Category Archives: Film Festivals

Mark Ruffalo To Be Honored With American Riviera Award At 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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Mark Ruffalo will be honored with the American Riviera Award at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Ruffalo will receive the award on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at an in-person conversation about his career, leading up to this year’s performance as Ducan Wedderburn in the upcoming Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.”

Emmy winner and three-time Academy Award® – nominee Mark Ruffalo is one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors. Ruffalo will next be seen in Yorgos Lanthimos and Searchlight Pictures’ “Poor Things” and Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17.” Ruffalo was nominated for Academy Awards for his roles in “Spotlight,” “Foxcatcher” and “The Kids are Alright.” He won the Emmy and the Screen Actors Guild Award for his portrayal of twin brothers in “I Know This Much is True,” and also won a Screen Actors Guild for his role in Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart.”

Ruffalo’s commitment extends beyond the silver screen, as exemplified in his lead role in “Dark Waters,” a film which leveraged the power of storytelling to shed light on the urgent need for environmental protections. His advocacy for clean energy and environmental and social justice aligns seamlessly with the stories and characters he brings to life on screen.
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Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee, Charles Melton being honored at 2024 SBIFF

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored has announce the first group of recipients to receive the Virtuosos Award, an honor created to recognize a select group of talent whose noteworthy performances in films this season have elevated them into the national cinematic dialogue.

Lily Gladstone, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Greta Lee, and Charles Melton will discuss their work and receive their awards in-person on Saturday, February 10 during the 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The evening will be moderated for the 14th year by Dave Karger, Turner Classic Movies host and Entertainment Weekly awards correspondent. The second group of Virtuosos Awards recipients will be announced next month by the festival.

“Our first four Virtuosos honorees are among the most interesting and exciting performers working today, and they all play unforgettable roles in some of the year’s best films. I’m so excited at the prospect of chatting with each of them in Santa Barbara in January” remarked Dave Karger.

The last four year’s Virtuosos honorees were Austin Butler, Kerry Condon, Danielle Deadwyler, Nina Hoss, Stephanie Hsu, Jeremy Pope, Ke Huy Quan, Jeremy Strong, Caitriona Balfe, Ariana DeBose, Jamie Dornan, Alana Haim, Ciarán Hinds, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Simon Rex, Saniyya Sidney, Riz Ahmed, Maria Bakalova, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Andra Day, Sidney Flanigan, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Zendaya, Awkwafina, Taron Egerton, Cynthia Erivo, Beanie Feldstein, Aldis Hodge, George MacKay, Florence Pugh, and Taylor Russell.

The 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will take place LIVE February 7 – February 17, 2024.
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Pat Mitchell to Receive Vanguard Award for Philanthropy at Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®

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The nonprofit Sundance Institute today revealed an additional honoree of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser, Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®, which will take place on January 18, 2024, at the DeJoria Center in Utah. The gala, which kicks off the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, celebrates individuals who have made notable contributions to the storytelling landscape. This year, former Sundance Institute Board Chair and trustee Pat Mitchell will receive the Vanguard Award for Philanthropy, recognizing her exemplary commitment to the Institute’s support and to philanthropy for social impact.

As previously announced, the Opening Night Gala will also recognize Christopher Nolan, who will be honored with the inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award. Celine Song and Maite Alberdi — who premiered their films Past Lives and The Eternal Memory, respectively, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival — will each receive the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura.

The annual Opening Night Gala enables the nonprofit to raise critical funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists globally. The 2024 event is made possible with the generous support of Chase Sapphire and the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. The upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online from January 25–28.

“It is with immense excitement that we will honor Pat Mitchell at our Opening Night Gala,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “Beyond being a stalwart champion of the role of media and storytelling as an agent for social change, Pat is a fierce advocate for gender and racial equality, and in all her diverse roles and responsibilities — as a journalist, documentary producer, and media executive — has supported the stories and ideas that move us forward toward a more equitable future. Pat’s career and commitments of her time and resources epitomize what it means to be a leader for positive change. I am honored to celebrate Pat and the boundless value of independent storytelling as we near the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival.”
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Robert Downey Jr. To Receive The Maltin Modern Master Award At 39th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is honored to announce that cinema icon Robert Downey Jr. will receive the Maltin Modern Master Award, its highest accolade, at the 39th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Downey Jr. will receive the prestigious award on Friday, February 9, 2024.

The ceremony will include an in-person conversation between Downey and legendary film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, for whom the award is named. The duo will discuss Downey’s expansive five-decade acting career, his rise to becoming one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful actors to date, culminating in his recent searing, indelible performance as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s staggering, global cinematic phenomenon, Oppenheimer.

Robert Downey Jr. is a two-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner who has amassed more than 110 acting credits over the course of his career, including the title character in the blockbuster Iron Man franchise, which launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reshaped the last 15 years of global cinema. He earned a Golden Globe Award for his lead performance in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes, and two Academy Award nominations for Tropic Thunder, and his powerful portrayal of Charlie Chaplin in Richard Attenborough’s 1992 biopic Chaplin. Upcoming acting projects include Max’s TV adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer, in which he plays an impressive four supporting roles, and the Paramount Pictures remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Vertigo.

“Robert Downey Jr. has staged one of the most spectacular second acts in show business history…and we in the audience are the beneficiaries. He commands the screen without any visible effort, which is perhaps the greatest feat of all,” said Leonard Maltin.
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Christopher Nolan to Be Honored with Inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s Opening Night Gala

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The nonprofit Sundance Institute today unveiled details for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser, Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire® which will take place on January 18, 2024 at the DeJoria Center in Utah. Kicking off the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the evening will honor trailblazing and breakout storytellers, as well as celebrate 40 years of Sundance’s commitment to elevating independent storytelling. Christopher Nolan will be honored with the first-ever Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award. Celine Song and Maite Alberdi — both of whom premiered films Past Lives and The Eternal Memory, respectively, at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival — will each receive the annual Vanguard Award Presented by Acura.

The annual opening night gala enables the nonprofit to raise critical funds to support independent artists year-round through labs, grants, and public programming that nurture artists globally. The 2024 event is made possible with the generous support of Chase Sapphire. The upcoming Sundance Film Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024 in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as online from January 25–28.

“As we step into the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, it is a distinct honor to recognize Christopher Nolan, a prodigious artist whose singular talent and remarkable body of work have made him one of the most respected filmmakers of our time. We are looking forward to spotlighting the unique voices of both Celine and Maite, storytellers we have been supporting and deeply believe in. All three of these storytellers represent Sundance’s values,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “From the Festival to our year-round programs, it is artists that have and always will be at the very core of what we do. We look forward to our guests joining us at the Opening Night Gala and, in turn, enabling us to continue championing independent storytellers and their art that adds great value to our culture.”
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Seven Filmmakers Selected For The 2023 Film Independent Producing Lab

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Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, announced today the producers selected for its annual Producing Lab, now in its twenty-third year. This intensive program is designed to help creative, independent producers develop their skills and further their careers by introducing Fellows to film professionals who can advise them on both the craft and business of independent producing. Each Producing Lab Fellow will be paired with an experienced Creative Advisor with whom they’ll work to develop their project over the course of the program.

This year’s lead creative advisor is Rebecca Green and guest speakers include Jason Michael Berman, Apoorva Charan, Marissa Frobes, Nate Kamiya, Kristen Konvitz, Stephen Lee, Alex Lo, Lauren Mann, Jack Pearkes, Shira Rockowitz, Anita Surendran, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Jeanette Volturno, Lena Vurma and Maria Zuckerman.

“We’re delighted to shepherd this group of devoted creative producers through the Producing Lab and give them a dedicated space to further their projects and careers. We’re thrilled to have feature films both in development and post-production in the program this year and be able to support producers at various stages of the filmmaking process,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs.

Film Independent is awarding a total of $80,000 across two grants – the Sloan Producers Grant and Sloan Distribution Grant – to outstanding projects whose screenplays integrate science or technology themes and characters into dramatic stories. The Grants are part of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s nationwide film program to advance public understanding of science and technology.
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Eight Nonfiction Films Highlighting Diversity In Science Selected For The 2023 Sundance Institute | Sandbox Fund

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The nonprofit Sundance Institute and Sandbox Films today announced eight projects selected for the 2023 Sundance Institute | Sandbox Fund. The Fund offers grants and mentorship for independent artists seeking to explore the intrinsic link between science and culture through innovative storytelling.

The selected project teams receive nonrecoupable grants totaling $325,000 for their projects in the stages of development, production, and post-production. The filmmakers will also receive customized film support and join Sundance Institute’s year-round artist community, with meaningful opportunities to connect with Sundance’s network of alumni and creative advisors, as well as Sandbox Films’ roster of renowned scientists.

The grantees’ projects invite viewers to wonder at the natural world and consider the plights of scientists caught in complex webs of immigration, exile, diaspora, and geopolitics, and highlight, among other themes, the deconstruction of colonial legacies and the resurfacing of local and Indigenous knowledge and expertise, particularly related to local and regional ecology.

“We are thrilled to announce the latest cohort of Sundance | Sandbox grantees. This exciting new group of projects showcases an incredibly diverse tapestry of artistic approaches and daring creative visions that continue to redefine what a ‘science film’ can be. From India to the Caribbean, Madagascar to the Everglades, the people and stories spotlighted in these films shed light on the deeply collaborative nature of scientific practice and its crucial role in working toward a brighter future for humanity and its planet,” said Paola Mottura, Director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Fund.

“We continue to be blown away by the diversity of stories highlighting scientific inquiry that come through this grant program. It is an honor to work with the team at Sundance, and we look forward to supporting this talented group of artists as they bring these films to life,” said Jessica Harrop, Head of Production and Development at Sandbox Film.”
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“The Man In The White Van” World Premiere At ’23 Newport Beach Film Festival

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By Armando

The Man In The White Van World Premiere At 23 Newport Beach Film FestivalDirected by Warren Skeels, “The Man In The White Van” stars Madison Wolfe, Brec Bassinger, Skai Jackson, Ali Larter, and Sean Astin. It is set to have its world premiere at ’23 Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, October 14.

Inspired by a true story, “The Man in the White Van” follows the harrowing experience of young Annie Williams, a spirited girl whose carefree life is turned upside down as she becomes stalked by an ominous man in a white van. It delves into the eerie underbelly of a seemingly idyllic 1974 Florida town.

The tranquility of Annie’s world, from her love of horseback riding to her leisurely strolls home from school in the nearby woods, begins to crumble as the menacing white van inches closer and closer. As her parents’ skepticism increasingly grows, Annie finds herself psychologically isolated, and on Halloween night her worst fears materialize into a full-blown nightmare as she gets abducted.

“The Man in the White Van” is the feature debut of award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker Warren Skeels. It is based on actual events of the serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr., and captures a bone-chilling story of a young girl’s unimaginable horrors, and every parent’s worst nightmare.

“The Man In The White Van” is from Garrison Film and Legion M production, and is written by Sharon Y. Cobb and Warren Skeels. Executive producers include Gary Kompothecras, Michael Nole, Paul Scanlan, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, Sean Astin, and Ali Larter. Terri Lubaroff and Anne Marie Gillen are listed as producers. Other credits include: edited by Billy Gaggins; cinematography by Gareth Paul Cox; composed by Scott Borland.

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Sundance Institute Announces the 2023 Documentary Fund Grantees

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Sundance Institute Announces the 2023 Documentary Fund Grantees.
23 projects to receive grants totaling over $1,000,000

The nonprofit Sundance Institute today announced this year’s grantees for the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, which supports the work of nonfiction filmmakers from around the globe. Twenty-three projects have been selected for unrestricted grant funding totaling just over $1,000,000. This granting cycle’s recipients are in various stages: 6 in development, 14 in production, and 3 in post-production. In a changing media landscape, the Documentary Fund has been a stable, progressive force in supporting work that has expressed the world in creative, complex, and provocative ways and has created real cultural and social impact around some of the most pressing issues of our time. Grants are made possible by the Open Society Foundations, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Gucci, and the Kendeda Fund.

The Fund prioritizes supporting and empowering historically marginalized voices and providing a platform for integral stories to be amplified. It is committed to elevating global voices and celebrating the rich diversity of filmmaking traditions around the world. Many of the international projects supported with this round of funding reflect a priority of supporting artists living and working in regions that lack a robust infrastructure of support for independent film, regions of conflict, and countries where freedom of expression is under threat.

Many projects in this year’s slate take on subject matter that showcases humanity in the face of oppression, global views on conflict and war from the past and the present, community archive building, and protagonists who are empowered to tell their stories exploring themes of human rights, social justice and coming of age.
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Tribeca 2023: World Premiere Of “Thaw” Live Action Short From Alex Bush

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Writer, director and producer Alex Bush’s suspenseful live action short film is set to have its world premiere at Tribeca Festival 2023 in the Short Film Competition, featuring Jack Petersen and Caitlin Cobb-Vialet.

“Thaw is an American film about gender roles, intimacy, and self-expression. Suspenseful, spiritual, and romantic, director Alex Bush. “The film uses social archetypes and genre-tropes to position the experience of gender exploration as a fundamental, organic human experience, in all its gorgeous and vulnerable glory. It is just as significantly a love story, one that validates our intimate relationships as a place where we are both revealed and permanently transformed.”

Here is the film’s official synopsis:
On a snowy winter afternoon, two young people arrive at a remote farmhouse. The two unpack and bring the dormant house back to life, powering on the electricity and settling in for what seems to be a long winter. Smith (Caitlin Cobb-Vialet), a “girl” with fiery red hair, has come for the winter to work and prepare the land, a position previously held by her late-father. The other, Huck (Jack Peterson), was forced to come along against Smith’s wishes. The “sweet kid” may not be much of a farmhand, says Smith’s mother, but he will at least ensure that Smith is safe during the brutal winter farming season. What follows is a suspenseful and intimate transformation, as the two young people discover the truth of who they are to both themselves and each other.

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