Designer Rens Muis of design agency 75B on the form and content of the design: “One of the most important things IFFR does, is bring people who don’t yet know one another together. Not only filmmakers, audiences, and producers but also investors and cultural entrepreneurs. This is why the campaign for IFFR 2016 is based around the making of such first contacts: ‘introducing’.”
 
Bero Beyer, festival director IFFR: “The sentence most often heard at the introduction of filmmakers in IFFR venues is: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome…’ Both during the upcoming campaign period and during the festival, the dots behind ‘Please Welcome’ will be replaced by the names of special guests from all over the world. IFFR has selected their films and is thrilled to show these to audiences in Rotterdam. A unique aspect of the festival is that these – sometimes unknown – filmmakers can count on a warm welcome from a well-filled auditorium.”
 
The images used in the festival campaign mark a change of direction in the graphical representation used in recent years: the tiger remains, but will manifest itself through projection on different backgrounds in differing spatial perspectives and from different angles. The iconic tiger will always be recognisable, but from now will be represented in a variety of forms created by the projection of light and space, the basis of film.”
 
For four decades, IFFR has proudly developed and presented auteur cinema by helping filmmakers reach the broadest possible audiences. The festival is known for its individual, innovative programming, with particular attention to talented new filmmakers. Quality films from all over the world are presented in Rotterdam to a large, international audience with the aim of inspiring and broadening horizons.
IFFR is one of the biggest cultural events in the Netherlands, and one of the biggest audience-oriented film festivals in the world. The 45th IFFR will take place from Wednesday 27 January to Sunday 7 February 2016. For twelve days, the latest feature films, documentaries, short films, exhibitions, performances, talkshows and debates make Rotterdam an exciting, global capital city of film. Official ticket sales start on Friday 22 January. For more information, see IFFR.com.  

Sun Valley, ID– Oliver Stone, Academy Award®-winning writer and director, will be honored with the Lifetime Vision Award at the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival, (SVFF), March 2-6 in Sun Valley, Idaho, presented by Zions Bank. Stone has been credited with writing and directing over 20 full-length feature films, earning him a well-respected place in cinematic history for some of the most influential and iconic films of the last two decades.

The SVFF Lifetime Vision Award pays tribute to an individual who has provided the keen insight, influence and initiative to fulfill a creative vision. Last year, the festival honored Clint Eastwood and Festival executive director Teddy Grennan is thrilled to have Oliver join next March. “We’re honored to have industry visionaries like Oliver and Clint be part of our new festival. Our focus on quality content and unique programming is definitely making an impact.”

At the Festival, Stone will also be part of the Coffee Talks series, which Zions Bank has helped fashion into one of the most intimate parts of the weekend. During the free and informal gathering, Oliver will discuss his long, varied and provocative film career and answer questions from the audience.

Stone will be presented with the SVFF Lifetime Vision Award on Saturday evening,March 5 at Sun Valley Resort’s historic Roundhouse on Bald Mountain and is looking forward to coming to Sun Valley. “I have heard great things about the Sun Valley Film Festival and am excited and honored to participate this year,” he remarked.

Mark Duplass, an award-winning writer, director, actor and producer of independent film and television, hosts the 2016 Screenwriters Lab, one of SVFF’s unique signature forums, presented by Boise State University. Academy Award®-winning co-writer of The Descendants, Nat Faxon, will be the judge for the Lab’s High Scribe screenplay competition with submissions of original screenplays and TV pilots from aspiring writers.

The 2016 SVFF, recognized by USA Today as one of the Top Ten “Great Places for a Fabulous Film Festival,” will feature a curated slate of more than 60 cutting-edge films and TV premieres, engaging Coffee Talks with top industry insiders, fabulous parties and panels. The combination of cutting-edge programming and bona-fide insider access in a fun, relaxed atmosphere is making the Sun Valley Film Festival a rising star in the world of destination festivals. This coming spring, filmmakers from around the world will bring their vision to the Sun Valley Film Festival, and movie lovers are invited to watch it come into focus.

Passes Now on Sale

Passes for the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival are now on sale, and until December 31st at a 10% discount. SVFF Passes come in three different levels: the Festival Pass which includes platinum priority access to all scheduled films, parties and panels; the Film Pass, which includes gold priority access to films and select panels, and the Party Pass, which includes access to scheduled Festival parties and the HQ Lounge. Individual film tickets will go on sale once the film slate has been announced in early February.

For details and to purchase festival passes:  www.sunvalleyfilmfestival.org.    

Get Festival updates on Facebook and Twitter. 

Sun Valley Film Festival major sponsors include Zions Bank, Tito's Handmade Vodka and Nat Geo WILD. 

Photo Jella Haase: © Debora Brune

VIAJE (2015) by Costa Rican director Paz Fábrega follows the story of Luciana and Pedro after they meet at a party. Young and adorable, their chemistry is magnetic; it appears they have always known each other. In the early hours of morning, Pedro remembers he has to travel; on a whim, he invites Luciana to join him. She decides to go, and these two strangers embark upon a stunning journey together that changes them both. Shot in black and white, the film is a lyrical road journey about attraction, the freedom and excitement of spontaneity and life’s ephemeral beauty.

The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and later went to Aruba International Film Festival where it screened to a Caribbean audience.

In a recent interview with actor Fernando Bolaños, here is what he had to say about his role as Pedro.

What is Viaje really about in this film? Is it about the journey you both take or the relationship or both?

FERNANDO: I would say Viaje refers to both the journey into the volcano and the relationship, which is also a journey. Both are short, intensely lived and futureless.

Your chemistry with Kattia’s character Luciana is so strong. Did it come naturally or did you both have to work hard on this while acting?

FERNANDO: It occurred very naturally, almost immediately when we started to improvise in rehearsals. I think we both felt very comfortable with each other. We have both worked with our body a lot in the past through dance and yoga, both very much interested in art and we have also had similar experiences in the past. Further, we belong to the same generation with the same way of thinking and we were raised in the same country, Costa Rica. At the same time, it was a process. We connected more and more as the days went by, and we had loving eyes that guided the process.

Did Paz know each of you were who she wanted to work with or was it a tough casting process?

FERNANDO: Kattia had auditioned for Paz's first movie, so Paz was thinking of her for this role almost from the beginning. I had seen the movie and I wrote to Paz telling her how much I loved it and that it would be awesome to work with her some day. So she called me for this beautiful experience. There was no casting, but I imagine she was testing us out as a couple in the first rehearsals to see if we had chemistry. And we did.

Why did Paz decide to film it in black and white?

FERNANDO: The film is black and white because Paz wanted to make this movie about characters. If you see the forest with its amazing green all the time, it takes over with its magnificence.

Do you have any anecdotes or memorable events you want to share that took place while filming?

FERNANDO: For me, the most memorable thing about filming this movie was the way we all got along so well. It was almost like we were all falling in love in the process and in the end it was painful to leave each other. When we met a week later for a party, some of us were even depressed because the beauty of those days was in the past. I think some of that love was transmitted into the movie.

Where is the film shot? Did you travel a lot on the shoot?

FERNANDO: The film was shot mostly in Rincon de la Vieja and some between San Jose and a national park.

There are not a lot of films from Costa Rica. Can you say something about Costa Rican cinema today?

FERNANDO: Costa Rican cinema has a lot of variety. Even though it is at its beginnings, you can see almost every single filmmaker has his or her own style and they are very different one another. This makes for a rich growing mix.

You recently screened the film in Aruba at the film festival. How was that experience?

FERNANDO: I loved going to the film fest in Aruba. I was so much fun. I really enjoyed meeting some amazing filmmakers there. Since our movie screened as the closing film, it was beautiful to see a lot of the people I had met throughout the festival sitting there watching it. I felt like we were showing the movie to a group of friends. It was a great feeling.

How have audiences reacted to the film thus far?

FERNANDO: In Costa Rica not so many people went to see the film. I think the great majority of public in this country prefers pure entertainment, but doesn’t take the chance with something that looks too different or something that will make them have to think too much. Most of the movies that come here to cinemas are mainstream, and I guess people have been taught to see easy chewed up dummy proof films. Also there is no law, as there exists in other countries, that forces cinemas to screen national films; thus, if not many people see the movie in the first weekend, you are basically done. Also, we have a critic in Costa Rica that is brutally ignorant. He has been seeing the mainstream films for so long that he has zero sensitivity; he gave us the last deadly strike. The few people that did see the film have mostly reacted very positively. When we started to show the film outside Costa Rica, it was such a heart warming surprise to see that it was getting amazing reviews all over the place. In fact, one of the first was in Tribeca where we had a great review from a critic in the New York Times, which provoked the critic here in Costa Rica to come out to defend himself out of shame. Outside of Costa Rica, the film has done incrediblly well and has gone much farther then we ever expected. We are very happy about this.

What is next for you both?

FERNANDO: There is one movie that is currently showing in cinemas here that I am in, and there is another that will come out next year called “El Sonido de las Cosas” (the sound of things) in 2016. I think it will be good. Also, maybe I will be working in another movie in February and hopefully a T.V. series sometime next year. I am open to the idea of working outside of Costa Rica. That would be a dream come true.

-Interview by Vanessa McMahon-

Actors Kattia González and Fernando Bolaños.

View trailer here: 

ACADEMY PRESIDENT CHERYL BOONE ISAACS

"I’d like to acknowledge the wonderful work of this year’s nominees.  While we celebrate their extraordinary achievements, I am both heartbroken and frustrated about the lack of inclusion. This is a difficult but important conversation, and it’s time for big changes. The Academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership.  In the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.

As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like.  We need to do more, and better and more quickly. 

This isn’t unprecedented for the Academy. In the ‘60s and ‘70s it was about recruiting younger members to stay vital and relevant. In 2016, the mandate is inclusion in all of its facets: gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. We recognize the very real concerns of our community, and I so appreciate all of you who have reached out to me in our effort to move forward together."

Academy President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, and Gil Robertson, President of African American Film Critics Association react to this years Oscar nominations which included no black actors in any category. USA TODAY

Consul Ho's daughter, Manli Ho and son Ho Man-To receive the Righteous award in honor of their late father at Yad Vashem from Commission for the Designation of the Righteous

2008 Washington DC, USA Dr. Ho’s commemorative plaque

Dr. Ho was the Consul General for China stationed in Vienna from 1938 to 1940

Against the instructions of his supervisors in Berlin, the Chinese ambassador Dr. Ho issued nearly 10,000 Visas for Jews to leave to Shanghai

In China Dr. Ho I known as the ‘Schindler of China’

In memory of his humanitarian achievement and risking his life and career for helping many Jews escape the holocaust, plaques have been places outside his former quarters.

The movie The Shanghai 1939 is based on this true story of Dr. Ho and some of the young people he helped to escape the Nazis.

Dr. Ho’s Consulate was situated opposite the Johann Strauss statue in the Stadtpark playing the violin, and can be seen directly from the window of Dr. Ho’s office. Dr. Ho always looked out through his window at the Johann Strauss statue, a famous violinist and composer to calm him when things were tough. He loved going to the violin concertos who played Strauss and would often play Strauss on his gramophone in his office.

He would often listen to the students who he helped flee to Shanghai when they performed their classical music at the Vienna Academy.

The music of Johann Strauss and his violin instrument guides the film from beginning to end, classical music being the protective force of the group.

Anthony "Tony" Hickox was born in 1959 and comes from a family of filmmakers. He is the eldest son of the director Douglas Hickox and Academy Award-winning editor Anne V. Coates (Lawrence of Arabia...) and elder brother of editor Emma E. Hickox and James D.R. Hickox. He is also the great nephew of Lord J. Arthur Rank who controlled the British film industry for many years.

After starting as a club promoter in London he came to LA in 1986 and became a writer/director during the late 80's and 90's. His visual style often uses a dual-focus technique in which one person's face takes up most the screen in profile, with another person shown on the other half of the screen in the background.

He then started directing action movies after a list of well known 90's horror and creating the television show "Extreme" for ABC/Universal. This led to HBO hiring him to make their first action/horror Full Eclipse which spawned their Friday night action slot that lasted over 5 years and to which Hickox made several more contributions. At the same time continuing his deal at Universal where he shot pilots for " Two", "Martian Law", "Shoot Me!" and "New York Undercover".

After working with Natasha McElone and William Hurt (Contaminated Man), he went on to direct Katherine Heigl and Steven Moyer in 'Prince Valiant' a movie described by one of the actors involved, Warwick Davis, as "a disaster from start to finish" which was "premiered, panned and bombed". He blames this on Hickox, who he says "seemed intent on partying all night long and giving roles to his friends."

He then directed Steven Seagal in Submerged and Eddie Griffin in Blast!, both made over $15 million a piece on DVD. In 2008 he has completed the British horror movie Knife Edge and is hoping to start a remake of Cat People in 2014. He is also working on a video game Invasion Earth! with his writing partner Pete Atkins, is in development on Galahadfor Gale Anne Hurd and has written "Rhodesia" about Robert Mugabe's rise to power, which Nick Cassavetes is directing.

He is on the board of directors of the film distribution company 7arts pictures (NASDAQ) run by Peter Hoffman ex chairman of Carolco and the production company Medient run by Indian film producer Manu Kumaran. In 2011 Medient co-financed Nick Cassavetes "Yellow" and Noel Clark's "Storage 24" for Universal.

He recently signed on to direct 'God's Lions' based on the best selling novel and is setting up the 'Waxwork' television show at Bold films. He also is developing 'Johnny Mnumonic' as a TV show with Sean Daniels and Peter Hoffman. He just completed "Exodus to Shanghai" based on the true story of Dr Ho who saved 5000 Jews during Hitlers invasion of Austria. he recently married Romanian actress Madalina Anea.

Directing filmography

Feature films

• Waxwork (1988)
• Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
• Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
• Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
• Full Eclipse (1993)
• Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
• Payback (1995)
• Invasion of Privacy (1996)
• Prince Valiant (1997)
• Storm Catcher (1999)
• Jill Rips (2000)
• Contaminated Man (de) (2000)
• Last Run (2001)
• Federal Protection (2002)
• Consequence (2003)
• Blast (2004)
• Submerged (2005)
• Knife Edge (2008)

"Exodus to Shanghai" (2014) "God's Lions" (2025)

Television

• New York Undercover episode: Missing (1994)
• Extreme (1995)
• Two (1995) — pilot episode
• Pensacola: Wings of Gold episode: Broken Wings (1998)
• Martial Law (1998) — pilot episode
• Shoot Me! (2003)

• Anthony Hickox at the Internet Movie Database

Anthony "Tony" Hickox was born in 1959 and comes from a family of filmmakers. He is the eldest son of the director Douglas Hickox and Academy Award-winning editor Anne V. Coates (Lawrence of Arabia...) and elder brother of editor Emma E. Hickox and James D.R. Hickox. He is also the great nephew of Lord J. Arthur Rank who controlled the British film industry for many years.

After starting as a club promoter in London he came to LA in 1986 and became a writer/director during the late 80's and 90's. His visual style often uses a dual-focus technique in which one person's face takes up most the screen in profile, with another person shown on the other half of the screen in the background.

He then started directing action movies after a list of well known 90's horror and creating the television show "Extreme" for ABC/Universal. This led to HBO hiring him to make their first action/horror Full Eclipse which spawned their Friday night action slot that lasted over 5 years and to which Hickox made several more contributions. At the same time continuing his deal at Universal where he shot pilots for " Two", "Martian Law", "Shoot Me!" and "New York Undercover".

After working with Natasha McElone and William Hurt (Contaminated Man), he went on to direct Katherine Heigl and Steven Moyer in 'Prince Valiant' a movie described by one of the actors involved, Warwick Davis, as "a disaster from start to finish" which was "premiered, panned and bombed". He blames this on Hickox, who he says "seemed intent on partying all night long and giving roles to his friends."

He then directed Steven Seagal in Submerged and Eddie Griffin in Blast!, both made over $15 million a piece on DVD. In 2008 he has completed the British horror movie Knife Edge and is hoping to start a remake of Cat People in 2014. He is also working on a video game Invasion Earth! with his writing partner Pete Atkins, is in development on Galahadfor Gale Anne Hurd and has written "Rhodesia" about Robert Mugabe's rise to power, which Nick Cassavetes is directing.

He is on the board of directors of the film distribution company 7arts pictures (NASDAQ) run by Peter Hoffman ex chairman of Carolco and the production company Medient run by Indian film producer Manu Kumaran. In 2011 Medient co-financed Nick Cassavetes "Yellow" and Noel Clark's "Storage 24" for Universal.

He recently signed on to direct 'God's Lions' based on the best selling novel and is setting up the 'Waxwork' television show at Bold films. He also is developing 'Johnny Mnumonic' as a TV show with Sean Daniels and Peter Hoffman. He just completed "Exodus to Shanghai" based on the true story of Dr Ho who saved 5000 Jews during Hitlers invasion of Austria. he recently married Romanian actress Madalina Anea.

Directing filmography

Feature films

• Waxwork (1988)
• Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989)
• Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992)
• Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
• Full Eclipse (1993)
• Warlock: The Armageddon (1993)
• Payback (1995)
• Invasion of Privacy (1996)
• Prince Valiant (1997)
• Storm Catcher (1999)
• Jill Rips (2000)
• Contaminated Man (de) (2000)
• Last Run (2001)
• Federal Protection (2002)
• Consequence (2003)
• Blast (2004)
• Submerged (2005)
• Knife Edge (2008)

"Exodus to Shanghai" (2014) "God's Lions" (2025)

Television

• New York Undercover episode: Missing (1994)
• Extreme (1995)
• Two (1995) — pilot episode
• Pensacola: Wings of Gold episode: Broken Wings (1998)
• Martial Law (1998) — pilot episode
• Shoot Me! (2003)

• Anthony Hickox at the Internet Movie Database

Michel Adam wrote and produced Exodus to Shangai and shared with filmfestivals.com the reasons behind his involvement!

“The movie is dedicated to the memory of my mother, who died last year. She was a musician who fell in love with my father in Vienna during the war and they eventually ended up in China after having crossed all of Siberia. I had heard many epic stories of their dramatic lives and escape to safety and knew it was meant for the big screen. I felt I had to tell their story and hope viewers will enjoy it. I trusted my friend Anthony Hickox and thank him for his support, aalso I want to congratulateAnne Coates the acclaimed Oscar winning (editing) Lady for her help on our movie”

Anthony Hickox the director of Exodus to Shanghai told us:

"I was so bored with those films showing the Jewish people as victims, rather than people who sacrificed themselves in the hope that their children might survive. Children who would eventually help the world defeat the Nazis and everything they believed in.

I wanted to create a poster which symbolizes the passion, danger and love of those who were brave enough to fight back against the impending holocaust and didn’t believe Nazi propaganda. 
And which they eventually did.”

Michel Adam and Anthony Hickox on set

Michel Adam expands on his motivations

FashionTV is recognized as the leading international fashion TV channel among viewers and specialists alike, whose founder and owner Michel Adam has for 17 years successfully carried out his task – to talk about fashion. The company also engages in the production of a range of products holding the recognizable brand - from fashion cafés and fashion bars located in key destinations of the world, to hotels and ready-to-wear lines and accessories, alcoholic beverages and water. All the segments are produced under the company’s iconic letter f· symbol, elegantly located inside the diamond logo. Now Mr. Adam is planning a completely new project – a feature film. But not just any film - a historical war themed cinematic picture. It was of great interest for us to speak to Michel on this topic, and to find out what was the reason behind the push towards such a radically new  beginning.

Michel, where did the idea to produce a film come from? What inspired you?

In June 2014 we were visiting the Shanghai Film Festival. During the Sabbath meal the local Rabbi was recounting a story about an extraordinary man known as “the Chinese Schindler”. His name was Dr. Feng Shan Ho. He held the position of the Chinese Consul in the late 1930s; he provided and stamped thousands of visas allowing Jews to flee from the Nazi-occupied Austria to Shanghai.

This period in time has always been of interest to me, and now I have found a way to live out this curiosity – through a movie based on real life facts. The characters and incidents are based on many stories told by real-life people of Jewish heritage, who I met on my multiple journeys from Vienna to China. One of these personalities was Shaul Eisenberg.

However, the main inspiration for the film is the life story of my mother. She and her family left Europe for Palestine, while her sister and her husband went to China through Russia. She was 17 years old in 1939 when the war started, and she pursued her path to survival. Our generation does not have to go through such challenges, but I always ask myself this question: what choice would I have made, if I would have ended up in a similar situation. Would I have been able to do something better? To do something more “right”?

Do you have desire to enter the world of cinematography, or are you limited to this film, which embodies your dream?

I have always had an interest for audiovisual technology. My father gave me my first camera when I was 12 years old, and from that moment I was constantly filming things. The majority of the time, of course, I was filming documentaries. FashionTV, in fact, is a well-chosen collection of numerous short documentaries which in total transmit the world of fashion to the viewers. The difference is that the future movie is focused not on what people wear, but on what they do in order to survive. There have been many movies made on the topic of war. However in our film we will attempt to show a slightly alternative view on the incidences in order to remind viewers that even in the time of war, apart from the suffering and the atrocities, people continued to live, fall in love, have children, and even under those circumstances, find their little bundle of happiness.

Could you briefly describe the story of the film?

When Hitler invades Austria in March 1938 he is greeted enthusiastically by the Austrian population. Fannia is a beautiful violin player from New York studying music in Vienna. She decides against the urges of her family to return to safety in New York, to join the exodus with Bruce, the son of Dr. Feng Shan Ho – the Chinese Consul of Vienna, to Shanghai. She becomes a part of thousands of Jewish survivors, given the lifesaving “Exit Visas” by Dr. Ho… The Visa opens the route for the “Exodus to Shanghai” – the new “promised land”… But the “new Pharaoh” (read: Hitler) sends his loyal soldiers (The Gestapo) to stop them from reaching their dreamland and to rob them of their valuables and their lives…

This film belongs to the fantasy genre where the Nazis get executed by the Chinese and the Jews and the Gestapo get bitten to death by the Nazi dogs. The Jews reach with dignity their New Jerusalem – Exodus to Shanghai.

This is your first movie. Do you feel nervous about how the film will be accepted by the audience, or do you take it light-heartedly and view it as a new adventure?

Each new project is a calling, and we are certain that hard work and meticulous organization will assist us in producing a high quality film.

How would you define the category of this film – is it a European movie or is Hollywood awaiting us?

I believe that it is a synthesis of European, Asian and Hollywood cinema. On one side we are trying to achieve a stylish, dynamic action and adventure movie, using the most modern special and visual effects. On the other hand we are trying to keep the depth and romanticism of the plot, keeping the authentic sense of what was happening.

Does the movie have a character which represents your own story?

Of course! The character of Fannia is based on the persona of my mother.

When and where did you film?

The movie shows many outdoor scenes in different locations – Austria, Lithuania, Russia, and some Asian countries.

To which audience is the film catered to?

I believe that this movie will be close to the heart of everyone, as the story is told from the perspective of a young girl thrown into a world of turmoil with which she has to try and cope, on a journey that encompasses New York, Europe and Shanghai.

What message does this film bring to the world?

Mutual respect and sympathy held by the Chinese and the Jews that contributed contributes to the preservation of human dignity and world progress in general.

Are you planning on creating another feature film after this one – or is this a one-time project?

Of course, we hope to create more. For us this is a new, exciting venture.

Michel Adam

Gay Directors, Gay Films?
Pedro Almodóvar, Terence Davies, Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, John Waters

Emanuel Levy

This is an impressively informative treatment of five prominent gay directors who represent a wide range of differences within the gay spectrum. Levy’s background in gay cinema, independent cinema, and traditional Hollywood cinema make him the ideal author for this significant and original study.”

—Molly Haskell, film critic and author of Frankly, My Dear: Gone with the Wind Revisited

“In a nuanced examination of five pioneering gay directors, Emanuel Levy moves with fluid grace and astonishing erudition through a broad range of national traditions and personal styles, nailing what is peculiar and intriguing about each auteur. His study will enchant anyone interested in the twists and turns of gender, sex, and cinema over the last 50 years.”

—Thomas Doherty, author of Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939

About the Book:

For most of the twentieth century, gay characters and gay themes were both underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream cinema. Since the 1970s, however, a new generation of openly gay directors has turned the closet inside out, bringing a new and poignant immediacy to modern cinema and popular culture.

Combining his experienced critique with in-depth interviews conducted with each director, Emanuel Levy draws a clear timeline of gay filmmaking over the past four decades and its particular influences and innovations. While recognizing the “queering” of American culture that resulted from these films, Levy also takes stock of the ensuing conservative backlash and its impact on cinematic art, a trend that continues alongside the growing acceptance of homosexuality.

He compares the similarities and differences between the “North American”  attitudes of Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, and John Waters and the “European” perspectives of Pedro Almodóvar and Terence Davies, developing a truly comprehensive, up-to-date approach to gay filmmaking in particular and auteur cinema in general.

CO LUM B I A September 2015 392 pages · 33 b&w photographs

$25.00/£17.50 paper · 978-0-231-15277-8

$35.00/£24.00 cloth · 978-0-231-15276-1

Order online now and save 30%

CUP.COLUMBIA.EDU

Enter Code: LEVGAY for 30% discount

Emanuel Levy is a professor of film and sociology, who has taught at Columbia University, Wellesley College, ASU, UCLA, and New York University. He is the author of nine books, including Vincente Minnelli: Hollywood’s Dark Dreamer; All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards; Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film; George Cukor: Master of Elegance; John Wayne: Prophet of the American Way of Life; and Citizen Sarris: American Film Critic.

A two-time president of the L.A. Film Critics Association, Levy is the only critic in the U.S. who votes for seven groups, ranging from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to the National Society of Film Critics. He had served  as senior critic for Variety and chief film critic for Screen International before founding in 2003 the acclaimed website: wwww.emanuellevy.com: Cinema 24/7. He has served on the grand juries of fifty-four international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Montreal, Locarno, Taormina, San Francisco, Hawaii and Sundance. 

2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
 
OPENING NIGHT – WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
 
“SKY LADDER: THE ART OF CAI GUO-QIANG”
 
WORLD PREMIERE  
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21st

 
 
 
WHO:                        Director Kevin Macdonald (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER), subject Cai Guo-Qiang and wife Honghong, producers Wendi Murdoch and Fisher Stevens, co-producer Alice Henty.
 

Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) has unfettered access to world-renowned artist, Cai Guo-Qiang, whose frequent use of gunpowder serves as both an ancestral homage and an acknowledgement of humanity's fleeting nature. Creating ambitious signature pieces on the largest imaginable scales, Cai's electrifying work often transcends physical permanence all while burning its philosophies into the audience's mind forever. Told through the artist's own words and those of family, friends and vigilant observers, SKY LADDER: THE ART OF CAI GUO-QIANG tracks his meteoric rise and examines how and why he engineers artworks that stretch as far as the eye can see and wow millions, such as a six mile-long gunpowder fuse stemming from the Great Wall into the Gobi Desert or the astounding opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. 

 
With the documentary's ambitious namesake - a 1,650 foot ladder of fire climbing into the skies about his hometown - the film captures Cai's work, which unites Eastern philosophy with contemporary social issues. SKY LADDER: THE ART OF CAI GUO-QIANG (Produced by Wendi Murdoch, Fisher Stevens and Hugo Shong, with Executive Producer Bennett Miller) is an in-depth portrait of a contemporary creative icon with an ever-present social-political consciousness, a man whose captivating works are visually imposing with implications just as grandiose.

Total Running Time: 76 minutes

Bimal Roy Film Festival: Dharmendra, Helen, Ameen Sayani honoured

Cinemas in Mumbai usually play the country’s national anthem, ‘Jana gana mana’, written by Rabindranath Tagore, before the feature film, a practice mandated by the government. Two weeks ago, at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) in south Mumbai, which is not a regular cinema hall, the song was played as part of the Bengali film that had incorporated it in its credit titles. Udayer Pathe (on the way to enlightenment) was made in 1944, in Kolkata, by Bimal Roy, who had passed away exactly 50 years before this commemorative event, at the age of 55 (best guess) of lung cancer, a consequence of long-term smoking addiction. I have vague memories of having seen the film at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) nearly forty years ago. Udayer Pathe was re-made in Hindi as Humrahi (fellow traveller), which I have not had a chance to see. On the 11th of January 2016, the complete film was not shown, just the song, which was yet to become the national anthem, India was still being under British rule in 1944.

Thus began the six-day Bimal Roy Film Festival/retrospective, jointly organised by Bimal Roy Memorial and Cine Society (now run by Shiraz Ali, son of late Abdul Ali, a doyen of the vintage Indian cinema league), one of the oldest film societies in Mumbai. These days, Cine Society holds its regular screenings at the Bhavan. Yogesh Kamdar, my friend since 1973, an Electrical Engineer and a Joint Director of the Bhavan, managed venue and screening related matters at the retrospective.

Frankly, I was not invited to the event. It was free, and open to the public, but one had to go and get passes from the venue. Bimal Roy Memorial has never invited me to any event, neither has Cine Society. Shiraz Ali, who I met in the Bhavan’s foyer, after at least a decade, assured me that he would put me on the society’s mailing list. Yogesh, who does not separately invite me to events organised by BVB (most of them are free, and seating is on a first-come-first-served basis), gave me a VIP seat, from the few he had kept for guests. Almost packed to capacity, I would have found it difficult to gain entry without the special pass.

Anwesha with Dharmendra

NFAI provided Blu-Ray disc copies of the six films screened, one-a-day, from Monday to Saturday. Bimal Roy’s daughter, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya (Founder-Chairperson of Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society, Vice Chairperson: Children's Film Society of India--CFSI), grand-daughter Anwesha (who curated the festival and specially flew in from England), and actress Nivedita Baunthiyal, General Secretary of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), represented the Memorial, which, besides honouring cinema veterans, runs a film society too. Anwesha is a Ph.D., lives in England and lectures on cinema. Her mother-in-law, Sulabha Arya is a very senior stage, television and film actress, and I once had the honour of playing her husband, in TV a series called Yeh Bhi Hain Udyog. Rinki is multi-faceted: journalist, activist, filmmaker-author-researcher, and more.

Shabana Azmi, veteran actress and like a second mother-in-law to Anwesha, turned-up announced to surprise the family and joined in the lighting of the lamp ceremony, to mark the formal inauguration. Earlier, Anwesha was invited to be part of the Dada Baba (Kaifi Azmi, Shabana's father) birth anniversary get-together at Janki Kutir, in suburban Juhu, next to the reputed drama venue, Prithvi Theatre.

Films showcased during the six days were Do Bigha Zamin, which I had missed all these years, Parineeta (ditto), Devdas (tragic and timeless story of ego and alcoholism; at least two other versions are around, one earlier, another later), Sujata, Madhumati and Bandini. At the inauguration, two luminaries shared the stage, with Rinki, Anwesha and Nivedita: actress Shabana Azmi and actor-turned writer-director Ashutosh Gowarikar.

Both the films I saw at the fest, Do Bigha Zamin and Parineeta, were well-made and quick-paced, a rarity for films of the early 50s. Performances were of a level to savour, what with names like Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Meena Kumari (special appearance in DBZ and the lead in Parineeta), Nazir Hussain and more. Sound was excellent, thanks to the Blu-Ray restoration by NFAI. One also got to notice the contributions of  Roy’s colleagues and team-members, like Hrishikesh Mukherjee (editor, later director), Ritwick Ghatak (writer, later director), Salil Chowdhary (writer, music director), Nabendu Ghosh (screenplay-writer) and Gulzar (lyricist, later director).                                    

Bimal Roy had passed away when my film sensibilities were yet to mature. However, I do remember seeing and liking Madhumati (1958), as a six-year old. For some time after that, Madhumati remained the only Roy film I had seen, having being taken along to the theatre by my brother, Riaz, who was 13 years older. Since then, I have managed to catch up on Bandini, Do Bigha Zamin, Sujata, Parineeta, Yahudi, Devdas and Udayer Pathe. In a unique experience, I heard Parakh on the radio, an audio experience, part of a Vividh Bharati programme which played edited sound-tracks of films. That still leaves more than a handful of ‘misses’ to pursue.

Besides the films he directed, I have also been exposed to films that he produced, but let others direct: 1956: Parivar: Asit Sen (later known for his comic roles, mist memorableone being in Bees Saal Baad, 1962), 1957: Apradhi Kaun? Asit Sen (again) and 1964: Benazir: S. Khalil (old-timer actor turned writer-director). Three others are on my “to see list”: 1960: Usne Kaha Tha: Moni Bhattacharjee (a Roy assistant and co-writer), 1968: Do Dooni  Chaar: Debu Sen (Roy’s assistant, Debabrata Sengupta; based on Shakespeare’s Comedy of  Errors; remade as Angoor by Gulzar) and 1975: Chaitali: Hrishikesh Mukherjee (released almost decade after it was started, with Roy’s widow, Mrs. Manobina Roy, as producer).

Among India’s most revered directors, Bimal Roy was born into an old, land-holding (zamindar) family, in former East Bengal, (now Bangladesh). After his father’s death, Roy was thrown out of the zamindari by the estate manager. Young and penniless, he moved to Calcutta, with his mother and infant brothers. As he struggled for work, Promothesh (P.C.) Barua engaged Roy as a publicity photographer. Soon, Roy got to work as an assistant cameraman to Nitin Bose, at Calcutta’s reputed New Theatres Studio. New Theatres classics like Mukti and Devdas bear his stylistic and technical mark.

Roy’s directorial debut, Udayer Pathe (1944), took a strong position against class discrimination and used non-theatrical acting style, also setting box office records. By the late 40s, several Calcutta-based directors were forced to shift to Bombay. World War II and partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan, spelt ruin for Bengali cinema. Roy, too, moved to Bombay, in 1950. He worked for a while with New Theatres, under the new boss, Ashok Kumar, and directed Maa. In 1952-53, he launched his own banner, Bimal Roy Productions, with Do Bigha Zamin. The film made a strong universal impact for its humane portrayal of Indian peasantry. It is often ranked as one of the 10 best Indian films of all time.

Do Bigha Zamin won awards and accolades: in China, UK, Karlovy Vary, Cannes, USSR, Venice and Melbourne. Following-up, he directed Parineeta, based on a Bengali literary classic. Ashok Kumar had parted company with Bombay Talkies and set up his own banner. He had rights to the screen version of the book, an ahead-of-its-time story of a sensitive woman facing issues of class and caste as obstacles in her love and marriage, and invited Bimal Roy to direct it, with highly commendable results.

Dharmendra, Debu Sen and Helen

On the closing day, lifetime achievement awards were given to Dharmendra (seen in Roy’s last completed film, Bandini), my Guru Ameen Sayani (83 year-old radio legend and stage compère par excellence, who came with son Rajil and daughter-in-law Krishnajyoti) and Helen (dancing star, part of the cast in Roy’s film Yahudi, seen doing what might be called the fore-runner of today’s ‘item song’). Also present were Bimal Roy’s assistant Debabrata Sengupta (probably in his late 80s, the only surviving assistant of his core team), actor Tarun Bose’s children Aroop and Shilpi (Bose appeared in several of Bimal Roy’s films; died when he was in his early 40s), Biraj Bahu heroine Kamini Kaushal, and dance director Saroj Khan (who had, on the 15th, skipped the not-to-be-missed Filmfare Awards function, to watch Bimal Roy’s Madhumati at BVB instead.

                                                                                                                                                                              Anwesha Arya, Drisha Acharya and Rinki Bhattacharya, with Dharmendra; three  generations in the company of the master’s framed picture, and of his hero.                                                                                                                                           

Ameen Sayani with the mike, Dharmenra with the portrait!

I was not there at the closing and honouring ceremony, for I had already committed to attending an opening…well, a release, to be precise. A friend was to release his latest novel the same day, and so I could not even say good-bye to Anwesha Arya, who left a couple of days later for London. She is a film-buff, an academic, writer and gender issue specialist. We are now in touch through email. It was so nice to meet her. Warm as ever. Chirpy, but vastly mature. And I did not even know that her niece, Dubai-based sister Chimoo Acharya’s daughter, Drisha, was also present, something I found out only when I saw her picture.

This piece was mainly about the legend, Bimal Roy. But another piece is due, on the Bhattacharyas, Acharyas and Aryas. What should Icall that one? An aria?

(Bimal Roy on the sets of Bandini, photo courtesy Bimal Roy Memorial and Film Society)

ACTRESS DAISY RIDLEY SIGNS ON TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE SUNDANCE PREMIERE FILM

“THE EAGLE HUNTRESS”

Daisy Ridley, star of the current blockbuster STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS and hero to young women everywhere, has signed on as an Executive Producer for the Sundance Premiere film THE EAGLE HUNTRESS, as announced by Morgan Spurlock, executive producer for the film.

Ridley joined the team after seeing a cut of film and felt she was obligated to do everything within her power to make sure audiences the world over would have the chance to see this epic story of female empowerment.

Directed by Otto Bell and executive produced by Oscar® nominated Spurlock, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS is the spellbinding true story of Aisholpan, a 13-year old Mongolian girl who is strives to become the first female Eagle Hunter in 2,000 years of male dominated history.  Aisholpan is a real life role model on an epic journey to win victory in a faraway land.  Under the tutelage and support of her father and her grandfather, she learns all aspects of this ancient tradition, including taming her very own eaglet and training it for the annual Golden Eagle Festival, which involves competing against male Eagle Hunters from all over the country.  She even dreams of hunting in the frozen winters to prove that a girl can do anything a boy can, so long as she’s determined.

The film is set amongst the magical Altai Mountains of Northwestern Mongolia; the most remote part of the least populated country on Earth. This little known world is rich in exquisitely preserved tradition, yet spoiled by an ignorance that is perpetuated by this isolation. For far too long, women have been seen as “too fragile” to hunt with an eagle. Aisholpan is out to prove them wrong and change history.

“I was deeply moved by Aisholpan’s story and wanted to be a part of this beautiful film,” said Ridley.  “I feel audiences and young girls around the world will be as inspired by her story as I was, and I am so proud to share her journey with the world.”

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS is making its world premiere this weekend at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, as the first documentary ever to play in the Sundance Kids Premiere section.  Aisholpan, herself is making the trek to Park City, Utah all the way from Mongolian together with her family for the festival screenings and to participate in discussions.  During the festival, she will also take part in the live eagle demonstrations at the Kimball Art Gallery and a unique photo gallery exhibit of amazing photos taken of her in Mongolia with the eagles at The Eagle Huntress Gallery on Main Sreet.

“We were so glad that Daisy responded to the film and Aisholpan’s story,” added exec producer Spurlock. “Having her join us will elevate this amazing story to greater heights and spread the magic of this courageous young girl to audiences of all ages.”

"Like so many other theatre-goers around the world, I was blown away by Daisy’s recent portrayal of an empowered female protagonist," added director Otto Bell. "I’m thrilled she’ll be bringing that same energy to supporting a real-world heroine who is also on an epic journey to win victory in a far away land."

Daisy Ridley is an English actress best known for her breakthrough role as Rey in the 2015 film, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Daisy joined the voice cast of ONLY YESTERDAY, a film from one of the world’s best animation studios, Japan’s Studio Ghibli.  In honor of the 25th anniversary of the original film, the studio was looking to dub the film in English and re-release the film into English-Speaking territories.  As such, each character needed to have an American accent.  Ridley, extremely passionate about all of the Ghibli films, would not let her British accent prevent her from being in the film so she lost her British accent and against the odds, won the lead role of  Taeko.

The film was written and directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata. Only Yesterday tells the story of a 27-year-old unwed woman who travels by train to see her family in the country and experiences memories of her schoolgirl days in 1966, causing her to question the choices she’s made in her life. The 25th Anniversary release is set for this year

THE EAGLE HUNTRESS is the first feature documentary from director Otto Bell and is produced by Stacey Reiss and Sharon Chang. Morgan Spurlock, Jeremy Chilnick, Dan Cogan, Regina K. Scully, Marc H. Simon, Barbara Dobkin and Susan Maclaury are executive producers in association with Artemis Rising Foundation, Impact Partners, Shine Global and Warrior Poets. The film is edited by Pierre Takal and director of photography is Simon Niblett.

Joshua Oppenheimer and Werner Herzog at Sundance Film Festival's Cinema Café.

A daily series of informal chats rounds up special guests for thought-provoking discussions. #cinemacafe

Cinema Café guests have included Louis CK, Barbara Kopple, Spike Lee, Roger Corman, Julie Delpy, Nick Hornby, Dave Grohl, Walter Murch, James Marsh, Gaspar Noé, Steve Coogan, Samantha Power, Parker Posey, Ice-T, and many more. So bring your questions and an open mind.

Berlinale Talents 2016: Michael Ballhaus, Denis Côté, Jonathan Glazer, Alex McDowell, Tomm Moore, Molly M. Stensgaard, Jim Rakete, Meryl Streep and Thomas Vinterberg among the experts

For the First Time More than 100 Talents Alumni with Films at the Berlinale

Under the theme “The Nature of Relations”, the 14th edition focuses on the inner and outer relations in the interconnected cinematic world and examines the tools for sharing knowledge and experience amongst film creatives. For its programme, around 150 renowned experts will meet at the HAU Hebbel am Ufer with the 300 Talents, festival guests and Berlin’s cinema-loving audiences.

On February 13, Prof. Monika Grütters, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, will officially open Berlinale Talents: “Berlinale Talents uniquely combines sophisticated film discourse with effective talent development. The Talents are the vanguard of the global film industry: they set trends, transgress conventions and find innovative ways to tell stories of a universal resonance. Therefore as the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, I take a vested interest in supporting the Berlinale Talents programme, because the promotion of young artists is an inherent part of a nation built on culture.” This year’s summit offers the audience again an exciting programme with leading international filmmakers, and the 300 Talents, including around 30 from Germany, an opportunity for engagement and networking.

Filmmaking as a medium borrows from and combines the elements of various creative forms. The summit’s experts are masters in their respective fields as well as in sharing this expertise with others. President of the International Jury Meryl Streep joins the Talents for an in-depth discussion of her collaborations with directors and how she creates strong relations to the characters she portrays. Thomas Vinterberg, very familiar with the pros and cons of collective models for work and life, remarks on their complexities with references to his youth as a hippie kid, to Dogme 95 and his latest film Kollektivet (TheCommune). Jonathan Glazer, British director of award-winning works for music, film and advertising, shows how he reaches the viewer’s subliminal feelings with sound and image. Also relating to the audiences of his films, director Denis Côté reflects why a question is sometimes the best answer to jump into the dialogue with others.

Relations are not only subjects of talks, but are also literally tangible during the events themselves. In cooperation with the Deutsche Kinemathek - Museum für Film und Fernsehen, recipient of an Honorary Golden Bear and this year’s Berlinale Homage subject, Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus, will enter into a conversation with photographer Jim Rakete on his life and work. Tomm Moore, recently lauded with the European Film Award for his feature length animation Song of the Sea, flies in from Ireland with Ross Stewart, the co-director of his new film, to draw the bigger picture of the artistic collaboration in their film studio. Also to discuss storytelling as the “Gesamtkunstwerk” of all arts, Molly M. Stensgaard, long-term editor e.g. of Lars von Trier’s films and a conceptual developer and editor for drama series, sits down with Steve Matthews, executive producer of drama development at HBO Europe. Again within the framework of the “Drama Series Days”, Game of Thrones cinematographer Fabian Wagner talks about his impact on the visual storytelling and how the big team develops and maintains the style over the course of many episodes.

For the first time, more than 100 Talents alumni are participating with current films at this year’s Berlinale. Making use of their experience, Berlinale Talents dedicates an entire day to innovative producers as matchmakers and entrepreneurs. Noted experts such as Charles Gillibert and business strategist Linda Beath rub shoulders in sessions with Talents alumni producers Bianca Balbuena, Fabian Gasmia and Henning Kamm, who are all present with new films in this year’s Berlinale Competition. An interactive case-study will focus on the visual development and technical workflows of Roy Andersson’s latest movie A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence with lectures and workshops lead by the film’s colorist Dirk Meyer, post-production supervisor Niko Remus and one of the DOPs, Talents alumnus Gergely Pálos.

As an extensive live-event, Berlinale Talents is itself a hub where people can grow, test and redefine their professional synergies. Inspired by the yearly motto, several new events will break with the panel format to allow all parties involved a more active role. One of these “town hall meeting” style sessions examines the cinematic possibilities of representing the situation of refugees and migration in general. Production designer Alex McDowell also picks up that theme in a panel and two workshops using his “world building” processes to examine the complexities that shape the universe of a refugee camp. The socio-political relations remain a central focus over the course of the week. Berlinale Talents will host the award ceremony for the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung for International Cooperation Germany / Arab World and a special edition of Deutsche Welle’s award winning Arabian TV show “Shabab Talk” with filmmakers from the Middle East discussing the role of filmmaking in times of conflict.

“To welcome the 300 Talents coming from 78 countries here in Berlin to celebrate the many colors of cinema and the multifaceted natures of our relations, is a test and testament of the topicality of this year’s focus”, comments Berlinale Talents programme manager Florian Weghorn.

Berlinale Talents wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to all partners for their support, in particular Prof. Monika Grütters, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media; Creative Europe MEDIA, a programme of the European Union; Robert Bosch Stiftung; Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg; Federal Foreign Office; German Federal Film Board; Nespresso; Creative Skillset; Deutsche Welle; Goethe-Institut; Manfred Durniok Foundation; Embassy of the United States of America and British Council.

The complete programme of Berlinale Talents will be published on February 2. Berlinale Talents takes place February 13 to 18, 2016.

Paul Bettany (AVENGERS film series, IRON MAN film series), Natalie Dormer (THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy, The Forest, HBO’s ‘Game Of Thrones’), Martin Freeman (THE HOBBIT films, upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, SHERLOCK), Sir Anthony Hopkins and Harrison Ford have joined the espionage thriller OFFICIAL SECRETS which will be produced by Elizabeth Fowler (DEVIL’S KNOT).

Justin Chadwick (MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL) will direct the true story based on the best-selling book The Spy Who Tried To Stop A War: Katherine Gun and The Secret Plot to Sanction the Iraq Invasion. The screenplay is written by Sara and Gregory Bernstein.

The Solution Entertainment Group’s Lisa Wilson and Myles Nestel are executive producing the feature film and are handling the financing and international sales at the upcoming European Film Market. UTA Independent Film Group packaged the project and represents domestic rights.

The film is slated to begin principal photography in May 2016 in the UK.

In the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Katharine Gun (Dormer), a young British intelligence officer reveals a secret illegal NSA spy operation against the UN Security Council designed to ensure passage of a resolution for war to Martin Bright (Bettany) a reporter at the British newspaper, The London Observer. Katharine’s arrest following the leak makes headlines around the world. In an attempt to gain the evidence to free Katharine, Martin unearths the shocking plot which puts both Katharine and Martin’s lives in great jeopardy.   Freeman will be playing Peter Edwards, the foreign affairs editor at The Observer, while Hopkins is playing a retired UK general and Ford a CIA agent.

Paul Bettany most recently starred as Jarvis/Vision in the blockbuster Marvel films THE AVENGERS and IRON MAN and will reprise the role in the upcoming anticipated CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR for Marvel. Bettany previously starred opposite Kevin Spacey in Lionsgate’s MARGIN CALL and the Academy Award Best Picture winning film A BEAUTIFUL MIND directed by Ron Howard and starring Russell Crowe.

Natalie Dormer, known for her role as Margaery Tyrell in HBO’s Golden Globe nominated hit series ‘Game Of Thrones’, currently stars in Focus Features’ The Forest, and will next be seen in the upcoming Screen Gems thriller PATIENT ZERO opposite Stanley Tucci and Matt Smith, and directed by Stegan Ruzowitzky, slated for a September 2016 release. She most recently appeared in Lionsgate’s global box office hit THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

Martin Freeman will next appear in the upcoming Marvel film CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR. He previously starred as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY and THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG. Freeman was nominated for a Golden Globe Best Actor award for his starring role in FX’s series ‘Fargo’.

Justin Chadwick recently directed the upcoming TULIP FEVER starring Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz and Academy Award nominee Alicia Vikander, and to be released by The Weinstein Co. in 2016. Chadwick also directed The Weinstein Co.’s Academy Award nominated film MANDELA: LONG WALK TO starring Golden Globe nominee Idris Elba, and Columbia Pictures’ THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana.

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ABOUT THE SOLUTION ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

The Solution Entertainment Group is a multi-faceted, full service international sales and financing company which offers filmmakers access to development funding, production funding, production and post-production services as well as international distribution. The Solution was founded in 2012 by international sales veteran, Lisa Wilson, and leading film financier, Myles Nestel, who are both partners.

The Solution’s slate includes the newly announced dramedy TRUTH IN ADVERTISING from director Roger Michell (NOTTING HILL), LIZZIE BORDEN with Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart in early negotiations to star, LIVE! to be directed by Darrin Prescott and Wade Allen, and set to star Aaron Eckhart, Walter Hill’s TOMBOY, A REVENGER’S TALE starring Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver, currently in post-production, and the 2015 Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival selection MAN DOWN starring Shia LaBeouf, Gary Oldman and Kate Mara.

Other films on their slate include the highly anticipated boxing biopic BLEED FOR THIS starring Miles Teller and Aaron Eckhart and executive produced by Martin Scorsese to be released by Open Road Films, Joseph Cedar’s OPPENHEIMER STRATEGIES starring Richard Gere, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Michael Sheen and THE TICKET with Dan Stevens, Malin Akerman and Oliver Platt.

They recently wrapped production on the comedy THE RUNAROUND with Oscar winner J.K. Simmons and Emile Hirsch.