Award-Winning Doc Feature “Fairy Creek” to Debut at WFF

Posted on November 30, 2024 by admin

Fairy Creek documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history; a blockade which made international headlines and broke records with nearly 1200 people arrested for protesting to protect BC’s last old-growth forests

Understory Films’ documentary feature film FAIRY CREEK will screen for audiences at home in BC for the first time at the Whistler Film Festival on December 7, 2024, 2024 at 3:45pm at the Village 8 Cinemas in Whistler. It was also recently announced that Cinema Politica boarded the film as distributor ahead of the film’s world premiere at Planet in Focus, where the film took home the Best Canadian Feature Award.

In FAIRY CREEK, director Jen Muranetz documents the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, creating a searing portrait of contemporary environmental activism, bearing witness to the lengths activists are willing to go to protect British Columbia’s last old growth forests. With unique insider access, the team behind FAIRY CREEK follows the Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) blockade from its early inception to its bittersweet ending through the lens of an ensemble cast of blockade vanguards and those who oppose them. Employing in-the-trenches cinema vérité, the film introduces spirited environmentalists embroiled in a series of often violent altercations with loggers and RCMP, all while trying to stop old-growth logging in the untouched Fairy Creek valley. The activists show unwavering dedication to their cause, while having compelling internal debates about whose voices are prioritized in the movement. By documenting this significant and contentious juncture in time, FAIRY CREEK calls attention to a much larger conversation: what does it take to find common ground in the fight for a climate-just future?
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New Poster And Clip For “Universal Language” Released

Posted on November 29, 2024 by admin

With over 15 festival wins, “Universal Language” continues to capture the hearts and minds of audiences worldwide. Universal Language is also Canada’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards. The film is eligible for all 2024 honors, having completed a one-week qualifying run earlier this year.

Directed by Matthew Rankin and co-written with Pirouz Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi, Universal Language marks Rankin’s second feature after the critically acclaimed The Twentieth Century (2019).

In a mysterious and surreal interzone somewhere between Tehran and Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Gradeschoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in the winter ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly-befuddled tourists through the monuments and historic sites of Winnipeg. Matthew quits his meaningless job in a Québecois government office and sets out upon an enigmatic journey to visit his mother. Space, time and personal identities crossfade, interweave and echo into a surreal comedy of misdirection.

New Trailer For Vampire Horror Film “Bleeding”

Posted on November 26, 2024 by admin

BLEEDING follows Eric, a 17-year-old grieving the overdose death of his brother. When his cousin Sean, the hot-shot son of an alcoholic cop, gets pulled into the lucrative, deadly world of using and selling Blood, Eric will do whatever it takes to save him from the same fate that swallowed his brother whole.

With a debt to a vicious dealer and no way to pay it back, Eric and Sean break into an empty house and find a sleeping girl locked inside. What seems like an answer to their prayers brings new danger, a link to their past, and revelations that will test the bonds of blood and friendship.

“Bleeding delves into the raw and unfiltered realities of addiction, heartbreak, and hope. To me, it’s a personal reminder of the fragility and resilience of the human spirit, finding light in those moments of darkness, and I think it’s a message that’s needed now more than ever”, says producer Bofan Zhang.

BLEEDING is written, directed, and produced by Andrew Bell. Produced by Nicholas Payne Santos, Bofan Zhang, and Kenneth Green. Cinematography by Daniel Cho. Edited by Bell. Composed by Alex Symcox. A 88/90 production.

Jerome Yoo’s MONGRELS Wins FIPRESCI Prize at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF)

Posted on November 26, 2024 by admin

Jerome Yoo’s debut feature film MONGRELS has won the prestigious FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF). The award, which is presented by a jury from the International Federation of Film Critics, promotes film art and supports new and young cinema globally. MONGRELS was also presented with the First Feature Competition’s Special Jury Prize For the Cast. Vancouver and Seoul-based Yoo was present to accept the award at the PÖFF ceremony on November 23rd in Estonia.

This is the second festival and second award win for Yoo, who recently had a sold out world premiere of MONGRELS at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) where he was honoured with the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Horizon Award for emerging Canadian director. MONGRELS was one of five films in post-production selected to be highlighted at the Udine Far East Film Festival’s FOCUS ASIA.
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Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer To Be Released On VHS Nov 19th

Posted on November 2, 2024 by admin

The acclaimed thriller, starring Michael Rooker will be available on VHS exclusively through Dark Sky selects on November 19th.

It was a true game-changer, a film so upsetting in its blunt depiction of an amoral murderer that it made the slasher films of its time look like cartoons by comparison. HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER became a lightning rod in heated debates about cinema and censorship but has only grown in stature since its first showing in 1986. Now, for the first time, the film will be available as a collectable VHS nationwide exclusively via Dark Sky Selects (darkskyselects.com) on November 19, 2024. Pre-orders for the VHS will be available on darkskyselects.com beginning October 31, 2024.

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is a chilling profile of a cold-blooded killer that, 38 years after its historic festival premiere, has lost none of its power to shock. The film, loosely based on a true story, has been hailed as one of the most disturbing and terrifying examinations of mass murderers ever filmed. Henry (Michael Rooker, The Walking Dead) is a psychopathic drifter who has coldly murdered a number of people for no particular reason and without any remorse. Leaving bodies in his wake, Henry makes his way to Chicago, where his he settles into the run-down apartment of his drug-dealing former prison friend and occasional roommate Otis (Tom Towles).

Also moving into the space is Otis’s younger sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), who is fleeing her abusive husband. As she fends off her brother’s incestuous advances, Becky finds herself attracted to Henry – unaware that he, along with Otis, are continuing their murderous rampage.
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American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival Wraps Up 2nd Outing With Filmmaker Awards Announcement

Posted on October 26, 2024 by admin

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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2024 Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship & Collab Scholarship Artists Selected

Posted on October 10, 2024 by admin

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the storytellers selected for the 2024 Latine Fellowship and Collab Scholarship. Now in its third year, the program aims to expand Latine representation in independent media meaningfully by providing artist development through fellowships and mentorships to10 early career Latine artists. This year’s cohort will receive an intentional immersion in a community of like-minded creatives where both professional and creative growth is nurtured through professional and creative development support, networking opportunities, access to Sundance Collab and ELEVATE.

“This year’s Latine Fellowship and Scholarship recipients come from diverse disciplines, all united by their shared goals of growth and increasing representation for a wide range of Latine voices,” said Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, Director of Sundance Institute’s Artist Accelerator and Women at Sundance. “We are thrilled to welcome them into this Program and look forward to seeing how creative and financial support will help them advance these goals.”

The Sundance Institute Latine Fellowship will uplift five early career Latine artists working in film or television with a yearlong fellowship experience. Each fellow will receive a $10,000 unrestricted grant, bespoke artist development support, creative and tactical support on their projects, and regular opportunities for community engagement and networking. The fellows were chosen from Sundance Institute artist support programs across fiction and nonfiction.
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“Strange Darling” Critically Acclaimed Thriller Debuts On Digital Streaming

Posted on September 30, 2024 by admin

Magenta Light Studios

“In Strange Darling, nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.”

The film premiered in theaters to a consensus of rave reviews, and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with critics praising the film for its clever and fresh take on the cat-and-mouse genre.

Written and directed by JT Mollner (Outlaws & Angels), Strange Darling stars Willa Fitzgerald (The Goldfinch, Reacher), Kyle Gallner (Smile, Dinner in America), Ed Begley Jr. (Better Call Saul, A Mighty Wind), and Barbara Hershey (Black Swan, Insidious).

Distributed by Magenta Light Studios, Strange Darling is a Miramax and Spooky Pictures Production. The film is produced by Bill Block, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Giovanni Ribisi and Chris Ivan Cevic, with Giovanni Ribisi also serving as the Director of Photography.

Strange Darling will debut on digital streaming October 1st. The film will be available on a variety of digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Verizon Fios, Charter, Cox on Demand, Altice, Kaleidescape, DirecTV, Dish, Frontier TV, and Microsoft.

Dark Sky Film’s “Lets Start A Cult” Trailer Debut

Posted on September 27, 2024 by admin

The throwback comedy with a cast of comedians, “Lets Start A Cult” is coming exclusively to theaters in the top 25 markets, including NYC and LA, on October 25, 2024 and rolling out to the rest of the US 11/1 from Dark Sky Films.

The film is directed by Ben Kitnick, and which he co-wrote with Wes Haney and Stavros Halkias.

The film’s cast includes Stavros Halkias (Netflix’s Fat Rascal), Wes Haney (Netflix’s The Characters: Tim Robinson), Eric Rahill (FX’s The Bear), Katy Fullan (HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm), Daniel Simonsen (BBC’s House of Fools), Scotty Nelson, Robert Kelly, Ethan Suplee (My Name is Earl), Phil “CM Punk” Brooks, Joe Pera (Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You), Zuri Salahuddin, Tom Papa (Netflix’s Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great!).

See the trailer below:

Andrei Tarkovsky’s “The Sacrifice”, New 4K Restoration Opens October 25 at Film Forum

Posted on September 21, 2024 by admin

THE SACRIFICE (1986), Russian expat master Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film, will run at Film Forum in a new 4K restoration from Friday, October 25 through Thursday, October 31.

Opening with a small group of familiar players in a tense isolated situation, THE SACRIFICE unfolds to encompass the director’s cosmic view as, faced with nuclear holocaust, a mystic sacrifice must be offered to restore the world — with unforeseen results.

Produced in Sweden with a cast headed by Bergman star Erland Josephson (Scenes from a Marriage, Cries and Whispers) the film was shot by Bergman’s longtime cinematographer, two-time Oscar winner Sven Nykvist. The director’s last work – made as he was dying of cancer – THE SACRIFICE is Tarkovsky’s personal statement, a profoundly moving, redemptive tragedy steeped in unforgettable imagery, including an astounding long take at the film’s finale.

The film was awarded the Grand Prix and a prize for artistic contribution (in recognition of Nykvist’s cinematography) at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival, and won the 1988 BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film.