‘Terms and Conditions May Apply’ (2013) is an acutely relevant documentary that anyone who uses any communication tool whatsoever-internet, computer, tablet, phone, etc.- must see. It is an accurate nail-biting suspense of a very real situation all of us buy into and sign up for every day, and yet neglect to really think about. Director Cullen Hoback’s thesis in ‘Terms and Conditions’ is a vital piece of journalism reminding us of the essence of freedom th...
'Matt’s Chance' (2013) is the third feature by the prolific talent Nicholas Gyeney. This is a surreal Dramedy about ‘Matt’ (Edward Furlong) who hasn’t had much luck in his young life, so who can blame him for drowning out his sorrows in a seedy bar professing the blues? The film opens on an inebriated Matt drinking a beer at the bar as he recounts a story to his friend about how he finally got lucky and met the girl of his dreams, ‘Jessica’ (Brandy K...
‘The Iceman’ (2012) is based on the true story of Richard Leonard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, a veritable sociopath who led parallel lives- a brutal contract killer and a devoted family man- until his arrest in 1986. Richard was an American hitman who joined the mafia as a contract killer for the DeCavalcante crime family in New Jersey and the Five Families in New York. Directed by Ariel Vromen, the film stars Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, David Schw...
Director Paul Osborne’s film ‘Favor’ (2013) is a dark dramatic satire about two best friends who help each other with a series of favors. ‘Kip’ (Blayne Weaver) lives a seemingly perfect male chauvinist life with a well-paying ‘suit’ job, a hot stay-at-home wife and a sexy mistress on the side. One day, tragedy hits the calm in Kip's life, sending everything into a domino-effect series of chaotic events until it all seems anything but perfect. Enter...
Produced by Geoff Clark and his ‘Something Kreative’ production company, and directed by Justin Le Pera, ‘Isolated’ (2013) is a film about five professional surfers who travel to a ‘No Media Zone’ in western Papua New Guinea in search of unexplored virgin waves and a unique adventure, but find themselves in the midst of a political hot zone and a journey that will change their mission and their lives.
What starts as a story of extreme surfers in search of p...
Not many professional actresses in the film industry can boast that they are also an award-winning stuntwoman, and a film producer. The beautiful and charismatic Kiwi actress/stuntwoman/producer Zoe Bell started her career as a gymnast in New Zealand and later became a stuntwoman for TV’s ‘Xena: Warrior Princess’ and 'Hercules' and for films including ‘Kill Bill’ Vol. 1&2, ‘Inglorious Bastards’ and ‘Django Unchained&rsqu...
"Battle for the Elephants" (2013) by director John Heminway screened recently at the 16th Sonoma International Film Festival.
In this stunning and emotionally harrowing film that gives a voice to the endangered elephant, we follow journalists Bryan Christy and Aidan Hartley between Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and China as they attempt to penetrate into the psychology of the Chinese and their reasoning behind the ongoing slaughter of these majestic animals for their ivory tusks, even at ...
The film ‘Breakaway’ (2012) by the breakout director Ian Loreños is a gripping and heart-wrenching story about the love of a father for his son. Told in a succinct and seamless narrative, this is a real-like ‘Taken’ story about trafficking in modern day Manila, Philippines. 'Robert Lim' (Jericho Rosales) is a frustrated and anxious, albeit loving, father raising his motherless son 'Brian' alone. Despite a genuine love for his son, Robert is beset ...
Directed by Stanley J. Orzel (‘4 Assassins', 2012), ‘Lost for Words’ (2013) is a lyrical love story between an American ex-Marine ‘Michael’ (Sean Faris) and a Chinese ballerina ‘Anna’ (Grace Huang) amidst the varying and vast backdrop of Hong Kong. ‘Lost for Words’ held its world premier in March at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival and its U.S. premier in April at the 16th Sonoma International Film Festival.
I interviewed...
FILM & Wine from Sonoma, CA to the Atipodes.
When it comes to film festivals there are now thousands today, as if it is the goal of every city or town in the world to have one in order to slap a cultural stamp on its identity. While almost every city in the world now boasts its own film festival (and some cities have multiple) few cater to both cinema and wine together. Let’s face it, the worlds of film and wine are not that different- both require passion and art, a lot of ...
Everyone has heard of the beloved Irish band ‘U2’, but few have heard about their most devoted cover band. ‘Unforgettable Fire’ is one of the longest running U2 tribute bands in the world, having performed for over 18 years. The new documentary film ‘Unforgettable Fire: The Story of a U2 Tribute Band’ (2012) delves into the lives of these passionate U2 devotees. Directed by Michelle Regina, the film explores the multi-faceted lives of the band ...
During the 16th Annual Sonoma Film Festival (April 10-14, 2013)- where fine films and wines are observed in unison- a story that encapsulates both novelties in one is something to celebrate. For this reason, French winemaker Gauillaume Bodin’s film ‘La Clef des Terroirs’ (2011) should be mentioned as this month it will be released on DVD in France and America. The film held its international premier at the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Relevant to the situat...
"Oh, some are fond of Spanish wine, and some are fond of French." John Masefield (1878-1967), Captain Stratton's Fancy.
“Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved.” Medieval German saying.
A film festival in wine country Sonoma would not be complete without films about wine. ‘A Year in Burgundy’ (2012) continues its festival circuit at the 16th edition of the ...
‘As the best wine doth make the sharpest vinegar, so the deepest love turneth to the deadliest hate’. -John Lilly (1553-1606)
One of the best (and most fitting) films to screen at the 16th annual Sonoma Film Festival was the French wine-drama ‘Tu Seras Mon Fils’ (‘You Will Be My Son’, 2011). The film is a drama of Shakespearean proportions with nail-biting twists and turns creating as much tension and unpredictability as a vineyard’s year.
Di...
The Sonoma International Film Festival (April 10-14) will open its 16th edition with ‘The Iceman’, directed by Ariel Vromen and starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans and James Franco.
‘The Iceman’ (2012) is based on the true story of Richard Leonard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, a paradoxical character who led parallel lives- contract killer and family man- until his arrest in 1986. Richard was an American hitman who joined th...
-32nd Istanbul Film Festival official press release-
Meetings on the Bridge Starts.
The 8th edition of the Meetings on the Bridge organised within the scope of the 32nd Istanbul Film Festival under the sponsorship of Efes starts. Efes who has been supporting the Turkish cinema for the past 26 years, is the sponsor of Turkish Cinema section of the Istanbul Film Festival and is also giving the Special Jury Prize of 30.000 US Dollars at the National Golden Tulip Competition of the festival. Efe...
‘Occupy: The Move’ (2013) by Canadian director Corey Ogilvie tells the story about the global social movement known as ‘Occupy’ which began in Wall Street, New York on September 17, 2011. The movement ‘Occupy’ protests the banking system, its control over the people at large and its ability to cripple an entire national (and world) economy when catastrophe hits. While the ‘Occupy’ social movement spread rapid-fire internationally, giving voi...
One of the most talked about films to premier at this year's SXSW Film Festival was writer/director Eric Heisserer’s breakout film ‘Hours’ (2013). Actor Paul Walker (‘Fast and Furious’- 2001, 2003, 2009; ‘Fast Five’, 2011) delivers the most challenging performance of his career yet as ‘Nolan’, a father who spends the night in a hospital during Hurricane Katrina choosing to risk his own safety for that of his newborn baby girl.
...
‘Sex, Lies, and Videotape’ (1989) put director Steven Soderbergh on the map when he won the Palme d’Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Starring James Spader, Andie Mac Dowell, Peter Gallagher and Laura San Giacomo, the film centers on a married couple- ‘Ann’ (Mac Dowell) and 'John' (Gallagher)- at the near end of their relationship. While John screws around behind Ann’s back with her sister Cynthia (Giacomo), Ann finds solace and friendship...
Written, directed, produced by Billy Raftery (‘Children Rise’, 2012), ‘Angels in Exile’ (2013) is a documentary of the social disaster of rampant poverty in South Africa. The film focuses on two indigent youths- Zulieka and Ariel- who have grown up in the streets of Durban, South Africa. Billy follows the lives of these two for nearly a decade from glue-sniffing children to young adults. The film is narrated by Charlize Theron.
Recently I interviewed Billy Raftery abou...
Iceland’s official Oscar entry for 2012 ‘The Deep’ (Djúpið
Iceland, 2012), directed by native Icelander Baltasar Kormákur (‘Contraband’, 2012; 'Two Guns', 2013), tells the true story of a seemingly impossible survival after a terrible sea squall off the coast of Iceland. In 1984, a fishing boat named ‘Breki’ took to sea and was completely destroyed during a disastrous storm. All souls on deck perished, save one- ‘Gulli...
Check out all SFF updated news on our blog: http://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/sonoma_international_film_festival
-Official Sonoma Film Festival Press-
16th Annual Sonoma Film Festival Film Highlights:
A range of epicurean films includes Lo Zucco: The Wine of the Son of the King of the French, a U.S. Premiere from Italy about the Duke of Aumale who, exiled from France, settled in Sicily where he applied the agricultural precepts of Virgil; A Year in Burgundy, a look at a f...
BREAKFAST WITH BAUER on the set of ‘The Lookalike’ (2013).
In the midst of eating a Craft Service egg-white omelet, actor Steven Bauer (‘Scarface’, 1983; ‘Traffic’, 2000; ‘Breaking Bad’, 2011; ‘Ray Donovan’, 2013) spoke about his experience filming in New Orleans on the set of Australian director Richard Gray’s new film ‘The Lookalike’.
ME: How do you feel being on the set of ‘The Lookalike’&nbs...
16TH SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH:
ARIEL VROMEN’S “THE ICEMAN” AND
CLOSES WITH NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF “A MONKEY ON MY SHOULDER”
FEST TO HONOR ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE DEMIÁN BICHIR WITH SPOTLIGHT AWARD:
The Sonoma International Film Festival (April 10-14) is proud to open their 16th edition with The Iceman, directed by Ariel Vromen and starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans and James Franco, and will present ...
Is sex possible after kids? That is the question. Writer/Director/Producer Jeremy Lalonde tackles this very enigma in his latest feature film ‘Sex After Kids’ (2013). The film held its world premier in Santa Barbara last month at the 28th SBIFF. I recently interviewed Jeremy about this titillating romantic sex comedy. Here is what he had to say:
ME: What first inspired you to make this film? Was it based on personal events or people you know?
JEREMY: I knew I want...
McMahon Vanessa 
