Issue 022 - Madrid 2019 by Film Fest International

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Madrid IFF 2019 Edition

In a Facebook/Instagram world everyone thinks Joel has made it. THE TRUTH HURTS

FESTIVAL CLOSING NIGHT FILM Friday 16th August at 19.30 Audience After Party sponsored by

Rozoy Picot, Luxury Cannabis Sparkling Wine

WELCOME TO THE MADRID

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019 Dear Filmmaker:

Carl Tooney / Publishe r Adam Tinnion/ Director of Marketing Roy Abbots / Screening Manage r Shauna Abbots / Administrator Sara Plasencia / Latinoamerica Representative Kaoru Kajitani / Asia Pacific Representative Rodrigo Rayรณn / Event Coordinator Helen Clark / Editorial Executive All articles, including all editorials used in this publication (whether printed or digital) do not necessarily represent the views of any of the International Filmmaker Festivals representatives, staff or associates. No part of this magazine, whether printed or electronic may be reproduced, stored or copied without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to: publishing@filmthemagazine.com Although we make every effort to ensure all of the information in this publication is up to date and accurate the publisher takes no responsibility for any omissions or errors. The publisher accept no responsibility for the material supplied including (but no limited to) all editorial and advertising copy and any omissions, errors or matters of copyright. All material supplied for use is solely the responsibility of the supplier or suppliers of the material reproduced in this publication whether in mechanical or digital format. Where editorial copy is sent late. We are not able to return the article to the filmmakers for signing off. Film The Magazine Limited is not accepted the responsibility for copy have not been correct.

Welcome, I hope you have a wonderful time with us at the Madrid International Film Festival. we look forward to meeting all of you! Our Festival is always held in one location, I have found that this format works very well. Having all the filmmakers and professionals mixing together makes for an ideal fun and professional environment. For the filmmaker, this helps them engage with professionals which then allows them to make new contacts and the possibilityto do businesswith each otherin the future. I have tried to bring together professionals from countries around the world, you are all skilled filmmakers I wanted to give as many opportunities as possible for you to find out about the markets open to you once you have made your film and, for Script authors I wanted to give you opportunities to meet filmmakers that may be looking for scripts to produce, or find partners to produce your script yourself.. There are professionals that can help they can advice and by being all together I hope you will be able to make contacts and ask questions and find your path a little easier once you are ready to go to market with your project. Carl Tooney President Madrid International Film Festival

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F E S T I VA L

C L O S I N G

Sara: One of the focuses of Living My Illusion is Midlife Crisis. Do you feel this came at an early stage of life for you, as a result of being introduced to this inner work with Tony?

Joel Van der Molen’s brave, truth-telling in the Multi Award-Winning Documentary Film LIVING MY ILLUSION leaves audiences questioning if they are living a life true to who they are or if everything is an illusion. Telecoms Millionaire, husband and father Joel transformed his life working with Elite Life Coach and Human Behaviour expert, Tony Jeton Selimi. Inspired by the inner work and the transformations he was experiencing with himself, he wanted to share this with the world, and he does so. In very honest, candid detail Joel takes off the mask in Living My Illusion. Sara: My favourite line in the film is your opening line “Nearly every decision that people make is based on what other people will think of them”. Can you begin by telling us about this personal documentary? Joel: Living My Illusion is about the lies we tell ourselves and others on a daily basis. How nearly every decision that people make is based out of fear of what other people will think of them. How we are programmed and conditioned to go in search of the dreams we are told to go in search of and end up becoming ‘People Pleasers’, living other people's values and expectations, whether they are our parents, our friends, society, culture or religion, and we disconnect from our inner knowing, the voice inside that knows who we are here to become. I turn the camera back at me and the life I have created, looking at the Illusions of the house, the car, the family and a successful business, and how I was seeking validation and wanting to be liked by others. Episode One is the start of my journey and depicts how working with an expert I became ready to listen to my inner being, speak and honour my truth, and be prepared to make a big shift in my life. Sara: And how did this documentary come to be? Joel: I met Tony J. Selimi at a talk he gave for ‘Inspired Stage’ in London called Who is the Driver of your Life. From there I started reading his Best-Selling book A Path to Wisdom. This book was by far the best I have ever read. I was reading a lot of personal development books at the time and would always take something from each one but reading A Path to Wisdom felt like electricity going through my body. Every paragraph is written with love and care for the reader, its honest and truthful, and you think it could have been written by you, the way it speaks to your heart. Tony quickly became my favourite author and I couldn't wait to meet him again and tell him my thoughts. This was the beginning of my excitement and inspiration, and I could feel it inside.

N I G H T

This led me to instruct Tony as my Business Coach. However, he quickly helped me understand that the blocks in my business were nothing to do with the business, but it was what was going on with me. Being inspired and enjoying the inner work with Tony I wanted to share it with the world. It is human nature that when we find something that helps us, we automatically want to share it. I began talking with people in my surroundings and this was met with mixed reactions as I mention in the film, with some of my closest friends distancing themselves from me and unfriending me on Facebook. This did not deter me, but helped me learn an important lesson, that if you want to change your life you are going to have to let go of people who are holding you back no matter how much you love them. Only did I start to understand why this is true when it started to happen. If you subordinate to others you will remain unfulfilled. It’s about saying thank you and I love you for focusing me on to a new path. It opens a new door and lets other opportunities in. My pursuit of wanting to tell the world about my discovery lead me to create the audiobook of my favourite book, A Path to Wisdom. Tony loved this idea, as I explained how I thought I was the best person to record this, as someone so excited with his work. And 6 months later the audiobook was released, at the launch of Tony's second book #Loneliness; The Virus of the Modern Age. The audiobook is available for download on Amazon and iTunes if you search for A Path to Wisdom, narrated by Joel Van der Molen. After that idea, I continued looking for ways to help reach more people to share my experience with. The audiobook came out of my understanding that in today's world there are some who don't enjoy reading or have the time, and an audiobook can be listened to in the car, on the way to work, or before going to sleep. But I was always thinking about reaching a bigger audience. I know most people enjoy watching TV and Films. I can easily recall the idea to document my coaching journey with Tony hitting me like a bolt of lightning, telling the raw truth without fear of what other people will think of me.

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Joel: If you had asked me a few years ago about midlife crisis I would be of the mindset that midlife crisis is for other people, and the same with illness, that it’s for someone else to have, not me. Sometimes we can be unaware that there is a problem in our lives until we meet the mirror of truth, and that is what came to light for me in the coaching sessions with Tony. Midlife crisis is something that no human being escapes. I believe it's our body's way of communicating to us that we have a mission to fulfil in the time we have on this planet. Our reactions to this maybe to make changes, but also many people suppress this voice of change that is coming from the depth of their being. The first step is acknowledging that there is a problem and then it’s deciding to take action. This is one of the lessons in Living My Illusion, to be strong enough to put yourself first. I believe there are billions of people who suffer in silence, afraid to speak their truth for the fear of what other people will think of them. The people we call great, the Einstein’s, Elon Musk’s, Steven Spielberg’s, Oprah Winfrey’s or Madonna’s of this world, all had to face ridicule and judgement for living their truth and honouring who they are here to become. Because they did that, they inspire millions, instead of remaining trapped in pleasing others. Sara: Viewers have many different reactions to Living My Illusion, some are shocked, others are challenged as they see their own life in what you do and say on screen, and many are inspired by your bravery and courageousness for speaking the truth. What is your take on the way people are reacting to you after watching? Joel: I believe people come away from watching Living My Illusion with a lot of questions. It helps people to reflect on their own life and the way they live, and if they are really being true to who they are inside, or who they imagined they would be when they were younger. Most people can feel a nagging feeling inside of them, and we hide it away and bury it in our busy day to day lives, as we occupy our minds with housework and preparing the dinner and worrying about remembering to take the bins out. Others try to silence it with addictions such as drinking, smoking, working longer hours or going to the gym.

People end up getting though life instead of getting from life, and they get stressed because they are not giving their gift. They look forward to the weekends and the 2-week holiday, and before they know it, they are 60 and thinking if I only I lived my life on my own terms instead of pleasing others. People have said to me after watching Living My Illusion how it has moved them and inspired them to be more honest with themselves and their loved ones. Sara: It is everything we as viewers want to experience after watching something moving and inspirational. Do you think Living My Illusion is a wakeup call? Living My Illusion is a wakeup call and an educational tool that gives people the chance to start the journey of inner work, access their truth and discover who they are here to become, just like I did, working with Tony J. Selimi. Others may watch it and continue a life untrue to their being, saying they are stuck, that their situation is different, or using other excuses, but now they cannot deny they have a greater awareness that action can be taken before it's too late and illness is the body’s only resort. Sara: People say you are an inspiration for a generation of people who are awakening to what is going on behind the scenes, behind the selfie, did you expect to see such success and attention? Joel: I didn’t know what to expect from Living My Illusion, in fact I came close to pulling it after a friend made some comments. But I thought, if I did that, then it’s because I care what other people will think of me, and that is a big message in the film. There were many reasons for making Living My Illusion, but primarily I kept seeing a need for everyone to see that they are not alone in going through these thoughts, emotions and problems, that there is another way, and by starting the journey of inner work, like I did with Tony, you can shift your perspective of life, awaken the genius within you, and make an impact on the world. I spoke my raw truth without a filter. I didn’t think that what I was saying would resonate so much with everyone who watches it, I was just speaking honestly like I never have before. This started in one session with Tony, where he said to me that I can speak to him about absolutely anything. And, for me, this was new, and I allowed myself to

speak freely for the first time without fear of judgement in the safe space he provided. I was able to share lonely, intimate and personal issues which I had never done with anyone; not my wife, my parents, friends or even acknowledge to myself. This allowed Tony to guide me in understanding why there are blocks in areas of my life, why I get angry and stressed, and what the root cause of illness is, and how to heal myself. It was like I had found the secret to living the best life, and it gave me this incredible fire inside to share this with everyone, because like it did for me, I know people’s lives will transform, and in some cases, it will save a life. We live in a Facebook/Instagram world where people compare themselves to others and believe they are not good enough. They judge themselves about where they are in their own life by the image’s they scroll on their phone each morning. They may have expectations of living the perfect life and blame themselves for not achieving it, leading to depression, and in the worst cases suicide. The suicide rate has increased by 50% in the past 10 years, and 80% of this is men believing that life isn’t going to get any better. Too afraid to seek help for the fear of what others may think of them. We work harder and harder to buy the things we believe will fill the gap between ourselves and the happiness we think is missing, only to realise when we get them it’s not the answer. When we are 5 years old we don’t worry about what our ex boyfriends or girlfriends are doing on Facebook. We don’t worry about what parties we haven’t been invited

to, because we are working form that creative place inside each one of us. But we go through life being taught that love is found outside of us, and go in search of that, when all that we seek is found inside. The people we call great are the people that remain connected to their inner child. I think the new wealth trend is inner peace and balance. What I have learnt, is that when I speak to people they are thinking the same way, but they don’t know how to communicate it to themselves or others, and this is why I believe we will reach One Billion homes with Living My Illusion, because people out there are ready to help themselves. Sara: Living My Illusion is incredibly moving and inspiring for everyone who watches it. It ends with an incredible cliff hanger. Everyone is talking about what they would like to see next. What is coming next? Joel: The journey continues with my story, the challenges and successes. We also see Timea’s side to the story which a lot of people are waiting for, and it is sensational. We are also filming other amazing people’s journeys who invest in themselves and change their lives working with Tony. They too share openly to help others and inspire change. It has been said that we are going through some of the hardest times for humanity in what is happening over the next 10 years, but I also believe this is the most exciting time to be alive as people globally are awakening to the power they harness behind the ego. Our mission is to elevate the consciousness and awareness of humanity through entertaining real-life stories.

Start your journey.

A Path to Wisdom by Tony Jeton Selimi. Audiobook narrated by

Joel Van der Molen available on Amazon and iTunes

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ON A MISSION TO AWAKEN AND INSPIRE THE LIVES OF ONE BILLION PEOPLE Sara Plasencia interviews LIVING MY ILLUSION's star Life Coach and Million Copies Best Seller Tony J. Selimi

Sara: Audiences around the world who have been fortunate to see Living My Illusion are affected on many levels and are all talking about this new trend in Documentary Film Making that you have started. What is the reason for the success of Living My Illusion so far? Tony: Millions, if not Billions, of people around the world are searching for solutions to their daily challenges. Living My Illusion is a global call and self-reflective tool that can help more people redefine themselves amidst adversity. By my clients openly sharing their transformational life coaching journey through midlife crisis, we offer the viewers a new and more profound way of looking at their life, so they feel empowered to create significant changes in their attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. Sara: Everyone who has watched Living My Illusion has seen a part of themselves in the film. How important is it for us to take off the mask and speak our truth? Surely that can upset a lot of people if we all suddenly spoke our mind, is a little white lie so bad for us? Tony: Throughout life we wear different masks. As we raise our awareness, they change form and take new roles. When we trust our inner being, we feel safe, loved and nurtured, and we start to take off the masks that conceal our authentic self and inner truth. When we don’t trust ourselves, we use them as a defence mechanism to cover our pain and identity, but this also denies us the truth of how we live, feel and interact with one another. We all wear masks until we give ourselves permission to be free to express with our heart and be our true authentic self. If we don’t do this then the world will be losing the greatest opportunity to know the authentic you and the traits that are common to us all. YouTube started a revolution in giving people the opportunity to express themselves, and you can see the success

and attention this has achieved. It is time for all of us to embrace who we are and share it in the ways we can with others. No matter what we go through in life, we all must remind ourselves that we are not alone. Little white lies are neither good or bad, but they serve a purpose, and it is up to each one of us to know what that purpose may be. Sara: Do you think things have been taken one step too far by allowing the viewer to get so close to the personal lives of the Van der Molen family? Not just Joel and Timea, but also Joel’s father and their daughter Sofie? Tony: In a world where the boundaries of what is fake and what is real are dissolving at an incredible rate, it is important that experts like myself have clients like Joel and Timea who are prepared to share authentically to inspire positive actions in those who may not necessarily have the courage to do so. We see a growing trend to reveal the personal lives of successful people in Reality TV shows, however, Living My Illusion takes this to a whole new level of educational driven programming that audiences have been starved of. Viewers want to see real people in real life situations that they can relate too. The viewer gets the privilege to see the raw truth happening in real time. Sara: Sofie has been born into the spotlight and Joel has said certain things in Living My Illusion that some might say will come back to haunt him. What’s your expert opinion on the reactions of the people to what Joel says, and how this will affect Sofie and her relationship with her father? Tony: Many parents in the world live in denial about the pain they experience as a result of becoming a parent. Joel’s words shared in the documentary represent the occasional suppressed voice of many frustrated fathers in the world in a specific moment in time. That said, conscious parenting is about accepting both sides of parenting; that which brings the greatest joy in life, and that which creates the greatest pain in life. This is something that I know Joel and Timea are working towards embracing and all parents would benefit from. Whilst some

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viewers have expressed their concerns of the impact this will have on Sofie, others know that she will learn from a very young age the importance of speaking and honouring her truth and having balanced thinking, which on its own is a priceless gift to receive from her parents at this point in her life. Sara: Many people hold a belief of staying together for the sake of the children. What do you think of that statement, and how does parents that separate effect young children? Tony: Each season in nature teaches us different lessons about ourselves. Intuitively we know we are part of nature, but in our daily lives many of us behave like this is not the case. No season in nature continues to stay for the sake of another season. They all have a unique function that supports the yearly cycle of the four seasons. Similarly, staying in a marriage for the sake of the children is a disservice, not just to the parents and their children, but for society. As far as separation is concerned, the thousands of clients I have helped overcome anger, co-dependency and control issues, as well as going through divorce have seen an incredible improvement in their children’s behaviour and their quality of life. Sara: How can children benefit from their parent’s breakup and what can we do as society to help children see this as a positive occurrence? Tony: Statistics show that more than 50% of marriages will end in divorce. The greater percentage of this is parents with children. We are addressing what is becoming more common place in children’s lives. One of the many benefits I would love to stress is the importance of identifying, speaking and honouring their parents’ choices, their own truth and learning to build a coloving relationship with both of their parents regardless of their marital status. Through my books, training programs and integrated coaching the idea is to train more children how to use my five-step TJSeMethod: ALARM™ to balance their learned skewed perceptions, improve their relationship with their parents and live a healthy, balanced and love-infused life.

Sara: The question on everyone’s lips after the biggest cliff hanger in TV history that we see in LIVING MY ILLUSION’s first episode is how can I see what’s next? Tony: Having a little mystery around what is happening in the next episodes of Living My Illusion is the Billion Dollar question that viewers will have to wait to find out. One thing I can promise the viewers is that there will be adventure, intrigue, mystery and desire for more. Keep an eye out for the teaser videos of the next episodes, which we are extremely excited to share. Sara: Joel talks about his Loneliness, but not in the sense of being alone, but a different kind of loneliness. In your book #Loneliness you talk about and describe it as the virus of the modern age. What is happening in our time for billions of people out there who may feel lonely like Joel describes?

through the next stages of our evolution. Sara: Living My Illusion provides an ideal starting point for viewers to take a look at their own life. After being inspired to take action, what is the sensible next step for people, before they go back and get caught up in their busy everyday lives? Tony: The next logical step is for viewers to make a list of all the lies they are telling themselves and others, so they can create a road map that leads them on A Path to Excellence, which is the title of my next book to be published in Spring 2020. Sara: How would you like to be remembered after your time on this planet? Tony: As the greatest Leader, Teacher and

Healer that went on to inspire positive action in the lives of One Billion people. The humble boy from a small town called Gostivar, in the Northern Republic of Macedonia, who learned through various life adversities from a very young age, to purposefully transform Education, Healthcare, Business and Governments around the world. Sara: Can you leave our readers with one final inspirational message to take away with them? Tony: To step into your greatness, you must learn to acknowledge and act on your innate thirst for adventure. To find out more about Tony’s work, his books and coaching visit tonyselimi.com

Tony: Advancements in Information Technology have created equal benefits and equal drawbacks for humankind. Through Social Media we are spreading negative emotions into the collective consciousness at an incredible speed, which has given rise to a new form of anxiety, depression and addiction. We have become so connected technologically but feel alone and disconnected in our hearts and minds. Sara: In your TEDx talk Technological Armageddon you say we are heading towards human extinction in 70-100 years maximum with our developments in AI. What does the future hold for lonely humanity in the next 10 years and what can we collectively do to change direction at such a late time? Tony: In the next ten years we will come to a point in time where Artificial Intelligence will surpass human intelligence, and it will continue to develop at an incredible speed which our brains will not comprehend. My TEDx talk is a wake-up call for humankind to take the necessary action steps required to save itself from extinction and find a more harmonious way to integrate human intelligence with AI so they work in symbiosis with one another as we go www.filmfestinternational.com

LIVING MY ILLUSION’S TIMEA VAN DER MOLEN IS A SHINING LIGHT Article by Sara Plasencia

Timea has the inspiration and bravery to allow cameras into her private life, behind the closed doors we don’t even allow our closest of friends to see, and we follow her through one of the most painful and heart-breaking times of her life, capturing her darkest moments for the world to see as a lesson and inspiration. Her story is one that asks women globally to open their heart to the voice that knows what is really going on in their relationship of unspoken words, actions and inactions, and have the strength to speak up before it’s too late and save the most precious asset we have, our time. Working with her best friend, mentor, coach and healer, Tony J. Selimi, Timea is a shining light, a pleasure to listen to, and an example for every woman out there to transform adversity into a nectar of prosperity. Born and raised in the town of Pécs in Hungary, Timea had a fortunate and humble upbringing. Her father is a respected Chief of Medicine, heading his own practice and her mother was a professional chef. Timea followed her parents hard working attitude in school and furthered her education with a degree in hospitality before moving to London. There she ran the Food and Beverage department of a 5 Star Hotel in the trendy East London town of Shoreditch, met Joel who she married and created a business and life with. Timea gives her side to the story following on from the midlife crisis that her husband Joel goes through in Living My Illusion, Episode 1; The Truth Hurts, and how that has grown her in character and strength, working with Tony to break through and transform her life.

Like never seen before on screen and in most people’s real life, Timea defies conventional attitudes and polarised outdated viewpoints on separation and turns it into gratitude where she can say I love you and thank you. To do this, it takes the help of an expert. But Timea doesn’t work with any normal expert coach. Her path crossed fortune with Tony J. Selimi, who is someone who extracts the inner wisdom to create miracles with his clients. Tony coaches Timea to access her inner goddess, heal her past and create the life she knows inside that she is here to live. People may see a conflict of interest in that Tony also works with Joel, but Tony holds the space for them separately and as a couple, and we see this play out for real in Living My Illusion. This leads to being able to see the love in the hardest decision Joel arrives at in Episode One and see gratitude for the gift of the truth. The audience is left breathless by what they have just seen and feel admiration and love for Timea’s strength, and how she is has come through the challenge stronger, healthier and looking better than ever. Many people get married to conform to the societal ideals and feel included but live an unhappy life behind the façade. They hide away their truth forever, developing addictions and become ill, yet life is amazing according to their Facebook posts. What if there was a new and conscious way to live your best life and find love that is meaningful? Living My illusion is set to challenge the societal, cultural and religious structures, and some will say that its about time. Timea is an important figure for woman and serves as a lesson to both women and men to listen and trust the voice inside of us instead of the voices from outside and creating illusions. How many people do we know in relationships that are not based on true love? According to She-Conomy in America, 59% of women would divorce, but don’t because of financial reasons. Many arguments are triggered by finances, lottery winners go their separate ways, and we always see celebrities divorce who don’t have financial pressure. Mark my words, Living My Illusion will be the most watched and talked about Television series in history. It is perfect for this important time where

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speaking and honouring one’s truth is not only important, but crucial for where humanity goes from here. I also know that Timea is a woman strong enough to go through this incredible journey and will inspire a generation, and once you see her beautiful radiance, you will only agree. Mother to a wonderfully bright child Sofie, who I had the pleasure of meeting at their beautiful home in Hertfordshire, England, she nurtures with all her heart, creating a new young leader. With Joel and Joel’s father Rodney, they teach Sofie the importance of living one’s truth in today’s fast-paced technological world. Sofie is already following in her parents’ footsteps winning awards for her talents in School, by receiving the highest commendation and having afternoon tea with the headmaster. This little girl will have her own unique story to follow, which will no doubt unfold in the Living My Illusion series.

FESTIVAL CLOSING NIGHT FILM

~ A documentary film series ~ “Ultimately there is a question about whether things have been taken one step too far by going so close to this family’s life and exploring such private issues.” - BE EPIC! LONDON

Working with Tony, who helps Timea through inner loneliness, fear of abandonment and alcoholism, her goddess light begins to shine that no person can ignore lives within the depths of their greatest being, even though it may be suppressed in a scientific and technological society, where the pain is masked behind a smile for the camera. Timea says that Tony was there to help her at a time when she had no one else to share her sadness. He would spend hours on the phone helping her to feel loved and get through the hardest time she could ever imagine. Tony helped Timea access the strength she never knew she had. With inspirational teachings and wisdom shared by master teacher Tony, his 25 step methodology: TJSe Method™, he and Timea teach us about the way we observe the world from our programmed reality and somewhat skewed perceptions, providing an educational tool to help woman acknowledge the masked truth buried beneath the surface disguised as busyness of life, and how by doing the work on ourselves, we can live a life that is meaningful, purposeful and balanced in every moment. We experience someone who has a rare gift to share with the world, that if not discovered, may have been left to die in unfulfilled normal duties. But with her power, and absolute trust Timea ignites a spark that is set to transforms the lives of millions of women all over our world forever.

“ I T S T I ME TO TAKE OFF TH E M ASK”

Friday 16th August at 19.30 - Runtime 45 minutes Audience After Party sponsored by

Rozoy Picot, Luxury Cannabis Sparkling Wine

In a Facebook/Instagram world everyone thinks Joel has made it. But when he invites human behaviour expert Tony into his world, a journey of self-discovery reveals the truth, leading to the decision that will change the course of his life. Episode 1, The Truth Hurts Remi Winner

WorldFest Houston 52

Annual International Film Festival

Official Opening Night Film New York City Independent Film Festival

Winner

Impact Docs Awards

Winner

Los Angeles

Hollywood

Motivational / Inspirational Audience Impact

Film Awards

International Documentary Awards

Best Feature Documentary

Winner

International Film Festival

Best Feature Documentary

Best Story

Best Documentary

Barcelona

Winner

Docs Without Borders

Amsterdam

Nice

Official Closing Night Film Madrid

International Film Festival

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HINOIRINOKAZE -WIND OF SUNSET20min | English Subtitles | 5.1ch Surround | 2018 | Director Hideki Oshima

THE STORY Mutsu lives in the village located in Nishi-noKuni. He is the flutist and usually can play the flute very well. However, he can not play it these days... One day, he had a dream. In the darkness of his dream, he met an old guy and he gradually understood the true meaning of ‘play the flute’.

THE FEELING We created this movie based on Japanese mythology, dream, the human mind, and memories that we can’t see through our eyes. This film was made to remind of us of these elements using the style of ‘fiction’. We used to live with nature, protect it and was pleased by its existence. What do you think of this modern materialistic world? We should stop and look around at our surroundings. It is time to face ‘wealth’ and ‘truth’. 8

FILM: THE MAGAZINE • MADRID • AUGUST 2019

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HINOIRINOKAZE WIND OF SUNSET

BAKEMONO

DIRECTOR STATEMENT THE STORY

English Subtitles | 5.1ch Surround 2017 | Director: Hideki Oshima | 48min

During the peaceful time, Haru returns to his hometown after an art of war journey, where he runs into a group of low-rank Samurais. His best friend from childhood Roku was among them. The Samurais laugh at Haru saying that the art of war is already outdated. Feeling infuriated, Haru draws his sword, but the Samurais wouldn’t. He learns that there is a sword ban in the town. The local feudal lord finds out about Haru and orders his bodyguard “Kiyomitsu” to capture Haru alive. Kiyomitsu finally discovers Haru and attacks him with great glee, but...

The notion of “ Aimai (ambiguity)” which is a unique traditional Japanese culture has been fading, and people today tend to glamorize only either side of a situation, such as the advantage and disadvantage, or the vice and virtue. The bad side is concealed, and a sense of unnatural balance is being cherished today. Film making of this work started when people who had been feeling odd with this modern Japanese tendency spontaneously gathered, including physical performer, videographer, photographer, painter, writer and other more. Looking ahead of our future, we decided to describe the essential Japanese identity. BAKEMONO is the fruit of our determination.

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INHERIT THE STARS: T H E D I R E C TO R ’ S C UT Produced, Directed, Based Upon a Story & Screenplay by Keishi Suenaga

FILM OVERVIEW Resurrection of Japanese Sci-Fi Film “Inherit The Stars: The Director’s Cut”.

AUTHOR’S STATEMENT

A short thriller film to pursue “Guilt and forgiveness.”

SYNOPSIS An assistant professor Noriyuki Kusakabe (Chikahiro Hanamura) visits his second house with his student, Arisa Hayami (Sahel Rosa). Arisa is at first delighted with the aged rooms and furnishings, but soon she begins to feel someone’s memories, pains and regrets left in the second house. She finally knows that Kusakabe’s former lover, Saki Arimura (Satoko Enmei), died at the place.

DIRECTOR’S PROFILE

Keishi Suenaga Date of Birth: 11-OCT-1976

Keishi Suenaga is Japanese Independent Film Director/Producer/Writer. After working in a record store following graduation from high school, worked in South Korea from 2000 to 2003, and worked in China from 2003 to 2006. Completely moved back to Japan in 2007.

Kusakabe believes that Saki’s spirit envies Arisa and wants to kill her, but Arisa begins to see things in a different way.

While working at Japan Post, in 2011 established Starsea Films Production, an independent movie production group. Responsible for producing, directing, scripts, and editing. His new directed short film “AIM POINT” (2018), starring is the famous Japanese actress Waki Katakura.

Romance, Drama, Suspense, Horror, Psychological Thriller. Run time 27 mins.

Official Film Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tsumetaiyukacoldfeet

COLD FEET

“It is INSANE to bring such an idea into a film in super-low budget of 13,000 dollars. However, their insanities wonderfully take us to the world of GENUINE ROMANCE.” A film director/Kazuhiko Hasegawa (Director of the film “The Man Who Stole the Sun”)

Completely moved back to Japan in 2007. While working at Japan Post, in 2011 established Starsea Films Production, an independent movie production group. Responsible for producing, directing, scripts, and editing. His new directed short film “AIM POINT” (2018), starring is the famous Japanese actress Waki Katakura. Official Trailer www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrisFaRQowY Official Film Facebook Page www.facebook.com/inheritthestarsthedirectorscut

SYNOPSIS A retired Russian soldier Eiji Onodera (Keishi Suenaga) was going to his hometown in Japan. But on his way, he was caught and given a new mission by his ex-colleague Vadim Dadikov (Gohnosuke Tokuda). Onodera and his father would never be free unless he completes the secret mission. He and the Sergeant Zinaida Zasyekina (Satoko Enmei) go to Hokkaido to monitor an ex-officer of Self Defence Force of Japan, Toshio Honda (Taiyo Sawa). Honda has killed 27 people including his colleagues, and is hiding in a mountain with a mysterious beauty, Risa (Riho Yoshioka)… Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Action. Run time 133 mins.

AUTHOR’S STATEMENT This is not just an independent film anymore. A Sci-Fi Epic Featured Riho Yoshioka is now about!

Produced, Directed, Edited by Keishi Suenaga

DIRECTOR’S PROFILE Keishi Suenaga Date of Birth: 11-OCT-1976

FILM: THE MAGAZINE • MADRID • AUGUST 2019

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CARVING THE DIVINE Today, I’m thrilled to share my passion and love for a hidden jewel of Japanese culture, the art of the Busshi, who are some of Japan’s most incredible craftsmen. Chances are, you’ve never heard the word busshi before. In fact, most Japanese people aren’t even familiar with the word today. This is somewhat tragic, because living busshi craftsmen are struggling to persevere in our modern times, and many of Japan’s greatest national treasures are the work of busshi: the great Buddha and Kongõrikishi of Todaiji Temple, the 1,001 statues of Kannon bodhisattvas at Sanjüsangen-dõ, and the huge, 11-Headed Kannon at Hasedera (featured in Carving the Divine) are all the work of busshi. No doubt, the cultural invisibility of the modern-day, living busshi stems in part from the secretive and humble nature of their tradition. Traditionally, the skills of Busshi have only been transmitted via a millennia-old system of master and apprentice, and acknowledgment as a full-fledged Busshi requires many years of intense training, and the selfless devotion of apprentices to their craft. But this documentary film, Carving the Divine, pulls back the curtain on world of Busshi. It offers a never-before-seen look into the life and artistic process of modern-day busshi—practitioners of the 1,400 year lineage of woodcarving at the heart of Japanese, Mahayana Buddhism. In creating this film, I had the rare opportunity to follow a guild of Busshi from the studio of Koun Seki, a former apprentice of the legendary Busshi, Kourin Saito, who is also featured prominently in the film. Master Seki is a pioneer in preserving and advancing the art of Busshi in modern Japan. And his master, Grand Master Saito, is an exemplar of not only the skill, but also the passion and dedication it takes to uphold the responsibility of carving the divine. The sculptures busshi create are not just figures. They serve as a bridge to the collective Japanese spirit and psyche. That being the case, it has been an unspeakable honor to create this film, which I see as a cinematic bridge between the magic of these sculptures, the busshi’s world, and yours.

Madrid International Film Festival World Premiere 14

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KANEMASA SYNOPSIS

AUTHOR’S STATEMENT

Mari has been abused all of her life. She doesn’t get enough food and lives in a house with no water or heat or food. One day, a bad man sneaks into Mari’s house. He`s a repeat criminal with a long list of offences. His name is Kaneda and he was also abused when he was a child. As soon as he saw Mari, he sympathised with her and her bad situation. Kaneda wants to save Mari, but even though Mari has been abused, she still loves her mother. Kaneda tries to force Rin - Mari’s mother - to become a better person and take care of Mari. However, Mari’s mother also had a very tough childhood and doesn’t know how to love her daughter.

I did the interview with the doctors who work in child consultation center. They talked about the circumstances of child abuse in Japan. Children who are abused hold their anger and sorrow because they are abandoned. But one doctor said to me, “Adults who abuse children also have trauma”. In Japan, even if the law has been changed, it is difficult to protect children forcibly.

Mari, Kaneda and Rin all started to live together, to feel the warmth and love of one another and try to be a real “family” …

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It is important to take care physically, but it is also necessary to take care for not only children’s mind but also adult’s mind. I made this film because I would like to share child abuse circumstances in Japan to the audience.

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VEILED All of time is shrouded in the mystery of the Jinn, the unseen veiled figures with the power to possess humans. Whilst looking for answers about the death of her father, photographer Valerie is unknowingly drawn in to the most unholy of love triangles. Veiled is a story of faith, family but above all justice. Writer/Director Tala Nahas lived in a culture where hearing the word “Jinn” caused people to start praying in whispers for protection from the unknown spirits. At age 12 she started asking questions, but would get indirect and ambiguous answers. Nahas found out that no one knew for certain what “Jinn” were and were still trying to figure it out. This sparked Nahas’s curiosity for years which was the main reason behind the writing of the script. Veiled was shot in 2 weeks and was in post production for 9 months. It was first premiered in London, UK in November of 2018 for the Underwire film festival (a BAFTA recognised festival that celebrates women in film with a nomination for best Editing to Editor Rushane Adnan). Veiled was also screened at The European Independent Film Festival in April, 2019 in Paris as a part of their official selection. Moreover, the film was a part of the official selection of the USA film festival in Dallas, Texas in April 2019. Reelism3 is the production company behind Veiled. Reelism3 consists of Writer/Director Tala Nahas, Editor Rushane Adnan, and Producer Katja BojicMacintosh. who met in film school in 2010 and have been making films together since. Reelism3 plans on turning Veiled into a feature film in the near future. 18

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R E L I S H Written & Directed by Justin Ward Produced by Terry Nardozzi & Justin Ward Co-Produced by Mateus Ward - Consulting Producer, Brad Wilson

Meanwhile, the tough as nails Director of the Facility, RICHARD STRATTON (James Morrison, 24, Twin Peaks, Revenge), sends ROBBIE (Matt Nardozzi), ROZZ (Diane Delano) and DONOVAN (Nic Hodges) after the escaped patients. Meanwhile, our band of misfits head for the DREAMLAND festival, and chaos ensues. They learn that true freedom comes with difficult choices… Along their journey, they realize they have more in common than they are more alike than they could have predicted.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT My goal as a filmmaker is to challenge our need to label and put people into a preconceived box. We are all so much more than how we are seen. Teenagers today are faced with overwhelming decisions, extreme peer pressure and blatant social and public bullying, that freedom is a hard concept for them to truly understand. I wanted a honest, candid look at issues kids face today, while embarking on a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl who takes her power back, finds her voice, and learns acceptance.

LOG LINE RELISH tells the story of five teenage outcasts who escape a private treatment facility. Led by a rebellious transgender male, they go on a wild, life-changing road trip – ultimately discovering they have a lot more in common than they ever imagined.

SYNOPSIS

We worked with Tyler over Skype for a couple of weeks, and then I rehearsed with the main 5 cast for five days prior to shooting. Kai’s performance was so raw and honest, and I am so honored to have found him. We didn’t have any prep days, so it was run and gun the entire 9 days! Yet, the vibe on set was electric. Terry was an incredible supportive producing partner, and we are so proud of everyone for making this movie happen. Finally, with this film, I really wanted to explore the concept of freedom. I think that is what coming-of-age is about- our relationship with freedom. I wanted to explore these questions: What is freedom? Freedom of mind? Freedom of body? Freedom of thought? Freedom of speech? What if we all had the freedom to be ourselves, what would we do with that freedom?

ASPEN (Hana Hayes, Insidious, Tagged, To The Bone), is a social media influencer. After her highly publicized 17th birthday party, she was found alone, face down in her chocolate cake, crying in the fetal position! She checks herself into the Deacon Private Treatment Center. Inside, she meets KAI, (newcomer Tyler DiChiara) a rebellious transgender male, hungry for the taste of freedom, and longing for adventure. Kai decides to break out. He convinces LEVI, (Mateus Ward, The Meanest Man In Texas, Weeds) a football player addicted to opioids, and the quirky, alien-obsessed SAWYER (Chelsea Zhang, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Perks of a Wallflower, DC Titans) and Aspen to bust out, and go to a festival called DREAMLAND. Levi and Sawyer are more than happy to escape the dysfunctional facility. Secretly, Aspen wants to go, but is petrified. She refuses at first-- but finally decides to she doesn’t want to miss out. Once outside, Levi steals the facility van. Hidden in the backseat is the intense, but vulnerable THEO (Rio Mangini, Bitch, Everything Sucks, Teen Wolf, Home Before Dark), who suffers with bi polar disorder. Levi is not thrilled, but there’s not going back now!

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WORMHOLE

PRODUCER STATEMENT

by Vahid Davoodi Pooya 15’00” | Iran, Switzerland | 2018

SYNOPSIS

RELISH is a film that is very close to my heart. As a female producer, I wanted to make sure there were strong female voices in the film. It was also crucial that the crew reflect that strength, with 50% of those professionals being female. I think for me the things that stand out about RELISH are the fact that this is about a group of teenagers from diverse backgrounds with different issues who learn acceptance and create a bond. It’s a coming of age story for our time, with concerns that are relevant and approachable and yet, it is a coming of age story for all time, in that the struggle of youth to find their place in the world is universal.

Subjective experiences of a woman who encounters her husband betrayal. What should she do? Infinite possibilities arise from her decision....

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Wormhole is about a woman. Mina Shayegan (Mina Vahid) is a 36 years old writer who is writes her novel called "Wormhole". She goes to her husband's office to celebrate their marriage anniversary. But she encounters with her husband’s betrayal. What should she do? Infinite possibilities arise from her decision. Nobody knows that whether all we see are real or Mina’s delusion. We see an event three times in three different shapes. First time when Mina left the office, in the elevator, She sees the numbers 11:11 on her mobile clock. She believes in numerology, So she closes her eyes to pray. The elevator shakes extremely hard and Mina falls down and became unconscious. In a subjective journey, She experiences the multiverse diversities. Mina sees her childhood when her father left her and her mother to be a volunteer in Iran-Iraq war at 1982. Then She sees herself with her mother when they got a letter about her father's death at the end of the war. She finds out the relation between bottoms of the elevator and the number of her age that each bottom indicates a period of six years of her life. In other hand, The film is the tale of Iranian women who born after the Islamic revolution and struggle for their basic rights but they have always obey the Islamic rules and accept the cruelly civil laws against the men. They are the victims of the religious ideology which prefers men to women.

BEAUTY IS SKIN DEEP SYNOPSIS

PRODUCTION RELISH was shot on an ultra low budget, in just 9 days! The cast and crew were extremely professional, dedicated and worked tirelessly. It would not have been possible in this short time if they were not, and we could not have asked for more. For the role of Kai, we set out to cast a real transgender male. The producers wanted an authentic take on the role. The casting director, director as well as co-producer Mateus Ward, spent three months auditioning transgender males to play Kai. Tyler DiChiara, of Staten Island, New York, who had no prior film experience, proved to be the one. Most of the struggles Kai faces in the film, Tyler has faced in real life, which makes his performance so honest and brings a greater level of humanity to the discussion of identity.

Who is stalking the students of Glenwood High School, and why? The small town of Glenwood is being rocked by a strain of unsolved murders which include three of Glenwood High School’s very own students. Glenwood Detectives John Brooks and Victoria Morales are working as fast as they can to track down any suspects they can find. Lily Jenkins and her group of friends have been thrown into the mix of suspects when Ryan Murphy, Glenwood’s All-star Running Back, is found dead. Now the entire school is under investigation. The new arrival of Zane, a good looking boy from Indiana with a troubled past, bring the number one suspect. But, so is everyone else. Dillon McDowell, Ryan’s best friend, has a few of his own secrets, as does his ex-girlfriend Sydney, as well as Jessica and Mia, Lilly’s best friends. It seems everyone has something to hide at Glenwood High School, including the head Cheerleader Chloe. As the anxiety builds for everyone, Brooks and Morales slowly close in on the suspect. Lily and her friends focus on Graduation and the end of the year Spring Festival, which only leads to more tension as more bodies are found, closing the circle of suspects. Time is running out for the murder and the Glenwood residents. Who will be the next to die?

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Winner of HankenB

ANNA

(KIDNAPPER) Anna (Kidnapper) is a short animation by a Japanese Production studio with music by Serge Gainsbourg and Francis La. Using 2.5DCG technology to describe watercolour illustration, this film aims to ‘re imagine’ an image of film and music produced in Europe in the 1960’s. Director Kiachi Sato is famous in Japan for working with Cartoon Network and Adult Swim in the U.S.A. The production is held by “Studio Dean”, a large Japanese Animation studio. The mixture of 60’s culture and Japanese animation is unique. It is because Japanese animations used to be influenced by 60’s Westerns films a lot. This animation came from the era that Japanese animation was influenced by Western cultures. Of course, the theme of this film is not only nostalgia, but also love, jealousy, freedom and isolation in this modern era that has been changing the distance between people and gender. The story is set in the 196)’s and stars ‘Kidnapper Anna’ - a motorcyclist - and ‘The Professor’ who is kidnapped by Anna during his own wedding. Their romantic story, “tandem riding” goes fantastically and a bit comically. The theme of the story are vivid visuals and respects for nostalgic films. Please enjoy “Anna (Kidnaper)” which is a new type of entertainment. 24

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THE CREATRESS Young, bestselling author Eryn Bellow concludes her bookstore tour with her agent selling film rights and closing a six figure advance for her follow-up. Headwinds arise as critics get offended by the claims that Eryn is being declared a living literary legend. The storm gathers force as the assaults gravitate from bad reviews to a fake-memoir designed to obliterate her from the field. Through the noise, Eryn attempts to write her way out of the public fray, and reclaim her voice in the minds of her readers. Along the way, she hopes to prove a happy ending is not always a bad thing. The Herculean task for any artist is to climb to the shoulders of those who have come before, then point the direction forward. The ascent is difficult, and to develop the sight and point the right direction always contains risk. Saul Bellow used to liken authors and artists to the antennae of society. In The Creatress, Eryn Bellow (Lindy Booth) scouts the way, allowing the audience to follow along and feel her struggle. Finally, when she gathers her epiphany, the gambit of this film is to make the audience feel this moment when she falls into herself and finds a way to reflect that in her words, and hopefully, find something worthwhile, unexpected, and new. I feel there is a universal fascination with writing a book. There are plenty of people in my family that talk about doing it. I think it comes from a curiosity about what it must feel like. So I set out to deconstruct that fantasy, and craft the

The concept was conceived from an expression that everyone has heard about movies based on books— that the movie is never as good. Though I often agree, I also find myself playing devils advocate when talking with my friends on the subject. What I point out is just how different the mediums truly are. Similar to how speaking and writing are different. The experience of reading a book requires the active participation of the reader with the guidelines laid down by a writer years, or sometimes decades before. This exchange often happens over the course of ten hours. Or more. Proust...150 hours? At least? A film is designed for one sitting, and the image is realized. So I looked for a way to bridge the difference between the two experiences, and craft a film that encourages the audience to participate with their imagination.

Liliana Kligman - Executive Producer of The Creatress

experience the best that I know it, in only a way that a movie can do. So the film is as much about the feeling of writing as it is the story of Eryn Bellow’s journey of finding her next story worth telling. Storytelling has evolved over the years—from the classic literature to post modern, self-aware, meta texts. It is difficult to find the next thing worth writing about. I think a writer seeks the truth of their time. Sometimes that means deploying a new technique. Sometimes that means using a classical technique. Regardless, they are all paths to unlock truth. This film explores that journey and hopefully gives the audience the satisfaction of figuring it out...along with the protagonist. The experience working on this film was both exhilarating and exhausting. We could only afford 15 days of production, and the story covered 29 locations. So time, which is always limited, was more limited on this production due to the amount of company moves in and around Los Angeles... which is famous for its traffic, among other things.

Liliana Kligman - Executive Producer of The Creatress Jason Cook - Writer, Producer and Director of The Creatress

FILM: THE MAGAZINE • MADRID • AUGUST 2019

rehearsals. So the pressure was on. I’m grateful to each of their dedication to their craft, and Fran Drescher and Peter Bogdanovich because of all their experience they brought to the film. Without their A-game, we would not have half the movie we ended up with. Especially Lindy Booth. That woman is a rock star.

We were truly blessed with the actors that wanted to come along for this ride. Not only was the material challenging, with lots to keep track of, but we could not afford much time to discover on set. So everyone came as prepared as you must be for a play, and invention began in blocking. We often shot

I’m a big reader. My love of stories was born first in books. Movies came shortly after. I also have always looked at things historically, and how storytelling in both books and film evolve. It’s also interesting the differences in the mediums. So, as a craftsman, I’m interested in pushing the boundaries. How far we got is up to the audience Jason Cook – Director, Writer and Co-Producer of The Creatress The Creatress comes out in theaters and digital platforms in USA and Canada end of August, and expands to other territories in September 2019. Festivals • Official Selection at the Nice International Film Festival 2019 Nominations: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Lead Actress. Winner: Best Lead Actress (Lindy Booth) •Official Selection at Madrid International Film Festival 2019 Nominations: Best Film, Best Feature Comedy, Best Director & Best Lead Actress.

Find The Creatress Online http://www.thecreatressmovie.com Facebook: fb.com/thecreatressmovie Instagram: @thecreatressmovie Twitter: @thecreatressmov

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THE PROMISE UNDER THE CHERRY TREE

Nominated for the Best Short Film at The Madrid International Film Festival

SYNOPSIS

OUR MESSAGE

“I pray that you find the scenery you were looking for in Tokyo.”

What we aimed for was a Japanese anime.

Rocked by a train, Yuzuki, who works at a publisher in Tokyo, heads to her hometown to meet with her ex-boyfriend Haruki. She’s supposed to meet him under a cherry tree at the elementary school where they graduated together. At the station, she is greeted by their old mutual friend Takashi. Yuzuki enjoys her hometown with lots of memories, but Takashi remains silent, secretly holding a letter in his bag. Meanwhile, Haruki is nowhere to be found. Their mixed feelings intersect under the cherry tree.

A touching film that can shake the audience’s soul with the overwhelming beauty of the movie. I had been working as an image creator with a unique feel for color and ways of seeing the world. When I decided to set foot into making movies, lots of creators empathized with my actions and came to me. Together, we announced our crowd-funding campaign for making a film. By the time we were in preproduction, various media had taken notice, and we were introduced on TV, Newspapers, and radios.

FPA | THE PROMISE UNDER THE CHERRY TREE

In the process, we incorporated a bold VFX in our movie for expressing beauty. This is not the mainstream of present Japanese movie creation. However, I felt that this was an essential method in order to show significant, anime-like beauty. When we completed the film, we held a one-night premiere. The ticket sold out, and we were able to deliver our movie to a hall full of crowd. There were those who were moved by the beauty of the film. Others were moved to tears by the heartaching story. As I watched those audiences, I thought I might have reached my primal purpose, just for a little bit. The film was created under limited conditions. With a tiny production budget of one million Yen and the film being the first for the director. As I wonder how it would look to the audience overseas, I hope that you will all see for yourselves at the film festival.

FILM: THE MAGAZINE • MADRID • AUGUST 2019

THE PROMISE UNDER THE CHERRY TREE

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FEARING IN SARAJEVO

15th August – Screening Room 5 | 14:25 hrs. Pro d u ce d, a d a p te d & d i re c te d by

C h r i s t o p h e r Pe d i t t o CAST: Amar Selimovic, Senad Alihodzic,

Davor Golubovic, Igor Skvarica, Ejla Bavcic, Vedrana Bozinovic, Amila Terzimehic Best known for his classic suspense novel 'The Big Clock' which achieved great success as a film in 1947, Kenneth Fearing has been called “one of the chief poets and novelists to emerge from the American Depression and post World War II era. As Fearing writes, drinks, and addresses an unseen audience from an underground office, a chorus of his own characters appear, in a series of vignettes, weaving a tapestry of Fearing’s thematic obsessions, including the psychology of guilt, anti-capitalism, the absurdity and chaos of American culture, love and loss, and the resiliency of the human spirit. As the hard-drinking Fearing’s personal demons threaten to destroy him, a multifaceted portrait emerges of one of the most daring and significant, yet overlooked, American authors, whose challenging and prophetic voice lives on today, with greater urgency and relevancy than ever.

FAKE PLASTIC PLANET

2018/Japanese (English subtitles)/72min 36sec Written & Directed by Kenichi Sono Cast: Kasumi Yamaya, Kei Ichihashi, Tomokazu Koshimura

SYNOPSIS

A 25 years old homeless girl, Shiho, living in an internet cafe, runs into a blind fortune teller, who insists that they had met 25 years ago. Figuring out whom the fortune teller actually met was, turns out to be a journey to search for her identity.

Director’s Statement

Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. Sometimes they defy explanation.I have always been fascinated by meaningful coincidences as I grow up, and I feel that they might be guiding people to a better life. That is to say, those strange happenings can tell us something important about our lives and ourselves. In order to make the meaning behind all the events Shiho experiences stand out clearly, I filled the world with shady characters. Therefore, audiences may feel as if they are trapped in the world which are made of “fake plastic.” However, by the time they finish watching this film, they start believing what you can see is not everything and even some bad things happening to their lives could be just a part of meaningful coincidences.I believe this film could give audiences hope for a better tomorrow. 30

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shao studios & sfilmmaker Shao Studios is an international promotion, production and distribution platform dedicated to connecting media outlets around the world to media producers, distributors and financiers in China. Sfilmmaker is Shao Studios’ film festival registration platform, with over 10,000 film-makers registered to the platform and hundreds of worldwide festivals.

we help INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS Shao Studios’ markets of distribution include, but are not limited to: Internet channels, mobile channels (via telecommunication providers), theatrical channels, air media channels and digital cable providers.

INTERNATIONALLY DISTRIBUTE THEIR FILMs Sfilmmaker addresses the problems many small independent Chinese filmmakers have in getting their work into competition and the problems international festivals have finding true Chinese independent cinema.

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PICTURE FORMAT Color ASPECT RATIO 2.35 (SCOPE) SHOOTING FORMAT RED

the DIRECTO

talk abou

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THE BRIDGE TO PARADISE In East Asia, everyone is familiar as well as unfamiliar with the Syrian war and the European refugee crisis. It is strange that it does not happen to everyone while it is familiar that people can always get some relevant information from all kinds of news. Director Jianan FAN, as a Chinese who has received many years of film education abroad, has always had great interest in all kinds of international hot spots and multiculturalism and religion. In May 2017, taking the opportunity to attend the Cannes Film Festival, the director met an overseas Chinese photographer named Zhilei ZHANG in France. The two men immediately set out with four mobile phones to reverse discover the Syrian Refugees’ European flight.

Guoping ZHANG, an investor of the Bridge to Paradise Yiling WU, an investor of the Bridge to Paradise

The director Jianan FAN and photographer Zhilei ZHANG of the Bridge to Paradise are with Syrian refugees in Turkey

There are all kinds of difficulties in the shooting and production of the film, and in face of the difficulties, two Chinese individual investors have been firmly standing behind the director. It has given a great deal of help to the director both materially and spiritually. They are two great Chinese women , one named Yiling WU, and the other named Guoping ZHANG. Yiling WU graduated from Zhejiang University, the top 100 university in the world, and then received a master’s degree in creative and cultural industry management from the Open University of Hong Kong. While Yiling WU insists on the artistic pursuit of film and television works, she is also sensitive to commerce. In recent years she has invested and participated in the production of many popular film and television works like Transformers 5, spies, Carving, Shanhai Battlefield, The Sword, etc. She enjoys the reputation of “angel investor” in Chinese culture circle.

GuopingZHANG was a global asset allocation practice expert before contacting the cultural industry and previously served as the Executive Financial Planning Consultant in the private bank of Citibank. She cultivated several Top Sales for many consecutive years and won “The Best Coach” Award in Asia Pacific. She also set a new record for the family trust industry with Yixin’s famous four-handed bomb. Guoping ZHANG not only actively participates in the Chinese culture, but also makes a difference in the field of public welfare. She took a stake in the list of the Chinese writers in 2018, founded Langsheng Cultural Media with Yiling WU, and launched the Autism Public Welfare Fund in Shanghai, China’s economic center.

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In addition, the director would like to thank everyone who made efforts for the Bridge to Paradise, especially producer Ben NIU. It is with everyone’s efforts that the Bridge to Paradise has achieved today’s success.

Ben NIU, the producer of the Bridge to Paradise

A map for the shooting route of the Bridge to Paradise

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In March 2018, the director got a degree of MFA by this film in Chung-Ang University, South Korea. www.filmfestinternational.com

Hope Lives Forever

IMMORTAL HERO

Based upon true events, “Immortal Hero” is a dramatic, inspiring account of how Ryuho Okawa, teacher, healer, best-selling international author and visionary spiritual leader came to recognize his miraculous abilities and the obligation they carry to share the truth with the world.

SYNOPSIS

Makoto Mioya is a successful writer and publisher living with his wife and three children. When he unexpectedly collapses, it becomes a desperate race against time. His examining doctors are fearful that Makoto will not survive the grave heart condition they discover. However, as the doctors tell his family to prepare for the worst, Makoto has other plans. Unbeknownst to anyone but Makoto, he has been communicating with powerful spiritual beings and accessing their wisdom and advice for most of his adult life. In a neardeath visitation at the hospital, the spiritual beings come to him to remind Makoto that he can cure himself with the power of his own mind. His wife and young doctor don’t believe this is possible, so they encourage Makoto to undergo a last-ditch surgery in an attempt to forestall his imminent death. But an older doctor, a sage in his own right, suggests that Makoto has the right to try and heal himself by whatever extraordinary means he can. He miraculously reverses the effects of his fatal heart condition and recovers completely, to the amazement and gratitude of his wife and children. As part of the recovery process, Makoto writes about his powerful ‘rebirth’ as an enlightened and transformed teacher. He promises to use the second chance at life he has been blessed with to make a positive difference for as many people as possible. He commits to ‘die for the truth’, a powerful covenant that defines the purity and intensity of his message of love, our mutual responsibility for each other, and world peace. But some people doubt the power of his healing wisdom, including his wife, who begins to feel separate and apart from the loving husband she once thought she knew. And, as he travels to London amid deadly terrorist attacks to make an important speech, things at home are unraveling. His children are facing pressures of their own, without the support of the parents they love and need.

Based on the true story of a man whose near death experience inspires him to choose life... and change the lives of millions. 34

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In London, Makoto delivers a powerful speech about what might be possible for a world that can put its differences aside and accept God’s love. The speech is an instant sensation, enhancing Makoto’s stature in Japan and worldwide. Yet, upon returning home, Makoto must face the discord within his own family, head-on and courageously. Makoto considers the needs of his own family and the unwavering commitment he’s made to ‘the family of man’. As he and his family members choose their paths and their destiny, Makoto reconnects and recommits to both his family and his mission.

About the Executive Producer and Original Story Writer, Ryuho Okawa This film is based on Ryuho Okawa’s life experience occurred in 2004. He is a renowned spiritual leader and international best-selling author with a simple goal: to help people find true happiness and create a better world. His compassion and sense of responsibility for the happiness of each individual has led him to write over 2,500 titles of spiritual, and self-development teachings, covering a broad range of topics ... such as, how our thoughts influence reality, the nature of love, and the path to enlightenment.

About the Director, Hiroshi Akabane Hiroshi Akabane believes that “movies have the power to make a difference in people’s lives”. Hiroshi Akabane was born in Yamanashi, Japan in 1951. After graduating from Senshu University in the law department in 1975, he became an assistant director for TV dramas. He is now actively directing and producing TV dramas. Hiroshi’s debut as a producer was with the Japanese TV series called Maido Osawagase Shimasu, which led to several other Japanese TV series such as Great Teacher Onizuka, Kyoshi Binbin Monogatari, and other dramas, which became well-known hits in Japan. In 2017, he directed the live-action movie, The World We Live In as well as the feature Day Break in 2018.

If you’re seeing his story, you, too, are making an extraordinary connection and sharing and connecting with God’s love.

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KINOSAKI DAYS

THE JOURNEY OF A NOMADIC ARTIST

Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro Secretaria Municipal de Cultura Spectra present

Liquid Voices The story of Mathilda Segalescu

A Nomadic Artist’s Vision Revitalizes a Depressed Hot Springs Town in Japan

SYNOPSIS Artist Tomori Nagamoto migrated from his native Japan to Canada, where he started as a street artist and eventually became a major presence on the Canadian art scene. During his 18-year stay there, he received multiple awards, including Toronto’s NOW and EYE magazines’ readers’ choice as the best visual artist of the year in 2002 and 2003. In 2014, Tomori returned to his homeland Japan to settle in a small picturesque hot springs town where nobody knew him. He met an amateur videographer, Yuki Hayashi, who followed him for 120 days to document how this natural-born, self-taught artist got the entire town involved in preparation for his first solo exhibition, inspiring the townspeople to revitalize their town after a devastating fire. Kinosaki Days may be Yuki Hayashi’s first featurelength documentary, but it is hardly his first foray into cross-cultural documentaries. Hayashi shot the entire movie on compact cameras and smartphones. “The project’s budget doesn’t matter,” he says; he just chose the right tools to capture the unintended moments.

Born in 1983, Director Yuki Hayashi was raised in Okayama, Japan. Hayashi has enjoyed a busy career as a freelance videographer for decades, and has always been interested in artists as a subject. He seeks a new approach to capture what happens when artists cross – or cannot cross – borders and boundaries.

A cinematic opera by

Jocy de Oliveira

With Gabriela Geluda and Luciano Botelho

“A HAUNTING OPERA” O Globo, Rio de Janeiro

“AN OPERA DRENCHED IN HISTORY" Bravo, São Paulo Filmed at

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Executive Producer

Produced by

Sponsored by

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MADE IN ITS ENTIRETY BY ONE FILMMAKER

Emerson School & Brave Archer Films® present 'SingFest: The Literacy of Music.' This inspirational multi-award winning documentary film takes us on a journey into the world of music and how music, as a literacy in schools, unlocks student's full potential and transforms their learning. Emerson School, a special needs school situated in Dandenong, Victoria, Australia, invites nine local schools to its grounds for the purpose of sharing its’ love of singing and music making. Whilst each school brings its own unique strengths and talents to the day, Emerson School shares insights on the vital role of Music and Music Education in the special needs educational setting. The students from the invited schools come together as strangers but when united through their voices and choral singing for the day, that strangeness and unfamiliarity is taken away. Thus the literacy embedded within Music as an art form has the power to bond people of all different cultures and engender learning that is multimodal and transformational. The embodied cognition in Music Education is a potent tool that humans use to give meaning in both linguistic and non-linguistic ways. Most importantly, music draws people together and helps make their learning journey socially-directed and purposeful. The power that music has to transcend a wide range of learning, cultural and social barriers is demonstrated in this unique and uplifting educational film. SingFest: The Literacy of Music was made in its entirety by all-round filmmaker, animator and educator Amel Tresnjic. In addition to writing, directing and producing, Amel filmed, captured sound, and completely post-produced the entire film solo. His passion for film-making began when he was a very young boy. From the age of nine, he developed a tradition of watching films every night until he fell asleep and always imagined how he would grow up to become an inspirational storyteller. In 2012 Amel began to realise his dream with the international success of his first entirely self-made documentary film '2012 Crossing Over: A New Beginning.' A feature documentary that embarks on an enigmatic journey, forming a greater perspective of our worlds 'current state' and the awakening of a new wave of consciousness. On the day of its free YouTube release, the film went viral and has now been seen by over 4million+ on YouTube alone. With 90% likes and countless positive comments, the film touched the hearts of many world-wide. It received an Honour Award ‘New Age of Activism 2012 and Beyond,’ top 5star reviews, 8/10 IMDB rating as well as

high ratings across many documentary hosting sites. The positive message of the film inspired its’ supportive fan base to host numerous screenings world wide as well as translate the film into 9 languages. The film also received three distribution deals, but most important of all to Amel, the film inspired positive change in the world. “Through the art of film, my aim is to inspire a better world. My method is to produce films of a conscious and moral nature. Films that inform, empower and inspire audiences with untold perspectives on various topics that afflict the world at large!” - Amel Tresnjic Through his passionate and busy work ethic Amel creates projects for his wide ranging clientele while still working on personal projects that are close to his heart. Though busy making films, Amel still finds time to teach young filmmakers the art and influence of cinema. He wishes to inspire more story tellers in the world and dedicates much of his time teaching Screen and Media at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Since the film's release 'Singfest: The Literacy of Music' has been critically acclaimed and become a multi-award winning film. The film won the GOLDEN FOX AWARD for Best Documentary Film at CICFF Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 2019. Out of 61 fantastic documentary films nominated for this prestigious annual award, the film won first place. In California at The IndieFEST Film Awards 2018, the film won the Award of Merit - Special Mention for Best Documentary Short and was awarded the prestigious IndieFEST 24K Gold statuette. The film was publicly voted TOP 3 FINALIST for BEST FILM at the Toronto Lift-Off Online Film Festival. At the London International Filmmaker Festival ‘Singfest: The Literacy of Music’ was awarded Best Cinematography in a Documentary Film. The film was also nominated for Best Sound Design. In California at the 2019 Accolade Global Film Competition, the film won the AWARD of MERIT in 5 Categories: Documentary Short, Editing, Sound Editing / Sound Mixing, Use of Film for Social Change and Viewer Impact: Motivational / Inspirational. The film was awarded the prestigious Accolade 24K Golden Constellation Statuette. The film has been officially selected at the 2020 World Music and International Film Festival and is currently nominated in 3 categories at the 2019 Madrid International Film Festival: Best Feature Documentary, Best Original Score and Best Director in a Feature Documentary. Alongside numerous projects for his clientele, Amel is currently in production of his fourth entirely self-made feature documentary 'Spiritual Awakening: Journey to the Inner Self.' Although now a successful and very busy filmmaker, Amel still watches films every night until he falls asleep.

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IN-DEPHT ARTIFICE OF CONSCIENCE Q: Pino, what led you to write this work that sees you as a protagonist at the Madrid IFF? A: This is a complaint for the complicated world of the female condition, which often results in violence against women. Throughout the world, including the first world, women never have equal rights and the law, often blind and absurd, favors their death. This wants to be a scream, so that all listen and become aware of this thorny problem ... Only in this way, humanity can be free ... really free. Q: Who are the key figures in this work? A: Certainly, the boys with whom I had to deal with for the construction of this work and I refer above all to Maria Giglia, she has a natural talent. I always to dissuade everyone, given my cosmic pessimism ... I wrote a very long monologue about what for me is the condition of humanity today to change! In my mind he would not have made it to recite, the whole thing as I wanted ... instead they organized and they sent me a video with WhatsApp where Maria recited from memory all my monologue. At that point, I called Maria and told her, that we would do the job ... I won't tell you, her joy. Joy is a feeling that invests in a brutal way, I got drawn into this project and I also dragged Maestro Filippo Melita another exiled from Sicily who wrote the music for the short in a masterly way, leaving a trace of his precious saudade ... and last 6 and 7 April, we shot and edited everything. Q: I've only seen the Trailer, I have to say that yours seems to be an obsession for this theme, is like reality! A: I think my philosophical concept of human feelings, has passed! I consider them as many tables in a restaurant most of the time in a party: there is the friendship to which we often sit down to confront, the affection on which they sit for the most part the grandparents, the honor and the pride tables so close that they often unite and allow to resist in a foreign land, the table of esteem, the table of gratitude, the table of forgiveness, the table of sympathy, that of devotion and all the other tables of positive feelings, on which one sits mostly in company, but unfortunately in the mind of man there are tables of negative feelings, that of anger, that of racial intolerance, that of revenge, that of of sadness, that of shame ... every man in the phases of life sits at these tables either in an induced and unconscious manner or in a totally conscious way. However, those to whom all yearn is the table of happiness. It is the wedding party table, to understand each other! Where you always sit alone. Unfortunately, this table is very close to the table of love, often the two get confused and often make good feelings to be reversed with bad ones; nothing is enough! Just think of the frustration of a betrayal. It is never thought that one of the two cheats because he feels a need, which the other person does not know how to give and that is where the table of unhappiness appears; where you are far from everyone, closed in yourself. This is not a gender consideration. Nevertheless, unfortunately in the male part of humanity often the feeling of shame takes over, just one thought, "I was betrayed who knows what other people think of me". This thought spills over all the tables, bathing them, upsetting and throwing you into chaos. You never have clothes to dry. Most of the time the sense of pain that an ugly table like shame can give you is overcome, it is processed like a mourning and you find with time some rag to dry all the illnesses that the collective thoughts instill, but more and more often the male reaction of humanity, results in pure violence. Believe me, I would like everyone to sit at the table of happiness, but unfortunately, humanity is not ripe to make a single table, few have succeeded and often a part of humanity, takes them as an example to follow, consider Jesus, the Buddha for example, with their deep love for others. This work of mine wants to give an emergency cloth to all those who suffer at the table of unhappiness by making it clear that the basic error lies in the fact that only those who are aware that they are part of a whole can survive well and not because I rise to ascetic, but simply because I understand my humanity. 40

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Pino Pullella -Siracusa 27/06/73- Electronic Engineer by profession. After the 'University he dedicated himself to robotics and the development of Degaussing and Deperming for naval units of the Italian Navy. Dissatisfied of city life, in 2005 he moved to Castell'Umberto, a little town of Sicily, devoted to photovoltaics that develops throughout the peninsula. In 2008 He wrote "TEOREMA DEL PENSIERO AUREO" Armenio Publisher. The following year, thanks to a radio collaboration, discovered the beauty of the "Sicilian language." On that occasion, he met Franco Brancatelli, Nebrodi songwriter and listening to "Cosa Tinta", he created, in 2011, the self-titled music video clips that wins the "Taormina Film Festival". In the same vein, with songs Brancatelli born "Con Gli occhi di Mario", short set to music in 2014, he won the third priz of the first Film Festival of the city of Turin "Per corti di vita." In June of 2016 he public the first romance: "Xabaras, il vigneto del diavolo" - Armenio Publisher, and ongoing works at the film script "Ribelli" historic films on Castell’Umberto's tale about a tyrant that exercised the law of Jus primae noctis.

Maria Giglia (Patti, Me, 5/10/1993). She graduated from the University of Messina in the faculty of disciplines of the arts of music and entertainment. After attending various experimental theater workshops, She studied film acting in Rome, at the Studioemme Accademy.

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A S P I R E T O T H E S KY: THE WILSHIRE GRAND STORY PRODUCED BY: D. KHATRI W R I T T E N B Y : D . K H A T R I & S. SIGHICELLI DIRECTED BY: DILIP KHATRI

Every building has a story with its own characters, struggle, disappointments and achievements. Documentary films are traditionally focused on human stories and tragedies, with very little attention towards our engineering and architecture achievements. "Aspire to the Sky" is a film about Engineers, Architects, and Dreamers to build an "impossible structure" in an area of the world that is highly prone to earthquakes: Los Angeles, California, and one of the highest seismically active zones in the world. The struggle is dealing with the property dimensions [less than one acre] and sitting directly over an earthquake fault.

High rise buildings have always commanded attention because they bring civic pride and unite a population around their presence. New York City, Dubai, London, Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo are a few examples of how civilizations showcase their buildings as emblems of wealth and power. The technical challenges for reaching these high altitudes involve many factors dealing with wind, earthquake, soil settlement, erosion, water, storm effects, rain, and local wind vortex pressures created by the surrounding buildings. The Wilshire Grand Building is a $1.3 Billion project that involved over 10,000 people in multiple countries, with the developer being Korean Airllines, Seoul, South Korea, and the Architecture and Structural Design done by U.S. Firms: AC Martin Partners, Los Angeles;

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Thornton Tommasetti, New York; and Brandow & Johnston, Los Angeles. The collaboration and technical insight to deal with the seismic force issues, wind loads, and dynamic effects present unique problems for this challenging project that created 22,000,000 sq. ft. [73 floors] of space on a 1-acre lot.

Dr. Khatri is a P r o f e s s i o n a l Structural Engineer, PhD, former professor, and consultant, whose ambition to create quality documentaries that address unique topics has led him to make this film for the public, architects, engineers, and people curious about how to build a high-rise building. Dr. Khatri's documentary is made with both artistic, creative, and technical knowledge in mind to keep the audience engaged while explaining a complicated mix of earthquake t e c h n o l o g y, s t r u c t u r a l e n g i n e e r i n g , architectural design in one documentary piece. This film a c c o m p l i s h e s t h e t a s k of m a k i n g a ve r y c o m p l e x s u b j e c t i n t e re s t i n g w h i l e a l s o e n t e r t a i n i n g i n t h e l e a r n i n g p ro c e s s . www.filmfestinternational.com

TO TOKYO STUFF FOR THEATRICAL RELEASE 15.5.19

“Love your Monster” | www.skeletoncrewfilms.com | 4K. 5.1 surround sound DCP

LOGLINE A vulnerable girl hiding from her monstrous Step-father; finds herself in the arms of a real monster. She has four nights to Conquer them both.

SYNOPSIS Alice is a quiet, disturbed and beautiful girl. She has run away from her home in England, escaping her violent Step-Father but abandoning her sick mother. We find her at the start of the film hiding in an isolated ancient village in Japan, still haunted by the Monsters of her past. Alice meets Jake, a traveling business man who is immediately attracted to her, but she is too shy and untrusting to speak to him. Later Alice gets a message from her half-sister Zoe saying she is coming to Japan to tell her about Alice’s mother. That night she hears something outside her room, fearful, she looks, but the corridor is empty... The next day Zoe arrives in the village and delivers the earth shattering news that Alice’s Mother is dying. Zoe begs Alice to come home with her on a flight that leaves from Tokyo in four nights. Alice is conflicted. Her heart tells her she has to go home. Her brain tells her she cant go home. Alice bumps into Jake again. He tells her he is going to Tokyo today and if she ever finds herself there to give him a call. That night while Alice sleeps a Monster appears outside her hotel, breaks into her room and drags her away into the wilderness. Alice wakes up in the middle of no where completely alone. with the Monster watching her. Alice releases a Monster is watching her through the trees… she runs… he follows. She struggles across the landscape trying to escape the Monster but no matter where she goes… he is there. When she can’t go on, exhausted, empty and begging to go home the Monster finally catches her. But he doesn’t hurt her… he carries her. Alice finally turns and faces the Monster and looks into his eyes and realises this Monstrous thing is her greatest strength. The Monster and Alice complete each other. Yin and Yang. The Monster shows Alice the way to Tokyo. She tries to call Zoe but Zoe misses the call. Alice not knowing anyone else in Tokyo calks Jake. The horrors of history have a habit of repeating and Jake turns out to be a Monster just like her Step-Father. Jake drugs Alice and drags her back to his Hotel room. But as Jake begins to undress Alice… Jake meets a real MONSTER.

SHIRONAM

Debutant director Indranil, is a famous production designer of India, who has many accolades including two national awards. He is moved by the story written by Dipanwita, as he has watched media closely for a longtime. Dipanwita is an established short story writer and playwright. Director speaks - I have always wondered the dilemma of a person standing at a crossroad of two contradictory truths. I waited to get a proper perspective to sketch the story. My film is based on a true story. The story was so compelling that it inspired me to pick up the background of media war. I had to arrive at a conclusion as to how media manipulates everyone. In a tug of media war, the truth hardly matters. The rival media houses compete to come up with the most sensational cover stories. Individuals or their families often get entangled in this ruthless competition. This story tries to convey that news, just like any other commodity in a market-driven economy, is used to bring profit. Hence, media houses will stop at nothing to sell their best product. In this entire process, neither morality stands anywhere nor does sentiment. Abhin, a photojournalist in a news channel, is the central character and Anandi is his beloved. The film portrays the pain of a woman who suffers immensely from her husband’s untimely demise. Unfortunately, media turns his death into a dangerous speculation. First, it projects Abhin as a martyr but within hours, he is looked upon as a shallow villain. The stream of unexpected and undesirable incidents pushes Anandi to the brink. Anandi’s world turns upside down with a shocking revelation.

Shao Studios Shao Studios is an international promotion, production and distribution platform dedicated to connecting media outlets around the world to media producers, distributors and financiers in China – the world’s largest media market.

WE HELP independent FILMMAKERS

Based in Beijing, Shao Studios was founded by film director Joanna Shao who saw the potential to reach out to China’s diverse independent filmmakers and give them an international outlet.

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The film is a tale of struggle of a wife to cope with her existential crisis. All of a sudden, her life becomes meaningless. She is torn between two contradictory truths. She is faced with the ultimate question, whether Abhin was the man whom she loved or someone else. 44

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M I R A C L E

O F

L I F E

P R O D U C E D B Y: D . K H AT R I W R I T T E N B Y: D . K H AT R I DIRECTED BY: DILIP KHATRI Children are a blessing. They are truly "gifts from God". Whether you have ever wanted kids or not, no one can deny their existence confirms "our existence" after we are gone. "Miracle of Life" is the true story of a critical question we all face: LIFE or DEATH? The factors of the decade's old question of: Abortion or Life. In 1973, the legal case of Roe v. Wade eliminated the restrictions on Abortion in America, which lifted the liberty of any Woman to seek an abortion legally in the United States. A pivoting moment in the history of women's rights, the legal issue of abortion doesn't end there and continues till today. Miracle of Life explores this issue from the real perspective of the D i r e c t o r ' s o w n experience with the child birthing process in an American Hospital. After experiencing 9 ultra sound tests, the hospital doctors all advised they should go through an abortion because the child may be born with a birth defect: Spinabifoda. Spinabifoda is the result of a deformed spine that could lead to mental or physical retardation. Now in their 3rd month, they are faced with this question of Life or Death? Should the pregnancy be terminated or they risk the birth?

13th August Screening Room 1 17:35 Miracle Of Life 15m 46

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Doctors and medical institutions refused to put any of their recommendations in writing or validate their concerns. This is a primary cause of stress and disturbance to the family, which is explored in

Miracle of Life.

If every child with a potential defect [physical, mental, psychological] was to be aborted, think about all of the wonderful people that would have n e v e r b e e n b o r n : Stevie Wonder [born blind, famous singer] Ray Charles [born blind, famous singer] Stephen Hawking [physical retardation, famous physicist] Franklin Delano Roosevelt [crippled after birth, President of the United States] Elizabeth Ta y l o r [excessive eyelash length, famous actress] Joaquin Phoenix [lip defect, famous actor] Megan Fox [clubbed thumbs, famous actor]

The list is endless, and WHO is the person to make this decision? Doctors? Family? It's NOT for us to decide who lives or dies. This is a miracle left to only one decision maker, our Creator: God. Dr. Khatri is a Professional Structural Engineer, PhD, former professor, and consultant, whose ambition to create quality documentaries that address unique topics has led him to make this film for the public to absorb this deeply personal story about his son. Dr. Khatri's documentary is made with both artistic, creative, and technical knowledge in mind to keep the audience engaged while explaining a complicated mix of emotions involved in this personal story. www.filmfestinternational.com

‘ THE BU FFA LO H U N T ’ R EVI EW: T HE SAC RE D T I E S T H AT B IN D This haunting documentary looks at the ritual of the hunt and its place in the history and identity of today’s Lakota Sioux.

Beldine White Eyes in a scene from the documentary “The Buffalo Hunt.” Credit: Philip Di Fiore

At first glance, “The Buffalo Hunt” seems fairly straightforward. Under the eye of the film’s director, Philip Di Fiore, the people of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota take apart a buffalo, using the skin to make drums and splitting up the meat for those who could not attend the hunt, as well as for a communal soup. It’s that last use around which the documentary eventually coalesces, becoming a striking, poetic look at the Lakota Sioux. (The film, now streaming on Amazon, was born out of the protests at Standing Rock, but it changed focus as the documentary’s producer, Phillip O’Leary, got to know the Pine Ridge people who had come in solidarity.) The process of killing a buffalo is deftly juxtaposed with what the buffalo will be used for, and with the way it serves the community and brings it together. 48

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Interstitial scenes help paint a more comprehensive picture as the film’s subjects discuss problems with drug use, generational trauma and the temptation to leave the reservation. The droning score, composed by Jason Staehler Hill and Ari Ingber, and Di Fiore’s penchant for cutting to images of the bare and forbidding landscape cast a pall over the proceedings, but the documentary feels more hopeful than not. Despite the hardships they’ve suffered and continue to endure, these are people who have learned how to survive and to provide for one another. The little details — the cook whose T-shirts all seem to reference marijuana, the old man whose shedding of his jacket is intercut with the skinning of the buffalo — come across as loving. After all, the ultimate purpose of the buffalo is to feed and nurture.

Philip Di Fiore is an award-winning filmmaker. His first film, Stranger, Berni Worrel on Earth was

about the otherworldly keyboard/synth genius of Parliament Funkadelic and Talking Heads. The film features David Byrne, Mos Def, George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. It won best film awards in the US and Europe before receiving a special screening at the Museum of Fine arts in Boston. Di Flore´s music videos for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Sinkane, Caveman and others have been described as thrilling, cinematic and beyond the cutting edge. He has made films and videos for vanguard record labels DFA, Daptone Fat Possum, Atlantic and Island Records. His work has premiered at festivals and museums around the world and on Vevo, Pitchfork, Noisey, The Fader, IFC Stereogum, Rolling Stone, Funny or Die, VH1 and MTV, Rai (Italy) and Arte (France/Germany). Thus far in 2019, The Buffalo Hunt, has been awarded Best Feature Length Documentary Prague Film Awards, Best Feature Length Documentary at the Canada International Film Festival and is nominated for Best cinematography at the Nice International Film Festival.

Philip Di Fiore, Director The Buffalo Hunt www.filmfestinternational.com

L I GH T WRA PS ME

BUNCH OF GRAPES SYNOPSIS Bunch of Grapes is the story about an over obsessed mother and her troubled daughter, establishing a working relationship between the two. It's a story of love and hate. This film was shot in the scenic background of a vineyard in LA, in USA. The film was shot by ace cinematographer, Alex Megaro. It was wonderful to work with Catherine Black, who is an award winning director and actress. I met Cat, in a festival, we jelled well and all of a sudden we decided to work together. It was a fantastic experience. So , was the experience with Sharmila as well. She suited best as a mother. Infact, when delivered harsh dialogues on her, she broke down. It was so intense. When we were placing the food, we avoided nuts as Cat was allergic to them. We shot for 7 days, long hours. Just after breakfast and wrapped up in the evening. Apart from the vineyard, we travelled to different locations and had awesome shots there too. It was first collaboration with American actresses and it was a very pleasant experience.

Story of man and woman. Their love for life. Lust and frenzy. It is the energy of impending mankind to find peace at the time of chaos. Mental and physical journey of human race. Watch the trailer now : www.bit.ly/light wraps me Director and writer : Shomshuklla DOP : Ritam Banerjee Ashish Singh Music : Ankur Mukherjee Actors : Lipi Goyal, Archana Singh, Tina Sen, Teesay Shah Producer : Bhaskar Das For information on our films & more : www.cuttocut.com

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It is the story of mother and daughter, their relationship of love and hate. The daughter comes to visit her mother, and gets into fights. But at the end they patch up, as both of them realise that they care for each other with all their failings. Watch the trailer now : www.bit.ly/bunchofgrapes Written & directed by Shomshuklla` Actors : Sharmila Saha Catherine Black Music Ankur Mukherjee Produced by Amit Sen, Bhaskar Das For information on our films & more : www.cuttocut.com

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T H E BI R D SYNOPSIS It is a story of a corporate woman, successful and a wife and mother. Her world revolves round her small loving family and her work family. But, it's a lot of sacrifices to be in the corporate world and to be successful. She is at the crossroads. What is she wanting more and more corporate success or a simple pleasures from her family to spend quality time with her husband and daughter. DIRECTOR´S STATEMENT This film is very interesting to me , as I shot it in 4 hours in an office space. I used 2 cameras and I did the shoot like a documentary. I wanted to challenge myself whether I can shoot a film like this. I was highly influenced by

RAMBLER

Written, directed & produced by Abdulaziz Aldughaither

THE STORY The film follows a man in mourning into a forbidden desert. He recently lost his wife, and it is believed that in this desert communication with the deceased is possible due to its spiritual nature. When he marches inside and starts the process, he instead finds himself lost, no answer from his wife, and his mortality at risk.

THE PRODUCTION This film is a salvage of a salvage of salvage. The script started out as 70-minute feature and ended up being an 8-minute short. The reason behind this major change is we (Tamimi, Alshaikhmubarak, Aldughaither) couldn’t find actors who were free and interested in playing the parts in the feature version, in the period we wanted to film in. But that did not stop us. We were determined to make this film with complete disregard to the obstacles we were facing. We took what the film is essentially about and attempted to make it with one character. What you see now is the result of that attempt. The decision to shoot on film came from having seen in the past few years great films like The Hateful Eight and Dunkirk being shot and projected completely with film, and the powerful emotional impact it had, made us absolutely adamant that film was the only medium we were going to shoot with, and 16mm was the film of choice. The journey to obtain a functioning film camera, finding the closest film lab to process the footage, and learning how to shoot on film was no small feat. Having shot only with digital before, the switch to film proved to be the most challenging endeavor in this production. Issues like the heaviness of the ARRI SRIII camera, operating it, the changing of film reels, with the harsh desert environment added to the mix. All these elements pushed us to our limits and almost broke us, but at the end we had a product, and that is the real reward. To be nominated for the best director of a short foreign language film is truly amazing. But to get a best sound design nomination as well is beyond amazing to me (Aldughaither) personally having lost my hearing two years ago, and felt the filmmaking career I’m striving for ended before it even started, makes this nomination truly special.

FULL CREDITS Starring Ahmed Gaddourah as Rambler Music by Masar and Fahad Almohawis Legal Services Abdullah Aldughaither Produced by Sara Altamimi, Abdullah Alshaikhmubarak and Abdulaziz Aldughaither Written and Directed by Abdulaziz Aldughaither Photographed in ARRI SRIII Camera and Lens Shot on Kodak 16mm Color Film

David Cronenberg in this film after watching his Cosmopolitan. It is a very important film to me, because of the way I shot and how I shot. I paid great care in the edit too. And ofcourse it has my signature style, which is experimental.

It is the story of a successful corporate woman,

Story and director : Shomshuklla

who is at her high, but decides to leave all the

Producer : Bhaskar Das

glamour and frills of corporate life, to go back

Dop : Ritam Banerjee

to the family and be domesticated, as she

Cinematographer : Ashish Singh

realises the value of a family to a corporation.

Music : Ankur Mukherjee

Watch the trailer now :

For information on our films & more :

www.bit.ly/The Bird

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Actors : Sohini Mukherjee Teeshay Shah Dipti Harwani

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THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

A film by Ana Maria Estrada

ANA MARIA ESTRADA is an Actress, producer, entrepreneur, writer and director, She has the distinction of working in both, the Hispanic American market and the General market, better known as Hollywood. Peruvian by birth, she currently resides between the cities of New York, Lima and Miami, which allow her to work easier in various artistic projects. Her love for the performing arts started at an early age and decided to polish her talents studying acting with wonderful masters in New York, Los Angeles, and London. She also studied film at the Prestigious New York Film Academy. Estrada, a member of the important AFTRA and SAG actor unions, has produced several independent films under her own company, Dakini Productions and with Triangle Entertainment, among them Teresa, the lover of the Liberator (2014), Caiga quien Caiga famous Peruvian movie. Hell Girl , Progress Girl with Eva Mendez amongst others. Ana Maria served as an actress and producer of the series made for television, Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres, series translated into several languages and presented in several countries, appreciated by more than 90 million people.

IS THIS LOVE?

Director: Adrien Boublil

Runtime: 4min

Producer: Atkin Korkis

Short, Music, Romance

Cinematographer: Will Darosa

23 February 2019 (USA)

She wrote, produced and directed her first short film Esto le paso a usted? (This happened to you?) Which has been nominated and recognized by international film festivals in the world. The director Ana Maria Estrada found inspiration in showings the concerns of people in later years feeling vulnerable of the threat of Alzheimer’s. This terrible disease can make people prey to be swindled and scammed by some who wants to Take advantage of this dreadful situation. Our character Fausto is struggling with his memory when he encounters Jaime. Fausto fells that he start getting Alzheimer. This situation makes Fausto follow Jaime hoping in one point of the conversation he will remember Jaime but in the end Fausto is deceived when he learns that Jaime has swindled him. A very real Short Film something that can happens in our lives. EMAIL: dakini24180@gmail.com www.anamariaestrada.com

Maxime is a french songwriter and producer living in L.A. The Singer-Songwriter Maxime has just released his debut album ‘The Honest Me Pt 1’. Maxime hails from France where his passion for songwriting began but he now resides in the vibrant city of Los Angeles where he continues to bring his words to life. Alongside the release of ‘The Honest Me Pt 1’, Maxime dropped a string of material with an amazing leading single music video, ‘Is this Love’ directed by Adrien Boublil. In its first week, it clocked in over 26,000 Youtube views. It won the Los Angeles Film and Script Festival, it was nominated at the New York Shorts International Film Festival, the Edmonton Film Festival, the World Music and Independent Film Festival, the Marblehead Film Festival and it was shown as the opening film of Sophia Vergara and Joe Manganiello’s “Bottom of the 9th” at the prestigious Maui Film Festival. Max's infatuation for his childhood crush never stops growing. Is this what love is?

This year the Madrid International Film Festival has nominated his short film for the next awards: • Best Editing of a Short Film / Madrid International Film Festival 2019 • Best Original Recorded Song / Madrid International Film Festival 2019 • Jury Award / Madrid International Film Festival 2019 The music video IS THIS LOVE? (4 min) it will be screened on the 10th of August at 11:40 am in the Screening Room 2. Now and always, Adrien is searching for the next story to tell in twenty-four frames per second…

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER At 18, Adrien journeys to the west coast to make his followup project, STILL, a devastatingly beautiful piece that earned the best film prize at the IndieFest and won the Peer Raben Award for the best score. In 2019, Boublil directed his first music video entitled IS THIS LOVE? for rising performer Maxime. 54

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CARL'S MOTEL SYNOPSIS At the centre of Carl's Motel is a man in the midst of dealing with painful life choices and coming to terms with his own personal turmoil. The film is set over the course of 15 minutes in a motel room where Jack has called his wife to reveal that he is leaving her and their son for another woman. Afterward, with a sense of relief and hope he calls his girlfriend with the exciting news only to learn that she does not want to be with him. Devastated and alone his personal angst starts to unravel as a force larger then himself arrives at his door.

DIRECTOR NOTES Carl's Motel is my first exploration into narrative storytelling. I felt a dire need to look at humanism through the study of character, exploring the emotional struggles of ordinary people. I wanted to use this medium to dig below the surface of what we want to see in people and what people actually give us.

is ruthless, but it is not met without regret or remorse, because making a choice is never easy and in the end, for better or worse he will have to live with it. In telling the story of Carl’s Motel, I wanted the audience to uncomfortably sit with his inner turmoil. Witness this moment in real time time while his life decisions unravel.

The story centers around a man named Jack played by Scoot McNairy (True Detective, Argo). We find him in the midst of a heavy decision that will destroy his marriage, a decision based purely on what’s d rather than right. Through a raw, unfiltered lens we see an honesty and vulnerability to Jack. Yes, he is a cliche, pathetic but we see more importantly that he is human. We let him exist in a way that allows for empathy by feeling his sensitivity, heartache and his melancholy. Everyone can see his choice

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‘The Film Industry Network' With 'Film Fest Internationals Group Of Festivals' Across many years of attending festivals and markets Ray Davies has advised industry professionals on Script Analysis, Sound, Routes to Market & Finance, Film / TV Production. His background across 16 years of Music, Media, Film & TV development stimulated an idea to collaborate with trusted industry connections, piers and former work colleagues to develop and create ‘The Film Advisory’ and ‘The Film Industry Network’. He has had the honour of working with Film Fest Internationals team and its group of festivals across Europe. Inspired in spring ‘2016’ after joining the Nice International Film Festivals Q & A advisory team, where he gave one to one advice to film makers seeking to place content in the industry mainstream. The experience of speaking with groups of people from around the world stimulated his idea to develop a new concept to support the producers focus and creative business requirements. ‘The Film Industry Network' Services with 'Film Fest Internationals Festivals’

Outside of steering the film makers clear of the rocks, ‘TFIN’ & ‘TFA’ provide each client with a recognised Industry mentoring model, recommending and providing services to writers, developers and producers needing both elevation and support. With partnerships in place these were developed to create routes to very different pathways, a) ‘Industry’ b) ‘Education’.

'The Film Advisory' Supporting Filmmakers at Film Fest International'

‘The Film Advisory’ professional panel discusses distribution and looks across a ten year radius reviewing trends like changes in film, digital tv, other platform media. Subject to location, time and pre-arranged booking these specialist presentations run with ‘Film Fest Int’ and its scheduled events across a festival circuit. Topics reviewed include the Acquisition, Sales, Development and Packaging of commercial film & tv media content. Both ‘TFA’ & ‘TFIN’ offer one to one production concierge services that can run across the duration of a production life cycle as a guiding hand, or as a one days sitting. For as little as $300 we can help you review and assess a films development, production and or its distribution and then lock this down with either verbal feedback or create a support package that stems across a production life cycle. ‘The Film Industry Network' Mentoring Filmmakers at Festivals' ‘TFIN’ presents a new workshop for distribution. This '101' class applies to services both referral and inhouse that can be obtained across membership packages. Now also open to candidates seeking to take part in the proposed master courses. Workshops will address but will not be limited to a) development b) production planning c) placing commercial content. ‘ Th e Film In dustr y Network' Workin g With 'Content & Filmmakers' ‘TFIN’ offers a unique script to screen, route to market service to the seasoned film professional working with groups and private clients seeking its support services. To date it’s helped around 450 industry creatives across it's inception roll out period with ‘Film Fest International’ by offering: 1) Practical Assessments on Scripts & Coverage. 2) Bespoke 'One to One' advisory, all tailor made. 3) Q & A's with experts from Film, TV and Music. 4) Q & A’s with Writers, DOP's, Execs, Directors & Producers. 5) Solutions to guide through market landscapes. 6) Market approach to support ‘RTM’ planning. 7) International Producers Lounge & pitch corner. 8) Bespoke presentations & creative workshops. 9) Routes to Amazon, Netflix, Apple, Hulu, Roku, Sony and others. 10) Routes to trusted International sales agents for TV, Film & Docs.

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T H E F I L M I N D U S T R Y N E T W O R K Quotes 'The Film Industry Network's successful mentor programs has seen the journey of now seasoned Film creatives shape themselves. Producers and Directors enjoyed concierge environments where creative people can potentially gather and discuss collaboration. 'Writers have found commissioned work building relationships with ' Producers who’ve presented concepts to financiers or consortiums looking for opportunities in Film & TV & have gone forward. ‘The Film Industry Network' Working in ‘The Education Sector'

It's successful, unique one to one mentoring model has expanded over the last 24 months to accommodate consulting and launch it's alliance with new partnerships across the board. Starting with the curriculum focused Education model on industry standard skill set, through a partnership with 'Ariel Blake'. As of May ‘2019’‘TFA’, TFIN & ‘Ariel Blake’ will launch their first set of modules through ‘Film Fest International’, with creator and president ‘Mr Carl Tooney’, who’s partnership will take the first of many successful module concepts forward this year. ‘The Film Industry Networks' and 'Ariel Blakes' Master Course' The modules will spear head Filmmakers and creators of TV content looking to gain ground by advancing on pre-existing skill set approach. Industry professional ‘Ray Davies’ & ‘AJ Sykes’ are both qualified mentors holding curriculum recognised degrees and will roll out term with an end of year red carpet expose for candidates already in development. The partnerships coming together rolling out 4 practical assignment modules and delivering 5 workshops across the Festival term, with assessment support to all participants. Across the entire year 'TFIN' will support and guide the Head of Education AJ Sykes by supporting development and roll out of each module and practical workshop with modules aimed at developing film and content makers seeking to sharpen skills, expand on skill set and enhance knowledge of the business. ‘The Film Industry Network' With Education partner Ariel Blake' As part of this 2019 model 'TFIN' will over see the development aimed workshops and also 'One to One' planning of students seeking additional support outside workshops in regards to assignments, market routes, development, along with works candidates have developing.

HINOIRINOKAZE WIND OF SUNSET

For further details on ‘The Film Advisory & The Film Industry Networks group services’ and opportunities they can bring forward, or to find out about the ‘Master class courses, please

Contact:

Ray Davies: +44 (0) 7392 758696

Requests for Festival meetings www.thefilmindustrynetwork.com ray@thefilmindustrynetwork.com

BAKEMONO