of it was wrapped in the beautiful score by Osvaldo Golijov.

I know the reviews are mixed for Megalopolis. People either love or hate this film. I respect that it took Coppola forty years and 120 million dollars of his own money to make this passion project. I enjoyed the all-star cast. I am a proud, self-professed, movie nerd who has seen thousands of films from all sorts of genres. For that reason, I can appreciate what he has done here. I did like the film despite the unevenness of it. Will it win any awards? Probably not. But is it a good enough film worth seeing in the theaters on IMAX? Most definitely yes.

I give Megalopolis 3.5-stars. It’s a big, flashy, bold fable and if you’re a film nerd, a must-see on the big screen. If you aren’t, it might not be for you.

 

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Written by: Francis Ford Coppola

Rated: R

Selig Rating: 3.5 Stars

Running Time: 2 hr 18 min

Epic / Sci-Fi / Drama

Wide Release: In Theaters September 27th

Starring: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburn

 

The Selig Rating Scale:

5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.

4 Stars – Good movie/show

3 Stars – OK movie/show

2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…

1 Star – Total waste of time.