World Premiere at the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival
Moving, thought-provoking, both personal and political, Bad Attitude: The Art of Spain Rodriguez explores the controversial art and life of the legendary underground cartoonist through the lens of his wife, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Susan Stern.
From the propaganda comics of WWII, to the underground comics breakthrough in 1960s New York and San Francisco, to the graphic novels of today, Bad Attitude is an enthralling history of comics and a rousing call to art and activism. Featuring a roster of friends and family, Bad Attitude dives deep into Spain’s life with insight from comics luminaries R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and Ed Piskor, and features animation by Spain’s daughter, the New York-based artist, Nora Rodriguez.
“Bad Attitude is a love letter to my partner in art and life, Spain Rodriguez, but it is also a love letter to all activists, especially artist-activists,” says director Susan Stern. “I hope Bad Attitude creates a space for conversation about the art and social justice we are trying to make, the ways we fail, and how we can be forgiven.”
BAD ATTITUDE: The Art of Spain Rodriguez will have its world premiere in the Breakouts section at the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.The documentaary is directed and produced by Susan Stern
101 Studios has released the official trailer and poster for Serbia’s official Academy Awards selection for Best International Feature, DARA OF JASENOVAC, along with a featurette that takes a behind-the-scenes look at this first-ever feature film about theviolent Holocaust-era concentration camp complex Jasenovac. Directed and produced by Predrag Peter Antonijevic, DARA OF JASENOVAC personalizes this part of history that has been mainly concealed from the public, through the eyes of a young girl named Dara. To this day, there is still controversy surrounding on how many lives were actually taken at Jasenovac.
Set in 1940s Croatia, DARA OF JASENOVAC follows 10-year-old Dara (Biljana Cekic) as she comes face-to-face with the horrors of the Holocaust-era after she, her mother and siblings are sent to the concentration camp complex known as Jasenovac. Considered one of the most overlooked parts of history, Jasenovac is not run by the Germans but by the fascist Ustase who brutally murdered Jews, Serb and Roma people, which included many women and children.
As unspeakable atrocities start to unfold, Dara must summon tremendous courage to protect her infant brother from a terrible fate while she safeguards her own survival and plots a precarious path toward freedom.
DARA OF JASENOVAC opens in select theaters on February 5, 2021.
Here is the film’s synopsis
In 1940s Croatia, 10-year-old Dara (Biljana Cekic) comes face-to-face with the horrors of the Holocaust-era after she is sent with her mother and siblings to the concentration camp complex known as Jasenovac. Overseen by vicious emissaries of the fascist Ustase government, the facility, the only operational death camp during World War II not created or run by the Germans, is tasked with murdering Serbs, Jews and Roma people-and re-educating the few children deemed worthy of rehabilitation. As unspeakable atrocities unfold all around her, young Dara must summon tremendous courage to protect her infant brother from a terrible fate, to safeguard her own survival and to plot a precarious path toward freedom.
GKIDS, the acclaimed distributor of multiple Academy Award®-nominated animated features, will release Studio Ghibli’s highly-anticipated new feature EARWIG AND THE WITCH in both theaters and on streaming in early February, followed by a home entertainment release in the spring. Tickets are on sale now for the film’s theatrical debut on February 3, 2021, in both Japanese subtitled and English dub versions. The film will appear in select theaters nationwide with longtime partner, Fathom Events, as well as independent theater circuits. At Fathom Events screenings, in addition to the full feature, audiences can look forward to a special interview with director Goro Miyazaki, and producer Toshio Suzuki. For fans looking forward to viewing Earwig and the Witch at home, starting February 5, Earwig and the Witch will also be available to stream in the US on HBO Max.
Tickets for Earwig and the Witch are available now at EarwigMovie.com and participating box offices. Ticketing setup is at the discretion of local theaters. Audiences unable to purchase tickets at their local theater are advised to continue to check back for updated ticket availability, especially closer to the event date.
The latest film from Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and more) is directed by Goro Miyazaki (From Up on Poppy Hill, Tales from Earthsea) and produced by studio co-founder Toshio Suzuki, with planning from Academy Award®-winner Hayao Miyazaki. An official selection for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival, the film aired on NHK in Japan December 30, 2020. Based on the children’s novel by Diana Wynne Jones (Howl’s Moving Castle), the film marks Studio Ghibli’s first CGI animated feature and first feature film production in four years.
The English language cast features the voices of Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Gosford Park), Kacey Musgraves (“Golden Hour” “Same Trailer Different Park”) and Dan Stevens (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, FX’s Legion), as well as Taylor Paige Henderson as “Earwig”. In addition to her debut voice acting role as “Earwig’s Mother,” six-time Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves sings the English language version of the film’s theme song, “Don’t Disturb Me.”
SYNOPSIS
Growing up in an orphanage in the British countryside, Earwig has no idea that her mother had magical powers. Her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in, and she is forced to live with a selfish witch. As the headstrong young girl sets out to uncover the secrets of her new guardians, she discovers a world of spells and potions, and a mysterious song that may be the key to finding the family she has always wanted.
Eventive, the leading platform for virtual cinema, hosting over 35,000 films for more than 700 festivals and year-round exhibitors in 2020, announced today that starting February 1, 2021, every stream on the platform will be secured with a NAGRA NexGuard forensic watermark. By using this invisible mark to identify each individual user and session, Eventive will be able to track any unauthorized use and trace it right back to the source.
Forensic watermarking is the most advanced form of content protection available and was previously only available at significant expense to a limited number of films. Eventive Advanced Antipiracy brings this level of security to everyone, at no additional cost.
In 2020 the independent film exhibition landscape shifted entirely to virtual cinema screenings, which allowed viewers to enjoy these films at home – however, the threat of piracy also increased dramatically. As pirates continue to improve their techniques, artists need the tools to protect their work, and Eventive’s latest advancement – along with existing multi-DRM, enhanced bitstream, burn-in, and overlay watermarking – grants filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors and film festivals the assurance that content is being streamed safely.
“Eventive Advanced Antipiracy moves content security to an entirely new level,” says Carly-Rose Moser, Director of Production & Operations at the American Film Institute. She adds, “It’s going to help all filmmakers and distributors feel more comfortable showing their work virtually.”
Iddo Patt, Eventive Co-founder and CEO, also added, “Our primary goal with Eventive Virtual has always been to create a sustainable virtual exhibition ecosystem that preserves premium and theatrical release windows, to support all filmmakers and new voices in reaching ever wider audiences while protecting their creative rights. We are delighted to be able to offer this level of security to all filmmakers.” Learn more about the Eventive Advanced Antipiracy suite of features at AdvancedAntipiracy.org.
CMC Pictures has released the official English trailer and poster for fantasy action film A WRITER’S ODYSSEY.
A Writer’s Odyssey tells the story of Kongwen Lu (Dong Zijian, ASH IS PUREST WHITE), the author of a fantasy novel series following a heroic teenager on a quest to end a demon’s tyrannical rule. Through a strange twist of fate, the fantasy world of the novel begins to impact life in the real world, leading Guan Ning (Lei Jiayin, THE LONGEST DAY IN CHANG’AN, BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES), to accept a mission to kill the author. A Writer’s Odyssey is directed by Lu Yang (BROTHERHOOD OF BLADES) and also stars Yang Mi, Yu Hewei, Guo Jingfei and Tong Liya.
A Writer’s Odyssey will be released in theaters on February 12, 2021.
SYNOPSIS
A WRITER’S ODYSSEY tells the story of Kongwen Lu (Dong Zijian), the author of a fantasy novel series following a heroic teenager, also named Kongwen, on a quest to end the tyrannical rule of Lord Redmane, under the guidance of a Black Armor (Guo Jingfei). But through a strange twist of fate, the fantasy world of the novel begins to impact life in the real world, leading Guan Ning (Lei Jiayin) to accept a mission from Tu Ling (Yang Mi) to kill the author.
Based on a true story, this clever, intriguing, and hyperbolic comedy follows the main character – ‘the Narrator’ (Thomas Sadoski) who is befriended by his young new neighbor ‘the Kid’ (Jake Robinson), after he joins the local newspaper team.
Obsessed with the idea that the Kid may be a sociopath, the Narrator goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him and his wife, a woman he ultimately begins to fancy. Between long walks down the street, a twisted dinner date, and a car drive gone terribly wrong, the Narrator gets closer and closer to the truth about the Kid. But the truth, as he finds, is anything but what he expected.
“Sociopaths have been portrayed as a shady bunch up until now. Inspired by true events, this confrontational comedy explores the uncharted territory of the lighter side of a sociopath,” says Mazziotti. “I applaud Gravitas Ventures introducing audiences to an alternate character dynamic which has yet to be portrayed under comedic scrutiny on screen.. yet he lives among us all.”
The Mimic will be screening in select theaters, and available on VOD beginning Friday, February 5, 2021.
The Mimic is Written & Directed by Thomas F. Mazziotti, Produced by Benjamin Cox, p.g.a., Executive Producers Stephen R. Foreht, Paul Jarrett, Co-Producers Bonnie Blue Edwards, Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent, Director of Photography Timothy Gillis, Edited by Benjamin Cox, Käla Mandrake, Production Designer Laura Miller, Costume Designer Jevyn Nelms, Original Music by Mitch Davis, Casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent. A Red Square Pictures and Only Child Films production.
After the death of their mother, blind and deaf sisters Anna and Beth live happily in a secluded small town with Father. However, when a neighbor stops by, Anna and Beth begin to question Father’s medical diagnoses and start to realize his intentions are more sinister than they could have imagined.
Shot in the haunting ephemeral landscapes of Vermont, and at times disturbing, Silence & Darkness carefully crafts a harrowing, and eerie portrait of two sisters forced to use every skill they have to uncover the truth about their family. Writer/director Barak Barkan’s feature debut takes the audience to an elliptical presence in Anna and Beth’s world, guiding our imaginations to follow them into peculiar, secret places.
“I sought to create tension between the viewer and the film, both through Anna and Beth’s interactions and Father’s backstory,” says writer/director Barak Barkan. “My goal is that while viewing the film, the audience will inhabit a constant state of curious unease—desperate to find out what led to the circumstances of this family’s life and what is going to happen next—while simultaneously fearful of the answer.”
Silence & Darkness is now available on VOD/Digital in the U.S. and Canada on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, as well as Direct TV, Dish Network, Vubiquity, and Deluxe Canada. Silence & Darkness is written and directed by Barak Barkan. Produced by Barkan, and Pablo Burn. Cinematography by Omar Nasr, edited by Colton Fordyce, and music by Bob Dylan.
‘before/during/after’ is slated for February release
Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, will release BEFORE/DURING/AFTER on demand beginning February 9. This marks the feature script debut for Finnerty Steeves (“Orange is the New Black”) who stars alongside Jeremy Davidson (“Royal Pains”), John Pankow (“Mad About You”), Kristine Sutherland (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), John Ellison Conlee (“Boardwalk Empire”) Susan Blackwell (After The Wedding) and Richard Masur (“Transparent”).
Michael Emerson (“Evil”), Marin Hinkle (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Miriam Shor (“Younger”), Kate Burton (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Austin Pendleton (Finding Dory) and Deborah Rush (“Strangers With Candy”) round out the stellar ensemble cast.
The film generated substantial festival buzz this year taking home Dances With Films’ “Industry Choice Award,” Greenpoint Film Festival’s “Best of the Fest” award, San Diego International Film Festival’s “Best Ensemble Cast” honor, Naples International Film Festival’s “Programmers Choice Award” and an exclusive drive-in showing at RiverRun International Film Festival.
before/during/after is the story of Jennie Lonergan (Steeves), a middle-aged NYC theatre actress, who is forced to figure out the kind of person she wants to be when her seemingly perfect 15-year marriage comes to an abrupt end after she catches her husband (Davidson) having an affair. The film is anchored in one day in Jennie’s life when she is auditioning for a career-making role in a play that triggers a flood of her own unprocessed memories about her marriage and the aftermath of her divorce.
The Oscar-nominated actor best known for his role of “Mr. Miyagi,” left behind a painfully revealing autobiographical record of his much-too-brief time here on Earth, tracing his journey from being bed-bound as a boy to the bright lights and discrimination in Hollywood. Deep inside that sweet, generous, multi-talented performer seethed an army of demons, that even alcohol and drugs couldn’t mask.
Directed by Kevin Derek, the film stars Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Martin Kove, Henry Winkler, James Hong, Sean Kanan, Marion Ross, Esai Morales, Tommy Chong, Don Most, Anson Williams and more.
The film is set for releaase on February 5 on iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, DVD and Blu-ray.
Julia Ormand (TV’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond, My Week With Marilyn), returns in the psychological thriller “Reunion”, from Dark Sky Films. See new trailer below.
The film is set for releasee in theaters, VOD and digital platforms on February 5th, 2021.
Written and directed by Jake Mahaffy (Free in Deed), the film also stars Emma Draper (Wellington Paranormal), Cohen Holloway (Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do In The Shadows), Ava Keane (Daffodils), Gina Laverty (Wellington Paranormal), John Bach (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Return of the King)
Here is the film’s official synopsis:
A pregnant woman returns to her recently deceased grandparents’ old family home to spend time with her estranged mother. What begins as a tenuous reunion slowly turns terrifying.
A psychological thriller that preys upon perception, REUNION sees veteran actress Julia Ormond (TV’s The Walking Dead: World Beyond, My Week With Marilyn) deliver a tour-de-force performance of threateningly quiet intensity and features a twisty narrative that will burrow itself into the darkest corners of your mind.
World Premiere at the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival
