Trailer and Poster For “The Settlers” Released

Posted on January 4, 2024 by admin

Debut writer-director Felipe Gálvez asserts himself as a revelatory new cinematic voice with The Settlers, a searing and indelible take on the Western. Blending historical specificity with vivid visual style, this Cannes Un Certain Regard FIPRESCI Prize winner creates a singular immersive vision, arresting in both content and form.

The film follows three horsemen at the turn of the 20th century who embark on an expedition across the Tierra del Fuego archipelago at the behest of a wealthy landowner, tasked with securing his vast state-appointed property. Accompanying a reckless British lieutenant and an American mercenary is mestizo marksman Segundo, who comes to realize, amidst rising tensions within the group, their true mission is to murderously “remove” the indigenous population.

Set against stunning mountain landscapes, Chile’s Best International Feature Film entry to the 96th Academy Awards is a visceral reckoning with national myth and the attendant violence. Painterly yet piercing, this acclaimed frontier epic turns a bold eye to the past, daring to reimagine its depiction in the present and for the future.

Felipe Gálvez (b. 1983) is a Chilean filmmaker, writer and editor based in Paris. The Settlers (2023) is his debut feature. His previous works includes the short film Rapaz (2018), which also premiered in Cannes as part of the Critics’ Week program. His other short films have been awarded by festivals around the world. As an editor, Felipe collaborated with filmmakers such as Marialy Rivas, Kiro Russo and Alex Anwandter, among others.

2024 Sundance Film Festival Announces 91 Projects Selected For 40th Edition

Posted on December 7, 2023 by admin

2024-Sundance-Film-Festival-91-Projects-For-40th-Edition

Top L–R: Girls State, Seeking Mavis Beacon, The American Society of Magical Negroes, Layla.
Center L–R: Being (the Digital Griot), Freaky Tales, Love Me, Presence.
Bottom L–R: Porcelain War, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, In the Land of Brothers, A Real Pain.

Yesterday, the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the 82 films, eight episodic titles, and a New Frontier interactive experience selected for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will take place January 18–28, 2024, in person in Park City and Salt Lake City, with a selection of titles available online nationwide from January 25–28, 2024. This year marks the 40th edition of the Festival, bringing together audiences in Utah and beyond to celebrate Sundance’s rich history of supporting engaging new stories and groundbreaking independent artists. In-Person Ticket Packages and Passes and Online Ticket Packages and Passes are currently on sale and single film tickets go on sale January 11 at 10 a.m. MT.

To kick things off, the Festival will begin at noon MT on January 18 with premieres in Park City, showcasing the range of offerings in this year’s lineup across categories. Adding to the festivities, on the evening of January 18, the Institute will host the Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire®. The fundraiser will benefit the year round artist support work of the Sundance Institute.

Films will debut in Park City starting January 18, with additional showings in Park City and Salt Lake City over the course of the Festival. Select titles also become available online beginning January 25, including all Competition titles (U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Cinema Dramatic, World Cinema Documentary, and NEXT), as well as additional selections from the feature, episodic, and shorts programs. Audiences can experience the curated online selection exclusively via festival.sundance.org. The online program, as noted below per listing, will allow fans of independent storytelling across the country to enjoy a sampling of the Festival lineup from wherever they are. The short film selections and 40th edition programming for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival will be announced on December 12.

“From the first edition in 1985, Sundance Film Festival has aimed to provide a space to gather, celebrate, and engage with risk-taking artists that are committed to bringing their independent visions to audiences — the Festival remains true to that goal to this day,” said Robert Redford, Sundance Institute Founder and President. “It continues to evolve, but its legacy of showcasing bold work that starts necessary conversations continues with the 2024 program.”

“The Institute takes great pride in the role the Festival plays in advancing our mission to support artists creating audacious work,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “This year is especially significant as we look back on our history of showcasing stories that surprise and delight, spark empathy and reflection, and honor our shared humanity. We’re all thrilled for this opportunity to celebrate the power of storytelling as we gather in January to introduce captivating works from acclaimed filmmakers and discover more new voices.”

“Sundance’s passion and power shines through its programming. Curation is Sundance’s secret sauce and we’re energized by the range of films, stories, and artists we’ve watched and selected from around the world,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “This Festival has had a vital history of first impressions: introductions to new talent, new friends, new worlds — our commitment to our artists and our audiences is fundamental to our work. Our programming team, lead by Kim Yutani, has curated 11 days of exciting new voices and stories for the many audiences we serve whether they’re joining us in Utah or experiencing the Festival offerings from afar. Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.”
Continue reading →

30th Slamdance Film Festival Announces 2024 Lineup

Posted on December 4, 2023 by admin

The 30th Slamdance Film Festival, the artist-led “by filmmakers for filmmakers” organization, has announced its full film lineup for 2024. Celebrating 30 years of discovering industry-changing talent, the festival will come full circle, returning to the Yarrow Hotel in Park City, where it all started.

Kicking off with a screening of Oscar-winning filmmaker Carol Dysinger’s epic documentary One Bullet, this year’s festival will showcase an accessible lineup of 32 features, of which 17 are World Premieres, 75 shorts, and five episodics. On-site screenings and events will be held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah from January 19-25th and online screenings will be available on the Slamdance Channel from January 22-28th.

“Our 2024 Slamdance lineup is a testament to filmmakers who dare to push their stories to the very edge of filmmaking, making it deeply personal yet globally resonant,” said Festival Director Taylor Miller. “Their raw passion and risk-taking echo our commitment to exploring uncharted territories of cinematic expression. This year, we proudly host the most inclusive and accessible festival we’ve ever had, staying true to the core objectives I aimed to cultivate with our programmers when I took this job.”

A celebration of emerging filmmaking talent from around the world, this year’s lineup consists of 113 films – 17 of which are World Premiere features – hailing from 20 countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Palestine, Russia, and the UK (United Kingdom) among others. The 2024 programming was selected from more than 9,000 submissions, 1,729 of which were features. As in previous years, all films selected in the Narrative Features and Documentary Features competition categories are directorial debuts without U.S. distribution, with budgets of less than $1 million.
Continue reading →