CONTENTS Page 3 Editorial 4-7 Herself This is the story of young mother Sandra who escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home, and in the process rebuilds her life and re-discovers herself.
8-11 Kajillionaire A woman's life is turned upside down when her criminal parents invite an outsider to join them on a major heist they're planning.
12-15 Max Winslow & the House Of Secrets Five teens compete to win a mansion owned by an eccentric billionaire. The night takes a dark turn when they become trapped and are forced to face off against a super computer who has gone rogue.
16-19 FilmfestFollower: Raindance Film Festival A look at the films on offer at this years Raindance Festival.
20-25 FilmfestFollower: BFI London A look at the films on offer at this years BFI London Festival.
26-29 MbM’s Predictions for Thematic Winners MbM’s predictions for the London Film Festival
30 DVDS of the Month: The Irishman An old man recalls his time painting houses for his friend Jimmy Hoffa through the 1950-70s.
31 DVDS of the Month: Beau Travail This film focuses on an ex-Foreign Legion officer as he recalls his once glorious life leading troops in Djibouti.
32 Poster: Herself
PHOTO CREDITS: Picturehouse Entertainment:1,4,6,7,32 Universal Pictures: 8,10,11 3D Live AXO: 12,14,15
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the following for providing images and informational data for this magazine: Josh Glenn and Charlotte Moore at Premier Comms.Com and Jill Reading at BFI.
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EDITORIAL Welcome to the latest issue of MbM and once again we offer you a passion-packed page-turner. Our cover feature review is “Herself” which was screened at Picturehouse Central, a cinema which is a fine example of arthouse ambiance, beckoning its audience to come and be pampered. All the necessary health requirements were fulfilled for its patrons; hand sanitizer, face coverings, space separation of its cinemagoers so that everyone felt comfortable and relaxed. “Herself” is about a young mother who escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system and sets out to build her own home. Other films reviewed are “Kajillionaire”, Max Winslow and the House of Secrets”. Feature articles: FilmFest Follower on Raindance and London. The latter is both virtual screenings and cinema screenings and runs 7th – 18th October. And…there is Raindance – the independent film festival. We will be listing the films of each festival and with the intention of inspiring to attend them. Meanwhile, we hope that you once again … Enjoy the read.
Magazine Editor
Magazine Designer
Brian Mills
Paul Ridler
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HERSELF Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Starring: Harriet Walter, Conleigh Hill, Cathy Belton, Clare Dunne What do you call that again? - Molly (looking at the birthmark beneath Sandra’s left eye). I already told you luv. I was already in God’s pocket and He said “If I have to find yer, I’m just gonna have to give yer a little mark because there’s loads of Sandras in Dublin! - echoed by Molly and Sandra. A story of a young mother, Sandra, who escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home and, in the process, rebuilds her life and rediscovers herself. An extraordinary performance by Clare Dunne as Sandra, which merits an award. Undoubtedly one of the best films that Phyllida Lloyd has directed and is not surprisingly very personal. “Herself” is a blend of emotions that moves from violence to a suspenseful thriller to a warm hearted and inspiring, intimate drama. The main force of the film is the star Clare Dunne who also wrote the screenplay. Clare wrote these couple of factors in the same moment of time. She was living in New York and heard that her friend had to declare herself homeless in Dublin and had to move into a room into her parents’ house and also Clare was researching something at the time that made her realize that there was a real lack of understanding about abusive relationships in the world and actually in the law system and especially in Ireland itself and just the amount of people that suffer them. “There were loads of things roaming around my subconscious and my desire to do something for my friend and write about it”, said Clare. “I went on an imaginative leap and I just googled ‘self-building’. I imagined if a woman could go to the side of everything and make this simple and one brick on top of the other and build a home for herself and I’m sure it doesn’t cost that much and lucky I googled it and it did exist and there was a design you could download online for free by a man called Dominic Stevens. That was the beginning of…Oh my God, that’s a story.” And working with director, Phyllida Lloyd? “A lot of the work I do with Phyllida is…we did all female Shakespeare. It was all set in a female prison. So, we ended up doing workshops with prisoners themselves and going and visiting prisons and there a lot of research around that which fueled my desire to write this story. And what a story “Herself” is, a memorable movie that must be seen. Its star, Clare Dunne, gives an awarding-winning performance. A year before the film started shooting Phyllida and Clare went on a course for alternate technology to learn how to build a house and they
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were with 20 bearded men and all camped out building a small oak little house on this course. “But on the shoot, itself, the nightmare was we had to build it and then we had to leave while the crew advanced the build. So, it was coming and going from the location and it was awfully expensive in shooting time and a little bit crazy”, recalls Phyllda. “The Irish construction crew who were building the house were the real heroes”.
UK RELEASE 8TH OCTOBER LONDON FILM FESTIVAL GENERAL THEATRICAL RELEASE 16TH OCTOBER HARRIET WALTER: Plays the role of Peggy in “Herself”. She had a long relationship of different sorts with Clare Dunne. “In the female Shakespeare’s, Clare played my wife, my enemy in battle and my son. So, we had that relationship. Plus, I was her landlady for a bit while she was writing some of the script so, we had conversations in my kitchen at 2.am. So, I suppose you draw on anything like that. Though my character starts off techy and hostile and warms up. If you know someone and talk to them very easily about what’s going on”.
CLARE DUNNE: “Harriet was my first idol. When I was 15, I read a book that she wrote about being an actor and how stories can affect the world and made me go…I think I could be an actor”.
CONLETH HILL: Aido in “Herself”. Birthplace: Northern Ireland. His great work of exquisite artistic generosity, intelligence, sensation and insights both on stage and screen reflects the wide range of his unique acting qualities as a superb “chameleon” in memorable transformations as in “Blue Heaven” (1992), “Game of Thrones” (2011), “Whatever Works” (2009),”Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” (2011), “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
In 2005 he was honored with his second Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Performance in a supporting role in a musical for his role in “The Producers”. On accepting award, he said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. I count it a real honour because of the pedigree and quality of the other nominees”.
CATHY BELTON: Jo in “Herself”. Known for playing Sister Claire in “Philomena” in 2013 and as Patricia Hennessy the TV Drama Series, “Red Rock” based around a busy Garda Station. 85 episodes 2015-2020.
REBECCA O’MARA: Known in appearing in various TV Miniseries until she got the role of Mrs O’Keefe in Ken Loach’s “Jimmy Hall” in 2014. LIZ FITZGIBBON: Plays a Homeless Mother in “Herself”. Appeared as Patricia in “Redemption of a Rogue” in 2018. In 2020 in the TV Miniseries as Miss Neary in 4 episodes.
SEAN DUGGAN: As Ciaran Crowley in “Herself”. In 2015 A Guard Waiter in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Lobster”. 2018 – as a Jacksonville Housekeeper in “The Sisters Brothers”. Sean Duggan can get noticed in character parts, as he does again in “Herself”.
MOLLY McCANN: As Molly in “Herself”. In 2018 “Rosie” as Madison. 2019. “Vivarium” as Molly. 2019 – “Never Grow Old” as Emma Tate. 2019 – “Sweetness in the Belly” as Young Lilly. 2020 – “The Racer” as Orla.
TOM COMERFORD: Cinematograher. Began working on Short Films and was Lighting Cameraman on the TV Series “Killnaskully” in 2004 for 7 episodes. Cinematographer on the following feature films: “Savage” 2009, “Love Eternal” 2013, “You’re Ugly Too” 2015, “Pilgrimage” 2017, “The Drummer and The Keeper” 2017, “Michael Inside” 2017, “The Hole in the Ground” 2019, “Rose Plays Julie 2019, “Herself” 2020.
REBECCA LLOYD: Editor = “My Name is Lenny”, 2017 “Enemy Within”, 2019 “Carmilla”, “REAL”, 2019 “Herself” 2020
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Sandra (Clare Dunne) and Peggy in “Herself”
(Harriet Walter)
Molly (Molly McCann) and Director (Phyllida Lloyd) on the set of “Herself”. 6
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Clare Dunne and Molly McCann On the set of “Herself”
Clare Dunne, Ruby Rose O’Hara, Molly McCann on the set of “Herself”
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KAJILLIONAIRE Directed By Miranda July Starring: Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez “Most people want to be kajillionaires, that’s the dream, that’s how they get you hooked. Hooked on sugar, hooked on caffeine. Hahaha…crycrycry. Me? I just prefer to just skip.” - Robert If awards were given for the most quirky and original films then “Kajillionaire” will win an armful. Miranda July has come up with a fun filled romantic comedy that is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. A woman’s life, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) is turned upside down when her criminal parents invite an outsider Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) to join them on a major heist they are planning. The family wins one of the many contests they regularly enter and prepare for a flight to New York. Old Dolio keeps up a plan to ‘lose’ her luggage and collect enough insurance money to pay back rent. On the plane, they meet the chatty Melanie, who is fascinated by the odd family and befriends them. Melanie’s arrival, plus Old Dolio’s crisis of conscience, and the coming of “the Big One,” a Los Angeles earthquake that will end everything, upsets the old family dynamic in strange, funny and touching ways. It is Melanie who changes everything. Old Dolio – a strange name explained hilariously, late in the film. Old Dolio and her parents spend each day going through a litany of cons, such as stealing mail or trying to return items to stores, to come up with their measly rent. Their living space, an old office, suffers from a daily spewing of some kind of thick foam from upstairs, which rolls down the walls and must be scraped up and disposed of. Award: L’Etrange Festival 2020 – Best Feature Film – to Miranda July The movie began shooting in the summer of 2018 It is Miranda July’s first feature in which she doesn’t act. The choregraphed shot at the gas station took about 17 takes.
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MIRANDA JULY: Known for “Me and You and Everything We Know” which she wrote and directed. About a lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggling to connect in this unique take on contemporary life.
RICHARD JENKINS: Most famous role to date was that of Giles in “The Shape of Water”. An otherworldly fairy tale set against the backdrop of Cold War-era America circa 1962. In the high-security government laboratory where lonely Elisa works, she is trapped in a life of isolation, her life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment.
EVAN RACHEL WOOD: Major roles: “Across the Universe” as Lucy Carrigan. A love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s and the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock ‘n roll, The film moves from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam. The star-crossed lovers, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging ant-war and counterculture movements with Dr.Robert (Bono) and Mr.Kite (Eddie Izzard)as their guides. “The Upside of Anger” as Lavender “Popeye” Wolfmeyer. In life, sometimes the very things that pull us apart can also bring us back together. A moving story of a bright, witty suburban housewife played by Joan Allen whose world comes tumbling down when her husband unexpectedly disappears. Left to raise four headstrong daughters played by Erika Christensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Keri Russell and Alicia Witt, Terry’s already hectic life turns totally chaotic when she falls for Denny (Kevin Costner). Now it’s the girls who are forced to deal with their mom’s romantic dilemmas.
GINA RODRIGUEZ: Named the “the next big” and one of the “top 35 Latinos under 35,”by The Hollywood Reporter, Gina’s profile has been rising since her breakout performance as the titular character in “Filly Brown” during the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. She started performing at age seven with the salsa dance company Fantasia Juvenil. She went on to work with other companies including Los Soneros Del Swing, performing at several Salsa Congress’ in Chicago, California, New York and Puerto Rico. At sixteen, Gina was one of thirteen teens to be accepted into Columbia University New York Theatrical Collaboration taught by Richard Niles. She wrote, directed and performed original work with twelve other kids from around the world. She fell in love with New York and NYU called her name and she was accepted and she was accepted into the Tisch School of Arts, and the calling was clear, theatre was it. Gina had four years of intense theatre training at both the Atlantic Theatre Company and Experimental Theatre Wing working with David Mamet and William H. Macy, the brilliant guidance of Rosemary Quinn and other wonderful professors. Directly after graduation, Gina booked her first lead role in the feature film “Tiny Dancer”. After that, Gina originated the role of Frida Kahlo in the world premiere of ”Casa Blue: The Last Moments in the Life of Frida Kahlo,” at the American Stage Theatre. She continued to work in New York with multiple theatres and her work in film and TV steadily grew. Today, Gina is recognized as an established actress and in “Kajillionaire” she steals the film.
DEBRA WINGER: Started working in numerous TV Series in the 70s. Big movie break came in the 80s with a role in “Urban Cowboy” as Sissy. A leading role “An Officer and a Gentleman” as Paula Pokrifki opposite Richard Gere. 1983, she was cast as Emma Horton in “Terms of Endearment”. But it was in 1993 that starred as Joy Gresham of Anthony Hopkins in the critically acclaimed “Shadowlands” In “Kajillionaire” Debra plays Theresa.
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Robert (Richard Jenkins), Theresa (Debra Winger), Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) in “Kajillionaire”
Robert (Richard Jenkins) Theresa (Debra Winger), Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) in “Kajillionaire” 10
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Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) in “Kajillionaire”
Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) and Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) in “Kajillionaire”
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MAX WINSLOW AND THE HOUSE OF SECRETS Directed by Sean Olson Starring: Michael Murphy, Marina Sirtis, Sydne Mikelle, Tanner Buchanan I’ve always wanted to build a better tomorrow. I’m pleased to announce that I’m going to invite five students to my home. Those five students will compete in a game. The winner of that game will win the key to my manor. - Chad Five teens compete to win a mansion owned by an eccentric billionaire. The night takes a dark turn when they become trapped and are forced to face off against a supercomputer who has gone rogue. Undoubtedly one of the strangest movies of the year; part thriller, part comedy, part drama. It will not win too many fans unless one is into indefinable storylines. There are moments when it seems to make sense but most of the time it struggles to come to terms with an idea that may at first seemed original but loses itself in a foggy mess. However, the film has one saving grace and that is Sydne Mikelle who plays Max and dominates every scene she is in. How does Sydne see the character and what attracted Sydne in playing her? “Max falls into your serious, typical loner, more than an outcast character from high school. What I really like about her is that she doesn’t really care. I found it very empowering for a young woman: I don’t have a lot of friends, but I’m okay with it and I’m happy. She’s very independent and she just wants her little brother to be happy and everyone around her to be happy, compared to some of the characters in the movie; it makes a good contrast.”
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SEAN OLSON: A four-time Emmy winner, Sean directed “Max Winslow and the House of Secrets”. The film earned him a Best Director nomination at the CIFF Film Festival. The film won Best Feature Film at the Burbank International Film Festival. Sean also wrote, directed, and edited the sci-fi family film F.R.E.D.I. (2018) which won “Best of the Fest” at the Bentonville Film Festival (2018) and “Best Family Film” at the Burbank CIFF Film Festivals. He was nominated as “Best Director” for his work on FREDI at the Action on Film Festival. Sean also directed “Christmas Wonderland” (2018) starring Emily Osment for Hallmark, “Mommy Be Mine” (2018) and “The Other Mother” (2017) for Marvista Entertainment. He has served as writer-director on “A Christmas Reunion” (2015) starring Denise Richards, Patrick Muldoon, Jake Busey and Catherine Hicks for Lifetime, “The Dog Who Saved Easter” (2014) starring Dean Cain, Beverley Mitchell, Mario Lopez and Nicole Eggert for Lionsgate, and “The Contractor” (2013)starring Danny Trejo for the Lifetime Movie Network. Sean also directed and edited “The Dog Who Saved Summer” (2015) starring Elisa Donovan, James Hong, Billy Zabka for Anchor Bay.
SYDNE MIKELLE: Born in Cypress, Texas. Before she discovered her love for acting, she was a competitive figure skater. She competed for years before taking her first acting class. She is an actor known for “The Thinning: New World Order” (2018), “The Wretched” (2019) and the titular role in “Max Winslow and the House of Secrets” (2019).
MARINA SIRTIS: London Born to Greek parents who did not want her to be an actress, but once she graduated, she secretly applied to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. After her graduation, she worked in musical theatre, repertory, and television. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles, California to boost her career. For six months, she auditioned for roles but was unsuccessful. Just before she planned to go back home, she got the role of Counselor Deanna Troi on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” (1987). After the series ended, she reprised her role for a string of successful Star Trek films: “Star Trek: Generations” (1994), “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996), “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998), and “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002). She occasionally attends Star Trek conventions so that her loving fans can meet her, and she can meet the fans.
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Connor (Tanner Buchanan) and Max Winslow (Sydne Mikelle) in “Max Winslow and The House of Secrets”
Alden (Emery Kelly) in “Max Winslow and The House of Secrets”
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Max Winslow (Sydne Mikelle) and Connor (Tanner Buchanan) in “Max Winslow and The House of Secrets”
Connor (Tanner Buchanan) in “Max Winslow and The House of Secrets”
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RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2020 OPENING NIGHT GALA STARDUST Directed by Gabriel Range Starring: Johnny Flynn (as Bowie), Jena Malone, Marc Maron, Anthony Flanagan “Stardust” chronicles the young David Bowie’s first visit to the US.in 1971 – a trip that inspired the invention of his iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust. THEMATIC THEMES
A DIRTY WORLD NOW Shows how young activists from around the globe such as Felix Finkbeiner (Plant for the Planet), Luisa Newbauer, Greta Thunberg (Fridays For Future) and Vic Barret (Youth v Government) are challenging status quo.
ONCE YOU KNOW NO PLOT GIVEN
THE PRICE OF PROGRESS Directed by Victor Luengo What are the decision-making mechanisms among acr-food industry, European Institutions and the scientific community who decide the price we have to pay for it are the questions raised.
THE GREAT GREEN WALL Directed by Jared P. Scott Academy Award Nominee Fernando Meirelles and Mailian and musician Inna Modja takes on an epic journey to the frontline of the climate crisis along Africa’s Great Green Wall. 16
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ARTY HE DREAMS OF GIANTS Directed by Keith Fulton,Louis Pepe Starring: Adam Driver, Terry Gilliam, Jonathan Pryce 15 years after “Lost in La Mancha”, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe come to follow Terry Gilliam’s new attempt at filming “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote”.
THE PAST IS ALWAYS NO PLOT GIVEN
UPROOTED-THE JOURNEY OF JAZZ DANCE Directed by Khadifa Wong Starring: Debbie Allen, Joshua Bergasse, Al Blackstone A feature length documentary on the lineage and future of jazz dance.
BEYOND MOVING Directed by Vikram Dasgupta A documentary about Siphe November, an exceptionally gifted ballet dancer from South Africa. The documentary follows his journey from being discovered while dancing in the hard township of Zolani.
DISCOVERY EASTERN Behind the gates of a housing estate, a peculiar game is being played by its wealthy residents.
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ENDLESS SUNSHINE MATERNA MY THOUGHTS ARE SILENT NAFI’S FATHER SURVIVAL SKILLS THE WOMAN WITH LEOPARD SHOES
FEMALE GAZE THIS IS CHRISTINA FORCE OF HABIT NON WESTERN SUFFOCATION THE DILEMMA OF DESIRE WILLOW THE AVERAGE COLOUR OF THE UNIVERSE DESCENT
ABSURDITIES NOT TO BE UNPLEASANT, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS TALK SHOOT TO MARRY THE EAGLE’S NEST MYSTERY OF THE PINK FLAMINGO
QUEER A DIM VALLEY BORN TO BE DRAG KIDS MADAME UNDER MY SKIN 18
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POLITICO APRIL 7,1980 CITIZEN PENN END GAME: BREAKING SILENCE I AM NOT A HERO KOSA PUNTA SCARA TRUE NORTH THE STATE OF TEXAS VS MELISA
GENERATION Z ANTARTICA FOMO NUCLEAR OUR OWN
SONICA TOPOWA! NEVER GIVE UP DIFFERENT JOHNS AFTER SO MANY DAYS JIMMY IS PUNK
BEST MUSIC VIDEO EPIPHANY I’LL COME TOO WATER ME DOWN ZOEA ZVER www.moviesbymills.com
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FILMFEST FOLLOWER BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL OCT 7-18 CINEMA OR VIRTUAL SCREENIMGS
OPENING FILM MANGROVE Directed by Steve Mcqueen CINEMA SCREENING
CLOSING FILM AMMONITE Directed by Francis Lee CINEMA SCREENING
THEMATIC STRANDS CREATE DAVID BYRNE’S AMERICAN UTOPIA Directed by Spike Lee VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
DELIA DERBYSHIRE: THE MYTHS AND LEGENDARY TAPES Directed by Caroline Catz VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
THE DISCIPLE Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF Directed by Benjamin Ree VIRTUAL SCREENINGS 20
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STRIDING INTO THE WIND Directed by Wei Shujun VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
ZANKA CONTACT Directed by Ismael El Iraki VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
DARE A COMMON CRIME Directed by Francisco Marquez VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
BAD TALES Directed by Fabio D’innocenzo, Damiano D’innocenzo VIRTUAL SCREENING
THE INTRUDER Directed by Natalia Meta VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
MOGUL MOWGLI Directed by Bassam Tariq VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
NEW ORDER Directed by Michel Franco VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
SHIRLEY Directed by Josephine Decker VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
SIBERIA Directed by Abel Ferrara VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
WILDFIRE Directed by Cathy Brady VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
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DEBATE 180 DEGREES RULE Directed by Farnoosh Samadi VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
200 METERS Directed by Ameen Nayfeh VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
AFRICAN APOCALYPSE Directed by Rob Lemkin VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
ONE MAN AND HIS SHOES Directed by Yemi Bamiro VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
SHADOW COUNTRY Directed by Bohdan Slama VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
TIME Directed by Garret Bradley VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
ULTRAVIOLENCE Directed by Ken Fero VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
EXPERIMENTA SOUND FOR THE FUTURE Directed by Matt Hulse VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
FAMILY SOUL Directed by Pete Doctor, Kemp Powers CINEMA SCREENINGS 22
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WOLFWALKERS Directed by Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
JOURNEY A DAY-OFF KASUMI ARIMURA Directed by Hirokazu Kore-Eda VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
ANOTHER ROUND Directed by Thomas Vinterberg VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
BLOODY NOSE, EMPTY POCKET Directed by Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
GENUS PAN Directed by Lav Diaz VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
GOLD FOR DOGS Directed by Anna Cazenave Cambet VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
I AM SAMUEL Directed by Pete Murimi VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
IDENTIFYING FEATURES Directed by Fernanda Valadez VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
INDUSTRY Directed by Lena Dunham. VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
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LIMBO Directed by Ben Sharrock VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
NOMADLAND Directed by Chloe Zhao CINEMA SCREENINGS
NOTTURNO Directed by Gianfranco Rosi VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
THE SALT IN OUR WATERS Directed by Rezwan Shahriar Sumit VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
STRAY Directed by Elizabeth Lo VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
LAUGH HONEYMOOD Directed by Talya Lavie VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
KAJILLIONAIRE Directed by Miranda July VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Directed by Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
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LOVE AFTER LOVE Directed by Aleem Khan VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
CICADA Directed by Matt Fifer, Kieran Mulcare VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
DAYS Directed by Tsai Ming-Liang VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
FAREWELL AMOUR Directed by Ekwa Msangi VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
HERSELF Directed by Phyllida Lloyd VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
SUPERNOVA Directed by Harry Macqueen VIRTUAL & CINEMA SCREENINGS
TREASURES THE CHEATERS Director by Paulette McDonagh VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
THE CHESS GAME OF THE WIND Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
FRIENDSHIP’S DEATH Directed by Peter Wollen VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
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MBM’S PREDICTIONS FOR THEMATIC WINNERS THE DISCIPLE CREATE Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane. Starring: Aditya Modak, Arun David A lifetime journey devoted to the art of Indian classical music.
RELIC CULT Directed by Natalie Erika James Starring: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin A daughter, mother and grandmother are haunted by a manifestation of dementia that consumes their family’s home.
BAD TALES DARE Directed by Damiano & Fabio Innocenzo Starring: Elio Germano, Tommaso Di Cola A few families living out on a limb in the suburbs of Rome. Tensions here can explode at any time; ultimately, it is the children who bring about the collapse.
ONE MAN AND HIS SHOES DEBATE Directed by Yemi Bamiro Starring: David Falk, Jamele Hill, Scoop Jackson The story of the phenomenon of Air Jordan sneakers showing their social, cultural and racial significance and new ground-breaking marketing strategies created a multi-million-dollar business.
NOMADLAND JOURNEY Directed by Chloe Zhao Starring: Frances McDormand, David Stratham, Bob Wells Following a woman in her sixties who, after losing everything in the Great Recession, embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
NOMADLAND HAS WON THE GOLDEN LION FOR BEST FILM AT VENICE. 26
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KAJILLIONAIRE LAUGHTER Directed by Miranda July Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins A woman’s life is turned upside down when her criminal parents invite an outsider to join them on a major heist they’re planning.
HERSELF LOVE Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Starring: Harriet Walter, Conleh Hill, Clare Dunne The story of a young mother Sandra who escapes her abusive husband and fights back against a broken housing system. She sets out to build her own home and, in the process, rebuilds her life.
FRIENDSHIP’S DEATH TREASURES Directed by Peter Wollen Starring: Tilda Swinton, Patrick Bauchau, Bill Paterson In the 1970s, aliens send a female android diplomat to Earth on a mission of peace. She lands in war-torn Palestine instead of MIT by mistake and meets a friendly UK journalist there. They begin a series of insightful conversations.
MbM’S Best Actor ELIO GERMANO Italian actor noted for his performance in Rob Marshall’s “Nine” as Pierpaolo. Previous films which gave him notoriety were “MY Brother is an Only Child” (2007), “Leopardi” (2014). Grew up in the Italian region of Molise. Attended acting lessons at the Teatro Azione under Isabella Del Bianco and Cristiano Censi. In 2008 Elio was named one of European films’ Shooting Stars by the European Film Promotion Board. Elio will soon be seen in “Bad Tales” which is being screened at this year’s London Film Festival.
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Best Director CHLOE ZHAO Chloe Zhao is a Chinese film director, screenwriter, and producer. Her debut feature film, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me” (2015), premiered st Sundance Film Festival. Her second feature film, ”The Rider”, was critically acclaimed and received several accolades including nominations for Independent Spirit Award for Best Film and Best Director. Born and raised in Beijing, China. Growing up, she was very rebellious, and drawn to influences from Western pop culture. She attended a boarding school in London before moving to Los Angeles to finish high school in London, Zhao studied at Mount Holyoke College earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. She worked odd jobs as a party promoter, in real estate and bartending before studying film production at New York University Tish School of Arts. In 2010, Zhao’s short film “Daughters” premiered at the Clemont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and won Best Student Live Action Short at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival. In 2015, Zhao directed her first feature film, “Songs My Brothers Taught Me”. Filmed on location at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The film depicts the relationship between a Lakota Sioux brother and his younger sister. The film premiered as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival. It later played at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Director’s Fortnight selection.
Best Actress FRANCES McDORMAND PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A FILM THAT IS DESTINED TO DOMINATE THE BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL AND EVERY FILM FESTIVAL IT IS SCREENED AT. Its star, Frances McDormand, was raised in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. She earned her B.A. in theatre from Bethany College in 1979 and her MFA from Yale in 1982. Her career after graduation began on stage, and she has retained her association with the theatre throughout her career. She soon obtained prominent roles in movies as well, first starring in “Blood Simple” (1984), in which she worked with filmmaker Joel Coen, whom she married that year. She frequently collaborated with Coen and his brother Ethan Coen in their films. McDormand’s skilled and versatile acting has been recognized by both the critics and the Academy and, in addition to many critic awards, she has been nominated for an Academy Award five times: Supporting in “Mississippi Burning” (1988), “Almost Famous” (2000) and “North Country” (2005) and the leading role in “Fargo” (1996) and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017), winning the Oscar for the latter two. Keenly intelligent and possessed of a sharp wit, McDormand is the antithesis of the Hollywood starlet – rather than making every role about Frances McDormand, she dissolves into the characters she plays. Accordingly, she has expressed some reservations about the iconic recognition she has gained from her touching and amusing portrayal of Police Chief Marge Gunderson, the quintessential Minnesota Scandinavian, in “Fargo”. 28
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Best Film
NOMADLAND Based on Jessica Bruder’s 2017 non-fiction “Nomadland”: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century,” the project originated with its star, Frances McDormand, who has long admired the liberation of the nomadic life, and optioned the book with producing partner Peter Spears. (Her fictional character’s name, Fern, may as well be McDormand’s road name.) But the 38-year-old director, Chloe Zhao, who also wrote the screenplay, made the story her own. She crafted a mesmerizing immersion into the American West, populating the screen with its real inhabitants and capturing the ecosystem so well that Frances McDormand’s star power melts into her surroundings. “We put our heads together in this little bubble and didn’t really think about the outside world,” Zhao said. “I’m not the kind of filmmaker who just makes films. I have to be in love with my subject matter and want to learn more about it. Someone once said to me that passion doesn’t sustain, but curiosity does. I have to be excited by little things I discover along the way.” For “Nomadland”, Zhao’s discovery started with Frances McDormand. They met a day before the 2018 Independent Spirit Awards, where McDormand was nominated for Best Actress and Zhao received a $50,00 grant for women directors. At the show, their enthusiasm for the secret project couldn’t be restrained. “Thank you for being who you are,” Zhao addressed the actress from the stage. Winning her own Spirit Award for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing , Missouri,” McDormand thanked: “All my new friends who I hope I get to work with in the very near future – a couple of them, we already have a contract,” then looked out into the crowd, adding, “Chloe? Yes!” Frances McDormand is one of the finest and most versatile actresses in movies today. Academy Award Winner for Best actress for “Fargo” and her second Academy Award for Best Actress in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Frances made her film debut in 1984 in “Blood Simple”.
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EXTRAS DVD OF THE MONTH THE IRISHMAN Directed by Martin Scorsese Starring: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci Who killed Jimmy Hoffa? A labour leader and the infamous head of the Teamsters union, whose connections with organized crime were wide ranging , his career ended with a conviction for jury tampering, attempted bribery and fraud, but he was pardoned by President Nixon in 1971. Not long after, he disappeared. Declared legally dead in 1982, various theories have circulated as to what happened to him. Few are as convincing as that told by Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran. The account he revealed to journalist Charles Brandt and published in the 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses”, is the basis of this riveting, epic crime drama.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
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NEW 4K DIGITAL MASTER, APPROVED BY SCORCESE NEWLY EDITED CONVERSATIONS AMONG SCORCESE AND ACTORS ROBERT DE NIRO, AL PACINO AND JOE PESCI NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE FILM NEW VIDEO ESSAY BY FILM CRITIC FARROW SMITH NEHME A PROGRAM ON THE VISUAL EFFECTS CREATED FOR THE FILM ARCHIVAL INTERVIEWS WITH FRANK “THE IRISHMAN” SHEERAN AND JIMMY HOFFA
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EXTRAS DVD OF THE MONTH BEAU TRAVAIL Directed by Claire Denis Starring: Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin Inspired by Herman Melville’s “Billy Budd”, Claire Denis’s “Beau Travail is a stunning combination of literature, music, poetry and dance that explores the near-mythical world of the French Foreign Legion. Denis Lavant stars as Galoup, a sergeant-major whose position and power are threatened when the bravery and heroism of new recruit Sentain (Gregoire Colin) attracts the attention of the platoon’s commandant Michel Subor. Enraged, Galoup plots Sentain’s downfall, a doomed course of action that leads to his own undoing. Director Denis creates a dark mounting tension that underlies the exquisite cinematography of Agnes Godard, whose stark visual style contrasts vividly with the graceful training rituals of the scripted young soldiers. A powerful examination of masculinity, “Beau Travail” is mesmeric, sensual, and extraordinarily beautiful.
DIRECTOR APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES NEW CONVERSATION BETWEEN DENIS AND FILMMAKER BARRY JENKINS NEW SELECTED SCENE WITH AGNES GODARD NEW INTERVIEWS WITH ACTORS DENIS LAVANT AND GREGOIRE COLIN NEW VIDEO ESSAY BY FILM SCHOLAR JUDITH MAYNE AND MORE
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