When Oscar-winning animation director Mark Andrews (“Brave”) called his old Pixar pal Alex Mandel about his latest gig, “Super Giant Robot Brothers,” Mandel was 6,700 miles away in New Zealand managing projects for visual effects house Weta Digital.
Mandel, whose other creative side happens to be classically trained composer, dove into Andrews’ new project and created more than three hours of music for the series now airing on Netflix.
“Super Giant Robot Brothers” is a 3D animated action-comedy from Reel FX about massive metal robots destined to save the world from invading kaiju – giant monsters from space – while trying to overcome their own sibling rivalry. Andrews, a drummer who used to jam with guitarist Mandel at Pixar events, suggested the musical style: synthwave.
Synthwave combines heavy metal with ’80s synthpop, adding ’90s production elements for a retro-meets-modern approach that reminded Andrews of the Japanese animated series he watched as a kid.
Mandel, whose other creative side happens to be classically trained composer, dove into Andrews’ new project and created more than three hours of music for the series now airing on Netflix.
“Super Giant Robot Brothers” is a 3D animated action-comedy from Reel FX about massive metal robots destined to save the world from invading kaiju – giant monsters from space – while trying to overcome their own sibling rivalry. Andrews, a drummer who used to jam with guitarist Mandel at Pixar events, suggested the musical style: synthwave.
Synthwave combines heavy metal with ’80s synthpop, adding ’90s production elements for a retro-meets-modern approach that reminded Andrews of the Japanese animated series he watched as a kid.
- 8/16/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
While it’s a quieter than usual month overall for new movies on Netflix, the past seven days did bring us a handful of interesting films to help keep folks entertained. Ranging from classic social commentary, to under the radar comedy-dramas, to a criminally underrated action flick, there’s more than likely to be a pic that arrived this week to suit your tastes.
So, without further ado, let’s break down the best new movies that hit the platform over the last several days.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Headlining this week’s recommendations is Milos Forman’s award-winning drama. Ostensibly a social commentary that takes its aim at the American psychiatric system, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest centres on criminal Randle Patrick McMurphy (played brilliantly by the iconic Jack Nicholson), who pleads insanity to avoid hard labor, only to end up rallying up the patients within...
So, without further ado, let’s break down the best new movies that hit the platform over the last several days.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Headlining this week’s recommendations is Milos Forman’s award-winning drama. Ostensibly a social commentary that takes its aim at the American psychiatric system, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest centres on criminal Randle Patrick McMurphy (played brilliantly by the iconic Jack Nicholson), who pleads insanity to avoid hard labor, only to end up rallying up the patients within...
- 9/19/2020
- by Dylan Chaundy
- We Got This Covered
As if September hasn’t already been filled to the brim with incredible movies and shows, Netflix is bringing even more to you today in the largest content drop since the first of the month. With a handful of documentaries, a popular children’s flick, and new seasons of some great shows, there’s something for everyone on this exciting release day.
To begin with, The Smurfs 2 lands on the platform today, ensuring that any kids in the house are certain to sit still for a few hours. Plus, although the sequel is widely considered worse than the original and holds only a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, you may find some harmless and inoffensive fun if you grew up watching the classic show.
Elsewhere, beloved series like Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars are getting additional seasons today, too. The former is finally having its third season added, while the latter...
To begin with, The Smurfs 2 lands on the platform today, ensuring that any kids in the house are certain to sit still for a few hours. Plus, although the sequel is widely considered worse than the original and holds only a 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, you may find some harmless and inoffensive fun if you grew up watching the classic show.
Elsewhere, beloved series like Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars are getting additional seasons today, too. The former is finally having its third season added, while the latter...
- 9/15/2020
- by Billy Givens
- We Got This Covered
It’s time to look ahead at what’s coming to Netflix over the next seven days and what a big week it’s set to be for the streaming giant. As well as the usual assortment of newly licensed titles being added to the site’s library, there are a number of hotly anticipated original movies and TV shows due this week as well.
While nothing new arrives on Monday, Tuesday delivers 15 fresh titles for you to consume, ranging from the latest season of British period drama Call the Midwife to 2013’s The Smurfs 2. There’s also some great documentary content, including the second seasons of both America’s Book of Secrets and The Universe.
Wednesday then sees the first major original of the week hit Netflix – psychological thriller The Devil all the Time, starring a packed cast of A-Listers including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Sebastian Stan.
While nothing new arrives on Monday, Tuesday delivers 15 fresh titles for you to consume, ranging from the latest season of British period drama Call the Midwife to 2013’s The Smurfs 2. There’s also some great documentary content, including the second seasons of both America’s Book of Secrets and The Universe.
Wednesday then sees the first major original of the week hit Netflix – psychological thriller The Devil all the Time, starring a packed cast of A-Listers including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Sebastian Stan.
- 9/13/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Isa of the day is a continuing series of profiles of very special international sales agents. Shoreline Entertainment, one of the longest running independent film production companies and international sales agencies, has expanded its management arm to foster Latin American and women driven projects. You can see its Cannes lineup here.
The company was founded in 1992 by CEO and film producer Morris Ruskin whose production “Glengarry Glen Ross” launched him into the top level of indie producers. Shoreline’s Latin American Division for Management and Production is meeting with great success in repping over 25 directors, writers, actors, DPs and more.
Two interviews here, one with Alex Flores, the head of the division and the other with Diana Elizabeth Torres, a California based actress and writer illuminate their strategy and mission.
Alex and Morris’s friendship dates back 20 years, and their professional relationship flourished with films “Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School” starring Robert Carlyle,...
The company was founded in 1992 by CEO and film producer Morris Ruskin whose production “Glengarry Glen Ross” launched him into the top level of indie producers. Shoreline’s Latin American Division for Management and Production is meeting with great success in repping over 25 directors, writers, actors, DPs and more.
Two interviews here, one with Alex Flores, the head of the division and the other with Diana Elizabeth Torres, a California based actress and writer illuminate their strategy and mission.
Alex and Morris’s friendship dates back 20 years, and their professional relationship flourished with films “Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School” starring Robert Carlyle,...
- 4/20/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Feel-good dramedy stars Diana Elizabeth Torres as a chef who dreams of working in a sushi bar.
Myriad Pictures is in Cannes with worldwide rights excluding Latin America, South Korea and airlines for the feel-good foodie dramedy East Side Sushi.
Anthony Lucero wrote and directed the film that stars Diana Elizabeth Torres as a Mexican-American chef who dreams of working behind the male-dominated sushi bar at a Japanese restaurant. Julie Rubio and Lucero produced.
Myriad brokered the deal with Samuel Goldwyn Films, who released the film theatrically in September last year.
“We are very pleased to be selling this delightful comedy that pokes at race and gender stereotypes,” said Myriad president Kirk D’Amico. “I wanted to call it Juana’s Dreams Of Sushi but we will stick with the current title.”...
Myriad Pictures is in Cannes with worldwide rights excluding Latin America, South Korea and airlines for the feel-good foodie dramedy East Side Sushi.
Anthony Lucero wrote and directed the film that stars Diana Elizabeth Torres as a Mexican-American chef who dreams of working behind the male-dominated sushi bar at a Japanese restaurant. Julie Rubio and Lucero produced.
Myriad brokered the deal with Samuel Goldwyn Films, who released the film theatrically in September last year.
“We are very pleased to be selling this delightful comedy that pokes at race and gender stereotypes,” said Myriad president Kirk D’Amico. “I wanted to call it Juana’s Dreams Of Sushi but we will stick with the current title.”...
- 5/13/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's new on Netflix and TV, we've got you covered.
TV Worth Watching
"The Good Wife" (Sunday on CBS at 9 p.m.)
This is it. The end of an era. After seven seasons of heartbreak (she'll always love you, Will!), headaches, incredibly sharp writing, and powerful performances from Julianna Margulies down to the many amazing guest stars, Alicia Florrick's story is coming to an end on May 8. The series finale, appropriately titled "End," was written by showrunners Robert and Michelle King, and directed by Robert King. Margulies told Entertainment Weekly the finale will be "satisfying, uplifting and sad." The showrunners have Not shot down that Josh Charles return rumor, so here's hoping for some kind of flashback/vision/cameo/thing. Also, here's hoping for more of this, from Alicia and Jason:
"Project Runway: All Stars...
TV Worth Watching
"The Good Wife" (Sunday on CBS at 9 p.m.)
This is it. The end of an era. After seven seasons of heartbreak (she'll always love you, Will!), headaches, incredibly sharp writing, and powerful performances from Julianna Margulies down to the many amazing guest stars, Alicia Florrick's story is coming to an end on May 8. The series finale, appropriately titled "End," was written by showrunners Robert and Michelle King, and directed by Robert King. Margulies told Entertainment Weekly the finale will be "satisfying, uplifting and sad." The showrunners have Not shot down that Josh Charles return rumor, so here's hoping for some kind of flashback/vision/cameo/thing. Also, here's hoping for more of this, from Alicia and Jason:
"Project Runway: All Stars...
- 5/2/2016
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
On Demand DVD New Releases May 2-8 The American Side When a private eye’s partner is caught in a blackmail scheme gone bad, he trails the prime suspect to Niagara Falls. Thrust into a world of whiskey, intrigue and rogue agents, he joins the quest. Matthew Broderick, Camilla Belle (Nr, 1:30) 5/3 The Choice From Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author of The Notebook and Safe Haven, comes this heart-lifting romance about how far we go to keep the hope of love alive. Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer (PG-13, 1:51) 5/3 East Side Sushi Juana, a working-class single mother, decides to take a job … Continue reading →
The post On Demand DVD New Releases – May 2-8 appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post On Demand DVD New Releases – May 2-8 appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 5/2/2016
- by Meredith Ennis
- ChannelGuideMag
Twenty-nine films from twelve countries have been nominated in the sixth annual edition of the Cinema Tropical Awards, honoring the best of Latin American cinema of the year in six different categories: Best Feature Film; Best Documentary Film; Best Director, Feature Film; Best Director, Documentary Film; Best First Film; and Best U.S. Latino Film.
The five films competing for the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Feature Film of the Year are: The Club by Pablo Larraín (Chile), Jauja by Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Los Hongos by Oscar Ruiz Navia (Colombia), The Princess of France by Matías Piñeiro (Argentina), and White Out, Black In by Adirley Queirós (Brazil).
The five nominees for Best U.S. Latino Film of the Year are: The Book of Life by Jorge Gutierrez, East Side Sushi by Anthony Lucero, Mala Mala by Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and We Like It Like That by Mathew Ramirez Warren.
The winners of the 6th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a special evening ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. The winning films will be showcased as part of the Cinema Tropical Festival at Museum of the Moving Image, February 25-28, 2016, celebrating the organization’s 15th anniversary.
The candidates were culled from a comprehensive list of films created by a nominating committee composed of 12 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. All the films under consideration had a minimum of 60 minutes in length and premiered between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.
Complete List of Nominations:
Best Feature Film
• "The Club"/ "El club" (Pablo Larraín, Chile, 2015)
• "Jauja" (Lisandro Alonso, Argentina, 2014)
• "Los Hongos" (Óscar Ruiz Navia, Colombia, 2014)
• "The Princess of France" / "La princesa de Francia" (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina/USA, 2014)
• "White Out, Black In" / "Branco Sai, Petro Fica" (Adirley Queirós, Brazil, 2014)
Best Director, Feature Film
• Nicolás Pereda, "The Absent" / "Los ausentes" (Mexico, 2014)
• Gabriel Mascaro, "August Winds" / "Ventos de Agosto" (Brazil, 2014)
• Pablo Larraín, "The Club" / "El club" (Chile, 2015)
• Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas, "Sand Dollars" / "Dólares de arena" (Dominican Republic/Mexico/Argentina, 2014)
• Paz Fábrega, "Viaje" (Costa Rica, 2015)
Best First Film
• "600 Miles" (Gabriel Ripstein, Mexico, 2015)
• "The Fire" / "El incendio" (Juan Schnitman, Argentina, 2015)
• "Ixcanul" (Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala, 2015)
• "She Comes Back on Thursday" / "Ela Volta Na Quinta" (Andrés Novais Oliveira, Brazil, 2014)
• "Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes)" / "Videofilia (y otros síndromes virales)" (Juan Daniel F. Molero, Peru, 2015)
Best Documentary Film
• "A Committee Chronicle" / "Crónica de un comité" (José Luis Sepúlveda and Carolina Adriazola, Chile, 2014)
• "Identification Photos" / "Retratos de Identificaçao" (Anita Leandro, Brazil, 2014)
• "Invasion" / "Invasión" (Abner Benaim, Panama, 2014)
• "Last Conversations" / "Últimas Conversas" (Eduardo Coutinho, Brazil,2015)
• "Monte Adentro" (Nicolás Macario Alonso, Colombia/Argentina, 2014)
Best Director, Documentary Film
• Maíra Bühler and Matias Mariani, "I Touched All Your Stuff"/ "A Vida Privada dos Hipopótamos" (Brazil, 2014)
• Karina García Casanova, "Juanicas" (Mexico, 2014)
• Betzabé García, "Kings of Nowhere"/ "Los reyes del pueblo que no existe" (Mexico, 2015)
• Aldo Garay, "The New Man" / "El hombre nuevo" (Uruguay, 2015)
• Christopher Murray, "Propaganda" (Chile, 2014)
Best U.S. Latino Film
• "The Book of Life" (Jorge Gutierrez, USA, 2014)
• "East Side Sushi" (Anthony Lucero, USA, 2014)
• "Mala Mala" (Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles, USA/Puerto Rico, 2014)
• "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon USA, 2015)
• "We Like It Like That" (Mathew Ramirez Warren, USA, 2015)
2015 Jury: Amalia Córdova, film programmer and scholar; Aaron Cutler, film critic and programmer; Paul Dallas, film critic; Vanessa Erazo, Film Editor, Remezcla; Michelle Farrell, film scholar; Sandra Kogut, filmmaker; Dominic Davis, film programmer, Rooftop Films; David Schwartz, Chief Curator, Museum of the Moving Image; Diana Vargas, Artistic Director, Havana Film Festival New York.
2015 Nominating Committee: Fábio Andrade, Revista Cinética, Brazil; Juan Pablo Bastarrachea, Cine Tonalá, Mexico; Consuelo Castillo, Doctv Latinoamérica, Colombia; Fernando del Razo, Riviera Maya Film Festival, Mexico; Vanessa Erazo, Film Editor, Remezcla, USA; Luis Gonzalez Zaffaroni, DocMontevideo, Uruguay; James Lattimer, Berlinale's Forum, Germany; Alicia Morales, Lima Film Festival, Peru; Joel Poblete. Sanfic, Chile; Andrea Stavenhagen, San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; Charles Tesson, Critics' Week, Cannes, France; Raúl Niño Zambrano, International Documentary Film Festival - Idfa, Netherlands.
The five films competing for the Cinema Tropical Award for Best Feature Film of the Year are: The Club by Pablo Larraín (Chile), Jauja by Lisandro Alonso (Argentina), Los Hongos by Oscar Ruiz Navia (Colombia), The Princess of France by Matías Piñeiro (Argentina), and White Out, Black In by Adirley Queirós (Brazil).
The five nominees for Best U.S. Latino Film of the Year are: The Book of Life by Jorge Gutierrez, East Side Sushi by Anthony Lucero, Mala Mala by Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, and We Like It Like That by Mathew Ramirez Warren.
The winners of the 6th Annual Cinema Tropical Awards will be announced at a special evening ceremony at The New York Times Company headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, January 20, 2016. The winning films will be showcased as part of the Cinema Tropical Festival at Museum of the Moving Image, February 25-28, 2016, celebrating the organization’s 15th anniversary.
The candidates were culled from a comprehensive list of films created by a nominating committee composed of 12 film professionals from Latin America, the U.S., and Europe. All the films under consideration had a minimum of 60 minutes in length and premiered between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.
Complete List of Nominations:
Best Feature Film
• "The Club"/ "El club" (Pablo Larraín, Chile, 2015)
• "Jauja" (Lisandro Alonso, Argentina, 2014)
• "Los Hongos" (Óscar Ruiz Navia, Colombia, 2014)
• "The Princess of France" / "La princesa de Francia" (Matías Piñeiro, Argentina/USA, 2014)
• "White Out, Black In" / "Branco Sai, Petro Fica" (Adirley Queirós, Brazil, 2014)
Best Director, Feature Film
• Nicolás Pereda, "The Absent" / "Los ausentes" (Mexico, 2014)
• Gabriel Mascaro, "August Winds" / "Ventos de Agosto" (Brazil, 2014)
• Pablo Larraín, "The Club" / "El club" (Chile, 2015)
• Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas, "Sand Dollars" / "Dólares de arena" (Dominican Republic/Mexico/Argentina, 2014)
• Paz Fábrega, "Viaje" (Costa Rica, 2015)
Best First Film
• "600 Miles" (Gabriel Ripstein, Mexico, 2015)
• "The Fire" / "El incendio" (Juan Schnitman, Argentina, 2015)
• "Ixcanul" (Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala, 2015)
• "She Comes Back on Thursday" / "Ela Volta Na Quinta" (Andrés Novais Oliveira, Brazil, 2014)
• "Videophilia (and Other Viral Syndromes)" / "Videofilia (y otros síndromes virales)" (Juan Daniel F. Molero, Peru, 2015)
Best Documentary Film
• "A Committee Chronicle" / "Crónica de un comité" (José Luis Sepúlveda and Carolina Adriazola, Chile, 2014)
• "Identification Photos" / "Retratos de Identificaçao" (Anita Leandro, Brazil, 2014)
• "Invasion" / "Invasión" (Abner Benaim, Panama, 2014)
• "Last Conversations" / "Últimas Conversas" (Eduardo Coutinho, Brazil,2015)
• "Monte Adentro" (Nicolás Macario Alonso, Colombia/Argentina, 2014)
Best Director, Documentary Film
• Maíra Bühler and Matias Mariani, "I Touched All Your Stuff"/ "A Vida Privada dos Hipopótamos" (Brazil, 2014)
• Karina García Casanova, "Juanicas" (Mexico, 2014)
• Betzabé García, "Kings of Nowhere"/ "Los reyes del pueblo que no existe" (Mexico, 2015)
• Aldo Garay, "The New Man" / "El hombre nuevo" (Uruguay, 2015)
• Christopher Murray, "Propaganda" (Chile, 2014)
Best U.S. Latino Film
• "The Book of Life" (Jorge Gutierrez, USA, 2014)
• "East Side Sushi" (Anthony Lucero, USA, 2014)
• "Mala Mala" (Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles, USA/Puerto Rico, 2014)
• "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon USA, 2015)
• "We Like It Like That" (Mathew Ramirez Warren, USA, 2015)
2015 Jury: Amalia Córdova, film programmer and scholar; Aaron Cutler, film critic and programmer; Paul Dallas, film critic; Vanessa Erazo, Film Editor, Remezcla; Michelle Farrell, film scholar; Sandra Kogut, filmmaker; Dominic Davis, film programmer, Rooftop Films; David Schwartz, Chief Curator, Museum of the Moving Image; Diana Vargas, Artistic Director, Havana Film Festival New York.
2015 Nominating Committee: Fábio Andrade, Revista Cinética, Brazil; Juan Pablo Bastarrachea, Cine Tonalá, Mexico; Consuelo Castillo, Doctv Latinoamérica, Colombia; Fernando del Razo, Riviera Maya Film Festival, Mexico; Vanessa Erazo, Film Editor, Remezcla, USA; Luis Gonzalez Zaffaroni, DocMontevideo, Uruguay; James Lattimer, Berlinale's Forum, Germany; Alicia Morales, Lima Film Festival, Peru; Joel Poblete. Sanfic, Chile; Andrea Stavenhagen, San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain; Charles Tesson, Critics' Week, Cannes, France; Raúl Niño Zambrano, International Documentary Film Festival - Idfa, Netherlands.
- 12/27/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As Donald Trump continues to travel the country putting forth a disturbingly xenophobic agenda during his increasingly less quixotic campaign for the presidency, he conveniently ignores the self-evident fact that the United States' history is shaped by the immigrant experience. Two different sets of cultures collide in the upcoming "East Side Sushi," which tells the kind of story which could only happen in America. Read More: Tiff Review: 'Samba' Starring Mar Sy, Tahar Rahim & Charlotte Gainsbourg Starring Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi and Jesus Fuentes and directed by Anthony Lucero, the story follows Juana, a Latino woman trying to raise her son on her own and who lands a job as a kitchen assistant at a local Japanese restaurant. She discovers a whole new world of cuisine and culture, and thus finds her passion for cooking reignited, but things get tricky when she demands a promotion. As you'll see in this clip,...
- 8/27/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
East Side Sushi Cinequest Reviewed by: Harvey Karten for Shockya. Databased on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: B+ Director: Anthony Lucero Screenwriter: Anthony Lucero Cast: Diana Elizabeth Torres, Yutaka Takeuchi, Jesus Fuentes Screened at: Critics’ link, NYC, 8/21/15 Opens: September 18, 2015 In presiding over food competitions, the judges look for originality, taste and speed. Film competitions are similar. While you can’t generally taste a movie and since speed does not count (unless the picture is a turkey), originality is prized by all those (meaning people of mature taste) who do not want to see the same plot over and over. “East Side Sushi” is a prime example of an original. While [ Read More ]
The post East Side Sushi Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post East Side Sushi Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 8/24/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
The 4th annual Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff), scheduled for November 12-16, 2014, announced its Narrative and Documentary feature film competition lineups as well as Jury members. The 2014 Festival will screen 22 feature films in competition. The full film program line-up, including out-of-competition special presentations, sneak previews of awards season contenders, and narrative, documentary and animated shorts, will be announced in September.
“Our thoughts are with everyone in the Napa Valley who have suffered losses from the recent earthquake,” said Co-Founder/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We are proud to be part of a community that rallies in support of each other in such a generous and big hearted way. As they say in the business, the show must go on.”
“This is an exceptionally strong year for both the Narrative and Documentary competition programs,” said Program Director Herb Stratford. “These filmmakers have created new works that provoke, inspire, educate and entertain. They are the heart of our program each year, which includes more than 100 new independent films and advance studio screenings, and we are excited to announce their participation in the festival.”
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Serving as faculty for a set of Master Classes at Nvff 2014 are producer Ted Hope ( Adventureland, 21 Grams); writer/director Joshua Michael Stern (Jobs, Swing Vote) writer/director Joe Carnahan (The Blacklist; The Grey, Smokin’ Aces); producer Pam Koffler (Killer Films); and producer J. Todd Harris ( The Kids are All Right; Bottle Shock); Ryan Harrington (Tribeca Film Institute); producer Jason Berman (Struck by Lightning, Luv); producer Anne Carey (Archer Gray Productions); executives Tom Quinn (RADiUS) and David Glasser (The Weinstein Company). Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Anne Hathaway, Billie Joe Armstrong, Elizabeth Banks, Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Stephen Lang, Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Dev Patel, Kyra Sedgwick, Chloe Sevigny and Paul Wesley, among others. The 12 films selected include:
"Thank You A Lot"- Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a breakup and a part-time hip-hop artist. Jack’s future hinges on signing the one person he is barely on speaking terms with — his estranged father, a respected and reclusive country singer/songwriter. "East Side Sushi"- Juana‘s work – preparing fruit for the family’s sidewalk cart – is steady, but hardly her life’s calling. Despite the objections and concerns of her family, Juana decides to pursue her dream of becoming an expert sushi chef, to go where her heart tells her, not where she is expected to be. "Fall To Rise" - Principal dancer Lauren Drake is beautiful, talented and famous. When Lauren is released from her company after being sidelined by an injury, she quickly becomes frustrated with her new domestic lifestyle. At a performance by another dance company, she meets and teams up with Des, a former dancer who is also eager to have a second chance in the dance world. "Little Accidents" (Isa: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment) - In a small West Virginia town reeling from a recent tragic accident in the local mine, a fresh unfortunate incident in the woods leaves a young boy dead. Meanwhile Owen, an injured miner struggling to adjust to his new life aboveground, joins the search for the first boy who is presumed lost in the woods. "Like Sunday, Like Rain" - Reggie Kipper is a sweet, awkward cello prodigy, a composer and overall genius. He’s about to graduate from high school and enroll at MIT — and he’s is only twelve years old. Eleanor Fallon is a 23-year old struggling musician who meets Reggie when she is hired to be his au pair, and the unlikely duo embarks on a summer adventure that neither of them ever expected. "Sun Belt Express"- Allen King, a man living on the Arizona/Mexico border, finds out what his breaking point is when his ex-wife demands money, and his job teaching at a college south of the border evaporates. Allen then finds a unique way to supplant his income by transporting illegal aliens in the trunk of his car. "Sam & Amira" (Isa: Preferred Entertainment) - Sam is an army veteran struggling to assimilate into normal life stateside. He works a variety of odd jobs, tries his hand at stand-up comedy, and is recruited by his cousin into some shady investment dealings. Sam’s already complicated life is made more so by Amira, an Iraqi woman dealing with her own issues who is the daughter of an old army colleague. "Song One" (Isa: Lotus Entertainment) - Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring singer-songwriter, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives. "The Road Within" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Vincent has Tourette Syndrome. When his mother dies, he becomes obsessed with scattering her ashes by the ocean. Too much for his father to handle, Vincent is sent to a residential treatment center in Nevada where he befriends two other “inmates” struggling with their own personal issues. "Kinderwald" - Pennsylvania wilderness, 1885. John Linden, a hard-working German immigrant, is making a go of homesteading with his brother’s widow and her two young sons. John’s visually and spiritually idyllic world is thrown into utter chaos when the two boys go missing while off playing in the woods. "Wildlike" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Mackenzie is a fourteen-year-old girl whose father died last year. When her struggling mother checks herself into a recovery center, Mackenzie is sent from their Seattle home to live with her uncle in Alaska. At first he seems a supportive caretaker, but when his infatuation crosses a sexual line, Mackenzie runs away. With no one else to turn to, she shadows a solitary backpacker, Bartlett, a widowed man with scars of his own, into the beauty and danger of America’s last frontier.
Documentary Competition Section
"American Native" - For years, the legend of the Jackson Whites tribe has been told, passed down from generation to generation of New Jersey suburbanites. While the garish stories and tall tales have never been hard to find, the truth behind them has. Accessing the community is not easy; few outsiders have been able to penetrate the insular walls formed from centuries of discrimination. "Botso" - Dr. Botso Korisheli, 91 and still teaching music along with his unique philosophy, has a fascinating and unforgettable life story. Born in the former Soviet State of Georgia, Botso witnessed his father imprisoned under orders from Josef Stalin while his home was taken over by the Kgb. Forced to dig ditches for the Soviet army, Botso was then captured by the Germans. "Flying The Feathered Edge" - Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, age 92, is considered by many to be our greatest living aviator. Nicknamed “The Pilot’s Pilot” by his peers, Bob is largely unknown outside aviation circles despite his staggering array of accomplishments. Following a storied career during WWII as a fighter pilot, Bob continued to serve for years as one of our best test pilots. Mr. Hoover will be in attendance for screenings and Q&As. "Happy Valley" (Isa: Submarine Entertainment) - Few sports dynasties in the modern era have had a larger and longer-lasting profile than college football’s Penn State and its legendary coach Joe Paterno. State College, Pennsylvania, is in the heart of an area known as Happy Valley, ground zero of a proud football tradition for decades. When the shocking sex abuse scandal of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky rocked that town and college in 2011, the impact was unprecedented. "Havana Curveball" - At age 13 and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, Mica takes to heart his rabbi’s injunction to help “heal the world.” Mica imagines himself a hero for other kids, and hatches a grand plan to send baseballs, bats and gloves to Cuba. Mica knows only that Cubans are poor and love baseball, and that Cuba “saved” his grandpa’s life when he was escaping from Nazi Germany. "States of Grace" - Dr. Grace Dammann’s life was forever altered when a driver crashed head-on into her car on the Golden Gate Bridge. After a seven-week coma and numerous surgeries, Grace miraculously regained consciousness, with her cognitive abilities almost entirely intact, but her body left shattered and severely disabled. "Underwater Dreams" - The epic story of four teenage boys from the Arizona desert who dare to go up against college engineering students from MIT. Inspired by two energetic high school science teachers, the boys build a robot from hardware store parts and enter an underwater robotics competition sponsored by Nasa. "An Honest Liar" - For as long as there have been magicians and illusionists, there have been doubters and debunkers making sure that the general public doesn’t get taken for a ride. One of the greatest illusionists of his era was “The Amazing Randi,” who made the shift from magic and escape acts to exposing the frauds who prey on unsuspecting victims. "Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank" (Isa: Preferred Content) - Few members of the U.S. Congress have ever been as polarizing and revolutionary as Barney Frank has been over the past 40 years. Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank examines the career, passions and legacy of our first openly gay Congressman. This rare and intimate documentary is entertaining, enlightening and thought-provoking. "#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator" (Isa: Preferred Content) - In #chicagoGirl, we meet freedom fighters in the streets of Homs and Damascus along with the stateside collection of exiles working to return Syria to a stable and human rights-respecting country. Will 21st century tools of change stand up to guns and violence and terror in the streets? Narrative Features Jury
Christine Vachon , (Producer, "Boys Don’t Cry," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Far From Heaven")
Peter Baxter ( Co-founder/Director Slamdance Film Festival)
Dierk Sinderman (Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
Lisa Truitt ( Producer, James Cameron’s "Deepsea Challenge 3D,""Mysteries of Egypt")
Don Lewis (Producer; Editor Film Threat)
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury
Morgan Neville ("Twenty Feet From Stardom")
Tiffany Shlain ("The Tribe; Connected: An Autobiography About Love," "Death & Technology")
Freida Lee Mock ("Anita. G-Dog,""Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," "Return with Honor")
Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine ("Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,""Ballets Russes").
Narrative Shorts Jury
Joshua Michael Stern ("Jobs,""Swing Vote," "Neverwas")
Ralph Macchio (Actor, "The Karate Kid;" Director, "Across Grace Alley")
Neil Berkeley ("Beauty in Embarrassing;" Founder Brkl)
Animated Shorts
Bill Plympton (The King of Indie Animation)
Adam Glick (Amazon Web Services)
Ryan Tudhope (Atomic Fiction)
About The Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, Nvff lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. Nvff features over 100 new independent films and studio sneak previews screening in 12 beautiful venues throughout four walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Attendees enjoy film panels & culinary demonstrations, wine tasting pavilions, the spectacular Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners and more. For information or to buy passes, visit NapaValleyFilmFest.org...
“Our thoughts are with everyone in the Napa Valley who have suffered losses from the recent earthquake,” said Co-Founder/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer. “We are proud to be part of a community that rallies in support of each other in such a generous and big hearted way. As they say in the business, the show must go on.”
“This is an exceptionally strong year for both the Narrative and Documentary competition programs,” said Program Director Herb Stratford. “These filmmakers have created new works that provoke, inspire, educate and entertain. They are the heart of our program each year, which includes more than 100 new independent films and advance studio screenings, and we are excited to announce their participation in the festival.”
Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in Nvff’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Serving as faculty for a set of Master Classes at Nvff 2014 are producer Ted Hope ( Adventureland, 21 Grams); writer/director Joshua Michael Stern (Jobs, Swing Vote) writer/director Joe Carnahan (The Blacklist; The Grey, Smokin’ Aces); producer Pam Koffler (Killer Films); and producer J. Todd Harris ( The Kids are All Right; Bottle Shock); Ryan Harrington (Tribeca Film Institute); producer Jason Berman (Struck by Lightning, Luv); producer Anne Carey (Archer Gray Productions); executives Tom Quinn (RADiUS) and David Glasser (The Weinstein Company). Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.
Narrative Competition Section
Films in the Narrative competition section feature actors Anne Hathaway, Billie Joe Armstrong, Elizabeth Banks, Tate Donovan, Rachael Harris, Zoe Kravitz, Stephen Lang, Leighton Meester, Debra Messing, Dev Patel, Kyra Sedgwick, Chloe Sevigny and Paul Wesley, among others. The 12 films selected include:
"Thank You A Lot"- Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a breakup and a part-time hip-hop artist. Jack’s future hinges on signing the one person he is barely on speaking terms with — his estranged father, a respected and reclusive country singer/songwriter. "East Side Sushi"- Juana‘s work – preparing fruit for the family’s sidewalk cart – is steady, but hardly her life’s calling. Despite the objections and concerns of her family, Juana decides to pursue her dream of becoming an expert sushi chef, to go where her heart tells her, not where she is expected to be. "Fall To Rise" - Principal dancer Lauren Drake is beautiful, talented and famous. When Lauren is released from her company after being sidelined by an injury, she quickly becomes frustrated with her new domestic lifestyle. At a performance by another dance company, she meets and teams up with Des, a former dancer who is also eager to have a second chance in the dance world. "Little Accidents" (Isa: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment) - In a small West Virginia town reeling from a recent tragic accident in the local mine, a fresh unfortunate incident in the woods leaves a young boy dead. Meanwhile Owen, an injured miner struggling to adjust to his new life aboveground, joins the search for the first boy who is presumed lost in the woods. "Like Sunday, Like Rain" - Reggie Kipper is a sweet, awkward cello prodigy, a composer and overall genius. He’s about to graduate from high school and enroll at MIT — and he’s is only twelve years old. Eleanor Fallon is a 23-year old struggling musician who meets Reggie when she is hired to be his au pair, and the unlikely duo embarks on a summer adventure that neither of them ever expected. "Sun Belt Express"- Allen King, a man living on the Arizona/Mexico border, finds out what his breaking point is when his ex-wife demands money, and his job teaching at a college south of the border evaporates. Allen then finds a unique way to supplant his income by transporting illegal aliens in the trunk of his car. "Sam & Amira" (Isa: Preferred Entertainment) - Sam is an army veteran struggling to assimilate into normal life stateside. He works a variety of odd jobs, tries his hand at stand-up comedy, and is recruited by his cousin into some shady investment dealings. Sam’s already complicated life is made more so by Amira, an Iraqi woman dealing with her own issues who is the daughter of an old army colleague. "Song One" (Isa: Lotus Entertainment) - Estranged from her family, Franny returns home when an accident leaves her brother comatose. Retracing his life as an aspiring singer-songwriter, she tracks down his favorite musician, James Forester. Against the backdrop of Brooklyn’s music scene, Franny and James develop an unexpected relationship and face the realities of their lives. "The Road Within" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Vincent has Tourette Syndrome. When his mother dies, he becomes obsessed with scattering her ashes by the ocean. Too much for his father to handle, Vincent is sent to a residential treatment center in Nevada where he befriends two other “inmates” struggling with their own personal issues. "Kinderwald" - Pennsylvania wilderness, 1885. John Linden, a hard-working German immigrant, is making a go of homesteading with his brother’s widow and her two young sons. John’s visually and spiritually idyllic world is thrown into utter chaos when the two boys go missing while off playing in the woods. "Wildlike" (Isa: Panorama Media) - Mackenzie is a fourteen-year-old girl whose father died last year. When her struggling mother checks herself into a recovery center, Mackenzie is sent from their Seattle home to live with her uncle in Alaska. At first he seems a supportive caretaker, but when his infatuation crosses a sexual line, Mackenzie runs away. With no one else to turn to, she shadows a solitary backpacker, Bartlett, a widowed man with scars of his own, into the beauty and danger of America’s last frontier.
Documentary Competition Section
"American Native" - For years, the legend of the Jackson Whites tribe has been told, passed down from generation to generation of New Jersey suburbanites. While the garish stories and tall tales have never been hard to find, the truth behind them has. Accessing the community is not easy; few outsiders have been able to penetrate the insular walls formed from centuries of discrimination. "Botso" - Dr. Botso Korisheli, 91 and still teaching music along with his unique philosophy, has a fascinating and unforgettable life story. Born in the former Soviet State of Georgia, Botso witnessed his father imprisoned under orders from Josef Stalin while his home was taken over by the Kgb. Forced to dig ditches for the Soviet army, Botso was then captured by the Germans. "Flying The Feathered Edge" - Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, age 92, is considered by many to be our greatest living aviator. Nicknamed “The Pilot’s Pilot” by his peers, Bob is largely unknown outside aviation circles despite his staggering array of accomplishments. Following a storied career during WWII as a fighter pilot, Bob continued to serve for years as one of our best test pilots. Mr. Hoover will be in attendance for screenings and Q&As. "Happy Valley" (Isa: Submarine Entertainment) - Few sports dynasties in the modern era have had a larger and longer-lasting profile than college football’s Penn State and its legendary coach Joe Paterno. State College, Pennsylvania, is in the heart of an area known as Happy Valley, ground zero of a proud football tradition for decades. When the shocking sex abuse scandal of assistant coach Jerry Sandusky rocked that town and college in 2011, the impact was unprecedented. "Havana Curveball" - At age 13 and preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, Mica takes to heart his rabbi’s injunction to help “heal the world.” Mica imagines himself a hero for other kids, and hatches a grand plan to send baseballs, bats and gloves to Cuba. Mica knows only that Cubans are poor and love baseball, and that Cuba “saved” his grandpa’s life when he was escaping from Nazi Germany. "States of Grace" - Dr. Grace Dammann’s life was forever altered when a driver crashed head-on into her car on the Golden Gate Bridge. After a seven-week coma and numerous surgeries, Grace miraculously regained consciousness, with her cognitive abilities almost entirely intact, but her body left shattered and severely disabled. "Underwater Dreams" - The epic story of four teenage boys from the Arizona desert who dare to go up against college engineering students from MIT. Inspired by two energetic high school science teachers, the boys build a robot from hardware store parts and enter an underwater robotics competition sponsored by Nasa. "An Honest Liar" - For as long as there have been magicians and illusionists, there have been doubters and debunkers making sure that the general public doesn’t get taken for a ride. One of the greatest illusionists of his era was “The Amazing Randi,” who made the shift from magic and escape acts to exposing the frauds who prey on unsuspecting victims. "Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank" (Isa: Preferred Content) - Few members of the U.S. Congress have ever been as polarizing and revolutionary as Barney Frank has been over the past 40 years. Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank examines the career, passions and legacy of our first openly gay Congressman. This rare and intimate documentary is entertaining, enlightening and thought-provoking. "#chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator" (Isa: Preferred Content) - In #chicagoGirl, we meet freedom fighters in the streets of Homs and Damascus along with the stateside collection of exiles working to return Syria to a stable and human rights-respecting country. Will 21st century tools of change stand up to guns and violence and terror in the streets? Narrative Features Jury
Christine Vachon , (Producer, "Boys Don’t Cry," "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Far From Heaven")
Peter Baxter ( Co-founder/Director Slamdance Film Festival)
Dierk Sinderman (Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
Lisa Truitt ( Producer, James Cameron’s "Deepsea Challenge 3D,""Mysteries of Egypt")
Don Lewis (Producer; Editor Film Threat)
Documentary Features and Shorts Jury
Morgan Neville ("Twenty Feet From Stardom")
Tiffany Shlain ("The Tribe; Connected: An Autobiography About Love," "Death & Technology")
Freida Lee Mock ("Anita. G-Dog,""Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision," "Return with Honor")
Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine ("Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden,""Ballets Russes").
Narrative Shorts Jury
Joshua Michael Stern ("Jobs,""Swing Vote," "Neverwas")
Ralph Macchio (Actor, "The Karate Kid;" Director, "Across Grace Alley")
Neil Berkeley ("Beauty in Embarrassing;" Founder Brkl)
Animated Shorts
Bill Plympton (The King of Indie Animation)
Adam Glick (Amazon Web Services)
Ryan Tudhope (Atomic Fiction)
About The Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival (Nvff) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, Nvff lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. Nvff features over 100 new independent films and studio sneak previews screening in 12 beautiful venues throughout four walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Attendees enjoy film panels & culinary demonstrations, wine tasting pavilions, the spectacular Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners and more. For information or to buy passes, visit NapaValleyFilmFest.org...
- 8/28/2014
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
As aftershocks continue to rock California’s wine country, the Napa Valley Film Festival unveiled its competition lineup today. “Our thoughts are with everyone in the Napa Valley who has suffered losses from the recent earthquake,” said fest Co-Founder/Artistic Director Marc Lhormer of Sunday’s temblor, the Bay Area’s biggest in a quarter-century. “We are proud to be part of a community that rallies in support of each other in such a generous and big hearted way. As they say in the business, the show must go on.” Here is the schedule of narrative and docu features vying for awards at the fourth annual event, which runs November 12-16 in Napa:
Narrative Competition Section
Thank You A Lot – Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a...
Narrative Competition Section
Thank You A Lot – Music agent and manager Jack Hand has a bad reputation and an even worse track record. He has only two clients left: an indie band on the verge of a...
- 8/27/2014
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline
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