WHAT: The 48th annual Atlanta Film Festival and Creative Conference will take place Thursday, April 25 - Sunday, May 5, 2024 at the Plaza Theatre and Tara Theatre in Atlanta and virtually. 

Media are invited to attend the red carpet Marquee screening of “POWER” on Sunday, May 5, 2024. 

About “POWER””: In the United States, police have been granted extraordinary power over our individual lives. The police determine who is suspicious and who ‘fits the description.’ They define the threats and decide how to respond. They demand obedience and carry the constant threat of violence. Thousands of these interactions play out in our cities and towns every day, according to real and perceived ideas of criminality and threats to social order—as decided by the police. Police make the abstract power of the state real.

“POWER” traces the accumulation of money, the consolidation of political power, and the nearly unrestricted bipartisan support that has created the institution of policing as we know it. The film offers a visceral and immersive journey to demonstrate how we’ve arrived at this moment in history, from the slave patrols of the 1700’s and the first publicly funded police departments of the 1800’s to the uprisings of the 1960’s and 2020’s. "POWER" premieres May 17 on Netflix.

Directed by: Yance Ford

Executive Producers: Jon Bardin, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Anya Rous

Producers: Yance Ford, Jess Devaney, Sweta Vohra and Netsanet Negussie 

Starring: Wesley Lowery, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Paul Butler, Julian Go

WHO: 

Director Yance Ford is expected to participate in red carpet interviews prior to the screening. 

About Yance Ford: Ford is an Oscar-nominated director and producer based in New York City. His feature documentary film STRONG ISLAND premiered at Sundance in 2017 to critical acclaim winning a Special Jury Award for storytelling. The film was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the 90th Academy Awards, where Ford made history as the first openly transgender director nominated for an Oscar. STRONG ISLAND received the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Film, the Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and the Black Film Critics Circle Award for Best Doc; was nominated for a George Foster Peabody Award; and won for Best Direction, Best Debut, and Best Feature at the Cinema Eye Honors. 

WHEN:

Sunday, May 5, 2024

• Carpet Opens: 6:00PM 

• “POWER” Screening Begins: 6:30PM

• Q&A with Yance Ford: Immediately following the screening 

WHERE:  The Tara Theatre | Jack Auditorium | 2345 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

MEDIA RSVP: 

Please contact ATLFF@ssmandl.com with your interest in covering on-site or in advance.

For information on Opening and Closing Night red carpet screenings, please click here.  

* * *

The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming th

SIFF announces lineup, tributes & premieres slated for the

50th Seattle International Film Festival, returning May 9-19

261 films with 18 World, 26 North American, and 14 U.S. Premieres make up the lineup for the Festival’s 50th anniversary, screening at venues across Seattle, including SIFF’s newly opened

SIFF Cinema Downtown

SEATTLE – SIFF announced today the lineup of films included in the 50th Seattle International Film Festival, to be held May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the SIFF Channel May 20–27. The Festival will screen 261 films representing 84 countries/regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings, and 115 short films.

In addition to the full lineup, SIFF announced today that Seattle native and Emmy®, Golden Globe®, SAG Award®, and Critics Choice Award-winning actress Jean Smart will be awarded The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award for her contributions to storytelling on film, television, and the stage. The event will feature a screening of an episode from the new season of the Max Original comedy series Hacks, followed by the Trailblazer trophy presentation and a conversation between Smart and THR Contributing Editor Stacey Wilson Hunt. 

The Festival will open with Josh Margolin’s action comedy Thelma from Magnolia Pictures, which will screen at The Paramount Theatre during the Festival's Opening Night on May 9. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Writer & Director Josh Margolin, lead actress June Squibb, and producers Zoë Worth and Chris Kaye. Following the Q&A, there will be an after-party onstage and outside on Ninth Ave.

SIFF will honor June Squibb with the 2024 Golden Space Needle Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema for the unforgettable work she’s presented throughout the span of her career. The Oscar-nominated actress and lead of the Festival’s Opening Night film,

Thelma, will be presented the award at a special Tribute Event on May 11 at SIFF Cinema Downtown with a conversation moderated by Variety’s Jenelle Riley. Prior to the event, there will be an Honoree Brunch with Squibb at Palace Kitchen.

Closing the Festival is Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing from A24, which will screen on May 18 at SIFF Cinema Downtown. Director and co-writer Greg Kwedar will be in attendance and participate in a Q&A after the screening along with members of the film’s ensemble cast, who will receive a Golden Space Needle Award for excellence in Ensemble Acting. A Closing Night party will follow at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).

Additional highlights showing throughout the Festival include Focus Features’ Sundance award-winner Dìdi (

弟弟), a directorial debut from Oscar® nominee Sean Wang (SIFF 2023 Grand Jury winner for Live Action short); Neon’s Babes written by and starring Ilana Glazer and directed by debut helmer Pamela Adlon; IFC’s stirring and emotional Ghostlight which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; Harmony Korine’s latest boundary-pushing work AGGRO DR1FT; a new 4K restoration of Wim Wenders’ iconic Wings of Desire, in celebration of the 70th anniversary of German Films; and an exciting new slate of cINeDIGENOUS films, including the world premiere of Molokaʻi Bound, directed by Alika Tengan (Kanaka Maoli).

A variety of film and event passes are on sale now. Ticke

The Festival de Cannes is honoring a cinema legend, awarding its Honorary Palme d'or for the first time to a group: Studio Ghibli.

Alongside the Hollywood greats, the Japanese studio embodied by two superb storytellers, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and a host of cult characters, has unleashed a fresh wind on animated film over the past four decades.  

style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival's genre satellite brings to the audience 3 feature film premieres and Méliès D'Argent Short Film Competition. The side programme consists of special screenings, retro section and fresh Estonian short films. The festival dates are 26.-28. April. 

The premieres of HÕFF Main Programme are:

Chainsaws Were Singing 
director: Sander Maran
Estonia, 2024
World Premiere

This year's opening of HÕFF will go down in history as the most outrageous film of the entire history of Estonian cinema. The director, Sander Maran, calls his debut feature "a shameless action-horror-musical-comedy". The film was in the production for almost 10 years, and it ensures a wild ride with inventive kills, a chainsaw solo, exploding cars, romance, cute animal attacks, and even a supernatural Bukkake fridge. 

Crimson Snout
director: Luu Thanh Luan
Vietnam, 2024
International Premiere
 
Luu Thanh Luan's film draws on Vietnam's tradition of eating dog meat as a delicacy, and the growing debate about ending it. It is the most popular Vietnamese horror film of all time, earning $4.5 million at the domestic box office. The head of a butcher's family, whose butchery sells dog meat, dies in suspicious circumstances. His family, torn apart by internal strife, begins to see ghosts that leave no doubt that there is a curse - karma bites and it hurts!

Hi, EU!
director: Ruslan Akun
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, 2024
International Premiere

Kyrgyz director Ruslan Akun's hilarious comedy was partially shot in Estonia - the capital, Tallinn, has been portrayed as Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, even Paris! 
A Kyrgyz grandfather, Tolembai and the babushka Shaken, hitchhike from Asia to Europe to attend the graduation ceremony of their beloved grandson, Jermek. They could fly, but Tolembai has a heart condition - the only option is a road-trip. On their incredible journey, the two oldsters are constantly caught up in cultural conflicts that only humour can resolve.

Other highlights from the fresh genre cinema around the world:
 

• Two features, The Missing (Philippines, Thailand, dir. Carl Joseph E Papa) and In Flames (Pakistan, Canada, dir. Zarrar Kahn) were picked as the best international film Oscar candidates.
• Festival hits: When The Evil Lurks (Argentina, dir.  Demián Rugna); The Soul Eater (France, dir. Julien Maury, Alexandre Bustillo); Read more

Celebrating its 30th -anniversary, the Palm Springs International ShortFest, one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America, will return this year from June 18-24, 2024. Sponsored by the City of Palm Springs, this year’s ShortFest will be presented at the Regal Palm Springs. In addition to screenings, the ShortFest Forum will occur with classes and panels featuring industry representatives, filmmakers, and additional guests. The ShortFest Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award-qualifying awards, will be announced on Sunday, June 23. The Best of the Fest shorts will screen on the final day, Monday, June 24, as well as virtually from July 10-14.

Designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, BIFA and Goya Awards as an award-qualifying festival, the Palm Springs International ShortFest and Short Film Market is one of the most acclaimed short film showcases in the world. Previous short films screened at the Festival have included Oscar-nominated documentary short Nai Nai & Wài Pó, acclaimed live-action short The Old Young Crow, Oscar-winning documentary short The Queen of Basketball, Death & Ramen with comedian Bobby Lee and actor Matt Jones, Last Call with actor Tom Holland, The Long Goodbye with actor Riz Ahmed, Three Trees voiced by actress Whoopi Goldberg, and many more. 

The Palm Springs International Film Society is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate and promote the art and science of film through education and cross-cultural awareness. The Film Society produces the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) and Film Awards in January and Palm Springs International ShortFest in June. In addition to curating the best in international cinema, PSIFF’s Film Awards has come to be known as the first stop on the campaign trail for the Academy Awards® and its Oscar®-qualifying ShortFest is the largest short film festival and market in North America. Its Festivals, year-round member screenings and educational programs manifest the organization’s mission by nurturing and encouraging new filmmaking talent, honoring the great masters of world cinema, and expanding audience horizons.  

For additional information and tickets, call the festival headquarters at (760) 778-8979 or visit the website at https://www.psfilmfest.org/shortfest-2024.

© RICCARDO GHILARDI

Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer Rodrigo Sorogoyen to be Jury President of the 63rd edition of La Semaine de la Critique.

Politically committed film director Rodrigo Sorogoyen sheds a harsh light on society, questions human nature, successfully bringing critics and the general public together around his work.

After his studying at Madrid’s ECAM film school, Rodrigo Sorogoyen wrote screenplays for TV series and co-directed his first film, 8 Dates, with Peris Romano. In 2011, he founded Caballo Films and directed his first solo feature film, Stockholm, co-writing the script with screenwriter Isabel Peña, who was to become his closest collaborator.

Together, they wrote staggeringly intense films:  May God Save Us, The Realm, and Mother (the short film of the same name competed at the Oscars in 2017), The Madrilenian filmmaker made his début in Cannes with The Beasts, with Marina Foïs and Denis Ménochet, in the 2022 official selection. The film won 9 Goya Awards the next year, including that for Best Film and Best Director, as well as the César for Best Foreign Film. 

Rodrigo Sorogoyen will give the Semaine de la Critique Grand Prize for best feature film, the French Touch Prize of the Jury, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star Award for best actor or actress, and the Leitz Cine Discovery Prize for best short film.  

Accompanying him in his duties, Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire (Augure by Baloji, My New Friends by André Téchiné, Haven of Grace by Vincent Maël Cardonna), French Producer Sylvie Pialat (Timbuktu by Abderrahmane Sissako, Staying Vertical by Alain Guiraudie, The Whistlers by Corneliu Porumboiu), Belgian cinematographer Virginie Surdej (The Blue Caftan by Maryam Touzani, Our Mothers by César Díaz - 2019 Semaine de la Critique and Caméra d’Or, Casablanca Beats by Nabil Ayouch), as well as Canadian film critic and journalist Ben Croll.

Read more Final Cannes Speculation / Amy Adams Film Back in the Game? / Janet Planet Trailer, Poster and Release Date Final Cannes Speculation / Amy Adams Film Back in the Game? / Janet Planet Trailer, Poster and Release Date Rick W / Tuesday, April 9, 2024 0 13 FINAL CANNES SPECULATION All of the anticipation about what films will be selected for the 77th Cannes film Festival comes to a conclusion on Thursday when the bulk of the films that have been invited will be revealed.  The unveiling is set for 11:00 AM Paris time.  That should mean I'll have the skinny in Thursday morning's regularly scheduled post.  A quick note here, however, is that may mean that Thursday's post doesn't go up as early in the morning as it usually does.   With that, here are the final two Cannes spec pieces that I'll pass along with my guesses from those lists which films seem most Telluride-ish.  From Indiewire and Ioncinema. From Indiewire: Bird- Dir: Andrea Arnold The End- Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer Juror #2- Dir: Clint Eastwood Marcel and Mister Pagnol- Dir: Sylvain Chomet Megalopolis- Dir: Francis Ford Coppola Oh, Canada- Dir: Paul Schrader Queer- Dir: Luca Guadagnino Rumours- Dir: Guy Maddin Parthenope- Dir: Paolo Sorrentino The complete list from Indiewire is here. And from Ioncinema: Anora- Dir: Sean Baker Bird- Dir: Andrea Arnold Emilia Perez- Dir: Jacques Audiard Hard Truths- Dir: Mike Leigh Parthenope- Dir: Paolo Sorrentino The End-  Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer   And here are three films that are included on Ioncinema's list and have been on others that I've not included previously on my guess list but...do have a slim possibility of a T-ride play" The Shrouds- Dir: David Cronenberg The Most Valuable Commodity- Dir: Francois Ozon When Autumn Comes- Dir: Michel Hazanavicius The Ioncinema list is here.  Let's see what happens on Thursday! AMY ADAMS FILM BACK IN THE GAME? I had written off Marielle Heller's Nightbitch starring TFF tribute recipient Amy Adams (2016) Read more Interview With Director Bess Kargman On Feature Documentary "Diane Warren: Relentless" (2024) @ SXSW Interview With Director Bess Kargman On Feature Documentary "Diane Warren: Relentless" (2024) @ SXSW Rick W / Monday, April 8, 2024 0 15 Documentarian filmmaker Bess Kargman's latest opus- “Diane Warren: Relentless” held its World Premiere at SXSW. The film focuses on Academy Award Winning songwriter Diane Warren and features interviews with Diane Warren herself, as well as Clive Davis, Common, Gloria Estefan, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jennifer Hudson, Cher, Randy Jackson, Quincy Jones. An intimate, captivating and revealing underdog story, providing audiences with a rarely seen glimpse behind one of the most successful, prolific songwriters of all time: Diane Warren. Diane Warren, a prolific songwriter with an unparalleled track record of writing mega-hits for industry giants, emerges as a force to be reckoned with in "Diane Warren: Relentless". Boasting 15 Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar along with Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane has etched her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and is responsible for the soundtrack of our lives. In this intimate documentary, filled with Diane’s signature humor, audiences get a rarely seen glimpse into Diane’s life and underdog journey to where she is today. Marked by a distinctive songwriting approach, unconventional life choices, and an exceptional work ethic with a touch of irreverence, the narrative unfolds, delving into her most remarkable collaborations with first-hand commentary from Cher, Gloria Estefan, David Foster, Jennifer Hudson, Kesha and many more to showcase the creative genius that is Diane Warren.    In an interview with Bess Kargman about the film, here is what she has to say:   Can you tell us your background and what led you to filmmaking? BESS: I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember (ask my parents) but I didn’t know from an early age that I would become a film director. I graduated from Amherst College with a passion for photography, art history and music but it wasn’t until I took a non-fiction writing workshop in New York City that I realized I wanted to shift into journalism and other forms of non-fiction storytelling. I attended Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and initially focused on public radio until, in my final semester, I took a documentary directing class that changed everything.   What do you love about documentary films that separates them from narrative films? And why do you think they are having a comeback? BESS: There are a few principles that have guided me over the years - “a story is only as good as its characters” and “access is everything.” The first holds true for narrative filmmaking as well, but those characters are shaped in the writer’s room. My job as a documentary director is to not write other people’s stories - it is to capture their stories as an observer, and to not interfere. The best verité films are the ones where subjects seem to forget that a camera is in the room. To answer the question about documentaries making a comeback, to me it feels like the “Golden Age of documentary films” is waning. Just to clarify, the demand isn’t waning (people love true stories), but the outlets that distribute documentaries seem to be shrinking and/or consolidating. I pray that this is not a trend that continues.   You have worked on TV and film. Do you have a project or experience you are most proud of? Read more RSS Load next 10 article(s) (103 left)Loading... _ THE JURY MEMBERS