LA Film Festival Moves to September in 2018

LA Film Festival Moves to Fall

SEPTEMBER 20-28, 2018 AT ARCLIGHT CINEMAS

Withoutabox is New Official Submission Service; Entries Accepted Beginning January 1

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Film Independent announced new dates for the LA Film Festival and a multi-year partnership with ArcLight Cinemas. The Festival, previously held in June, will now take place in late September starting in 2018. Submissions for the 24th edition of the Festival will open January 1, 2018, exclusively on Withoutabox, as part of a new multi-year collaboration.

    “LA audiences know and love the ArcLight experience, and as our submissions continue to grow, Withoutabox is the ideal service for us to accept and evaluate submissions from filmmakers all over the world.”

“The secret to dramatically changing something is to change it,” said Jennifer Cochis, LA Film Festival Director. “My passion for this Festival is unwavering and the time for an evolution has come. Film Independent is so proud of the work we’ve done in showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives, but the fact is that summer is a challenging time for artist driven films, and fall is where we clearly belong. This shift in our dates is an important step in enacting my aim to further develop the LA Film Festival, I sincerely look forward to better serving filmmakers, film lovers, the city and the industry in the fall of 2018 and beyond.”

“We are proud to be the home of the LA Film Festival. The festival has been a staple for filmmakers and cinephiles in Los Angeles,” said Gretchen McCourt, Executive Vice President at ArcLight Cinemas. “LA is an entertainment mecca and has been home to ArcLight for over 15 years. It is partnerships like this that continue to make our programming unique. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be with them on this journey.”

“Great festivals need great partners, and we couldn’t be happier to be entering a multi-year collaboration with ArcLight Cinema and Withoutabox,” said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. “LA audiences know and love the ArcLight experience, and as our submissions continue to grow, Withoutabox is the ideal service for us to accept and evaluate submissions from filmmakers all over the world.”

Creators can submit their work to the LA Film Festival for consideration beginning on January 1, 2018 exclusively on Withoutabox.


ABOUT THE LA FILM FESTIVAL
The LA Film Festival is a key part of the exhibition arm of the nonprofit arts organization Film Independent. Showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives, the Festival produces one-of-a-kind events featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers, industry professionals and award-winning talent from Los Angeles and around the world. The Festival’s signature programs include Diversity Speaks, Women Who Lead Luncheon, Spirit of Independence Award, Coffee Talks and more. The Festival’s Future Filmmakers Showcase supports high school filmmakers with screenings of their work and community based film education opportunities. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Albina Oks, Director of Corporate Sponsorship, aoks@filmindependent.org or 310.432.1252.

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is the nonprofit arts organization that champions independent visual storytelling and supports a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision. Film Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent’s Board of Directors, filmmakers, staff and constituents is comprised of an inclusive community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race and sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a Member, whether you are a filmmaker, industry professional or a film lover.

In addition to producing the Spirit Awards, Film Independent produces the LA Film Festival and Film Independent at LACMA Film Series, a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the Los Angeles creative community and the general public.

With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity in the film industry. Film Independent’s Artist Development program offers free Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and presents year-round networking opportunities. Project Involve is Film Independent’s signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry. For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.

ABOUT ARCLIGHT CINEMAS
 Cinemas, created by Pacific Theatres, a privately owned, Los Angeles-based company with 60 years of theatrical exhibition history throughout California, Hawaii and Washington is a premiere movie going destination with an unparalleled commitment to bringing a variety of rich cinematic content to all audiences. The company brings to life an uninterrupted immersive movie-going experience with no distractions, and a promise to exhibit films the way moviemakers intend their movie to be watched.
ArcLight Cinemas operates seven theaters in California including Hollywood, Pasadena, Sherman Oaks, El Segundo, Santa Monica, Culver City and La Jolla, as well as theaters in Bethesda, Md., Chicago and Glenview, Ill., with a new location in Boston for 2019. ArcLight also owns and operates the historic Cinerama Dome and programs the TCL Chinese Theatre and IMAX in Hollywood. Pacific Theatres currently operates theaters in Los Angeles that include The Grove and The Americana at Brand in Glendale, Calif. Additional information about ArcLight Cinemas is available at http://www.arclightcinemas.com.

ABOUT WITHOUTABOX
Withoutabox (https://www.withoutabox.com) is the premier submission service for film festivals and filmmakers. Since 2001, Withoutabox has enabled nearly 3 million festival submissions to the leading film festivals in the world, and more than 150 of these titles went on to receive an Academy Award® nomination with dozens eventually winning an Oscar®. Withoutabox provides a powerful and convenient solution for festivals seeking a service to manage their film festival submissions. World-renowned film festivals that rely on Withoutabox to exclusively manage their submissions include The Sundance Film Festival and The Toronto International Film Festival. Filmmakers using Withoutabox can easily submit their films to film festivals around the word and can automatically create a title page for their film on IMDb (the #1 movie website in the world), reaching more than 250 million unique monthly visitors worldwide. Withoutabox continues to evolve on behalf of its customers, including recent product enhancements such as: promo codes; a Fire TV Festival Judging App; HD online screeners; a redesigned filmmaker experience; and support for Vimeo links. To learn more about Withoutabox or to sign up, visit https://www.withoutabox.com. Withoutabox is owned and operated by IMDb.com, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) (http://www.amazon.com). IMDb also offers the membership-based service IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com), the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals.

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2017 Austin Film Festival Announces Film and Panel Slate

Austin Film Festival Announces Full Film and Conference Schedule

Slate Includes Closing Night Film Chappaquiddick, Call Me By Your Name, The Darkest Hour, The Upside, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing the writers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced the full schedule of films and panels for the 24th annual event, this October 26-November 2, 2017. AFF’s feature film slate includes over 25 World, North American and US Premieres, a robust retrospective series, and highly anticipated marquee titles, including Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, WWII drama The Darkest Hour featuring Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, The Upside starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, and Armie Hammer romance Call Me By Your Name.

AFF has also announced Chappaquiddick as its Closing Night Film. A drama recounting Ted Kennedy’s infamous 1969 car accident resulting in the death of his campaign worker, writers Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan will be in attendance.

A staple of the Festival, AFF’s retrospective series will feature seminal 1987 action film Predator presented by Shane Black who is currently working on the film’s reboot. Additionally, Extraordinary Contribution to Film awardee Walter Hill will present his cult classic The Warriors.

In addition to the slate of 150+ films, AFF will present premieres and retrospectives of television programming, including the season 2 premiere of Hulu’s darkly comedic psychic drama Shut Eye with executive producers Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, John Shiban and Amy Berg in attendance, the premiere of YouTube Red’s new comedy series Do You Want to See a Dead Body? with creator Rob Huebel in attendance, and the premiere of the Season Finale of HBO’s drama The Deuce with creators David Simon and George Pelecanos in attendance.

Also confirmed to attend is Dan Rather, who will help present the World Premiere of the documentary Fail State, chronicling the rise of predatory for-profit colleges. Writer/producer Gale Anne Hurd will also be in attendance for AFF’s screening of documentary Mankiller about barrier-breaking female Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller.

Other World Premieres include Wild Honey, Coming to My Senses, and Transformer. Making its US Premiere is comedy Don’t Talk to Irene, written and directed by Pat Mills, which also won AFF’s Comedy Screenplay Award in 2013.

The full Film and Conference schedule can be found at www.austinfilmfestival.com.


ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice.

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2017 Austin Film Festival Announces First Films and Television Line-Up

Austin Film Festival Reveals First Slate of Films and TV for 24th Annual Line-up, Including Season Finale of "The Deuce" and Marquee Titles "Permanent," "Please Stand By," and "An Ordinary Man"

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today the first wave of films included in their 2017 film slate.

October 26 - November 2 - AFF will premiere the season finale of HBO’s new drama "The Deuce." Other titles include Permanent, Please Stand By, 24 Hours to Live and romantic comedy Amanda and Jack Go Glamping.

The complete list of programming will be announced in late September.

AFF FIRST WAVE:
*indicates in attendance

24 Hours to Live
Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita
Director: Brian Smrz
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Liam Cunningham

Amanda & Jack Go Glamping
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson*
Starring: David Arquette*, Amy Acker, Adan Canto, June Squibb

Confessions of a Serial Killer – 1985 Retrospective
Writer/Director: Mark Blair*
Starring: Robert Burns, Dennis Hill

The Deuce-Season Finale
World Premiere
Creators: David Simon*, George Pelecanos*
Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan

Flock of Four
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Gregory Caruso*
Starring: Braeden Lemasters, Shane Harper, Reg E. Cathey

Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End
World Premiere
Director: Pablo Bryant*

An Ordinary Man
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz

The Outdoorsman
US Premiere
Writer: Ryan Gilmour*
Director: David Haskell*
Starring: Brent Morin*, Sasheer Zamata*, Spencer Grammer

Permanent
Writer/Director: Colette Burson
Starring: Kira McClean, Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette

Please Stand By
Writer: Michael Golamco
Director: Ben Lewin
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette

Touched
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne
Starring: Hugh Thompson, Lola Flanery


ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. For media credentials, complete the application. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

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Woody Allen's "Wonder Wheel" to Close 55th New York Film Festival

The Film Society of Lincoln Center Announces World Premiere of Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel as Closing Night of the 55th New York Film Festival

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel as the Closing Night selection of the 55th New York Film Festival (September 28 – October 15, 2017), making its World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on Saturday, October 14, 2017. Amazon Studios will release Wonder Wheel on December 1, 2017, the first film the studio will distribute independently.

In a career spanning 50 years and almost as many features, Woody Allen has periodically refined, reinvented, and redefined the terms of his art, and that’s exactly what he does with his daring new film. We’re in Coney Island in the 1950s. A lifeguard (Justin Timberlake) tells us a story that just might be filtered through his vivid imagination: a middle-aged carousel operator (James Belushi) and his beleaguered wife (Kate Winslet), who eke out a living on the boardwalk, are visited by his estranged daughter (Juno Temple)—a situation from which layer upon layer of all-too-human complications develop. Allen and his cinematographer, the great Vittorio Storaro, working with a remarkable cast led by Winslet in a startlingly brave, powerhouse performance, have created a bracing and truly surprising movie experience.

New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones said, “I’m not quite sure what I expected when I sat down to watch Wonder Wheel, but when the lights came up I was speechless. There are elements in the film that will certainly be familiar to anyone who knows Woody Allen’s work, but here he holds them up to a completely new light. I mean that literally and figuratively, because Allen and Vittorio Storaro use light and color in a way that is stunning in and of itself but also integral to the mounting emotional power of the film. And at the center of it all is Kate Winslet’s absolutely remarkable performance—precious few actors are that talented, or fearless.”

The New York Film Festival has showcased Allen’s work on two other occasions: Bullets Over Broadway was Centerpiece of NYFF32 in 1994 and Celebrity was Opening Night of NYFF36 in 1998.

The 18-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring works from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Jones, also includes Dennis Lim, FSLC Director of Programming; Florence Almozini, FSLC Associate Director of Programming; and Amy Taubin, Contributing Editor, Film Comment and Sight & Sound.

Earlier this summer, NYFF announced Richard Linklater’s Last Flag Flying as Opening Night and Todd Haynes’s Wonderstruck as the Centerpiece selection. The retrospective section honors Robert Mitchum’s centenary.

Tickets for the 55th New York Film Festival will go on sale September 10. VIP passes and packages are on sale now and offer one of the earliest opportunities to purchase tickets and secure seats at some of the festival’s biggest events, including the just-announced Closing Night. Learn more at filmlinc.org/packages.

FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER

The Film Society of Lincoln Center is devoted to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema. The only branch of the world-renowned arts complex Lincoln Center to shine a light on the everlasting yet evolving importance of the moving image, this nonprofit organization was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international film. Via year-round programming and discussions; its annual New York Film Festival; and its publications, including Film Comment, the U.S.’s premier magazine about films and film culture, the Film Society endeavors to make the discussion and appreciation of cinema accessible to a broader audience, as well as to ensure that it will remain an essential art form for years to come.

The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from Shutterstock, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. American Airlines is the Official Airline of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Support for the New York Film Festival is generously provided by Official Partner HBO®, Benefactor Partners Dolby, illy caffé, and The Village Voice, Hospitality Partners Loews Regency New York and RowNYC, and Supporting Partner Manhattan Portage. Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, WABC-7, and WNET New York Public Media serve as Media Sponsors.

For more information, visit www.filmlinc.org and follow @filmlinc on Twitter.

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National Geographic Presents L.A. Riots Documentary "LA 92"

National Geographic Documentary Films and Academy Award-Winning Directors Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin Mark the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Riots with the Powerful New Film LA 92

Produced by two-time Academy Award® winner Simon Chinn and Emmy® award winner Jonathan Chinn, with original music by acclaimed composers Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans

Using only archival material drawn from more than 1,000 hours of powerful footage, LA 92 reconstructs the tumultuous days that changed America

LA 92 premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, followed by a multicity tour, theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles and broadcast debut on National Geographic

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ferguson. Baltimore. Sanford. The Los Angeles riots may have taken place a quarter century ago but the nation continues to find itself in a cycle of heated discussion over racial oppression, police brutality and socioeconomic inequality.

    “Our intent was to fully immerse viewers in a raw and unfiltered experience in order to challenge their understanding of the civil unrest, both emotionally and intellectually.”

Now, after 25 years, National Geographic Documentary Films presents LA 92, a riveting look back at the controversial Rodney King trial and subsequent protests, violence and looting of the city. Viewed from a multitude of vantage points through visceral and rarely seen archival footage, the film brings a fresh perspective to a pivotal moment that reverberates to this day. Produced by Lightbox’s two-time Academy Award winner Simon Chinn (“Man on Wire”) and Emmy winner Jonathan Chinn (“American High”) with Academy Award-winning directors Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin (“Undefeated”), and featuring original music from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans (“OA,” “Enemy”), LA 92 premieres at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival on Friday, April 21, 2017.

“Race relations is America’s Achilles’ heel,” said Lightbox producers Jonathan Chinn and Simon Chinn. “The production of this film might mark the 25th anniversary of this seminal uprising, but these kinds of events still recur, and we are still dealing with their root causes. Our goal with LA 92 is to reframe the story of this tragedy for a modern audience, and we hope it will encourage reflection and debate as we wrestle with these very real conflicts that continue to plague America’s cities.”

Following the premiere at Tribeca, the film will complete a multicity screening tour including Baltimore; Charlotte; St. Louis; Washington, D.C.; and Atlanta. Additionally, a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles begins Friday, April 28, 2017 and LA 92 makes its television broadcast debut on National Geographic on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 9/8c and will also air globally in 171 countries and 45 languages. Furthering the national conversation, National Geographic has also partnered with Picture Motion to provide free screenings of the film to colleges and universities nationwide and has developed a robust free discussion guide to accompany the film. For more information, visit natgeotvpressroom.com.

Using no narration or talking head interviews, the filmmakers decided to take a bold approach: to reconstruct the tumultuous events that unfolded in 1992 by exclusively using archival footage and photographs. Culling thousands of hours of visceral broadcast news footage, radio reports, police files and personal home videos — some of which have never been broadcast — the filmmakers tell the story through a variety of different points of view and perspectives and set it all to a rich orchestral score composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans.

“We come from a cinema verite background and as such, we are always striving to find ways to let the footage speak for itself,” said Martin and Lindsay, who also edited the film. “Our intent was to fully immerse viewers in a raw and unfiltered experience in order to challenge their understanding of the civil unrest, both emotionally and intellectually.”

The filmmakers sourced an intricate network of citizen journalists with boots on the ground during the civil disturbance to bring authenticity to the film. The film features never-before-seen and rarely used footage from the Los Angeles First AME Church, which supported many victims of the violence; materials from the Los Angeles police and fire departments; and video from contemporaneous news broadcasts from LA-based Korean-language television stations. LA 92 takes viewers out of the prism of their own cultural, racial and political perspectives and allows them to see the events of 1992 in a new light.

The film captures the shock, disappointment and fury felt by many Angelenos, particularly those in the African-American community, following the outcomes of two back-to-back, highly publicized trials. In November 1991, a Korean convenience store owner who was convicted of fatally shooting African-American teenager Latasha Harlins was given no jail time by a white Los Angeles judge. Six months later, four police officers caught on videotape brutally beating unarmed black motorist Rodney King were acquitted of assault by a predominantly white Simi Valley jury.

The King verdict sparked a wave of violent protests, looting and arson that lasted several days and left more than 50 people dead, thousands injured and large swaths of Los Angeles — including many Korean-American-owned businesses — in ruins. In the case of the King beating, it was the first time the kind of abuse many had witnessed or experienced at the hands of LAPD officers was recorded and broadcast for the world to see, leaving some with the sense that if justice did not prevail despite such graphic evidence, it never would.

For more information, visit natgeotv.com/la92.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PRESENTS A LIGHTBOX PRODUCTION

LA 92
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY DANNY BENSI & SAUNDER JURRIAANS
EDITED BY TJ MARTIN
EDITED BY SCOTT STEVENSON DAN LINDSAY
CO-PRODUCER BEN PINER PRODUCER SARAH GIBSON
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MATT RENNER TIM PASTORE
PRODUCED BY JONATHAN CHINN & SIMON CHINN
DIRECTED BY DAN LINDSAY & TJ MARTIN


About National Geographic Documentary Films
National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is a division of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 129 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching over 730 million people around the world in 171 countries and 45 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Lightbox
Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Lightbox is a multinational media company focused on creating high-quality nonfiction programming for film, television and digital platforms, founded by Academy Award- and Emmy-winning producers and cousins Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn. Simon Chinn is one of the world’s most successful feature documentary producers with two Academy Award-winning documentaries, “Man on Wire” and “Searching for Sugar Man,” to his credit. Before co-founding Lightbox, Jonathan Chinn was one of the most respected nonfiction television showrunners in the U.S., with an Emmy for “American High” (Fox/PBS) and the Television Academy’s prestigious Honors Award for “30 Days” (FX), which went on to become FX’s highest rated unscripted series. Since its founding in 2014, Lightbox has produced many notable projects including documentary films “Atari: Game Over” and “The Thread,” which compose a two-part documentary series for Xbox Entertainment Studios about the digital revolution; an ESPN “30 for 30” film about the 2006 Duke lacrosse scandal titled “Fantastic Lies”; as well as several series for both the U.K. and U.S. markets, such as “The Traffickers” for Fusion, “Inside British Vogue” for BBC, “The Runner-Up” for Esquire and the groundbreaking series “Captive” for Netflix. Slated for release in 2018, is the first-ever authorized feature documentary about legendary pop icon Whitney Houston.

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Viola Davis, Lee Daniels Common Join "BET Presents the ABFF Honors"

Viola Davis, Lee Daniels, Common, Maxwell, Omari Hardwick, Morris Chestnut and Dionne Farris among Big Names to Take the Stage During the 2017 “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors”

Actress and Director Regina Hall to Host Annual Ceremony

Awards Show Tapes Friday, February 17 in Los Angeles and will air on BET and Centric Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00PM ET

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks and American Black Film Festival (ABFF)’s “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” is thrilled to announce that Viola Davis, Lee Daniels, Common, Morris Chestnut and Omari Hardwick are confirmed to present during the annual ceremony taping in Los Angeles on Friday, February 17th, 2017. Also set to take the stage are Maxwell and Dionne Farris, who will woo the audience with sultry performances. ABFF Honors' mission is to celebrate Black culture by honoring individuals, movies and television shows that have had a significant impact on American entertainment. “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” airs on BET and Centric on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017 at 8:00PM ET.

Hosted by actress and director Regina Hall, “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” is proud to celebrate some of Hollywood’s most iconic artists. As previously announced, the show will honor actor and director Denzel Washington with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” writer, producer and actress Issa Rae with the “Rising Star Award,” film director and producer F. Gary Gray with the “Excellence in the Arts Award” and actor and singer, Terrence Howard with the “Excellence in the Arts Award.” In addition, there will be a special appearance by some of Young Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Jay Ellis (Insecure, The Game), Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse, Straight Outta Compton) and Kylie Bunbury (Pitch).

“BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” is sure to be a highlight of the Hollywood Awards season and Black History Month. The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones for de Passe Jones Entertainment, Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Connie Orlando, Stephen G. Hill and Debra Lee for BET Networks.

The 2017 ABFF Honors sponsors are AT&T, Cadillac and Prudential Financial Inc. (Red Carpet Partners) and Hennessy (Official Spirit Partner).

For more information about the 2017 ABFF Honors, log on to www.ABFFHonors.com. Also, follow us on our social media platforms:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: @ABFFHonors
Instagram: @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
Facebook: American Black Film Festival
YouTube: American Black Film Festival
Website: http://www.bet.com/shows/abff-honors.html


ABOUT ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry, and strengthen the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, the ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures LLC, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, television and digital content targeted to upscale African American audiences.

For additional information about the festival, visit www.ABFF.com.

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2017 Boulder International Film Festival to Screen 58 Films

58 Films Announced for the Highly Anticipated Boulder International Film Festival, March 2-5, 2017

Program includes 3 award-winning films from Sundance 2017 and 4 Oscar nominees

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 13th Annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) announced its program, which includes 58 films from around the world and three Sundance Film Festival award-winning films. This year, the festival will screen four films nominated for a 2017 Oscar.

    “We are so excited about this year’s program”

“We are so excited about this year’s program,” said Robin Beeck, Festival Executive Director. “This is a stellar lineup with award-winning films from the world’s greatest directors and from fresh, new filmmakers just hitting the scene. We’re thrilled to be able to present a feast of the best films today.”

Full Festival Program

The full festival program is online and all festival tickets and passes are on sale now at www.biff1.com.

Opening Night

The festival kicks off on Thursday, March 2nd at 5:30 p.m. with an Opening Night Red Carpet Gala and screening of Their Finest, a rousing romantic comedy about a female screenwriter during World War II. The film stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Clatlin and Bill Nighy. Tickets are $50 at www.biff1.com. Pre-film parties at Boulderado Hotel and Rembrandt Yard from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Their Finest starts at 8pm. An STX Entertainment Release.

Closing Night - Sunday, March 5

Fresh from winning the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary at Sundance 2017, the closing night film, Chasing Coral follows a team of divers, photographers and scientists on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why coral reefs are vanishing around the world. Directed by Jeff Orlowski. Tickets may be purchased for $30 at www.biff1.com.

New This Year!

VR Pavilion. Virtual Reality is an entirely new film language. We invite you to stop by BIFF’s Virtual Reality Pavilion at Galvanize and experience the future of storytelling firsthand. Free and open to the public.

Additional highlights include:

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Friday, March 3, 7:00pm

Jimi Hendrix was proud of his Cherokee grandmother, and Mohawk guitarist Robbie Robertson (The Band) remembers being told in the ‘50s when he started out in rock ‘n’ roll: “Be proud you’re an Indian, but don’t tell anybody.” Rumble is about the role of Native Americans in popular music history, a missing chapter. Winner at Sundance 2017. Directed by Catherine Bainbridge.

Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back
Friday, March 3, 4:30pm

Italian sculptor Maurizio Cattelan has become a superstar in the art world, with a major retrospective at the Guggenheim Museum. His sculptures—for example, an oversized Pinocchio floating face down in a pool—sell for millions of dollars. In this funny, mind-bending and visually beautiful film, Boulder director Maura Axelrod tries to find the “real” Cattelan, a task that is complicated by the fact that the artist is elusive, to say the least.

Dean
Friday, March 3, 7:30pm

Writer/director/comedian Demetri Martin stars alongside Academy Award winner Kevin Kline in this comedic and heartfelt tale about a father and son coming to terms with love, loss and everything in between. Both father and son set out on their own paths, as unexpected circumstances and potential new love interests threaten to thwart all plans. A CBS Films release. Directed and written by Demetri Martin.


About Boulder International Film Festival
BIFF brings films and filmmakers from around the world to Boulder for a celebration of the art of cinema. The Festival takes place from March 2-5, 2017. For tickets visit www.biff1.com. You can follow BIFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

BIFF is generously supported by: KBCO, Audi Boulder, the Hotel Boulderado, Vermilion Design + Digital, the Camera, the St Julien, Big Red F, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Tebo Properties, The Bradley Boulder, Karing Kind, Millstone Evans, Brock Media, 5280, The Farm, the Lazy Dog, Galvanize RealD, CBS4, Made in Nature, First Western Trust, the City of Boulder, Human Design, Trident, Downtown Boulder, Riffs, Basecamp Boulder, the Longmont Museum, Lucky's Market, Kingsbery CPAs, Rembrandt Yard, Stylus Creative, Spacefarmer, Japango, CEAVCO, West Flanders, Monster Makeup FX, iSupportU, and EOB Consulting.

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Terrence Howard to Make a Special Appearance during BET's "ABFF Honors"

The 2017 “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” Adds Terrence Howard as Honoree with Special Appearances by Jay Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Alexandra Shipp and Kylie Bunbury

Actress and Director Regina Hall Hosts Annual Ceremony

Awards Show Tapes Friday, February 17 in Los Angeles and will air on BET and Centric Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00PM ET

#ABFFHonors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks and American Black Film Festival (ABFF)’s “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” is excited to add an iconic artist to the list of honorees. Oscar nominated actor and singer, Terrence Howard, will be presented the “Excellence in the Arts” honor. In addition, set to make special appearances are some of Young Hollywood’s biggest names, including Jay Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Alexandra Shipp, and Kylie Bunbury. “BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” airs on BET and Centric on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017 at 8:00PM ET.

This year’s ABFF honorees have made great contributions to the art of entertainment through their work and our newest honoree is no different. Terrence Howard is a man of many talents. Best known for his current role on Fox’s Empire as malicious music mogul, Luscious Lyon, the real Terrence Howard is also a musical force. His self-taught talent is on full display in several of his earliest film appearances including Ray and Hustle and Flow. The Columbia Records signee completed his debut album in a mere five days, and went on to write music for a number of his on – screen characters. His big screen performances have earned him a BET Award, five NAACP Image Awards, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations among them.

In addition to the honorees, some of Hollywood’s rising stars are set to make a special appearance. Jay Ellis (Insecure, The Game), Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar), Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse, Straight Outta Compton) and Kylie Bunbury (Pitch) are confirmed to open the show.

ABFF Honors' mission is to celebrate Black culture by honoring individuals, movies and television shows that have had a significant impact on American entertainment, as well as the people who are proponents of championing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The annual event will be hosted by actress Regina Hall.

“BET Presents the American Black Film Festival Honors” is sure to be a highlight of the Hollywood Awards season and Black History Month. The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones for de Passe Jones Entertainment, Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Connie Orlando, Stephen G. Hill and Debra Lee for BET Networks.

The 2017 ABFF Honors sponsors are Cadillac, AT&T and Prudential Financial Services (Red Carpet Partners) and Hennessy (Official Spirit Partner).

For more information about the 2017 ABFF Honors, log on to www.ABFFHonors.com. Also, follow us on our social media platforms:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: @ABFFHonors
Instagram: @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
Facebook: American Black Film Festival
YouTube: American Black Film Festival
Website: http://www.bet.com/shows/abff-honors.html


ABOUT ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry, and strengthen the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, the ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures LLC, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, television and digital content targeted to upscale African American audiences.

For additional information about the festival, visit www.ABFF.com.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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"Their Finest" and "Chasing Coral" Highlight 2017 Boulder International Film Festival

Opening and Closing Night Films Announced for the Highly-Anticipated 13th Annual Boulder International Film Festival, March 2-5, 2017

Films include the winner of the US Documentary Audience Award at Sundance 2017 and a new film from award-winning director Lone Scherfig

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 13th Annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) has announced Their Finest and Chasing Coral for its opening and closing night film selections.

    Boulder Int Film Fest selects Their Finest and Chasing Coral as opening and closing night films!

“We are so excited about our opening and closing night film selections this year,” said Robin Beeck, Festival Executive Director. “This is a stellar, dynamic duo—a World War II-era romantic comedy about a female screenwriter starring Gemma Arterton, and an award-winning documentary by renowned Boulder filmmaker Jeff Orlowski and producer Larissa Rhodes, about the effect of the shifting climate on the health of our oceans. We’re honored to showcase both of these incredible films in Boulder.” Tickets for Opening and Closing Night on sale now at biff1.com. Full program announced on February 10th.

Opening Night Red Carpet Gala
Thursday, March 2, 2017 $50, Free for Passholders
5:30pm–7:30pm Pre-film parties at Hotel Boulderado and Rembrandt Yard
7:30pm Boulder Theater doors open
8:00pm Opening Night Film – Their Finest

Their Finest
United Kingdom, Feature Film, 116 minutes, 2016

This rousing romantic comedy from director Lone Scherfig (An Education) takes us back to 1940 Britain when the British Ministry turned to movies to hoist the sagging morale of the country. This witty film shows what happens when an industry of men suddenly find themselves catering to an audience of mostly women whose men are off to war. The industry hires a talented copywriter named Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton) to write authentic female dialogue. Catrin’s natural ability quickly gets her noticed by charming lead scriptwriter Buckley (Sam Claflin). As bombs are dropping all around them, Catrin, Buckley, and the colorful cast and crew of their movie, Dunkirk!, work furiously to make a film that will lift British spirits.

You can access the trailer here. Directed by Lone Scherfig; written by Gaby Chiappe, based on the novel Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans. Starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, and Richard E. Grant. In select theaters April 7, 2017. An STX Entertainment Release.

Closing Night Film
Chasing Coral
USA, Feature Documentary, 2017, 93 minutes
Sunday, March 5, 2017 $30, Free for Passholders
Doors open 6:30, Film starts at 7:30
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1427087/tfly

Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate—in Chasing Coral, a team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why, and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world. Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching”—a sign of mass coral death—has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater. Enter Jeff Orlowski, Boulder-based director of Chasing Ice, which created irrefutable, visual proof of the melting ice caps. With its breathtaking photography, nail-biting suspense, and startling emotion, Chasing Coral is a dramatic revelation that won’t have audiences sitting idle for long.

Produced & directed by Jeff Orlowski, produced by Larissa Rhodes. executive produced by David J. Cornfield, Linda A. Cornfiel, Ryan W. Ahrens, Jill K. Ahrens. Featuring Richard Vevers, Zackery Rago, Dr. John “Charlie” Veron. Edited By Davis Coombe.

Meet the artist video with director Jeff Orlowski at Sundance 2017 here.


About Boulder International Film Festival
The Boulder International Film Festival brings films and filmmakers from around the world to Boulder for a four-day celebration of the art of cinema. The Festival attracts more than 25,000 film enthusiasts, media and industry members each year and takes place March 2-5, 2017. For tickets and more information go to www.biff1.com. You can follow BIFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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BET to Air American Black Film Festival Awards Gala

Denzel Washington, Issa Rae and F. Gary Gray Confirmed as Honorees at the 2017 “BET Presents The American Black Film Festival Honors”

ACTRESS REGINA HALL TO HOST ANNUAL CEREMONY

Show Tapes Friday, February 17 in Los Angeles and will air on BET - Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00PM ET

#ABFFHonors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks and The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is proud to present actor and director Denzel Washington with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” writer, producer and actress Issa Rae with the “Rising Star Award,” and film director and producer F. Gary Gray with the “Excellence in the Arts Award” during this year’s “BET Presents The American Black Film Festival Honors.” The awards gala held Friday, February 17, 2017 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA will air on BET and Centric, Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 8:00PM ET.

    “BET Presents The American Black Film Festival Honors.”

ABFF Honors' mission is to celebrate Black culture by honoring individuals, movies and television shows that have had a significant impact on American entertainment, as well as the people who are proponents of championing diversity and inclusion in Hollywood. The annual event will be hosted by actress Regina Hall.

This year’s list of honorees includes some of Hollywood’s powerhouses. Denzel Washington is a veteran and iconic figure whose exemplary performances in film and on the stage has been recognized by his peers and loyal fan base. His unforgettable performances have garnered him two Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award and countless others. Denzel’s current project, the critically-acclaimed film adaptation of August Wilson’s Fences, in which he produced and directed, also earned him a 2017 Oscar nomination.

Writer, producer and actress, Issa Rae, created her own path by starting out in the online/web space, but has since transitioned to television and is now one of Hollywood’s much-watch talents. Her new show, HBO’s INSECURE, took the world by storm this past year with its ridiculously hilarious punch lines, private rap battles and a killer musical selection. It also earned her, her first Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a TV Comedy or Musical.”

F. Gary Gray has been making moves behind the camera since 1989 and has brought some of today’s most buzzworthy and top box office films to the silver screen. Gray directed his first film, the comedy Friday, at age 24 and has since gone on to direct some of the biggest names in film, including Academy Award-winner Kevin Spacey, Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson in The Negotiator, Golden Globe-winner Queen Latifah in Set if Off, Academy Award- winner Charlize Theron and Academy Award-nominee Mark Wahlberg in Italian Job and Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner John Travolta in Be Cool. Up next, he will direct the eighth installment of The Fast and the Furious franchise (The Fate of the Furious).

ABFF Honors will be one of the highlights of the Hollywood Awards season and Black History Month. The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones for de Passe Jones Entertainment, Jesse Collins for Jesse Collins Entertainment, and Connie Orlando, Stephen G. Hill and Debra Lee for BET Networks.

The 2017 ABFF Honors sponsors are Cadillac and Prudential Financial Services (Red Carpet Partners), Morgan Stanley (Corporate Partner) and Hennessy (Official Spirit Partner).

For more information about the 2017 ABFF Honors, log on to www.ABFFHonors.com. Also, follow us on our social media platforms:

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter:           @ABFFHonors
Instagram:         @AmericanBlackFilmFestival
Facebook:         American Black Film Festival
YouTube:         American Black Film Festival
Website:        

http://www.bet.com/shows/abff-honors.html


ABOUT ABFF
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. It supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of images, stories and storytellers represented in the entertainment industry. The festival is committed to the belief that Black artists and content creators deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. ABFF founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to promote diversity in the motion picture industry, and strengthen the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. Today, the ABFF is recognized as the preeminent pipeline to new Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and is regarded as one of the leading film festivals in the world. The ABFF is a property of ABFF Ventures LLC, a multifaceted entertainment company specializing in the production of live events, television and digital content targeted to upscale African American audiences.

For additional information about the festival, visit www.ABFFHonors.com.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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2017 Austin Film Festival Introduces Two New Contests

Austin Film Festival Announces New Competitions for 2017 Festival

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF) introduces two new contests to its slate of competitions for its 24th season, which takes place October 26 - November 2, 2017. The Playwriting Competition will be open to full-length stage plays and will provide aspiring playwrights exposure and access to a wide array of professionals within theater, film, and television. The Fiction Podcast Competition will accept scripts for an ongoing series intended for a purely acoustic medium with no visual component.

    “We are thrilled to further expand our mission of championing storytellers by assisting writers for the stage and new media”

“We are thrilled to further expand our mission of championing storytellers by assisting writers for the stage and new media,” said Barbara Morgan, AFF Co-Founder and Executive Director. “The principles of drama began on the stage and evolved into the old school radio plays of the 1920s. Those forms of storytelling could not be more relevant today, especially with the rising popularity of fiction podcasts. We are proud to embrace the tradition of the stage and the reinvention of the radio drama.”

Regarded as the “Writers Festival,” AFF is the first festival to recognize the writer as the creator and has a long history of inclusiveness for all types of storytellers. Notable playwrights at AFF include Horton Foote, John Patrick Shanley, Beau Willimon, Melanie Marnich, and José Rivera, among others. AFF now adds stage plays and fiction podcasts to a variety of competitions that already accept screenplays, teleplays, digital series, and films in various categories.

Three finalists from the Playwriting Competition will have staged readings during the festival which will be performed in front of an audience including industry professionals already in attendance at the Conference. AFF will also program panels, roundtables, workshops, and networking events where attendees can refine their craft and make connections.

The winner of each competition will receive a $1000 cash prize, AFF’s Bronze Typewriter Award, and reimbursements of up to $500 for travel and up to $500 for lodging. AFF will announce judges and partnerships for the Playwriting and Fiction Podcast Competitions in the coming months.

To apply, please visit https://austinfilmfestival.com/submit/.


About Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of filmmakers and screenwriters. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

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Sequel to Oscar-Winning Doc, "An Inconvenient Truth," Due in 2017

PARAMOUNT PICTURES TO RELEASE THE FOLLOW-UP TO AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

A DECADE FOLLOWING VIDE PRESIDENT AL GORE’S LANDMARK CLIMATE CRISIS CALL TO ACTION WAS RELEASED, PARAMOUNT PARTNERS WITH PARTICIPANT MEDIA TO BRING A NEW MESSAGE TO AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD FILM WILL PREMIERE AT THE 2017 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ON OPENING NIGHT

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures announced today it will release the follow-up to An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore’s two-time Academy Award-winning landmark documentary about the world’s climate crisis. From Participant Media, and directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, the sequel follows Gore as he continues his decades long fight to build a more sustainable future for our planet. 

Esteemed film critic Roger Ebert said upon the release of AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH in 2006, “In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to.” A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the riveting follow up that shows both the escalation of the crisis and the real solutions we have close at hand.

Former Vice President Al Gore said, “Now more than ever we must rededicate ourselves to solving the climate crisis.  But we have reason to be hopeful; the solutions to the crisis are at hand.  I’m deeply honored and grateful that Paramount Pictures and Participant Media have once again taken on the task of bringing the critical story of the climate crisis to the world."

Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey said, “We are honored to be working again with Al, Jeff Skoll and everyone at Participant on a film whose message is as urgent as ever. Al’s tireless efforts to bring about change continues to inspire all of us as we fight for the health of our world for future generations.”

Executive producer, founder and chairman of Participant Media Jeff Skoll said, “A decade after we took a risk in backing a film centered around a slide show presentation and one human’s quest to awaken global consciousness about our changing planet, we are proud to bring global audiences a promising update: that a future powered by clean, safe, renewable, inexpensive, non-polluting energy is no longer a dream but a very attainable reality."

Commented directors Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, “It has been our honor to work with Participant on the follow-up to AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.  Climate change is the story of our time and following Al Gore during this critical moment in history has been both sobering and incredibly inspiring.  We couldn’t be more excited to have Paramount taking the film out to a wide audience around the world."

Stepping beyond the limits of the first movie’s focus on Gore’s inspirational slide presentation, the new film travels the world and delivers an inspirational story of change in the making. Participant Media presents a film featuring Al Gore, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk.  The FOLLOW-UP TO AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH is produced by Richard Berge and Diane Weyermann and executive produced by Jeff Skoll, Davis Guggenheim, Lawrence Bender, Laurie David, Scott Z. Burns, and Lesley Chilcott.

Paramount Pictures will release the film in 2017.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Participant Media
Participant Media (www.participantmedia.com) is the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that inspires and compels social change. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll, Participant’s content combines the power of a good story well told with opportunities for real world impact and awareness around the most pressing global issues of our time. Participant’s more than 75 films, including Spotlight, Contagion, Lincoln, The Help, He Named Me Malala, The Look of Silence, CITIZENFOUR, Food, Inc., and An Inconvenient Truth, have collectively earned 50 Academy Award® nominations and 11 wins, including Best Picture for Spotlight. Participant’s digital entertainment division, SoulPancake (www.soulpancake.com), is an award-winning provider of thought-provoking, joyful, and uplifting digital content including such widely popular series as Kid President and The Science of Happiness and reaches an audience of nearly 9 million fans. Follow Participant Media on Twitter at @Participant and on Facebook and Instagram. Follow SoulPancake on Twitter @soulpancake and on Facebook and Instagram.

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2016 Austin Film Festival Announces Film and Screenplay Winners

Austin Film Festival (AFF) Announces Winners of 2016 Film and Screenplay Competitions, Hiscox Insurance Audience and Courage Awards

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AFF, the premier Festival to recognize the writer’s contribution to film, announces its 2016 Jury Award winners, Hiscox Audience and Courage Award Winners.

The following film Jury Award winners were selected by category:

Narrative Feature presented by Seed&Spark: Boys in the Trees, written by Nicholas Verso

Documentary Feature presented by POV: Santoalla, directed by Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer

Comedy Vanguard Feature: Hot Air, written by Jeremy M. Goldstein and Derek Sieg

Dark Matters Feature: The Cliff, written by Natxo Lopez, Andres Martorell, Helena Taberna

Narrative Short: Lucy in My Eyes, written by Megan Park

Narrative Student Short: The Art of Not Appearing, written by Pernille Rivedal Hellevik

Documentary Short presented by IDA: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, directed by Frank Stiefel

Animated Short: Hugo Bumfeldt, written by Eva Katinka Bognaar

Scripted Digital Series presented by New Form Digital: Guest Appearances, created by Elizabeth Guest

The Hiscox Audience Award winners are:

Narrative Feature: Blood Stripe, written by Remy Auberjonois and Kate Nowlin

Documentary Feature: Berlin Rebel High School, directed by Alexander Kleider

Dark Matters Feature: Found Footage 3D, written by Steven DeGennaro

Comedy Vanguard Feature: Brave New Jersey, written by Michael Dowling and Jody Lambert

Narrative Short: Killing Thyme, written by Natalie Malla

Documentary Short: Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405, directed by Frank Stiefel

Animated Short: Moon of a Sleepless Night, written by Takeshi Yashiro

Narrative Student Short: Red Apples, written by Ophelia Harutyunyan

Scripted Digital Series: The Listening Box, written by Westin Ray

Heart of Film: American Wrestler: The Wizard, written by Brian Rudnick

Stories From Abroad: My Mother’s Wound, written by Ozan Aciktan, Ozan Guven, Fethi Kantarci, Uygar Sirin, Mehmet Turgut, Funda Cetin

Texas Independent: Homestate, written by David Hickey and Blaise Miller

Marquee Feature: Lion, written by Luke Davies

One film was selected to receive the Hiscox Courage Award. Voted on by the audience, the Hiscox Courage Award is presented to the film that best embodies the virtue of courage and to the filmmaker who embraced the risk to share the story. The 2016 Courage Award went to Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405.

The following Screenplay Competition winners are:

Drama Screenplay Award presented by the Writers Guild of America, East: Static by Henry Jones

Comedy Screenplay Award presented by Sony Pictures Animation: Dinner with Friends by Geeta Malik

Sci-Fi Screenplay Award: Static by Henry Jones

Enderby Entertainment Award: Static by Henry Jones

Vertigo Entertainment Horror Award: Rock Point Draw by Jeremy David Lee

AMC One-Hour Pilot Award: The Devil and the Deep by Kyle Bugg

Sitcom Pilot Award: Losing It by Louise Rozett

Short Screenplay Award: Futurehealth by Sarah Polhaus

Scripted Digital Series Award presented by New Form Digital: Main Stream by JC Conklin

One-Hour Spec Award: Fargo: The Hunt for the Cobra King by Sarah Beckett

Sitcom Spec Award: Broad City: Short Term Effort by Greg Wayne


ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Widely known as “The Writers Festival,” Austin Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft, and business of filmmakers and screenwriters. AFF is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, City of Austin Economic Growth & Redevelopment Services Office/Cultural Arts Division believing an investment in the Arts is an investment in Austin’s future.

ABOUT HISCOX IN THE US
Hiscox, the international specialist insurer, is headquartered in Bermuda and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: HSX). There are three main underwriting parts of the Group -- Hiscox London Market, Hiscox UK and Europe and Hiscox International. Hiscox International includes operations in Bermuda, Guernsey and the USA. Hiscox Syndicates Ltd is authorized by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The ability of syndicates at Lloyd's to do business in the USA and its territories is restricted as they are not US-based insurers. The publication and delivery of this information are not intended to be a solicitation by Lloyd's for the purchase of insurance on any US risk. Hiscox Underwriting Limited and Hiscox ASM Limited are authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Hiscox Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in New York, d/b/a Hiscox Insurance Agency in CA, is a licensed insurance intermediary for admitted and surplus lines business. Hiscox Inc. underwrites on behalf of, and places business with, Hiscox Insurance Company Inc., other domestic insurers, and syndicates at Lloyd's (www.lloyds.com). Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. is a Chicago, IL domiciled insurer which is admitted or licensed to do business in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

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2016 Catalina Film Festival Ends with Award Ceremony

2016 Catalina Film Fest Wraps with Honor for Jaime King, Appearances by Roland Emmerich, Patrick Fischler, Catalina Sandino Moreno

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Catalina Film Festival (CFF) wrapped this weekend with a presentation of the Avalon Award to Jaime King, followed by the West Coast premiere of Custody, starring Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace, American Gothic) in attendance.

    The @CatalinaFilm Fest wrapped with Avalon Award for actress @Jaime_King #CatalinaFilm
   
2016 Catalina Film Festival honorees included:

•     Avalon Award: Jaime King (Sin City, Pearl Harbor, The Pardon)
•     Zorro Del Oro “Golden Fox” Award: Anthony DiBlasi (Director, Beneficiary)
•     Deb Bauer Unsung Hero Award: Pet Fooled accepted by Director/Writer Kohl Harrington and Producer Michael Fossat
•     Legacy Award: Ann Muscat (Catalina Island Conservancy)

Attendees included famed director, Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow, Independence Day); Patrick Fischler (Beneficiary, Mulholland Drive, Mad Men); Michael Graziadei (Beneficiary, Young and the Restless); Anne Dudek (Beneficiary, Mad Men, House) Patrick Sane (Breaking Bad), Jake Busey (Swing State), and model Matthew Noszka.

Past honorees include Nicolas Cage, Sharon Stone, William H. Macy, Andy Garcia, Mena Suvari, Kate Bosworth, Jon Favreau, Patricia Arquette, F. Gary Gray, Stan Lee, and more.

Filmmaker awards included:

    Best U.S. Narrative Feature: Custody
    Wes Craven Best Horror/Thriller: Burned
    Best U.S. Short: The Operator
    Best Documentary: Between Two Harbors
    Best Animation Short: Hanging
    Best Conservation Film: Joshua Tree: Threatened Wonderland
    Best High School Student Film: Love Unexpected
    Best Advanced Student Film: Front man
    Best International Short: Zaar
    Best International Feature: Interior Night
    Best Screenplay: Stealing Christmas

The competitive fest and film market also featured the Catalina TV and New Media Summit and officially wraps with the annual Catalina Treasure Hunt in L.A., November 5, with $15,000 in prizes including a Simon and Son replica Marilyn Monroe necklace, and Turks & Caicos resort vacation: www.bit.ly/2dnl0yb


About Catalina Film Festival
Catalina Film Festival is an annual celebration of film on the only West Coast resort island. For decades celebrities and filmmakers have flocked to Catalina for inspiration. Clear blue water and coastal breezes provide the perfect backdrop for discovering everything the island has to offer, 26 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. Supported by Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce, CFF benefits the Catalina Island Conservatory. Sponsors include Mercedes Benz, Island Express Helicopters, ALS Limo and Car Service, Catalina Express, Fill R Up Gastro Garage, and The Cafaro Group. www.CatalinaFilm.org Facebook.com/CatalinaFilm.

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Cartoonist Dash Shaw Makes His Directorial Debut at Toronto International Film Festival

Dash Shaw's directorial debut premieres in September

SEATTLE, WA—As reported in The Hollywood Reporter, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and New York Film Festival (NYFF) held press conferences today to announce their 2016 schedules, and each have accepted cartoonist Dash Shaw’s feature film directorial debut, My Entire High School is Sinking Into the Sea, starring Jason Schwartzman (who plays the “Dash Shaw” character), Lena Dunham, Reggie Watts, Maya Rudolph, and Susan Sarandon. The animated feature, adapted from a short story originally published in Fantagraphics’ MOME anthology and later collected in Shaw’s book, The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century, will make its world premiere at TIFF in September 2016 and U.S. premiere at NYFF in October 2016.

As the New York Film Festival describes the film, “No matter your age, part of you never outgrows high school, for better or worse. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea showcases Shaw’s subjective and dreamlike sense of narrative; his empathy for outsiders and their desire to connect; and his rich, expressive drawing style. Packed with action but seen from the inside out, My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea is about friends overcoming their differences and having each other’s backs in times of crisis, and its marvelously complex characters are voiced by an all-star cast.”

Best known for his celebrated graphic novels Bottomless Belly Button, New School, and Doctors (which is currently in development as a live action feature with David Goyer for Twentieth Century Fox), Shaw’s first feature film will premiere the same month as Shaw’s latest graphic novel, Cosplayers (Fantagraphics). This November will also see the release of an all-new Cosplayers one-shot comic book, A Cosplayers Christmas. Artfully celebrating both fandom culture’s obvious theatricality and uniquely D.I.Y. beauty, as well as its often awkward conflation of fantasy and reality, Cosplayers explores these delicate psychological balancing acts via a series of interconnected short stories surrounding two talented young women (Annie and Verti; the latter is also a character in My Entire High School…, voiced by Maya Rudolph) who combine their love of cosplaying with their love of social media and film in order to deepen their relationship with the popular culture they celebrate. Cosplayers depicts their stories in an affectionately funny way, celebrating how much more inclusive and humanistic fandom can be than most of the stories and characters it is built upon.

To support his film and new books, Shaw will be making several public appearances in the Fall, including a conversation with critic Dan Nadel at New York’s Strand Bookstore on August 31st at 7 p.m., and an event at Toronto’s The Beguiling during TIFF (details T.B.A.).

My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea
Directed by Dash Shaw
USA 2016, DCP, 75m

Dash Shaw comics from http://www.fantagraphics.com/

Cosplayers
By Dash Shaw
$22.99 Hardcover
116 pages, full-color
ISBN 978-1-60699-948-6
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016

A Cosplayers Christmas (Nov.)
By Dash Shaw
$3.99
32 pages, full-color
Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2016

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Bruce Campbell's Horror Film Festival Announces Full Film Screening Lineup

Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival Announces Full Lineup, Closing night film Siren, Last Fan Standing Game Show, & Guest of Honor Barbara Crampton for Festival, August 18-21 In Chicago

Presented by STARZ Original Series ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead', in conjunction with Wizard World Comic Con

ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bruce Campbell’s Horror Film Festival today announced the full lineup for its third annual festivities on August 18-21, 2016, in conjunction with Wizard World Chicago. Sponsored by Shudder and Bloody-Disgusting.com, the festival will open with the critically acclaimed nail-biter Don’t Breathe and close with the chilling Siren. Among many other events and screenings, the festival will feature Bruce Campbell’s Last Fan Standing game show, and actress Barbara Crampton as the “Guest of Honor,” who will host a 30th anniversary screening of From Beyond along with her new film, Beyond the Gates.

    Horror fans can join @GroovyBruce in Chicago @groovyfest August 18-21

"You can have your rom-coms, your indie darlings and your blockbusters,” said Bruce Campbell. “I’ll take a good old-fashioned horror movie any day or night of the week!”

Opening night will kick off with the highly anticipated shocker, Don't Breathe, from director-producer-writer Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead) and produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. Alvarez and star Stephen Lang (Avatar) will be in attendance. Sony Pictures is set to release Don’t Breathe on August 26, 2016. Closing night will feature the Chicago Premiere of Siren, a feature adaptation of the segment "Amateur Night" from the 2012 critically acclaimed horror anthology "V/H/S", with director Gregg Bishop and star Chase Williamson in attendance.

The festival will offer Bruce Campbell’s all-new game show, Last Fan Standing—a quiz show based on sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and superheroes. Last Fan Standing is the ultimate test of pop-culture knowledge. Four fans are put through their paces by host and Con-favorite Bruce Campbell, battling through devilish speed rounds and a nerve-wracking Final Confrontation until only one remains, and a Last Fan Standing is crowned. The game show will take place at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Friday at 3 PM and Saturday at 11 AM.

Writer/director Fred Dekker is slated to receive the inaugural "Groovy as Hell" award, and the festival will host a 30th anniversary screening of the cult classic Night of The Creeps and a very special screening of The Monster Squad with actors Andre Gower (Sean) & Ryan Lambert (Rudy) also in attendance.

Popular stand-up comic and host of the Doug Loves Movies podcast, Doug Benson, will host a very special ‘Doug Benson Movie Interruption’ of Army of Darkness, with guest interrupter Bruce Campbell! Benson and Campbell, along with mystery comedians, will riff on the film live from the front row, and say whatever hilarious thoughts that pops into their heads. Single tickets for this show are SOLD OUT, but you can still guarantee a seat with the purchase of a festival badge.

BCHFF is also thrilled to present a 25th anniversary celebration of everyone’s favorite time-traveling metalhead slackers, a screening of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey with director Peter Hewitt in attendance, along with Death himself, William Sadler!

The festival will also mark the World Premieres of Found Footage 3D, the long-awaited satirical horror film produced by Kim Henkel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and directed by Steven DeGennaro, and Show Yourself, a haunting & remarkable genre-bending feature debut from Billy Ray Brewton (subject of the wonderful award-winning 2014 documentary Skanks, and programmer for Slamdance Film Festival).

Fans in the region will also experience the Chicago premieres of:

•     The Greasy Strangler - The most hilariously disturbing film of the year. From Elijah Wood's Spectrevision, Drafthouse Films, & Ant Timpson.
•     Here Alone - Winner of the 2016 Tribeca Audience Award.
•     Abattoir - From Darren Bousman, the director of Saw 2, 3, 4, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Mother’s Day, and The Devil’s Carnival. Darren will be in attendance to present the film.
•     Pet - The SXSW hit starring Dominic Monaghan (Lord of The Rings Trilogy).
•     I am Not a Serial Killer - Starring Christopher Lloyd in yet another career defining performance.
•     Beyond The Gates - Winner of the midnight audience award at Los Angeles Film Festival.
•     Antibirth – Premiered at the Sundance Film & starring Natasha Lyonne & Chloe Sevigny.
•     Short Trip To Hell (Shorts Block) – A stunning collection of premiere shorts that will scare you senseless!

The Bruce Campbell Horror Film Festival jury this year includes a few dignitaries well-known to horror fans: Tom Holland (writer/director, Fright Night, Child's Play); Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show); Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever); and Zach Hagen (producer, He Never Died).

“I couldn’t be any more thrilled with this year’s lineup,” said festival director Josh Goldbloom. “There’s something here for every bloodthirsty horror fanatic: Haunted houses, serial killers, satanic board games, home invasions, monsters with demon wings, possessed guitars, portals to hell, killer clown cookie jars, and last but not least, greasy stranglers. Buy a ticket and I promise you’ll see something you won’t forget.”

Festival badges are $100, and are on sale now at www.bchff.com!

The festival and all screenings will be held at the Carmike Muvico Rosemont 18.

Fans can visit www.BCHFF.com for full details and additions to the slate as they happen and dates and times for each screening. Follow the festival on Twitter: @groovyfest

LINEUP:

INAUGURAL GROOVY AS HELL PRESENTATION:

THE MONSTER SQUAD - Fred Dekker, Andre Gower, & Ryan Lambert in attendance!
A quintet of classic movie monsters invades a small town looking for a lost amulet that will help them rule the world. A bunch of kids decide to fight back by forming the "Monster Squad." Written by Shane Black (THE NICE GUYS, KISS KISS BANG BANG).

Prior to the screening the festival will present director Fred Dekker with the inaugural "Groovy as Hell" award. Following the screening their will be a Q&A with Fred Dekker, Andre Gower, & Ryan Lambert.

Anniversary Screenings!

NIGHT OF THE CREEPS Fred Dekker in attendance!
The night of the prom becomes the "Night of the Creeps" for a small-town college with a big-time problem! No one ever said college would be easy...Johnny (Ken Heron) and his girlfriend Pam (Alice Cadogan), the perfect co-ed couple, are enjoying Lover's Lane one evening in 1959 when suddenly Johnny's attention is diverted to an evil light. He leaves to explore it, never to return again. Twenty-seven years later, when two college boys, Chris (Jason Lively) and J.C. (Steve Marshall), pledge a tempestuous fraternity, they encounter Johnny's frozen body. When life returns to Johnny's corpse, a reign of terror begins as the mysterious" creeps" leave his brain, permeating the bodies of other frat boys and sorority girls, making zombies of their prey!

FROM BEYOND Barbara Crampton in attendance!
Obsessive scientist Dr. Pretorius (Ted Sorel) successfully discovers a way to access a parallel universe of pleasure by tapping into the brain's pineal gland. When he is seemingly killed by forces from this other dimension, his assistant, Dr. Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs), is accused of the murder. After psychiatrist Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) and detective Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree) take the case, the trio risks a return to the other world in order to solve the mystery. From Master of Horror, Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator)!

BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY Peter Hewitt & William Sadler in attendance!
Amiable slackers Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are once again roped into a fantastical adventure when De Nomolos (Joss Ackland), a villain from the future, sends evil robot duplicates of the two lads to terminate and replace them. The robot doubles actually succeed in killing Bill and Ted, but the two are determined to escape the afterlife, challenging the Grim Reaper (William Sadler) to a series of games in order to return to the land of the living.

Opening Night:

DON’T BREATHE (Chicago Premiere) Fede Alvarez & Stephen Lang in attendance

A trio of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.

Cast: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovato, Stephen Lang
Dir: Fede Alvarez
Distributor: Sony Pictures
U.S. Release Date: August 26

Closing Night:

SIREN (Chicago Premiere) Gregg Bishop and Chase Williamson in attendance!

A bachelor party becomes a savage fight for survival when the groomsmen unwittingly unleash a fabled predator upon the festivities. A feature adaptation of the segment "Amateur Night" from the 2012 horror anthology "V/H/S."

Cast: Hannah Fierman, Chase Williamson, Justin Welbourn, Michael Aaron Milligan, Hayes Mercure, Randy McDowell.
Dir: Gregg Bishop

ABATTOIR (Chicago Premiere) Darren Lynn Bousman in attendance

How do you build a haunted house? Ask the enigmatic Jebediah Crone, the main suspect in a case of stolen rooms where horrific tragedies have occurred.

Cast: Jessica Lowndes, Joe Anderson, Lin Shaye, Dayton Callie, Bryan Batt,, J. Larose
Dir: Darren Lynn Bousman

ANTIBIRTH (Chicago Premiere) Guests to be announced.

Hard-drinking, pill-popping, bong-ripping Lou (Natasha Lyonne) and her best friend Sadie (Chloë Sevigny) spend their days adrift in a druggy haze. But one wild night out becomes a bad trip that never ends when Lou wakes up with symptoms of an unexplained, highly abnormal pregnancy. Spiked with blasts of hallucinatory color, surreal shocks, and subversive comedy, the audacious feature debut is a no-holds-barred descent into delirium.

Cast: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Meg Tilly, Mark Webber
Dir: Danny Perez

BEYOND THE GATES (Chicago Premiere) Jackson Stewart, Barbara Crampton, Chase Williamson & Brea Grant in attendance

Seven months after their father’s disappearance, two brothers reunite to liquidate the family video store. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse when they find an old VHS boardgame with evil powers, and all hell breaks loose.

Cast: Chase Williamson, Graham Skipper, Brea Grant, Barbara Crampton, Matt Mercer, Jesse Merlin
Dir: Jackson Stewart

FOUND FOOTAGE 3D (World Premiere) Cast & Crew in attendance!

A group of low-budget filmmakers sets out to make “the first 3D found footage horror film,” but find themselves *in* the first 3D found footage horror film when the evil entity from their movie escapes into their behind-the-scenes footage.

Cast: Carter Roy, Alena von Stroheim, Chris O'Brien, Tom Saporito, Scott Allen Perry, Jessica Perrin, Scott Weinberg
Dir: Steven DeGennaro

THE GREASY STRANGLER (Chicago Premiere)

The Los Angeles-set tale follows Ronnie, a man who runs a Disco Walking tour along with his browbeaten son, Brayden. When a sexy, alluring woman comes to take the tour, it begins a competition between father and son for her attentions. It also signals the appearance of an oily, slimy inhuman maniac who stalks the streets at night and strangles the innocent, soon dubbed ‘The Greasy Strangler.’

Cast: Michael St. Michaels, Sky Elobar, Elizabeth De Razzo
Dir: Jim Hosking

HERE ALONE (Chicago Premiere)

A young woman struggles to survive on her own in the wake of a mysterious epidemic that has decimated society and forced her deep into the unforgiving wilderness.

Cast: Lucy Walters, Adam David Thompson, Gina Piersanti, Shane West
Dir: Rod Blackhurst

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (Chicago Premiere) Guests to be announced!

In a small Midwestern town, a troubled teen with homicidal tendencies must hunt down and destroy a supernatural killer whilst keeping his own inner demons at bay.

Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, Max Records
Dir: Billy O’Brien

PET (Chicago Premiere)

Seth works at an animal shelter, and for years has been secretly in love with a waitress named Holly . When he repeatedly fails in his attempts to woo her, he naturally decides to lock her in a cage at the shelter where he works. And that’s just the beginning…

Cast: Dominic Monaghan, Ksenia Solo, Jenette McCurdy, Nathan Parsons
Dir: Carles Torrens

SHOW YOURSELF (World Premiere) Cast & crew in attendance!

When his friend dies unexpectedly, Travis heads into the woods with his ashes to say goodbye. But as he deals with his grief, and the way it has affected the relationships in his life, he starts to realize that he actually might not be alone.

Cast: Ben Hethcoat, Corsica Wilson, Barak Hardley, Stephen Cone, David McElwee, Robert Longsteet
Dir: Billy Ray Brewton

SHORT TRIP TO HELL - Short Film Block

DEATH METAL
A metalhead gets passed down a satanic guitar that riffs to shreds.
Dir: Chris McInroy

GWILLIAM
A recently released criminal is looking for a good time. He can forget his sins but he can never forget...Gwilliam.
Dir: Brian Lonano

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT'S KILLING THEM
A pitch-black comedy about Vivian, a lonely serial killer whose three loves in life are math, accounting, and killing random people. This all changes when she meets Alex, the man of her dreams.
Dir: Joel Ashton McCarthy

KOOKIE
Bree, a dishonest 9-year-old receives a terrifying visitor after a parenting lesson goes horribly wrong.
Dir: Justin Harding

MADRE DE DIOS
A woman wakes up bound to an altar, helpless as she is transformed into a flesh and blood statue of Santa Muerte by two elderly Brujos whose sole purpose is to conjure the anti-Christ into our plane of existence.
Dir: Gigi Saul Guerrero

NIGHT OF THE SLASHER
A teenage girl must commit horror movie sins such as drink alcohol, do drugs, and have sex to lure a killer and finish him off.
Dir: Shant Hamassian

PORTAL TO HELL
A crusty and recluse superintendent is thrown into the ultimate fight against evil when a couple of cultists open a portal to the ancient and mystical city of R'lyeh, awakening slumbering god. Starring the late "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
Dir: Vivieno Caldinelli

SCHEDULE

8/18
7:30 PM: Don't Breathe
10:15 PM: Night of The Creeps (30th Anniversary Screening)

8/19
6:00 PM: Pet
8:00 PM: Doug Benson Movie Interruption
10:00 PM: Show Yourself
Midnight: From Beyond (30th Anniversary Screening)

8/20
1:00 PM: Abattoir
3:30 PM: Beyond The Gates
5:45 PM: I am Not a Serial Killer
8:00 PM: The Monster Squad
10:00 PM: Found Footage 3D
Midnight: The Greasy Strangler

8/21
12:00 PM: Short Trip To Hell (Shorts Block)
2:00 PM: Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (30th anniversary screening)
4:00 PM: Here Alone
6:00 PM: Antibirth
8:00 PM: Siren

For more info on the 2016 Wizard World Comic Con Chicago (August 18-21, 2016 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont), visit http://wizd.me/ChicagoPR.


About Wizard World (OTCBB:WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store (www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ:CIDM), and ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The Wizard World 2016 schedule is available at: http://wizardworld.com/searchby/city/.

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2016 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco Announces Guests and Premieres

2016 JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES THEATRICAL FILM PREMIERES SHOWCASING DYNAMIC JAPANESE CINEMA

The S.F. Bay Area’s 4th Annual Dedicated Japanese Film Festival Returns With Premiere Screenings And Very Special Guests Of Honor Taking Place At NEW PEOPLE Cinema In Japantown

San Francisco, CA  – The 2016 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF), the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area, has announced a diverse roster of films that are set to screen as part of this year’s program.

This year’s JFFSF proudly presents a broad collection of current and acclaimed Japanese cinema across a variety of genres such as action, sci-fi, documentary, anime, shorts, live music, kabuki theatre, crime mystery, and family drama. All films will be presented in Japanese language with English subtitles.

The 2016 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco opens Saturday, July 23rd, 2016 and runs thru Sunday, July 31st, 2016 at NEW PEOPLE Cinema located inside the NEW PEOPLE in Japantown at 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115 (www.newpeoplecinema.com). Tickets to individual screenings are $15.00 each, unless otherwise noted. All ticket prices include the service fee with no further extra charge.

For the true film aficionado, this year, the JFFSF also offers the special JFFSF Festival Passports. Available for $150 each, a passport grants the holder priority access and seating at all JFFSF 2016 screenings. A complete listing of film summaries, trailers, screening times and advance tickets as well as festival passports are available at: JFFSF.org.

Special 2016 JFFSF Guests of Honor include Director Shinsuke Sato (Gantz, The Princess Blade), who appears in person for the U.S. premiere of Library Wars: The Last Mission, Director Shunji Iwai (Love Letter, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Hana and Alice), who will appear for the California premiere of A Bride for Rip Van Winkle, and Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who will appear for the screening of HAPPY HOUR.

“We are honored to welcome three prominent directors from Japan as our Guests of Honor this year,” says Manami Iiboshi, Executive Director of the Japan Film Festival of San Francisco. “It is exciting to share with our beloved audience this rare opportunity to hear about the creative vision behind their films in person. I hope everyone enjoys exploring diversity of Japanese cinema through this year’s program.”

This year’s JFFSF also complements an extensive roster of entertainment also set to take place for J-POP SUMMIT 2016, the weekend of July 23rd and 24th, 2016 at Fort Mason.

The following films will play at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema on the dates noted beginning on Saturday, July 23rd with screenings continuing until Sunday, July 31st, 2016.

Library Wars: The Last Mission
Saturday, July 23rd, 12:00pm

Featuring a special in-person appearance by Director Shinsuke Sato (Gantz, The Princess Blade)! In this new sequel to the first Library Wars film, the story is set in a near future where the expression of thought is censored and the media is controlled. Under instructor Atsushi Dojo whom she admires, Iku Kasahara is now a full-fledged member of the Library Defense ‘Task Force’. They are ordered to guard a public exhibition featuring ‘The Handbook of Library Law’ known as the symbol of freedom, with no clue what fate awaits ahead.

J-POP SUMMIT 2016 Presents: IA 1st Live Concert in Japan "PARTY A GOGO!"
Saturday, July 23, 3pm

Presented by J-POP SUMMIT 2016, the latest Vocaloid sensation “IA” 's first solo concert film, "IA First Live Concert in JAPAN: PARTY A GO-GO," will have its San Francisco premiere at Japan Film Festival of SF! “IA” is a virtual artist brought to life as part of the VOCALOID™3 with its synthesizing technology, and IA-related videos have collectively garnered more than 100 million views online. Experience the hottest entertainment export from Japan!

Tokyo Short Shorts 2016
Saturday, July 23, 4:15pm

JFFSF's popular collaboration with Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia teams up to exclusively premiere a collection of special short films directed by a new generation of filmmakers from Japan!  Films include: Plan B (Directed by Hatsuki Yokoo), Hana (Directed by Yusaku Okamoto) and Piece of the Future (Directed by Seiki Watanabe), Drifting cloud (Directed by Yuta Sukegawa) and Kerama Blue (Directed by Tsukasa Kishimoto).

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno
Saturday, July 23 at 6:00pm; Sunday, July 24 at 6:30pm; Monday, July 25 at 8:00pm;
Tuesday, July 26 at 9:00pm

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno and Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends are both sequels to 2012's first Rurouni Kenshin live-action theatrical film. The live-action action movies were filmed back-to-back and cover the Kyoto Arc of Nobuhiro Watsuki's original historical action manga. Kenshin Himura is a legendary swordsman in the wars accompanying the turbulent fall of Japan’s Shogunate in the 19th Century. Once feared as, ‘Battosai the Killer,” he became a wanderer living peacefully with his companions with the arrival of the ‘new age’ in Japanese history. But now he learns that Makoto Shishio, his crazed successor, is about to overthrow the new government. Can Kenshin stop him without breaking his vow to kill no more and save Japan from destruction?　(**Note: This is not a double feature. Separate tickets must be bought for each screening.)

A Bride for Rip Van Winkle
Sunday July 24, 12:00pm

Screening features a special personal appearance by Director Shunji Iwai (Love Letter, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Hana and Alice)! Director Iwai returns with a deceptively beautiful film about a struggling teacher obsessed with a new social-media site, where she meets people that lead her life to an unexpected place. With the wedding with a boyfriend she met online approaching, and with no relatives except for her divorced parents, she makes a questionable decision encouraged by Amuro, a jack-of-all-trades whom she had also met online.

Cinema Kabuki "NEZUMI KOZO: Noda Version"
Sunday July 24, 4:00pm

Don't miss the rare opportunity to experience the authentic and unique beauty of contemporary kabuki performed by some of Japan's greatest kabuki actors and presented in vivid HD on the big screen! Nezumi Kozo is based on the story of a real-life bandit from the Edo period (19th Century). After his execution, a legend grew that he had been a kind of Robin Hood, sharing his ill-gotten gains with the poor. Written and directed by Hideki Noda and starring Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII.

Dou kyu sei - Classmates –
Monday, July 25, 6:30pm

Based on a popular yaoi (Boys' Love) manga by Asumiko Nakamura, the film portrays the tantalizingly pure romance between two male high school students, Hikaru Kusakabe, a popular student in a band, and Lichit Sajo, an honor student. These boys would have never crossed paths until they begin to talk through preparing for an upcoming chorus festival together. A sensitive yet refined romantic masterpiece is brought to life.

The Anthem of the Heart
Tuesday, July 26, 6:30pm

Creators behind the popular Anohana Movie return with the original anime feature film, The Anthem of the Heart an all-new ode to youth set in the beautiful city of Chichibu, located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The story unfolds around Jun Naruse, a girl who is unable to speak from trauma in the past. Through happening to join a musical act with an unexpected mix of students, Jun gradually starts to regain her lost voice.

Solomon's Perjury (Part 1: Suspicion & Part 2: Judgment)
Wednesday, July 27, 6:30pm

A special double-feature presentation.Court commenced with the death of a 14 year-old, and concluded with perjury. On a Christmas morning, the body of a student is discovered on the snow-covered schoolyard below a high rooftop. His death stirred up the latent malice that existed within the school, leading to accusations by an anonymous source claiming to be an eyewitness. A scheme for a new murder, sensational coverage by the mass media, then another victim and yet another... When the teachers have forsaken the students, concerned only with protecting themselves, one female student takes a stand to expose the hidden truth by holding a court trial within the school! Several collaborators come forward who are not intimidated by the pressure exerted by the teachers. Then, a defense counselor from another school comes forward to offer support. And finally, the 5-day trail begins.

The Boy and the Beast
Thursday, July 28, 6:30pm

The latest feature film from award-winning director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children)! When Kyuta, a young orphan living on the streets of Shibuya, stumbles into a fantastic world of beasts, he’s taken in by Kumatetsu, a gruff, rough-around-the-edges warrior beast who’s been searching for the perfect apprentice. Despite their constant bickering, Kyuta and Kumatetsu begin training together and slowly form a bond as surrogate father and son.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends
Thursday, July 28 at 9:00pm; Friday, July 29, 9:00pm; Saturday, July 30 at 3:00pm;
Sunday, July 31 at 6:30pm

Don’t miss the exciting finale in the action-packed Rurouni Kenshin live-action saga!

Being Good
Friday, July 29, 6:30pm

Awarded NETPAC Jury Prize at the 37th Moscow International Film Festival, this film is a heart-wrenching portrayal of isolated people caught in downward spirals that also shows how simple acts of kindness can make a difference. Tasuku is a school teacher struggling to deal with his homeroom and his students’ over-protective parents. When he discovers that one of his students is being abused by their parents, he decides to stand up to make a difference.

DASHI & SHOYU: Essence of Japan
Saturday, July 30, 12:00pm

This visually striking food documentary is focused on two crucial essence of Japanese cuisine: the delicate soup stock, ‘Dashi,’ and the golden soy sauce, ‘Shoyu.’ Dashi is the bedrock of Japanese cuisine and a distillation of the natural resources of Japan. ‘Shoyu’ is a pillar of Japanese cuisine, which is made of soy that is transformed by a type of mold that exists only in Japan. History and secrets of Umami will be revealed. Screening will feature a special Dashi stock tasting.

Happy Hour
Sunday, July 31, 12:00pm

Screening to feature a special personal appearance by Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi! Japan’s up-and-coming director Hamaguchi’s award-winning epic Happy Hour returns to SF Bay Area with the filmmaker himself. This 5-hours-and-17-minutes-long film about the unstable lives of four girl friends in their thirties, played by real women with no acting experience in the past, should be surprisingly gratifying for any movie lover.


About JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO
Launched in 2013, Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is the first and only fully dedicated Japanese film event for the SF Bay Area. This year’s edition will feature a colorful mix of narratives, anime and documentary film premieres and exclusive screenings with special guest appearance at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in San Francisco’s Japantown from July 23rd (Sat) through August 31st (Sun), 2016. More details and ticket information is available at jffsf.org.

About NEW PEOPLE CINEMA
NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and creative events. newpeoplecinema.com

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