AFM is not only a place where international sales agents sell their titles to buyers from all over the world, but it’s a mecca for independent producers to find their producing partners and financing for their films. Writer and producer Brian Neil Hoff did just that while at this AFM to find partners on his animation project called ‘Secret Agent 00K9’, action adventure about a spy dog detective who travels the animal world solving crimes and mysteries. I interviewe...
Napa, California– The sixth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) is pleased to host a private VIP screening of TWC-Dimension’s highly anticipated film Gold. The film stars Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey, who will receive the Caldwell Vineyards Maverick Actor Tribute, for his outstanding contributions to the art of acting and cinematic story-telling.
Directed by Oscar® winner Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana), Gold is an epic tale of one man’s p...
SCAD ANNOUNCES SAVANNAH FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) announced the award winners for the 19th annual Savannah Film Festival during an awards brunch held at Garibaldi’s Restaurant. Sixteen awards were announced from the 118 films that competed in the categories of narrative features, documentary features, animated shorts, SuperShort! shorts, professional and student shorts and Global Shorts Forum selections.
Narrative and Docume...
Celebrity Tributes include Zoey Deutch, Chloe Grace Moretz and Glen Powell. Additional Tributes to be announced in September
Napa, California (August 25, 2016) – The sixth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) is pleased to announce its first three honorees that will receive Tributes during the sixth annual edition of the festival to be held November 9-13, 2016. Additional honorees will be named at a future date.
The highly anticipated Celebrity Tributes, saluti...
Festival to showcase films starring Jessica Biel, Clea Duvall, Alex Karpovsky, Rose Leslie, Ray Liotta, Melanie Lynskey, Wyatt Russell, Richard Schiff, Jason Sudeikis, Maisie Williams and more
Napa, California – The sixth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF), scheduled to take place November 9 - 13, today announced its Narrative and Documentary Feature Film lineups for juried competition. The members of the jury, as well as the complete program of approximately 120 fi...
Festival special guests include Jessica Biel and more
New Orleans, La. (October 6, 2016)— The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) is pleased to announce new additions to the lineup for the 27 annual New Orleans Film Festival, to take place October 12-20, 2016.
Notably, the festival announced the addition of the new James Baldwin–inspired documentary I Am Not Your Negro as the festival’s Centerpiece Film. The documentary premiered at the Toronto International Film Festiv...
New Orleans Film Society Announces 27th Annual New Orleans Film Festival,
October 12th – 20th, 2016
Festival unveils documentary, narrative and Louisiana feature competition lineup + official program artwork
The New Orleans Film Society (NOFS) announced today the feature competition lineup for the 27th annual New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF), taking place October 12th – 20th at venues across New Orleans, with an increased presence in the downtown area.
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CinefestOZ today revealed its 2016 program and continues its proud tradition of showcasing the best of Australian film.
CinefestOZ is an immersive film and destination experience where audiences are invited to explore a diverse program of quality film from Wednesday August 24 to Sunday August 28. Over 68 venues and spaces will welcomingly open their doors to audiences and VIP guests alike, offering something for everyone with over 110 film and event options.
Festival CEO Malinda Nixo...
CinefestOZ, Australia’s premier destination film festival, is delighted to announce that award-winning Australian feature film and documentary director Gillian Armstrong has accepted the role of Jury Chair for the 2016 Festival. Armstrong is one of Australia’s most successful and respected filmmakers. Her feature film directorial debut, My Brilliant Career, adapted from the breakthrough Miles Franklin feminist novel, was a huge success both here and abroad, launching the careers of...
Actress Maria Darkina with director Emir Kusturica (above)
Russian/Czech talent Maria Darkina stars in Emir Kusturica's latest film 'On the Milky Road' (2016). She attended the 69th Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes young talent program where she did interviews and promoted her upcoming role in American indie film 'Storefront' (2016). Maria is one to watch on the international film front. Born in Russia and raised in Czech Republic, she now lives in Lo...
Last week the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest welcomed filmmakers and other guests from around the world. The Festival showcased 327 films from 54 countries while the 4,100 film submissions were available in the Film Market. Attending the festival with their films were Tyrese Gibson (Shame), Connor Jessup (Boy and Crazy House), Lily Baldwin (Swallowed), Benjamin Rigby (Bridge), Amanda Quaid (Toys) and more.
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Home Receives Best of the Festival Award;
La Laguna, Limbo and Minh TâmReceives Top Jury Awards;
The Chop, Phil’s Camino and Taking Flight Receive Audience Awards
PALM SPRINGS, CA (June 26, 2016) – The 2016 Palm Springs International ShortFest, the largest short film festival and only short film market in North America, announced its Festival award winners on Sunday, June 26, 2016. 327 short films screened throughout the Festival a...
Director/Writer/Actor John Fortson's short film 'RATED' (2016) has been making its round to film festivals since its world premiere at Sonoma International Film Festival in April where it won the Jury Award for Best Comedy Short. The film stars John's actor wife Christie Lynn Smith (Justified, The Crazies) who plays the lead Maggie, their daughter Abby Ryder Fortson (Togetherness, Ant-Man), and their son Joshua Fortson. RATED is currently screening at the 2016 Palm Springs Inte...
Martinique multi-talent Alain Bidard is wowing the film world with his debut animation feature film Battledream Chronicle (2015) which he wrote, directed, produced and composed. The film has traveled the globe at international film festivals this past year gaining multiple prize nominations and wins. The film most recently traveled to Animation Days at 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
I recently interviewed Alain Bidard about his grand vision behind Battledream Chronicle. Here is what he had t...
Middle East and North Africa Representative for the PGA (Producers Guild America) Kayvan Mashayekh brought his 2nd annual 'Producing Without Borders' panel, hosted by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, to the 69th Cannes Film Festival. Due to its major social media and Cannes success, the RFC/PGA co-branded event is set to be a mainstay that will now take place twice a year, both at Berlinale and Cannes Film Festival.
I interviewed PGA producer Kayvan about his panel shortly...
Set in 1970's London, LONDON TOWN (2016) is a coming-of-age story about 14 year-old Shay Baker (played by Daniel Huttlestone) whose life changes when he is forced to spend the summer alone running his father's music shop while the latter lies sick in hospital. Shay befriends musician Joe Strummer and, like many of his generation, is transformed by the music of The Clash.
The rock-n-roll feature film stars Daniel Huttlestone, Dougray Scott, Natascha McElhone, Nell Williams, and Jonatha...
Spencer Pollard
CEO Spencer Pollard started Kaleidoscope Film Distribution (KFD) in 2008, which today holds strong as one of UK's most successful international sales/distribution companies. KFD is an expanding and established International Sales outfit based in Soho, London and a one-stop-shop offering full UK and international distribution and sales capabilities. It is one of the fastest-growing independents in the market. KFD specializes in commercial features films and branded do...
Actor Dougray Scott (TAKEN 3, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2) attended the 69th Cannes Film Festival to promote the market premiere of his latest film LONDON TOWN (2016), which Radiant Films International/Cargo Entertainment is handling for international sales.
LONDON TOWN takes place in1970s London when British punk rock dominated the music scene and The Clash was at the height of their success. A 14-year-old boy discovers the music of the iconic band and experiences first love over the cou...
“Bilal: A New Breed of Hero” is a 3D computer-animated action-adventure drama about the real life epic story of Bilal ibn Rabah, a young African slave boy who was abducted by Arabian slave-drivers and raised in slavery 1,400 years ago. An inspiring story of freedom and survival in the face of great adversity, Bilal found his freedom after forty years of slavery. Ayman Jamal is writer/director/producer of “Bilal”, which premiered in the film market and Animati...
Jonathan Wolf has been Managing Director of AFM (American Film Market) since 1998. He has been a visionary and passionate independent film advocate and pivotal force in the film industry for over two decades. I interviewed him in the Dubai Pavilion at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. Here is what he had to say:
Can you explain, for people who don't know, how important is the American Film Market in relation to the Cannes Film Festival?
JONATHAN: The AFM is like a bookend t...
PALE BLUE (2016) by Alex Burunova featured in 69th Cannes Short Film Corner.
Belarus born writer/director/producer Alex Burunova attended Cannes Film Festival for the 2nd year in a row to support her 2nd film in Cannes Short Film Corner.
I interviewed Alex about her experience at the festival and if she felt it has benefited her career as an indie filmmaker. Here is what she has to say:
Q: Was 'Pale Blue' based on true events?
ALEX: Without giving away too much, the premise...
The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) held its 19th edition this past week (March 30-April 3). Presented by the Sonoma Valley Film Society, the annual festival celebrates the best in interantioanl indie film and local gastronomy. This year, over 100 films were screened and almost 200 filmmakers were hosted. Traditionally, SIFF holds a prestigious competition for shorts and feature films judged by jury members consisting of select industry professionals; one of this year's jury memb...
'Leo's Love Letter' (2015) by young and upcoming director Gabriel Rhenals recently won for Best Opening Night Film at the 6th annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival in Sanford, FL. The film has been making rounds on the festival circuit for the past year since its international premiere at the 5th annual Aruba International Film Festival.
Rhenals is an award-winning filmmaker based in Miami, Florida. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he has been active in the visual arts since a very...
During the 66th Berlin Film Festival, I interviewed the young up and coming actor Daniel Fieber. Great grandnephew to Erich von Stroheim, Daniel is a lover of theater and film classically trained by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts living and working between Los Angeles and Berlin. He attended this year's Berlinale to promote his upcoming film projects. I was curious to ask the young actor if he found attending a film market/film festival helpful for moving towards his film developmen...
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about change of pace in the film marketplace with many sales agents and distributors complaining of heavy losses and a dim outlook on future business. The word that many agents used to describe this year's EFM was, “slow”. But when I asked Austrian sales agent Yannick Rudynski of East-West Distribution how his market had gone, he had a big smile on his face and said, “Fantastic!” Curious to know why many ag...
