Sundance Institute Celebrates New Frontier 10th Anniversary with Exhibition of New Work at 2016 Sundance Film Festival, Mobile Virtual Reality Experiences, Events at MoMA and Walker Art Center

  
(L-R) #100humans, Credit: 8i; theBlu: Encounter, Credit: Wevr; Queen Rose Family (da Stories), Credit: Kalup Linzy Studio.

30 Virtual Reality Experiences, 11 Installations, Three Feature Films and One Live Performance Selected for New Frontier at 2016 Festival

Slithering Screens Exhibition to Premiere at MoMA in April;
Walker Art Center with Northern Spark Event in June

A revolution a decade in the making, Sundance Institute celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its New Frontier program with an exhibition of new work at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, including immersive cinematic works, virtual reality installations, an extensive lineup of documentary and narrative mobile VR experiences and an inside look at the innovations being developed at some of world’s leading media research labs. 10th Anniversary exhibitions will also be presented with MoMA in New York City in April, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis as part of Northern Spark in June.
 
The 2016 edition of New Frontier at the Festival includes three feature films and a live performance, as well as 30 VR experiences and eleven installations in the more than 10,000-square-foot exhibition, taking place at multiple venues: Park City’s historic Claim Jumper, The Gateway, a large-scale installation on Swede Alley by Chris Milk and a performance by Gingger Shankar at Festival Base Camp Presented by Canada Goose. In addition to a physical exhibition at the Festival, audiences everywhere will be able to experience more than 20 virtual reality pieces on mobile VR headsets. This year’s Festival will also include a program of New Frontier short films to be announced at a later date.
 
Robert Redford, President and Founder of Sundance Institute, said, “For me, New Frontier has always embraced risk and innovation in a way that reflects the heart of Sundance and the ever-evolving nature of film. It champions films, artists and installations that use new media technology to expand, experiment and explode traditional storytelling. Independent artists continue to fuel the broader community with artistic innovation, bold thinking and groundbreaking narratives that can change the art of film forever.”
 
Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “The 10th anniversary of our New Frontier program offers an opportunity for us to reflect on the growth and celebrate the excitement of the field in this time. Sundance’s New Frontier program has grown over the last decade to support groundbreaking artists with grants, the New Frontier Story Lab, regional workshops and a new virtual reality-focused residency. Our artists have evolved as quickly as the technology, and the program continues to produce work way ahead of its time.”
 
Shari Frilot, Sundance Film Festival Senior Programmer and Chief Curator, New Frontier, said, “This year’s program provides a sensory experience that powerfully transports audiences to uncommon places and ways of being, offering an opportunity to become viscerally aware of the vital connections between our brains, bodies and biosphere. The future of storytelling affords us the ability to observe ourselves and our instincts and become more conscious of the way we make choices and decisions.”
 
Since its inception, the New Frontier program has showcased and advanced the work of artists and technologists working together to push the boundaries of storytelling, which have included Doug Aitken, Jennifer Steinkamp, Aaron Koblin, Pipilotti Rist, James Franco, Nonny de la Peña and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The 10 New Frontier exhibitions since 2007 chronicle new media growth and advancements, including the progression of story-based, virtual reality-enabled experiences, which are viewed by many as the next big thing in film and entertainment. The VR headset first showcased in New Frontier at the 2012 Festival with Nonny de la Peña's Hunger in Los Angeles morphed months later into the Oculus Rift prototype.
 
In addition to curating and showcasing work at the Sundance Film Festival, New Frontier activities extend year round. The Institute hosts an annual New Frontier Story Lab for artists to develop new work. In cities across the United States, artists can participate in New Frontier Day Labs to seed their creative practice while learning from alumni and adviser projects. Additionally, the New Frontier Residency Program collaborates with partners to date including MIT Media Lab's Social Computing Group and Jaunt Studios, which provide state-of-the-art tools, training and resources to independent artists innovating new data-visualization and virtual reality story experiences.
 
The Slithering Screens exhibition at MoMA in April will showcase landmark cinematic works that hack the theater space drawn from the past 10 New Frontier exhibitions and is curated by Shari Frilot and Rajendra Roy, Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, Museum of Modern Art. In June New Frontier will host a VR-focused celebration with Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and Northern Spark. Individual works to be featured will be announced this winter.
 
These activities will be further complemented by two commissioned immersive journalism experiments from a program designed to enable independent journalists to explore VR as a way of communicating crucial stories. The project is supported by Sundance Institute with a grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
 
In addition to the New Frontier program announced today, films in the U.S. and World Competitions, NEXT and Midnight sections have been announced and are listed at sundance.org/festival.
 
 
FILMS AND PERFORMANCE
 
Cameraperson / U.S.A. (Director: Kirsten Johnson) — By exposing her role behind the camera, Johnson reaches into the vast trove of footage that she has shot over decades around the world. What emerges is a visually bold memoir and a revelatory interrogation into the power of the camera. World Premiere
 
The Illinois Parables / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Deborah Stratman) — This suite of Midwestern parables about faith, force, technology, and exodus questions the role belief plays in national identity. In our desire to make sense of the inscrutable, who do we end up blaming or endorsing? Cast: C. Felton Jennings II, Anna Toborg, Joshua Frieman, José Oubrerie, Daniel Verdier, David Gatten. World Premiere
 
Nari
Artists: Gingger Shankar, Dave Liang, Sun Yunfan
The unsung story of Lakshmi Shankar and her daughter, Viji—two extraordinary artists who helped bring Indian music to the West in the 1970s through their close collaboration with Ravi Shankar and George Harrison. This arresting, multi-generational, multimedia mash-up features animation, family archives, and a live performance. U.S. Premiere
 
Notes on Blindness / United Kingdom, France (Directors and screenwriters: Peter Middleton, James Spinney) — After losing his sight, John Hull knew that not understanding blindness would destroy him. In 1983, he began to keep an audio diary. His recordings represent a unique testimony of loss, rebirth, and renewal, excavating the experience of blindness and documenting his discovery of "a world beyond sight." Project includes a mobile VR experience. Cast: Dan Skinner, Simone Kirby. World Premiere
 
 
INSTALLATIONS

Double Conscience
Artist: Kahlil Joseph; Key Collaborator: Kendrick Lamar
A lush portrait of contemporary Compton, California, set to a booming soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar, depicts everyday moments of black life suffused with creativity, joy, and sadness. From buoyant adolescent moments to ominous nighttime scenes, reality and fantasy dance to a haunting soundscape flashed across two screens. Cast: Bijan Faby, Shenelle Bullock, Chris Lewis, Rykeis Tyson, Jordan Dupree, Kamr Bailey.
 
Escape Pod
Artist: Jonathan Monaghan
This seamlessly looped computer animated film chronicles a golden deer through glossy environments of wealth, power, and authority through one continuous tracking shot. The journey imagines a new reality devoid of humans, left only with material desires and ambitions.

Giant
Artists: Milica Zec, Winslow Porter; Key Collaborators: E.A. Donahue, Jack Caron, Todd Bryant
Trapped in an active war zone, two parents struggle to distract their young daughter by inventing a fantastical tale. Inspired by true events, this immersive VR experience transports the viewer to the family's makeshift basement shelter. As the bombs draw closer and closer, the parents' fairy tale intensifies. Cast: Zoë Winters, Clem Mcintosh, Jordana Rose.
 
The Holo-Cinema
Artist: ILMxLab; Key Collaborators: John Gaeta, Hilmar Koch, Nick Rasumussen
This new scenic design and experience theatre allows participants to step into iconic story moments while spatially perceiving the performing characters and exploring worlds. As they portal inside a fully immersive media environment, they experience 4-D viewing as if walking through film sets in the real world. Cast: Mat Brady, Peter Bogatsky, Frank La Monaca, Meghan Mowery, Rachel Rose.
 
In the Eyes of the Animal
Artists: Barnaby Steel, Robin McNicholas
A 360-degree virtual reality experience presented on sculptural headsets, this work is an artistic interpretation of the sensory perceptions of three British animal species. Immerse yourself into this world from the forest floor to the tops of trees, and tread carefully as you observe through the eyes of the animals.
 
Inextinguishable Fire
Artist: Cassils
Using techniques borrowed from Hollywood stunts, Cassils experiences the very real terror of being lit on fire.

The Leviathan Project
Artists: Alex McDowell, Bradley Newman; Key Collaborator: World Building Media Lab
It's 1895, and you're in a scientific lab inside a massive flying whale. This augmented-reality-to-VR setting, based on Scott Westerfield's best-selling trilogy Leviathan, lets participants engage physically and emotionally with the setting and with human and animal characters. The best part is the ability to fabricate a brand-new creature. Cast: Gildart Jackson, Isabella Schloss, Austin Nimnict, A.J. Helfet, Ellis Greer, Alex Ho.
 
Queen Rose Family (da Stories)
Artist: Kalup Linzy
The story of the fictitious Queen Rose family is told through episodic videos, collages, and a multimedia installation based on the “Pepper’s ghost” technique. Experience the melodrama often seen in primetime soap operas presented in an art installation. Cast: Kalup Linzy, Michael Stipe, Leo Fitzpatrick, Tunde Adebimpe, Hank Willis Thomas, James Everett Stanley.
 
Real Virtuality: Immersive Explorers
Artists: Sylvain Chagué, Caecilia Charbonnier; Key Collaborators: Bart Kevelham, David Hodgetts
A multiuser immersive platform that combines motion capture with virtual reality headsets allows users to move freely within the physical space, interact with objects and other participants, and virtually visit 3-D interactive environments. Cast: Gilles Jobin, Susana Panades Diaz.

The Treachery of Sanctuary
Artist: Chris Milk; Key Collaborators: Brian Chasalow, Aaron Meyers, James George
A large-scale interactive triptych, this story of birth, death, and transfiguration uses projections of the participants' own bodies to unlock a new artistic language.
 
Walden, a Game
Artist: Tracy Fullerton; Key Collaborators: Todd Furmanski, Lucas Peterson, Michael Sweet
In this game simulation of Henry David Thoreau's experiment in living at Walden Pond from 1845 to 1847, players walk in Thoreau's virtual footsteps, attend to the tasks of a self-reliant existence, discover the beauty of a virtual landscape, and engage in the ideas and writings of this unique philosopher. Cast: Emile Hirsch.
 
 
VIRTUAL REALITY
 
#100humans
Artists: Daniel Schechter, Linc Gasking, Rainer Gombos; Key Collaborators: Preya McMahon, Alexander Burke, Christina Webber
#100humans is the story of the first humans who walked through 8i's doors to help invent a new medium. Using 3-D video technology to record real people for VR, this story explores a new level of emotional connections and sense of presence that brings viewers the most lifelike intimate experience. Cast: Ashley Martin Scott, Logan Paul, Young Guru, Denise Garcia, Brent Bushnell.
 
6x9: An Immersive Experience of Solitary Confinement
Artists: Francesca Panetta, Lindsay Poulton
Right now, more than 80,000 people are locked in tiny concrete boxes where every element of their environment is controlled. They are confined to spaces with no human contact, and the sensory deprivation they endure causes severe psychological damage. These people are invisible to us—and eventually to themselves.
 
The Abbot's Book
Artists: Michael Conelly, Lyndon Barrois; Key Collaborators: Keith Goldfarb, William Telford
Four generations of an Italian noble family are cursed by the corrupt power of an ancient book unearthed from the catacombs beneath their estate. Rich with traditional gothic-inspired mythology, the story follows a scion of this cursed family attempting to shield his heirs from the inevitable darkness. Cast: JB Blanc.
 
Across the Line
Artists: Nonny de la Peña, Brad Lichtenstein, Jeff Fitzsimmons
This immersive VR experience puts the audience on the scene with anti-abortion extremists trying to intimidate patients seeking sexual and reproductive health care at Planned Parenthood. Using documentary footage and a montage of real audio, viewers gain intimate knowledge of the harassment outside and compassion inside health centers across the country. Cast: Samantha Collier, Kristina Nailen, Raegan McDonald-Mosley MD, Charles Gilbert, Lee Sherman, Joe Spence.
 
theBlu: Encounter
Artists: Jake Rowell, Neville Spiteri, Ben Vance
Encounter an 80-foot blue whale while experiencing the awe, wonder, and majesty of underwater habitats, designed as beautiful moments in passing or a collection of memories.
 
Cardboard Crash
Artists: Vincent McCurley, Loc Dao
A virtual reality experiment questions the ethics of artificial-intelligence algorithms in self-driving cars when they are faced with difficult decisions during an unavoidable crash event. Given varied cultural and individual ethics, who should be designing these algorithms, and how should they be chosen?
 
Collisions
Artist: Lynette Wallworth
Journey to a remote desert in western Australia that is home to indigenous leader Nyarri Morgan and the Martu tribe. Nyarri's first contact with Western culture was in the 1950s via a dramatic collision between his traditional world view and the cutting edge of modern technology. Cast: Nyarri Nyarri Morgan, Curtis Taylor.
 
Condition One
Artists: Danfung Dennis, Casey Brown, Phil McNally; Key Collaborators: Jay Brown, Andrew Delpit, Chris McClanahan
Encounter a majestic jaguar deep in the jungle, lie with a nesting sea turtle on a windy beach, and fly with monarch butterflies, all before they disappear. This powerful virtual reality experience is a glimpse into the habitats of Earth's endangered species.
 
Defrost
Artist: Randal Kleiser; Key Collaborator: Tanna Frederick
In this futuristic, sci-fi virtual reality adventure, viewers are put in the seat of a woman who wakes up after being frozen for nearly 30 years to reunite with her family. The reunion is bittersweet, as the passage of time has caused her loved ones to become strangers. Cast: Carl Weathers, Bruce Davison, Tanna Frederick, Christopher Atkins, Ethan Rains, Clinton Valencia.

fabulous wonder.land
Artists: Toby Coffey, Lysander Ashton, Ollie Lindsey; Key Collaborator: Mahdi Yahya
Fall down the rabbit hole and experience the magical and vibrant digital world of the Royal National Theater’s wonder.land stage show. Watch and listen with VR technology as the Cheshire cat hovers above like a magnificent holographic airship while serenading you to "Fabulous," a song from the show. Cast: Hal Fowler.
 
Hard World for Small Things
Artist: Janicza Bravo
A day in the life of a tight-knit community in South Central Los Angeles. Cast: Keith Stanfield, Brandon Scott, Hannah Heller, Idara Victor, Jodie Smith.
 
A History of Cuban Dance
Artist: Lucy Walker
Organic, spontaneous, sexy dances progress chronologically through Afro-Cuban Santería rumba, mambo, cha-cha-chá, salsa, breakdancing, and reggaeton, with optional audio tracks reflecting the broader story of Cuban history as revealed in the moves. This live-action virtual reality documentary was filmed on location in Cuba and features Ballet de la Televisión Cubana. Cast: Ballet de la Televisión Cubana.
 
Irrational Exuberance
Artist: Ben Vance; Key Collaborators: Sam Bird, Joel Corelitz
Uniquely designed for room-scale VR, this interactive art experience gives the viewer an intimate connection to the possibilities and wonders of space, where mysterious phenomena, hidden beauty, and the infinite await.

Job Simulator
Artists: Alex Schwartz, Devin Reimer
This experience of manning an office cubicle is a unique blend of storytelling, comedy, and intuitive game mechanics that focuses on micro-interactions. Pick up a tomato, smash a glass, and explore a sandbox world with childlike wonder, while ignoring established gaming systems.
 
Kiya
Artist: Nonny de la Peña; Key Collaborator: Emblematic Group
In this harrowing virtual reality story of a real-life domestic violence homicide, two sisters engage in a doomed struggle to save the third from being shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend. Utilizing audio and imagery captured at the real event, this piece transforms the audience from viewers to active witnesses. Cast: Lee Sherman, Toyin Moses, Tripp Pickell, Diana Toshiko.

The Martian VR Experience
Artists: Robert Stromberg, Ridley Scott; Key Collaborators: Fox Innovation Lab, RSA Films, VRC
Step into the shoes of astronaut Mark Watney as he performs tasks that will facilitate his chances for survival and rescue. Viewers can fly onto the surface of Mars, steer at zero gravity through space, and drive a rover, deepening the experience of key scenes from Ridley Scott’s hit film, The Martian.
 
Nomads: Maasai
Artists: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; Key Collaborator: Stephane Rituit
Witness the Maasai tribe’s living heritage in the village of Enkutoto, Kenya, through repeated walkabout visuals in the Great Rift Valley. Watch jumping-dance competitions, the men’s unmatched hunting abilities, and the women’s skills in building mud houses, long-distance water collection, and bead artwork.
 
Nomads: Sea Gypsies
Artists: Felix Lajeunesse, Paul Raphael; Key Collaborators: Stephane Rituit, Jean-Pascal Beaudoin
In this episode of Nomads, viewers share the Bajau tribe's nomadic existence on crammed houseboats that sway to the motion of river waters. Watch as the families travel with fellow boat-dwelling relatives, always sharing a communal spirit.
 
Notes on Blindness—Into Darkness
Artists: Arnaud Colinart, Amaury Laburthe, Peter Middleton, James Spinney; Key Collaborators: Arnaud Desjardins, Béatrice Lartigue, Fabien Togman
After losing his sight in 1983, John Hull began to record an audio-diary documenting his discovery of "a world beyond sight." Hull's original recordings form the basis of this interactive documentary, which uses real-time 3-D, virtual reality, and binaural sound to explore the world of the blind. Cast: John Hull.

Perspective 2: The Misdemeanor
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May; Key Collaborator: Charles Ottaway
When two men are stopped by a police officer, a simple misdemeanor spirals out of control, turning the situation rapidly antagonistic. With each party suspecting the other, no one is able to stop the chain of events that follows. Cast: Shemar Jonas, Javon Jones, Joey Auzenne, Johnny Tchaikovsky.

The Rose and I
Artists: Eugene Chung, Jimmy Maidens, Alex Woo; Key Collaborators: Terry Kaleas, Ryan Shore, Nick Sung
An immersive, animated VR film crafted by the artists, hackers and storytellers of Penrose Studios, The Rose and I is about loneliness, friendship, love, and loss. Come meet a lonely Rose living in the unlikeliest of places, and be transported into a brand new universe. Cast: Rachael Bigelow.
 
Sequenced
Artists: Emilie Joly, Sylvain Joly, Michaël Martin; Key Collaborators: Maria Beltran Reyes, John Howe, Richard Johnson
A teenage girl becomes guardian of the last city on Earth to change its fate by fusing her instinctive knowledge of nature with an AI's benevolence, analysis, and foresight. This interactive animated series made for virtual reality relies on your focus for the story to evolve. Cast: Peter Coyote, Morgan Burch.
 
Sisters
Artists: Robyn Gray, Andrew Goldstein, Michael Murdock; Key Collaborator: Philip Eberhart
Be careful where you look because someone or something doesn't want you here. Otherworld presents two chapters in their popular horror series. Experience two sets of thrills and chills as you physically walk through a haunted house and experience a virtual reality ghost story that will scare your pants off. Cast: Julia Chalker, Greg Vogt.

Sonar
Artists: Philipp Maas, Dominik Stockhausen
When a drone receives a faint distress call emerging from an unknown asteroid, it journeys to locate the source of the signal and ventures into a deep, ancient labyrinth that holds a secret even darker than space itself.
 
Stonemilker
Artist: Andrew Thomas Huang; Key Collaborator: Björk Guðmundsdóttir
A virtual reality collaboration between Vrse.works creator Andrew Thomas Huang and Björk explores the possibilities that VR holds for performance platforms outside of the traditional music video world.
Cast: Björk.
 
Surge
Artist: Arjan van Meerten
An abstract meditation on the evolutionary process and its relentless march towards complexity, this virtual reality music video was produced over the course of a year, with Arjan van Meertan creating all of the music, animation, and code himself.
 
The Unknown Photographer
Artists: Loic Suty, Osman Zeki, Claudine Matte; Key Collaborators: Catherine Mavrikakis, François Lafontaine
This immersive documentary unveils a journey into the heart of the First World War through hundreds of photographs that were found in the abandoned workshop of a country house in Quebec, Canada. Cast: Julian Casey, François Papineau.

Viens! (Come!)
Artists: Michel Reilhac, Carl Guyenette; Key Collaborators: Mélanie Le Grand, Xavier Servas, Sebastian Shorter
Three women and four men, all naked, appear out of nowhere in the white, sunny space of a bright room outside of time. They meet, touch, share their energy, and are transformed spiritually; they let themselves become one with the world. Cast: Amador Jojo, Ayoti, Christophe De La Pointe, De La Fouquette, Flozif, Yumie Volupté.
 
Waves
Artists: Benjamin Dickinson, Reggie Watts, Luis Blackaller; Key Collaborators: Anthony Batt, Neville Spiteri
Reggie Watts weaves a virtual reality story that is a dream-within-a-dream meta-ride down the rabbit hole, where the only constants seem to be his philosophical musings, comedic insights, and musical genius. Cast: Reggie Watts, Nathalie Emmanuel.
 
Waves of Grace
Artists: Gabo Arora, Chris Milk; Key Collaborators: Imraan Ismail, Samantha Storr, Patrick Milling Smith
In this experience viewers are transported to the most populous slum in the capital city of Liberia, where Decontee Davis, an Ebola survivor, uses her immunity to help others affected by the disease. Cast: Decontee Davis.
 
 
The 10th Anniversary of the Sundance Institute New Frontier Program is presented by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Generous support is provided by Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, Time Warner Foundation, Annapurna Pictures and Vrse, Fox Innovation Lab, Google, Oculus Story Studio, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Ford Foundation and IM360.
 
The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Boyhood, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Life Itself, The Cove, The End of the Tour, Blackfish, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Super Size Me, Dope, Little Miss Sunshine, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious and Napoleon Dynamite. The New Frontier initiative, celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2016, has showcased groundbreaking media works by artists and creative technologists including Chris Milk, Doug Aitken, Palmer Luckey, Klip Collective and Nonny de la Peña. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2016 Festival sponsors to date include: Presenting Sponsors – Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Acura, SundanceTV, Chase Sapphire Preferred®, and Canada Goose; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Airbnb, DIRECTV, Tequila Don Julio™, Samsung, and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – BROOKSIDE Chocolate, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dropbox, GEICO, The Hollywood Reporter, LUNA Bar/Clif Bar & Company, Omnicom, and Stella Artois®. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute's year-round programs for independent artists. sundance.org/festival
 
Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute's signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
  

The 16th edition of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and 5th edition of ScreenSingapore (SS), Asia’s leading platform for TV and digital entertainment content, concluded last Friday on 4 December with an all-round record breaking performance; from the show attendance to sales transactions on the market floor.

The co-located TV and film events saw 5011 attendees from 60 countries who visited the show from 1 to 4 December at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

ATF and all3media International (UK) also announced that both parties will head into a global partnership to launch the ATF Formats Pitch 2016; a competition aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and talent between the leading international distribution arm of award-winning content and asian-based producers. all3media is also partnering ATF’s sister event, MIPFormats, for a similarly tailored competition.  

Expanded ATF Marketplace Registered Record Performance

ATF & SS 2015 also saw a wide range of partnerships which were secured between the international content buyers and sellers. Sales transactions with an indicative value of US$263.19 million were charted during the active three-day market. A pre-market conference was held prior to the official opening on 1 December.

With Asia’s burgeoning investment climate in the media sector, ATF 2015 experienced a surge in request from content companies for exhibition space, resulting in an overall expansion of the marketplace. Key international brands such as BBC Worldwide Asia, CBS Studios International, Disney, NBCUniversal International Television Distribution, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, Viacom International Media Networks, and Warner Bros International Television exhibited at ATF 2015.  

ATF & SS also welcomed three new pavilions from China, Spain and the United Kingdom participating in the show, increasing the total count of official pavilions from 13 in 2014 to 16 in 2015.

Encouraged by the very successful performance, Ms Yeow Hui Leng, Senior Project Director, shared, “Committed to staying ahead of the curve in the entertainment content landscape, ATF and SS 2015 has placed a stronger emphasis on digital business strategies and content creation.  We are especially encouraged by the strong showing and support from the industry.  It has truly been a record-breaking year for ATF and ScreenSingapore in terms of attendance and secured business partnerships. With the strong ATF market performance, we are already receiving early interest from content companies to participate in ATF 2016.”

Serving as the quality platform for the entertainment eco-system in Asia, ATF & SS invited a strong line-up of 88 industry thought leaders to share their insights on a carefully curated programme that focused on emerging TV and film formats and strategies in today’s digital age.

Keynote speakers for ATF such as DJ Lee, President, Media Content Division, CJ E&M (Korea), René Rechtman, Head, International, Maker Studios (USA) elaborated on current hot topics and digital trends in the content industry while many other industry veterans shared more insights on kids content at Junior@ATF and emerging television trends at Formats@ATF.  

Strong Support from ATF & SS 2015’s marketplace

Attendees from the market floor, be it exhibitors, buyers, participants, collectively voiced strong support from the vibrant market floor.

·         Matthieu Béjot, Executive Director, TV France International of the French Pavilion (TVFI) said, “It has been a long standing tradition for French companies to participate at ATF.  It has been a pretty good year with 30 companies participating here at the French pavilion. We saw buyers that we don’t necessary see at the other trade shows so it is beneficial for us to showcase our content to them.”

·         Patrick Yong, CEO, MyChina Channel shared, "We are happy to be a part of ATF this year and to meet with many potential partners at this event. We have also announced the news of our partnership with CBN to co-develop two brand new infotainment/documentary series as well as 100 hours of financial business content in English. With the formalisation of our new kids' channel, MaxToon, on StarHub, we believe there will be many opportunities for us to work with the new friends and to bring in quality content to the region."  

·         Gilda Demirtas, VP International Sales, Dynamic Television (USA), said, “ATF is a good place to meet Southeast Asian clients outside of sister event such as MIPTV and MIPCOM.” Dynamic Television is currently distributing the hit Syfy series Z Nation, CONAN, the #1 18-34 year old late night variety show and a new supernatural thriller series, Wynnona Earp.

·         Mohammad Haghshenas, Head of Sales of IRIB Media Trade (Iran), who is a first-time exhibitor at the show said, “It’s my first time at ATF and it is very exciting for us. We are a Middle Eastern company and our culture is similar to Asia so we want content, new technologies, new platforms as well as to learn about the future of TV at ATF.”

·         Diana Zakis, Vice President Sales, Latin America and Asia at Content Television, commented, “We’re delighted to announce these new deals at Asia Television Forum - demand for international scripted drama content continues to be on the rise throughout Asia, and we’re seeing a lot of interest for our new programming as well as our library feature films and series. With their well-established fan base, our ‘game-to-screen’ properties always resonate particularly well in the region, and we’re expecting our new feature Halo: The Fall of Reach to be very popular when it makes its debut in Singapore.”

·         Sharon Gomes Thomas, Vice President, Little Airplane Productions (USA) shared, "Thanks for a great ATF. Little Airplane closed two deals here. And met more fantastic potential business opportunities. See you next year!"

Market Announcements at ATF 2015

·         PCCW, a leading media group in Hong Kong and TV Chosun, general entertainment channel in South Korea have signed a pre-sale contract deal of TV Chosun's upcoming drama Say Only You, starring Nam Gung Min and members from K-pop idol group U Kiss. Say Only You is slated to air in January 2016 on TV Chosun.

·         Two key deals were closed by the Chinese production company, Cathy Audiovisual Global Media Co Ltd with Philippines’ Telesuccess Productions Inc which acquired the broadcast rights for Chinese pugilistic classic The Romance of Condor Heroes, while Han Media Culture from Thailand bagged the broadcasting rights for several programs, including The Gods.

·         Leading South East Asia film producer, marketer, distributor and financier mm2 Entertainment announced a series of international collaborations and exciting insights to various local projects for 2015, for example the latest “Ah Boy To Men 4” would be ready in 2017 to coincide with NS50, the fiftieth anniversary of military conscription service in Singapore.

·         German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, closed four deals and a fifth potential in the pipeline.  They sold 50 hours of factual, science and lifestyle content to broadcasters in China, South Korea and Thailand.

·         Philippines’ broadcaster GMA is localizing Spike TV format, Lip Sync Battle, scheduled to air in February 2016. This will mark the fourth adaption in Asia after China, Indonesia and Vietnam. The airing dates are estimated to be around February on Sohu.com and Shenzhen TV; July and October for Vietnam and Indonesia respectively.

Film Financing Takes Centrestage at ScreenSingapore 2015

At ScreenSingapore (SS) 2015, the theme was centred on film financing, a subject that is close to the heart of the Southeast Asian film industry. Film professionals benefited from the mega panel of film financiers where representatives from Silver Group Media, Union Investment Partners, Dragonslate Media, Surya Ventures, Starlight Media Consultants and Sony Pictures Entertainment talked about the innovative ways to source for investment to finance film projects.

This year, SS launched the inaugural Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market, which was created in partnership with Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA) and Europe’s Ties that Bind producing programme.

A total of 148 project submissions from 22 countries were received and the top 10 shortlisted projects were matched with potential investors and co-production partners to bring the projects to fruition.

Selected SAFF projects were awarded with prizes sponsored by industry partners;

Said Mattie Do, a film director from Lao, “Being one of the 10 selected projects has been an amazing experience. There’s nothing quite like SAFF that exists in Southeast Asia that not only looks to connect us with producers and financiers, but also like-minded creatives in the region too. Truly an awesome opportunity.”

Under the umbrella of Singapore Media Festival, the 2015’s Asia TV Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore wrapped up yet another successful edition, proving once again to be the must-attend event for Asia’s leading TV and film content marketplace.

Connect with us on our social media platforms for more updates:

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IFFI Goa 2015, Festival Diary, X

NFDC and Incredible India’s Film Bazaar

This year, the Bazaar saw participation of more than 1,100 delegates, from over 38 countries. Approximately 157 new South Asian films were shown in the viewing room, and 37 participants from 5 different countries were in the producers' lab. 19 projects were selected in the co-production market and 18 scripts in the three screenwriters' labs. Encouraging figures.

A newspaper report, on 26 November 2015 read (excerpts), “After four days of intellectually stimulating knowledge sessions, interactions with both amateur and established film-makers, and value-adding film exchange between the South Asian film industry and the global film fraternity, NFDC's Film Bazaar ended on Tuesday.

At the closing ceremony, managing director of NFDC India, Ms. Nina Lath Gupta, said, "For me, every film that does well is my baby, I take immense pride. Each award, every bit of critical acclaim earned by you all over the world is my award." (She said nothing about films that do not do well. It would be highly unusual if she did.

Anything wrong with that eulogising such an event? Not at all. Except that it reads like another press release-based coverage in a rival daily, and ...And what? Two more things. First, let us read another report, in the same newspaper, this time from October 2014: “The five-day Film Bazaar, held parallel to the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) each year to facilitate the business aspect of film-making, will be taken over by the Goa government body, Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of the Union government, from 2015.

ESG chairperson Damodar Naik said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) being signed between the Goa government and the Union Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry this year, vests more powers in the festival related decision-making with Goa. “We will have a larger say in the festival organisation and it will be more visible from the 2015 edition of IFFI, where ESG will host the film bazaar," Naik said.

“We will also look at tapping the film industry to create more employment through the film bazaar. We will also focus on providing more visibility to Goa in different kinds of films, to promote it further as a tourist destination," Naik said.

Whatever happened to that MoU? Nothing more was heard about it. Not that ESG is likely to do a better job of organising the Bazaar. This year too, NFDC continued to team up with the tourism marketing initiative of the Union Government, called Incredible India. That arrangement is questionable. Goa was, is and is likely to remain, a prime tourist destination for Indians and foreigners alike. There might be occasional dips in volume, year on year, attributable to a host of factors, but Rajasthan, Varanasi and Goa have always been tourist favourites. So what is Incredible India doing at the Marriott hotel in Goa every year? Putting-up various state tourism stalls and hosting cocktails every evening. Besides, they got their logo printed on the festival’s free carry-bag. Ground reality was hardly motivating: in the three years that I checked out, there were not more than three persons visiting the ten-odd stalls. Many stalls did not even have any staff manning them.

During previous editions, I happened to meet old friend and hardcore film aficionado, Parvez Dewan, at the Bazaar. Dewan took charge as the chairman and managing director of India Tourism Development Corporation in 2006. The company recorded its three highest-ever profits under him, and declared the only three dividends that it has, since 1997. He was the Tourism Secretary of the Government of India during 2012-14. In 2014, Dewan took voluntary retirement. Parvez, looking glum and edgy, confided in me that Incredible India was not getting the expected mileage out of the event, and he was wondering whether it was worth associating with the Film Bazaar any more. I could not agree more. I have yet to see merit in any claim that the Film Bazaar is the right platform to promote tourism in states like Chhattisgarh. So, what merit does Incredible India see in continuing to bear the sponsorship expenses? Merit or no merit, it is still there. In 2015, they have tried out adding a Film Tourism Symposium and a pre-Bazaar film Tourism Workshop. Hope these efforts bear fruit.

Now to the second contentious aspect of the eulogising press coverage of the Bazaar. Almost over-the-top coverage itself raises doubts about journalistic integrity and unbiased reporting. But when you know for a fact that the coverage comes from journalists who have been flown to and fro the event from great distances, and provided four/five-star stay and hospitality, it raises even more serious concerns. Which publication/journalist will be part of such a junket, and still have the gall (or stupidity) to criticise his/her hosts or any aspect of the host’s event? During the reign of the current MD of NFDC, public relations agencies, like Loudspeaker Media, have been retained to garner 100% positive press stories. Having 20 pliable media-persons on your side also means ignoring and alienating the 200-odd media-persons who are present in Goa to cover IFFI, some of who might also want to drop in at the Bazaar, which is not surprising, since it is definitely an IFFI spin-off, conducted with the active support of IFFI.

The hostilities began years ago by denying the shoulder bag to journalists who were not on the NFDC list. The bag made it convenient to carry the thick Bazaar guides, and other paraphernalia. It was given to the select few, though. Others were told that stocks had run out and would be replenished later, a canard that was repeated when they happened to visit the next day, and the next. Later, the Bazaar media desk thought it best to tell visiting journalists that the bags were either given first come first served, or were not meant for them. This discrimination spilled over to lunch, which is free to registered delegates and all invitees, including chosen journalists. Others were told that they were not entitled to lunch coupons. Going one-step further, such journalists were denied entry to the daily cocktails too. And, finally, taking no chances, many were simply told that they were not welcome to the Bazaar.

A Bazaar registration allows access to IFFI; an IFFI registration does not allow access to the Bazaar. IFFI gives accreditation to any journalist who fulfils minimum criteria, free, but does not fly anyone at its expense. The Bazaar PR agency sends repeated emails to journalists to “register”, only to clarify when they respond that the mail was for them to publish, not respond to, sent as publicity/press release, to help register greater number of revenue generating participants, for the various sections of the Bazaar, and not register the journalists themselves.

Besides various sponsorships and partnerships, the Bazaar earns through a multitude of fees: Rs. 5,000 (US$75) for submitting a project for co-production, Rs. 14,000 (around US$212) for mere participation (lunch and cocktails included), screenings fees @ Rs. 10,000/film, hiring out stalls @ US$1035-1380/each. Besides, NFDC has around 100 event partners. So, clearly, it is not treating the Bazaar as a socialistic, philanthropic directive of the Indian constitution, and, in all probability, is, if not making too much, at least recovering all its investment substantially. Why then does it have to stinge so much, and get unscrupulous?

Imagine this: You are a film-critic and are visiting the Bazaar. A young, hopeful film-maker comes up to you, and asks you to attend his screening. It is 12 noon. The show will begin in another 15 minutes, at 12.15. It will end around 2.15-2.30. After the show, everybody else around you will rush to the buffet round the corner, in the Marriott restaurant, except you. You will have to go out of the hotel and find an affordable eatery, some 2 km away, at 3 pm. Moreover, the logic behind heavy screening and weeding out of journalists who have come on their own, and not cost the NFDC one paisa, is perverse.

Many of them will write, and do write, about the Bazaar, some might not. That is what PR is all about. Even if the non VIP scribes partake of the food and beverages, the stuff is sponsored and heavily subsidised too. The NFDC brief, to Ms. Mauli Singh, obviously, is, “Here is the money, these are the names. Get us favourable coverage in these publications, and keep all others at bay.” The arrangement must be working well for both NFDC and Ms. Singh, because, after 2014, she was retained in 2015 too.

Having seen senior journalists being maltreated/denied entry at IFFI 2012-13, I told her in 2014 that she should simply ask for pre-registrations, and facilitate entry at the venue, without any bitterness. She kept stalling. When I visited the Bazaar in 2014, all that has been chronicled above was evident in close-up. Very disappointed, I went away, back to the main Festival. Weeks later, later, in Mumbai, where we both live, I asked her why did she/her team not allow me (and others like me) normal access to the Bazaar? I am a film-critic since 1970 and a lecturer in PR since 2005. She replied that she had her own list of journalists who were to be flown to Goa and put up at her expense, and my name did not figure in it. It was only then that I discovered the existence of such a favoured list. Since I was not on the list, I might not have been welcomed to the Bazaar, she pointed out. On second thought, seeing that I was appalled, she apologised, “Think of me as your daughter, and forgive me for my mistake. I will make sure that you are put on that list in 2015,” she assured.

Three weeks ago, history repeated itself. I did not ask her to take me on her junket, while it was clear that she never had any intention of getting me on it. But I have been attending IFFI on my own since 1976, on my own, and have even flown from Singapore on a few occasions at my own cost, being based there during 1996-2004. So, I was there on the 18th evening. On the 19th of November, a day before the inauguration of both IFFI and the Bazaar, I bumped into a student of mine, now in her mid-20s and a trainee at a Mumbai-based newspaper. She said she had come to Goa on a junket organised by Ms. Mauli Singh, to cover the Film Bazaar.

When I went there the next day, I was, miraculously, registered at the media desk, and, after some hesitation, given a bag too. I asked for Mauli, and found her in the Media Room. She looked at me and said, “Why are you giving me such harsh looks? Somebody please attend to him and let him have what he wants.” I asked for some water. It took 15 minutes to arrive, because, I was told by the NFDC official seated next to where I was standing, that each small bottle of water had to be sanctioned first. No sooner had the water flowed down my throat, I walked along the Bazaar area, towards the state tourism stalls. They were completely deserted, as usual. It was now getting to be 1 pm, and soon I would need to have my lunch, after which I would catch a 2.30 film screening. I had already kept packed food in my hotel room, and that is where I headed, to have a bite before catching a screening. Good luck, Film Bazaar 2015.

That same day, this item appeared in another leading daily, contributed by a Pune scribe. Excerpts:

FTII student made to leave Goa film fest

I&B officials say the intern could have been a ‘threat’ to the 10-day international film festival.

A student of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), who was interning at Film Bazaar, an ancillary event organised by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) during International Film Festival of India (IFFI), was asked to leave, by Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry officials, saying he “could be a threat” to the festival.

FTII students, who had staged a four-and-a-half-month-long strike this year to protest what they call as “unjust appointments” on the institute’s society, had threatened to protest at the venue during the festival, to press the I&B Ministry to accede to their demands.

V. Raghavender, a second-year film editing student at FTII, said he was selected as an intern at the Film Bazaar, along with other students from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata (SRFTI). He reached Goa on Thursday morning, and started to work. However, around late afternoon, officials asked him to leave, saying he could be a “threat” to the film festival.

“A senior had recommended me for the internship. The Film Bazaar organisers invited me to Goa as an intern, but said I would not get paid for it. I took up the offer for the experience. I reached Goa on Thursday morning,” said Raghvender, who hails from Hyderabad. According to him, higher officials from the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) and I&B Ministry were meeting everyone at the venue.

“When NFDC Director General Nina Lath Gupta came for a round and I was introduced as an FTII student, she asked me if I was still studying in the institute. I said yes. An hour later, my team in-charge came to me and requested me to leave. She said higher officials felt I could be a threat and disturb the festival,” said Raghavender, adding that SRFTI students were allowed to continue with their internship.

Asked why the intern was asked to leave, Gupta said, “It’s not unusual for us to let off interns if we don’t need them.”

P. S. With the NFDC having a huge section on co-productions, why did IFFI and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organise a joint, rival session on co-production, at a venue that was far nearer the IFFI complex, the Hotel Taj Vivanta, than the Bazaar venue? We were welcomed there with open arms, with beverages and lunch on the house. The crowd was small, the ambience good and no journalist had been flown from anywhere. Appreciated, Ms. Leena Jaisani (FICCI). Not appreciated, Ms. Nina Lath Gupta and Ms. Mauli Singh.

Following the overwhelming success of its 2015 season, the Alliance Française French Film Festival will return to Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas Adelaide from 31 March 2016, with an exceptional array of contemporary French cinema. 

Presented by the Alliance Française in association with the Embassy of France in Australia, uniFrance Films and the gracious support of globally renowned Principal Sponsor, Peugeot, this cherished cultural event, which is proudly celebrating its 27th season, will delight, stimulate and indulge those seeking the ultimate in French cinema. 

At the Festival’s helm, Artistic Director, Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller, has sourced a truly thrilling line-up of 48 titles featuring the acting talents of Fanny Ardant, Louise Bourgoin, Patrick Bruel, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Isabelle Carré, Vincent Cassel, Cécile De France, Julie Delpy, Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Jean Dujardin, Catherine Frot, Isabelle Huppert, Tchéky Karyo, Sandrine Kiberlain, Mélanie Laurent, Vincent Lindon, Fabrice Luchini, Noémie Lvovsky, Benoît Poelvoorde, Denis Podalydès, Audrey Tautou, Karin Viard and many more ‘artistes’ from a film industry acknowledged as one of Europe’s most prolific and successful. 

Highlights of the 2016 programme, which will be showcased across nine evocatively named sections, include director Jacques Audiard’s 2015 Palme d’Or winning masterpiece Dheepan, as well as A Perfect Man, Love at First Child, Marguerite, Mon Roi, First Growth, La Belle Saison, Taj Mahal, Un Plus Une and Valley of Love. 

In addition to the fabulous contemporary films to be unveiled, the 27th Festival will also present five of France’s most popular television shows, screening the first two episodes of each as one session per title. This selection will include the epic political series, Baron Noir, the WW2 drama,Un Village Français, the espionage thriller,The Bureauand the hit comedy,Call My Agent!

National dates and venues for the 2016 Alliance Française French Film Festival are:

www.affrenchfilmfestival.org

Read this online                  FOLLOW US ON THE SOCIAL NETWORKS:                                                                                                                                                  

Dear filmmakers friends do not miss these Festivals in Focus. The next eBlast is December 21 with more festivals to follow.

The theme of the Transilvania Shorts is Building Bridges; bridges within oneself – mind, heart, body and soul; between friends, family and communities; across generations, locations, and cultural and social demographics; and connecting a diverse range of curriculum areas.

AN ECLECTIC PROGRAM

Every year the festival gains importance. The program offers over a hundred films, concerts, ski days, movie quizzes, parties at O'Chaud, masterclasses with Niels Arestrup and Xavier Beauvois, professional events and the novelty of this 7th edition, the Interactive Village.

DON’T MISS THE OPENING FILM!

The Wave by Norwegian director Roar Uthaug will be screened at 6:30PM at the Centre Bernard Taillefer in Arc 1800 in the presence of the team. We can’t wait to meet you at the opening ceremony!

MANY PERSONALITIES

The official competition is represented by : Julie Gayet, Luca Guadagnino, Kjartan Sveinsson, Danielle Arbib, Damien Chapelle, Finnegan Oldfield, Eva Husson, Paul Hamy, Tom Geens, Corinne Masiero, Paul Higgins, Jérôme Kircher, Robin Pront, Jan Bijvoet, Olmo Omerzu et Athina Rachel Tsangari.

Many personalities are also coming for the film premieres: Mélanie Thierry, Grégoire Colin, Slimane Dazi, Marion Vernoux, Grégoire Ludig, Mark Stanley Robert Sheehan, Emmanuel Finkiel, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Paul Katis, Victoria Bedos, Jonathan Cohen, Lucile Hadzihalilovic et Joséphine de Meaux.

Waterfront Festival of International Films is a an upcoming project of Films and Film Festivals , an initiative of JSWM Productions 

Films and Film Festivals is a platform for the benefit of independent filmmakers, directors, media, distributors, producers, artists, entertainment professionals, models and event Managers to interact, create and benefit from various opportunities.

JSWM Productions was established in 2010, as a Content Creation, Aggregation and Production Company. With expertise in producing Motion Pictures, Television Software, Film Festivals and Special Projects, JSWM Productions is equipped to meet the content needs of both consumers and clients alike by providing customized solutions across segments. JSWM Productions aims at producing innovative and quality films through an efficient film making process, by integrating content production, distribution, tie-ups for festivals and exhibitions and broadcasting. Its deep understanding of the global audience, genres and markets has led to aiming at meaningful and commercially viable cinema products. Its corporate practices include adopting new systems and technologies, following transparent accounting practices, expanding entertainment markets, improving consumer connect through content, market research, and showcase social issues and concerns in the area of public interest

Projects Accomplished

Ziyarat (The Pilgrimage), Award winning Feature Film

“Ziyarat” ( The pilgrimage), a journey beyond borders is inspired by the internal displacement and mass migration of a complete community of Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) from their motherland Kashmir, which is also known as the Paradise on earth.

Accreditations

Awarded in Los Angeles new wave International Film  Festival  2011

Awarded in Fame walk International Film Festival, Hollywood 2011

Selected for a special screening as a spiritual film in Dhaka  International Film Festival (January 2012)

Official selection at International Forum of New Cinema Calcutta 2011

Appreciated at Nashville Film Festival 2011

Part of the Mumbai International Film festival Market 2012

Official selection as the  bouquet film in Delhi International Film festival 2012

Selected for an International Forum on Anti Terrorism Peshawar, Pakistan

Nominated for the GollapudiSrinivas Memorial Foundation Chennai   Best Debut Director Award March 2012  

Official selection as the  bouquet film in Gandhi Nagar Film festival 2012

Official selection film New Horizon International   Film Festival, Tehran, Iran

Exempted from Entertainment tax in The Jammu & Kashmir State

“Ziyarat”, a film by Suresh Goswami is a well-made film. It touches the chords of painful emotions very well under which Kashmir

 is   undergoing since last so many years…….Ashoke Pandit

"Ziyarat" is very soul touching and realistic film............State Times

"Ziyarat" made the audience emotional..............DainikJagaran

"Ziyarat" film's story is heartwarming and ...International News and  Views

“Ziyarat” A must see and Important film for every Indian........Film           Samiksha                                                   

"Ziyarat" Stringent one - man effort........Film India Worldwide

My Heroes   Award Winning Documentary Film

The documentary “My Heroes” is all about the physically

and Mentally challenged children who take challenges much

beyond challenges setting extraordinary examples for us.

Accreditations

Official selection at Delhi International Film Festival 2013

Official Screening At Jaipur International Film Festival 2013

 Official Selection at Six Sigma Film festival, March 2013

Official selection at We Care film Festival, May 2013

Official / Special Screening at Swimmathon Event February 2013

Was part of Goa International Film Festival  Market 2013

Official selection / screening at Nashik  International Film Festival 20- 23 March 2014

Official Screening at Rolling Frames Short Film  Summit 2014 at  Bangalore 6 July 2014                                                                                            

Official Selection at Best Shorts Competition,  California, USA 2014

Official Selection at Pink City International Short Film Festival 2014

Official Selection at International Independent Film Awards,  California, USA 2014  

Most Popular film award at COFFI, six sigma film festival 2013

Best Film Award at We Care Film Festival (A United Nations Enabled  Film Festival). 2013

Best Documentary Film International Golden Camera Award Nashik  International Film  Festival  March 2014

Best Director Award at Rolling Frames Short Film Summit 2014 at Bangalore 6th  July 2014                                    

Award of Merit at Best Shorts Competition, California, USA 2014

Award of Appreciation at Pink City International Short Film Festival  September 2014

Honorable Mention Award at International Independent Film  Awards, California, USA 2014

Burning Sapphires   
Award winning Historical Fiction Book Published at Partridge Publishing, A penguin company

http://www.flipkart.com/burning-sapphires-english/p/itmeyyusywffecax

Synopsis of “Burning Sapphires”

“Burning Sapphires” , Historical Fiction is inspired by Kashmir - The Paradise Lost

Infestation of terrorism, violence and atrocities resulted in Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from their Home Land on one hand and the other hand continued turmoil which never paused in the valley disrupting and destroying the life of each common man, The Kashmiri.

Part of Innocent Kashmiris who fled from the valley have been struggling to survive for the last 22 years in refugee camps around Jammu, Nagrota, Udhampur in J& K State, and some other locations across India. And the others who were left behind are continuously humiliated, their esteems destructed, their women raped, and their young ones murdered leaving countless homes devoid of life……..for what purpose?

The purpose may be ANY but the fact remains that The Paradise, its people r and their stories are getting lost as they go through a merciless genocide ……..

“Burning Sapphires” is a creative fiction about one such woman who despite all the odds in life, takes on the responsibility and leads the entire community towards a progressive solution and revives the injured spirits and minds of Kashmiris

A seven years old girl Ghulab Sahib living in Machail is unaware of life and its complications. 9,500 feet above sea level, the Machail village is surrounded by high mountains, thick deodar forests and attractive meadows that are fully covered with thick snow for most of the year except in the summer months. Machail village is situated in Paddar, in the Jammu and Kashmir State, India. Living her child hood in this most spectacular village she doesn’t know that destiny is going to disrupt her peaceful life and propel her through a maze of grueling fateful events. But these fateful events do not destroy her….instead a woman of great knowledge, substance, experience and unparalleled strength emerges in the being of Shahzadi Ghulab Sahib who takes charge Kashmiri’s, leading them towards a life of contentment, dignity and pride.

Accreditation 

Awarded at Hollywood Book Festival, Los Angeles 2014

Awarded best fiction at Lit-O-Fest, the literary Festival Mumbai 2015

Reached Table of Honor, Los Angeles  

http://tableofhonor.com/?s=Burning+Sapphires

Projects in the making

Waterfront Festival of International Films Lavasa, kicking off on 1st January 2016 with submission calls   

Short film "Warasgaon Warriors" is under Post Production

Feature Film “Burning Sapphires”  an adoption of the award winning Historical Fiction Burning Sapphires

Feature Film “My Paradise has No Angels”  A Historical Fiction on the Missing Persons and emerging  unidentified clusters of graves in Kashmir    

Feature Film (No Title yet), based on true stories   on Illegal  immigrants to Europe  with Europe based Co- Producers

Feature film "Perfect Husband"

Feature Film "Red Light"

 Visit the web site:       www.filmsandfilmfestivals.com

Andrew Friedenberg—Producer and Co-Executive Director of Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF)—announced today the festival’s opening-night film, Walt Disney Pictures’ January 29th release, The Finest Hours. The film stars Chris Pine (the Star Trek films), Academy Award® and Golden Globe®-nominee Casey Affleck (Interstellar), Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella), John Ortiz (Silver Linings Playbook), and Eric Bana (Lone Survivor). The film is directed by Craig Gillespie (The Million Dollar Arm) and is produced by Jim Whitaker (American Gangster) and Dorothy Aufiero (The Fighter).  Opening night will be held on January 15, 2016 with passes on sale now at Coronado Island Film Festival. The evening will be preceded by an opening-night reception and followed by a Q&A with filmmakers. As a heroic action-thriller, The Finest Hours is the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history. Audiences will be transported to the heart of the action through a fully-immersive cinematic experience of epic proportions made possible by Digital 3D and IMAX® 3D.

The festival will close with the critically acclaimed Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear award-winning feature, 45 Years. Distributed by IFC Films, the feature provides a profound look at marriage and secrets and stars Charlotte Rampling (Restless) and Tom Courtenay (Doctor Zhivago) and is directed by Andrew Haigh (Weekend, Looking). A Q&A and reception will follow the screening on January 18. 

“We could not be happier with the way the festival roster of programming and films are shaping up” stated festival Founder and Co-Executive Director, Doug St. Denis.

The festival’s Presenting Sponsor, the iconic Hotel del Coronado, will host numerous events including the festival’s closing-night bonfire celebration of the feature film, Some Like It Hot, to be screened on the same beach where it was filmed in 1958.

Highlights of the festival’s world-class programming include: 

Family Programming: 

• Inside Out with appearance by producer Jonas Rivera

• Home with appearances by director Tim Johnson and producer Suzanne Buirgy 

• Kung Fu Panda 3 sneak peak/advanced presentation with a special on-screen greeting by Jack Black

Narrative Feature Programming: 

• Waffle Street starring Danny Glover and James Lafferty 

• East Side Sushi, with director Anthony Lucero

• Coming Through The Rye with director, James Sadwith

International Feature Programming: 

• 1,000 Times Good Night (Norway) 

• Marie’s Story (France)

• India’s Daughter (India) with appearance by filmmaker Leslee Udwin

Documentary Features Programming: 

  • Meet the Patels

• Harry and Snowman

• OMO Child: The River and the Bush with appearance by filmmaker John Rowe

• Great Voices Sing John Denver with appearance by conductor, composer and arranger, Lee Holdridge

The Ultimate Shark Movies Ever, at Midnight Programming: 

• Sharknado: Enough Said 

• Sharknato 2: The Second One

• Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!

Shorts Programming: 

• Student and Documentary Shorts covering various topics such as Women, Relationships, Family and Current Events

Seminar Programming:  

• Critics Panel including Anders Wright of The San Diego Union Tribune, Leonard Maltin and others 

• Animation Panel including Tim Johnson, Jonas Rivera, and Leonard Maltin

• Military in the Movies Panel including representatives from the Coast Guard, Navy and others

• The Producers Panel including Lisa Bruce and Suzanne Buirgy 

 Parties and Celebrations: 

• Opening Night Celebration of Coronado and the Hotel del Coronado

• Awards Ceremony and a special screening of Some Like It Hot on the beach with an introduction by Chris Lemmon—Jack Lemmon’s son—and hosted by Leonard Maltin. 

Additionally, there will be a salute to Civil Rights filmmaker, Laurens Grant, who will be attending with three of her award-winning documentaries: Jesse Owens, The Freedom Riders, and The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution.

The festival—launching this year—was designed as a discovery festival of new and iconic films.  With numerous members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences living in and around Coronado Island—and numerous other Academy members considering it as a second home— the founders and leadership of the festival view it as a likely and hopeful stop en route to Awards season. Coronado has been a go-to spot for stars since the days when the likes of Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin strolled the Avenue. That same avenue, with its unique shops, blooming gardens, and alfresco dining, was recently named one of America’s five “Most Romantic Main Streets” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Additional activities and events around the festival will include:

• The welcoming of The Hollywood Reporter as a Festival Media Sponsor

• An extraordinary jury comprised of Leonard Maltin (movie critic, author and film historian) who will serve as the festival’s Honorary Head Juror; Lisa Bruce (producer, The Theory of Everything) who will serve as Head Juror for Narrative Films; Academy Award®-winner Ira Wohl (director, Best Boy) who will serve as Head Juror for Documentaries; and Jim Gallagher (Head of Theatrical Marketing, DreamWorks Animation SKG) who will serve as Head Juror for Shorts (Animated and Live Action).

Previously announced programming includes:

• The timeless classic, Some Like It Hot, filmed at the Del in 1958, will be shown at the Del Beach and introduced by Jack Lemmon’s son, Chris Lemmon. In addition, Chris will give two live performances of his one-man musical show A Twist of Lemmon in character as his father, Jack. The well-reviewed show—currently on tour—is based on Chris’ 2008 memoir of the same name.

• The quirky and brilliant The Stunt Man (1979)—starring Peter O’Toole and also filmed at the Del—will be introduced by its director, Richard Rush, who has been nominated for three Academy Awards®, including Best Director. Rush will remain after the showing for a Q&A.

• Errol Flynn’s 1939 Dive Bomber, featuring scenes of the Del and Coronado’s Naval Air Station North Island, will be introduced by Flynn’s daughter, Rory Flynn, and his grandson, actor Sean Flynn. They will remain after the showing for a Q&A.

Pass Options and Information: 

Please visit Coronado Island Film Festival or http://coronadoislandfilmfest.com for Festival Pass purchases.

About Coronado Island Film Festival:

CIFF is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) corporation whose mission is to celebrate the magical art of visual storytelling: THE MOVIES. 

Launched as a film week 35 years ago by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV),Istanbul Film Festival, being not only the longest-running film festival in Istanbul but also the largest-scale film event in Turkey, will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016. Supported by Akbank for the 12th time in a row, Istanbul Film Festival will take place between 7 -17 April 2016 thereby bringing a chapter of novelties for its 35th anniversary.

A breath of fresh air in the festival: National Short Film Competition

On its 35th anniversary, the Istanbul Film Festival launches the National Short Film Competition with the intent of incentivizing short film making, supporting the development in this field, and bringing together the audience and short films of quality.

The pre-selection board is composed of Head of Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner
Alice Kharoubi, director Fatih Kızılgök, and film critic Serdar Kökçeoğlu. The jury will select the Best Short Film which will be awarded 5,000 TL.

Filmmakers who want to attend the Istanbul Film Festival National Short Film Competition may apply with their films not exceeding 20 minutes and made after 1 January 2015. The deadline for applying to the National Short Film Competition is 29 January 2016. For detailed information about the online application process and regulations, please visit our website: film.iksv.org/en

On its 35th anniversary, Istanbul Film Festival will bring together film lovers, all star performers, master directors and blockbuster films from all around the world. In conjunction with the National Short Film Competition, International and National Golden Tulip competitions, National Documentary Film Competition, FACE Human Rights in Cinema and Seyfi Teoman Best Debut Film Awards will also be given in the festival.

More information on

http://lwsf.kankanmedia.org

Wishing you all much success on the festival circuit!

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Dear filmmakers friends do not miss these Festivals in Focus. The next eBlast is January 6 with more festivals to follow.

 

Paranoid Girls by Pedro del Santo enters the Festival Circuit and the Oscar Competition

 

PARANOID GIRLS by Pedro del Santo   For Academy Award Nomination Consideration  Best Picture | Best Director | Best Original Song | Best Original Score | Best Original Screenplay  Best Actress | Best Actor | Best Cinematography | Best Production Design | Best Costume Design    For Festival Consideration First Feature film, comedy. "The spanish independent entry to the Oscars. filmfestivals.com" Access The Online Sc...

> Sundance January 21 - 31, 2016
 

Sundance reveals program 

Sundance Institute Celebrates New Frontier 10th Anniversary with multiple initiatives in Sundance, MoMA and Walker Art Center

> Berlinale Diaries February 11 - 21, 2016

Berlinale Bear Poster 2016 Revealed

The 66th Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 11 to 21, 2016, but starting in January the Berlinale posters will be displayed at Potsdamer Platz and across the city to set the mood for the festival. Together with the artists of the international film world, the bear is conquering the Berlin cityscape. The six poster designs feature the fleeting encounters of individual night owls with the bear in the city, captured photographically - fixed between reality and ficti...

Perspektive Deutsches Kino 2016 Against Clear Causality: Making the Invisible Visible

The first six films have now been invited to Perspektive Deutsches Kino’s small anniversary in 2016. “Fifteen years ago, when Festival Director Dieter Kosslick took office, the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section was launched for films by German newcomers,” head Linda Söffker says on the occasion of presenting this year’s selection. “Here is where they can get first recognition for what has often been a difficult quest for a unique narrative style. This is...

Generation 2016: First Films Announced

13 feature films produced or co-produced in 13 different countries (Australia, Chile, Germany, India, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, the Russian Federation, Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and the People’s Republic of China) have already been selected to participate in competition in Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus. The full programme for Generation will be announced in mid January. The films selected thus far feature young individuals whose inner li...

 

Berlinale 2016: Panorama Celebrates Teddy Award’s 30th Anniversary and Announces First Titles in Programme

 

With one quarter of the Panorama decided, a zeitgeisty picture emerges that has all the elements needed for a great programme: star entertainment combined with relevant themes, insights, and deliberations on the ethical and moral aspects of contemporary issues. Also included are explorations into the history of the Middle East, and excursions to Africa, Europe and the USA. In the viewings that are still underway in Berlin, further topics are reflected that confirm the present foc...

 

European Film Market (EFM) 2016 already sold out / New EFM offerings

As the first film market of the year, the European Film Market (EFM), part of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, will open its doors on February 11, 2016. The exhibition spaces at Martin-Gropius-Bau and the Marriott Hotel at Potsdamer Platz are already fully booked. In 2016, more than 8,000 producers, exhibitors, world sales, buyers and financiers are expected. The EFM is one of the most significant platforms for trade in international film rights and audiovis...

Berlinale Street Food returns

Dieter Kosslick visiting the Berlinale Street Food Market  Once more the 66th Berlinale wants to whet your appetite: also for good food. For the third year the Berlinale Street Food Market will provide festival visitors with a selection of slow food treats from around the world. The food trucks will again be set up on Joseph-von-Eichendorff-Gasse at the corner of Alte Potsdamer Straße - so to speak, at the heart of the festival.   “With ‘food on wheels’ in ...

 

Berlinale Shorts – International Short Film Jury 2016

The members of the Berlinale Shorts International Jury are three filmmakers and artists whose works are committed to the short film format. The Jury will award the Golden and the Silver Bear, as well as the Audi Short Film Award. It will also nominate a short film for the European Film Awards in the category Best Short Film. The prize winners of 2016 will be chosen by Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi (curator, director of the Sharjah Art Foundation), Katerina Gregos (curator, art historian) and Avi M...

 

Berlinale 2016: First Films for Competition and Berlinale Special

The first nine films for the 66th Berlin International Film Festival Competition and Berlinale Special programme have been selected. Joining opening film Hail, Caesar! by Joel and Ethan Coen, which will be presented out of competition (see press release from December 4, 2015 for details), five productions and co-productions from Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom and the US are the newest additions to the Competition programme.   As part of the official programme, Berlinale Special...

 

> PARTNERS FESTIVAL NEWS     

The Wiper Film Festival 
April 6 – 8, 2016

Early Bird January 31, 2016

The Wiper Film Festival is the premiere online film festival and includes an NYC screening. Your work will have the opportunity to be seen by more than 18 millions users around the globe.

There is no fee to submit and have your work considered. There are cash grants for Curator’s Choice and Fan Choice winners in each category. Wiper also provides free advertising and promotion budget to its top films. Submit your feature and short length work today!

 

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I  SUBMIT I Contact Manlio Carrelli   

 

International Film Festival of North Hollywood
April 28 - May 1, 2016

1st annual FILM FESTIVAL Submission Deadline: January 1, 2016

Four days and four nights of cutting edge independent films, panels and parties. IFFNoHo celebrates the art of filmmaking, helps support a community of artists and showcases North Hollywood as an entertainment and travel destination. A film festival by filmmakers for filmmakers.

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I  SUBMIT I Contact Nicholas Goodman

NYC Indie Film Fest 
April 27 to May 1, 2016!

Regular Deadline January 31, 2016

NYC Independent Film Festival is a celebration of the true independent filmmaker, documentaries, short and feature-length films, music videos, and animation. During the 6th Annual Festival we gave away prizes with a total cash value of over 28,000 USD. All screenings take place in the historic center of NYC, Time Square which is the perfect home for an event geared toward creating incredible opportunities for independent voices.

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I  SUBMIT I Contact Dennis Cieri

Hollyshorts Film Festival
August 11 – 20, 2016

Early Bird deadline February 5, 2016

The 12th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival and Film Conference/Film Market, scheduled for August 11-20, 2016 at the world famous TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, is now accepting submissions.  HSFF, 4 times named to MovieMaker Magazine “Top 25 Fests Worth the Entry Fee” lists, has featured over 400 projects showcasing stars and filmmakers including Sofia Loren, Bill Plympton, Anthony and Joe Russo, and Felicia Day. 

In 2015, HSFF awarded over $150,000 in prizes, including $60,000 in post services for Best Short, Director, Music Video, Cinematography, VFX, and Commercial, and $15,000 Grand Prize cash .  www.hollyshorts.com

 

 Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Winners I Facebook I Twitter I SUBMIT I Contact Daniel Sol

Global Short Film Awards - New York & Cannes
February 14- 15, 2016

Deadline: January 15, 2016

Global Short Film Awards recognize excellence in highly creative and imaginative films under 15 minutes long. These short films will be suitable to meet the increasing content demand for intelligent phones, digital and hand held devices as well as internet, commercial, art, science and educational applications. For the premier issue, finalists and a winner will be selected in 2-D and 3-D formats in each category. Submit online No cost to enter. Winners in each category will be announced February 15-16, 2016 in New York. Winning films will be shown during the Cannes Red Carpet Fashion and Awards event at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, France on May 21, 2016.

 

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I Submit IContact Andres Aquino

WoFF: World of Film International Festival 
September 29 – October 2, 2016

Earlybird Deadline January 17, 2015

In 2016, WoFF returns for its third edition with great energy and ideas, generated from a wonderful 2015 festival.

Our focus remains on independent cinema from all around the globe, by showcasing the work of first feature filmmakers and female directors in our two main sections, First Features and The Female Perspective, respectively.

Profile on filmfestivals.com I Website I Winners I Facebook I Twitter ISUBMIT I Contact Martin Petrov

 

Pawparazzi Film Festival  January 23

Late Deadline January 5, 2016

Hosted by Pets in the City Magazine and Best Friends Animal Society, the PAWPARAZZI film festival coincides with the nearby Park City area Sundance film festival. PAWPARAZZI film festival is international and it is open to amateurs and professionals alike. The PAWPARAZZI Film Festival is for all species of animals large and small. The films are to provide a venue for People to protect and save animals as well as to celebrate the joy that animals bring to our lives. Submit your short films of ten minutes or less to the following categories: • Drama • Comedy • Animation • Documentary/Advocacy • Youth/Student

Blog on filmfestivals.com I Website  I Submit I Contact Debbie Myers I Twitter I

Myrtle Beach International Film Festival April 20th - 23rd 2016. 

Submissions close january 1st, 2016

Myrtle Beach International Film Festival has been ranked one of the top 25 film festivals in the World worth the submission by Movie Maker Magazine, rankedd one of the best by Film International and billed as "The East Coast's answer to the Sundance Film Festival". 

The Festival is open to all projects, with a special "Anything Goes" category. We are a truely independent film festival. MBIFF also has a budget category, so a film with a 10 thousand dollar budget does not compete against a project with a 10 million dollar budget (with the exception of the overall winner). 

MBIFF's blog I Website  I Submit I  Facebook I Twitter I Contact Jerry Dalton

New York Festival's World's Best Television & Films April 16, 2016

Deadline extended

New York Festival's World's Best TV & Films competition honors programming in all lengths and forms from over 50 countries. Dedicated to both the Television and Film industries, categories mirror today's global trends and encourage the next generation of story-tellers and talent: Animation, Comedy, Corporate, Drama, Documentary, Feature Films, Movie Trailers, Music Videos, News, Promos, Reality TV Drama, Sports, Telenovelas, Webisodes, Best Performance by an Actor/Actress, Special Event, Innovation, Technical Production Team, CSR, Best Screenplay, Video Art, and Best Host.

Blog on filmfestivals.com I Website I Facebook I Twitter I 2015 Gala highlights I Past Awards I Submit

 

Animaze 2016 Montreal International Animation Film Festival June 2 -5, 2016

Montreal  International Animation Film Festival FESTIVAL DATES June 2-5 2016 Montreal Canada Le MIAFF! is a people's film festival and industry conference dedicated to the art of animation for film and technology.  All genres and forms are welcome. Awards & Prizes Software and other award prizes. Visibility in our travelling shows in Berlin, Cannes, Annecy, Glasgow and more. Check 2015 fantastic programming on the website.

Animaze - Montreal International Animation Film Festival's blog I Website I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact Laurie Gordon

The 49th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival  April 8 to 17, 2016

In partnership with filmfestivals.com

Enter the Festival that discovered Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Ang Lee, the Coen Brothers, David Lynch, and John Lee Hancock with their first awards!

Competition in 10 major categories! More than 200 specialized sub-categories offer fair competition and a chance for a Remi Award!

The 49th Annual WorldFest-Houston offers Screening Shorts, Docs, Features, Music Videos, Experimental & Student Films on Big 60' AMC Theater screens, with over 600 Intl filmmakers attending the ten-day International Film Festival.. SUBMIT.

WorldFest Houston's blog I Website: http://www.worldfest.org I Submit I Facebook I Twitter I Contact Hunter Todd

> FILMS FOR FESTIVAL CONSIDERATION "FILMFESTIVALS.COM ONES TO WATCH ON THE CIRCUIT"

Paranoid Girls For Oscar Consideration

Paranoid Girls Comedy by Pedro del Santo is qualified for Oscar selection running for best film, best original song...

Ana, Paula and Veronica become fascinated by modeling and the life that it offers. Yet, they gradually begin to discover the dark side of fashion hidden behind the fame and glamour of the spotlights. The women experience downfall as they engage with an antagonistic photographer who drags models into a high stakes abyss of danger. The women learn to value friendship over the lures of fashion pitfalls and enjoy life's simplicities in the end.

 

Longer synopsis I Trailer I Casting I Website I Electronic Press Kit I Facebook I Paranoid Girls the song running for Best Original Song I Contact the director I Ask for a  screener

Revolution by Rob Stewart (Sharkwater) 

over 40 festival wins so far

 

Eco Documentary feature film by Rob Stewart (Sharkwater)

Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed SHARKWATER (36 festival wins) documentary continues his remarkable journey; one that will take him through 15 countries over four years, and where he'll discover that it's not only sharks that are in grave danger -- it's humanity itself.
Website I Epk on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I Email us for a screener

Rooted in Peace by Greg Reitman

ROOTED in PEACE, 97 minutes - 2015

Documentary by SUNDANCE alum GREG REITMAN (Sundance Audience Award Winner for fhis first documentary 'Fuel')

Starring: Deepak Chopra, Donovan, Mike Love, David Lynch, Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire, Pete Seeger, Ted Turner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu

"ROOTED in PEACE challenges viewers to examine their values as Americans and human beings. Today we are at war within ourselves, with our environment, and with the world. Director and award-winning filmmaker Greg Reitman invites viewers on a film journey to take notice of the world we live in, proactively seek ways to find personal and ecological peace, and stop the cycle of violence".

Website I EPK on filmfestivals.com I Trailer I Email us for a screener

 

Get Happy by Manoj Annadurai 

Feature Feel Good Movie  - World premiered in Montreal World Film Festival Winner best romantic comedy in Manhattan Fest

Charlie Kane can’t catch a break. He grew into a man who expects the worse out of life and gets it. But that changes when, by chance, he meets a bright, sunny sprite of a woman named Holly who turns him from a dour drip into someone finally allowing himself to be happy.Then a bus flattens her before Charlie eyes. Charlie opts for suicide but can’t even successfully give up on life. Left with no other choice, he adopts Holly’s ethos of positivity and just decides to be happy... by ignoring all the bad things in life. But his cynical best friend isn’t buying Charlie’s new-found happiness and sets out to save Charlie by making him miserable again. 

> FILMS FOCUS   

The 6th MyFrenchFilmFestival.com is coming soon!

      The sixth edition of the world's leading online French film festival, organized by Michel Gondry last year, MyFrenchFilmFestival.com has joined forces this year with the English designers' collective and magazine, Click here to download the festival poster. We'll be back soon with more details! Read more Download: Affiche MYFFF 2016 - Français.jpg Download: Affiche MYFFF 2016 - English.jpg Download: Affiche MYFFF 2016 - German.jpg Download:...

 

UK and Ireland show record breaking takings over the weekend for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

The force continues to be strong for the UK and Ireland with record breaking takings over the weekend for Star Wars: The Force Awakens...

 

 

The Force has awakened with UK Box Office All Time Record

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS HAS BIGGEST OPENING DAY IN UK BOX OFFICE HISTORY       RECORD AMOUNT OF PEOPLE FLOCK TO MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS OF THE HUGELY ANTICIPATED FILM FILM BROKE INDUSTRY RECORD FOR ADVANCED TICKET BOOKINGS There has been an awakening and the UK and Ireland have truly felt it with record breaking takings for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film enjoyed not only the biggest opening day of all time but also the biggest single day in UK industry history. Op...

 

9 foreign films advance in Oscar race

9 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILMS ADVANCE IN OSCAR® RACE Nine features will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®.  Eighty films had originally been considered in the category. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:      Belgium, "The Brand New Testament," Jaco Van Dormael, director;      Colombia, "Embrace of the Serpent," Ciro Guerra, director;   ...

 

112 Original Scores in 2015 OSCAR® Race

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 112 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 88th Academy Awards®. The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title: "Adult Beginners," Marcelo Zarvos, composer "The Age of Adaline," Rob Simonsen, composer "Altered Minds," Edmun...

 

FilmNation Entertainment/ Judd Apatow - THE BIG SICK to star Kumail Nanjiani

 

FilmNation Entertainment announced that it has acquired worldwide rights and will fully finance THE BIG SICK, which will be produced by Judd Apatow with Barry Mendel through Apatow Productions (TRAINWRECK, THIS IS 40, BRIDESMAIDS). Stand-up comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) will star in the film. Based on true events in their lives, Nanjiani wrote the script with his wife, writer/producer Emily V. Gordon. Michael Showalter, who helmed the 2015 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award ...

 

The Star Wars George Lucas doesn't want you to see

The original 1977 version of the saga is nearly impossible to find, so these fans made their own. In 1978, Star Wars won seven Academy Awards. But if you want to watch that original version, the first of George Lucas’s soon to be seven-part saga, you’ll find it difficult. In fact, it’s actually impossible to buy an official copy of Star Wars as it was first released. Lucas doesn’t want you to see that version. Instead, he wants you to watch the continuously updated spec...

 

StarWars Premiere Stellar Event in LA with and Massive buzz in the media,

Premiere Of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - Red Carpet Actors Harrison Ford (L) and Calista Flockhart attend the World Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the Dolby, El Capitan, and TCL Theatres on December 14, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)    HOLLYWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 14: Stormtroopers attend the World Premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the Dolby, El Capitan, and TCL ...

 

'Paranoid Girls' Oscar Run Invitation

Read this online EL GATO PERSA FILMS INVITES YOU TO EXPERIENCE THE ORIGINAL COMEDY   PARANOID GIRLS   For Academy Award Nomination Consideration Best Picture | Best Director | Best Original Song | Best Original Score | Best Original Screenplay Best Actress | Best Actor | Best Cinematography | Best Production Design | Best Costume Design   Access The Online Screener Now:

Password: ParanoidGirls   Directed By: Pedro Del Santo Wri...

 

Watch the Trailer for Paranoid Girls by Pedro Del Santo Running up for Oscar

CHICAS PARANOICAS TRAILER H264 from Pedro Del Santo on Vimeo. CHICAS PARANOICAS PARANOID GIRLS TRAILER ...

 

 

The complete list of 305 Oscar eligible contenders Paranoid Girls proud to be listed

Three hundred five feature films are eligible for the 2015 Academy Awards®, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today. To be eligible for 88th Academy Awards consideration, feature films must open in a commercial motion picture theater in Los Angeles County by midnight, December 31, and begin a minimum run of seven consecutive days. Under Academy rules, a feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited ...

 

 

> THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT       

Some photos from the previous edition of A Long Week of Short Films Shanghai

More information on http://lwsf.kankanmedia.org     ...

 

Istanbul Film Festival will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016

Launched as a film week 35 years ago by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), Istanbul Film Festival, being not only the longest-running film festival in Istanbul but also the largest-scale film event in Turkey, will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2016. Supported by Akbank for the 12th time in a row, Istanbul Film Festival will take place between 7 -17 April 2016 thereby bringing a chapter of novelties for its 35th anniversary. A breath of fresh air in the festival: N...

 

Coronado Island Film Festival Opening and Closing Films Announced

 

Andrew Friedenberg—Producer and Co-Executive Director of Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF)—announced today the festival’s opening-night film, Walt Disney Pictures’ January 29th release, The Finest Hours. The film stars Chris Pine (the Star Trek films), Academy Award® and Golden Globe®-nominee Casey Affleck (Interstellar), Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella), John Ortiz (Silver Linings Playbook), and Eric Bana (Lone Survivor). The film is d...

 

Waterfront Festival of International Films Lavasa

Waterfront Festival of International Films is a an upcoming project of Films and Film Festivals , an initiative of JSWM Productions  Films and Film Festivals is a platform for the benefit of independent filmmakers, directors, media, distributors, producers, artists, entertainment professionals, models and event Managers to interact, create and benefit from various opportunities. JSWM Productions was established in 2010, as a Content Creation, Aggregation and Production Comp...

> AWARDS WATCH     

The 15th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival Awards

 

The 15th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival rings the curtain down with over 12,200 visitors. The ‘best of’ will be going to Bologna in January 2016 as part of the Cineteca’s programme and to Spazio Oberdan in Milan in February 2016   The film on the Bhopal tragedy, Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain by Ravi Kumar, wins the River to River Award as Best Film   The award for best short film goes to Sarmad Masud for Two Dosas. Diya Banerjee&rs...

 

 

Cinema Tropical Announces the Nominees for the 6th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards

Honoring the Best Latin American Films of the Year THE CLUB (Chile), JAUJA and THE PRINCESS OF FRANCE (Argentina), LOS HONGOS (Colombia), and WHITE OUT, BLACK IN (Brazil) Vie for the Award for Best Film   Twenty-nine films from twelve countries have been nominated in the sixth annual edition of the Cinema Tropical Awards, honoring the best of Latin American cinema of the year in six different categories: Best Feature Film; Best Documentary Film; Best Director, Feature Film; Best...

 

BIFF winners in Bahamas

2015 WINNERS !!! Spirit Of Freedom Narrative  SHOWING ROOTS Director Michael Wilson   Spirit Of Freedom Documentary INDIA'S DAUGHTER Director Leslee Udwin   New Visions SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE Director Lanre Olabisi New Visions Special Mention  A Beautiful Now   Short Film MORE THAN GOD Director Kev Cahill   Short Film S...

> PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT  

Im Sang-soo president of International Jury FICA Vesoul 2016 Asian Movies Film Festival

 

 

Michael Fassbender to Receive International Star Award @ 27th Annual PSIFF Award Gala

The 27th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present Michael Fassbender with the International Star Award, Actor at its annual Awards Gala. The Gala will also present awards to previously announced honorees Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, Brie Larson, Tom McCarthy and Saoirse Ronan. The Awards Gala will be hosted by Mary Hart, with presenting sponsor “Entertainment Tonight,” on Saturday, January 2, at the Palm Springs Conventio...

 

> STRICTLY BUSINESS   

Berlinale World Cinema Fund: New Funding Recommendations

 

At the 23rd jury session of the World Cinema Fund (WCF), the jury recommended contributing to the funding of ten film projects.   Four film projects – from Myanmar, Turkey, Chad and Senegal - were suggested for production funding. In addition, distribution funding was recommended for the German cinema release of a film from Venezuela. Within the framework of the WCF Europe programme, production funding was proposed for projects from Brazil, Argentina and Chile. ...

 

FrameForge Previz Studio 3.5 Pro Save 20% on the Emmy Award Winning Software

About | Contact | Help FrameForge Previz Studio 3.5 Pro - On Sale Now! FrameForge Previz Studio 3.5 Core and FrameForge Previz Studio 3.5 Stereogr...

Partner Film Festivals Calling. Fast-Approaching Deadlines
 

Need more and better film submissions for your festival? don't miss the one month booster

Filmfestivals.com was established 1995 as world reference in this niche, we are proud of our track record in helping festivals attract more legitimacy, visibility and film submissions from our large base of international film professionals (370 000 unique filmmaker visitors each month), 159 500 subscribers to the newsletter. ONE TIME OFFER We suggest this quick one month booster program for your call for entry including  with 4 newsletter ads, your call for entry promoted one month lon...  

The Bulletin Board I Pro Services's blog |  Advertise your festival in the next eBlast to our filmmakers.   

Major Buzz Factory : Expérience de Bruno Chatelin du marketing Digital pour les films

Fort d'une expérience acquise dans la distribution de films pour deux Majors (Sony et Fox mariée sous a direction avec UGC) Bruno Chatelin propose une expérience pointue au service de votre stratégie digitale à Travers sa structure de Conseil MAJOR BUZZ FACTORY Le fondateur Bruno Chatelin : un Professionnel de la communication entouré de spécialistes, son expérience est ancrée sur trois univers La publicité, Le mark.eting et le digital.

TOUTES LES NEWS EN FRANCAIS

La 6ème édition de MyFrenchFilmFestival.com, c'est pour bientôt !

La sixième édition du premier festival de cinéma français en ligne, organisé par Michel Gondry l'an dernier, MyFrenchFilmFestival.com s’est associé cette année à la revue et collectif de designers anglais que les cinéphiles du monde entier s'arrachent : A très vite pour de nouvelles infos !  Vous voulez tout savoir ? Eh bien il faudra p...

 

Palmarès du 13e Festival International Signes de Nuit à Paris

PALMARES Grand Prix, Prix de Signes, Prix de Nuit, Prix Edward Snowden et Prix...

 

Claude Lelouch présidera le jury du Festival de Gerardmer

C’est en étant caché dans les salles de cinéma pendant la seconde guerre mondiale que Claude Lelouch se passionne pour le septième art. En 1966, six ans après la critique assassine de son premier long métrage, Le propre de l’homme, son film Un homme et une femme lui vaudra une Palme d’or à Cannes, deux Oscars et quarante récompenses internationales. Porté en triomphe, puis hué sur la Croisette, cour...

 

Le Palmarès de notre 15ème édition du Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles

 

Cinélatino, 28es Rencontres de Toulouse 11-20 mars 2016

 

Des nouvelles du Prochain Paris Images Trade Show (PITS)

Fatima de Philippe Faucon reçoit le prestigieux prix Louis-Delluc

 

Faites des Courts Fête des Films

 

Top 10 des entrées hebdo France du 09/12/2015 au 15/12/2015

1 BABYSITTING 2 UNIVERSAL PICTURES 494 361 553 894 1 295 573 2 2 LE VOYAGE D'ARLO ...

 

Présentation Vidéo de l'avant première parisienne de El Clan

Visite surprise de Vincent Lindon lors de l'avant première du film de Pablo Trapero El Clan. 

Masterclass avec Xavier Beauvois au Festival de Cinéma Européen des Arcs

 

Bernard Hislaire signe la superbe affiche du BIFFF

 

Review El Clan de Pablo Trapero Le crime est une histoire de famille

 

La 21ème édition des Lumières de la presse étrangère aura lieu le lundi 8 février 2016 à l'Espace Pierre Cardin.

 

The 66th Berlin International Film Festival will take place from February 11 to 21, 2016, but starting in January the Berlinale posters will be displayed at Potsdamer Platz and across the city to set the mood for the festival.

Together with the artists of the international film world, the bear is conquering the Berlin cityscape. The six poster designs feature the fleeting encounters of individual night owls with the bear in the city, captured photographically - fixed between reality and fiction.

The key-visuals were created, for the first time, by the Velvet agency.

‘The bear is loose!’

That could be the motto for this year's poster design. The bear is coming your way and, just like the Festival itself, not only to be seen at Potsdamer Platz but also in the various districts of our city,” says Festival Director Dieter Kosslick.

Wishing you all much success for your films on the festival circuit!