The Atlantic Film Festival, after a successful 36th year, announces its award winners for the event, September 15th – 22nd, in Halifax.
 
Award winners include:

The 2016 People’s Choice Award:
Presented by the Atlantic Film Festival
Winner: Moonlight
 
The Gordon Parsons Award for Best Atlantic Feature:
Sponsored by The Postman
Winner: Maudie – Aisling Walsh
 
Best Atlantic Short:
Sponsored by 902 Post
Winner: Hustle & Heart - Koumbie
 
Best Atlantic Documentary:
Sponsored by DOC Atlantic
Winner: Perfume War – Michael Melski
 
Best Atlantic Short Documentary:
Sponsored by Pilot Light Production
Winner: My Life So Far – Alan Collins
 
Best Atlantic Animation
Presented by the Atlantic Film Festival
Winner: Rubbed The Wrong Way – Struan Sutherland
 
Best Atlantic Director:
Sponsored by William F White International
Winner: Ashley McKenzie - Werewolf
 
The Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriting:
Sponsored by Michael Weir Foundation for the Arts
Winner: Sherry White - Maudie
 
Best Atlantic Cinematographer:
Presented by the Atlantic Film Festival
Winner: Craig Norris - Kokota: The Islet of Hope
 
Best Atlantic Editor:
Presented by Canadian Cinema Editors
Winner: Brad Sayeau - We're From Here

Best Atlantic Original Score or Song:
Presented by the Atlantic Film Festival
Winner: Hillsburn for Hillsburn - A Band Becomes
 
Joan Orenstein Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress:
Sponsored by Sky Talent Group
Winner: Bhreagh MacNeil - Werewolf
 
David Renton Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor:
Sponsored by Sky Talent Group
Winner: Andrew Gillis – Werewolf
 
Telefilm Canada Script Pitch:
Sponsored by The Harold Greenberg Fund and Telefilm Canada
Winner: Mary Lewis – February
 
The 36th Atlantic Film Festival Jury:  
 
Sobaz Benjamin is an accomplished and recognized filmmaker, as well as a community developer, advocate, youth mentor, program director and facilitator. His work has been screened across Canada and in venues and Festivals in New Zealand, Bermuda and New York.  He has completed documentaries for the National Film Board (NFB) and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).  Sobaz uses his experience as an independent filmmaker in his youth/community/prison focused work.
 
Sobaz has worked at York University in Toronto and at the Nova Scotia Youth Facility, the Nova Scotia Community College, the Central Nova Correctional Facility and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) University. Sobaz was born in London England. He has lived in Grenada, Toronto and currently lives in Halifax Nova Scotia with his wife and two children.  He has completed undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Mass Communications and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Video Production at York University.
 
Yael Strasberg is the Acquisitions Manager for Entertainment One Films Canada, the Canadian division of the industry’s largest independent, multi-territory film distributor.  From Toronto, she oversees eOne’s acquisition processes, helping to manage the hundreds of submissions that the team receives every year from filmmakers, sales agents and distribution partners, and evaluating projects for their creative and marketplace potential.
 
In her eight years on the team Yael has been instrumental in some of eOne’s highest profile acquisitions, including Atom Egoyan’s Chloe, animated hit The Nut Job, recent theatrical success Mr. Holmes, and the upcoming Canadian film Backstabbing for Beginners, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Josh Hutcherson. Yael also has a specialization in working with up and coming talent, identifying and developing relationships with new Canadian writers, directors and producers and helping them to navigate the Canadian film industry. Prior to joining eOne in 2008, Yael held positions at Sony BMG Films and Untitled Entertainment in New York.
 
Trevite Willis has produced a number of award-winning short and feature films including the Bahamian drama, Children of God, which aired on Showtime, had theatrical releases in the US, UK and The Netherlands, won 17 awards, and sold to 24 other territories. Recently, she wrapped production on a documentary about the Baltimore mayoral election, Rough Ride: Race for Mayor of Charm City. She also has two projects in post production: a human trafficking drama, Cargo and a supernatural thriller, The Dark Rite.
 
Ms. Willis previously produced the romantic comedy, What a Man Wouldn’t Do for a Woman, and the Black gay coming-of-age, Blueprint. The 2008 Columbia University short film, Uncle Killa, which she produced earned the director a DGA Best Student Film – African American award. It was selected as an HBO finalist at the American Black Film Festival. Trevite lives in New York City.
 
About the Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival (AFF) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event celebrates 36 years of the Festival.

Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Atlantic Film Festival is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the Festival depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.

Celebrating 36 years in 2016, the Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic Film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage the global film experience. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, AFF Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.

Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs, including sneak peeks and festival highlights online at our website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival, our Twitter account: /thefilmfest #AFF2016, our LinkedIn company page: linkedin.com/company/atlantic-film-festival, our Youtube channel: youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom and our Instagram account: thefilmfest.

Congratulations to the Winners!

You will be surprised at what we have in store for you.  MiSciFi 2017 is nearly here.  We are creating an amazing line up of films, long, short, screenplays, plus more!  

In a few short weeks, tickets will go on sale, rooms will be ready to be booked.  I have my armor, do you?

The Toronto International Film Festival® announced its award winners at a ceremony at TIFF Bell Lightbox today, hosted by Piers Handling, CEO and Director of TIFF, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival. To watch the presentation, visit tiff.net/ceremony. The 41st Festival wraps up this evening.
 
The short film awards below were selected by a jury comprised of American filmmaker Abteen Bagheri (That B.E.A.T.), French filmmaker Eva Husson (Bang Gang), and Canadian filmmaker Jeff Barnaby (Rhymes for Young Ghouls).
 
SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM
The Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film goes to Alexandre Dostie’s Mutants. The jury remarked, “Mutants takes a summer in Quebec and infuses it with a ribald lyricism. Awkward moments of sexual awakening paired with self cannibalism and self immolation rise it above standard nostalgia. It was a film that took chances with both its subject matter and humour, and framing it through the eyes of children. Congratulations.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize.
 
SHORT CUTS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
The Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film goes to Raymund Ribay Gutierrez’s Imago. The jury remarked, “Some films are not easy to watch. But it's a beautiful thing to find a filmmaker who has a daring voice. We feel that with this movie we witnessed a bold, cinematic statement, and we cannot wait to see what features this director will give to the world.” The award offers a $10,000 cash prize.
 
The jury gave honourable mentions to Or Sinai’s Anna, and Orlando von Einsiedel’s The White Helmets.
 
The Canadian awards below were selected by a jury comprised of producers Luc Déry (Incendies, Monsieur Lazhar) and Anita Lee (Stories We Tell, Invention), filmmaker Mina Shum (Double Happiness, Ninth Floor), and cultural critic and novelist Hal Niedzviecki.
 
CITY OF TORONTO AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FIRST FEATURE FILM
The City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film goes to Johnny Ma’s Old Stone (Lao shi). The jury remarked, “For its remarkably mature, powerfully rendered portrait of an innocent taxi driver caught in a proto-capitalist China, the jury is pleased to select Old Stone.” This award carries a cash prize of $15,000, made possible by the City of Toronto.
 
CANADA GOOSE AWARD FOR BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM
The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film goes to Mathieu Denis and Simon Lavoie for Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (Ceux qui font les révolutions à moitié n'ont fait que se creuser un tombeau). The jury remarked, “For its uncompromising, electrifying portrait of youthful idealism and democratic exhaustion in contemporary Canada, and for its capacity to stir both heart and mind, the jury is thrilled to select Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves.” This award carries a cash prize of $30,000 and a custom award, sponsored by Canada Goose.
 
THE PRIZES OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM CRITICS (FIPRESCI PRIZES)
The Festival welcomed an international FIPRESCI jury for the 25th year. The jury members composed of jury president Steffen Moestrup (Denmark), Neta Alexander (Israel), Michael Sicinski (USA), Diego Faraone (Uruguay), Jake Howell (Canada), and Louis-Paul Rioux (Canada).

Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for the Discovery programme is awarded to Mbithi Masya for Kati Kati. The jury remarked, “With a generous and poetic tone, not without a degree of anger at personal and political injustice, FIPRESCI is pleased to present the prize in the Discovery programme to an exciting and unique new voice in cinema, Mbithi Masya for his debut feature Kati Kati.”
 
Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) for Special Presentations is awarded to Feng Xiaogang for I Am Not Madame Bovary. The jury remarked, “For its ambitious rendering of a woman’s Kafkaesque struggle as she takes on the Chinese legal system, and sophisticated play of both form and content, FIPRESCI presents the prize in the Special Presentations programme to Feng Xiaogang’s I Am Not Madame Bovary.”
 
NETPAC AWARD
As selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Pacific Cinema for the 5th consecutive year, the NETPAC Award for World or International Asian Film Premiere goes to Maysaloun Hamoud’s In Between (Bar Bahar). Jury members include jury chairperson Jeannette Paulson Hereniko (USA), Bina Paul (India), and Sabrina Baracetti (Italy). The jury remarked, “A confident debut about three contemporary Palestinian women living in Tel Aviv whose strong bond of sisterhood supports an exploration and shift in relationships, careers, and sexuality.”
 
TORONTO PLATFORM PRIZE
This is the sophomore year for Platform, the Festival’s juried programme that champions director’s cinema from around the world. The Festival welcomed an international jury comprised of legendary filmmakers Brian De Palma and Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and acclaimed actor Zhang Ziyi, who awarded the Toronto Platform Prize to Pablo Larraín for Jackie. The jury remarked, "Our decision was unanimous. We found one film that combined an extraordinary script with precise direction and unforgettable acting. For its exploration of the myth of American Camelot and its preeminent performance by Natalie Portman, the 2016 prize goes to Jackie.” The award offers a $25,000 cash prize and a custom award.
 
The jury awards a special mention to Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (he-mà he-mà), “for a film that is a metaphor for our time. In an age of technology, this film uses masks to reconnect its characters with human instinct and emotion.”
 
GROLSCH  PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS
This year marked the 39th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favourite Festival film for the Grolsch People’s Choice Award. This year’s award goes to Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Writer-director Damien Chazelle captures the story of Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, who are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for destroying hopes and breaking hearts. Set in modern day Los Angeles, this original musical about everyday life explores the joy and pain of pursuing your dreams. The award offers a $15,000 cash prize and custom award, sponsored by Grolsch. The second runner up is Mira Nair’s Queen of Katwe. The first runner up is Garth Davis’s Lion.
 
The Festival presents a free screening of the award-winning film La La Land tonight at 6 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall.
 
The Grolsch People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award goes to Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire. Justine has brokered a meeting in a deserted warehouse between two Irishmen and a gang led by Vernon and Ord who are selling them a stash of guns. But when shots are fired in the handover, a heart stopping game of survival ensues. The second runner up is Julia Ducournau’s Raw. The first runner up is André Øvredal’s The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
 
The Grolsch People’s Choice Documentary Award goes to Raoul Peck for I Am Not Your Negro. With unprecedented access to James Baldwin’s original work, Raoul Peck completes the cinematic version of the book Baldwin never finished — a radical narration about race in America today that tracks the lives and assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. The second runner up is Fisher Stevens’ Before the Flood. The first runner up is Steve James’ ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail.

DROPBOX DISCOVERY PROGRAMME FILMMAKERS AWARD
The Dropbox Discovery Programme Filmmakers Award goes to Yanillys Perez for Jeffrey. Jury members include Lane Kneedler, Director of Programming at AFI, producer Caroline Benjo of Haut et Court, and Alice Tynan of Dropbox. The jury remarked, “A true collaboration between subject and storyteller, Jeffrey weaves verite and socially conscious observation together with poetic moments of magical realism. With this beautiful combination, director Yanillys Perez not only captures the boundless spirit and imagination of her protagonist, but also offers new possibilities for narrative filmmaking. We believe people will love discovering Jeffrey." The production team is awarded a free Dropbox for Business account.

#TIFF16

ACADEMY REVEALS WINNING NICHOLL SCREENWRITERS

Scripts to be performed at live read in November

Four individuals and one writing team have been selected as winners of the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition.  The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee announced the winners via Livestream today.  The fellows will each receive a $35,000 prize, the first installment of which will be distributed at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards Presentation & Live Read on Thursday, November 3, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  For the fourth consecutive year, an ensemble of actors will be reading selected scenes from the winning scripts.

The 2016 winners are (listed alphabetically by author):

Michele Atkins, “Talking About the Sky” (Seattle, WA)
Spencer Harvey and Lloyd Harvey, “Photo Booth” (Balgowlah, Australia)
Geeta Malik, “Dinner with Friends” (Los Angeles, CA)
Elizabeth Oyebode, “Tween the Ropes” (Sunnyvale, CA)
Justin Piasecki, “Death of an Ortolan” (Los Angeles, CA)

A total of 6,915 scripts were submitted for this year’s competition.  Eleven individual screenwriters and one writing team were selected for the shortlist.  Their scripts were then read and judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, who ultimately voted the winners. 

The other finalists are (listed alphabetically by author):

Josh Barkey, “Marlene the Divine” (Waxhaw, NC)
Beanie Barnes, “Little Toro” (New York, NY)
Todd Condie, “John Wayne Slept Here” (Brooklyn, NY)
Danielle Ownbey, “The Blast-Off Inn” (Glendale, CA)
Michael Toner, “Hey Jude” (Van Nuys, CA)
Arun K. Vir, “Suburban Turban” (Los Angeles, CA)
Kirk Weddell, “Alone” (Wimbledon, England)

Fellowships are awarded with the understanding that the recipients will each complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year.  The Academy acquires no rights to the works of Nicholl fellows and does not involve itself commercially in any way with their completed scripts.

The Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee is chaired by writer Robin Swicord, and marketing executive Buffy Shutt serves as vice chair.  The other members of the committee are writers Tina Gordon Chism, Naomi Foner, Eric Roth, Misan Sagay, Kirsten Smith and Tyger Williams; actor Eva Marie Saint; animation director Jennifer Yuh Nelson; cinematographer John Bailey; executives Marcus Hu and Bill Mechanic; and producers Stephanie Allain, Albert Berger, Julia Chasman, Julie Lynn, Peter Samuelson and Robert W. Shapiro.

The global competition, which aims to identify and encourage talented new screenwriters, has awarded 147 fellowships since it began in 1986.  In 2016 several past fellows added to their feature film and television credits:  

• Allison Anders directed two episodes of the ABC series “Murder in the First.”
• Raymond De Felitta directed the ABC miniseries “Madoff,” which aired in February.
• Amy Garcia and Cecilia Contreras wrote “Dear Eleanor,” which opened on VOD in July.
• Susannah Grant co-wrote “The 5th Wave,” which opened theatrically in January, and wrote “Confirmation,” which aired on HBO in April.
• Anthony Jaswinski wrote “The Shallows” and “Satanic,” which opened in theaters this summer.
• Creighton Rothenberger co-wrote “London Has Fallen,” which opened theatrically in March.
• Rebecca Sonnenshine concluded her five-season association with “The Vampire Diaries” as a supervising producer and writer.

Tickets for the 2016 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Awards Presentation & Live Read are now available at Oscars.org/Events.  Casting for the live read will be announced at a later date.  

Watch the trailer

New prize alert! 2017 Best Director winner will leave NYC Indie Film Fest with a $1,000 cash prize! 2017 Best Actor and Actress winners will have a free year-long subscription of online classes with iActing Studios (750 USD value). Submit today for your chance to win! http://bit.ly/1Jcd2Q1

WoFF: World of Film International Film Festival has just wrapped up this year’s edition at Glasgow’s Britannia Panopticon Music Hall.

The 2016 members of the jury Colin Kennedy, Bruno Chatelin and Laurie Gordon, who unanimously confirmed their excitement about this year’s official selection of the festival are announcing the following awards:

- Best Feature Film: Tierra Caliente by Laura Plancarte | with a special mention to Get Happy by Manoj Annadurai

For more information, the festival news and updates, visit: www.woffglasgow.com

The Best Shorts Competition is proud to announce the latest winners. The Best Shorts Competition puts filmmakers first and provides a direct opportunity for recognition and publicity for high quality productions. It is international in scope and has granted awards to producers in Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Mauritius, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

Best of Show

Storm Ashwood – Moth, Film Short

Storm Ashwood (Australia), MOTH, Film Short - Moth is a twisted tale of a bitter man trying to remember why he is forlorn, while an Angel, both ghastly and monolithic, seems to wait for his final collapse into darkness. Trapped in a claustrophobic room without doors. A darkness lit only by an old lamp accompanied by a circulating moth. MOTH invites the examination of light and dark and leaves audiences with a paradoxical experience.  Skillfully directed by Storm Ashwood using a provocative script, alluring lighting and convincing effects.  With a gut wrenching performance by Steve Le Marquand(Broke, Underbelly) and a haunting dark angel interpretation from Mia Pistorius (Wonderland, Headshot).  

Award of Excellence Special Mention

Patrick Osborne (USA) Pearl, Animation – Set inside their home, a beloved car, we follow a girl and her dad as they cross the country chasing their musical dreams. It’s about the gifts we hand down, their power of love and finding grace in unlikely places.  With a memorable and touching song,Oscar winner Osborne brings emotion and magic to this charming story and extraordinary filmmaking to the VR version as part of the Google Spotlight series.

Fredric Lehne (USA), Shy Guys, Film Short - Two strangers confront and resolve one of the most insidious scourges afflicting mankind - while standing at public urinals with their willIes out. Witty and often gaffaw-inducing, it stars Tony winner Reed Birney(Humans, House of Cards) and Blake DeLong (Vinyl, The Blacklist). By the ubiquitous and multi-talented actor Fredric Lehne (Die Hard, Boardwalk Empire).

Susie Singer Carter (USA), My Mom and The Girl, Women Filmmakers– Dinner takes a dark turn and leads a retired jazz singer with Alzheimer’s and her caregiver to a crossroads on the streets of East LA where they mee The Girl.  The three disparate,  desperate women pull each other back to the light. Soul-stirring and sparkling performances by four time Emmy Winner Valerie Harper, Emmy nominee Liz Torres and Harmony Santana.

Paul Hendy (United Kingdom), The Last Laugh, Film Short – Three iconic, British comedians, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse discuss the secret of comedy with lightning wit and glimpses of insecurity. Exceptional script and acting – A hilarious and touching exploration of being funny and what happens when the laughter stops.  Deftly directed by the multi-talented actor, author and director Paul Hendy.

Jaco Loubser (South Africa), Heersers 2012, A depressed small-town florist, with under-appreciated abilities, receives an order for a special bouquet that might be the only ticket out of his mundane existence. With the help of his long-time assistant, he completes the task, a final masterpiece, with dire consequences for some of the town’s locals.  With memorable performances and startling twists.

Lance Larson and James R Adams II (USA), Cuckold Picasso, Experimental– Picasso is shot in first person forcing viewers to search their own souls. Although grizzly, the filmmaker intends the action and title to be strong metaphors to face our fears and free ourselves to embrace life lessons.  Impactful, chilling, disturbing and thought provoking with artful direction and acting.  A spine tingling performance from Micah Fitzgerald(Westworld, Fear of the Walking Dead).

Steffen F. Kaminski (Germany), Antharys, Film Short – Antharys tells the story of a young student, Clarissa, who after a near death experience finds herself in a brre fantasy world. In this world Clarissa is part of an ancient prophecy and her arrival has long been awaited. Now she has to trust strangers, overcome her fears and try to find her way back home.  A fantasy adventure series that keeps the viewers guessing what is next.

Steve Duchesne (France), KITCHEN, Film Short –  In a big house lost in the middle of nowhere, Jason made the discovery of an old cookbook hidden in his attic.  Later, when he decided to prepare a delicious meal for his wife Marie, things do not go as planned … A ghost has taken possession of the house.  A delicious horror genre with nuanced performances and effects.

Award of Excellence

Alfred Thomas Catalfo (USA), SPLIT TICKET, Film Short

April Phillips (New Zealand), REM, Film Short

Ariel Jew (USA), Totem, Animation (Student)

Atomic Thorson (USA), For the Love of the Game, Film Short (Student)

Carla Roda (USA), Camila, Women Filmmakers

Catherine Bailey (USA), Return to Sender, Animation (Student)

Charlie Sporns (USA), Dead Bird Don’t Fly, LGBT (Student), Film Short, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Script / Writer, Original Score (Dead Bird Don’t Fly composed by Charlie Sporns)

Chia-Hung Kao (Taiwan), Dare to Dream-Sing for you, Children / Family Programming

Colin Borden (USA), The Herd, Film Short

Dan Silov (Latvia), Disposable Darling, Film Short

David Pinkston (USA), Nut Cracker, Cinematography, Lighting, Editing

Hadley Hillel (USA), ERNIE, Film Short (Student)

Hsu Kuo-yang (Taiwan), The Plum Rain, Documentary Short

Jesse Richards (Australia), Where We Live, Film Short (Student)

Jonathan Martin (USA), Creatures of Whitechapel, Film Short (Student)

Kelly Beam (USA), ANIMAL, Film Short

Kemmy and Julie Moran (USA), Miss Beverly Hills Ghost, Web Series

Lance Larson and James R Adams II (USA), Cuckold Picasso, Cinematography (Brent Barbano), Editing, Script / Writer (James R Adams II and Lance Larson), Viewer Impact: Content / Message Delivery, Direction (Lance Larson)

Laura Pellegrini (USA), In Parallel…, Actor: Leading (Stefano Da Frè as Liam), Film Short

Lorenzo Santoni (Italy), Una bellissima bugia, Disability Issues

Mariano Baino (USA), Lady M 5.1, Actress: Leading (Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni as Lady Macbeth)

Maverick Moore (USA), SHOTGUN, Film Short

Max Bartoli (USA), The Secret of Joy, Special Purpose Productions

Morten Moen and Bård Føsker (Norway), Urban Street Tap, Film Short, Music Video

Nick Testa (USA), Lineup, Film Short

Palesa Lebona, (South Africa), Cream, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Patrick Osborne (USA), Pearl, Special Effects: Animation, Sound Editing / Sound Mixing, Original Song (No Wrong Way Home composed by Alexis Harte, Scot Stafford and JJ Wiesler), Art Direction, Sound: Overall Impact, Cinematography

Pieter-Rim de Kroon and Marije Nie (Netherlands), Dancin’ the Camera, Film Short

PriceWeber (USA), Reinforcements, Documentary Short

Sarah Downey (USA), Tunnel Vision, Women Filmmakers

Shayna Cohen (USA), A Children’s Song, Film Short

Shireen Vasseghi (United Kingdom), Velvet Hour, Women Filmmakers, Experimental, Creativity / Originality, Concept, Direction

Tatiana Fedorovskaya (Germany), Happy Paradise, Film Short (Student)

Tonio Krueger (Switzerland), Crossroads / The Beauty of Gemina, Music Video

Tzurit Hartzion (Israel), FAKE IT, LGBT (Student)

Yang Shou-yi and Tseng Hsun-yi (Taiwan), Marine Life, Nature / Environment / Wildlife

Award of Merit Special Mention

Aksinya Gog (Russia), Football & Angels, Film Short

Carla Sinclair and Colin Burwell (Canada), Much Love, Scott, Documentary Short

Ciani Rey Walker (USA), Silence, Film Short (Student)

David M. Raynor, Bad Hat Films (Australia), So This Is It Then!, Film Short

Dominic Mercurio (USA), We Are Not Ourselves, Music Video

Elizabeth Mitchell (USA), Doucheaholics, Webisode

Fabio Salvati and Armando Basso (Italy), The Great Journey, Film Short

Guo Jun-ming (Taiwan), Under the Persimmon Streetlight, Animation

Han Rui Wang, Academy of Art University (USA), The Lottery, Film Short (Student)

Hung Ju Huang (Taiwan), Fighting Air Pollution, Children / Family Programming

James Stephen (United Kingdom), Polterguys, Web Series

Karolina Mikolajczak (USA), The Stradivari, Film Short (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)

Max Bartoli (USA), The Secret of Joy, Film Short

Mel Mack (USA), Touching Mary, Women Filmmakers

Nick Myall (Australia), New & Used, Film Short

Patrick Slattery (Australia), Inertia, Film Short (Student)

Roze (USA), This Moment, Film Short

Tim Li (Taiwan), Hak Idea, Remixes / Mashups

Tristan McIntosh (Canada), Pillow Talk, Film Short

Virgil Widrich (Austria), Vienna table trip, Commercial / Infomercial

Award of Merit

Aaron Sauerland (USA), QWERTY, Film Short

Annette Reid (USA), Love, Worth It (Amor, Vale), Latin / Hispanic

Arvind Sivakumaran (India), I’ll Always Have Paris, Film Short

Avi Abrams (USA), The Best Laid Plans, Film Short (Student)

Bo Price (USA), Primitive Technology (2016), Film Short

Brett Staal and Eric Wallace (USA), DragonFly, Film Short

Brian Hugh O’Neill (USA), The Renovation, Film Short

Chamsy Sarkis, Smart News Agency (Syria), Nobel’s Nightmare, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Charlie Binford (USA), Jungle Jim – A Musical Wildlife Adventure, Animation

Collins Abbott White (USA), Dreams, Music Video

Dana Marisa Schoenfeld (USA), DEAD DRUNK, Film Short

Dana Salah (USA), 102 in Dog Years, Film Short

Danielle Wheeler (USA), One for the Road, Actress: Leading (Danielle Wheeler as Ellen), Women Filmmakers

David Khaziri (USA), Locked in Stone, Film Short

David Li (Canada), The Dawning, Film Short

David Pinkston (USA), Nut Cracker, Film Short, Direction

Dimitris Katsimiris (Greece), BIRTHDAY, Disability Issues

Don Sano (USA), The Book of Judith, Film Short

Enrico Farina (Norway), PicniK, Film Short

Eric Hanson (USA), Brady’s Lot, Disability Issues

Farid Kirreh (Palestine) and Kai Staats (USA), I am Palestine, Documentary Short

Flore Joubert (France/Australia), The Servants, Women Filmmakers (Student), Direction (Student)

Gregory Alosio, Alosio Productions (USA), Death and Life, Documentary Short

Hisanori Tsukuda (Japan), Humming, Film Short

James Curry (USA), westbound, Movie Trailer (Student)

James Hu (USA), Dead Unanimity, Actress: Leading (Brigitte Buny as Joni Li / Sandy), Film Short, Asian

Jason Baumgardner, Ten Four Films (USA), Me3, Actress: Leading (Amber Higgins as Megan), Film Short

Jeffrey Blake Palmer (USA), Split Costs, Actress: Leading (Mela Hudson as Emma)

Jesse Petrick (USA), Clean! The Series Proof of Concept, Television – Pilot Program

Jonathan Sapienza (USA), The Scent of Her Soul, Film Short

Jonny Lewis (USA), G.I. Hospital, Animation

Jose Restrepo (USA), Snuggle Buddies, Film Short

Joseph Brandon (USA), Coincidental Romance, Film Short (Student)

Katie Goodman and Soren Kisiel (USA), Abortion Road Trip!, Women Filmmakers

Kurt Kubicek (USA), Skin in the Game, Film Short

Lariza Melo Preciado (Mexico), The Diver, Film Short

Lily Levin and Tristan Bell (United Kingdom), Grampy, Documentary Short

Mario Burbach (Germany), Colony Collapse Disorder – a life without bees, Film Short (Student)

Marsha Balaeva (United Kingdom), Risto’s Riff, Music Video

Mart Raukas (Estonia), PARRHESIA. The Obligation to Speak the truth., Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Matt Twomey (USA), The Duck Diaries: A Cold War Quest for Friendship Across the Americas, Documentary Short

Meghan Hooper (USA), Harmony, Film Short, Women Filmmakers

Michael King (USA), Chasing Denzel, Actor: Leading (Sharieff Walters as Mason)

Micki Dickoff (USA), The Gathering, Liberation / Social Justice / Protest

Mihai Son (Canada), Father Forgets, Film Short

Natalie Camou (USA), tereza, Women Filmmakers (Student)

Natalie Lamprecht (Switzerland), To Be Seen, Film Short (Student)

Nicholas Bayfield, University of Brighton in association with Brighton Film School (United Kingdom), Asperger’s Syndrome, Experimental (Student), Disability Issues (Student)

Nicholas Massa (USA), Breakdown Confessions, Film Short, Actor: Supporting (Nicholas Massa as Ryan), Cinematography

Nicolai Tegeler (Germany), Love, Film Short

Nik Kleverov (USA), Spirited Nature Traces of Light, Documentary Short

Oldrich Antos (Czech Republic), The Traitor, Film Short

Oz Yilmaz (Canada), COLOR OF SOUND, Documentary Short

Paco Arasanz (Spain), Doors, Film Short

Patrick O’Shea (Ireland), SOLID, Film Short and First Kiss, Film Short

Paula Neves (USA), Pumpkin, Women Filmmakers

Peter Dimako (USA), Thanatophobia, Film Short

Qi Deng (USA), Inside Job, Animation (Student)

Quinlynn McCarthy, CSULB (USA), Mama’s Gonna Get You, Music Video

Richard Mack (USA), The Sweetwater Seas in 100 Words, Web Tube Length Videos

Robert Lyons and Kevin Worth (USA), Little Princess Girl, Music Video

Roberto Sanchez (USA), Retribution, Movie Trailer

Robin Goode, Justin Cohen and Tyrone Rubin, Picturescope (South Africa), COMMANDO, Film Short

Sam Sikora (USA), Ram Pride, Documentary Short

Sara Eustáquio (Portugal), Mirror, Film Short

Scott E. Schimmel (USA), Waste Not Want Not, Nature / Environment / Wildlife (Student)

SeungJae Han (USA), Mobius strip, Film Short (Student)

Shawn-Noel Semana (USA), Got it Maid, Asian (Student)

Sienna Reid (USA), Sticks and Stones Trilogy: The Words Spoken, The Words on the Body, The Marks on the Wall, Experimental

Sophie Lee (Korea), Amity, Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Terry Leary, George Lewis (Nicaragua), Sierra Leone From War to Peace, Documentary Short

Tomas Sanchez (USA), The Lost Pueblo, Children / Family Programming, Latin / Hispanic, Native American / Aboriginal Peoples, Christian

Tommy Garcia (USA), Discretion, LGBT

Tony Wisneske (USA), Citrus Avenue, Animation

Tyler A Horn (USA), Drowning In My Own Discontent, Christian (Student)

Vanessa-Faye Stanley (United Kingdom), The Birds and the Bees, Web Tube Length Video

Yang Shou-yi and Tseng Hsun-yi (Taiwan), Human and Sea, Nature / Environment / Wildlife

Award of Recognition

Abdul Almutairi (USA/KSA), Daesh Girl, Islamic (Student)

Adi Spektor (USA), A MIRACLE OF HANUKKAH, LGBT

Alberto Martín-Aragón (Spain), PATRICIO, Experimental

Alysha Haran (USA), Not Forever, Film Short

Amanda McKeehan (USA), Autoimmune, Experimental (Student)

Andrew Meserth (USA), Ballad of a CHP Man, Music Video

Andy Galloway (USA), Gonzales: Come and Take It!, Documentary Short

Angel Jackson (USA), Tricia’s Corner, Film Short

Arindam Barooah (India), BODH (UNFOLDING THE SPIRIT OF REVERENCE), Film Short

Berry Minott (USA), Good Girl, Documentary Short, Women Filmmakers

Brandon Karsh (USA), Any Elsewhere, Film Short (Student)

Brooke Jacoby and Ashley Jacoby (USA), He Said What Now?, Women Filmmakers

Charlie Sporns (USA), Dead Bird Don’t Fly, Actress: Leading (Student) (Chen Chen Julian as Mei)

Chris Castiglione (USA), The Shoelace, Film Short

Daniel de la Cruz (USA), The Man in Black, Film Short (Student)

Daniel Dou, TransReal360 (Spain), Anima, Experimental

David Liebel (USA), RockyGrass: Rebuilding Lyons, Documentary Short

Eli Klein (Israel), I Dare You, Film Short

Elroy ‘Spoonface’ Powell (United Kingdom), Forbidden Truth, Webisode

Eric C. Player (USA), Moment of Anger, Film Short

Eric Hanson (USA), Brady’s Lot, Film Short

Erik Carlson (USA), A Night at the Movies, Film Short (Student)

Flore Joubert (France/Australia), The Servants, Dramatic Impact (Student)

Hangyu Kim (Korea), To the ends of the earth, Film Short

Ian Neisser (USA), The Offensive, Television – Pilot Program (Student)

J Nycole Ralph (USA), Working Out the Kinks, Webisode, African American, Women Filmmakers

James Curry (USA), westbound, Film Short (Student), African American (Student)

James Prineas (Germany), Kythera mon Amour, Film Short

Jennifer Dean (USA), KURTIS, Film Short

Jermaine Thomas, Benjamin Meade and Lyle Gibson (USA), Black Tie White Tie, African American

Joe DiRienzo (USA), Jake and Kate, Film Short (Student), Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Justice Parman (USA), Mirror, Film Short (Student)

Kate-Marie Engberg (USA), When a Khmer Man Met a Khmer Woman, Documentary Short

Katherine Chivers (USA), Berning Love, Documentary Short (Student)

Kheyali Das (India), HANDICAPPED SEAT, Disability Issues

Margie Kelk (Canada), Substratae, Animation, Women Filmmakers

Maria Consoli Bartrum (USA), Love, Documentary Short

Mariana Triantos and Antonio Jordán (USA), Muse, Experimental

Maximillian Remmler (USA), Screenbreak, Film Short (Student)

Mehmet Tigli (Turkey), Twin Stars, LGBT, Film Short

Michael Robert Anderson (USA), The Colors Of Perception, Film Short

Natalie Lauer (USA), Fear Binds, Women Filmmakers

Nathan Block (USA), In the Garden, Disability Issues

Patrick O’Shea (Ireland), The Brutal Truth, Film Short

Pawel Son Ngo (Poland), Fall of Icarus, Film Short

Rachel Medeiros (USA), The Next Step, Film Short, Disability Issues, Latin / Hispanic  Women Filmmakers (Student)

Rany Naser (Canada), Like a Drug, Film Short

Ron Johnson (USA), Uncle Ken, Film Short, Actor: Leading (Matthew Savas as Mike)

Ryan Kibby (USA), The Lords and Other Creatures, Actor: Leading (Eric Toms as Nate), Actress: Leading (Natalie Lauer as Vera)

Ryan S. Porush (USA), Two Hundred Percent, Documentary Short (Student)

Savio Sequeira (Ireland), THE JOB PARADOX, Film Short

Sophie Lee (Korea), Amity, Documentary Short (Student)

Stephen Pfeil (USA), Amongst Strangers, Film Short, Cinematography, Editing, Concept, Set Design

Synergy FilmWorks (USA), Slaves, Film Short

Ted Sharks (USA), Red Rose Chronicle, Asian (Student)

Ti Bing Yen (Malaysia), Wedding Anniversary, LGBT

Travis Dunn (USA), Puppet Love, Film Short

Tyna Ezenma (USA), Ghostwriter, Film Short (Student), Women Filmmakers (Student)

Umair Malik (Canada), RedBorn – Trailer, Movie Trailer (Student)

Vida Lercari (USA), The Streets that Speak, Documentary Short (Student)

William R. Coughlan (USA), Tex: Wisdom of the Old West, Film Short

Yoni Azulay (USA), Again., Film Short (Student), Young Filmmaker – 17 and younger

Zach Zachariadis (USA), Dream Job, Webisode, Web / Internet Programming

Zack Abramowitz (USA), Star Wars: Behind the Saber, Film Short

Zharko Ivanov (Macedonia), Round Trip: Mary, Animation

Actress, icon and legend Diane Keaton — one of the most beloved leading ladies in American film — will be the recipient of the 45th AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film. The award will be presented to Keaton at a Gala Tribute on June 8, 2017, in Los Angeles, CA.

Teapots and Modern Dance, at Venice

Director Damian Chazelle is hitting the double chord joyously as Emma Stone wins best actress, with modern dance we’re going into a dream in the real world, playing out the rhythms of a speech pattern, nursing fantasies in La La Land until lights out… the music casts a thin veil, a dream space astrumpeter Lee Morgan, plays blue notes on his life in Kasper Collins’s documentary, I Called Him Morgan.

I draw Actress Alicia Viksander in The Light Between Oceans with Michael Fassbender, she responds dreamlike “Oh, are we on a desert island? Oh, that’s gorgeous!”. Whilst talking on the character experience Alicia goes onto say “What am I supposed to feel about loss? I learned not to look for that answer” and Michael reflects “What can I offer a child? Forgiveness”

DirectorRama Burshtein, actor Assaf Amir and cast bring us their love story Through The Wall, Laavor at Hakir, and relate their own desires to being on this set, dreaming… 
“I wanted to be the one, to experience. I wanted to be in love, listening, learning … to… I just fell in love, hope, a rare important lioness role and “Wow!”

Wim Wenders directs Les Beaux Jours D’Aranjuez with Sophie Semin and Paulo Branco; picturing the differences between men and women, he alludes to the lightness of being french with beautiful text on the subject of a jukebox “we better make it into a comic, show what they can’t tell one another… and traverser la musique!”

Actors Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner experiment on Arrival, see what you are thinking, acting without words, word’s limit emotions; they refer to Love, to Anxiety and Amy’s favourite word, “Ma”.

Charles Siskal, directs the documentary on William Powell’s book, his life and the surmise of the American Anarchist, in which Powell’s clear headed reasoning and purpose of thought are expressed in his words“Think for yourself. Remorse not regret. My skeleton in print. I live with that. Bought a Gun”. 

Tom Ford directs Nocturnal Animals and Amy Adams, who he professes to be “a female version of me”, and goes onto describe “The absurdity” of “my head inside the artist, I fell in love with these women, my true self… and the red velvet sofa”, not surprisingly as Ford’s designs on colour furnish the production, and go as far as to bring inspiration to actor Jake Gyllenhaal’s reading for his role from “a hue of red paper, the metaphor of heartbreak playing itself out, and a peculiar shade of colour to the script”. Actor Aaron Taylor Johnson accepts a part, saying “Take me on that journey, puppeteer me forward”, whilst Amy Adams sits by Tom Ford he confesses “I have fantasies of revenge but just the thought of it is not satisfying”.

Christopher Murray directs El Cristo Ciego, The Blind Christ offering“a parable language, a human look, a point of view” where “Faith is the sound that fills the emptiness”, he comments “It’s nice, it’s amazing!”

Jaeger Le Couture winner and Actor Liev Schreiber, describes his part in The Bleeder as “The right choice”, with humour as director Philippe Faladreau provides “Something gritty and sexy in the design of the film, and embraces the flaws of the hand held camera”, then goes onto dance, like “a pathetic ridiculous person” while Naomi Watts, actress, goes into costume for her audition sporting “Red boots, fake boobs, leopard print tights, all art forms there to connect to yourself” and she says “Wow, did you just do that!” Philippe says “It’s beautiful, thank-you! Can I take a photo?

La Culture Francaise - Allemande is brought to the front by director Francois Ozon with Frantz.

Paula Beer wins best young actress for her portrayal, in both tongues, of a love torn soul drawn into mourning and faced with the imagery of Manet’s painting, Le Suicide. The voyeur experiences next to no narrative content in this painting, but an association of sacrifice, idealism or heroism, and with Frantz we wait to learn the time, the place and the protagonist for love and death; we listen to Frantz recall “The noise is terrifying. The sound of the wind in the leaves. I can’t hear the notes. Le Suicide, Manet”.

Ulrich Seidl directs, and documents a poignant tale in Safari; a giraffe stands tall in nature, paired with a mate; then a shot, the fallen giraffe is transported alone, skinned, sacrificed as pleasure to the rich, and needs for the poor. There is a reference to “a Textbook hit”, and I find a parody to the story of Charles Siskal’s documentary film American Anarchist in which William Powell has a lifetime of reflection on his own textbook writings on weapons of destruction. Finding a youthful protagonist in the internet, a part of Powell wanted to learn more but had a hard time admitting responsibility for the acts, and fate, of offering anarchist recipes. His deliberately provocative wish to do more in light of the consequences of and autonomy in the Anarchist Cookbook, a constant companion; even out of the picture is a man who is moral, ethical, against government; there is foresight in the man, rhetoric, and anger association showing some kind of empathy to google.

James Franco states his love for literature as big as for film, an alias in Mice and Men, all with the eyes In Dubious Battle; look at the work, and he comments on a lack of consideration for the working class.

Jude Law plays The Young Pope with “just a joy, on these beautiful sets and colourful, wonderful compositions” directed by the humour and attention to detail of Paulo Sorrentino, “Very nice!” he comments.

Martin Koolhoven, director of Brimstone with actress Dakota Fanning and Emilia Jones, jests on

the consequence of violence to playing with a mute, and then “Well, I think it looks like America, but we’re in the EU!”

Directors Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat's El Ciudadano Ilustre, The Distinguished Citizen is “Muy bueno!” and leading actor Oscar Martinez goes on to win the Volpi Cup award for Best Actor in his well designed performance as a Nobel Prize wining writer from Spain returning to his home town in Argentina. From sets balanced with comfort of a prize and the Mies Van der Rohe Barcelona chair in a large open vista’d apartment to the aged vintage car seat of a broken down car and comic nostalgic props of a South American hotel room; the sets surround his encompassing performance and the camera shapes his character well.

Mel Gibson directs Hacksaw Ridge, and offers insight “Do something extraordinary and fantastic in life. One word, just survival. Operate from a position of love. Technical and emotional.”

Andy Garfield, actor, suggests “Real superheroes didn’t wear any spandex”. Mel comments “I just simply can’t touch it!” … “he’s dressed up in her dress” and “Wow! What a beautiful drawing”.

An unpredictable award for direction went to La Region Salvaje, The Untamed where I can only imagine the sheer fantasy of an iconic octopus personifying both male and female sexual desires touched the jury as it played against the scenes of a classic film Monte and the story of a man’s own enduring climax over a mountain.

At this point I took to the Art Biennale and sketched my way through exhibits at Arsenale.

Kim Rossi Stewart, director, producer, writer of Tommaso had one word “Bellisimo!”

Exhibited in The Bad Batch film is alter ego for director, Ana Lily Amipour, whose own life experience in one of the film locations where she claims “I had puberty there, part of my DNA” is cross referenced to her ideal films Romancing the Stone and The Princess Bride; each bring us adventure, reality, but only lead her to tease out self-dramas and quote “I think the Bad Batch is everywhere”, “anamorphic, explaining how I picked the music is like explaining how I had sex!” to “A canibal that falls in love with his next meal”. On the casting, Amipour was drawn to the face of actress Suki Waterhouse, who goes onto say “I was really frightened, like an orange being peeled”

Producer Gabai makes light of their alternative production company “We didn’t know what the fuck we were doing when we started the company”.

Tai Kato, directs The Ondekoza, a well choreographed homage and masterpiece on Japanese culture and the art of performance with the Japanese professional taiko drumming group called "Ondekoza", the sound is enhanced by the strength of thunder and rain on the roof of the Sala Giardiniafter which the Voyage of Time : Life’s Journey directed by Terence Malick follows the path of Mother nature and earth cohabiting and exploring creation in the universe.

I sketch as the words from Mel Gibson’s table, drift over his cup of tea,

“he’s playing Pope and she’s incensed… get the kinetic feel on film, extraordinary energy… a beautiful proximity, dissolve into the real frame…”

drawn in Venice

Nesta

Jaeger Le Couture winner and Actor Liev Schreiber, describes his part in The Bleeder as “The right choice”, with humour as director Philippe Faladreau provides “Something gritty and sexy in the design of the film, and embraces the flaws of the hand held camera”.

Tom Ford directs Nocturnal Animals and Amy Adams, who he professes to be “a female version of me”, and goes onto describe “The absurdity” of “my head inside the artist, I fell in love with these women, my true self… and the red velvet sofa”, not surprisingly as Ford’s designs on colour furnish the production, and go as far as to bring inspiration to actor Jake Gyllenhaal’s reading for his role from “a hue of red paper, the metaphor of heartbreak playing itself out, and a peculiar shade of colour to the script”. Actor Aaron Taylor Johnson accepts a part, saying “Take me on that journey, puppeteer me forward”, whilst Amy Adams sits by Tom Ford he confesses “I have fantasies of revenge but just the thought of it is not satisfying”.

La Culture Francaise - Allemande is brought to the front by director Francois Ozon with Frantz, as Paula Beer wins best young actress for her portrayal, in both tongues, of a love torn soul drawn into mourning and faced with the imagery of Manet’s painting, Le Suicide

Director Damian Chazelle is hitting the double chord joyously as Emma Stone wins best actress, with modern dance we’re going into a dream in the real world, playing out the rhythms of a speech pattern, nursing fantasies in La La Land until lights out…

The First Prize Award winner: Dance of the Neurons – Jody Oberfelder

2nd Grand Prize: High Signs – Damien Patrik

Third Prize Award: Head – Stav Levi

Fourth Prize: Clyde’s Game – William Howard

Fifth: “Ahavot Be’kitsur/Short Love – Yaron Yarkoni

The Audience Choice AND Best Feature Film Awards: Curse of the Man Who Sees UFOs – Justin Gaar/Carlos de los Rios