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“Infested” Offers Sick Thrills “Infested” Offers Sick Thrills

“Infested” Offers Sick Thrills

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Infested (Sébastien Vanicek, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Spiders are a vital part of our ecosystem, and in recent years I have fought against my earlier tendencies to kill them inside the home. Still, I wish they could avoid building webs across my walkway, as there’s something particularly unsettling about stepping through those sticky […]

The post “Infested” Offers Sick Thrills first appeared on Film Festival Today.
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2024 Cannes Film Festival: Claude Barras’ “Sauvages” & Paronnaud/Ducord’s “Into the Wonderwoods” Added! 2024 Cannes Film Festival: Claude Barras’ “Sauvages” & Paronnaud/Ducord’s “Into the Wonderwoods” Added!

2024 Cannes Film Festival: Claude Barras’ “Sauvages” & Paronnaud/Ducord’s “Into the Wonderwoods” Added!

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2024 Cannes Film Festival: Claude Barras’ “Sauvages” & Paronnaud/Ducord’s “Into the Wonderwoods” Added!

The filmmakers of My Life as a Courgette and Persepolis are set to return to the big stage with their latest films as the Cannes Film Festival have pumped in the very last titles for the 2024 edition pumping a pair of animated films in the Screening for Young Audiences section and a quartet of premieres for Cinéma de la Plage section.

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News & Opportunities: April 2024 Round-Up News & Opportunities: April 2024 Round-Up

News & Opportunities: April 2024 Round-Up

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Our regular monthly update featuring the latest news and opportunities for your cinema, festival or film society.

ICO News
  • Tomorrow, Saturday 27 April, is the 30th anniversary of South African Freedom Day – a date which marks the first non-racialized democratic elections to take place in the country. In celebration of this event, we have worked with Cinema Africa! and Maona Art to bring a 4K restoration of Mapantsula to UK and Irish cinemas. See our website for details of where it’s screening. And if you’d like to screen it in your venue too, we can take bookings until the end of May.
  • A retired Georgian teacher sets out to reunite with her estranged trans niece in Crossing – the compassionate third feature by director Levan Akin (And Then We Danced) and the first film to be confirmed for the ID Screening Days programme. We’ll be announcing further programme details over the coming weeks, ahead of the event in June.
  • Earlier this week, ICO Director Catharine Des Forges was in parliament to discuss the challenges currently facing independent cinemas! You can watch the full recording on the Parliament YouTube channel, which also included representatives from Watershed, Picturehouse, Studiocanal and Vue.
  • Festival based outside of Europe? We’re currently running a 25% discount on membership to our International Film Festival Network. Until 31 May you can join the network at this reduced rate and gain access to exclusive benefits, including an invitation to attend an International Film Festival summit we’re hosting in Wrocław this July.
  • Thanks to everyone who responded to our recent callout for pitches. We’re currently busy reviewing all the submissions – but if you’ve got an idea for an article please get in touch.
Opportunities & Resources
  • Film Camp gathers together film exhibitors from across the Midlands (and beyond) to share their wealth of experience, and to explore fresh approaches to programming, marketing and audience development. The event is open to everyone from multi-screen venues and festivals to community cinema organisers and student film groups. This year’s event will take place on Thursday 16 May at MAC, Birmingham.
  • This year’s Into Film Festival is running between the 12-28 November and now is the time to sign up your cinema to take part! This free schools event is part of Into Film’s year-round audience development drive and a great opportunity to connect with local schools and young people.
  • On Thursday 16 May, creative career app ERIC is sharing their most interesting data at a free-to-attend event. The data will show how their 100,000 16-25-year-old app users are reacting to and interacting with different creative careers and which outreach methods are most popular.
  • Save the date! Cinema Rediscovered – the UK’s leading festival of classic cinema – returns to venues in and around Bristol from 24-2
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48TH ANNUAL ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL RED CARPET SCREENING OF “POWER”

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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

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48TH ANNUAL ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL OPENING AND CLOSING NIGHT RED CARPET PRESENTATIONS 

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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 Save The Date(s) to participate in Opening Night and Closing Night red carpet screening events on Friday, April 26, 2024 and Saturday, May 4, 2024 respectively. 

WHO & FILMS: 

Opening Night Presentation of “THE IDEA OF YOU” 

Director Michael Showalter is expected to participate in red carpet interviews and will receive the Atlanta Film Festival’s “The Rebel Award” in an on-stage presentation prior to the start of the film. 

About: Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. 

Directed by: Michael Showalter 

Screenplay by: Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt, Based Upon the Book by Robinne Lee Produced by: Cathy Schulman p.g.a., Gabrielle Union p.g.a., Anne Hathaway p.g.a., Robinne Lee, Eric Hayes, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick 

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo 

Closing Night Presentation of “SING SING” 

Filmmaker Greg Kwedar and cast members Clarence 'Divine Eye' Maclin, John ‘Divine G’ Whitfield, Sean 'Dino' Johnson, and Jon Adrian ‘JJ’ Velazquez are expected to participate in red carpet interviews. 

About: Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. 

Directed by: Greg Kwedar 

Executive Producers: Raúl Domingo, Michael Heimler, Michael Heimler, Larry Kalas Starring: Colman Domingo, Sean Dino Johnson, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, Paul Raci 

WHEN: 

Opening Night Presentation of “THE IDEA OF YOU” 

Friday, April 26, 2024 

● Red Carpet Check In Opens: 5:45PM - 6:00PM

● Red Carpet Interviews: 6:00PM - 7:00PM 

● Pre-Screening Presentation of “The Rebel Award” to Michael Showalter: 7:00PM

● Screening Begins: 7:10PM 

● Q&A with Writer/Director/Producer Michael Showalter: Immediately following the screening 

Closing Night Presentation of “SING SING” 

Saturday, May 4, 2024 

● Red Carpet Check In Opens: 5:45PM - 6:00PM 

● Red Carpet Interviews: 6:00PM - 7:00PM 

● Screening Begins: 7:00PM 

● Q&A with filmmaker and cast members: Immediately following the screening 

WHERE:  Both screenings will take place at The Plaza Theatre, 1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306 

MEDIA RSVP: 

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

* * * 

The Atlanta Film Festival is the annual centerpiece of educational and enriching film programming that is provided year-round by its parent or

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Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks off today at Cinépolis Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks off today at Cinépolis

Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks off today at Cinépolis

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Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 kicks-off today with screenings in 5 theaters in Mexico City and the opening-night film, FRIDA, directed by Carla Gutiérrez
During the Festival, 12 feature films and the Mexican Shorts Program will be screened, along with 8 Q&A sessions and 2 panels featuring directors and producers of the films.

Mexico City, April 25th, 2024 – Cinépolis, the leading cinema exhibition company in Mexico and Latin America, and the Sundance Institute, the nonprofit organization behind the world-famous Sundance Film Festival whose year-round work is dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences, inaugurated the Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 at Cinépolis VIP Miyana, with a press conference featuring Eugene Hernández, Director of the Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming, Kim Yutani, Director of Sundance Programming, Alejandro Ramírez, CEO of Cinépolis, Miguel Rivera, Vice President of Global Programming and Content at Cinépolis, and filmmakers of the films selected for this first edition.

“The Sundance Film Festival has always been a meaningful gathering of storytellers and audiences to discover original voices, ignite captivating dialogue, and build a community dedicated to independent cinema,” said Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “To be able to bring that shared experience to Mexico City is an honor for us. We invite you to join us starting today as we launch Sundance Film Festival CDMX with a dynamic and entertaining program filled with films, panels, and more.”

The inaugural conference presented all the details about the screenings with Q&A sessions, to be moderated by Sundance Film Festival programmers, and the panels that will take place, in addition to the screenings of the 12 feature films and the Mexican Shorts Program. The talented filmmakers that traveled to Mexico City for Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 include: Dorottya Zurbó (Agent of Happiness), Carla Gutiérrez (Frida), Alejandra Vazquez and Samuel Osborn (Going Varsity in Mariachi), Juan Mejía and producer Daniela Alatorre (IGUALADA), Alessandra Lacorazza (In the Summers), Jeff Zimbalist and producer María Bukhonina (Skywalkers: A Love Story), Pedro Freira, (Malú), Caroline Lindy and lead actress Melissa Barrera; (Your Monster). From the Mexican Shorts Program the festival will count with the presence of, Gabriel Herrera (Al Motociclista no le Cabe la Felicidad en su Traje), Selma Cervantes (Chica de Fábrica), producer and cast member Paloma Petra (El Sueño Más Largo Que Recuerdo), and Gerardo Coello (Viaje de Negocios).

“We can’t wait to celebrate the incredible works created by artists who are equally inspiring and visionary with audiences at the inaugural Sundance Film Festival CDMX,” commented Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “The Festival provides a place for cinema lovers to enthusiastically share in the energy and power of independent storytelling. We are looking forward to showcasing the wide range of films and conversations that have been specially curated for this exceptional occasion.”

The opening-night screening of Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 features the documentary Frida

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Meet the Game Designer of Paper Trail Meet the Game Designer of Paper Trail

Meet the Game Designer of Paper Trail

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Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure that follows the adventures of Paige, an astrophysicist in the making. We meet her as she leaves home and her worried parents to pursue her dream. Here, players fold the world like origami in order to solve a series of challenging and fun levels. This is a story about creating your own path, metaphorically and literally! Developed by Newfangled Games, this captivating title won Best Game at our first-ever Games Lab in 2023. We caught up with Henry Hoffmann, a BAFTA-winning game designer and founder of the studio, to learn more about Paper Trail’s unique gameplay mechanic, the origins of the plot and what’s next for this exciting indie studio.

ASFF: Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey as a Game Designer so far?
HH: I’ve been making games in some form since I was 9 years old! That was when we got our first family computer and I got a copy of this drag and drop game making tool called Klik & Play. After making hundreds of 2D games using that, I upgraded to Blender and made hundreds more 3D games! I then went to University to study videogame art and design, where I founded my first company and made the game Mush. We got a publishing deal with Microsoft, won a BAFTA, and had great fun – all before graduating University! Since then I’ve started a number of indie game studios and worked on games including QUBE, Mortar Melon, Hue and now my most recent game Paper Trail!

ASFF: Paper Trail follows the protagonist Paige, who, against the wishes of her parents, runs away from home to study astrophysics at university. How did you come up with the plot?
HH: Well, it went through many iterations as the idea for the game developed. Originally, we were thinking about what kinds of narrative could be informed by the mechanic, this idea of folding the world and instantly travelling between realms. The idea of being in two places at the same time, that was the seed for our earliest versions of the story. That led us down a bit of a dark path. We had a story about a girl whose parents were going through a divorce, whilst her grandma hides a growing illness – you try to fix both by being in two places at the same time, but ultimately fail to solve anything. This one explored hard lessons about prioritising yourself, understanding your limits and forgiving your inner child. Needless to say, that isn’t the direction we ended up taking.

We instead drew on some personal experiences around feeling trapped in our hometown, of longing for adventure and broader horizons, of being among the first of our peers to leave and about making peace with our pasts too. We were in a small town in Suffolk, dreaming of going to university and leaving home – itching to get out there and start experiencing life. Paige is much the same! In fact the town which Paige grows up in is called Southfold. A play on the seaside town Southwold in East Anglia, where we used to go on holiday as a family.

ASFF: There’s a unique gameplay mechanic that involves players folding paper to create new paths and solutions. Could you tell us more? For instance, how did you come up with the idea?
HH: Yeah! So the folding mechanic is what makes Paper Trail really unique. The world is set out on these individual pieces of paper with levels on the fronts and the backs of the papers. What’s cool is that you can fold these papers, effectively merging the two levels where the front and back meet. You can then seamlessly pass through this rift where you’ve folded paper, as if you&

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'Sunflowers Were the First to Know' in La Cinef section at Cannes 2024 and other fascinating short films of Chidananda S Naik

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The year 2024 marks a fortunate moment for Indian cinema as it has a presence at the Cannes Film Festival to talk about. Payal Kapadia’s film, “All We Imagine as Light” (2024), in Malayalam and Hindi, has the distinction of being the first Indian film selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d’Or in the past three decades—following Shaji N Karun’s “Swaham” (1994). Additionally, Sandhya Suri’s Hindi film “Santosh” (2024) vies for recognition in the Un Certain Regard section. Notably, Chidananda S Naik’s Kannada short film, “Sunflowers Were the First to Know” (2023), has been chosen to participate in the La Cinef section, which showcases and promotes films from various film schools worldwide, fostering emerging talent. The jury will present the La Cinef awards during a ceremony on May 23 at the Bunuel Theatre.

Chidananda S Naik pursued his passion for filmmaking after completing MBBS at Mysore Medical College. He studied Direction at Film and Television Institute of India Pune. The short fiction film 'Sunflowers Were the First to Know’, created as part of FTII’s year end coordinated exercise of TV- wing, runs for 15 minutes. Directed by Chidananda S Naik, the film features a talented team: Suraj Thakur (Camera), Manoj V (Editing), and Abhishek Kadam (Sound). 'Sunflowers Were the First to Know' portrays a mother’s unwavering love for her son—a love that will go any extent to protect him. She steals the village's prized rooster to shield him. This plunges the entire village into chaos as they embark on a search for the missing rooster. Revealing more risks spoilers, but the film, shot entirely at night, evokes a mysterious ambiance. While it may be loosely categorized as magic realism, Naik draws inspiration from the folk traditions of his Banjara community This captivating film breaks free from typical Indian art-house tropes, charting a fresh path.

In 'Bhule Chuke Tules’ (2023) which translates to ‘To the Forgotten’, a 12 minutes documentary in the Gorboli language, Naik explores his personal identity. As a member of the Banjara tribe - a nomadic community of traders - he visits a Banjara settlement, capturing its songs, folk tales and the tribe’s history as recounted by the elders. The film discovers beauty within the humble settlement through its captivating visuals. This documentary serves as a record of the community’s life, preserved only through oral literature passed down through generations.

Naik’s very first exercise film at FTII titled 'Trishna’ (2022) meaning ‘Longing’ hinted at his talent. This 5-minute Marathi film imaginatively delves into a young boy’s world, drawing on mythology. Madhav, an 8-year-old who has spent his days playing in his village, is sent to town for schooling. Naik skillfully avoids the common cinematic trope of portraying children as overly cute or speaking like adults. Living with his admonishing aunt and uncle, he yearns for home. This short film is very well edited with competent cuts from shot to shot. When the teacher scolds Madhav, the camera focuses solely on the boy, capturing his emotional turmoil. While the elders advise the boy against lying, the film’s mythical undertones offer an intriguing dimension. 

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Another Early Oscar Look / Will Abel Screen at Abel? / Speaking of Cannes... Another Early Oscar Look / Will Abel Screen at Abel? / Speaking of Cannes...

Another Early Oscar Look / Will Abel Screen at Abel? / Speaking of Cannes...

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ANOTHER EARLY OSCAR LOOK






Joey Magidson of Awards Radar has posted his first set of picks for the 2025 Oscars and as has been my way, I've looked through them for possible TFF #51 titles.  Magidson has divided them into two parts.  Part One went up last Friday focusing on "Above the Line" categories.  Part Two will be posted later this week.

Here's what I'm seeing from Part One beginning with films Magidson thinks are Best Picture contenders:

Blitz-Steve McQueen
Conclave-Edward Berger
Maria-Pablo Larrain
The Nickel Boys-Ross
SNL 1975-Reitman
Queer-Gaudagnino
Bird-Arnold
The End-Oppenheimer
The Apprentice-Abbasi
The Piano Lesson-Washington

From the other "Above the Line" Categories:

Megalopolis-Coppola
The Actor-Johnson
We Live in Time-Crowley




WILL ABEL SCREEN AT ABEL?




News this week that a newly restores print of Abel Gance's monumental silent film Napoleon will lead off the Cannes Classics section on May 14th.

From Cannes' press release:

"A legend known to cinephiles the world over, a major work of the silent era, one of the most monumental restorations in the history of filmmaking will be unveiled on May 14 as a world premiere: Napoléon by Abel Gance (1st period), in a version resulting from a colossal, passionate effort by the Cinémathèque française, with the support of the CNC."

Naturally that makes one think that the restoration could be a natural choice for TFF.  I can see this screening at Elk Park which is re-christened the Abel Gance Open Air Cinema each year for the festival.

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