Mike Figgis - special Tribeca Talks

writer/director Mike Figgis to the Festival for a special Tribeca Talks event, a panel discussion about his career and innovations in the world of digital filmmaking, but now we've also got the premiere of his new flick, Love Live Long, to look forward to.

When Figgis—the Academy Award®-nominated writer and director of Leaving Las Vegas, Timecode, and The Loss of Sexual Innocence—was invited to film the Gumball Rally, the famous high-speed race in Istanbul, he decided instead to craft a raw and intimate film that exposes the effects of an unexpected sexual encounter and the high stakes of the race on two strangers. For seven days, Figgis shot in his signature run-and-gun style—the result is a courageous new work that blurs fact and fiction and probes the unsettling consequences of infidelity, loneliness, and life in the fast lane.

Love Live Long screens at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at the Tishman Auditorium.
other panels and discussions include the following events:
The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival today announced the line-up for its discussion series, open to the public, that will explore issues and trends in society and the entertainment industry with some of the biggest names in film, literature and media. The series includes a new program, “Behind the Screens: films and conversations about truth, clarity and responsibility,” and the popular Tribeca Talks Panel Series. Sponsored by iShares, “Behind the Screens” will feature three half-hour, in-depth discussions and audience Q&A with film participants following select screenings at the Directors Guild Theater. The Tribeca Talks Panel Series will return this year with one-on-one conversations and panel discussions, as well as Tribeca Talks Industry, a brand new series that explores the business of entertainment. The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, presented by American Express, runs April 23rd – May 4th.

“Behind the Screens” will debut with Lake City, a screening of the dramatic feature film followed by a conversation with Sissy Spacek, about her performance in the film. The series of three events will continue with a discussion with venerable New York filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles on his semiautobiographical boisterous adventure Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha. And, rounding out the trio, will be Under Our Skin, which examines Lyme disease, an often-overlooked ailment on the verge of epidemic, followed by a discussion with director, Andy Abrahams Wilson, author Amy Tan who has suffered from Lyme disease, and Dr. Richard Horowitz, known for his pioneering work with the disease.

Highlights from this year’s Tribeca Talks Panel Series include a discussion with world-class director, writer and composer Mike Figgis, who will talk about his constant evolution in digital filmmaking in an event hosted by Skillset. The Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will present Injecting the American Dream, a provocative discussion on the ethics of enhancement in sports with filmmaker Christopher Bell, Victor Conte and Steroid Nation author Shaun Assael. In addition, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and TED Prize-winning filmmaker Jehane Noujaim will talk about the launch of Pangea Day (May 10, 2008) - a moment when the world stops, watches and listens to each other’s stories around the world’s first global campfire- in a conversation moderated by TED curator, Chris Anderson.

New to the Festival this year is Tribeca Talks Industry, a series of discussions designed for industry professionals that explore the business and technology sides of filmmaking. The series includes BAFTA-winning director, writer and sometime actor Shane Meadows in a conversation with writer Paul Fraser about their latest film, Somers Town. Wired Contributing Editor Eric Steuer, Paul “DJ Spooky” Miller and filmmaker and Webby Award founder Tiffany Shlain will discuss technology, intellectual property and the future of participatory media at Reuse, Remix and Renew: Film Tools for the 21st Century. The third Industry panel, Click to View: The Future of New Media, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter will look at the fast-growing world of new media and what it means for artists and audiences. The panel will feature returning filmmaker Isabella Rossellini whose series of short films were created for mobile devices, and will be moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.

Finally, “Conversations in Cinema” will showcase fascinating films and additional conversations on a variety of subjects, including current events, music and science. The series will debut with a conversation with Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris, who will talk about his film Standard Operating Procedure, following a screening of the film in its North American debut, with Jarhead author Anthony Swofford. Pilot and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who was the Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing will join scientists and Contact screenwriter Ann Druyan to discuss the realities of Kubrick’s futuristic masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey and the realities of artificial intelligence in 2001: A Space Odyssey Ahead of Its Time, sponsored by the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. In addition, Emilio Estefan will screen and discuss his film, 90 Miles The Documentary, with his Grammy Award®-winning wife Gloria Estefan whose new album “90 Millas,” is the focus of the intimate documentary on the music-making process. Joining them will be musicians from the film, including Johnny Pacheco, one of the most influential figures in salsa music. Concluding the series is Celebrating Berlin, hosted by the School of Visual Arts, a screening of the concert film Lou Reed’s Berlin, which will feature music legend Lou Reed in a conversation moderated by Vanity Fair’s Lisa Robinson.


BEHIND THE SCREENS

Lake City
This screening of Lake City, directed and written by Perry Moore and Hunter Hill, will be followed by a conversation with actress Sissy Spacek. The film is a dramatic narrative about a family threatened by violent criminals and a mother and son who must reconcile the past in order to save their home. Powerful performances by Spacek and Troy Garity highlight this potent drama, which also features Dave Matthews and Rebecca Romijn.

DATE: Saturday, April 26
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater


Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Melvin Van Peebles will discuss his career and his latest film, Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha. Written and directed by Van Peebles, Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha is a semi-autobiographical boisterous adventure that ranges from Harlem to the high seas and follows the exploits of an unforgettable character (MVP, natch) who’s always on the move—but keeps ending up back in New York.

DATE: Thursday, May 1
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater


Under Our Skin
Andy Abrahams Wilson, director of Under Our Skin, will talk with Dr. Richard Horowitz and author/Lyme disease sufferer Amy Tan about his provocative and often terrifying documentary about arguably the most overlooked and misdiagnosed ailment currently verging on epidemic throughout the United States - Lyme disease - and the shocking controversies surrounding its identification and treatment.

DATE: Sunday April 27
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater



TRIBECA TALKS PANEL SERIES


TRIBECA TALKS: Mike Figgis
Hosted by Skillset
Despite being nominated for an Oscar®, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe, Mike Figgis is still considered an “indie” film maverick. He was ahead of the digital filmmaking trend with 2000’s Timecode, is a founding patron of the online community Shooting People, and created a stabilizer for digital cameras known as the “Fig Rig.” A world-class director, writer, and composer, Figgis believes that cinema is today’s best storytelling medium, and his constant evolution in digital filmmaking challenges the way we experience those stories.

This special Tribeca Talks is hosted by Skillset’s Trailblazers program—a showcase for the best and brightest of new British cinema talent.

DATE: Monday, April 28
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater


Pangea Day, TED & Tribeca
If you had the world’s attention, what story would you tell? The Tribeca Film Festival joins CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and TED Prize-winning filmmaker Jehane Noujaim (Control Room) to discuss the launch of Pangea Day (May 10, 2008)—a moment when the world stops, watches, and listens to each other’s stories around the world’s first global campfire. Moderated by TED curator, Chris Anderson.

DATE: Tuesday, April 29
TIME: 7 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater


Injecting the American Dream
Part of the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival
America’s performance enhancing appetite has never been bigger. And it’s not just in pro-sports or Hollywood. From high school locker rooms to anti-aging clinics, our nation is embracing steroids and human growth hormone like never before, spurring a furious debate about the ethics of enhancement. Join filmmaker Christopher Bell, who documented his brothers’ struggle to be “the best,” Victor Conte and others in a provocative discussion about the pitfalls and promise of the asterisk era, and where we go from here. Moderated by Steroid Nation author Shaun Assael.

DATE: Saturday, May 3
TIME: 5 PM
LOCATION: PACE



TRIBECA TALKS – INDUSTRY

What You See Is What You Get
Sponsored by Kodak
Bringing a story to the screen is no easy feat. First, there is the script, then finding the actors, the money, the crew (what exactly is a grip?)… It really does take a village! But what the audience finally sees on the big screen is really dependent on two key players – the Director and the Cinematographer. These roles are so intricately entwined with each other that no film would look quite the same without their collaboration. Join us for a discussion with these artists including directors Jonathan Levine (The Wackness), Joshua Seftel (War, Inc.) and Aaron Woodley (Tennessee), cinematographer David Greene (Tennessee) and Director of Photography Fred Murphy and learn how this collaboration turns vision into reality. Moderated by American Cinematographer writer John Calhoun.

PWHAT
DATE: Tuesday, April 29
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Kellen Auditorium at The New School


Tribeca Talks Industry: Shane Meadows
Hosted by Skillset
With over 30 short films to his credit, self-taught director, writer and sometime actor, Shane Meadows is well regarded as one of the shining stars of British cinema. A 2008 BAFTA winner for Best British Film for This Is England, Meadows brings a thoroughly unique post-modern style to filmmaking. With each of his films, set in the Midlands, Meadows gives audiences a front row seat to the broad experiences of disenfranchised youth. Join us for a conversation with Meadows and his writer Paul Fraser as he brings his latest, Somers Town, to the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Moderated by film journalist Anthony Kaufman.

This Tribeca Talks: Industry panel is hosted by Skillset’s Trailblazers program—a showcase for the best and brightest of new British cinema talent.

DATE: Saturday, April 26
TIME: 3 PM
LOCATION: Kellen Auditorium


Reuse, Remix & Renew Film tools for the 21st century
Being an indie filmmaker is expensive—emotionally, financially, and legally. Many young artists don’t have the tools to create the films they want or to license them for future use. How does one navigate the uncharted legal waters of the internet, blogs, and podcasts? How can a “some rights reserved” approach to copyrighting benefit filmmakers and film fans alike? Join Eric Steuer (Contributing Editor, Wired; Creative Director, Creative Commons;) Paul “DJ Spooky” Miller, Himanshu Singh from the University of Southern California, and filmmaker and Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain for a discussion about technology, intellectual property, and the future of participatory media.

DATE: Thursday, May 1
TIME: 5 PM
LOCATION: Kellen Auditorium


Click To View: The Future of New Media
Sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter
Writers fought for it, directors want it, and actors are next in line. What is “new media,” and what does it mean for artists and audiences? Join those on the frontlines of this fast-growing industry for a conversation with filmmaker Isabella Rossellini, whose series of short films were created for mobile devices, and Gaurav Dhillon, founder and CEO of Jaman, about what we watch, make, and distribute outside the multiplex. Moderated by Georg Szalai (Hollywood Reporter).

DATE: Friday, April 25th
TIME: 5 PM
LOCATION Tribeca Cinemas, Theater 2



CONVERSATIONS IN CINEMA


Standard Operating Procedure
Can a photograph change the world? Can an expose also be a cover-up? In Standard Operating Procedure, Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris turns the camera on the American soldiers who took the infamous Abu Ghraib photographs. Join filmmaker Errol Morris in a conversation with Jarhead author Anthony Swofford following the North American Premiere of Standard Operating Procedure.

DATE: Thursday, April 24
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater


2001: A Space Odyssey - Ahead of its Time
Sponsored by Alfred P Sloan Foundation
It’s one of the most spine tingling and memorable lines in movie history "Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?" - and it was spoken by a computer. 2001: A Space Odyssey was ahead of its time in many ways – depicting the most accurate vision of outer space to date (the weightlessness, the silence), to predicting many "modern" inventions: credit cards data strips, flat-screen TVs, inflight entertainment and voice recognition. Join us for a special discussion following a screening of Kubrick's futuristic masterpiece, where pilot and astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 11, the first lunar landing, will join scientists and Contact screenwriter Ann Druyan to discuss the realities of the film, and the realities of artificial intelligence.

DATE: Sunday, April 27
TIME: 3PM
LOCATION: PACE


90 Miles The Documentary
The title of Grammy-winner Gloria Estefan’s latest album, “90 Millas,” refers to the distance between Cuba and southern Florida, a region that has become synonymous with Latin culture. At the core of that culture is its music, and Gloria’s husband Emilio captured the blood, sweat and tears that went into the new record in this very intimate film about the music-making process. Join director Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, and musicians Nelson Gonzalez, Johnny Pacheco and La India for a candid discussion after the screening.

DATE: Thursday, May 1
TIME: 6 PM
LOCATION: BMCC


Celebrating Berlin
Hosted by the School of Visual Arts

Lou Reed's critically acclaimed 1973 album "Berlin" was yet another musical step forward in the career of the man who brought the darkest themes of literature to rock and roll. For years, "Berlin" was considered one of the more eclectic works in Reed's extraordinary catalog, but one that clearly cried out for a theatrical presentation. In 2006, backed by a full orchestra, Reed performed the miniopera in its entirety over five nights at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY. And, under the direction of painter/director Julian Schnabel, this historic event was captured on film.

Join Lou Reed in a conversation with Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson following the premiere of Julian Schnabel's film Lou Reed's Berlin.

DATE: Sunday, May 4
TIME: 7 PM
LOCATION: Directors Guild Theater

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