Tuesday, August 18, 2020

OUTFEST 2020

2020 OUTFEST LOS ANGELES LGBTQ VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL 
Virtual and “Under the Stars” Drive-In Screenings
August 20-30, 2020




2020 Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Virtual Film Festival’s outdoor program and streaming platform will bring 160+ films, including 35 world premieres, 10 North American premieres and 4 U.S. premieres to Los Angeles - and to where you are - virtually at www.outfestla2020.com on August 20-30, 2020. 


In addition to virtual screenings, this year Outfest’s outdoor cinephiles will be able to enjoy Outfest LA’s “Under the Stars,” a drive-in experience at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, where for two extended weekends the Festival will be hosting a series of drive-in screenings across six-nights on two lots, including both kick-off and closing events. Drive-in screenings will launch with a special, drive-in only Los Angeles premiere of Sundance 2020 title The Nowhere Inn, starring musicians Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein in a reality-bending send-up of Clark’s musical persona, St. Vincent. 

Outfest LA’s diverse 2020 slate will include Tribeca selections such as P.S. Burn This Letter Please, Cowboys, Freedia Got A Gun; and previous SXSW premiere titles including dark comedy The Carnivores and Outfest LA’s U.S. Centerpiece selection Shiva Baby, starring Rachel Sennott, Dianna Agron, and Fred Melamed, and Outfest LA’s International Centerpiece selection Monsoon directed by Hong Khaou.




 
Outfest’s Closing Film will be the world premiere of Outfest alum Travis Fine’s (Any Day Now) century-spanning triptych Two Eyes, in which queer and trans-identified people from three different time periods in the American West discover how their identities fall within a multitude of sexuality and gender expressions. 
 
Outfest LA’s Platinum section will continue its tradition of highlighting the cutting-edge, avant-garde and experimental work coming from the queer community, with features including Toronto Film Festival selection The Twentieth Century, and a showcase of experimental short films guest curated by producer, performer, and actor Zackary Drucker.
 
Outfest’s Legacy Project will feature repertory films not currently available on streaming. The long-unavailable 1986 doc Lily Tomlin: The Film Behind the Show, which chronicles Lily Tomlin and her life partner Jane Wagner’s creation of their hit Broadway show “The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” will screen, with Tomlin, Wagner, and the film’s co-director Joan Churchill participating in a live virtual Q&A. An HBO Original Film, Cheryl Dunye’s Independent Spirit Award-nominated Stranger Inside (2001) will be available for free throughout the festival’s run, with Dunye and producer Effie Brown joining for a live virtual Q&A.
 
And in Special Events, bio-doc Three Chords and a Lie about gay country music artist Brandon Stansell’s return to his conservative hometown will screen, alongside a live, drive-in concert by Stansell. Outfest LA will also world premiere Emmy-nominated actor Scott Turner Schofield’s one-man show Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps, in which viewers can interactively choose which of Schofield’s 127 segments they can experience as they watch.
 
A mix of pre-recorded and live virtual Q&As are expected with cast and crew across all programs.


OUTFEST 2020 LINEUP:


  • Opening Film: THE NOWHERE INN, dir. Bill Benz (Drive-In Exclusive)
  • U.S. Centerpiece: SHIVA BABY, dir. Emma Seligman
  • International Centerpiece: MONSOON, dir. Hong Khaou
  • Documentary Centerpiece: KEYBOARD FANTASIES: THE BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND STORY, dir. Posy Dixon
  • Breakthrough Centerpiece: THE OBITUARY OF TUNDE JOHNSON, dir. Ali LeRoi           
  • Closing Film: TWO EYES, dir. Travis Fine



U.S. Narratives

  • BREAKING FAST, dir. Mike Mosallam
  • CICADA, dirs.. Matthew Fifer, Kieran Mulcare
  • COWBOYS, dir. Anna Kerrigan
  • DRAMARAMA, dir. Jonathan Wysocki
  • GOSSAMER FOLDS, dir. Lisa Donato
  • MINYAN, dir. Eric Steel
  • T11 INCOMPLETE, dir. Suzanne Guacci
  • TAHARA, dir. Olivia Peace
  • THE CARNIVORES, dir. Caleb Johnson

Documentary Features

  • AHEAD OF THE CURVE, dir. Jen Rainin
  • CURED, dirs.. Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer
  • FREEDIA GOT A GUN, dir. Chris McKim
  • HOUSE OF CARDIN, dir. P David Ebersole, Todd Hughes
  • I AM THE OTHER ONE, dir. Silvia Goddinho
  • OUT LOUD, dir. Gail Willumsen
  • P.S. BURN THIS LETTER PLEASE, dir. Jennifer Tiexiera, Michael Seligman
  • THE CAPOTE TAPES, dir. Ebs Burnough
  • YOUR MOTHER’S COMFORT, dir. Adam Golub



International Narratives

  • ALICE JUNIOR, dir. Gil Baroni
  • COCOON (KOKON), dir. Leonie Krippendorff
  • DRY WIND, dir. Daniel Nolasco
  • ELLIE & ABBIE (AND ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT), dir. Monica Zanetti
  • NO HARD FEELINGS, dir. Franz Shariat
  • THE STRONG ONES (LOS FUERTES), dir. Omar Zuñiga
  • THE TEACHER, dir. Ming-Lang Chen
  • TWILIGHT’S KISS (SUK SUK), dir. Ray Yeung
  • TWO OF US, dir. Filippo Meneghetti
  • VALENTINA, dir. Cássio Pereira dos Santos

Outfest Legacy

  • BLOODSISTERS: LEATHER, DYKES AND SADOMASOCHISM, dir. Michelle Handelman
  • LILY TOMLIN: THE FILM BEHIND THE SHOW, dirs. Joan Churchill & Nick Broomfield
  • STRANGER INSIDE, dir. Cheryl Dunye




Platinum

  • ASK ANY BUDDY, dir. Evan Purchell
  • IF IT WERE LOVE, dir. Patric Chiha
  • THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, dir. Matthew Rankin

Special Events

  • BECOMING A MAN IN 127 EASY STEPS, dir. Andrea James
  • ¡GAYTINO! MADE IN AMERICA, dir. Dan Guerrero
  • NELLY QUEEN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSE SARRIA, dir. Joe Castel
  • SHOW ME YOURS, dir. Kevin McCloskey
  • THREE CHORDS AND A LIE, dir. Trent Atkinson

Episodics

  • APRICOT, dir. Sam Icklow, Jake Thompson
  • HIDDEN CANYONS, dirs. Brant Rotnem, Fawzia Mirza
  • KILLER WORKOUT, dir. Sara Werner
  • MAGIC HOUR, dir. Che Grayson
  • SIDEWAYS SMILE, dir. Hang Nguyen





Wednesday, June 3, 2020

CANNES 2020

Cannes 2020 - Official Selections Revealed




Festival President Pierre Lescure and General Delegate Thierry Frémaux revealed the line-up at a press conference in Paris, held without journalists this year. The 56 films include 15 first features, a higher percentage of female-directed titles, and a strong French presence. The 73rd festival was scheduled to run May 12-23 but was canceled in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.


Official Selection 2020


  • The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson (USA)
  • Summer of 85, François Ozon (France)
  • Mangrove, Steve McQueen (UK)
  • Lovers Rock, Steve McQueen (UK)
  • True Mothers, Naomi Kawase (Japan)
  • Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark)
  • Last Words, Jonathan Nossiter (USA)
  • DNA, Maïwenn (Algeria, France)
  • Heaven: To the Land of Happiness, Im Sang-soo (Korea)
  • Peninsula, Yeon Sang-ho (Korea)
  • El Olvido Que Seremos, Fernando Trueba (Spain)
  • In the Dusk, Sharunas Bartas (Lithuania)
  • Home Front, Lucas Belvaux (Belgium)
  • The Real Thing, Koji Fukada (Japan)
  • Souad, Ayten Amin (Egypt)
  • Passion Simple, Danielle Arbid (Lebanon)
  • A Good Man, Marie-Castille Mention Schaar (France)
  • Love Affairs, Emmanuel Mouret (France)
  • John and the Hole, Pascual Sisto (USA)
  • Limbo, Ben Sharrock (UK)
  • Here We Are, Nir Bergman (Isreal) 
  • Red Soil, Farid Bentoumi (France)
  • Sweat, Magnus von Horn (Sweden)
  • Teddy, Ludovic and Zoran Boukherma (France)
  • February, Kamen Kalev (Bulgaria)
  • Ammonite, Francis Lee (UK)
  • Médecin de Nuit, Elie Wajeman (France)
  • Enfant Terrible, Oskar Roehler (Germany)
  • Nadia, Butterfly, Pascal Plante (Canada)
  • Septet: The Story of Hong Kong, Ann Hui, Sammo Kam-Bo Hung, Ringo Lam, Patrick Tam, Johnnie To, Hark Tsui, John Woo, Woo-Ping Yuen (Hong Kong)
  • Falling, Viggo Mortensen (USA)
  • Pleasure, Ninja Thyberg (Sweden)
  • Slalom, Charlène Favier (France)
  • Casa de Antiguidades, João Paulo Miranda Maria (Brazil)
  • Broken Keys, Jimmy Keyrouz (Lebanon)
  • Ibrahim, Samuel Guesmi (France)
  • Beginning, Déa Kulumbegashvili (Georgia)
  • The Death of Cinema and My Father Too, Daniel Rosenberg (Isreal)
  • Gagarine - Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh (France)
  • Spring Blossom, Suzanne Lindon (France)
  • Vaurien, Peter Dourountzis (France)
  • My Best Part, Nicolas Maury (France)
  • Should the Wind Fall, Nora Martirosyan (Armenia)
  • Striding Into the Wind, Wei Shujun (China)
  • Downstream to Kinshasa, Dieudo Hamadi (Democratic Republic of Congo)
  • The Truffle Hunters, Gregory Kershaw, Michael Dweck (USA)
  • 9 Jours a Raqqa, Xavier De Lauzanne (France)
  • My Donkey, My Lover & I, Caroline Vignal (France)
  • Les Deux Alfred, Bruno Podalydès (France)
  • The Big Hit, Emmanuel Courcol (France)
  • The Speech, Laurent Tirard (France)
  • L’origine du Monde, Laurent Lafitte (France)
  • Aya and the Witch, Goro Miyazaki (Japan)
  • Flee, Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Denmark)
  • Josep, Aurel (France)
  • Soul, Pete Docter, Kemp Powers (USA)


Saturday, February 29, 2020

BERLINALE 2020

BERLINALE 70 - THE WINNERS




Golden Bear - “There is No Evil,” Mohammad Rasoulof

Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize - “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” Eliza Hittman

Silver Bear for Best Director - Hong Sang-soo, “The Woman Who Ran”

Silver Bear for Best Actress - Paula Beer, “Undine”

Silver Bear for Best Actor - Elio Germano, “Hidden Away”

Silver Bear for Best Screenplay - “Favolacce,” Fabio D’Innocenzo and Damiano D’Innocenzo

Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution - Jürgen Jürges for cinematography on “DAU. Natasha”

Silver Bear Special Prize - “Delete History,” Benoît Delépine and Gustave Kervern

Best Film in the Encounters Competition - “The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin),” C.W. Winter and Anders Edström

Special Jury Award in the Encounters Competition - “The Trouble With Being Born,” Sandra Wollner

Best Director in the Encounters Competition - Cristi Puiu, “Malmkrog”

Special Mention by the Encounters Jury - “Isabella, Matías Piñeiro

Berlinale Documentary Award - “Irradiés,” Rithy Panh

Special Mention by the Jury for the Berlinale Documentary Award - “Notes From the Underworld,” Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel

Special Mention by the GWFF Best First Feature Award Jury - “Nackte Tiere,” Melanie Waelde


GWFF Best First Feature Award - “Los conductos,” Camilo Restrepo

Golden Bear for Best Short Film - “T,” Keisha Rae Witherspoon

Audi Short Film Award - “Genius Loci,” Adrien Mérigeau

Silver Bear Jury Prize (Short Film) - “Filipiñana,” Rafael Manuel

Special Mention of the International Jury Generation Kplus - “The Kites,” Seyed Payam Hosseini

Special Prize of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Short Film - “El nombre del hijo,” Martina Matzkin

Grand Prix of the International Jury in Generation Kplus for the Best Film - “Los Lobos,” Samuel Kishi Leopo

Special Mentions of the International Jury Generation Kplus - “Mignonnes,” Maïmouna Doucouré; “Mamá, mamá, mamá,” Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière

Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary - “Welcome to Chechnya”

Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film - “Otac,” Srdan Golubović

Compass-Perspektive-Award - “Walchensee Forever,” Janna Ji Wonders

Teddy Award Best Feature - "No Hard Feelings," Faraz Shariat 

Teddy Award Best Documentary - "Si c'était de l'amour," Patric Chiha 

Teddy Award Jury Award - "Days," Tsai Ming-liang

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

César Awards Nominations

45th César Nominations

The César Awards will take place in Paris on February 28.




BEST FILM
La Belle Époque, Nicolas Bedos
By the Grace of God (Grace à Dieu), François Ozon
Hors Normes, Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
An Officer and a Spy (J’accuse), Roman Polanski
Les Misérables, Ladj Ly
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu), Céline Sciamma
Oh Mercy! (Roubaix, Une Lumiere), Arnaud Desplechin

BEST DIRECTOR
La Belle Époque, Nicolas Bedos
By the Grace of God, François Ozon
Hors Normes, Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
An Officer and a Spy, Roman Polanski
Les Misérables, Ladj Ly
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Céline Sciamma
Oh Mercy!, Arnaud Desplechin

BEST ACTRESS
Anaîs Demoustier, Alice et le Maire
Eva Green, Proxima
Adèle Haenel, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Chiara Mastroianni, Chambre 212 (On a Magical Night)
Noémie Merlant, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Doria Tillier, La Belle Époque
Karin Viard, Chanson Douce

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Auteuil, La Belle Époque
Damien Bonnard, Les Misérables
Vincent Cassel, Hors Normes
Jean Dujardin, An Officer and a Spy
Reda Kateb, Hors Normes
Melvil Poupaud, By the Grace of God
Roschdy Zem, Oh Mercy!

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Pain and Glory, Pedro Almodovar
Le Jeune Ahmed, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Joker, Todd Phillips
Lola vers la mer, Laurent Micheli
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino
Parasite, Bong Joon-Ho
The Traitor, Marco Bellocchio

BEST DOCUMENTARY
68, Mon Père et les Clous,  Samuel Bigiaoui
La Cordillère des Songes, Patricio Guzman
Lourdes, Thierry Demaizière, Alain Teurlai
M, Yolande Zauberman
Wonder Boy Olivier Rousteing, Né Sous X, Anissa Bonnefont




BEST FIRST FILM
Atlantique (Atlantics), Mati Diop
Nom de la Terre, Edouard Bergeon
Le Chant du Loup, Antonin Baudry
Les Misérables, Ladj Ly
Papicha, Mounia Meddour

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
La Belle Époque, Nicolas Bedos
By the Grace of God, François Ozon
Hors Normes, Eric Toledano, Olivier Nakache
Les Misérables, Ladj Ly, Giordano Gederlini, Alexis Manenti
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Céline Sciamma

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Costa-Gavras, Adults in the Room
Roman Polanski, Robert Harris, An Officer and a Spy
Jérémy Clapin, Guillaume Laurant, I Lost My Body
Arnaud Desplechin, Léa Mysius, Oh Mercy!
Dominik Moll, Gilles Marchand, Seules les Bêtes

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Fanny Ardant, La Belle Époque
Josiane Balasko, By the Grace of God
Laure Calamy, Seules les Bêtes
Sara Forestier, Oh Mercy!
Hélène Vincent, Hors Normes

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Swann Arlaud, By the Grace of God
Grégory Gadebois, An Officer and a Spy
Louis Garrel, An Officer and a Spy
Benjamin Lavernhe, Mon Inconnue
Denis Ménochet, By the Grace of God




BEST FEMALE NEWCOMER
Luàna Bajrami, Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Céleste Brunnquell, Les Éblouis
Lyna Khoudri, Papicha
Nina Meurisse, Camille
Mama Sané, Atlantics

BEST MALE NEWCOMER
Anthony Bajon, Au Nom de la Terre
Benjamin Lesieur, Hors Normes
Alexis Manenti, Les Misérables
Liam Pierron, La Vie Scolaire
Djebril Zonga, Les Misérables

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
La Fameuse Invasion des Ours en Sicile, Lorenzo Mattotti
The Swallows of Kabul (Les Hirondelles de Kaboul), Zabou Breitman
I Lost My Body (J’ai Perdu Mon Corps), Jérémy Clapin

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
Beautiful Loser, Maxime Roy
Le Chant d'Ahmed, Foued Mansour
Chien Bleu, Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Troiilh
NEFTA Football Club, Yves Piat
Pile Poil, Lauriane Escaffre, Yvonnick Muller

BEST EDITING
La Belle Époque
By the Grace of God
Hors Normes
An Officer and a Spy
Les Misérables




BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Nicolas Bolduc – La Belle Époque
Pawel Edelman – An Officer and a Spy
Julien Poupard – Les Misérables
Claire Mathon – Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Irina Lubtchansky – Oh Mercy!

BEST COSTUMES
La Belle Époque
Edmond (Cyrano, My Love)
An Officer and a Spy
Jeanne (Joan of Arc)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
La Belle Époque
Le Chant du Loup
Edmond (Cyrano, My Love)
An Officer and a Spy
Portrait of a Lady on Fire

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Fatima Al Qadiri – Atlantics
Alexandre Desplat – An Officer and a Spy
Dan Lévy – I Lost My Body
Marco Casanova, Kim Chapiron – Les Misérables
Gregoire Hetzel – Oh Mercy!

BEST SOUND
La Belle Époque
Le Chant du Loup
An Officer and a Spy
Les Misérables
Portrait of a Lady on Fire


Tuesday, December 24, 2019

SFFLA 2020

21st Scandinavian Film Festival L.A.
4, 5, 11, 12, 2020 - WGA in Beverly Hills





SCREENING SCHEDULE:

Saturday, January 4

11:00 Ida - Denmark/Poland
01:00 Immortal (doc.) - Estonia/Latvia
02:15 The Mover - Latvia
04:00 Stupid Young Heart - Finland
06:00 Opening Gala and Buffet
07:30 Out Stealing Horses - Norway





Sunday, January 5

10:00 Project Rockin' High - Finland
11:00 Little Moscow (doc.) - Iceland
12:15 A White, White Day - Iceland
02:30 Collision - Denmark
05:00 And Then We Danced - Sweden
07:30 Confirmation (short) - Denmark
08:00 Queen of Hearts - Denmark





Saturday, January 11

10:15 Journey Home (doc.) - Lithuania
11:15 The Dead Soldier (short) - Denmark
01:00 The Tent (short) - Norway
03:00 Before the Frost - Denmark
04:30 Maria's Paradise - Finland
07:15 The Unpromised Land - Sweden
09:00 Someone, Somewhere - Finland






Sunday, January 12

10:30 Se7en Dayz Till Payoff (short) - Sweden
11:00 Cold Case Hammarskjöld (doc.) - Sweden
01:30 Truth and Justice - Estonia
04:15 Greta's Bed and Breakfast (short) - Sweden
05:00 King of Atlantis - Sweden
07:00 Daniel - Denmark


For more information please visit SFFLA2020




Monday, December 16, 2019

TOP 30 - BEST OF 2019




My favorite 30 BEST FILMS of 2019 (in alphabetical order):



AND THEN WE DANCED
Levan Akin (Sweden/Georgia)




ASAKO I & II
寝ても覚めても
Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)



ASH IS PUREST WHITE
江湖儿女
Jia Zhangke (China)



ATLANTICS
Atlantique
Mati Diop (France/Senegal)



BUÑUEL IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE TURTLES
Salvador Simó Busom (Spain)



COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD
Mads Brügger (Denmark)




AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL
大象席地而坐
Hu Bo (China)




HOUSE OF HUMMINGBIRD
벌새
Bora Kim (South Korea)



I LOST MY BODY
J'ai perdu mon corps
Jérémy Clapin (France)



INVISIBLE LIFE
A vida invisível
Karim Aïnouz (Brazil)




THE IRISHMAN
Martin Scorsese (US)



IT MUST BE HEAVEN
Elia Suleiman (Palestine)



JOKER
Todd Phillips  (US)



LETO
   Лето
Kirill Serebrennikov (Russia)



LIBERTÉ
Albert Serra (France/Spain)




ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino (US)




PAIN & GLORY
Dolor y gloria
Pedro Almodóvar (Spain)



PARASITE
기생충
Bong Joon-ho (South Korea)




PIRANHAS
La paranza dei bambini
Claudio Giovannesi (Italy)




PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu
Céline Sciamma (France)




RETABLO
Alvaro Delgado Aparicio (Peru)




SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM 
Samuel Van Grinsven (Australia)




SO LONG, MY SON
    地久天长
Wang Xiaoshuai (China)




SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE
Deux moi
Cédric Klapisch (France)




SORRY ANGEL
Plaire, aimer et courir vite
Christophe Honoré (France)




THE SOUVENIR
Joanna Hogg (UK)




SYNONYMS
Synonymes - מילים נרדפות
 Nadav Lapid (France/Israel)




TRANSIT
Christian Petzold (Germany)




UNCUT GEMS
Josh & Benny Safdie (US)



THE WHISTLERS
La Gomera
Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania)