Tag: festivals

beautiful sunset on Martha's Vineyard at the MVIFF opening gala
Festival Park Imagine News NE Film Festivals 

Small Island, BIG World of Film

Posted By: Jen , ,

By Brenda Horrigan

The Annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Celebrates its 17th year September 6th – 11th 2022

Welcome back to the cinematic celebration that is the Annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival! This is our seventeenth year. Wow—how’d that happen? It is because of you, film lovers!

We are ecstatic to be back with you again, with this full five days of top films from around our planet. Plus, parties, special guests, and more! From September 6–11 you’ll be treated to an array of narrative and documentary films, animation, and shorts. Something for everyone! These films demonstrate the wonders of film, the range of its ability to make us laugh and cry, to make us think deeply as we take in these works’ bold imagery, creative storylines, and unique characters. Sit back, let cinema wrap you in its warm magic. 

For seventeen years, the Annual Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival has served as a culminating highlight of this Island’s culture-packed summer season. Each September we gather the best new films from around the globe, aiming to provide a path to bridge cultural differences and allow an exploration of universal human experiences.

The Film Center in Vineyard Haven, home of the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival
Tented Opening Night Party of a past Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival.

The fun kicks off Tuesday afternoon, September 6, with A FILM ABOUT COUPLES (Dominican Republic) a dramatic comedy about a pair of film makers tangling with their marital problems while trying to make a movie about love. In the evening, shoe lovers and anyone who adores a great immigrant success story, will relish the chance to see the Italian documentary SALVATORE: SHOEMAKER OF DREAMS, about the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo. 

From Spain comes OFFICIAL COMPETITION in which a billionaire businessman in search of fame and social prestige decides to make a unique, groundbreaking film. To achieve this goal, he hires the best of the best: A stellar team consisting of famous filmmaker Lola Cuevas and two well-known actors who boast not only an enormous talent, but also an even bigger ego: Hollywood star Félix Rivero and aging theater thespian Iván Torres. They’re both legends, but not exactly the best of friends. Through a series of increasingly hilarious tests set by Lola, Félix and Iván must confront not only each other, but also their own legacies.

This is the closing night film followed by The Closing Night Party!

On Wednesday, September 6, you can HIT THE ROAD with a new Iranian film that transforms the road-trip genre into something raw and moving. That evening do not miss PINK MOON, the Tribeca award-winner from the Netherlands.

HIT THE ROAD
When a young woman receives the absurd news from her father that he’s had enough of life and wants it to come to an end, she is forced to search for a way to deal with his last wish. It’s the Tribeca Award winner from the Netherlands screening Wednesday night.

Thursday, it’s the official opening party! Enjoy drinks and appetizers from the renowned Goldies. Immediately following, you can stroll over to the Film Center for the movie BROKER, the new film from Korea featuring Song Kang-ho, last seen in the Oscar-winning “Parasite.”

Scene from THE BROKER

BROKER from Korea will screen Thursday, September 8th at 7:30 pm. Directed by Japan’s Kore-eda Hirokazu, the Korean-language BROKER scored a best actor prize at Cannes for male lead with PARASITE star Song Kang-ho. Playing like a scrappy road movie, more than a crime story, the film tells the tale of two chancers who are trying to arrange an adoptive home for an unwanted infant, the child’s mother who tags along, and two women police officers on their trail.

On Friday, September 9, you can choose from a film smorgasbord. First there’s WAITING FOR BOJANGLES, a French romantic dramatic, followed by the thrilling Guggenheim Foundation fellow Signe Baumane, here to show her animated feature MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE, which infuses music and science into a personal love story. Then it’s our annual INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS JURIED COMPETITION. Come see the 10 finalists and learn who our expert jury selected as the best overall.

Saturday, September 10, starts strong with UTAMA, the moving tale of an elderly couple up against the Bolivian environment, a film that racked up awards including a grand jury prize at Sundance. And then Saturday afternoon—whoa-ho!—it’s the return of the “king of indie animation” with BILL PLYMPTON’S WORLD OF ANIMATED SHORTS. Don’t miss this special event with Oscar nominee Bill Plympton who’s been amusing (and startling) Vineyard audiences and the world for years. Saturday night don’t miss Italy’s THE GOOD BOSS, winner already of 30 awards, including “Best Actor” for Javier Bardem, playing the lead. 

Sunday, September 11, there’s another strong line-up, starting with DOS ESTACIONES, a drama about an iron-willed woman determined to save her family’s famed tequila factory. Hop to the other side of the globe with the Israeli tale KARAOKE, and witness a middle-class couple being shaken back to life by the arrival of an exotic new neighbor. (We thank the Consulate General of Israel to New England for co-sponsoring this terrific film that’s gathered multiple major award nominations.)

Our closing night film is OFFICIAL COMPETITION, a comedy about a billionaire in search of creative fame who hires a top filmmaker and two big talents (and even bigger egos). Starring the incomparable Penelope Crus and Antonio Banderas. “Deliciously silly and wildly entertaining,” this film is the perfect way to close out our five days of fabulous film. Or is it? Because you absolutely should not miss our closing night party at FISH MV, on Vineyard Haven’s Main Street.

Welcome to our small island. And to the big world of film. All packed into five very special days.

“We’re so glad you’ll be here to enjoy them with us,”

says Festival Director/Founder Richard Paradise (with great gusto!)
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Imagine News 

The Roxbury International Film Festival Commemorates Twenty Years of Independent Cinema Celebrating People of Color

Posted By: Jen , , ,

June 20 – 30, 2018

Mandla (Oros Mampofu) works as a miner by
day, but is passionate about playing guitar and
dreams of making it big in the music industry.
Directed by Rea Rangaka. Photo by Patrick Toselli.

The Award-Winning LIYANA Opens #RoxFilm20 on Thursday, June 21 -Executive-produced by Thandie Newton
(HBO’s Westworld, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE II, and Crash)

A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night Closes #RoxFilm20 on Sunday, June 30 at Fenway – The romantic drama premiered in the NEXT category at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival

LIYANA. directed by Aaron and Amanda Kopp. Photo courtesy of the Roxbury
International Film Festival,

The critically acclaimed film LIYANA, that’s part animated fable, part observational documentary, officially kicked off the 20th anniversary of the Roxbury International Film Festival on Thursday, June 21 at 7:00pm at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Sakheni Dlamini, the film’s producer and
a graduate of Simmons College, was in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

Directed and produced by husband-and wife team, Aaron and Amanda Kopp, LIYANA tells the story of how five orphaned Swazi children turn their past trauma into creative fuel for an original collective
fairytale, in which they send a young girl on a dangerous quest to save the day. The film is beautifully illustrated by Nigerian born art director Shofela Coker, teacher and co-founder of Coker Co-op, a collective that creates comics, sculptures, and digital media, and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the LA Film Festival and the Jury Award for Artistic Bravery at the Durban International Film Festival in South Africa.

A photo from Chico Colvard’s BLACK
MEMORABILIA. Photo courtesy of BLACK
MEMORABILIA/C-Line Films.

A BOY. A GIRL. A DREAM: LOVE ON ELECTION NIGHT closes out RoxFilm on Sunday, June 30 at 6:30 p.m. at State Street Pavilion at Fenway. The contemporary love story stars Omari Hardwick (Power on
Starz) and Meagan Good (Think Like a Man, Star, Code Black) who meet on the night of the 2016 presidential election, fall in love, and challenge one another to pursue their broken dreams. Directed by Qasim Basir, the film also stars Jay Ellis from HBO’s Insecure and was executive produced by Good and Hardwick. Tickets can be purchased at https://m.bpt.me/event/3482771

Scene from LOVE JACKED. Photo courtesy of Inner City Films

Featured at this year’s RoxFilm is LOVE JACKED, a sophisticated small town romantic comedy centered around Maya, a headstrong 28-year-old with artistic ambitions and her father Ed, who wants a dutiful daughter to run the family store. Ed is shocked when Maya, asserting her independence, decides to travel to Africa for inspiration and returns with a fiancé who is not quite what he seems. The film stars Amber Stevens-West, Shamier Anderson, Keith David, Mike Epps, Demetrius Grosse, Lyriq Bent, Marla Gibbs, Angela Gibbs, and Nicole Lyn and is directed by Alfons Adetuyi.

Poster LIKE FINE SILK directed by
Sandra Manzanares and Ben Mankoff. Design by Cubby Golden.

The Roxbury International Film Festival (June 20-30) is a competitive festival that awards certificates in the categories of Audience Favorite, Narrative Film, Documentary Film, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Youth, Emerging Filmmaker, with a special award named after award-winning filmmaker Henry Hampton.

Zoe Renee as Summer in Nilia Mu’min’s ZINN. Photo by Bruce Cole.

On Wednesday, June 20, RoxFilm and the Museum of Fine Arts presented a free “sunset cinema” screening of BLACK PANTHER in celebration of Juneteenth. The screening was held at 8:30 p.m., on the Huntington Avenue lawn (weather permitting), with live music, lawn games, and art-making activities beginning at 7:00 p.m.

For aspiring filmmakers and producers, the festival is hosting the free event, “From Martin to MIT: A Conversation with Topper Carew” on Sunday, June 24 (Location/Time: TBA).

The intimate film gathering Dinner and a Movie returned on Monday, June 25 at the Haley House Bakery Café with Reelblack founder Mike D. discussing his new project Black Film Now, as well as the importance of supporting African American films and their directors.

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, RoxFilm and Young Black Professionals bring a throwback screening of COMING TO AMERICA to Hibernian Hall on Tuesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by Onyx Spectrum Technology, Massport, Boston Red Sox, SAG/AFTRA, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Leah S. Randolph of HALO Productions, Black Star Enterprises, and more. The Festival will also feature Q&A with filmmakers, events and filmmaker hangouts.

Under the direction of Lisa Simmons, the Roxbury International Film Festival (RoxFilm) supports media makers of color and others who have an interest in creating and developing new and diverse images of people of color in film, video and performing arts. The festival collaborates with many arts institutions and organizations whose mission it is to promote and support independent artists and contribute to the creative economy of the Commonwealth.

Tickets are on sale at www.mfa.org.

Visit: www.roxburyinternationalfilmfestival.com/ to purchase festival passes and for more information.

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Imagine News 

The 23rd Annual Nantucket Film Festival

Posted By: Jen

Ben Stiller and Mike Birbiglia to Co-host 2018 Screenwriters Tribute; Adam Driver and Garrett Hedlund to Present

June 20 – 25, Island of Nantucket

Over the past twenty two years on the beautiful Island of Nantucket, the Nantucket Film Festival
(NFF) has mixed highly anticipated awards contenders with the fi lms of talented emerging and
established filmmakers. NFF has brought together the film industry’s most recognized screenwriters
and storytellers, including Tom McCarthy, Oliver Stone, Steve Martin, Judd Apatow, Tom McCarthy,
Beau Willimon, Kathryn Bigelow, Sarah Silverman, Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, Diane Keaton,
Robert Towne, Glenn Close, and Aaron Sorkin. NFF has also produced the All-Star Comedy
Roundtable Presented by Ben Stiller, and the insightful conversation series In Their Shoes With…®,
which has included Robin Wright and Beau Willimon with Chris Matthews, Tom McCarthy with
Bobby Cannavale, Molly Shannon with Michael Ian Black, and Bradley Whitford with Chris Matthews.

NFF’s star-studded six days of non-stop, jam packed special jewel in its crown is the Screenwriters Tribute held on Saturday, June 23, 2018. It’s the ticket not to be missed.

Actor, writer, director and producer Ben Stiller (THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED), TROPIC THUNDER, MEET THE PARENTS) and actor/comedian Mike Birbiglia (DON’T THINK TWICE, TRAINWRECK) will
co-host.


Actor Adam Driver (STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, Jim Jarmusch’s PATERSON, Spike Lee’s BLACKKKLANSMAN) will present the Screenwriters Tribute Award to Oscar®-nominated writer/director Noah Baumbach. Driver has appeared in Baumbach’s THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED), WHILE WE’RE YOUNG and FRANCES HA, and recently completed shooting Baumbach’s latest feature opposite Scarlett Johansson.


Actor Garrett Hedlund (MUDBOUND, BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK) will present Andrew Heckler with the New Voices in Screenwriting Award. Hedlund stars alongside Forest Whitaker and Andrea
Riseborough in Heckler’s Sundance Audience Award-winner BURDEN, which will screen at the Festival.

There’s always great anticipations of the opening night fi lm selection. For the 2018 festival it’s Sony Pictures Classics’ BOUNDARIES, written and directed by Shana Feste. The film tells the story of single mom Laura (Vera Farmiga) who is forced to drive her estranged, pot-dealing father Jack (Christopher Plummer) from Seattle to LA after he is kicked out of a retirement home. The comedy also stars Bobby Cannavale, Peter Fonda, Christopher Lloyd, and Kristen Schaal.

CNN Films’ LOVE, GILDA, directed by Lisa D’Apolito will close the festival. The documentary reveals the personal side of iconic comedian Gilda Radner through rare personal recordings and journal entries.

Morgan Neville’s (2018 NFF Honoree) WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? will screen as the festival’s centerpiece film. The documentary depicts the life and legacy of the late Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and a longtime Nantucket resident.

For the ninth year in a row, NFF will screen a Disney• Pixar film on opening day. This year the
studio will showcase the anticipated animated feature INCREDIBLES 2, with Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson, John Ratzenberger, and director Brad Bird reprising their characters from the first film.

Returning programs at this year’s Festival include In Their Shoes…®, a conversation between MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Noah Baumbach, Adam Driver, and Ben Stiller; as well as the daily Morning Coffee With…®, a daily kick-off discussion between attending writers, directors, and new host Tom Cavanagh (The Flash, Ed).

Also returning is Women Behind the Words, sponsored by Lifetime, which had its inaugural event in 2015, focused on gender inequality in the entertainment industry. Following a year of new conversations and developments in the wake of #MeToo and the Time’s Up movements, NPR’s Ask Me Another host Ophira Eisenberg will moderate a conversation to discuss what comes next. Guests include actresses Jeanne
Tripplehorn (Big Love, WE ONLY KNOW SO MUCH) and Alysia Reiner (Orange Is the New Black, EGG), television writer/producer Sera Gamble (Lifetime’s upcoming You, The Magicians), and actress, director, and producer Miranda Bailey (SWISS ARMY MAN, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY).

Additional film programming announced as part of the 2018 Festival includes a special screening
of documentary feature BALLET NOW, directed by Steven Cantor, and executive produced by Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions and actress Elisabeth Moss, on the fi nal day of the Festival, Monday, June 25. Cantor will also be present for a post-screening conversation.

This intimate documentary provides a candid behind-the-scenes look at the world of ballet, following New York City Ballet’s Prima Ballerina Tiler Peck, the first woman to curate the Music Center’s famed BalletNOW, as she attempts a fresh new approach by merging the worlds of ballet, tap, and hip-hop together through a groundbreaking one-of-a-kind performance. Throughout the film, as Tiler faces the demands of an incredibly challenging production, she is driven to show young people the beauty,
possibilities and freedom of dance and expression. Executive Producer, Paul G. Allen has always had a passion and commitment for the classical arts, and hopes that showcasing the ballet world and the arts as a whole will continue to inspire and engage younger audiences, while affecting enthusiasts.

Also revealed were six Short Film Programs, including Miguel Alvarez’s ATLANTIC CITY featuring Raúl Castillo, Ross Kauffman’s BOY BOY GIRL GIRL featuring Katie Holmes, Pete Lee’s DON’T BE A HERO featuring Missy Pyle, and Tom Cavanagh’s TOM AND GRANT featuring Cavanagh and Grant Gustin, his costar
from The Flash; as well as a new program putting the spotlight on some of the year’s most-honored shorts.


The Short Film groupings and descriptions will lead you to want to see each of them; COMEDY, REMIXED: Humorous stories showcasing comedy in all its shades; EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT:

In these narrative shorts, when things are going wrong, you can wait for the tide to turn or fix it yourself; IT’S ALL TRUE: Nonfiction stories – animated, interviewing, reminiscing, probing, reporting, observing, and illuminating; KIDS SHORTS: Live-action and animated stories for children ages four and up; LIFE CHAPTERS: Two true stories of women asserting their rights during the Sexual Revolution and terminally-ill patients claiming their power in their last days; and SHORTS OF THE YEAR: A collection of official selections and jury winners from the best film festivals around the world. Pre-game your
Oscar Shorts selections here.

Finally, the third edition of Enter the Story: Virtual Reality Experiences has been unveiled, including MY AFRICA, narrated by Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o; TAKE EVERY WAVE: LAIRD IN VR featuring Laird Hamilton; and immersive titles straight from the VR arcades at SXSW and Tribeca: DINNER PARTY, FIRE ESCAPE, and MY JOURNEY

The Nantucket Film Festival was founded by brother and sister team Jonathan and Jill Burkhart in 1996 to promote the cultural awareness and appreciation of the fine art of screenwriting in the world of cinema. Since then, NFF has become one of the premier destination film festivals in the world. Visitors come from all over the world to experience the preview screenings, unique signature programs, and stand out hospitality on a magical island rich with history, a friendly atmosphere, and beautiful sandy beaches. In addition to screening over one hundred fi lms across six days, NFF presents the Screenwriters Tribute, In Their Shoes…®, our daily Morning Coffee With…®, and other Signature Programs.

The 23rd Annual Nantucket Film Festival runs from June 20-25, 2018. Festival passes and ticket packages are currently on sale now on the NFF’s website (www.nantucketfilmfestival.org).

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Woods Hole Film Festival
Imagine News NE Film Festivals 

26th Annual Woods Hole Film Festival Winners Announced

Posted By: Jen , , ,

JAGVELD (Hunting Emma), WHAT CHILDREN DO and CITY OF JOY won top Jury Awards; CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY won Best of the Fest Audience Award

The Woods Hole Film Festival, the oldest film festival on Cape Cod and the Islands, concluded its 26th year on Saturday, August 5th, with the announcement of this year’s winners at the Captain Kidd Restaurant in Woods Hole. Although the festival has historically focused on filmmakers from and films set in New England the festival has more recently expanded its international focus: all but one of the Jury Award winners this year is from or set outside the U.S.

WHAT CHILDREN DO (USA), a comedy written and directed by Dean Peterson about two estranged sisters who return to their home town to take care of their dying grandmother that features John Early (BEATRIZ AT DINNER), won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature-Comedy. JAGVELD (Hunting Emma), a thriller directed by South African filmmaker Byron Davis about a woman who is hunted by police after she witnesses a murder they commit had its international premiere at the festival where it won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature-Drama. Madeleine Gavin’s CITY OF JOY (USA), about the women’s leadership center in the Democratic Republic of the Congo co-founded by radical feminist Eve Ensler (THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES), won the Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature. CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY (Mexico), a documentary feature directed by Phillip Baribeau about the eponymous chef and adventurer who slowly regained his life after being shocked by 2400 volts of electricity in a freak accident, won the Best of the Fest Audience Award.

WHFF Drone Trailer from John Gamache on Vimeo.

“We received more than 1000 submissions—from everywhere from Mashpee to Maine and South Africa to Sri Lanka—from which our programming committee selected 52 narrative and documentary features and 81 narrative, documentary, and animated shorts,” said Founder and Executive Director Judy Laster. “Consistent with our mission to support the careers of emerging independent filmmakers, more than 100 filmmakers attended the Festival, the majority of which were making their directorial debuts, such as RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK actress Karen Allen,” she added.

The “Survival Strategies for Independent Filmmakers” panel discussion moderated by Women in Film and Video/New England President Alecia Orsini that featured (l to r): actress and Berkshires resident Karen Allen (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK), who made her directorial debut with the short film A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD., based on a short story by Carson McCullers (whose 100th birthday would have been this year), Boston born actress Catherine Eaton who made her directorial debut with the feature length narrative film THE SOUNDING, shot on Monhegan Island in Maine; and Boston-based actress and producer Elika Portnoy, who made her directorial debut with the short film THE 6TH AMENDMENT, about a reimagining of the Boston Marathon bomber jury. Documentary filmmaker Erica Frankl, whose documentary KING GEORGES was also shown as a special screening, also participated in the panel. Photo courtesy of WHFF.

Additional Jury Award winners include: Best Narrative Short-Drama: PROMISE by Tian Xie (China); Best Narrative Short-Comedy: RHONNA AND DONNA by Daina O. Pusic (UK); Best Documentary Short: PATAGONIA AXUL: THE INTERCONNECTION OF LIFE by Daniel Casado (Chile); Best Animation Short: A LITTLE GREY by Simon Hewitt (Mexico).

Additional Audience Award winners include: Best Feature Drama: BLUR CIRCLE by Christopher J. Hansen (USA); Best Feature Comedy: QUAKER OATHS by Louisiana Kreutz (USA); Best Feature Documentary: DATELINE SAIGON by Thomas D. Herman (USA); Best Short Drama: GAME by Jennie Donohue (USA); Best Short Comedy: THE FINAL SHOW by Dana Nachman, starring Marion Ross and Nancy Dussault (USA) Best Short Documentary: BLIND SHSHI by Eric Heimbold (USA); Best Short Animation: STARS by Han Zhang (USA);

Friends Susanna Styron (the late author William Styron’s daughter) and Karen Allen spoke after the screenings of their respective short narrative films: HOUSE OF TEETH and A TREE. A ROCK. A CLOUD. Photo courtesy of WHFF.

Jury members included: Feature Narratives: Future Films USA Vice President Ricky Margolis; Golden Child Ventures Producer and Attorney Sandy Missakian; and Circus Road Films Founder Glen Reynolds. Feature Documentaries: Principle Pictures founder, and award-winning director and producer Beth Murphy; documentary filmmaker, media studies lecturer, and founder of the UMASS Boston Film Series Chico Colvard; producer, director and Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University David Tames; and writer and producer Madison O’Leary. Short Narratives & Animation: documentary filmmaker, writer, and development consultant Megan Sanchez Warner (LOVE AND HIP HOP), House Lights Media co-founder Sandy Moore; producer and Bunker Hill Community College Adjunct Professor Howard Phillips; and Best Dog Ever Films producer and director Liz Lerner. Short Documentaries: Independent Film and TV Producer Jill Lutz; Producer and Documentary Filmmaker Jay Spain; and W2 President of International Sales and Distribution Julie Sultan.

For more information about the festival and awards, visit www.woodsholefilmfestival.org, www.facebook.com/WoodsHoleFilmFestival, @WoodsHoleFF (#WHFF2017), or call 508 495-3456.

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BIFF Staff photo
Imagine News 

Boston International Film Festival

Posted By: Jen ,

By George Weinstein

Towering behind the Boston International Film Festival (BIFF) is a man of average height, better than average intelligence and a beautiful smile.

Patrick Jerome is the Founder and Organizer to this day of the BIFF, which opens for the fifteenth time with its traditional Red Carpet photo-op extravaganza in front of the Loews Boston Common Theater on April 13, 2017. Though the BIFF runs through April 27, 2017, the Red Carpet event encapsulates what the BIFF is all about. Indie filmmakers from Roxbury, MA to Iran get their moment in the sun (camera flashguns) in front of a BIFF back drop.

It all began for Patrick Jerome in Haiti where he was born. It was there that he first saw motion pictures and knew then that making movies was his destiny. After leaving a volatile political climate in Haiti, Patrick finally settled in Boston and is now a U.S. citizen. It was here that he became aware of a lack in the local cinema scene of a perspective on international films.

He presented his idea of a Boston International Film Festival first to then Boston Mayor Thomas Menino who gave Patrick an enthusiastically positive response. From there it was a relatively smooth sailing through the required hoops of Boston bureaucracy.

BIFF begins April 13th and runs through April 27th. Their opening night will be THE LOST CITY OF Z from the writer and director James Gray (THE IMMIGRANT, TWO LOVERS), who will be present). The film, being distributed by Amazon Studios and Bleeker Street, stars Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, Tom Holland and Angus Macfadyen. Brad Pitt is the Executive Producer.

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Imagine News NE Film Festivals 

IMAGINE Publisher Carol Patton Receives RIIFF’s Crystal Creative Vision Award

Posted By: Jen , ,

Carol Patton and Steven Feinberg
Carol Patton and Steven Feinberg

Rhode Island International Film Festival presented their 2014 Crystal Creative Vision Award on their Opening Night, August 5th at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The award was presented by Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office. The citation reads: “Celebrating the passion of creativity within the world of cinema, the Rhode Island International Film Festival recognizes Carol Patton for her outstanding and memorable contributions to the art of filmmaking.

Past recipients have included Blythe Danner, Michael Corrente and Jonathan Katz.

IMAGINE Magazine publisher Carol Patton founded IMAGINE in April 1998 for the sole purpose of growing and nurturing the Film and Television Production Industry in New England. She introduced Film Tax Credits in 2002 and wrote the definitive piece in 2004 after which, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut passed (in that order) Film Tax Credit legislation bringing since then nearly $4 billion dollars to the region in economic development from studio and major producer productions that would not have come here otherwise.

Now she says, “IMAGINE’s most important mission is to keep the industry dots connected, make sure the tax credits stay in place, and to promote the region, its tax credits, locations, talent, crew, and other amazing amenities and charms New England has to offer to the rest of the world. Without Film Tax Credits there would be no film production in the United States. There just isn’t a major film being made without them.”

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Imagine News 

Save the Date! Mass Production Coalition’s 2nd annual EXPO Sept. 6

Posted By: Jen , ,

Mass Production Coalition Expo 2014

REACH CREATIVE, SAVVY, TALENTED AND TECHNICAL IMAGINE READERS & VIEWERS

Create Impressions I Connect to Industry Decision Makers I Do it In Print, Online, In Your Customer’s Inbox

Find the Consumers You Want & Let New England’s New Arrivals Know Who You Are & Where to Find You!

IMAGINE Magazine Offer: We’re very excited to support and be a media partner of the Mass Production Coalition’s 2nd annual EXPO

Coming up Saturday, September 6, 2014 at WGBH – Save the Date

Advertisers who support the event with a shout out in their IMAGINE advertising will receive a special discount of 25% On all print ads sized 1/6 page or larger, and on all our web banner ads and our billboard slider.

This offer also applies to IMAGINE’s “get-the-word-out” eBlasts where we put your industry message in our industry reader’s inbox.

Bonus Distribution of this Special Edition at the EXPO

IMAGINE Magazine is read all over the country – both in print and online 24/7 – we get the word out!

Be a part of this Special Edition Featuring NE Summer Production Stories, Introductions to Exciting NE Businesses plus Festival Reviews and a Preview

Ad Copy Deadline is Friday, August 8, 2014

Email or call me to reserve space now. For more Information about the MPC EXPO visit www.massprodcoalition.org.

Wishing you the best rest of summer ever!

P.S. I am very honored and humbled to let you know that I have been selected to receive the Rhode Island International Film Festival’s 2014 Creative Vision Award on their Opening Night, August 5, 2014 at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Past recipients have included Blythe Danner, Michael Corrente and Jonathan Katz.

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Imagine News 

Rhode Island International Film Festival Turns 18

Posted By: Jen ,

Celebrating Film, Arts and Culture in the Ocean State

On August 5, 2014, Flickers kicks-off its 18th annual Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) in Providence, RI. Out of the 7,000-plus film festivals worldwide, RIIFF is widely recognized as a credentialed, industry-friendly launch pad for the work of exceptional emerging talent. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year.

RETROSPECTIVE: a new film starring Charles Dance as a war photographer
RETROSPECTIVE: A wartime photographer takes the last photograph of his career in Palestine and later uses it to save his own life.

The 18th Annual Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), welcomes stellar filmmaking talents from all over the world to beautiful Providence, RI—one of America’s oldest and most beloved cities. For nearly two decades, RIIFF has embraced its visitors with the sort of warm-hearted, independent spirit that fosters long-lasting friendships, sparks exciting creative projects, and inspires guests to return again and again. It’s little wonder that the Bureau of International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State recently selected RIIFF as one of the “Top 10 Festivals in the United States” to spur international tourism.

Last year, RIIFF welcomed more than 300 filmmakers, producers, cast, and crew to the Festival. Now it’s gearing up to be even bigger and better than ever, maintaining its reputation as the largest and most visible film festival in New England. Over 200 feature length, documentary and short films – from over 60 countries including China, Italy, Lithuania, Iran, Bosnia, Norway and South Africa, and 36 states in the US – will be screened throughout the six-day Festival period at locations throughout the state of Rhode Island. Films have been selected from a record entry base of 5,400 submissions.

GIRL POWER: Starring Jason Flemyng, Dakota Richards, Alice Lowe & Laura Patch
GIRL POWER: Starring Jason Flemyng, Dakota Richards, Alice Lowe & Laura Patch

With a slew of unique offerings—including the RI Film Forum, ScriptBiz, The Future Filmmaking Symposium, Extended Filmmaking and Animation workshops for kids, and a closing night block party —RIIFF ensures each of its participating visitors is treated to an enriching and inspiring festival experience.

WORKSHOPS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMMING:

A number of events that RIIFF will hold during the week are targeted toward helping novice and professional filmmakers improve and refine their skills. One of these events includes the annual RI Film Forum, to be held on Thursday, August 7th, in collaboration with the RI Film & Television Office and the Harrington School of Communication.

The ScriptBiz™ Screenplay Pitch Seminar returns to RIIFF this year spotlighting this year’s Grand Prize Screenplay Competition winner “Growing Things,” written by Jenna Sullivan and Quentin James, Marshfield, MA. The director of the program is former ScriptBiz winner, William Torgerson, Assistant Professor, Institute for Writing Studies, St. John’s University.

Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz uncovers the truth behind her mother's wartime escape from a Siberian gulag, leaving Sophia to confront her own capacity for forgiveness.
Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz uncovers the truth behind her mother’s wartime escape from a Siberian gulag, leaving Sophia to confront her own capacity for forgiveness.

A Providence Walking Tour will be offered to expose attendees to the beauty and potential of the Ocean State’s capital city as a significant location for film production. With the new film by the legendary Woody Allen shooting in Providence this summer, this event could become a backlot tour.

Interactive networking events will be held nightly during the span of the six-day festival including a block party in downtown Providence which last year drew over 1,200 participants. A first this year: the Festival will partner with Waterfire, AS220’s Foo Fest and Opera Providence, making the week of the Festival an unparalleled Celebration of Film, Arts and Culture.

HOMOPHONIA: Starring Albert M. Chan
HOMOPHONIA: Starring Albert M. Chan

RIIFF is one of 19 Festivals in the world that is an Academy Award qualifier in both the Short and Documentary Short categories. With vanguard programming that seeks to showcase new voices in independent filmmaking from across the globe, RIIFF serves as a platform to launch careers. Seven films that have premiered at RIIFF have won Academy Awards, and another 33 have been nominated, while many have gained distribution with the likes of HBO, Showtime, and IFC. A wide range of competitive categories offer entrants and audience members a veritable buffet of great stories, surprises, and narrative formats.

the transgender documentary: PASSING ELLENVILLE
the transgender documentary: PASSING ELLENVILLE

MORE ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

RIIFF encourages all entrants and exhibiting filmmakers to attend the Festival, and offers allaccess passes, reduced rates on area hotels, inns and B&B’s, plus the option to stay free of charge with community hosts. RIIFF grants over $50,000 worth in prizes to winning filmmakers, including software, scholarships, consulting, and production services.

RIIFF offers a variety of prestigious awards to some of the most talented artists in (and soon to be) the business. The festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award has been bestowed upon Oscar-nominated actors Seymour Cassel and Cicely Tyson, Academy Awardwinning actor Ernest Borgnine, and acclaimed actor of stage and screen, Paul Sorvino. The festival’s Crystal Image Award for Excellence, introduced to honor emerging artist, has been awarded to talents including Zach Braff, Danny Trejo, Joan Gruffudd, Michael Showalter, composer Klaus Badelt, and children’s book author Sandra Boynton.

Advance ticket sales for screenings and special events are available www.RIFilmFest.org. Advance student, group, and senior discounts are also available. To purchase tickets or obtain more information about any aspect of RIIFF, call 401 861-4445; or write RIIFF, One Avenue of the Arts, Providence, RI 02903; email: info@film-festival.org.

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