Mangurama and Bobb Films have bought U.S. and Canadian theatrical distribution rights for the documentary “Weed the People,” executive produced by Ricki Lake.
Abby Epstein, who teamed with Lake on “The Business of Being Born,” directed “Weed the People.” The film made its world premiere at the 2018 SXSW Festival, was the audience award winner at the Nashville Film Festival and will have a West Coast premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Epstein and Lake said, “We are thrilled to be working with Mangurama on the theatrical release of our documentary, ‘Weed The People.’ Following in the footsteps of ‘The Business of Being Born,’ which changed the way Americans looked at childbirth, we hope that ‘Weed The People’ will humanize the controversy around medical cannabis. As our film reveals, access to this plant has become a human rights issue.”
The film focuses on several families who obtain cannabis oil...
Abby Epstein, who teamed with Lake on “The Business of Being Born,” directed “Weed the People.” The film made its world premiere at the 2018 SXSW Festival, was the audience award winner at the Nashville Film Festival and will have a West Coast premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Epstein and Lake said, “We are thrilled to be working with Mangurama on the theatrical release of our documentary, ‘Weed The People.’ Following in the footsteps of ‘The Business of Being Born,’ which changed the way Americans looked at childbirth, we hope that ‘Weed The People’ will humanize the controversy around medical cannabis. As our film reveals, access to this plant has become a human rights issue.”
The film focuses on several families who obtain cannabis oil...
- 9/12/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
A suicidal American seeks solace in the Amazon in Raz Degan's The Last Shaman, a documentary concerning the hallucinogen of the moment, ayahuasca. Degan's first film, the effort often suffers from hazy storytelling, but its real difficulty for many viewers will be its protagonist, who isn't the most sympathetic proxy for Americans curious about the plant extract's suitability to treat depression. Though ayahuasca's current buzz ensures some measure of attention for the pic, it will be overshadowed in theaters by Leonor Caraballo and Matteo Norzi's much-superior Icaros: A Vision and on small screens by more journalistically rigorous accounts.
James Freeman...
James Freeman...
- 5/16/2017
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MaryAnn’s quick take… Tragic hipster indulges in the tribal Amazonian divine. Credulous, sophomoric garbage full of the slick salesmanship of a vaguely spiritual sneaker commercial. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
James Freeman was a well-off young white American man suffering from incurable depression… or maybe he just could not get onboard with the bullshit of well-off white America and its insistence on conformity, financial success at any price, and the self sacrificed to mindless consumerism. When doctors and therapy and pharmaceuticals didn’t help, he decided — as a last-ditch effort before killing himself — to hie off to Peru, find a shaman, and test out the supposedly mind- and spirit-altering qualities of the ayahuasca plant, which is used in traditional rituals and is said to have cured mental illnesses.
I am sympathetic to many...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
James Freeman was a well-off young white American man suffering from incurable depression… or maybe he just could not get onboard with the bullshit of well-off white America and its insistence on conformity, financial success at any price, and the self sacrificed to mindless consumerism. When doctors and therapy and pharmaceuticals didn’t help, he decided — as a last-ditch effort before killing himself — to hie off to Peru, find a shaman, and test out the supposedly mind- and spirit-altering qualities of the ayahuasca plant, which is used in traditional rituals and is said to have cured mental illnesses.
I am sympathetic to many...
- 5/11/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
In Raz Degan’s new documentary, “The Last Shaman,” the expansive world surrounding Ayahuasca, an ancient Amazonian healing plant, is delved into, and the way events unfolded even ended up surprising the director himself.
Read More: ‘Barbecue’ Is a Globe-Spanning Documentary That Will Leave You Hungry — SXSW 2017 Review
The film follows James Freeman, a young man who is faced with a debilitating and incurable depression. In an attempt to take his life into his own hands, he travels to the Amazon jungle to experience the healing properties of Ayahuasca and the world around it.
When Degan began work on the documentary, he sought out to capture how Ayahuasca’s power could potentially save the world, until one night he saw a man die during the ceremony. With events taking such a drastic turn, it became clear to Degan that there was much to uncover, which lead him to James, the film’s sole subject.
Read More: ‘Barbecue’ Is a Globe-Spanning Documentary That Will Leave You Hungry — SXSW 2017 Review
The film follows James Freeman, a young man who is faced with a debilitating and incurable depression. In an attempt to take his life into his own hands, he travels to the Amazon jungle to experience the healing properties of Ayahuasca and the world around it.
When Degan began work on the documentary, he sought out to capture how Ayahuasca’s power could potentially save the world, until one night he saw a man die during the ceremony. With events taking such a drastic turn, it became clear to Degan that there was much to uncover, which lead him to James, the film’s sole subject.
- 3/22/2017
- by Allison Picurro
- Indiewire
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Grasshopper Film has announced the acquisition of all U.S. distribution rights to Michael Almereyda’s new documentary “Escapes,” a dynamic portrait of Hampton Fancher, executive produced by Wes Anderson. “Escapes” will open in theaters this summer followed by a VOD and Home Video release in the fall.
“Escapes” showcases the storytelling talents of Hampton Fancher, flamenco dancer, film and TV actor, and the unlikely producer and screenwriter of the landmark sci-fi classic “Blade Runner,” as well as screenwriter on the upcoming sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” Fancher’s running commentary – with a little help from Philip K. Dick and Ridley Scott – works in concert with extensive archival footage as Fancher relates death-defying escapades from a remarkable life.
– Grasshopper Film has announced the acquisition of all U.S. distribution rights to Michael Almereyda’s new documentary “Escapes,” a dynamic portrait of Hampton Fancher, executive produced by Wes Anderson. “Escapes” will open in theaters this summer followed by a VOD and Home Video release in the fall.
“Escapes” showcases the storytelling talents of Hampton Fancher, flamenco dancer, film and TV actor, and the unlikely producer and screenwriter of the landmark sci-fi classic “Blade Runner,” as well as screenwriter on the upcoming sequel “Blade Runner 2049.” Fancher’s running commentary – with a little help from Philip K. Dick and Ridley Scott – works in concert with extensive archival footage as Fancher relates death-defying escapades from a remarkable life.
- 3/10/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Abramorama and Mangusta Productions are partnering to bring films that support a positive "consciousness" message to the theatrical marketplace, and have announced their first two films in the new deal. Their first collaboration is the feature length documentary The Last Shaman, directed by Raz Degan. The film tells the story of James Freeman, a young man who decides to take matters in his own hands when faced with incurable depression. He undergoes a life-changing…...
- 3/7/2017
- Deadline
As the main topic of this year’s festival, Docaviv will feature a select group of thought-provoking films about a world that is changing with the collapse of physical and social boundaries, growing economic disparities, the waves of refugees and immigrants, civil wars, international terrorism, and the ultimate undoing of social solidarity.
Within the framework of this theme the program does not only include documentaries about terror and refugees, but also about a fragmented society which is losing its solidarity. Both in Israel and elsewhere the gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening, and so are the frustrations and the unrest. Israeli and international titles correlating to these themes can be found throughout the entire festival program:
“Death in the terminal” - Directors Tali Shemesh (“The Cemetery Club”) and Assaf Surd
A tense, minute-by-minute, Rashomon-style account of a tragic day. On October 18, 2015, a terrorist armed with a gun and a knife entered Beersheba’s bus terminal. Within 18 minutes Omri Levy, a soldier was killed and Abtum Zarhum, Eritrean immigrant asylum seeker, was lynched after being mistaken for a terrorist.
“The Settlers” - Premiered in Sundance, Director Shimon Dotan.
A far-reaching, comprehensive look at the Jewish settlement enterprise in the West Bank. It examines the origins of the settlement movement and the religious and ideological visions that propelled it, while providing an intimate look at the people at the center of the greatest geopolitical challenge now facing Israel and the international community. (Isa Contact: Cinephil)
“Town on a Wire” - premiered at Cph: Dox Dir: Uri Rosenwaks
While Tel Aviv is thriving, just ten minutes away lies the town of Lod, right in the backyard of Israel’s bustling urban center. Unlike its affluent neighbor, Lod is a city that suffers from the blight of racism, crime, and sheer desperation. Can it be saved? Is there some way to bring hope to Lod’s Arab and Jewish residents?
“Foucoammare”/ “Fire at Sea” - by Gianfranco Rosi - winner of Golden Bear, Berlinale 2016 -every day the inhabitants of the Italian Island Lampedusa are confronted with the flight of refugees to Europe . These people long for peace and freedom and often only their dead bodies are pulled out of the water. (Contact Isa: Doc & Film Int’l. U.S.: Kino Lorber)
“Between fences” – by Avi Mograbi -. In an Israeli detention center asylum-seekers from Eritrea and Sudan can’t be sent back to their own countries, but have no prospects in Israel either thanks to the country’s policies. Chen Alon and Avi Mograbi, initiate a theatre workshop to give these people the opportunity to address their own experiences of forced migration and discrimination and to confront an Israeli society that views them as dangerous infiltrators.
“A Syrian Love Story” – by Sean McAllister -You can’t be Che Guevara and a mother Amer tells Raghda, but maybe she can't do it any other way. After years of struggle, life without her homeland and the revolution has no meaning for her. It is hard to determine what is more demanding in this bold film: the revolution, or the search for inner peace. (Contact Isa: Cat & Docs)
“Homo Sapiens” – by Nikolaus Geyrhalter - what does humanity leave behind when its gone? It sometimes seems as if the mark that humans leave on this planet will last forever. The truth is that the iron, bricks, cement, and steel – the human traces everywhere abandoned and forgotten – are erased by the forces of nature. This unusually beautiful film may lack people and words, but that leaves even more room for thought.(Contact Isa: Autlook)
“Land of the Enlightened” – Premiered at Sundance Ff 2016. Shot over seven years on evocative 16mm footage, first-time director Pieter-Jan De Pue paints a whimsical yet haunting look at the condition of Afghanistan left for the next generation. As American soldiers prepare to leave, we follow De Pue deep into this hidden land where young boys form wild gangs to control trade routes, sell explosives from mines left over from war, making the new rules of war based on the harsh landscape left to them. (Contact Isa: Films Boutique)
“Flickering Truth” - Premiered at Toronto Ff 2015. Director Pietra Brettkelly (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins) directs this harrowing, compelling film about the power of cinema to preserve our history and in so doing potentially change our futures. (Contact Isa: Film Sales Company)
“Requiem for the American Dream” - Directed by Peter D. Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott. In ten chilling but lucid chapters, Noam Chomsky, one of the great intellectuals of our time, analyzes the “system,” which allows wealthy capitalists to seize the reins of government and turn those without wealth into a passive herd, willing to forego power, solidarity, and democracy itself. (U.S.: Gravitas. Contact Isa: Films Transit)
The festival will open with a first film by Israeli director Roman Shumunov
“Babylon Dreamers” Directed by Roman Somonob. An intimate report about a troupe of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, from one of Ashdod’s poorest neighborhoods; they struggle to survive facing harsh conditions - poverty, mental illness, and broken families. They channel their anger and cling to their dream of attending and winning the International Breakdance Championship.
Israeli Competition
Some 70 Israeli films produced over the last year were submitted out of which 13 films have been selected for the Israeli Competition. They will be competing for the largest cash prize for documentary filmmaking in Israel 70,000 Nis (Us$ 15,000). Other awards in the competition include the Mayor’s Prize for the Most Promising Filmmaker, the Prize for Editing, the Prize for Cinematography, the Prize for Research, and the Prize for Original Score.
"The Wonderful Kingdom of Papa Alaev," directors Tal Barda, Noam Pinchas -Tajikistan’s answer to the Jackson Family. A modern-day Shakespearean tale about a famous Tajik musical family, controlled by their charismatic patriarch-grandfather - Papa Alaev.
"A Tale of Two Balloons" by Zohar Wagner - The tale of a women who thought a pair of perfect breasts would help her find true love. But when that love came along, those perfect breasts had to go.
"Aida's Secrets," director Alon Schwarz - At 68, Izak learns he has a brother he never knew about. As part of the discoveries about the family, the film uncovers the story of the Displaced Persons camps- the vibrant and often wild social life that flourished immediately after WW2.
"Child Mother" by Yael Kipper and Ronen Zaretzky - The story of elderly women born in Morocco and Yemen, who were married off when they were still little girls. Only now, as they enter the final chapter of their lives, do they openly face their past and the ways it still affects them and their families.
"The Last Shaman" directed by Raz Degan - Inspired by an article he read, James decides to travel to the Amazon rainforests, in search of a shaman whom he thinks can save him from a clinical depression that haunts him.
"The Patriarch's Room" by Danae Elon -The bizarre imprisonment of the former head of the Greek Orthodox Church in a tiny monastic cell in Jerusalem’s Old City leads to a fascinating journey in search of the truth, penetrating the remote world of the priesthood. The complex and unfamiliar picture that emerges is revealed here, on camera, for the very first time.
"Poetics of the Brain" by Nurith Aviv –weaving associative links between her personal biographical stories and neuroscientists’ accounts of their work. They discuss topics such as memory, bilingualism, reading, mirror neurons, smell, traces of experience.
"Shalom Italia," by Tamar Tal Anati (winner of Docaviv for Life in Stills) -Three Italian Jewish brothers set off on a journey through Tuscany, in search of a cave where they hid as children to escape the Nazis. Their quest, full of humor, food and Tuscan landscapes, straddles the boundary between history and myth, both of which really, truly happened.
"Week 23" by Ohad Milstein - Rahel, the daughter of a Swiss bishop, is coping with a difficult pregnancy in Israel. One of the identical twins she is carrying has died in utero, and now poses an almost certain threat to its sibling. The doctors are unequivocal about it. They tell Rahel that she should abort the surviving fetus and end her pregnancy.
"The Settlers" by Shimon Dotan; Town On A Wire directed by Uri Rosenwaksand Eyal Blachson; Death in the Terminal by Tali Shemesh and Asaf Sudry, and Babylon Dreamers by Roman Shumunov.
The Members of the selection committee included Sinai Abt, artistic director of the Docaviv Film Festival; director Reuven Brodsky, winner of Docaviv in 2012 for his film Home Movie and of Honorable Mention at Docaviv in 2015 and film editor Ayelet Ofarim.
Twelve films have been selected for the International Competition, which will open with the The Happy Film by Stefan Seigmeister. Also competing are Jerzy Sladkowski’s Don Juan, winner of the Idfa Award; Author: The J.T. LeRoy Story about the imaginary cult figure who became the darling of New York society and nightlife, picked up by Amazon at Sundance as its first doc title. Another festival favorite is A Flickering Truth and Sean McAllister's daring award winning documentary A Syrian Love Story.
The Depth of Field Competition will open with LoveTrue by director Alma Har’el, who will be a juror for the Israeli Film Competition. This is the Competition’s third year, held in conjunction with the Film Critics’ Forum that will award films for an outstanding and daring artistic vision. Other films that will be screened as part of the competition include Sundance winners Kate Plays Christine by Robert Greene, and Pieter-Jan De Pue’s hybrid documentary The Land of the Enlightened; other titles that will be shown are Hotel Dallas by wife and husband artist duo Livia Ungur and Sherng-Lee Huang, The Hong Kong Trilogy by noted cinematographer Christopher Doyle , and the musical- turned into documentary London Road by Rufus Norris and Alecky Blythe.
The Masters Section, a new category in the festival, highlighting new films by world renowned directors will be opened by Fire at Sea by director Gianfranco Rosi, winner of the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale. Avi Mograbi’s Between Fences will be accompanied by a play by the Holot Legislative Theater, with a cast of actors that includes Israelis and African asylum seekers.
Other films in this section include amongst others Junun, Paul Thomas Anderson’s portrayal of a musical project involving Shye Ben-Tzur and Jonny Greenwood, Homo Sapiens by director Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine by director Alex Gibney, To the Desert by director Judd Neeman, Unlocking the Cage by directors D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, De Palma by co-director Noah Baumbach and He Named Me Malala by David Guggenheim.
The Panorama selection of films will include amongst others the moving Strike a Pose, by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan about the dancers who accompanied Madonna on her “Blond Ambition” tour, Roger Ross Williams ‘Life, Animated depicting the remarkable story of an autistic boy, who learned how to communicate with his surroundings through Disney films, Those Who Jump about an African refugee who films attempts by other refugees to jump the barbed wire border fence in North Africa and Louis Theroux: My Scientology Film.
This year’s Arts Section will include Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville; I Don’t Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman, which was produced shortly before her tragic death, Listen to Me, Marlon, which tells the story of Marlon Brando through the audio recordings he made throughout his life, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, the salacious story of art collector Peggy Guggenheim, Koudelka Shooting Holy Land, Gilad Baram’s film about famous Czech photographer Josef Koudelka’s travels along the Separation Fence, and more.
Seven films produced by the top film schools in Israel were selected to compete in the annual Student Film Competition. The prize for the competition was donated by the Gottesman family in memory of Ruti Gottesman, a leading supporter of Docaviv and of documentary.
The Members of the selection committee included Karin Ryvind Segal, programming director for Docaviv, Hila Avraham, curator and expert on film and audiovisual media preservation and screenwriter Danny Rosenberg, whose work includes the films My Father’s House , Susia and the television series Johnny and the Knights of the Galilee.
Special Guests attending the Festival:
Award winning Director Ondi Timoner, will be attending the Israeli premiere of her film Russell Brand: A Second Coming. Her Sundance-winning film Dig! will be among the music documentaries screened at the Tel Aviv Port. In conjunction with the Film Department of Beit Berl College, Timoner will also be conducting a special master class for students, professionals, and amateurs.
This year’s festival will include a special tribute to acclaimed director Nikolaus Geyrhalter who will be attending the festival with his recent Homo Sapiens. This year’s festival will also include two previous films of his, Our Daily Bread and Abendland,.
International jury members attending the festival include:
Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen, Director of the Idfa industry office; Gary Kam, producer of Planet of Snail; film director Alma Har’el (Bombay Beach; LoveTrue) ; Nilotpal, Director of Docedge Kolkata, Sascha Lara Bleuler, Director of the Human Rights Film Festival in Zurich, and film director Tatiana Brandrup.
The Israeli jurors include:
Director Dror Moreh, director and producer Barak Heymann, director Robby Elmaliah, producer Elinor Kowarsky, photographer David Adika, and film editor Tal Rabiner.
Around town. A record number of twelve screening venues spread out across Tel Aviv will offer free screenings. These are: Habima Square, the Beit Danny Community Center, the Hatikvah neighborhood, the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, the rooftop of Tel Aviv City Hall, WeWork, Levinsky Park, Bar Kayma, Beit Romano, the Nalaga’at Center, Picnic Little Italy-Sarona Tel Aviv, and Artport.
Outdoors. The Tel Aviv Port will continue to host the festival this year, with outdoor screenings of music films with guest deejays from KZRadio. Films to be screened at the port include Janis: Little Girl Blue, The Reflektor Tapes about the band Arcade Fire, P.T Andersoan’s Junun about the musical collaboration between Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, Nigel Godrich, and a dozen Indian musicians.
Festival Firsts. DocaviVR: a collaboration between Docaviv and Steamer, Israel’s first Interactive and Virtual Reality Film Festival, presents original documentary projects from Israel and around the world, created especially for viewing with Vr gear. The event will take place at Beit Romano. A cinema will pop up in one of Tel Aviv’s trendy hubs, with 25 stations equipped with Vr gear.
The Docommunity conference aims to promote dcomentary across the country by bringing together cultural coordinators and artistic directors from across the country to introduce them to the latest documentary films from Israel and around the world.
The Platform for Alternative Documentation at Artport art space: A performative piece that brings together film artists, social activists, and researchers studying the various aesthetic, social, and philosophical aspects of documentation. Curated by Laliv Melamed and Gilad Reich.
Young audiences. For the first time, films from The Next Doc will be screened, a special initiative of Docaviv, the Second Channel, and the New Fund for Film and Television, which led to the production of three films created especially for a teenage audience.
Docaviv will also be hosting the final event of Docu Young, at which films by students in residential schools, who participated in film workshops , will be screened.
The Docyouth Competition will feature the best documentary films produced by students in high school film programs throughout the country. For the first time, voting for this year’s competition will be held online and open to high school students across the country.
Among the Screenings of docs for kids are Victor Kosakovsky’s “Varicella”, and “Landfilharmonic”.
Over the course of the festival, 110 films will be screened.
Within the framework of this theme the program does not only include documentaries about terror and refugees, but also about a fragmented society which is losing its solidarity. Both in Israel and elsewhere the gap between the haves and the have-nots is widening, and so are the frustrations and the unrest. Israeli and international titles correlating to these themes can be found throughout the entire festival program:
“Death in the terminal” - Directors Tali Shemesh (“The Cemetery Club”) and Assaf Surd
A tense, minute-by-minute, Rashomon-style account of a tragic day. On October 18, 2015, a terrorist armed with a gun and a knife entered Beersheba’s bus terminal. Within 18 minutes Omri Levy, a soldier was killed and Abtum Zarhum, Eritrean immigrant asylum seeker, was lynched after being mistaken for a terrorist.
“The Settlers” - Premiered in Sundance, Director Shimon Dotan.
A far-reaching, comprehensive look at the Jewish settlement enterprise in the West Bank. It examines the origins of the settlement movement and the religious and ideological visions that propelled it, while providing an intimate look at the people at the center of the greatest geopolitical challenge now facing Israel and the international community. (Isa Contact: Cinephil)
“Town on a Wire” - premiered at Cph: Dox Dir: Uri Rosenwaks
While Tel Aviv is thriving, just ten minutes away lies the town of Lod, right in the backyard of Israel’s bustling urban center. Unlike its affluent neighbor, Lod is a city that suffers from the blight of racism, crime, and sheer desperation. Can it be saved? Is there some way to bring hope to Lod’s Arab and Jewish residents?
“Foucoammare”/ “Fire at Sea” - by Gianfranco Rosi - winner of Golden Bear, Berlinale 2016 -every day the inhabitants of the Italian Island Lampedusa are confronted with the flight of refugees to Europe . These people long for peace and freedom and often only their dead bodies are pulled out of the water. (Contact Isa: Doc & Film Int’l. U.S.: Kino Lorber)
“Between fences” – by Avi Mograbi -. In an Israeli detention center asylum-seekers from Eritrea and Sudan can’t be sent back to their own countries, but have no prospects in Israel either thanks to the country’s policies. Chen Alon and Avi Mograbi, initiate a theatre workshop to give these people the opportunity to address their own experiences of forced migration and discrimination and to confront an Israeli society that views them as dangerous infiltrators.
“A Syrian Love Story” – by Sean McAllister -You can’t be Che Guevara and a mother Amer tells Raghda, but maybe she can't do it any other way. After years of struggle, life without her homeland and the revolution has no meaning for her. It is hard to determine what is more demanding in this bold film: the revolution, or the search for inner peace. (Contact Isa: Cat & Docs)
“Homo Sapiens” – by Nikolaus Geyrhalter - what does humanity leave behind when its gone? It sometimes seems as if the mark that humans leave on this planet will last forever. The truth is that the iron, bricks, cement, and steel – the human traces everywhere abandoned and forgotten – are erased by the forces of nature. This unusually beautiful film may lack people and words, but that leaves even more room for thought.(Contact Isa: Autlook)
“Land of the Enlightened” – Premiered at Sundance Ff 2016. Shot over seven years on evocative 16mm footage, first-time director Pieter-Jan De Pue paints a whimsical yet haunting look at the condition of Afghanistan left for the next generation. As American soldiers prepare to leave, we follow De Pue deep into this hidden land where young boys form wild gangs to control trade routes, sell explosives from mines left over from war, making the new rules of war based on the harsh landscape left to them. (Contact Isa: Films Boutique)
“Flickering Truth” - Premiered at Toronto Ff 2015. Director Pietra Brettkelly (The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins) directs this harrowing, compelling film about the power of cinema to preserve our history and in so doing potentially change our futures. (Contact Isa: Film Sales Company)
“Requiem for the American Dream” - Directed by Peter D. Hutchison, Kelly Nyks, Jared P. Scott. In ten chilling but lucid chapters, Noam Chomsky, one of the great intellectuals of our time, analyzes the “system,” which allows wealthy capitalists to seize the reins of government and turn those without wealth into a passive herd, willing to forego power, solidarity, and democracy itself. (U.S.: Gravitas. Contact Isa: Films Transit)
The festival will open with a first film by Israeli director Roman Shumunov
“Babylon Dreamers” Directed by Roman Somonob. An intimate report about a troupe of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, from one of Ashdod’s poorest neighborhoods; they struggle to survive facing harsh conditions - poverty, mental illness, and broken families. They channel their anger and cling to their dream of attending and winning the International Breakdance Championship.
Israeli Competition
Some 70 Israeli films produced over the last year were submitted out of which 13 films have been selected for the Israeli Competition. They will be competing for the largest cash prize for documentary filmmaking in Israel 70,000 Nis (Us$ 15,000). Other awards in the competition include the Mayor’s Prize for the Most Promising Filmmaker, the Prize for Editing, the Prize for Cinematography, the Prize for Research, and the Prize for Original Score.
"The Wonderful Kingdom of Papa Alaev," directors Tal Barda, Noam Pinchas -Tajikistan’s answer to the Jackson Family. A modern-day Shakespearean tale about a famous Tajik musical family, controlled by their charismatic patriarch-grandfather - Papa Alaev.
"A Tale of Two Balloons" by Zohar Wagner - The tale of a women who thought a pair of perfect breasts would help her find true love. But when that love came along, those perfect breasts had to go.
"Aida's Secrets," director Alon Schwarz - At 68, Izak learns he has a brother he never knew about. As part of the discoveries about the family, the film uncovers the story of the Displaced Persons camps- the vibrant and often wild social life that flourished immediately after WW2.
"Child Mother" by Yael Kipper and Ronen Zaretzky - The story of elderly women born in Morocco and Yemen, who were married off when they were still little girls. Only now, as they enter the final chapter of their lives, do they openly face their past and the ways it still affects them and their families.
"The Last Shaman" directed by Raz Degan - Inspired by an article he read, James decides to travel to the Amazon rainforests, in search of a shaman whom he thinks can save him from a clinical depression that haunts him.
"The Patriarch's Room" by Danae Elon -The bizarre imprisonment of the former head of the Greek Orthodox Church in a tiny monastic cell in Jerusalem’s Old City leads to a fascinating journey in search of the truth, penetrating the remote world of the priesthood. The complex and unfamiliar picture that emerges is revealed here, on camera, for the very first time.
"Poetics of the Brain" by Nurith Aviv –weaving associative links between her personal biographical stories and neuroscientists’ accounts of their work. They discuss topics such as memory, bilingualism, reading, mirror neurons, smell, traces of experience.
"Shalom Italia," by Tamar Tal Anati (winner of Docaviv for Life in Stills) -Three Italian Jewish brothers set off on a journey through Tuscany, in search of a cave where they hid as children to escape the Nazis. Their quest, full of humor, food and Tuscan landscapes, straddles the boundary between history and myth, both of which really, truly happened.
"Week 23" by Ohad Milstein - Rahel, the daughter of a Swiss bishop, is coping with a difficult pregnancy in Israel. One of the identical twins she is carrying has died in utero, and now poses an almost certain threat to its sibling. The doctors are unequivocal about it. They tell Rahel that she should abort the surviving fetus and end her pregnancy.
"The Settlers" by Shimon Dotan; Town On A Wire directed by Uri Rosenwaksand Eyal Blachson; Death in the Terminal by Tali Shemesh and Asaf Sudry, and Babylon Dreamers by Roman Shumunov.
The Members of the selection committee included Sinai Abt, artistic director of the Docaviv Film Festival; director Reuven Brodsky, winner of Docaviv in 2012 for his film Home Movie and of Honorable Mention at Docaviv in 2015 and film editor Ayelet Ofarim.
Twelve films have been selected for the International Competition, which will open with the The Happy Film by Stefan Seigmeister. Also competing are Jerzy Sladkowski’s Don Juan, winner of the Idfa Award; Author: The J.T. LeRoy Story about the imaginary cult figure who became the darling of New York society and nightlife, picked up by Amazon at Sundance as its first doc title. Another festival favorite is A Flickering Truth and Sean McAllister's daring award winning documentary A Syrian Love Story.
The Depth of Field Competition will open with LoveTrue by director Alma Har’el, who will be a juror for the Israeli Film Competition. This is the Competition’s third year, held in conjunction with the Film Critics’ Forum that will award films for an outstanding and daring artistic vision. Other films that will be screened as part of the competition include Sundance winners Kate Plays Christine by Robert Greene, and Pieter-Jan De Pue’s hybrid documentary The Land of the Enlightened; other titles that will be shown are Hotel Dallas by wife and husband artist duo Livia Ungur and Sherng-Lee Huang, The Hong Kong Trilogy by noted cinematographer Christopher Doyle , and the musical- turned into documentary London Road by Rufus Norris and Alecky Blythe.
The Masters Section, a new category in the festival, highlighting new films by world renowned directors will be opened by Fire at Sea by director Gianfranco Rosi, winner of the Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale. Avi Mograbi’s Between Fences will be accompanied by a play by the Holot Legislative Theater, with a cast of actors that includes Israelis and African asylum seekers.
Other films in this section include amongst others Junun, Paul Thomas Anderson’s portrayal of a musical project involving Shye Ben-Tzur and Jonny Greenwood, Homo Sapiens by director Nikolaus Geyrhalter, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine by director Alex Gibney, To the Desert by director Judd Neeman, Unlocking the Cage by directors D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, De Palma by co-director Noah Baumbach and He Named Me Malala by David Guggenheim.
The Panorama selection of films will include amongst others the moving Strike a Pose, by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan about the dancers who accompanied Madonna on her “Blond Ambition” tour, Roger Ross Williams ‘Life, Animated depicting the remarkable story of an autistic boy, who learned how to communicate with his surroundings through Disney films, Those Who Jump about an African refugee who films attempts by other refugees to jump the barbed wire border fence in North Africa and Louis Theroux: My Scientology Film.
This year’s Arts Section will include Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble by Academy Award winner Morgan Neville; I Don’t Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman, which was produced shortly before her tragic death, Listen to Me, Marlon, which tells the story of Marlon Brando through the audio recordings he made throughout his life, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, the salacious story of art collector Peggy Guggenheim, Koudelka Shooting Holy Land, Gilad Baram’s film about famous Czech photographer Josef Koudelka’s travels along the Separation Fence, and more.
Seven films produced by the top film schools in Israel were selected to compete in the annual Student Film Competition. The prize for the competition was donated by the Gottesman family in memory of Ruti Gottesman, a leading supporter of Docaviv and of documentary.
The Members of the selection committee included Karin Ryvind Segal, programming director for Docaviv, Hila Avraham, curator and expert on film and audiovisual media preservation and screenwriter Danny Rosenberg, whose work includes the films My Father’s House , Susia and the television series Johnny and the Knights of the Galilee.
Special Guests attending the Festival:
Award winning Director Ondi Timoner, will be attending the Israeli premiere of her film Russell Brand: A Second Coming. Her Sundance-winning film Dig! will be among the music documentaries screened at the Tel Aviv Port. In conjunction with the Film Department of Beit Berl College, Timoner will also be conducting a special master class for students, professionals, and amateurs.
This year’s festival will include a special tribute to acclaimed director Nikolaus Geyrhalter who will be attending the festival with his recent Homo Sapiens. This year’s festival will also include two previous films of his, Our Daily Bread and Abendland,.
International jury members attending the festival include:
Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen, Director of the Idfa industry office; Gary Kam, producer of Planet of Snail; film director Alma Har’el (Bombay Beach; LoveTrue) ; Nilotpal, Director of Docedge Kolkata, Sascha Lara Bleuler, Director of the Human Rights Film Festival in Zurich, and film director Tatiana Brandrup.
The Israeli jurors include:
Director Dror Moreh, director and producer Barak Heymann, director Robby Elmaliah, producer Elinor Kowarsky, photographer David Adika, and film editor Tal Rabiner.
Around town. A record number of twelve screening venues spread out across Tel Aviv will offer free screenings. These are: Habima Square, the Beit Danny Community Center, the Hatikvah neighborhood, the Arab-Jewish Community Center in Jaffa, the rooftop of Tel Aviv City Hall, WeWork, Levinsky Park, Bar Kayma, Beit Romano, the Nalaga’at Center, Picnic Little Italy-Sarona Tel Aviv, and Artport.
Outdoors. The Tel Aviv Port will continue to host the festival this year, with outdoor screenings of music films with guest deejays from KZRadio. Films to be screened at the port include Janis: Little Girl Blue, The Reflektor Tapes about the band Arcade Fire, P.T Andersoan’s Junun about the musical collaboration between Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood, Nigel Godrich, and a dozen Indian musicians.
Festival Firsts. DocaviVR: a collaboration between Docaviv and Steamer, Israel’s first Interactive and Virtual Reality Film Festival, presents original documentary projects from Israel and around the world, created especially for viewing with Vr gear. The event will take place at Beit Romano. A cinema will pop up in one of Tel Aviv’s trendy hubs, with 25 stations equipped with Vr gear.
The Docommunity conference aims to promote dcomentary across the country by bringing together cultural coordinators and artistic directors from across the country to introduce them to the latest documentary films from Israel and around the world.
The Platform for Alternative Documentation at Artport art space: A performative piece that brings together film artists, social activists, and researchers studying the various aesthetic, social, and philosophical aspects of documentation. Curated by Laliv Melamed and Gilad Reich.
Young audiences. For the first time, films from The Next Doc will be screened, a special initiative of Docaviv, the Second Channel, and the New Fund for Film and Television, which led to the production of three films created especially for a teenage audience.
Docaviv will also be hosting the final event of Docu Young, at which films by students in residential schools, who participated in film workshops , will be screened.
The Docyouth Competition will feature the best documentary films produced by students in high school film programs throughout the country. For the first time, voting for this year’s competition will be held online and open to high school students across the country.
Among the Screenings of docs for kids are Victor Kosakovsky’s “Varicella”, and “Landfilharmonic”.
Over the course of the festival, 110 films will be screened.
- 5/11/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Rybojad’s Fictional Debut an Empty Husk
Director Stephane Rybojad, previously known for his work with French television documentaries, makes his fictional feature debut with Special Forces, a superfluous, timely message movie that flails itself at us with a generous amount of humanitarian well-meaning and poorly orchestrated combat sequences before devolving precariously into a survival of the elements picture. Assembling a first rate cast for his endeavor, this piece of journalistic championing posture play fails to enthrall on all levels, making this seem more like an adventurous piece of propaganda. Trying to be too many things at once, and not nearly well written enough to balance useless subplots, including a completely ill-conceived romance to top it all off, Rybojad’s film feels like an outline rather than a fully fleshed out feature.
War correspondent Elsa Cassanova (Diane Kruger) has been covering a hot news story concerning a woman named Maina,...
Director Stephane Rybojad, previously known for his work with French television documentaries, makes his fictional feature debut with Special Forces, a superfluous, timely message movie that flails itself at us with a generous amount of humanitarian well-meaning and poorly orchestrated combat sequences before devolving precariously into a survival of the elements picture. Assembling a first rate cast for his endeavor, this piece of journalistic championing posture play fails to enthrall on all levels, making this seem more like an adventurous piece of propaganda. Trying to be too many things at once, and not nearly well written enough to balance useless subplots, including a completely ill-conceived romance to top it all off, Rybojad’s film feels like an outline rather than a fully fleshed out feature.
War correspondent Elsa Cassanova (Diane Kruger) has been covering a hot news story concerning a woman named Maina,...
- 10/10/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Alexander (2004) Film Review, a movie directed by Oliver Stone and starring Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val Kilmer, Anthony Hopkins, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rory McCann, Gary Stretch, Ian Beattie, Neil Jackson, Raz Degan, Christopher Plummer, John Kavanagh, and Annelise Hesme. Subtlety is overrated. Say what you will about Oliver Stone, but [...]
The post Film Review: Alexander (2004): Oliver Stone, Colin Farrell, Val Kilmer appeared first on Film-Book.com.
Continue reading: Film Review: Alexander (2004): Oliver Stone, Colin Farrell, Val Kilmer...
- 7/29/2012
- by Jeremy Kibler
- Film-Book
When Elsa (Diane Kruger), a war correspondent, is kidnapped by the Taliban while running down interviews in Afghanistan, it falls to an elite French Special Forces unit headed up by Djimon Hounsou to try to extract her, in the process coming up against an ambitious and cruel leader in the shape of Ahmed Zaief (Raz Degan).
*****
When a film comes along with as generic and uninspiring a title as this, it puts it on the back foot straight away in winning the audience’s attention and affections. Translated from the inspiring original French title (Forces Speciales), the title is symptomatic of what is wrong the film, but does not tell the whole story. As an adventure film (the unit fairly quickly locates and liberates Elsa, but then lose contact with their pick-up team and so must make the journey on foot from Pakistan into neighbouring Afghanistan) it looks by turns...
*****
When a film comes along with as generic and uninspiring a title as this, it puts it on the back foot straight away in winning the audience’s attention and affections. Translated from the inspiring original French title (Forces Speciales), the title is symptomatic of what is wrong the film, but does not tell the whole story. As an adventure film (the unit fairly quickly locates and liberates Elsa, but then lose contact with their pick-up team and so must make the journey on foot from Pakistan into neighbouring Afghanistan) it looks by turns...
- 3/16/2012
- by Dave Roper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Starring: Rutger Hauer, Raz Degan, F. Murray Abraham, Kasia Smutniak
Written by: Renzo Martinelli, Giorgio Schottler, and Anna Samueli (Screenplay)
Directed by: Renzo Martinelli
Sword of War is the fictionalized tale of Emperor Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, and his quest for the throne of Charlemagne. The majority of the movie takes place in Northern Italy during the 12th century struggles for freedom. Sadly, they didn’t concentrate on the fierce battles and conquests, but made the story a confusing and boring mish-mash of romance, mysticism, and local politics.
The movie opens with an almost unreadable wall of text in that annoying illuminated calligraphic font which gives you the plot: Barbarossa wants to control all of Italy, but one man puts together a 900 man fighting force called The Company of Death to stop his rule over Milan and the other northern cities. Had they concentrated on the battles and the strategy,...
Written by: Renzo Martinelli, Giorgio Schottler, and Anna Samueli (Screenplay)
Directed by: Renzo Martinelli
Sword of War is the fictionalized tale of Emperor Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, and his quest for the throne of Charlemagne. The majority of the movie takes place in Northern Italy during the 12th century struggles for freedom. Sadly, they didn’t concentrate on the fierce battles and conquests, but made the story a confusing and boring mish-mash of romance, mysticism, and local politics.
The movie opens with an almost unreadable wall of text in that annoying illuminated calligraphic font which gives you the plot: Barbarossa wants to control all of Italy, but one man puts together a 900 man fighting force called The Company of Death to stop his rule over Milan and the other northern cities. Had they concentrated on the battles and the strategy,...
- 4/26/2011
- by VoodooEyedTreatDemon
- Planet Fury
Dutch actor Rutger Hauer is no stranger to medieval epics with Flesh & Blood and Ladyhawke both highlights on his varied CV. In Barbarossa Siege Lord, released on Blu-ray and DVD last week from Metrodome, Hauer takes on the role of Frederick I. The film is an ambitious Italian/ Romanian co-production telling the epic tale of the German Holy Roman Emperor during his numerous crusades through Italy.
In Italy during the 12th Century the Northern Lands are ruled by the German Emperor Frederick Hohenstaufen known as Barbarossa, a name meaning red beard in Italian. His dream is to conquer the lands of Central and Southern Italy to revive the Empire that once belonged to Charles The Great. However, in the North there is a young man from Milan named Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan). His dream is to defeat the Emperor and give freedom back to people from the Northern lands.
In Italy during the 12th Century the Northern Lands are ruled by the German Emperor Frederick Hohenstaufen known as Barbarossa, a name meaning red beard in Italian. His dream is to conquer the lands of Central and Southern Italy to revive the Empire that once belonged to Charles The Great. However, in the North there is a young man from Milan named Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan). His dream is to defeat the Emperor and give freedom back to people from the Northern lands.
- 4/11/2011
- by Chris Wright
- Obsessed with Film
To celebrate today’s release of Barbarossa: Siege Lord which stars Rutger Hauer, Raz Degan and F. Murray Abraham, Metrodome Distribution have given us three copies of the DVD to give away.
Synopsis: Rutger Hauer stars as Germanic Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in this bloodthirsty tale of a deadly medieval siege. Set in Northern Italy, Barbarossa plans to capture the regions of South and Centre and recreate the empire, which many years ago belonged to Charlemagne. As deadly clashes break out between the people of the land, fighting for independence and social status, Barbarossa struggles to keep control. Featuring epic battles scenes and explosive action, prepare to join the fight for freedom.
Barbarossa: Seige Lord is released today, 4th April.
To be in with a chance of winning a copy of the movie, just answer the following question using the form below.
Who directed the movie, Barbarossa: Siege Lord?...
Synopsis: Rutger Hauer stars as Germanic Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in this bloodthirsty tale of a deadly medieval siege. Set in Northern Italy, Barbarossa plans to capture the regions of South and Centre and recreate the empire, which many years ago belonged to Charlemagne. As deadly clashes break out between the people of the land, fighting for independence and social status, Barbarossa struggles to keep control. Featuring epic battles scenes and explosive action, prepare to join the fight for freedom.
Barbarossa: Seige Lord is released today, 4th April.
To be in with a chance of winning a copy of the movie, just answer the following question using the form below.
Who directed the movie, Barbarossa: Siege Lord?...
- 4/3/2011
- by Competitons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Barbarossa: Siege Lord
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Raz Degan, F. Murray Abraham, Christo Jivkov, Antonio Cupo, Cécile Cassel, Kasia Smutniak | Written by Renzo Martinelli, Giorgio Schottler | Directed by Renzo Martinelli
Rutger Hauer stars as Germanic Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in this bloodthirsty tale of a deadly medieval siege. Set in Northern Italy, Barbarossa plans to capture the regions of South and Centre and recreate the empire, which many years ago belonged to Charlemagne. As deadly clashes break out between the people of the land, fighting for independence and social status, Barbarossa struggles to keep control. Barbarossa’s problems are further exacerbated when a young man from Milan, along with his army of 900 men known as the “Company of Death”, challenge the Emperors reign.
An ambitious Italian/Romanian co-production, Barbarossa is an epic of historic proportions that despite its flaws is actually a solidly made affair. Originally aired in a 200 minute cut in its native Italy,...
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Raz Degan, F. Murray Abraham, Christo Jivkov, Antonio Cupo, Cécile Cassel, Kasia Smutniak | Written by Renzo Martinelli, Giorgio Schottler | Directed by Renzo Martinelli
Rutger Hauer stars as Germanic Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in this bloodthirsty tale of a deadly medieval siege. Set in Northern Italy, Barbarossa plans to capture the regions of South and Centre and recreate the empire, which many years ago belonged to Charlemagne. As deadly clashes break out between the people of the land, fighting for independence and social status, Barbarossa struggles to keep control. Barbarossa’s problems are further exacerbated when a young man from Milan, along with his army of 900 men known as the “Company of Death”, challenge the Emperors reign.
An ambitious Italian/Romanian co-production, Barbarossa is an epic of historic proportions that despite its flaws is actually a solidly made affair. Originally aired in a 200 minute cut in its native Italy,...
- 4/3/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Most of you fellow movie lovers have probably never heard of this film since it is a direct-to-dvd release from Lionsgate. The movie revolves around Barbarossa (Rutger Hauer), the evil emperor of Germany and his conquest to rule all of Europe. After taking over Milan, the citizens decide to take revenge against Barbarossa and destroy his reign. The cast includes F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus, Scarface).
After saving Barbarossa from a boar attack, young Milan native Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan) is rewarded with the emperor’s dagger, as a token of his appreciation.
After saving Barbarossa from a boar attack, young Milan native Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan) is rewarded with the emperor’s dagger, as a token of his appreciation.
Years later Alberto is reunited with Barbarossa but under different conditions. Barbarossa and his large army is wiping through Europe and taking over empire after empire. Alberto attempts to...
After saving Barbarossa from a boar attack, young Milan native Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan) is rewarded with the emperor’s dagger, as a token of his appreciation.
After saving Barbarossa from a boar attack, young Milan native Alberto da Giussano (Raz Degan) is rewarded with the emperor’s dagger, as a token of his appreciation.
Years later Alberto is reunited with Barbarossa but under different conditions. Barbarossa and his large army is wiping through Europe and taking over empire after empire. Alberto attempts to...
- 3/1/2011
- by Trevor Hollis
- JustPressPlay.net
Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
Drive Angry – Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Hall Pass – Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate
Shelter – Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey DeMunn (limited)
Movie of the Week
Hall Pass
The Stars: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate
The Plot: A married man (Wilson) is granted the opportunity to have an affair by his wife.
The Buzz: I’m happy to see, after a four-year hiatus, the Farrelly Brothers are back (Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Shallow Hal) — it’s also nice to see Owen Wilson back to his regular Hollywood hard-working self. I didn’t think the red-band trailer for Hall Pass was as funny as the green-band, but I am still holding out hope that the Farrelly’s and Mr. Wilson are as good a match-up in reality as they are on paper. The supporting cast looks solid, with Jason Sudeikis,...
Drive Angry – Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner
Hall Pass – Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate
Shelter – Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey DeMunn (limited)
Movie of the Week
Hall Pass
The Stars: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Christina Applegate
The Plot: A married man (Wilson) is granted the opportunity to have an affair by his wife.
The Buzz: I’m happy to see, after a four-year hiatus, the Farrelly Brothers are back (Dumb & Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Shallow Hal) — it’s also nice to see Owen Wilson back to his regular Hollywood hard-working self. I didn’t think the red-band trailer for Hall Pass was as funny as the green-band, but I am still holding out hope that the Farrelly’s and Mr. Wilson are as good a match-up in reality as they are on paper. The supporting cast looks solid, with Jason Sudeikis,...
- 2/22/2011
- by Aaron Ruffcorn
- The Scorecard Review
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