Category Archives: Film Industry

Berlinale: World Premiere of PUNKU by J.D. Fernández Molero

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PUNKUPunku, the latest film by Peruvian Rotterdam Tiger Award-winning writer-director J.D. Fernández Molero [Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes)], will have its world premiere in the Forum section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, running from February 13 to 23, 2025. This one-of-a-kind, playfully genre-blending film was shot in 16mm, Super 8, and digital formats, and it will be screened on 35mm in its world premiere at the Berlinale.

Set deep in the Peruvian Amazon lowlands and the tropical city of Quillabamba in the Cusco region of Peru, Punku—which means “gateway” in Quechua—follows an unlikely pair on a foreboding journey that artfully threads together the fantasy and Surrealism of fairy tales with the harsh shadow of trauma in a shared search for belonging and safety.

Meshia, a Matsigenka Indigenous teenager, finds a young boy, Ivan, who vanished two years ago and was presumed dead. Determined to rescue him, she leads him on a journey upriver into the mountains toward the city for a surgery urgently needed to stop the infection that is progressively consuming his sight.
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Come See Me in the Good Light Wins Festival Favorite Award at 2025 Sundance Film Festival

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sundance-20252026 Sundance Film Festival Dates Also Revealed.

Today the Sundance Film Festival announced its final award for the 2025 edition: Come See Me in the Good Light in the Premieres category received the Festival Favorite Award, voted for by the audiences from all the new feature films presented at the 2025 Festival. Other award winners were previously announced at a ceremony at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah, on January 31.

Looking ahead to next year, Sundance Institute also announced today the dates for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, taking place in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from January 22–February 1, 2026.

“The past 11 days of the Festival have been a meaningful opportunity to connect as a community in support of independent storytelling,” said Amanda Kelso, Acting CEO, Sundance Institute. “We look forward to being reunited with audiences, artists, industry, and press next January for another edition of the Festival.”
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Sundance 2025: Psychological Horror Film “Rabbit Trap” Premiere

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Psychological horror film “Rabbit Trap” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan 24, 2025 in the Midnight section, with producer Elijah Wood, writer-director Bryn Chainey and cast and crew in attendance.

Logline says: “When a musician and her husband move to a remote house in Wales, the music they make disturbs local ancient folk magic, bringing a nameless child to their door who is intent on infiltrating their lives.”

Photos: aipimaging.com
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SFFILM Announces 2024 Awards Night Honorees

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Today, SFFILM announced their honorees for the annual 2024 SFFILM Awards Night: Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve; award winning global superstar Demi Moore; emerging filmmaker Malcolm Washington; and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman.

The celebratory event honors exemplary achievement in film craft and is a fundraiser with proceeds from the event supporting the organization’s mission to discover, nurture, and showcase the next generation of film artists. The annual dinner and awards presentation event is well established in film industry awards season schedules and philanthropic social calendars. SFFILM Awards Night will take place on Monday, December 9, 2024 at San Francisco’s Gateway Pavilion at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.

SFFILM

From L to R: Denis Villeneuve, Demi Moore, Malcolm Washington, Jason Reitman . Photos courtesy of rights holders.

“For 67 years, SFFILM has provided a gateway for bold voices in film to thrive and reach discerning audiences who embrace the experience of going out to the movies,” said SFFILM’s Executive Director, Anne Lai. “SFFILM Awards Night is not only a celebration of the year’s most trailblazing artists, but also an opportunity to honor distinctive talent who inspire the next generation of filmmakers who will enrich our lives and communities in the years to come.”

“We are so proud to honor this group of individuals as we close out 2024. Their craft and artistry elevates the cinematic experience and reminds us why we collectively love the power of film,” said SFFILM Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks. “Denis, Demi, Malcolm, and Jason are all intrepid, tenacious, and imaginative creatives. We look forward to honoring their work at SFFILM’s annual fundraiser.”
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AGBO Has Announced 2024 Winner Of The “Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum”

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agboAGBO and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) has announced “My Kind of People,” directed by Joe Picozzi, as the winner of the 2024 Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF). Earlier this year, five filmmakers received $10,000 production grants to create short films based on concepts exploring the Italian American experience. From these exceptional works, “My Kind of People” has been selected as the top prize winner and will receive an additional $10,000 grant, along with access to the AGBO Storytellers Collective. Picozzi’s short film tells the story of a proud paesano who, after a DNA test reveals his father’s adoption, must grapple with the devastating realization that he’s not genetically Italian. As the foundation of his identity crumbles and his familial bonds fracture, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, wrestling with the meaning of heritage, belonging, and identity.

Since its inception in 2017, RBIAFF has supported emerging voices in cinema by awarding over $400,000 in grants to more than 50 talented filmmakers. This year marks a continued celebration of Italian American culture, language, and heritage through the lens of creative storytelling.

The winner was chosen by a selection committee composed of the AGBO creative team, ISDA leadership, and a distinguished panel of judges that included AGBO Co-Founders and Partners Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, AGBO’s Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot, and ISDA National President Basil Russo, and ISDA representative Patricia Russo. The program’s mission remains steadfast: to elevate authentic, compelling narratives that highlight the richness of the Italian American experience.
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American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival Wraps Up 2nd Outing With Filmmaker Awards Announcement

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American-Cinematheque-PROOF-Film-Festival

Take Me Home, The Musical, Hema, Fishers of Men

The American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival announced the innovative film festival’s filmmaker awards as it wrapped a successful 2nd edition at the Culver Theater (9500 Culver Blvd.). Leading the award winners were Liz Sargent’s Take Me Home, which took the Grand Jury Prize, and Giselle Bonilla’s The Musical, which was the Audience Choice Award winner.

Along with the Grand Jury Prize, Sargent also received a $60K camera package, courtesy of Panavision, to assist them with fleshing out a larger project from their proof-of-concept.

Established last year as one of the first-ever film festivals dedicated solely to the presentation of proof-of-concept short films looking to be expanded into feature-length productions or series, the festival upped the ante for its second outing by opening its PROOF Pitch Deck Show & Tell to the general public. That resulted in the film festival receiving over 100 submissions for feature film and series pitches, from which eight participants were chosen to present their pitch decks live in front of a panel of industry professionals at the festival.
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13th Annual Key West Film Festival Announces Official Lineup

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annual-key-west-film-festivalThe 13th Annual Key West Film Festival announces its official 2024 lineup including major fall films from Pedro Almodovar, Barry Jenkins, Billy Corben, Michael Gracey, Gia Coppola and others. More than 75 films will be shown during the 5-day festival, which runs November 13-17.

As is tradition for the festival, the Opening and Closing Night films are curated by two of the top film critics in the country. Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter will host a discussion with Stepanie Zacharek of Timeprior to the Opening Night screening of THE FIRE INSIDE, the inspiring story of two time Olympic women’s boxing gold medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields and her fight for all women athletes across the world. The film is written by local hero Barry Jenkins, Miami-bred Academy Award winning writer and director of Moonlight.

On Saturday night, Zacharek will lead a pre-show conversation with Gyarkye prior to the screening of THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, which stars Academy Award winner Julianne Moore and Academy Award nominee Tilda Swinton in Pedro Almodovar’s first English language film about a best-selling writer who rekindles her relationship with her friend, a war journalist, with whom she has lost touch for a number of years.

Other spotlight films include Gia Coppola’s THE LAST SHOWGIRL, featuring a career defining performance by Pamela Anderson as a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run; the inspirational true story UNSTOPPABLE, featuring Jennifer Lopez and Bobby Cannavale alongside Jharrel James (also in Moonlight), who stars as Anthony Robles, an athlete born with one leg who defies expectations to become a champion wrestler in college; and BETTER MAN,
from director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
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Academy Award Nominated Costume Designer Arianne Phillips Honored with “Creative Visionary Award”

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Costume Designer Arianne Phillips;
Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels

The 25th Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) and NBFF Premiere Partner, Fashion Island will be honoring 3x Academy Award-nominated costume designer, Arianne Phillips with the esteemed Creative Visionary Award during Fashion Island’s 13th Annual StyleWeekOC on October 19. This accolade recognizes artists for exceptional creative leadership and impact within their field. The award will be presented by actress Aubrey Plaza (“Megalopolis,” “The White Lotus”) followed by a panel moderated by Costume Designer Guild’s communications director Anna Wyckoff, where they will explore Arianne’s unique perspectives on the intersection of fashion and film.

“I’m so thankful to the Newport Beach Film Festival and Fashion Island for this wonderful honor and for acknowledging the art of costume design and our contribution to filmmaking. I am especially grateful to be recognized for my work this year on “Joker: Folie á Deux” and “A Complete Unknown.” I’m humbled to be included alongside such exciting talent at the festival this year,” said Arianne.

On October 28, Arianne will be attending the SCAD Savannah Film Festival where she will join Variety Artisans Editor, Jazz Tangcay for the festival’s annual “Behind Her Lens” panel along with a conversation following a screening of Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux on October 29.

On November 1, Arianne is set to receive the Precious Gem Award at Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival GEMS. The Precious Gem Award is the festival’s signature award, reserved for one-of-a-kind artists whose contributions to cinema are lasting and unforgettable.
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Queens-Based Festival of Cinema NYC 2024 Announces Film Lineup for Next Month’s Fest

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festival-of-cinema-nycFestival of Cinema NYC returns to the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills for the 8th edition of the popular Queens-based film festival, running from August 2-11. Additional venues this year include the Queens Public Library at Forest Hills, and Yant Tattoo Studios – the Official Filmmaker Lounge. This year the festival expands its programming with special presentations at the Queens Center Mall in Rego Park. The festival opens with Ivy Vale’s coming of age musical Out of My Comfort Zone and closes with the world premiere of Delfine Paolini’s A Wonderful Way with Dragons.

Additional world premieres among the feature film lineup include Laura Angiulli’s I Know You, Harrison Dillingham’s Mortimer, and Charles Caracciolo’s The Old Ballgame: The QBH Story. North American premieres include Andrey Getov’s Bo Nan Za, Francois Manceaux’s Encontro, Penny Zhou’s Hollywood Takeover: China’s Control in the Film Industry, Roman Balmakov’s No Farmers No Food: Will You Eat the Bugs?, Holger Borggrefe’s Once And For Real, and Jordi Torrent’s Third Week. The short films lineup adds an additional 12 world premieres and 2 North American premieres, as well.
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Suspense Thriller “Somnium” World Premiere At 2024 Chattanooga Film Festival

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somniumWritten and directed by Racheal Cain, “Somnium” stars Chloë Levine (The OA), Will Peltz (Euphoria), Peter Vack (Someone Great), Johnathon Schaech (Ray Donovan), Clarissa Thibeaux (Runaways), and Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things).

“Somnium” follows small-town Gemma, who after a painful breakup, moves to Los Angeles with the hopes of making it big. To get on her feet, she takes a job working the overnight shift at Somnium – a mysterious, experimental sleep clinic where dreams are made real.

Meanwhile, Gemma throws herself into the cutthroat world of Hollywood auditions. But as the pressure to succeed mounts, she begins to experience strange and unsettling phenomena, and soon finds herself trapped in a nightmarish spiral as she discovers a darkness lurking within the clinic walls.

“With its gripping storyline and striking cinematography, SOMNIUM drags audiences through the horrifying consequences of tampering with the fabric of reality,” says the film’s synopsis.

See official trailer below:

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