Film
WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA BERLIN 2016
TM
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/ OCTOBER 2016
THE MAGAZINE
DEDICATED TO THE BUSINESS OF FILM
WHO IS JACKY WOO? From Bruce Lee To Jack Nicholson Asia’s Rising Star Reveals All.
Interview begins on Page 3
A FILM BY MATTHEW BERKOWITZ
WELCOME TO INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA BERLIN 2016 Dear Filmmaker, firstly, sincere congratulations to all filmmakers and scriptwriters who entered their latest project into our Berlin Festival! We hope that you have a wonderful time with us and thank you for your continued support and also, look forward to meeting up with all of you during the Festival week. From the announcement above we are thrilled to be adding a brand new Festival to our portfolio. It’s hard to believe but, from our launch with just one Film Festival over ten years ago here we are, celebrating movies and screenplays from around the world, amazing independent films and scripts and with five Festivals now in place as a perfect platform to showcase your work. Carl Tooney Publisher publishing@filmthemagazine.com Steve Grossmith Director of Marketing and Editor steve@filmthemagazine.com Shems Ghali Contributing Assistant Editor info@filmthemagazine.com
We are delighted to announce that March 2018 sees the launch of our brand new Festival in Amsterdam, details will be available via our website soon and you can also enter via Film Freeway here!
And of course, we now have Film the Magazine at all of our festivals and beyond which in-itself has become a runaway success! With the Magazine and the film and scripts working together we are proud that globally we are giving awareness to some incredible work that never ceases to amaze us. So once again we are delighted to be here in Berlin and as always, we are very grateful for the continued support of our skilled professionals, Neil McEwan, Ray Davies, Paul Eyres and Brad Blain who will once again be on hand in Berlin to offer excellent advice to both filmmakers and script writers. Also, my team will be only too happy to be of service whilst you are with us and I hope that you will join us at our upcoming Festivals in Milan, London, Nice & Madrid. Good Luck! Carl Tooney President International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin 2016
https://filmfreeway.com/festival/Amsterdam InternationalFilmmakerFestival
Stephen Mina Graphic Designer/Illustrator stephen@filmthemagazine.com Dan Hickford Sponsorship & Marketing dan@filmfestinternational.com All articles, including all editorial 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 publishers accept no responsibility for the material supplied including (but not 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.
November 27th - December 3rd February 11th - 18th 2017 May 13th -20th 2017 July 8th - 15th 2017
Find us on Social Media
For the latest Filmmaker Podcast. facebook.com/filmfestint twitter.com/filmfestint soundcloud.com/filmfestint www.filmfestinternational.com
DAY SIX (DÍA SEIS) Directed by Juan Pablo Arroyo Abraham
”Carmen, a young actress, is trapped between the love she feels for Pablo and her marriage with Joaquín, Pablo’s best friend. When she learns she has fallen ill, she decides to embark on a trip with one of them, which will change all of their lives forever.” “Dia Seis by Juan Pablo Arroyo Abraham is an intense love triangle astride a grave. What I loved in particular about this film is the use of still photography within the film itself to capture dimensions I have rarely seen in a narrative film and create in our minds an understanding of how these 2 different medium relate to one another…” -David Edelstein, New York Magazine
The movie also won as Best Feature at the London International Film Festival (BELIFF) and was also nominated for Best Cinematography at the Västeras Filmfestival in Sweden. Now it is also part of the Official Selection at several other festivals including, Venice Film Week, Princeton Independent Film Festival, Broadway International Film Festival, NIFF Next International Film Festival and the Morelia Film Festival 2016. Día Seis (original Spanish title) has 5 nominations at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in Berlin as well as 3 nominations at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in Milan 2016.
“Day Six is a beautifully crafted story in the same artistic space as spanish language classics like Y Tu Mamá También” -Indie Street Film Festival From its public world premiere screening in the Indie Street Film Festival, New Jersey in July 2016, Juan Pablo Arroyo Abraham´s first feature film Day Six, has been traveling around the globe. Day Six got its first award in Lithuania, at the Wolves Independent International Film Festival, where it won as Best Feature Film and, just a few days later the lead actress Abril Cira won the prize as Best Actress in the South Texas International Film Festival. At the 44 years old Portuguese Festival de Cinema da Figueira da Foz, Juan Pablo Arroyo Abraham won as Best Director and again Abril Cira picked up the Best Actress award.
/peliculadiaseis diaseis.mx Run Time 102 Mins
WHO IS JACKY WOO?
With two nominated films at the Berlin International Filmmaker Festival – Tomodachi & Kaikou (The Encounter) and having just completed his latest film Postcards of the Miracle - Jacky Woo, producer, composer, director and lead actor is an incredibly talented filmmaker but, who is the man behind this fascinating film career?
Following Jacky Woo’s recent role in Tomodachi we were given the opportunity to speak to the renowned actor and find out more about his background in Japan, getting into film and his future plans to reach out to an audience in Europe. Jacky Woo was born and raised in China Town, Yokohama, Japan where his father owned a Chinese restaurant and he spend a lot of his time. Family has always played a very important role in Jacky’s life, originally known as Yoshiyuki Oohira, his birth name, he decided to change it when entering his career in the film industry - he wanted a stage name and chose to take on his fathers’. His grandfather was was also a big influence in his life; He was a Kung Fu teacher and Jacky spent most of his childhood around him and the Martial Art, which is where he learnt the skill that inspired his career. Growing up in Yokohama like himself, most of Jacky’s friends were of different nationalities. Being around such a big group of mixed nationalities really influenced his focus on international people because of his relationship with this diverse group of people. However it was not always easy for Jacky living in Japan. During his childhood he was a lot more focused on becoming a performer, which caused him to be distracted from school and he also found it hard to be accepted. Being a quarter Chinese not everyone welcomed him into their society and often when he attended Japanese parties and festivals he would be asked why he was there but when he attended Chinese parties they would ask him the same question. Jacky found this difficult and since then has not regarded either of these countries as his home. This has been reiterated throughout Jacky’s life; In 2002 He was cast in one of the biggest dramas in Japan and felt like he was back at home, however his dressing room was placed with the international performers away from the Japanese actors. As well as this, earlier in 2016 a famous international film magazine interviewed him but had never interviewed a Japanese actor before; this was because they regard him as an international actor rather than a Japanese actor. This made him realise that he has no home. From a very young age Jacky has always been very focused on martial arts and performing as he has such a love for film. He loved watching Hollywood films when he was growing up but his favourite films are Japanese and Asians films because they’re ‘filled with emotion’ which he tries to put into all of his own projects. He was heavily influenced by Bruce Lee and Jacky Chan, both Kung Fu artists, which is what he is most interested in so could identify with them, they inspired him to be in front of the camera. Jacky also believes that the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa has had a big influence in the Hollywood film industry through his creative directing. CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
Jacky was greatly influenced by different cultures. In Tomodachi we see him speaking both English and Japanese in one scene, normally in Japanese films the actors will only speak in Japanese however Jacky likes to adapt to which every film he is in. At the start of his career Jacky travelled across Asia playing various roles, his journey started in 1999 when he moved to Hong Kong and then moved to the Philippines on 2001 to pursue his dream of being in show business where his career began to take off. This was very beneficial to Jacky as it gave him the experience he needed to act.
When speaking to Jacky about this he says ‘although I am Japanese I don’t see myself as a Japanese actor as I can adapt to where I am filming. Each country has their own creative rhythm that I try and fit in with whereas most Japanese actors wont do this and they don’t have the experience to do this. Depending on which actor I’m working with I also try and change their rhythm, as well to, build on the atmosphere‘. Music has always been a key part of Jacky’s life and since becoming an actor he has moved on to producing films and music. When reading over scripts Jacky also envisions the music that could accompany the action, it comes naturally to him. When he was creating Tomodachi he was able to create the music before the film was shot and then played it back to the actors as background music while they were eating, having meetings and shooting to allow them to get ‘inside’ the music and visualise it. He believes that the music provokes emotion within them and creates a bigger attachment between them and the film. What Jacky loves most about creating films is that he is able to inspire his fans and the audience of his films with the messages that he injects into the story. ‘Films are much more memorable than a TV show as films are ever lasting along with its message, even in Tomodachi there are many messages.’ Jacky also likes for everything in a film to be real as you can learn from the experiences that you are faced with, ‘As an actor one of the things that is sad is to act in front of a green screen because its not real life’. In the next five years of Jacky’s life he aims to have moved into new industry’s of film, such as Holly wood and Europe. Both of these places have completely different rhythms that he would like to become a part of and express. During his time in Madrid he found the culture to be ‘wonderful’. Having won awards in various festivals Jacky has experience different cultures across the globe however his aim is to film in an artistic country like Spain and have an impact on Europe where he can reach out to a new audience. When looking at future films to direct, Jacky would love to create humanistic types of movies, particularly in Europe because of the creative films that the industry produces. Jacky would also love to star in a film with Jack Nicolson because of his strange way of thinking; ‘it would be fun to make a film with him.’ Since starting his career in the film industry Jacky Woo has gone on to be one of Japans most well known actors and has won a plethora of awards. These awards include Metro Manila Film Festival, Best Actor in a Leading Role, where he was the first foreign actor to be nominated. Tokyo International Film Festival Best Actor for the film “Japanese Eyes “ and Madrid Film Festival for Best Foreign Language Feature Film and Best Musical Score for his film Tomodachi.
6
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
TOMODACHI BY JACKY WOO
HOW DID THIS FILM COME TOGETHER AND WHY IN PARTICULAR DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THIS MOVIE? During research of for my film ‘Death March’ which was nominated at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival, I came across this non-fiction story, and at the same time, the director wanted this story to turned into a film. It was also the directors idea to have a Japanese actor portray the Japanese soldier which was the role that was given to me. And then, I made the decision to both create and style this into a film. PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU ENDED UP BEING INVOLVED IN FILM-MAKING? Out of all of the various entertainment mediums that now exist; I believe that a film can have both an important impact & message that will has a lasting memory to the viewing public. I would also like to integrate a method of both Japan and Asian film from my own roots (blood) and send various messages throughout the world through a film. WHAT WAS BEST PART ABOUT MAKING THIS FILM AND WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART, ARE THERE ANY MOMENTS WHEN YOU WERE MAKING THIS FILM THAT STICK OUT? My role is to speak English, Tagalog, and Japanese during the shooting of this film. When speaking in English, I need to clarify English intonation and in speaking Tagalog I also needed to clarify intonation in speaking Tagalog and at the same time I also need it in Japanese! Every intonation is different from each other. I always have to change a lot of things whilst speaking different language at the same time. One of which is the speed of my breathing whenever I deliver a Filipino or a Japanese script. Therefore, the most difficult scene that I had to do was to speak 3 languages in one cut. AS WELL AS BEING THE LEAD ACTOR YOU ARE ALSO A PRODUCER/FILMMAKER AND COMPOSER/SCORER, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO BALANCE ALL OF THESE ROLES ON A MOVIE, HOW DO YOU MANAGE IT? To cover all these roles at same time is very difficult. But from the outset I have to be involved in the actual script and then inform everyone involved of my opinion. After the script is finished, I will then start working on composing a song, imagining the whole story into a melody. If I am satisfied with the script and musical composition, then I will move on and start working as a filmmaker. As an actor, I don’t listen to any advice but I use both image and song as my backbone and use strong feelings in performing my role for the film.
8
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
JACKY WOO & BELA PADILLA
IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE, WHICH OF THE ABOVE IS THE MOST SATISFYING, AND WHY (ACTOR/PRODUCER/FILMMAKER/ COMPOSER)? Producer, because if my sensibility toward film is correct, it will be of great help to other roles such as being an actor, a filmmaker and a composer. HOW DO YOU STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN THE MONEY (INVESTMENT) VERSUS ART? Creativity (art) and investment looks very different but in reality, it is not. Creativity is responsible in box office revenue and if the investor has no interest in creativity then you cannot create anything attractive at all. HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO FIND THE CAST & CREW, HOW DID YOU DO THAT? With the help of the director of the Tomodachi film, Joel Lamangan, I was able to gather the hardworking cast & crew for Tomodachi. And fortunately, I am heavily involved in the creation and overseeing of the whole film and, I have come to know various talented staff from a variety of different countries already. IS THE ACTUAL FINAL VERSION OF TOMODACHI VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE FINAL SCRIPT? The final version of TOMODACHI is a little different from the final script however; I have instigated the atmosphere of feelings which cannot be expressed on a sheet of paper. I also believe that scenes taken from various locations with other actors are very precious to the film. Therefore I believe that it is a good sign to have a slight difference between the final version of TOMODACHI and the final script. Run Time 98 Mins
THE GLOVE A Short Film by Vlad Dorofte
The Glove is a film surrounding chance and coincidence when a homeless man finds a single glove that happens to fit on his only hand. A year later he tears up his glove but the same thing happens again which leads to the question was it really a coincidence after all? Director Vlad Dorofte, came up with the idea for The Glove whilst studying at university. Although his course was for economics, Dorofte always knew he was more interested in cinema. Growing up in Romania, in the communist period, media was heavily censored so trying to watch films or a broadcast during this time was extremely hard. It was therefore easy for him to develop a deep curiosity about this forbidden ‘thing’ and a fascination for film emerged from a young age.
After founding his media production company, Creathieves, Gugu also met Dan Andrei Paraschiv, and they collaborated together on a number of different projects. This heavily influenced Paraschiv’s passion for editing and design. In 2015 Gugu introduced Paraschiv to Vlad Dorofte and this is how he was given the chance to edit his very first film, a ‘totally new and exciting experience’ for him. Paraschiv didn’t break into the media industry until later on in his career, as his parents wanted him to study architecture. However after three years he abandoned this course and went on to study photography, his true interest. After this he won an award at the yearly PHOTON photography competition in Bucharest.
As his knowledge of film and cameras grew he came to realise the unrivalled opportunity to unleash his imagination and express himself, fascinated by the cinema’s power to sensitise and trigger emotions. Throughout the course of his life he has saved to fulfill this dream and in 2014 he has gone on to be nominated for Best Cinematography Nominee for “The Experiment” short film at The Short of the Month Film Festival. A film that merely served as a test for his new camera. His second film, which he actually considers his debut, “The Glove”, had a very small budget due to the fact that the funding for the film came solely from Dorofte’s savings. Despite this the team, including the director of photography and the editor, still wanted to work to make sure that the film was made and the messages behind it delivered. Cristian Gugu became the DOP for “The Glove” in 2011 when Dorofte approached him with his script. Gugu initially wanted to become an actor but after experiencing it first hand he decided that it wasn’t for him. He then moved into directing but didn’t’t know what he truly wanted to do until the age of twenty-four when he started a course for film cinematography and this is where his talent really blossomed. In 2001, once he had completed this course, Gugu went into the music industry and began shooting and producing music videos for wellknown artists of the time. His work then went on to win best music video of the year at the Romanian Industry Music Awards with two of his other music videos also being nominated. Although he is best known for music videos and advertising he has also taken part in film festivals, including his work with the International Documentary Film Festival in the Moldavian Republic where he was part of the jury.
10
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
In this interview we speak to the director, writer and producer of “The Glove” Vlad Dorofte, to find out what his journey was like when creating this film. WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR THE GLOVE? This is a very strange story; it came to me during my last year of university when I was thinking a lot about my future and becoming a filmmaker. I have always been pretty sensitive about homeless people, the people that don’t have the same opportunities that we have. One winter day I was out for a walk and must have seen a few homeless people among which one had one hand only. ‘What would make him happy?’ I thought and since it was cold I don’t know why - must’ve been cold myself - I thought ‘a glove’. Of course I haven’t heard of people producing gloves for one-handed people. So what if they find a glove? And so the idea for the film came to me. I rediscovered it 4 years later when saving data from my broken PC. It took me a while to figure out where I would go with this story and how it would end but that same year I was decided to shoot the film. WHY DID YOU DECIDED TO FILM IN BLACK AND WHITE? I initially thought about shooting it in colour but then I didn’t think it would fit in with the tone of the film. It’s a film about culture and after Cristian (the DOP) proposed the idea to me of shooting in black and white I just thought that this would enhance the meaning of the film much better. It’s a film about contrasts after all. WAS IT ALWAYS THE INTENTION FOR THE FILM TO HAVE NO DIALOGUE? Yes, there was never any dialogue for this film; I think that whenever you make the dialogue the center of the film you lose half of the fight. I wanted this film to mainly be about the visuals portraying the story; dialogue should always be there as a supporting tool for the visuals. THERE’S AN ESSENCE OF DARK HUMOUR IN THIS FILM, WAS IT INTENTIONAL? Yes, there’s a bit of dark humour. We didn’t want the film to only have a serious tone to it. In the last scene of the film you see the homeless man suddenly appear wearing the glove just after the man who lost it answers the phone. We decided to add this in again at the very end of the film during the final edit as it didn’t feel complete and felt a bit too serious; this last scene added a bit of optimism and looked playful - as if the Glove had become a central interest of the universe and even the phone call was connected to it. It was not. It such a small thing… But you cannot not think about it. And it does suggest the happening with losing and finding the glove belongs to a deeper mission of the universe to balance things. Saadi, a great Persian poet said in one of his lyrics: ‘What is not placed cannot be reached by the hand/ And whatever is placed will be reached wherever it is.’.
WHERE DID YOU FIND IONEL TUDOR TO PLAY THE HOMELESS MAN? I actually tried to propose this role to Marcel Iures but he couldn’t make it, I announced him too shortly. But I worked with a casting agency for my first film and I knew if I couldn’t have the actor I wanted I was at least to compensate with a powerfully looking presence. It is how I found Ionel, for how he looked and his facial expressions, I was a bit doubtful about whether he could act but when I saw his acting skills I thought ‘Yes he is the one’. DO YOU THINK THE FILM WOULD WORK IF IT WAS SET SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN ROMANIA, SUCH AS LONDON? I’m not sure, I submitted this film to several festivals and some didn’t understand the idea. I asked for feedback and they told me the film is too long even though its only 12 minutes. They didn’t understand the message behind the film but I understand it’s all about perception. Besides in some place of the world this issue of the homeless people is less acute. Poor people get a shelter and a hot meal, they are not random subjects of faith. So it was probably more difficult to connect with the theme. YOU’VE TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF DIRECTOR, WRITER AND PRODUCER. WHICH OF THESE DO YOU PREFER? I enjoy all of the roles but I prefer to actually know what’s happening with everything going on in my film and I’m really into the filming process that’s my main interest, so directing is definitely my favourite role to have. ARE YOU WORKING ON ANY OTHER PROJECTS? I’m working on several projects at the moment. My main project is another short film about a man who wakes up in the morning with a newspaper on his chest and everything is black and white, then he realizes he’s missed one day in his life. It’ll need a bigger budget to be done and will take some consistent post production so hopefully in the future I can bring it to life. I’m also currently working on a feature script, and running a London based film festival. gorunfilm@yahoo.com vdorofte@yahoo.com Run Time 12 Mins
Writer/Director/Producer: Bulent Gunduz BULENT GUNDUZ, the Filmmaker behind Kurdistan-Kurdistan, gives FTM a fascinating account of the story and background to his latest film that is in competition.
SYNOPSIS Set during the1990’s at a time when the Kurdish language was banned in Turkey, Kurdistan-Kurdistan tells the story of Delil Dilanar, a famous Kurdish singer, who had to flee his Kurdish village in Turkey (Northern Kurdistan) to escape from persecution simply because he had sung Kurdish songs at a wedding. Twenty years later, at his concert in New York City, he announces that he has decided to return to his home country. When Delil finally returns to his birthplace, his family and hundreds of his fans welcome him and despite the overwhelming joy of being united with those that he left behind, he cannot escape the feeling of loneliness and alienation. During his twenty years of exile, Delil’s beloved grandmother had passed away, his nieces and nephews who were only a few years old when he fled have grown into their twenties, whilst at the same time he was meeting others for the very first time. Delil overcomes his unexpected feeling of alienation when his family surprises him by inviting his music master, Egîdê Cimo, from Yerevan, Armenia to join them. After his arrival in the Serhat, which is Delil’s birthplace and a region in Kurdistan, Master Cimo then passes on his secret to his successor, Delil. During a stroll in Serhat Region’s plateaus, meadows and rivers which have always been a source of inspiration for Dengbejs (in Kurdish tradition this is those who have
After Master Cimo shares his secret, Delil begins to celebrate by sharing his beautiful songs, those songs that have always intertwined the reality of his country, Kurdistan and Kurdish people’s struggles, lost childhood, forced migration, and the longing for freedom. Kurdistan Kurdistan - On the film and the “cinema of reality”. In this film, the actors or rather the real characters play themselves and thus embody themselves. The radio used during filming is the same one that uncle Delil used in the 1990’s to listen to Radio Yerevan. In fact, everything was done so as to give the appearance of reality to the film. The twenty years that a mother spent waiting for the return of her child needed to be emphasized as was an incredible scene in which the mother gives her son a bath when he is forty, as if with the cleaning and the washing she wanted to free herself of the weight of those twenty years of waiting. This bath will give him a “balm” to the heart, to the point that after the shooting she would not know how to thank us. When we are talking about the “Dengbej” the area that comes to mind is the Serhat, the Kurdistan region encompassing Bingol, Mus, Erzurum, Van and Agri. We will never forget those long winter evenings spent listening to all of those Kurdish stories wondering what comes next: “Is it that the hero will survive, he will find his way or has he found his beloved”? So many issues for which we would eagerly await answers.
As you can imagine these stories had so much more influence on us than the TV series of today. They told us so much more in a literary and artistic way. Unfortunately, although this influence is very strong, it could not prevent the arrival and growth of television that has managed to penetrate every village and so influence our culture. The story we tell here is not intended to be based entirely on “Dengbej”, it aims to show how after more than twenty years of exile a Kurdish artist can and will rediscover his sense of belonging to the homeland that is deeply rooted in all of us; it is part of our consciousness. Thus one can explain how Delil returning to his native village and meeting his mentor there - Egide Cimo managed to overcome the isolation in which he was plunged during his exile. Nothing was the same again in this village; it is only the presence of his teacher that will allow this “Dengbej” to revive the culture that he had missed so much. Of course, it was inevitable that this films multi-faceted cultural story would eventually find a political reference, since our main character simply considers all suffered pain, exile and repression are only the result of one single thing: being a people without a state.
Run Time 98 Mins
12
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
IMAGES FEATURED ON THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN DURING THE PRODUCTION OF THE KURDISTAN-KURDISTAN.
KURDISTAN KURDISTAN
mastered a rich and complex musical style of Dengbej in which the vocalist enacts multiple roles: a storyteller, musician, historian and linguist simultaneously). Master Cimo tells Delil that this will be his last trip to Serhat Region and that he wants to pursue the sound of a legendary voice with Delil, which he had last heard seventy years ago by Evdalê Zeynikê, one of the greatest masters of Dengbej.
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
13
BERLIN:
LAYERS OF MOVEMENT
Here, Natascha Küderli explains her passion behind her beautifully shot film: Berlin – Layers of Movement. THIS FILM COLLAGE BY THE ARTIST NATASCHA KÜDERLI SHOWS THE MANY-LAYERED TRANSPORT MOVEMENTS THAT CHARACTERISE THE CITY OF BERLIN. Local underground and overground trains, as well as buses, boats, trains, bicycles, planes, cars and pedestrians, move alongside, above, beneath and with each other. They do this in tunnels, in the air, on rail tracks, roads, rivers and paths and at landing stages as if they were all participants in a dance choreographed especially for them. It is the pulse of Berlin and it captivates the observer. In her 45-minute film, Natascha Küderli composes a coherent intertwining of these movement layers. Until now, she has dealt with this subject by using meticulously cut photographs of her own which she assembles in her photo collages. With both of her collage techniques, pictures and film, she succeeds in illustrating the uniqueness of the overlapping and contemporaneousness of the traffic movements in a large city such as Berlin. In doing so, she shows not only Berlin’s seemingly perennial hustle and bustle, but also its quiet moments such as the city’s inoperative Tempelhof airport with people on the taxiways. The film vibrates to the rhythm of a global metropolis. The different speeds at which people and means of transport move during the days and nights are fascinating and unsettling at the same time and display a clear aesthetic statement by the artist. “As a trained ceramicist and architect, l am and have always been inspired by shapes and their changes, structures and materials. At the same time, I have concerned myself for many years with cities, their soul and their spiritual atmosphere. In Amsterdam from 1997 to 1999, I grappled with the soul of architecture because I wanted to know why certain buildings arouse emotions such as fascination and pleasure, but also unease or even fear, within me. I was absorbed by the essence in architecture: What is it that moves us humans and what makes certain rooms, buildings and cities so unique? Most of all, though, what is actually the soul? While searching for the definition of the soul in religion, psychology and philosophy, I came to the conclusion that the soul consists of mind, will and emotion. This led me to the realisation that while architecture per se (steel, concrete, brick, wood etc) does not have a soul, the person who builds, or built, the edifice in question does. The architect and the building owner/client have a soul, and this is reflected in the buildings. In the same way, every visitor to and observer of a building or a city has a soul and, consequently, perceives the building and the space in his or her own way – and for me, this is how the perception takes shape with art, too. I think that with cities, these function in a slightly different way. Whilst looking for answers to the question of why there are different strengths and weaknesses in cities that cannot always be resolved by architectural alterations and interventions, a thought occurred to me: “If the soul of a human being can be healed, why not the soul of city?” For cities were founded, built and expanded by people and are inhabited by people. In this way, I compare a city’s soul with that of a person. The same applies for the body and spirit, in other words the spiritual atmosphere of a city. Soon, there will be more about this when my book “The Soul of a City” is published.
14
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
In my art, I deal with themes such as movement, structure, levels and layers in natural surroundings and in cities. I do this because nature, the cities and the spiritual atmosphere, just like our body, our soul and our spirit, are multilayered. At these levels and between these layers there is movement in the form of change, deformation and transport. Movement tells, supplies, changes, moves, invigorates and dances. Irrespective of whether or not I am now going to grapple with the movement levels in a city like Berlin or with the soul of a city like Amsterdam, I feel that these two elements are associated with one another. The soul of a city is laid out “in historical levels”, the transport of a city in “physical levels”. In the process, the transport strikes me not as going into the depths of the soul, but as invigorating and supplying the entire body of a city. If the traffic fails to function, in a manner comparable to veins and arteries, a city can die just like a body. The soul behaves in a similar way. If a person’s soul is sick or injured, the whole person is affected and this has an impact on his or her surroundings. This is the case with cities, too. I have a passion for cities, people and nations. If something about a city, a person, a nation or its nature inspires me, I grapple with it intensively and then show it in my art. In this way, my art is a contribution, an analysis and a gift for people, cities and nations”.
www.nataschakuederli.com Run Time 45 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
15
A FILM BY Natascha Küderli
ONE BY ONE Film The Magazine was lucky enough to chat to Stefan Ruf, the first time filmmaker behind this extraordinary film.
This indie western film, One by One tells the shocking story of a woman who is seeking revenge on a gang of bikers after they assaulted her and killed her husband. Nominated for a number of awards at this years Berlin festival Stefan Ruf ’s debut film is one to watch, not only did he direct this film but also produced, wrote the script and was the musical director. In this interview we talk to Stefan to see if the journey of making his first feature film was how he had hoped. DID YOU HAVE ANY FILMING EXPERIENCE BEFORE YOU MADE THIS FILM? I never studied film, but I have been obsessed with films since I was very young and always wanted to make my own. When I finished school I started to work in a theatre as a technician to learn about all the basics, after that I started saving money for my first movie. I knew that the type of movie that I wanted to create, a biker western, is very niche so no one would want to help me create, I knew I had to make it on my own. HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR THIS FILM? There were quite a few ideas. I wrote a number of scripts before One By One, which were quite similar but I was always writing the stories too big, I didn’t have a big enough budget to create them. After this I started writing simple stories with very few characters, for One By One I got the money for the film before I’d written the script to keep it simple, I wrote it in two weeks.
THIS FILM WAS SHOT IN SPAIN, HOW DID YOU FIND THE CAST AND THE CREW FOR THIS FILM? I came to Barcelona in January and was there until May. I always wanted to film in Spain because of the Spaghetti Westerns. In the south of Spain no one speaks English so I went to Barcelona. When I got there I started making posters to hand out in different acting schools to advertise my film but no one replied. One student told me to use the Internet to make an advert instead and finally I got actors. Finding actors was hard, as they couldn’t understand that I was making the film on my own; it took me two months to find the actors in the end. One of the actors suggested to me to get a producer and introduced me to his wife and she brought in a cameraman, an assistant and a make up artist for almost no money. She taught me how to organise my film in a proper way, this was my film school experience. When it came to editing I couldn’t edit anything on my computer so I found a good editor and we constructed the film in Spain, after this I moved back to Germany and did all the postproduction there.
DO YOU THINK THIS FILM WOULD’VE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY IF YOU DIDN’T HAVE HER HELP? As soon as I got the production team the professional level of the film was increased. I also wouldn’t have been able to work with the actors that I got as they expected the film to be made by a crew rather than one man. It was my intention to have shot the film by myself but the equipment I had wasn’t good enough so I am very grateful for all the help I had, I learnt a lot.
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
17
18
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
WAS THE SHOOTING OF ONE BY ONE HOW YOU HAD IMAGINED IT WOULD BE? Everything to do with shooting is a lot harder and there is a lot more work especially during preproduction. The shooting itself was fine, there were very long days but it was fun and I loved going for it. However, I would’ve liked to have had more time as I shot the whole film it in five days. I missed out on a lot of shots as I had to compromise on what to include. WAS IT ALWAYS YOUR IDEA TO HAVE A FEMALE PROTAGONIST? I always wanted the protagonist to be a female; I want ‘bad ass’ female characters to become a trademark for raw cinema and the movies I make, a little bit like the old Russ Meyer movies. DID YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH SOUND AND MUSIC BEFORE YOU CREATED THE SOUNDTRACK FOR ONE BY ONE? I’ve played the base since I was little but I also just love film music I listen to it everyday. Over the years I’ve developed a very clear imagination of how the music is supposed to be, to me music is 60% of a film and I knew I wanted some really good music. When I started creating scores I used music from other movies and cut them into loops but for this film my friend offered to let me use his studio and work with him to create the film soundtrack. We used the music I’d created as a reference then create something completely new and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST CHALLENGE WHEN YOU WERE CREATING THIS FILM? The very beginning of making this film, getting it all together including the team and cast was really frustrating. I remember at the beginning I was really angry because I couldn’t get the actors, it was the most difficult part because it took me two to three months to find them. Also the sound was really messed up in postproduction, in future I would definitely use a better microphone and I would get a proper sound technician on the set. WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM THIS FILM? The most positive thing that I have taken from this experience is that I am able to make a movie, I am reassured that I can do it and I know that I can do it bigger and better. Learning how to organise my films was also great, that next time I make a film I am going to do it exactly how I did it this time, how I was taught to do it in Spain. It will make everything a lot easier.
/stefanrufmovies Run Time 71 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
19
SANAK/DYING TO LIVE With two scripts in competition in Madrid - “Sanak” & “Dying To Live” – Vivek Kumar and Barkha Madan are clearly a talented partnership!
Pushing Independence : Certified Public Accountant (Chartered Accountant) and UCLA Screenwriting Grad, Vivek Kumar and Film, TV Actress and Model, Barkha Madan, collaborated on creating a platform where Independents were the king or queen of the castle. Hence Golden Gate Creations LLC was formed, where be it producing a film, to distributing content, we have always prided ourselves with the fact that we will always be pro independent and this is not a socialist statement, but we firmly believe that we can create a profitable business opportunity on this model. This was proved when we made our debut feature SURKHAAB, that actually recovered its cost and also put a minimal excess into our pockets, such that we could recycle the amount into our subsequent projects.
CHOLAI
Along our journey, we have also learned to team up and support others who share this pro Independent mindset. Hence festivals like this one in Madrid and also the folks who are behind the similar festival in London, Nice, Berlin and Milan.
Our support also stems from the fact that these awards and these nominations provide the road, that is then traversed by the initiative of the independents. Our support for the International Filmmaker Festivals, be it in Madrid, London, etc, continues to remain unconditional and complete. We truly and objectively believe that these awards are the best thing that happened to the global community of filmmakers. The word Global Independent is also something we have imbibed in letter and spirit. Our productions, our scripts and our content distribution, will always be about collaborating with the global independent filmmaking and artistic, community and that is something we have soaked in from our interactions in the various European festivals of the Film Festival International group. Wishing the organizers a very successful award ceremony in Madrid, and, beyond! Vivek.Kumar@bankofthewest.com
BOTTOM LEFT: VIVEK KUMAR MIDDLE: BARKHA MADAN.
In fact, the awards and nomination that SURKHAAB got in the London/ Madrid and Nice festivals, were one of the reasons we were able to complete the full circle of distribution and exhibition, so it gives us great pride to continue to support Carl’s festivals, FilmFestivalInternational and we are delighted to be nominated for the Unproduced Scripts Category, for two of our scripts.
Cholai is a black comedy based on the 2011 hooch fatalities in Bengal and the bizarre repercussions following the incident. Country liquor, commonly known as ‘Cholai’ is a flourishing business in rural Bengal and has assumed the status of an organized industry. The operation syndicate of illicit liquor works through mobile manufacturing units set up in remote villages. Cheap, readily available and highly addictive - it is often manufactured and distributed with tacit political and law enforcement patronage.
The storyline centres on the lives of three siblings Nimai, Nitai and Nata living in rural Bengal. Nimai, the eldest of the three, is a milk vendor. A simpleton and content with his life, he lives a nondescript lifestyle. Nita is con man and is perpetually on the run. Nata – the youngest, makes and sells Cholai for a living. With his wife doubling up as his business partner, Nata is happy with the growing addiction of the villagers to Cholai. A sudden turn of events is triggered when Nata’s wife inadvertently adulterates a batch of Cholai during the brewing process making it toxic. Within hours the silence in the village breaks into a cacophony of screams and panic stricken cries for help. People who had consumed the toxic Cholai start falling ill and before long the death toll rises to 172. Several lose their eyesight and the overenthusiastic media soon turns the incident into a social and political drama.
20
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
In response to the increasing outrage of the public and the opposition, the Government rushes to launch a compensation scheme for the family members of the victims. A gold-rush ensues following the announcement – from doctors to dead body carriers, everyone wants their piece of the pie. Deaths due to other causes could be become ‘entitled’ for compensation if the right palms are greased with their share. The village in mourning soon transforms into a scene of greed, corruption and lies. Cholai is a roller-coaster of emotions intertwined with the lives of the victim’s families and those around them seen through the eyes of the three brothers. A story with a promise to leave a lasting impression - Cholai will make the audience laugh and cry at the same time... krmoviez.com Run Time 97 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
FEATURING STILLS FROM THE FILM ”CHOLAI”.
Director: Arun Roy Producer: Jaspreet Kaur
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
21
OUTCASTE THE HOUSE THAT CAROL BUILT
Carol Fraser is an English woman in her late 70’s and she wants to build a house in the Himalayas, but with no money.....this remarkable documentary charts this incredible story by filmmakers Laura Graham & Colin Graham. This is a unique story of faith and strength of belief of an elderly lady, an untouchable and a lapsed Buddhist monk, a bit like the Marigold hotel meets ‘Lost Horizon’. Carol Fraser is an eternal seeker living between England and India, but with no home and no one to look after her as she ages she has a problem! For her indomitable spirit and holistic way of seeing the world has created a huge spiritual bank account and an empty real one! COVIRO Productions is one of a new wave of small production houses springing up in Northern Ireland in response to the burgeoning film industry. Formed by Laura Graham and Colin Graham in 2011, it specialises in both narrative based and non-fiction films that have reached international audiences through art galleries, mainstream theatres, DVD, and the Internet. Colin Graham, a Masters graduate in Documentary film making with a background in business and construction is founder and CEO of COVIRO and has co-produced for No Bad Films with Richard Jobson, naming The Somnambulists and Wayland’s Song amongst them. In 2012 he produced IMBOLC, a short film supported by NISCREEN. He has gone on to work with a number of public bodies, producing and directing Internet based public information campaigns for rape awareness and violence. Laura Graham, co director of COVIRO is a visual artist and former solicitor. Her art practice is extensive and multimedia. She wrote and directed her first short IMBOLC, and went on to receive a Best Director award from the Canberra Short Film festival and best musical score for the Madrid International Film Festival.
FTM: HOW DID YOU LEARN OF CAROL? LG: I had been working with a form of meditation for many years, meeting regularly with people from all parts of the globe, and it was through my relationship with these people that I came across Carol. I’ve known her for about sixteen years, and she has been talking about building this house for all that time. The thing is she has never had enough money to even think about beginning, so it seemed to be a bit of a pipe dream. Carol is one of the most highly educated people I have met, and yet she leads an almost itinerant life. She is deeply spiritual, very aware and capable, and a wonderful guiding light for many people and of course, a wonderful example of how age doesn’t mean that you have to curtail your life. CG: Laura would come back from her various trips and talk to me about the characters she had met, at one point she mentioned Carol and said she wanted to build this house. My first reaction was, this is madness how on Earth is she going to do that with no money and no income? Then we heard the project had begun, and we started to see some pictures, and it became clear that there was a really interesting story here. LG: It became even more interesting when we discovered that Carol was being helped by Chetan, who as an untouchable, or Dalit, a person with no status or wealth, had practically nothing by way of material possessions and yet what little he had, he shared. Then the story became even more interesting when we learned of the involvement of Raju, Carol’s lapsed monk, taxi driving friend. He has an unusual heritage, and that became important to the film.
Together they write, direct and produce their films, specialising in micro budgeting using digital formats, HD SLR cameras, and off line editing using adobe and final cut software. This is the first feature from the company, with two in pre-production, developing on themes in this first film.
LAURA GRAHAM & COLIN GRAHAM FTM: THAT’S A GREAT DESCRIPTION OF “OUTCASTE” WHERE YOU SAY IT’S A CROSS BETWEEN “MARIGOLD HOTEL” AND “LOST HORIZON”! LG: When I was a child, one of my favourite films was Lost Horizon. I never forgot the mystery, or the sadness implicit in the ending of the 1970’s film but as an adult I much prefer the original Frank Capra film. It resonates with themes of hope, and possibility, probably due to the political instability of the time, but it seems more important then ever to create a film that develops on these ideas. It is said, “write about what you love” and this film came about because I had been working with meditation for a number of years and then Colin became interested in it. Once you start down this particular route and experience what has been missing in your lives, you start to think, is there another way to look at the future? That’s really what this film is about, that potential, and in this case it is seen through the filter of Carol – an elderly woman – who has done something extraordinary. She doesn’t allow age to be a factor in any respect, let alone limiting.
22
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
FTM: SO HOW IS CHETAN INVOLVED IN THIS STORY? LG: Chetan, like many poor rural people had a little piece of land to grow crops on. He is Dalit, which means he is too lowly to even be in the Caste system, he is outside the caste system . Dalit’s in India are people with no status and very little opportunity, and there is a battle on to help them improve their human rights. Chetan is particularly unusual. I like to describe him as an Indian “Robert Burns”, not for his poetry, but for his drive to improve his lot and his appreciation of social justice, because he has this drive and wish to learn. He wants to take his family and extended family to a better life through awareness and education. He had this piece of land, an orchard and he had tried to harvest and sell the apples but that had failed. Almost as soon as he met Carol he offered her his land, so he has a great heart. Something very special has happened in this situation and Carol and Chetan have ended up with a quite spectacular house. FTM: IS IT THE MOST SATISFYING FILM THAT YOU HAVE MADE? LG: It’s a labour of love and it’s an example of how, if you can change the way you think, you can change your life and the lives of those around you. We are all so interconnected that everything we do has repercussion, creates waves. More and more people are aware of the impact of our thoughts and actions but we have to be careful when we speak about the film, peoples’ eyes can glaze over if they think it’s going to be didactic or preachy, that’s why we’ve been very careful to keep the story and the characters at the forefront. We’ve been practising meditation and a more holistic approach to life for a long time so when we sat down to write this story, we wrote what we knew, and we put it down in what we hope is an interesting way –and through the filming and editing highs and lows – we really got to know the three people involved. After that came the research into the structures we were examining, Buddhism, Hinduism, the Caste System, the wonderful country that is India, it gave us whole new level of awareness and respect for the religions and the people. FTM: IS INDIA SOMEWHERE THAT YOU WOULD LIVE? CG: It’s really interesting that you ask that, if you had gone there during the sixties it must have been like paradise, but sadly now, like a lot of places, there are a lot of tourists, and I say that with the awareness that we are part of the problem. But in terms of the impact on nature and the beauty of the land, you see all these stunning areas and guaranteed you’ll see empty plastic bottles and rubbish. Aside from that India and its people are incredible, so when I look at the mess I have to remember what an incredible place it is, they’re putting satellites into space – and their space program is incredible – it’s a form of organised chaos! That same industry is evident everywhere in the country. LG: And the more mystical side is still there. People have flocked to India for centuries to capture that mystery. At the moment, in Northern India a temple is being built that is really the most remarkable structure, with a story like no other. Our next film is going to be about that. India for me is like a beautiful memory, like when you were very young playing outside on a summers evening, when you could hear friends and neighbours, and the buzz of family life and you felt safe and happy; we were all out doing things, laughing, being together, that’s what’s attractive about India for me, community, family, love, these are sounds you still hear. As a country it has its problems, and it is dangerous but it is full of families! It is the most amazing country and I do love visiting. I’ll just have to be careful not to drop any rubbish!
www.coviro.co.uk Run Time 67 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
23
ARTS OF THE MONSOON A Documentary By Dodge Billingsey & Nicole D. Shivers Arts of the Monsoon is a documentary focused around the cultural exchanges that take place along the Indian Ocean. Through the use of interviews with artists and musicians primarily in Oman and Zanzibar this film provides us with an insight and understanding about the art and traditions that are still relevant in their society. In this interview we talk to the director, Dodge Billingsey and producer Nicole D. Shivers to divulge more information about the path they took to creating this film and if it was how they’d expected. HOW DO YOU MERGE BOTH OF YOUR CAREERS WITH WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY AND ON THIS FILM? Dodge: I think having a previous history as a defence analyst peaked my interest in global issues and affairs. I heard about the film project and I was initially interested because I knew about the charged history between Oman and Tanzania. I felt that Zanzibar was a little bit in play and so having previously worked on security issues definitely influenced my thinking originally. Also, I think it’s just natural curiosity that made this film really appeal to me and I knew immediately I wanted to do it. Nicole: I’ve worked with the Smithsonian Museum of African art for a little over nine years and they asked me to work on their performing arts programming but I came to DC to work on Capital Hill, I worked there for a year. When I moved to DC that’s when I realised that my passion was with arts and culture so I started moving in that direction. WERE THERE ANY DIFFICULTIES THAT YOU FACED DURING THE CREATION OF THIS DOCUMENTARY? Dodge: In the beginning there was the idea that we had to include everything in the film, but you really cant so we had to make choices about what to include. There was a real juggling act when trying to weave the different art genres into an hour-long film and still have that one central theme. I realized that that would be hard, so I decided that we needed to make it visual. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE SPECIFIC SHOTS AND MAKE THEM HAPPEN? Dodge: Arts of the Monsoon has a complicated narrative and it’s an art show, I’d been thinking for months about how we would shoot things that would visually add more flavor. We utilised GoPro’s all the time so I was just hoping that each time we used them it looked good. There’s a specific shot in the water that looked really good, the morning light was perfect. We tried to recreate this shot in Oman at dusk but it just didn’t work. So it also depends on the environment as to how the shots will turn out-but you still experiment. HOW DO YOU FIND THE PEOPLE TO BE IN THE DOCUMENTARY? Dodge: At the start we had a list of about fifty people but only half of them got back to us. The problem with documentaries is that you don’t have the budget to do a re-con trip or a scout trip so you just have to be willing to see how things go and if something doesn’t work out you move onto the next thing. You never know who will turn up or who will be a good person to interview on camera. In the end there’s always people that you wish you’d filmed but then people surface who are brilliant so you just never know.
24
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE SHOOT? Dodge: To me, the shoot is divided into two parts because we were in Zanzibar for nine days and Oman for nine days. I think meeting the people for the documentary was the best part because they’re all so interesting and I think that artists view the world in a slightly different way. The locations were also really great places to be as I was able to have that experience in my life. Nicole: I didn’t realise how hard it would be, I had never been to Zanzibar but I really think that some of our best footage from here was spontaneous. It was a beautiful place, even the footage on the ships we left at dawn to shoot to make sure there was a lot of colourful footage to represent the area. WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
IS THIS FILM HOW YOU HOPED IT WOULD BE? Dodge: From the beginning Nicole said to me ’I want this film to be juicy’ which made me a little intimidated and worried, which is why I brought in the GoPro’s and the drones. You always do things a bit differently when you look back on things but I am happy with the visuals we created and the characters we were able to find. Nicole: I wanted the cinematography to be beautiful and I wanted the dynamic voice of art to come through on film to really focus on the artists and musicians. I didn’t want it to be still or stagnant, we had to do it big, I just didn’t want it to be a regular documentary. It had to have some flavor. I don’t think any of us knew how it would turn out, we just kept on going and meeting new people, which made it interesting, it worked out really well.
WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN WITH YOU FROM MAKING THIS FILM? Nicole: I think how different we are from people yet the same; you always find some common thread no matter where you go. Also the experiences we had filming and flying creates good memories.
combatfilms.com africa.si.edu/50years/oman Run Time 58 Mins
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
25
THE MUSE IS THE MOUNTAIN Filmmaker: Dr Teresa Mular
A contemporary portrait of artisan women who are members of a cooperative known as CASEM, in Monteverde, Costa Rica, captured through interviews, most of them conducted in their own surroundings, far removed from urban places. Interweaving, embroidering and threading personal stories of struggle and perseverance with landscapes of nature, this film lets us see the pressure exerted on repressed women with little or no education (mostly of rural background) by a twentieth century male dominated society. And despite everything or perhaps because of that, it shows the relative independence that many of these women have achieved through their tenacity and artisanal work. We can see the survival of Nature and that of a group of women with an iron will and an invincible spirit. Theirs is courage beyond natural capabilities, a testament to refuse oppression. This film gives us a real window into the creative path of humble ladies, whose inner and most intimate being has been inspired by their beautiful surroundings: the Mountain and Nature.
CUDDLER A Film by Bohdan Turok
Marie, a 28 year old university graduate, cuddles people for money. She offers affection to people of all ages and insists that her services are a symptom of a world in distress, a world ridden by isolation and severed by technology. Her business is thriving but just as she settles into her profession, she faces a client who will challenge her unwittingly beyond all her expectations. Marie discovers that the deeper into a lie you enter, the closer to the truth you get....
thmular@optonline.net Run Time 49 Mins
Bohdan Turok was born in Slovakia and grew up in Algeria, Germany, and Canada. His career spans twenty years of study and practice in diverse fields that have culminated into a career in filmmaking. Bohdan has studied and practiced psychotherapy for sixteen years, he has performed for over twenty years in various venues around the world, most recently on a tour of Asia and he composes music for various clients and photographs and creates commercial videos for agencies. As a filmmaker, he draws on every aspect of his well-lived life and a rich career. He strives to tell stories worth telling with an affinity for themes of humanity and compassion. Bohdan shares his life with his loving wife Shae-Lynn and their son Kai. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT “Cuddler is a symptom of a world out of balance, a world in distress, ridden by isolation and severed by technology. In the present, cuddler’s are an international phenomenon. Across the US, Canada, Japan and England, their services are in high demand, earning the individual cuddler up to $7000 per month. In contrast with communal living, in a world ever more connected by technology, we are becoming more and more separated by urban planning and vertical dwellings. The anonymity of large urban centres further contributes to a sense of social alienation and physical distance between people. The profession of cuddling sprung into being because even though the social, physical and technological structures have changed, the basic human needs remain.” bohdanturok@gmail.com Run Time 15 Mins
26
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
Run Time 15 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
伀䘀䘀䤀䌀䤀䄀䰀 匀䔀䰀䔀䌀吀䤀伀一 䤀一吀䔀刀一䄀吀䤀伀一䄀䰀 䘀䤀䰀䴀䄀䬀䔀刀匀 䘀䔀匀吀䤀嘀䄀䰀 伀䘀 圀伀刀䰀䐀 䌀䤀一䔀䴀䄀
䈀䔀刀䰀䤀一 ㈀ 㘀
伀䘀䘀䤀䌀䤀䄀䰀 匀䔀䰀䔀䌀吀䤀伀一
伀䘀䘀䤀䌀䤀䄀䰀 匀䔀䰀䔀䌀吀䤀伀一
䰀䤀䘀䘀
䌀嘀䤀䘀䘀
䰀夀伀一 䤀一吀䔀刀一䄀吀䤀伀一䄀䰀 䘀䤀䰀䴀 䘀䔀匀吀䤀嘀䄀䰀
䌀䄀䈀伀 嘀䔀刀䐀䔀 䤀一吀䔀刀一䄀吀䤀伀一䄀䰀 䘀䤀䰀䴀 䘀䔀匀吀䤀嘀䄀䰀
㈀ 㘀
㈀ 㘀
A Documentary Written & Directed By Teresa Mular
IFF BERLIN 28TH OCTOBER 14:40
SCREENING ROOM 1
Director/Producer: John Henry Richardson
One year and two maxed-out credit cards later, the result is a new kind of DocuMystery in which all the students are playing themselves (or variations on their real selves) under plotted circumstances.
I realized then that making a documentary about my students wasn’t enough. They were all good actors who simply wanted to get back into the world of acting-and that became my new mission. Mark Mockett and I wrote a screenplay about their circumstances. Then script in hand, I withdrew my retirement fund of $25,000 and went off to make our film.
HOW DO YOUR FORMER STUDENTS FEEL ABOUT HAVING MADE A FEATURE FILM WUTH YOU? If they’ve learned anything from this, it’s that you have to make your own opportunities if you want to succeed. To them, the risk is well worth it.
Not only did John Henry Richardson direct, produce and co-write “... Where is she now?” but he also managed the cinematography and even act in his full length feature!
WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR MAKING A “DOCUMYSTERY”? Two years ago I retired after 30 years as a professor in the field of filmmaking. It’s been my longtime dream to travel the world visiting my old students and making a “Where Are They Now?” documentary.
HOW MUCH OF WHAT WE SEE IN THE FILM IS NON-FICTION? It’s based on true events. However, when we began shooting, the story soon took a surprise turn, becoming a search for a missing student, Marita, who disappeared the night before her graduation and has not been heard from since.
WELL YOU’VE HOOKED ME. DO YOU PLAN ON CONTINUING YOUR FILMMAKING ADVENTURES WITH YOUR STUDENTS? “ ...Where is she now?” gave all of us a rare opportunity to share the thing we love most: Making movies. Hopefully, this is just the beginning, as a sequel film script is already in the works. I have hundreds of students spread out across the globe and they have many wonderful stories to tell. Next stop: India.
BY THE WAY, DO YOU EVER FIND YOUR MISSING STUDENT? You’ll just have to see the movie to find out. For more information Please contact: blueridgeprods@aol.com
THIS SECTION FEATURES PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE FILM “WHERE IS SHE NOW?”.
WHERE IS SHE NOW?
So, in 2014 I embarked on a filmmaking journey to London, Stockholm, Oslo, Salzburg, Vienna, Stuttgart and Amsterdam. I interviewed over 50 grad students and found that many of them suffered a similar dilemma: The lack of film acting jobs in their country. Most of them became discouraged and dropped out, left without a sense of direction to their lives.
7 YEARS BEFORE In the period of the 1940s it often happened, that a man left his home and his family, because of his belief that he could help bring stability to his country and for this reason also to his family in participating in something called war and also wining for himself courage and glory. “7 years before” is a short film about the last hours before a husband or lover who leaves his girl friend behind, to change his home for an unknown future. The stories’ perspective is from the female point of view. In the centre point of this short film are the emotions and thoughts of this remaining day and of the moment of saying goodbye to each other.
The strong and overwhelming emotional landscape of this women is shown by the choreographer and director Maged Mohamed in his most concrete language, the language of the body called dance. Maged Mohamed is impressed not by just this moment of such strong feelings but also by the thought, that this situation not only happened in the past: No, it is still happening every day to millions of women around the World! Speaking about his film Maged Mohamed said “When I heard the music from Niall Byrne for the first time, I was so touched and immediately the story of the film was on my mind. Even though I worked most of the time on the stage, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to do this story for the screen, because it gave me the option to present it on a whole different level.
28
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
I wanted to combine the reality of the second world war-period with dance, with something very minimalistic and very touching at the same time. Talking about the war from the side of love was always an important matter for me - and the leaving behind of what we actually belong to. I choose the neo classical dance for the most emotional parts of the film, to go deeper, to show the complete landscape of the feelings, thoughts and emotions you have in mind in such a situation. Another wish from my side was also, to present to more people the world of the neo classical dance and to show a part of this huge range dance has”. www.tanzbueromuenchen.de Run Time 9 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE TAKEN FROM THE SHORT FILM: “7 YEARS BEFORE”. (COPYRIGHT MAGED MOHAMMED)
Filmmaker: Maged Mohammed
7 years before
A short film by Maged Mohamed
BERLIN IFF OCT 28 - SCREEN 2 10:00AM
A SHORT FILM BY MARCUS GRAVES
YIN & YANG
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY MARCUS GRAVES STARRING
DANIEL ANNONE ALEJANDRO GUEVAREZ LYNDE SCHUMITDT
AN OPEN DOOR/ CHOC’LATE SOLDIERS With two documentaries in competition, here acclaimed documentary maker Noel Izon, gives us some extraordinary background to these thought provoking films including an opening personal family connection to “An Open Door”. “Of the 1305 Jews who were able to make it to Manila, two of them are very important to me and to who I am today. The first was an Austrian physician named Otto Zelezny. He came to the Philippines in 1938 and eventually became friends with my father. When my father became deathly ill in 1945, he saved my father’s life. So I would not be talking with you today if it were not for the skill of this doctor. Between my younger sister and me, we have eight children and six grandchildren. The other Jew that was very instrumental in my life was Dr. Herbert Zipper, He had been to two concentration camps before he got a visa to be the conductor of The Manila Symphony Orchestra. Fortunately he stayed on after the war and I got a chance to meet him personally when I was in 5th Grade. He brought the Manila Symphony to my school and for the first time in my life I had an adult talking to me like I was an adult. He explained the construction of the orchestra and the symphony and various instruments and I was totally fascinated with this and because of him I began to play in a band that continues to this day. So one gave me my life and the other my lifelong love of music.” Noel Izon Noel Izon is an independent filmmaker based in Hyattsville, MD. He was born in Tondo Manila in 1946, the year the Philippines attained full independence. He is the fifth child of acclaimed Filipino cartoonist and artist Esmeraldo Z. Izon. He moved to the United States in 1967. He has been involved in creative and broadcast design and production for over four decades. His production credits encompass more than 250 films and videos. He has filmed internationally in Asia, Europe, the United States and Israel. He has won many national awards for his work, which include some 100 nationally televised programs produced mainly for PBS and for National Geographic Television. He has produced films and videos for numerous national and international clients including the White House and the Vatican.
AN OPEN DOOR: HOLOCAUST HAVEN IN THE PHILIPPINES A dramatic story of rescue and friendship and how the Philippines was able to provide sanctuary to more than 1305 Jews fleeing Nazi Europe prior to 1941 and is the third in Noel’s trilogy of forgotten WWII Stories. In the1930’s, when nations of the world were closing their doors to refugee Jews fleeing the growing horror of Hitler’s Germany, one small island nation in the Pacific chose to do what others would not – save those lives. On July 6, 1938, 80 delegates from 32 countries around the world met at a French resort in Evianles-Bains at US President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s request to address the growing Jewish refugee crisis in Hitler’s Greater German Reich. Over 200 international journalists and representatives from Jewish relief organizations recorded 10 days of deliberation by the delegates that ultimately failed to perform the task for which they were assembled – to save Germany’s persecuted Jews through orchestrated resettlement. It can be characterized as one of the greatest diplomatic and humanitarian failures of 20th century Western civilization. Not one of the attending delegations voiced a commitment to either lift or suspend their nation’s quota restrictions within their immigration laws or vowed to increase the numbers of Jewish refugees entering their country by offering them political asylum. But while these relatively lowlevel diplomats, mostly from the Western nations in Europe and the Americas, lamented the plight of the refugees without offering any solutions, the small Asian nation of the Philippines had already set a rescue plan into operation. Holocaust historian, Bonnie M. Harris, Filipino-American historian, Sharon Delmendo, and award-winning Philippine filmmaker, Noel “Sonny” Izon, have collaborated in creating a timely documentary, “An Open Door: Holocaust Haven in the Philippines,” in which this previously unknown episode in history has been beautifully captured. And while this rescue, orchestrated and empowered through Pres. Quezon, ultimately saved these refugees from the uncertainty of Europe’s future, it also gave them a new welcoming homeland as the Filipino people opened their hearts and accepted them within the fabric of Philippine society. This event in history, the rescuing of 1,300 refugee Jews by the small Asian Commonwealth nation of the Philippines, saved these persecuted Jews of Europe from the fate of the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, and while 1,300 Jewish lives, when compared to six million Jewish victims of Nazi atrocities, are not so many, to those hundreds who found a haven in Manila, each Jewish life that was rescued was a blessing for the more than 8,000 members of their current posterity. The greatest legacy of the Holocaust Haven created in the Philippines and retold in Izon’s film will always be this – they healed wounds inflicted by the worst of times as only the Filipinos can.
Run Time 78 Mins
30
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
Bonnie M. Harris, Ph.D. Lecturer, Dept. of History, San Diego State University, Grossmont College, Southwestern College WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
CHOC’LATE SOLDIERS Choc’late Soldiers from the USA is a feature length documentary on a little known episode of World War II. It is the untold history of 140,000 African American soldiers sent to Great Britain during WWII. It becomes an explosive story when a thoroughly segregated US Army collides with a racially non-restrictive England. In the years leading up to D-Day, Black GIsand English citizens develop friendships and serious relationships, some even leading to matrimony. The responses from the US Army and ordinary white GIs to this unexpected social phenomenon bring American racial policies and practices under close and unflattering scrutiny. It is ironic that while these African American soldiers are valiantly fighting the organized racism of Nazi Germany, they also are serving in a segregated US Army. It is a testament to the goodwill of the English people, that despite their history of colonial expansion, they treat Black troops with genuine dignity and respect, and in some cases, love. Veteran John Wood expresses a widely held belief among Black GIs when he states: “They treated us as Americans, but they (the British) knew we were different Americans. Choc’late Soldiers from the USA examines social experiences born of the unique circumstances of 1.6 million American soldiers stationed among British civilians. For African American soldiers, navigating their way through a predominantly white, color-blind society is novel but relatively easy. However, the barriers imposed by the US Army and American culture will prove more problematic. For British civilians who bond with Black GIs, learning about the American way of life, is life altering. Irene “Girlie” George, now in her nineties, still gushes about her days working in the Red Cross Club in Bristol, saying, “It was the most memorable experience of my life.”
Choc’late Soldiers from the USA is a character-driven story in which subjects discuss a variety of “social” issues including the African American cultural aesthetic, Jim Crow, and the interracial dating that would ignite violent behaviors among many ordinary white Americans. This film is conceived as a conversation among African American GIs, historians and English civilians who share personal anecdotes and observations of WWII England and of the time when Black GIs became part of their social landscape.
The characters’ unique experiences are captured in first person interviews at locations of personal or historical significance. The era is coaxed to life through personal photographs, period recreations, archival stills and film, artist’s depictions, and Hollywood movie clips. It has an original score by Charlie Barnett. Renowned American and British historians provide historical context and political subtext pertaining to the African American sojourn in England. Choc’late Soldiers from the USA focuses on the human drama, engaging the recollections of Black soldiers and English civilians, all of whom share with us their insights and stories. It is a rare political and social event that one historian once described as a “utopian interracial moment.”
Run Time 61 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
31
GOLDEN GATE CREATIONS LLC • Film Production – (Canada, USA and India) • Film Distribution – Theatrical in US/
Canada/UK/Dubai/Bahrain/UAE/Australia/
Far East/India
• Ancillary and Satellite Sales – India and US • Offices – California, Vancouver and India • Contact – vivek@goldengatecreations.com
and 415 657 6652 (US)
• Projects and Publications:
URKHAAB (www.surkhaabthefilm.com)
& IndianEntertainmentOnline at
www.indianentertainment.info
Screenplay written
by Colin Stewart based on the novel
“Power Play” by F. Ethan Repp.
The screenplay written by Colin K. Stewart Adapted from the book by F. Ethan Repp.
Award Winner Best Unproduced Scripts - St. Tropez International Film Festival, Nice, France, 2016 INTRODUCING, SCREENPLAY, NOVEL AND AUDIO BOOK, POWER PLAY. A cancerous political suspense cocktail, based upon deceit, revenge and envy. Our young, handsome mayoral aspirant, Collier Winthrop, is recruited by a crusty old political boss, Al Caso, to upset the status-quo. He soon is faced with opposition from within and without. 1970’s. NET GALLEY PRAISE Ken C, Reviewer Power Play is an intriguing political novel that covers the rise of a young man who takes on an incumbent mayor and wins. Then he learns that the campaign has only just begun. That campaign is the one to govern, and the obstacles he faces would wither just about anyone. Author F. Ethan Repp knows his stuff. He takes us through a zinger of an attempt by the deposed mayor to destroy the man who beat him, and dirty politics is almost a euphemism for what he undertakes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – F. Ethan Repp Mr. Repp is no stranger to politics, with nearly 50 years of Political/Government Operations. Mr. Repp has taken that experience and is now sharing with his readers. He was first elected to chair a county political organization at the age of 24 and served for 20 years. He was a County Supervisor of Elections, District Manager for the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, appointed by both the Carter and Reagan administrations, candidate for US House of Representatives, 1978, N.Y. 35th C.D. at the age of 33, Upstate NY Town Manager, Long Island NY Village Administrator on Fire Island and City Economic Development Manager at Lauderhill, Florida. Mr. Repp holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and once taught school at the middle school level.
FEATURING A PHOTOGRAPH OF ”F. ETHAN REPP”.
POWER PLAY
There’s quite a bit of detail here, which almost makes the novel a textbook of politics and government.
F. Ethan Repp 1217 S.E.1st. Street Fort Lauderdale FL 33301 mail4repp@aol.com FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
33
HAPPY HOUR FEMINISM Part 4 - War Of The Dads A Short Comedy Film By Anna Fishbeyn & Adrian Roman
Anna wrote, created and starred in Happy Hour Feminism, directed and co-created by Adrian Roman. For her work on Happy Hour Feminism, Anna has won for Best Leading Actress, Best Screen Writer, Best Web Series, and Women Filmmakers. The series has been officially selected at over 17 festivals. War of the Dads, the fourth episode, has won for best web series at the Moondance International Film Festival and Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival. Most recently, Anna directed and starred in Swallow Your Money, a short film that was part of the 48 Hour Film Project, and Invisible Alice, a short bilingual film with musical performances. Anna also directed a short film, The Love Bathroom, an official selection at the Big Apple Film Festival and The Action on Film Festival. Her play, My Stubborn Tongue, has played off-Broadway at the New Ohio Theatre, NY, and on West End at Soho Theatre, London. The Huffington Post called My Stubborn Tongue a “wild ride…an insightful entertaining show” and said “Anna has triumphed.” The play was recommended by The London Evening Standard, and described as “brilliant…4 Stars” by the Female Arts, UK. Anna Fishbeyn’s first play, Sex in Mommyville, was called “comic genius,” by WCBS Radio, recommended by Bloomberg News, compared to Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” by Jewish Week, and described as “shattering all the myths around women” by the Huffington Post. Her novel, The Matrimonial Flirtations of Emma Kaulfield, will be published by Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade/ Perseus Books) in May 2017 www. annafishbeynofficial.com
Most recently, he produced two short films, Swallow Your Money, as part of the 48 Hour Film Project, and Invisible Alice, a bilingual film with musical performances. In theater, Adrian directed “My Stubborn Tongue CABARET” by Anna Fishbeyn, at the SOHO Theatre, London, RussianIsraeli Film Festival, NYC, Triad Theater, NYC, and Pushkin House, London. “My Stubborn Tongue CABARET” has been recommended by the London Evening Standard, Female Arts UK, Russia Beyond The Headlines, and has been featured on FoxTV, RadioGorgeousUK, and Russian Television Network. Adrian directed “Soundwaves” by Joe Martin, an official selection at The New York Fringe Festival and a semi-finalist at the O’Neil Playwriting Competition. Adrian Roman is the recipient of The Dean Fellowship from Columbia University. He holds a Masters of the Arts from Columbia University, School of the Arts, in Theater Directing. He was a faculty member of the Academy of Theater, Media and Television of Cluj, Romania.
ADRIAN ROMAN (DIRECTOR) Adrian Roman is a film and theater director, based in New York. In film, Adrian Roman directed the web series “HAPPY HOUR FEMINISM” which has won numerous prizes, including Best Web Series, Best Screenplay, Best Leading Actress, and has been nominated for Best Comedy, Best Lead Actor, Best Guest Starring Role, and Best Television Pilot. War of the Dads, the fourth episode, has won at the Moondance International Film Festival and Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival. The series has been an official selection at over 17 Film Festivals. Adrian’s other film work includes directing music videos, Bald No More, and Superfemme.
34
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
www.xofeminist.com Run Time 17 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
Filmmaker: Shomshuklla
Here, Shomshuklla, the talented Filmmaker behind “Tiktok Tiktok” tells FTM how she came to make her latest film.
Tiktok Tiktok is a psychological, surreal, erotic film. When I wrote the script, I was clear that the story would be told in a manner that is very different from how erotic cinema is visualized. The film is about a restaurateur and a journalist who meet for an interview and the romance that brews. I chose to create visuals and storytelling unique to my style, which is quite abstract and grips the audience’s attention.
Tiktok Tiktok was a great journey because of my team and actors – Uditvanu Das, Mia Maelzar and Sohini Mukherjee Roy. All of them have been collaborating with me since the days of my theatre group Kali Theatre. It was great to be able to complete the film in the way I dreamt it. This is my first English language feature film, and so after three films, holds a very special place for me.
www.stagelines.blogspot.com Run Time 73 Mins
THE 13TH STEP A feature length documentar by Monica Richardson
The 13th Step is a feature-length documentary that exposes the secret, long-hidden truth about the world’s most revered alcohol recovery group: the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. This film explores that the worldwide group has become a haven for sexual predators and violent criminals due to court ordered plea-bargaining. “The 13th Step” is the “BlackFish” of the recovery world, a $12 billion industry. It shows for the first time how predators are using the anonymity factor to prey on society’s most vulnerable members. AA members and the public have no idea this is going on. The film covers the religious aspect of AA and how after 80 years it has never been updated and reveals other free options. DIRECTOR STATEMENT I was passionately moved to make this film when I discovered that violent criminals and sex offenders were and are still are being court ordered into AA meetings, unknown to the public and AA members. As a result, innocent people looking for help are being sexually harassed, financially scammed, raped and murdered. Some of the victims are small children. I founded a grassroots movement called “Make AA Safer” and although I am no longer a part of AA, I was for over three decades. When Alcoholics Anonymous World Services was asked to help with these issues, they voted to do nothing.
36
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
In 2010, Kristine Cass and her 13 year old daughter, Saundra, were murdered by a man court ordered to attend AA in Hawaii. After this murder, I felt I needed to leave in order to change things. I have been making this film since May of 2011, investing my own money, time and equipment. An Indigogo Campaign raised $25,000. During that time I travelled across the country interviewing victims and former AA board members. There is a huge sub culture following the film already, which warns the public and addresses issues that are being covered up. It’s a Black Fish meets Sexual Predators in The Church type of situation Monica Richardson
www.the13thstepfilm.com Run Time 71 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
THIS SECTION FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE FILM “TIKTOK TIKTOK”.
TIKTOK TIKTOK
The use of the clock, as a symbol to show the ebb and flow of time is an important character in the film. Props, which I use to enhance my stories, are also used in a very interesting manner not simply aiding the actors but becoming integral by themselves. Poetry too finds a place within the threads of the story as the romance unravels.
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
37
PERMANENT
Nominated at the Berlin International Filmmaker Festival for Best Feature film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay THE LITTLE FILM THAT COULD: Written By Mark Huntington Permanent is no stranger to festivals or awards. Having won a number of Best Feature Film awards and additional nominations for best acting for every primary cast member, this small independent film packs a powerful acting punch. Beautifully crafted by Emmy award winning cinematographer Ken Willinger, critics have called Permanent “Shakespearian” when noting the extreme care and beauty crafted in each shot of the movie. Permanent exhibits nine desperate and damaged souls battling their own personal demons. To supplement their turmoil, these character grapple the festering grip of the mob underworld as they try to claw out some form of normal. Sex, drugs, guns and God come crashing together in a series of circumstances that changes each life forever. David Dallas shines as Derrik Forrest, earning him a Best Actor Nomination. As his character fights through the loss of his wife and his pension for alcohol, he trudges through his days trying to pick up the pieces. Derrik struggles with his tragic loss and finds himself trapped by the underworld into which he as descended. Faced with a brash young mob enforcer, Best supporting actor award winner Ben Jones as Shay, Derrick must find out if he can trust the one man he knows he cannot. This powerhouse cast is one of the most diverse and talented groups in any film and have been nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Actor, Supporting actor and Best Ensemble Cast in a number of festivals. Every audience member seems to choose a different “primary” character in their mind to consider as “the lead”. Some see Marie Blaise (Zeke), the loving drug supplier as the main character. Other audiences gravitate to David Ryan Kopcych (Tommy), the “wanna be” crime enforcer. Still, others see Robert Paul Breen (Father McDonald) as the story’s central character. This intertwined group of characters each holds the key to the other’s futures. In this way, the movie mimics life. A multilayered intelligent movie which leaves the audience talking about the many connections revealed.
38
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
A NOTE FROM WRITER/DIRECTOR: John Mosetich I wrote and directed Permanent loosely based on a real life hero had fallen on tough times. This sharp impact had me wanting to show a realistic interpretation of what happens when you have two bad choices in front of you and the only way out is down. I wanted to create some great multidimensional characters for great actors to portray, but they had to have meaning. We all try. Though, many times, we fail and often there are no good decisions. Sometimes desperation has to be enough. I could NOT have made this movie without a stellar crew and profound actors. Marie Blaise, Robert Paul Breen, Jamie Dufault, Anna Rizzo, Aaron Andrade, Joan-Marie Cruz, David Dallas, David Ryan Kopcych, Erica Derrickson, Jim Powers , Ben Jones and, Devin Mosetich, all deserve the credit for creating a world that not even I could have imagined. The phenomenal score put together by Pat Wheyland really gives our movie a soul and includes the original song “Dull me” sung by Milla Mosetich. Ken Willinger and Chris Brown created some amazing looks and where would we be without the exceptional editing of Jill Poisson. We are ecstatic to be up for so many awards at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin and incredibly proud to have won Best Feature Film at the Hudson Valley International Film Festival this past month. I hope you can attend our showing! Thank you
www.heartworksproductions.com Run Time 100 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
BERLIN International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema
SHOWING OCTOBER 27 - 6:15PM (18:15) THEATRE 3
INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016 STEPHANSTRASSE 41, BERLIN, 10559 39
WILD IN BLUE Here, FTM had the pleasure of interviewing both Frank Cermak who plays Charlie and Marcos Mateo Ochoa who plays Ben, the lead actors from the thought provoking feature, Wild in Blue and who have both been nominated at the Berlin IFF for their extraordinary roles in this film. THE PART OF BEN WASN’T ORIGINALLY MEANT TO BE PLAYED BY MARCOS, HOW DID THE CHANGE COME ABOUT? FC: That’s right, in the beginning, it was never intended for Marcos, and even from the original description of Ben’s character, Charlie and Ben were much more of an ‘odd couple’. The original guy had 150 lbs. on me and a mane of hair-it was a little bit more visually classic, a kind of big guy/ little guy set up. However, when we saw that this, it didn’t work. Then the director, Matt (Berkowitz) turned around said that the best performer he had heard read this part was my ‘rehearsal friend (Marcos)’ and I freaked out because we had been rehearsing for about a month, and of course, at home Marcos had been reading through the script with me. I hadn’t really been rehearsing much with anyone else, and funny enough, both Matt and I couldn’t get Marcos’ voice out of our heads! They literally brought in a bunch of other people to read for the role of Ben and I can remember shooting other parts of the film and I saw this line of people and there, in the middle of it is my husband, Marcos. It ended up between him and 2 other guys. In the end, Marcos smashed the screen test and he made Ben come to life!
40
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
THAT’S INTERESTING (THAT YOU SHOULD MENTION THE WORK ETHIC) BECAUSE I’VE HEARD IT SAID THAT IF YOU WORK REALLY HARD, YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND WORK IN YOUR INDUSTRY IN LA? FC: Oh yeah, that’s 100% true and when you’re given that opportunity to work and be in the room, whether it’s an audition or whether you’re on set, if you show a good work ethic, that is so important for the film environment. A good work ethic always gives a great impression to the production team all the way up to the director and producer. However, making money, that’s something entirely different! So you do these independent films you love, and care about them. They are additional fuel to your artistic vehicle. When you are cast in a commercial, TV, or feature film, not only are you fortunate to be employed in the arts, an actor can also pay the bills and/or put that money towards indie projects that will continue to stoke the artistic fire to continue being a storyteller. Frank can be seen on the final season of HBO’s Newsroom, and is currently an MFA candidate at UCLA for Theatre Film & Television: Acting.
FRANK MENTIONED EARLIER THAT HE WAS REALLY HAPPY THAT HE WAS WORKING AS PART OF A COUPLE AND COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHY THAT IS IMPORTANT? FC: We never wanted to make a film like Wild in Blue together and Matt knows this, he had to convince us to do it. Marcos and I had written a film together (Holding on to Violence) that I directed and Marcos had acted in so we were always on either side of the table so to speak, but now, having acted together in Wild in Blue, it’s become a wonderful pairing. And now we’ve actually performed together three times and it’s been fantastic! Some people say that it’s the only therapy where a couple are paid to do it. I mean, there is nothing like getting into a fight with your husband in front of twenty people and getting to walk away afterwards. With all due respect to therapists, but forget the couch! Have people pay to watch you ‘beat each other up’ on film!
41
CONTINUED ON THE2016 NEXT PAGE FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER
THIS IS A VERY DARK FILM, HOW DID YOU APPROACH TACKLING THE THEMES ON THIS PROJECT? MMO: I don’t want to say it was easy, but for me I feel that there is a switch mostly because years ago Frank introduced me to his VisionBook Process where actors are able to use all kinds of media: writing, photos, or anything that we can put into a personal journal and visit this character. So every time we need to portray these characters, we literally open the journal when we need to revisit the character, and then close the book when we are finished. So it’s right there with us in our journal, and we it’s a functional method. I mean, I couldn’t go through living as this character all day and, there is a reality which you know means that when the book is open we are playing these characters and everyone on the crew was really respectful, and once that book is open, it’s simply “ok, let’s get on and play Charlie and Ben”. Playing Ben-a character who is beat up, left in the cold was challenging but having the Vision-Book Process and other exercises were very helpful. We have dogs for instance that we would take for walks in the evening. So even if you’re stressed, out of your mind, and it’s been a crazy day-just by walking with the dogs, I could reflect with Frank, and then you laugh about things like jokes our make-up artist would tell us in the chair, or other fantastic crew members who were very supportive. Working on several sets, the power of professionalism and leaving egos at the door is important. Recently working one-on-one with the Coen Bros’ in Hail, Caesar!, the production, creative, and crew are the people you want to work with and please. Working with Cinematographer Roger Deakins was fantastic, he is an auteur, and that was similar to working with our cinematographer Wim Vanswijgenhoven who just has this passion for capturing artists on camera. In addition, I had actors like Channing Tatum, Frances McDormand, and Josh Brolin to name a few that I was working with, so there is this common ground of respecting not only each other but knowing that you are fortunate to do be telling a story no matter how dark or light the film.
FRANK IS THE “ALPHA MALE” IN THIS FILM, DID YOU EVER DISCUSS THAT AND DID THAT PRESENT ANY CHALLENGES? FC: We did discuss it, and of course you have to remember that as dark as this film is, there was also the fun of playing Charlie. We had a scene in the film (where Charlie and Ben are up in the Hollywood Hills) which plays pretty hard, and was changing in the script, and that was Matt (Berkowitz) and I talking beforehand, and it was like, OK this is going to happen in this scene and what would you (me as Charlie) do? Then, as viewers can see on screen, we pushed it to that point. If there was any actor in the world that would demand that I would be honest, there is no better bullshit detector than your husband (Marcos). What was really difficult is that even though you are playing these roles, lying to his face is something that I’m just not good at doing. So the honesty is to put on Charlie’s voice and character for that moment and that includes the history that he has with Ben. MMO: Talking about locations, the funny thing is that when Ben is talking about God, we’re off Mulholland Drive, which is an iconic road here that overlooks all of Hollywood. We were filming during the sunset, the ‘golden hour’ and we had to make sure that it would be right before the sun had gone for the day, but I remember thinking, geographically, that is was a poignant place to film due to the writing in the script.
WHEN YOU WATCH THE FILM, IT’S REALLY HARD TO GUESS WHAT CHARLIE IS THINKING, WHICH IS QUITE DISTURBING, HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO CONVEY THAT? FC: I think Charlie is trying to discover his own honesty, he’s actually arguing with himself in almost every scene. So when you say ‘disturbing’ the thing is that many times while Charlie is doubting himself, he is also believing that he was God. He is such a dynamic character that has all the fears inside himself to match his rage. So that argument that he was having internally; where he believes he’s better than the sun and the moon, at the same time Charlie is very self-aware, and then you start to think, when is Charlie actually being violent or pretending to be violent? www.wildinbluemovie.com Run Tme 76 mins
YIN & YANG A Short Film By Markus Graves
Yin & Yang is the story of two brothers; James, who is soft-spoken and reserved, and Kevin, who is aggressive, confrontational, and dismissive. James is near invisible to all around him but one woman, a co-worker named Becky, takes an interest in him and his life. But Kevin is James’ life as Kevin has made James subservient to him; and Becky is a new element in an already agitated relationship. Markus Graves (who wrote, directed, edited, and scored Yin & Yang) found himself unsure of how to move forward. He had previously written and directed a very small short film (titled Artists Anonymous) that he used as a “teething” project; a way to get his feet wet in filmmaking.
He worked with family and friends on that project, as most young filmmakers do but, as he tried to reach out for resources to do his next project, he found the doors shut at every turn. He had no equipment to speak of (of any true quality, at least) and no crew or connections willing to collaborate. It was in this frustrating situation that Markus remembered that his cousin, Manuel Graves, was an actor and going to college for theatre. Markus sent Manuel the script for Yin & Yang; Manuel took to it immediately and began producing the project. They gathered the limited equipment they could gather (they made the film with no budget) and they moved to finding actors. The three leads, Daniel Annone, Alejandro Guevarez, and Lynde Schmidt, were friends and classmates of Manuel.
Trust is a major aspect in any level of filmmaking and this project was no different. Dan, Alejandro, and Lynde trusted Manuel and, in turn, were willing to put their trust in a writer/director who had never really worked with those whose craft was acting; a filmmaker for whom this was, truly, his first film. Yin & Yang would go on to receive multiple recognitions and awards during its festival run; particularly: Official Selections to the GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL and BUFFALO NIAGARA FILM FESTIVAL and nominations for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY of a SHORT FILM and BEST EDITING of a SHORT FILM at the BERLIN 2016 INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL of WORLD CINEMA.
/RealMarkusGraves @IAmMarkusGraves www.markusgraves.com Run Time 20 Mins
FRAME SWITCH Writer/Producer: John Herndon Director/Producer: Drew Thomas
A devastating wildfire rips through the city and leaves behind a burning pile of tires which is quickly named a Superfund site. One week later, the body of the city auditor is pulled from the smoldering tires. As newly appointed auditor Mercedes Lara works to unveil corruption in city government, she is approached by a flamboyant attorney about an even deeper conspiracy. The more he explains, the more confused she becomes, because she can’t tell whether he is crazy or coming on to her. As the evidence mounts Mercedes must fight to turn the technological tables, escape the city with her life and get off the grid.
DIRECTOR BIO Drew Thomas grew up in Jackson, Tennessee in a family of musicians. In high school, he made a movie with friends that won a top prize at the Memphis Indie Film Fest, and while a film student at UT he won the Bloodshots competition at the Alamo Draft House. He recently shot and edited two shorts for Hollywood cult icon Gary Kent. Frame Switch is his first feature.
Deanna also served as associate producer on Frame Switch and assistant producer on the feature-length documentary The Spirit of the Bull. Gary Kent, starring as Alfred Whitby, has been an actor, writer, director and stuntman for more than fifty years. He has worked with everyone from Jack Nicholson to Ed Wood and even Charles Manson, as detailed in his memoir Shadows and Light and has also been nominated for Best Lead actor for Frame Switch at the Milan International Filmmaker Festival. A cult icon, he has appeared in over 40 films including Satan’s Sadists, PsychOut, Targets, and Freebie and the Bean. Jon Michael Davis stars as Spenser Sharp. In his 20-year acting career, he has appeared in W., Red White and Blue, Blacktino, Treme and Desperate Housewives, and is featured in the upcoming ABC series American Crime.
WRITER BIO Writer and producer John Herndon has published nine books, most recently One Too Many, Proof that the World is Real, and Mapping the Debris Field. He served as host for the Poetry Journal video series and Conversations with John Herndon on KJFK-FM. His short screenplay Bikes and Trikes was produced by Recurve Films in 2009. PRINCIPAL ACTORS Deanna Brochin stars as Mercedes Lara. Originally from Laredo, she has appeared in more than 25 films and television productions, including Boyhood, directed by Richard Linklater and has just been nominated for Best Lead actress for Frame Switch at the Milan International Filmmaker Festival.
FILM FESTIVALS Frame Switch has been accepted by The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin which has nominated Drew Thomas for Talented New Director and Best Editing of a Feature Film and John Herndon for Best Original Screenplay of a Feature Film. Frame Switch has also been accepted by the Milan International Filmmaker Festival for Best Feature Film. www.frameswitchmovie.com Run Time 89 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
43
ROAD TO TOPHET Showing at 3.55PM on Thursday, October 27th and with seven nominations – including Best Feature Film - at this year’s Berlin International Filmmaker Festival, The Road to Tophet is a stunningly made film and all involved should congratulate themselves for a brilliant first feature from director Steve Schmidt.
INTERVIEW with Road to Tophet Director Steve Schmidt FTM: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROAD TO TOPHET. SS: Well it’s the story is of a young French-Canadian guy who is smuggling drugs over the Canadian-American border on a snowmobile. When he tries to get out of the business, his boss sets him up to lose a load in order to keep him in line. It’s the story of how he and his friends deal with that situation. It’s a noir-ish film that explores greed, envy, power, and revenge. FTM WHY DID YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS FILM? SS: My friend Axel Green and I, had long wanted to make a feature film in our home town of Chapleau in northern Canada. We were both living in Vancouver at the time and so we made a short proof-of-concept film called Dead Simple - which turned out pretty well. The original seed money came from friends and family. But we went to Chapleau and screened our short for the community and asked for their support. Chapleau Cree First Nation came on board which was how we met Brian Edwards. Brian became one of our producers and made a huge difference on the film. And the people of the town really came together to support us, in so many ways. It really did take a village to make this film. FTM: WHAT IN PARTICULAR MADE YOU WANT TO SHOOT IN YOUR HOME TOWN? SS: Chapleau is a really interesting place, uniquely Canadian. It’s about half English and half French and then there are three Indian reserves within a 10 km radius. Its small and isolated so people know each other - which makes for an interesting mix between the cultures. As an adult living in Toronto and then Vancouver, I realized that my childhood in Chapleau deeply influenced the way I saw the world. And it’s not something you see in movies a lot - - not even in Canada. I felt there was the opportunity to show something authentic that was missing. FTM: YOU SHOT IN WINTER - HOW WAS THAT? SS: It was as difficult as you’d imagine. But we had a freak thaw during shooting and most of the snow melted. At the time I was heartbroken because I really wanted to make a winter movie. But it made it so much easier to shoot.
44
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
We rewrote the script as we went which, as you can imagine, was enormously challenging for the actors. We switched out the snowmobile for a motor bike half way through. In the end it actually helped our story. It was a gift. FTM: HOW DID ADAM BEACH BECOME INVOLVED? SS: He actually saw a rough cut of the movie - we did a screening for some industry folks and he happened to be there. He approached us afterward, wanted to be involved. He’s a very cool guy - someone who I think really just wants to make a difference. FTM: WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE FILM? SS: We are currently negotiating a Canadian distribution deal for the film and talking to international distributors. FTM: THE ROAD TO TOPHET, HAS WON AWARDS, ACHIEVED SOME CRITICAL ACCLAIM, AND IS NOW UP FOR 7 AWARDS HERE IN BERLIN. ANY ADVICE TO ASPIRING FILMMAKERS? SS: None! [laughs] Filmmaking is a team sport - you’re only as good as your team - and we had a great team. Ron Richard’s beautiful cinematography, Adam Beach’s narration, really solid performances by all the actors, killer music by Kan’nal - these and all the other elements, the work of so many talented people - adds up to something really special I think.
/TheRoadtoTophet Run Time 86 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
NOMINATED FOR SEVEN AWARDS m
AT THE FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA, BERLIN INCLUDING BEST FEATURE
"...MICRO-BUDGET MASTERPIECE..." - JUDITH KLASSEN, MOVIE ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE
OFFICIAL SELECTION QUEENS WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
THE
ROAD
TO
WINNER
BEST DIRECTOR GREEN BAY FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
TOPHET
BEST MICROBUDGET FEATURE TORONTO INDEPENDANT FILM FESTIVAL
OFFICIAL SELECTION
SAMUEL THIVIERGE AXEL GREEN ALIKA AUTRAN CHRISTINE TEIXEIRA MATT CONNORS AND ADAM BEACH
TRUE NORTH FILM FESTIVAL
KHARISMA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHAPLEAU CREE FIRST NATION A STEVE SCHMIDT FILM STARRING ADAM BEACH SAMUEL THIVIERGE ALIKA AUTRAN AXEL GREEN CHRISTINE TEIXEIRA MATT CONNORS STEVE GAGNE SOROUSH SAEIDI MATTHEW HEITI STORYBY AXEL GREEN SAMUEL THIVIERGE STEVE SCHMIDT SCREENPLAYBY STEVE SCHMIDT JEREMY BEAL CINEMATOGRAPHYBY RONALD RICHARD MUSICBY KAN'NAL ADDITIONAL MUSICBY PETER ALLEN EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS WILMA SCHMIDT ROGER PERREAULT DAVID ANSELMO MIKE MCCONNELL PRODUCEDBY STEVE SCHMIDT AXEL GREEN PRODUCERS SAMUEL THIVIERGE PAUL THIVIERGE KYLE CORTSON TOVA ARBUS AND BRIAN EDWARDS VFX & TITLE DIRECTED facebook.com/theroadtotophet SEQUENCE BY JORDAN ROBICHAUD BY STEVE SCHMIDT THE MAKERS OF THE ROAD TO TOPHET GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF CHAPLEAU CREE FIRST NATION. Copyright 2015 Road to Tophet Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Steve Schmidt - Design by Christine Teixeira
AS LIFE SHIFTS A short film by Marcelo Remizov
STARRING: - FELICIA GREENFILED, ELIJAH FRITCHMAN, JEREMIAH BRUCH III, DEBBIE KUHN & BDRIGET NIEBANCK
Hopes Never Die. As Life Shifts (ALS -Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is an emotional tale of suffering, love and hope. Miranda is a single mother of two, struck by a destructive disease that is slowly but surely taking her life. Her two sons are faced with the shocking reality of their mother’s terminal illness.
PRODUCER - MARCELO DOS SANTOS-REMIZOV Marcelo is a NYC-based Brazilian-born specialist in TV and film production. He has a strong academic background combined with a wide range of work experience in the motion pictures field. He holds a Master’s Degree in Media and Communications from Brooklyn College and Film Producer’s Certificate from New York Film Academy. Marcelo currently works on a several projects, amongst them is a Reality Show, Music Video, Web Series, Movie “Tom In America” at the Queens Pictures and Short Films including “Last Spring” and “As Life Shifts” at Remi Sparks Productions.
The story explores the strength of Miranda’s character and how the tragedy brings out love and compassion between the two boys who are faced with such a profound challenge. They mature before our eyes and realize their importance for each other. The film shows the devastating effects of ALS, a rare disease that affects many thousands of people annually yet without much advancement for a cure. Miranda’s terminal illness shifts the life of this family into the very sad and unknown. Yet, a shift to love and unity sheds the ray of hope and life
DIRECTOR - DANIEL GRAS PUJALT Daniel is a NYC-based filmmaker of a Peruvian/Argentinian descent. After receiving a scholarship at the “Federal University of Media Studies” in Rio de Janeiro and graduating with honors, Daniel participated in numerous audiovisual projects and short films. In 2009, he was hired by Brazil’s largest TV Channel, Rede Globo, where he worked as a Production Design Assistant and Assistant Art Director, specializing in period projects, most of which were internationally recognized and honored. In 2013, he moved to New York where he received his Master’s Degree in Filmmaking from The New School of Public Engagement. As a passionate artist, writer and filmmaker Daniel continues to dedicate his life’s work to the film and TV industry. His love for history, culture and arts guide many of his projects.
www.aslifeshifts.com Run Time 18 Mins
I-EMME A short film by Alberto Mosca
OPPORTUNITY “There are two things that never come back: an arrow, a missed opportunity” A difficult family relationship, suffering, loneliness, mental illness, love, drama......”Love was standing there, wonderful, as in the books of my memory” Vittorio is a child with a difficult childhood and adolescence. The familiar rigidity wears out and annihilates his personality. Its unique, growing desire is to escape and never return. The drive to do that arises from an encounter with the woman that would become his life partner... Theatre and cinema actor, theater director and cinema screenwriter, elocution teacher, acting teacher, and psychotechnics: Alberto Mosca After reading the story, written by his dear friend Marina Rizzello, in 2015 Alberto Mosca began working on a film project that had remained at the back of the drawer for several years: I-EMME: which was taken from the original story. The potential of this, in its relationships between the characters, was originally to be a feature film but, because of the economic resources available Alberto decided instead to opt for a short film. His first work, shot over five weekends in February and March 2015 was finished in October of the same year and has now participated in many national and international festivals, obtaining several nominations including: “Best Short Foreign Language Film | The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan 2016 “ “Best Original Screenplay of a Foreign Language Film | The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Milan 2016“ “Best Supporting actor in a Foreign Language Film | The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin 2016” “Best Director of a short film in a Foreign Language | The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema Berlin 2016 “ Finalist in the Online International Film Festival - 2016 OIFF 3rd place 2016 Dramatic Shorts Film Competitions – USA
46
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
albertomosca1@virgilio.it Run Time 19 Mins WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
THE FILM INDUSTRY NETWORK IS PROUD TO BE PART OF ‘THE BERLIN 2016 INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL.’ BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL, October 2016 - Sees the German launch of The Film Industry Network (TFIN) with membership and advisory services to film makers who wish to seek film advice with regards to film structure, production set up, finance, world sales and distribution. Co-founded by Ray Davies and partner Paul Eyres along with a group of advisors from various areas of film and television expertise, TFIN continues to provide a unique support service that is currently non-existent outside a handful of exclusive producer representatives worldwide. “IT’S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW – IT’S WHO YOU KNOW THAT MATTERS” TFIN exists because we have a strong proven working knowledge of this intricate and complicated industry - ‘we know how it works’ and ‘we know how to work it to help clients succeed’ - says Ray Davies of TFIN. TFIN are extremely proud to have available to members access to an extensive list of additional dedicated services and resources essential to satisfy the various and often complicated steps required for any project to reach fruition. These in-house services and ‘Go-To’ relationships built by our team over many decades complete the necessary stages of process and development ordinarily outside the scope of knowledge and certainly beyond normal access of anyone without extensive experience and contacts. We have extensive in-house skills and experience and solid ‘Go-To’ associate agreements in place with leading global resources specifically to ensure we cover every base with total confidence to help members achieve whatever their requirement. Membership packages are bespoke, ranging from basic support to fully comprehensive. Running across the annual festival circuit, each tailored to a client’s individual needs and structured to provide privileged access to industry mentors. With links to knowledge, experience and seasoned connections to help steer you clear of the industry rocks, it should help to avoid making mistakes that could damage real opportunity.
‘TFIN’ 2016 AND BEYOND! TFIN are looking to open new doors to support client’s needs and in 2016 we will expand on the team, bringing our next service into play. To expand connection further we are looking to appoint relationship managers in Europe and North America rolling out strategies to support TFIN Social networking, Film making, Producers, Directors, Script Writers, Entrepreneurs with new and exciting distribution market strategies. Our fabulous relationship with ‘FFI’ has taken a new step and we would welcome contact from servicing, commercial finance or insurance groups with interest in supporting the next generation of talent in film making. We want to thank everyone that made us feel part of their journey, ‘YES’ we give advice but for us knowledge shared is a huge part of what makes ‘TFIN’ a success. It was not developed to gather aimless members, it was specifically created to drive careers! ‘TFIN’ BREAKING BARRIERS! Take advantage of the 15 minute pitch in ‘The Producers Lounge!’ Finished Product or In Development? Let TFIN FFI’s client liaison team know your needs and reserve a place! This could be the pitch that changes your career path! ‘TFIN’ HELPS YOU TO HELP PROJECTS YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN, WANT TO KNOW MORE? We believe that paying forward is worth rewarding, refer two friends to TFIN that can really benefit from our support and get your / renewal membership absolutely FREE, complete with access to our showcase to distributors.
“I’m extremely proud to continue this unique service at Berlin 2016 Int’l Film Festival” - Ray Davies
Do you have: •
a commercially viable
finished film seeking route
to market?
•
a script you feel could be
the next big box office
success? •
a TV project you feel could
be the next franchise
success?
Do you need: •
help with planning or maybe
just help with a pitch pack?
‘Congratulations! You’ve made it this far, now take the first big step!
For information on how we can help drive and grow a route to market for Producers / Members, email the team: ‘We don’t promise miracles and not every project of course will become an overnight success, but we do promise to look diligently at every project we receive and to give our members genuine and honest feedback, advice and support.‘ For further information please visit our website: www.thefilmindustrynetwork.com Attending the 2016 Berlin Film Festival: ray@thefilmindustrynetwork.com paul@thefilmindustrynetwork.com
WHAT TO DO WITH THE SILENCE A Short Film By Naomi Beukes-Meyer
What to do with the Silence is the second short story in the series, The Centre that tells stories about the lives and loves of African Women living in Berlin, Germany. What to do with the Silence tells the story of Leoni, a Namibian Woman who runs The Centre in Berlin to help other women and it shows how she falls in love with the attractive European Dr. Jessi, whom she follows to Germany and how she learns to speak up for herself.
The success of this brought her into the National Theatre Arena of Namibia and she went on to direct and write over 25 major plays all of which have been staged nationally and most have toured the country. Naomi’s writings have covered a diverse range of issues, subjects and dramas for a wide and broad audience, ranging from adults to school and nursery children. Some of her notable and successful plays include Aids (1995, haunting stories to avoid aids), Othello and Idealist – Terrorist (2009, a poignant story about a politicians wife, whose sister is part of an underground terrorist group in Germany).
Filmmaker Naomi Beukes-Meyer is an accomplished and award winning Writer and Director from Namibia, now living in Berlin, Germany. She launched her writing and directing career with her first play titled This is our Life which was successfully performed at the National Theatre of Namibia for several weeks (a powerful story about the rising numbers of teenage pregnancies) in Namibia. Her play, Namibian Roulette (1994, during the abundance of weapons in Namibia a rural family’s struggles against the weapon culture went wrong when one son dies), went on to win the National Theatre Awards for Schools in Namibia. One of her plays also reached the finals in the Wildsound Screenplay Competition, based in Toronto. Naomi is currently in development of her first feature film script with the French Producer, Luc Ntonga (Cosmopolis Films).
THE INVISIBLE WORLD A Short Documentary By Jen Fineran
THE INVISIBLE WORLD follows the painter Mark Weiss through nearly 40 years of mystical, often painful visions, and the 10,000 scrapes, strokes, and mistakes he needs to produce a single work. Mark’s art invites the viewer to enter what he calls “the invisible world,” an otherworldly dimension of angels, demons, and undiscovered images. Directed by Emmy-nominated editor Jen Fineran, this short documentary asks age-old questions of art and representation: does the artist project what’s inside the mind or can he apprehend something larger? Mark’s paintings reveal the forces that shape us, the patterns that guide us, and the truths that may hurt or heal us in turn. FTM: WHERE/HOW DID YOU DISCOVER MARK WEISS? JF: Well, I didn’t have to look very far as Mark is my neighbor in Nyack, New York! It’s a small town on the Hudson River, just north of New York City. It’s a real draw for artistic people of all kinds. It was also the boyhood home of the painter Edward Hopper. Mark first showed me a few of his “progression painting” animations — a process where he photographs his paintings in progress then stitches the photos together into an animation. I was blown away watching the mystical imagery emerge, morph and disappear. Every painting seemed to be a journey. Plus, I love his use of color.
48
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
The Fire in Me (2008, is a heart-warming story about two women’s friendship and their determination to stop a cruel ritual against girls in the Namib Desert). The Fire in Me is also Naomi’s first published novel (2005). thecentreseries.com Run Time 24 Mins
FTM: WHAT DID MARK THINK OF THE FINAL VERSION OF THE FILM? JF: The Invisible World is my debut as a director. Of course, I’ll always edit other people’s films. I love the collaboration, and helping shape stories through sound + picture. Around the time I was getting to know Mark’s work, I was lucky to have just edited several incredible docs about artists, including AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY. So I kind of had art films on my mind. I knew Mark’s paintings were fabulous. But when I discovered his process and gained access, I just thought now’s the time to make my own film. theinvisibleworldfilm.com Run Time 13 Mins
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
NAOMI BEUKES-MEYER
BIRGIT STAUBER
A FILM BY NAOMI BEUKES-MEYER
I-EMME A SHORT FILM BY ALBERTO MOSCA
LIBERATING A CONTINENT: John Paul II and the Fall of Communism Directed & Written By David Naglieri Produced By Carl Anderson, Szymon Czyszek, David Naglieri, Justyna Czyszek & Michèle Nuzzo-Naglieri
One of history’s greatest examples of the triumph of spiritual power over violence and oppression is vividly recounted in Liberating a Continent: John Paul II and the Fall of Communism, a new documentary film that poignantly captures the intricate role played by John Paul in the collapse of communism and the liberation of Central and Eastern Europe. Featuring the unique insights of intellectual and cultural leaders such as papal biographer George Weigel, esteemed Polish historian Norman Davies, Pontifical John Paul II Institute Vice President Carl Anderson, John Paul’s lifelong assistant Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Reagan National Security Advisor Richard Allen, and many others, this inspiring film gives an inside look at the improbable downfall of one of history’s most brutal regimes. Narrated by Jim Caviezel (Passion of the Christ, Person of Interest) and with original music by Joe Kraemer (Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Jack Reacher) this is the incredible story of one man’s unwavering faith born of deep personal suffering, his steadfast defense of the dignity of the human person amidst the horrors of Nazi and Soviet Occupation, and his unyielding belief in the spiritual unity of Europe. Liberating a Continent convincingly reveals how these convictions toppled an evil empire and how they remain today the moral foundations for a prosperous and free Europe.
www.jp2film.com Run Time 93 Mins
96 SOULS A Feature Film By Stanley Jacobs
In 96 Souls, two individuals bridge the gap between a practiced university research centre and a gritty, inner city street. After a lab accident, Professor Jack Sutree (played by Grinnell Morris), experiences “vision shifts” that reveal more to the eye than is normally seen. Jack and his co-worker, Ram Tambel (Sid Veda), struggle to understand why the strange visions occur. They discover that a homeless musician, Bazemint Tape (Toyin Moses), may hold the answer to their quest. The film was shot over 23 days in locations throughout Los Angeles. To achieve the effect of the vision shifts, special Infrared photography was utilized. Leica Summicon prime lenses were incorporated during production and the film was mastered in 4K on Autodesk’s Flame Premium workstation.
SJPL Films, Ltd. 3609 Woodcliff Road Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 USA (818) 981-3098 fax: (818) 981-1025 Further information is available: 96Souls.com Run Time 112 Mins
50
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
SCREENING
OCTOBER 23RD SCREENING ROOM 3 AT 09.30 AM
JP2FILM.COM BERLIN INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL 2016
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
51
NOBODY IN SIGHT The film by Aleksander Edelman “Nobody in Sight” is a philosophical tale crafted around an intrigue concerning a disreputable circle of people, within which the narrator, Nobody, serves both as a witness and as a participant. The historical testimonies, recollections based on the personal account of an American soldier during World War I and the granddaughter of a doctor in the World War II’s Warsaw Ghetto, as well as the biblical memory of the “Song of Songs” are additional elements of extreme importance that mold together the mosaic of human tragedies to which “Nobody in Sight” refers.
The movie remains humorous, while simultaneously also managing to dance with despair. As such the movie can be treated very personally, as a criticism of modernity and of the state of culture. The images and music form two additional irrevocably intertwined key aspects of “Nobody in Sight”, as if invoking the words of Claude Levi-Strauss, who prior to his death said: “This is not the world in which I envisioned myself to live in; this is not the world I wanted to live in.” Futhermore, the movie treats us to multiple exquisite scenes, filled with anxiety, frenetic, but above all dowsed in melancholy. Nobody speaks in premonitions, the narration escapes, loses itself, returns, not allowing for a ‘direct’ interpretation, instead forcing intuitive understanding.
But perhaps not entirely. Rays of hope do seem to break through: as the witnessparticipant Nobody points out, memory may be the promise of salvation for the modern man and the nature that surrounds him. Jaromir Jedlinski, independent curator Membre d’ ICA (Association Internationale des Critiques d’art (UNESCO) membre de CIMAM (Comité international pour les musées et collections d’art moderne) auprès de ICOM (International Council of Museums) de UNESCO. November 2015, Poznan, Poland
oledelman@gmail.com Run Time 35 Mins
AS THE TREE UNDER THE HURRICANE Here, Claudia Fischer, the documentary maker behind “As a tree under the Hurricane” describes how she came to make this thought provoking film.
Two years ago, Ati and Mindhiva were guided my way by a friend in common. Ati and Mindhiva are sisters, and part of the Arhuaca tribe, a culturally rich tribe indigenous to Colombia. The sisters asked me to help them achieve their dreams of higher education. You see, the sisters wanted to achieve a college degree that would allow them to give back to the culture and the people they love so much. But a series of obstacles had rendered it impossible for the girls to attend the National University. While I wasn’t able to find a way to help them into the University, I was really impressed by their drive, compassion, and determination. These girls were literally fighting to learn, to be educated, so that they could give back to the people around them while still maintaining the tribes bountiful culture. I tried to make the media and press aware of these two women and their fight for knowledge, but not a word was broadcast nor a sentence printed regarding their struggle... I never got an answer from the press or media. This only fueled my passion for the sister’s battle and I became inspired to tell the story of these two sisters on my own. I wanted to share their journey in order to create support for the Arhuaca women of the Sierra, women who want to achieve a higher level of education to contribute to their people and help them preserve their culture.
52
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
I obtained the permission from Ati, Mindhiva and their relatives to record them with a small HD camera. I recorded them for a year, accompanying them through the good and bad. After that I taught myself how to edit and edited the footage for almost a year. “A beautiful look inside an indigenous culture in Colombia. No car chases here. Just plenty of humanity, beauty, and desire for education and service. Well done.“ Libba Jackson, Journalist. WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
COLUMN ONE AND TWO HAVE IMAGES COURTESY OF WANDA ŁUBISZ.
As true art should be, this unique movie takes on a sense of responsibility for the world and for providing it with answers. And such responsibility burdens it with unavoidable pessimism. The director, Aleksander Edelman, states: “The film presents the entropy of an interpersonal world, but refrains from supplying a key. I wanted to maintain a distance when displaying the drama of everyday life. I wanted to keep it humorous, while not shying away from the fact that all is not well.”
ICARO Directed And Written By Carla Shah
Where tragedies teach us that our fate is determined by a greater force than our own, Icaro is a poetic film which breaks the classical narrative of a character who has no will or choice. Directed and written by Carla Shah, the short fiction is a Brazilian modern adaptation of the Greek myth Icarus in which the protagonist, Icaro, works as an elevator operator, a profession that still widely exists in Brazil. A film with hardly any dialogue, Icaro touches multiple aspects of Brazil’s complex society through symbolic imagery and dance. In literature and psychology the tragedy of Icarus has famously been interpreted to mean over-ambition or a state of mania. It is a myth that tells us of a character who, to escape a life of confinement, flies out of a maze using wings made out of wax and feathers. Warned by his father not to fly close to the sun, lest his wings might melt, Icarus ecstatic with the sense of liberty forgets and falls to his death. Icarus is curiously a myth that everyone has heard about yet one that hardly has any backstory. In fact Icarus, a mortal, seems to have the sole purpose of showing a moral; freedom comes at a price. Short but powerful, it is a story that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
In Carla’s film we meet Icaro, an elevator operator who works daily in a space that physically and mentally confines him. Offering little stimulation with almost no contact with the outside world the film explores the lunacy the character experiences and his search for freedom from the tight confines of his workspace. Like the myth, Icaro must transform to be able to free himself, however all transformation come at a cost. It was extremely important to Carla while making the film that Alexandrëa Constantino, the actor who plays Icaro, participate in the narrative process. It became clear during production that though the story is intended to represent a more universal interpretation of freedom, topics of race and class reflect strongly for those who are familiar with Brazilian history and culture. The death of a young black man would just be emphasizing a tragedy that is all too familiar in real life, as well as reinforcing a stereotype in fiction worldwide. It was therefore extremely important to reclaim the story and reinterpret the ending to the myth, where the fall of a character is not necessarily to his death but a metaphor for choices that have a profound impact on our happiness and sense of dignity. Having worked on a number of documentaries, Ícaro is Carla Shah’s first fiction and is a collaborative project, in that all funds were made through crowdfunding. The film was conceived over a period of two years, filming done only over a period of four days. Once the funds were made, Alexandrëa Constantino trained for a period of two months with a professional choreographer to be able to do the dance scene. Carla is currently writing her first feature film.
For more information about Icaro check the official website; www.icarothefilm.com Run Time 12 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
53
SANDIP SOPARRKAR We are delighted to announce that on Friday October 28th during our Filmmaker Festival in Berlin, the legendary dancer Sandip Soparrkar will be performing a dance extravaganza.
PROFILE Sandip Soparrkar has been bestowed with 2 prestigious National Honors by the Government of India… ‘National Excellence Award (2016)’ & ‘National Achievement Award (2014)’. He is also the Face and the Band Ambassador of ‘India Dance Week’ a dance festival that celebrates all various dance forms on one platform. He is a German Trained Ballroom Dance Teacher and first Indian to be certified by the ‘Ballroom Dance Teachers Training School’ in Bonn Germany. Sandip was the partner to the former European Ballroom Champion for nine years. In India now super model Alesia Raut and Jesse Randhawa are his dance partners. Sandip is qualified to teach all Latin American & Standard Ballroom Dances till Championship Level. He stood 4th in the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing recognized worldwide. Sandip Soparrkar’s Ballroom Studio is the first in India to have sent its couple for the various International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) championships held in Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Sri Lanka & Hong Kong & also for the prestigious Indoor Asian Games. Since it’s inception Sandip Soparrkar’s Ballroom Studio has opened branches; in Mumbai (Cuff Parade, Kemps Corner, Worli, Lower Parel, Prabhadevi, Bandra, Santracruz, Juhu, Andheri, Goregaon & Navi Mumbai) in Pune (Senapathi Bapat Road & Koregaon Park) also in Surat, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad & Delhi. Sandip personally teaches and visits each of his branches and shows students the techniques in five Latin American ballroom dances (Rumba, Samba, Cha Cha Cha, Jive and Paso Doble), five Standard ballroom dances (Social Foxtrot, Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep and Tango) and four famous club dances (Cuban Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and West Coast Swing) strictly adhering to the syllabus of ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing).
54
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
Sandip Soparrkar’s Ballroom Studio has its international branch in Norfolk, Virginia beach, USA and Kathmandu, Nepal.
SANDIP SOPARRKAR HAS CHOREOGRAPHED A HUGE NUMBER OF HOLLYWOOD, BOLLYWOOD AND INTERNATIONAL FILMS INCLUDING: • ‘Nine’ with Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Dame Judi Dench, Sophia Loren & directed by Rob Marshall. • French Film ‘Join the Dance’ starring Julie Bruyete, by the award winning director Laurent Frapat, produced by One Planet, Paris, for French 5 • Award winning film ‘Zubeidaa’ starring Karishma Kapoor & Manoj Bajpai, directed by Shyam Benegal • ‘Tum’ starring Manisha Koirala & Karan Nath, directed by Aruna Raje
Many international dancers like Mr. Julian House (representative of London School of Economics), Ms. Eunice Robbins (USA senior dance Champion) and Ms. Tao Porchon Lynch (World oldest Ballroom Dancer and Guinness world record holder) come down to Mumbai, India especially to train in dance technique, body posture and hand Movements, from Sandip Soparrkar in preparation for various International dance competitions.
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF TAHIR BASRAI
Many well know corporate companies like: Jet Airways, Hindustan Lever, Lintas, HSBC Bank, ICICI Securities, HDFC Bank, Citi Group, Larson & Tubro Ltd, Hinduja Hospital, Wockhard Hospital, Prince Ali Khan Hospital, Kotak Mahindra, Perfect Relations, Human Factors International, Deloitte Consulting India Pvt. Ltd., etc are all taking dance lessons as an HR activity for their employees. Over 10,00,000 students from different walks of life like; corporate executives, doctors, students, housewives and even film, television and media personalities have been trained at Sandip Soparrkar’s Ballroom Studio. Many International, National & Local newspapers & television channels regularly feature the Ballroom Studio for promoting Latin & Ballroom dance culture in India.
Recently the studio also conducted successful workshops in ‘Latin Bollywood’ in Virginia Beach, Los Angles & Philadelphia. Where the students grooved to the Bollywood beats in Latin American way. This workshop specializes in mixing Latin steps with Bollywood hand moves and expression. Sandip Soparrkar Ballroom Studio has taken initiative to introduce dance as a form of education in various school in India, where dance as well as its history, background, costumes, music, instruments, etc is taught to the children. The ‘Dance Kidz’ program is running successfully at schools such as Lodha World, Ryan International, Euro School International, Bombay Scottish, Christ Church Cambridge School, Gold Crest International, Wisdom World and many more. www.sandipsoparrkar.com www.ballroomindia.com sandipsoparrkar06@gmail.com FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
55
ARC DE BARA Arc De Barà – Produced By Ismael Rubio & Directed By Juan Carlos Ceinos
SYNOPSIS José Santamaría was a high level manager from a very large corporate bank who was forced by his wife to spend their holidays at a camping ground.
Unfortunately, José had no idea what was going to happen to him and his family. Arc De Bara combines drama, humour, suspense and action in 100 minutes...
THE DIRECTOR Juan Carlos Ceinos Born in 1968 in the city of Barcelona, Juan Carlos is from a fourth generation of family devoted entirely to the world of theatre, film and sound dubbing. He debuted at an early age as a child actor and later quit, devoting himself to run a small family business combining work for dubbing and advertising speech.
Juan Carlos has collaborated in many audiovisual projects; short films, feature films, video clips and performing at functions that cover the entire spectrum of production, from script writing through to photography and editing. Arc de Barà is his first formal feature film as writer and director.
Written, Cinematographed, Edited And Directed By Juan Carlos Ceinos. Produced By Ismael Rubio Directors Assistant Marc Palacios Sound: Daniel Nölting and Angel Barrado Original Music Composed By Alex Pérez Songs Composed and Performed By: Crazy 4 Minds, Sol I Menta, The Thimidos, Francesca Romero, Muriel, Glaç.
www.arcdebara.com www.campingarcdebara.com www.sanumais.com Run Time 101 Mins
TRINI MONTOLIU PABLO VAN DER NAYAR CARLOS NORIEGA LAURA MILLARUELO CAROL GROOT MIKEL TAMARIT PEDRO ALBA CÉSAR RIOLA XAVIER IDRACH MARC AGUILAR ALBERT AYMAR
UNA PELÍCULA DE
JUAN CARLOS CEINOS
ARC DE BARÀ
La Codicia Siempre Tiene Consecuencias TRINI MONTOLIU CARLOS NORIEGA PABLO VAN DER NAYAR LAURA MILLARUELO CAROL GROOT MIKEL TAMARIT PEDRO ALBA CÉSAR RIOLA XAVIER IDRACH MARC AGUILAR ALBERT AYMAR IVÁN VALENTÍN MIKY SÁNCHEZ FERRÁN PERICAS ALBERT NUALART ISABEL CASTILLA VALENTINA MORENO LLUIS FANCELLI JAUME NAJARRO MANUEL CEINOS MARÍA MOSCARDÓ MÚSICA ÁLEX PÉREZ MANSERGAS CANCIONES DE CRAZY 4 MINDS - SOL I MENTA - THE THIMIDOS - FRANCESCA ROMERO MURIEL - OSCAR ERRE - GLAÇ SONIDO ÁNGEL BARRADO & DANIEL NÖLTING PRODUCCIÓN/AYUDANTE DE DIRECCIÓN MARC PALACIOS PRODUCTOR ISMAEL RUBIO ESCRITA Y DIRIGIDA POR JUAN CARLOS CEINOS www.facebook.com/arcdebara.la.serie
58
TIME
FILM TITLE
SUN 23
ROOM 1
09:30
The Answer
‘The Answer’ tells the powerful true story of an American, James Donald Walters and his quest for truth. The film travels through his life, where in his search he meets Paramhansa Yogananda, the great Indian Master, author of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’.
11:19
Two Blue Lines
Shot over a period of twenty-five years, Two Blue Lines examines the human and political rights situation of Palestinian people from the 1930s to the present day.
13:04
The Pure-Hearted Villain
An Indian Musical film about the life of a dying modern day superstar,which overlaps with that of an eighth-century character he plays in his Last film.
144 minutes
15:40
The guy with the knife
Filmed over eight years, The Guy With the Knife traces the history of the friendship between a prominent gay rights activist and a convicted ‘gay bash’ murderer, set against the backdrop of gay rights, victims’ rights, and prisoners’ rights, in the harsh Texas justice system.
105 minutes
17:30
The Sleeping Tree
A daughter’s relationship with mother nature could change the course of a Bahraini family driven apart!
19:00
Till Death
An ex-wife takes her wedding vows to the extreme and plots an extravagant revenge against her philandering exhusband by making him relive his honeymoon road trip one painful mile at a time.
21:00
Peanut Gallery
Molly Gandour, producer of the Oscar®-nominated “Gasland”, returns with a deeply personal and intimate examination of family, sibling relationships, love and grief in her new documentary, PEANUT GALLERY.
93 minutes
SUN 23
ROOM 2
10:54
Cholai
Cholai is a black comedy based on the 2011 hooch fatalities in Bengal and the bizarre repercussions following the incident.
97 minutes
12:40
Icaro
Ícaro seeks liberation from his job as an elevator operator. Based on the Greek myth of Icarus, the film investigates the psychology of a character who is emotionally and physically stuck.
11 minutes
12:54
Blodimery
In a Restaurant`s fridge, a Chef keep some bodies, pieces of meat, flesh and bones. He operates a factory of domesticated animals humanized for the restaurant service.
10 minutes
13:10
An ordinary person
A girl with a huge burn all over her face finally gets a hope to have a normal look, to integrate into society, but for this she needs to pass through some challenge.
6 minutes
13:20
Switch Man
In a normal quiet Sunday, Dr. Evil Mantis attacted K-City unexpectedly with his gigantic claw, the entire city in panic and in danger.
4 minutes
13:30
Test
A seemingly unremarkable man spends a day taking a bizarre test at a mysterious facility. Through his day he interacts with the odd, detached employees of the facility, guiding him from section to section, obscuring the intentions or duration of the test.
10 minutes
13:45
Promise Me
Promise Me paints a touching, intimate portrait of one dying woman’s final day on Earth and her plight to right the wrongs of her past while attempting to convince her recently reconciled son not to follow in her footsteps.
9 minutes
14:00
Poutnik
A mystical creature is born into the rough & tumble city. Through a chance meeting he is drawn out into the wild to find a community and a home he never knew existed or that he was missing.
11 minutes
14:15
Zen Archery with Bodhihanna
Bodhihanna is an 86 year old German woman who is a well known teacher of the Japanese martial art of Zen Archery. Between demonstrations she describes her childhood growing up during World War 2 in Hitler’s Germany.
20 minutes
14:40
If I Had A Piano (I’d Play You The Blues)
“If I Had A Piano (I’d Play You The Blues)” is an explorative romance in five movements: a cinematic dance, which explores love, romance, and desire.
6 minutes
14:50
Personifly
15:00
Dissonance
15:25
Nune
16:00
The Gap
16:15
Lilly Gets A Pet
16:25
Yin & Yang
The story of James Wales (a timid and reserved man) and his fractured life living with his older, dismissive, and aggressive brother Kevin.
20 minutes
16:49
Pastor Paul
Pastor Paul is a feature film about a white tourist in West Africa who is possessed by a ghost after acting in a Nollywood movie.
70 minutes
18:04
Yoga: The Divinity of Grace
18:45
Women Are The Answer
20:19
Battledream Chronicle
SUN 23
ROOM 3
09:30
Liberating a Continent
11:05
Echoes of Time
12:40
Indian Deities Worshipped in Japan
13:15
Learning Circle
A man awakes from slumber and begins his journey of bitter confusion, Culminating in utter betrayal.
9 minutes
13:30
Beneath the Surface
An intensely dark psychological drama, Beneath the Surface is set between a psychiatrist’s office and a public swimming pool and tells the story of Michael, a young man undergoing long-term psychiatric evaluation.
7 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME
A man consumed by the affairs of his significant other desperately seeks out answers. When a stranger on the beach consoles him, an intimate discovery of this internal battle occurs. It becomes clear that in order to soothe the pain, his inner depths must come to life. Dissonance explores the harsh challenges of a young man’s stale relationship and stalled career. As everything seems to be going nowhere, he must decide whether he will hold onto love, or face the fear that moving forward may mean letting go. In a moment, everything changes forever… A 15-year-old Nune creates a fantasy world to escape from the pain of social rejection and bullying. But her archenemy’s girlfriend—a model cheerleader with a bleeding heart—keeps luring her near. Based on the Australian hero, Don Ritchie, who prevented an estimated 160 suicide attempts at The Gap in Sydney, Australia. Our film takes a glimpse at a day in the life of Don where he encounters a troubled man on the edge of a cliff. Lilly, a giant orange monster, undertakes an epic adventure in search of a true friend, in a pet shop. Lilly’s escapades get her kicked out, but not before falling in love with an adorable Fluffle. How will Lilly reunite with the Fluffle without getting caught?
This film is made by an eminent Asian Culture Historian. Mr. Benoy K Behl is known for extensive work on the history of painting, sculpture, theatre and dance in Asia. He is also one of the best-known experts on Buddhism. This film on Yoga is made with his deep understanding of Indian and Asian philosophic traditions. Population growth has been left out of the climate debate because it is seen as controversial, yet it is one of the most important factors. The global population has passed the 7 billion mark and India is overtaking China as the most populous nation in the world, but one state in southern India has found the solution. In 2100, the empire of Mortemonde colonized almost all the nations of the Earth and reduced their populations to slavery. Every slave is forced to collect 1000XP every month in Battledream, a video game where they can die for real. Only those who succeed are granted the right to live until the following month.
One of history’s greatest examples of the triumph of spiritual power over violence and oppression is vividly recounted in Liberating a Continent: John Paul II and the Fall of Communism, a new documentary film that poignantly captures the intricate role played by John Paul in the fall of Communism and the liberation of central and Eastern Europe. The greatest human delusion is the illusion that man is free. The only progress civilization made during all those long centuries is in development of means which help those on power to control people more and more and consequently limit their freedom, so they can serve their rulers. This is a unique film, which presents path-breaking information and shows that cultures of India and Japan are deeply interconnected. It is made by an eminent Asian culture historian and consists of primary research. The Japan Foundation of the Japanese Government are saying that this research has taken Indo-Japan relations on to a new level.
108 minutes 98 minutes
85 minutes 119 minutes
6 minutes 19 minutes 30 minutes 9 minutes 6 minutes
33 minutes 91 minutes 109 minutes
93 minutes 91 minutes 29 minutes
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
13:39
Toronto Alice
The character of Alice from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Through the Looking-Glass’ is transported to contemporary Toronto. Whilst riding a streetcar, Alice encounters a pair of strange characters who engage her in an equally strange debate over whether or not they, in fact, exist.
6 minutes
13:49
Sweet Talk
In a café, a man sits down at a table to meet a woman . A chit-chat unfolds in a beautiful, human and a full of ironies dialogue. The short is a tribute to an Uruguayan poet and writer Mario Benedetti.
8 minutes
14:00
Amishi
In the heart of London, contractions have started for pregnant Amishi. Reluctant to give birth Amishi heads to the market to buy a blue baby grow. But why? The baby is born and is taken away from her. She feels alone and empty as the baby grow she went to buy is placed next the others.
7 minutes
14:19
Redemption
A man in jail finds God and asks his son for forgiveness but is karma about to catch up with him before he can seek redemption.
7 minutes
14:30 14:55
RUN TIME
Mr Tuan, vice-president of the Hanoi Old & New Bicycle Club, runs a busy Báhn Bao ‘fried dumpling’ street food Banh Bao Bikes (Fried Dumplings & Bikes) stall. In his spare time – sometimes way after midnight – he finds, buys, restores and rides vintage bicycles from the French colonial era. Simon is an eight-year-old boy who seems to have everything from life. He’s a handsome child, he’s rich yet unhappy. He senses that there’s something wrong with his life and this leads him to wander off thanks to his fervid imagination. The Eve His greatest wish is to leave the materialistic world behind since he isn’t fond of it.
19 minutes 20 minutes
15:19
Still
Echo and Alana’s benighted sentiments on terrorism are challenged when they are confronted with a life and death situation.
15:30
The Double Cross
The Double Cross is a silent black and white comedy short set in the 1920s, where our hero is a young waiter for hire who gets caught up in a murder plot during a party and eventually rescues the damsel in distress.
15:54
War & Peace
16:04
Day Six
17:50
Tevanik
A three part movie!
81 minutes
19:15
I Am Alone
While shooting his tv show I Am Alone Jacob Fitts documents his transformation into the undead caused by a viral outbreak.
90 minutes
20:50
The Nesting
The Nesting is a supernatural thriller exploring the themes of love, death, and the fragility of the mind.
MON 24
ROOM 1
09:30
Power to Change - The Energy Rebellion
11:10
Gazelle - The Love Issue
12:45
Felix Austria!
14:00
The Other Kind
16:00
Road to the Sky
The year is 1938 and in China, war is raging with Japan. China’s supply lines have been cut; and a new supply road from Burma to Kunming is China’s only hope of survival.
93 minutes
17:34
New Generation Queens
This feature documentary is the story of Zanzibar’s women’s soccer team, the New Generation Queens.
55 minutes
18:35
Hidden
19:00
3000
19:25
Safe Bet
When Frank’s lifelong friend Khaya turns up with another money-making scheme, Frank is tempted into throwing in the entire boss’s money into a fixed boxing match.
92 minutes
21:00
Johnny Diggity
This film portrays the degradation of everyday life experienced by a person who feels he’s been wronged by those around him and releases control to alcohol over what happens to him.
80 minutes
MON 24
ROOM 2
09:30
About That Life
A redemption story about a post-relocation, half Arikara, half Lakota, man named, Runs On Water.
30 minutes
10:05
Counter Histories: Rock Hill
A small town miles from Charlotte, NC, Rock Hill became a landmark of the Civil Rights Movement, one that too few remember today.
28 minutes
10:39
I-EMME
Vittorio is a child with a difficult childhood and adolescence. The familiar rigidity wears out and annihilates his personality. Its unique, growing desire is to escape and never return. The drive to do that comes to him definitively from the encounter with who would become his life partner…
19 minutes
11:05
‘ĀINA: That Which Feeds Us
‘ĀINA (pronounced “eye-nah”) means, “that which feeds us” in the Hawaiian language. The film highlights a way to address some of the most pressing environmental and health crises facing the island of Kauai – and of island Earth.
23 minutes
11:35
Berlin - Layers of Movement
The film collage by the Artist Natascha Kuederli shows over three days and three nights the many-layered transport movements that characterize the city of Berlin.
45 minutes
12:25
Mendel’s Joke
13:00
Un encuentro (An Encounter)
13:30
Life Before Life
14:00
Puntos de Reencuentro
14:55
Verde Violeta (Green Violet)
Jangh o Sol (War & Peace) is a fantasy music video acting in an indefinite country and showing an army officer and his soldiers leaving for war. Whereas suddenly there comes a message that the war is over - now and forever. A dream - that all of us - are living for. Carmen, a young actress, is trapped between the love she feels for Pablo and her marriage with Joaquín, Pablo’s best friend. When she learns she’s fallen ill, she embarks on a trip with one of them, which will change all of their lives forever.
This is a film about a great vision – and the people turning it into reality: the rebels of our day. The future of world energy lies in decentralised, clean supplies stemming 100% from renewable sources. With the sudden death of his partner Eric, Paulo must pass through a life transformation. Paulo is HIV+ but never got sick before and now he sees his own life is in danger for the first time. He embarks on a conscious transformation by filtering what matters in his life. Compelled by the inheritance of a mysterious box of letters, American aesthete Felix Pfeifle begins the journey of a lifetime to reach the source of the correspondence: the last heir of the Holy Roman Emperors, aging Archduke Otto von Habsburg. A former county judge, his Bible toting wife, and their two adult children set out on a mission to rural Texas, intent on saving the youngest of their brood, an eccentric poet who believes Charles Bukowski lives inside his head. But the tables turn when a chilling family secret is exposed and reality is turned upside down.
‘Hidden’ deals with the story of Parham, a 12-year-old boy who sees his stepmother and half- brother as intrusions in his otherwise normal world. Feeling neglected, lonely and unloved, he doesn’t know how to express his disapproval to his father. His inexperienced mind cannot fathom why Alborz, a sick child, gets more attention from his parents. When Leon’s best friend Ari shares tragic news about his battle with cancer, unemployed and desperate to help, Leon decides to become a criminal to pay for more cancer treatments. Against the backdrop of contemporary Athens, Greece, Leon’s actions to save his best friend have irreversible consequences.
Based on true story. Professor of Genetics Boris Mniszech is a beloved husband and father. On his way to work, he gives a lift to a pregnant woman and drives her fast to the nearest maternity hospital. From that moment on, his life will change completely. Susana moved from León to Madrid and now she works in a consultancy. During her journeys to work by Metro, she gets to know a stranger. She is being stalked, but who’s calling her all the time? Her ex boyfriend, a employee fired from the office or the subway unknown stranger? In “LIFE before LIFE” emotions and contrasting scenarios counteract in a young couple’s life. The lightness and hope within the love felt by the girl, are compared to the apathetic and urban settings in which, the boy is found wandering.
7 minutes 17 minutes 5 minutes 102 minutes
100 minutes
94 minutes 94 minutes 77 minutes 114 minutes
20 minutes 20 minutes
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.
TIME
30 minutes 23 minutes 23 minutes 50 minutes
Green Violet tells the rite of passage of Nilma, a supermarket employee who is platonically in love with the bicolor eyes of the security gard.
24 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
59
60
TIME
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
15:25
96 Souls
A university research scientist, about to lose funding and status, has a lab accident and discovers he can see people’s true intentions — which makes his situation even worse.
17:19
37
37 is a sensual intense journey into the life of a young man. Marc is surfer and lives his life into the day. But everything changes… After many strokes of fate he dreams of turning back time… And he is searching for a new beginning. Set in a global context of the changing environment and climate 37 will be an open journey from loss to loving life.
88 minutes
18:54
In The Still Of The Night
Set post-WW2, three women struggle with an acute sense of loss related to the men in their lives, but find new strength amid the sorrow.
15 minutes
19:20
Home
Abby, a time traveler, came to this world in search for a place to call it home. Alienated by the people surrounding her, she fights the urge to go back to her past.
19:30
Teenkahon (3 Obsessions)
Three stories, three obsessions, spread over a hundred years. TEENKAHON (Three Obsessions) is the first feature film 125 minutes of award winning ad filmmaker Bauddhayan Mukherji and an important piece of social document of Indian life.
21:30
Dual City
In 2034, Japan is divided into North and South. Yoriko is a nurse living in the north, who lost her daughter due to the northern war. One night, she gets abducted by guerrilla terrorists and learns that her daughter is still alive in a form of “information life”: collective memories of the dead souls.
97 minutes
MON 24
ROOM 3
09:30
Glauco of Brazil
Glauco of Brazil is an 90 minutes documentary, which shows the life and work of the painter Glauco Rodrigues.
90 minutes
11:05
El Gringo Schindler
The dual story of the technical side of the immigration system as carried out in Dallas TX and the harsh consequences it has on families and the work of a community based immigration organization that has no attorney on staff nor is accredited.
88 minutes
12:40
Jack Rabbit
When a friend’s suicide leaves behind a mysterious computer drive, a fringe hacker and accomplished computer technician come together to decipher the message left in his wake.
100 minutes
14:19
Future Dreaming
Future Dreaming discusses the narratives that drive our economic, social and political thinking and unpacks the assumptions that underlie those conditions.
55 minutes
15:19
The Final Whistle of Summer
Two years ago, Qiongqiong, a physical education teacher created a girls basketball team. This is the girl’s last semester.
53 minutes
16:15
U-Turn
16:45
Voluptas
17:55
Cesium and a Tokyo Girl
19:49
Reckless
ISENG is a crime drama where three stories intersect with each other within 24 hours in Jakarta. Fuelled by lust, sex and hatred… The three main characters become reckless.
104 minutes
21:35
The Black That Follows
A young woman, Pearl, lives in a society in which a pair of eyes watch over every room. She is forced to do the same exact things every day at the same time. She is tremendously sad, but has a dream of entering a mysterious cafe one night.
98 minutes
TUES 25
ROOM 1
10:00
The Last Sirocco
10:25
Blade #1
11:10
War Of The Dads
Happy Hour Feminism is a fictional comedy talk show where the View meets SNL.
17 minutes
11:30
Masked
Businessman lives a systematic life in a society of masked people. One day, while cruising a mysterious person, these routine changes in an unexpected way, of incessant search for his identity.
15 minutes
11:50
The Autumn of Zao
12:15
The Man Behind 55,000 Dresses
12:35
Picking the Musical
13:00
The Secret Life of Balloons
13:04
Star Dust
13:25
Monica
Monica a young girl from Romania, with dreams of becoming a concert pianist, falls victim to sex trafficking and ends up as a prostitute in Bergen. We witness her daily struggles locked up by a ruthless pimp in a shabby apartment.
19 minutes
13:49
What to do with the Silence
What to do with the Silence tells the story of Leoni, a Namibian Woman who runs The Centre in Berlin to help other women and it shows how she falls in love with the attractive European Dr. Jessi, whom she follows to Germany and how she learns to speak up for herself.
24 minutes
14:19
BREAK
15:25
Of Shark and Man
“Of Shark and Man” is a ground breaking film about one man’s journey to get closer than anyone thought possible, to the world’s biggest Bull Sharks and tell the incredible untold story of Shark Reef in Fiji, one of the greatest marine conservation successes of all time.
98 minutes
17:10
The Big Raincheck
A movie shot in 1981 is abandoned — unfinished — only to be discovered decades later. With the original script lost, and most of the actors dead from the ravages of the AIDS epidemic, the director resolves to finish it anyway.
83 minutes
18:35
The M.O.B. Wives of Richmond
The Magnificent, Outspoken, Beautiful, or M.O.B. Wives of Richmond are a diverse group of women located in the city of Richmond, Virginia. These ladies provide a positive influence as individuals as well as a group.
85 minutes
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
RUN TIME 112 minutes
8 minutes
27 minutes
After her failed marriage, Ariati descends into a downward spiral. Her waning spirits however is lifted, when she meets Aaron, who seemingly appears to be the better version of her previous significant other. She also meets Suhaillah, a free spirit 65 minutes who echoes her search for spirituality. Will these new connections breathe new life into her, and lead her to her own closure? Mimi is a 17 year old high school girl who lives in the Tokyo suburb of Asagaya on the Chuo Line. Mimi has a superb memory and her test results always put her at top of her class but she doesn’t fit in with her classmates and she 110 minutes constantly feels out of place at school.
Paolo sees in the death of his elderly mother the end of country life. At this point he begins to doubt if he should stay in the place he has always loved; a place that now brings him only suffering and memories of happy moments that will never return. Struggling financially, 5 NYC dancers respond to a Craigslist ad offering large amounts of money to women for shaving their heads. The film focuses on Cori, a dancer whose unusual childhood comes into play as the women’s relationship with the men evolves with surprising results.
Zao is a little boy with an incurable disease, in a house beside a lake. A little girl, Cloe, leads through the forest and tells him the legend of the lake monster. Beyond the pain, death and time, The Autumn of ZAO is a hymn to dream, life and childhood. A reflection on love, sacrifice and the beauty of ball gowns, this candid documentary short explores the life of collector Paul Brockmann, the man who collected 55,000 dresses. Set in a picturesque, family-run vineyard where grape pickers and the farming community struggle through hard times. The Secret Life of Balloons explores the parallel journeys of a boy and his girlfriend at very different stages of existence. Left lost and believing they’ll never connect again, this uplifting short film asks questions about the boundaries of love, life and letting go. Vincent is ten years old when he helplessly witnesses to a scene of violence between his mother and his father. Adult, Vincent recreated violence in which he was raised. Because It seems that we all have a second chance, Vincent will change his life motivated by his love for his girlfriend Luna.
20 minutes 40 minutes
19 minutes 17 minutes 21 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes
60 minutes
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME
TUES 25
ROOM 2
10:00
Autumn Fall
Autumn Fall is an adult drama/comedy set in beautiful Oslo. Ingvld works as a lightning technician at the National Theatre but dreams of writing for the stage.
98 minutes
11:45
No second Take
“There are no second takes,” is what Hapi, a frustrated film director, always hears from his father Mang Julian, a retired videographer. Together with his best friends, Caloy and Onyok, he searches for potential producers who will finance his movie script. Out of options, they borrow money from a known loan shark, Alfajor, only to be stolen by the mischievous Oblax.
90 minutes
13:20
Clem Junebug – Ghost Detective
Ghost Detective Clem Junebug and his inept team of paranormal investigators, attempt to resolve a widow’s ghostly issues – a farting ghost.
66 minutes
14:30
BREAK
15:30
The Adventures of Paul and Marian
“The Adventures of Paul and Marian” is a romantic comedy musical about capitalists, revolutionaries, and the people who love them.
92 minutes
17:05
The Return
Haran (the story’s hero), is a bandit from the city’s temple. He is offered to secretly murder the leader of the proselytes. At the way, he is involving to a love and he is forced to decide.
80 minutes
18:30
The C Word
Cancer is no laughing matter – but the archaic way we still deal with it is! The C Word looks at the insanity in our approach, and asks the question: With all of the resources and efforts in the war on cancer.
92 minutes
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
TUES 25
ROOM 3
10:00
The Lady From Satsuma
10:45
Here Lies Joe
“Here Lies Joe” tells the haunting and beautiful story of two lost souls who find one another in the most unlikely place: a Suicide Anonymous meeting.
23 minutes
11:10
The Sin of Those Who Love Us
Something unexpected brings Vitor back to the house where he was born. His return awakes ghosts from the past and a war long ago locked within this family.
31 minutes
11:45
Untitled Zombie Project
60 minutes
40 minutes
16 minutes 12 minutes
12:04 12:19
The Invisible World
THE INVISIBLE WORLD follows the painter through nearly 40 years of mystical, often painful visions, and the 10,000 scrapes, strokes, and mistakes he needs to capture both the psyche and spirit.
13 minutes
12:40
Ángel
A glance into the life of Angel, a lonely young man who seeks to belong.
15 minutes
13:00
Propiedad privada Se vende
13:20
La vida después de Guantánamo
13:55
TEXTE A TROUS (Fill in the Blanks)
14:10
Friend or Foe
14:30
BREAK
15:30
Nomeolvides (Forget-Me-Nots)
15:54
Jackie Boy
16:20
Furries the Movie
Meet Cole, a small town guy with strange dreams. Meet Molly, a small town gal who is willing to do whatever it takes to start a family.
40 minutes
17:05
La conjunción de lo posible
The conjuntion as possible is a documentary about the prodigious history of a small industrial society from the Pyrenees how decides to organize itself with the goal of rescuing its collective memory.
39 minutes
17:50
KU’TE
The story reveals the physical and emotional struggles of LenLen with Down Syndrome (DS). It features the challenges 111 minutes she faces in a society that see more of the disability and incapacity of special people. Yet, her existence intensifies the emotions of the people around her.
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
WED 26
ROOM 1
09:30
Adventures of Miss Fit
11:05
Dark Progressivism
12:40
Secrets, Dreams, Faith and Wonder…
14:00
Wild in blue
15:25
Grandmother Ruth and her Daughters
With a model of my father’s childhood house as I built and filmed in, unique archival material spanning the two world wars, and interwievs I tell the story about my Grandmother and the two aunts I never met.
59 minutes
16:30
Orphans of the Revolution
A film about victims and perpetrators, often both, who took part in events which changed the world – or shattered the illusions of its change.
85 minutes
17 minutes
Almost 13 years Jihad Diyab remained at the worst place in the world for a muslim: Guantanamo. In 2014, by an agreement between Jose Mujica and Barack Obama, he arrive to Uruguay with five others ex detaines. But freedom was not what he expected. At the laundry a man listens to two girls’ intimate conversation. Unfortunately, several noises prevent him to hear the most interesting details. Malta, 1941. RAF Squadron Leader James Alden is given the order to escort a German child to safety. His success or failure will decide on the outcome of the war. When seeking shelter from a night-time air-raid, James is confronted with a stranger…
31 minutes 9 minutes 15 minutes 60 minutes
A week after the death of her husband, Silvia moved with her daughter, María, to Madrid to be closer to the set where María works as an actress. A few months later, her parents send a forget-me-nots to remind her that she has abandoned them. In a world morally bankrupt by social media, Jackie Boy doesn’t belong. He lurks in the shadows seeking vengeance on the selfie generation. When the current superstar of social media goes after Angie–Jackie’s love interest–the ultimate confrontation ensues. Then we learn the truth about our hero..
Professional bodybuilder Denise Masino has spent her life striving for the physical perfection of a superhero. When she discovers there are people calling themselves real-life superheroes (dressing in costume and fighting crime!) she embarks on a journey across the U.S. to get to the bottom of this incredible story. This eye-opening documentary features muralists, tattoo artists, graffiti writers, musicians, taggers, gang members, art historians, and documentarians who help explain how the dark aspects of the environment, combined with forwardthinking principles, have influenced a local art tradition which has now gained many artists international recognition. “Secrets, Dreams, Faith and Wonder” is a feature-length abstract music/video ritual of thanksgiving in five parts: (1) a lament of surrender, (2) the reading of a teaching, (3) the celebration of the ritual, (4) the recitation of the creed, and (5) a hymn of benediction. A journey of a sexual sadist named Charlie, who makes a habit of killing the innocent and young women of his random one night stands. Using a camera he tells us a story of murder, sex and madness as we watch his ‘movie in the making’.
18 minutes
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.
TIME
22 minutes
90 minutes 88 minutes 78 minutes 88 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
61
62
TIME
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME
18:00
Buttons
Have you ever experienced a dream or fantasy where the line between what was real and what was fantastical seems scarily non existent? While waiting for a garment to be mended, Emma is gripped by a dark thrilling fantasy.
13 minutes
18:15
The Keys
Five years ago a young man met an ex-ballerina during the last month of his North American adventure. Little did he know, it was the start of a love story, which would change him, forever.
10 minutes
18:30
Exodus
The story of Exodus is focused on one of those families who leaves everything behind and shares the same fate as thousands of people like them. Just leaning on each other, they will get ahead.
8 minutes
18:45
Poetry. Vladimir Mayakovsky “You!”
Every poet has his own internal rhythm. Poetry can be expressed not only with words.
3 minutes
18:49
Long Live Stefaan
Hilde is a mother of two children, Stefaan and Dorien. On the day of Stefaan’s 30th birthday party Dorien is forced to help her mother with the preparations.
12 minutes
19:04
As Life Shifts
As Life Shifts ( ALS -Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is an emotional tale of suffering, love and hope.
18 minutes
19:30
Passfire
Passfire is an independently produced feature documentary about the world’s most amazing fireworks, the people who 112 minutes make them and the cultures behind them.
21:25
The Closer
A tale of betrayal and greed between 3 friends set against the backdrop of the boom and bust brooklyn real estate market.
95 minutes
WED 26
ROOM 2
09:35
CI: A TEDD Talkumentary
Real-life Silicon Valley innovator Michael Fertik plays Michael Fertik, a start-up superstar attempting to top his past success with a game changing TEDD talk in this satirical mockumentary concert film.
21 minutes
10:00
Airport 2012
Airport 2012’ chronicles an alienating partner-swapping encounter in a New Jersey motel on Election Day, 2012. Four very different characters interact in darkly comic and unsettling ways.
22 minutes
10:25
Values of School
4 short films made by children of a classroom of 6th of Primary in Sant Josep Oriol School in Barcelona and their opinions and feelings about their film.
16 minutes
10:45
The Glove
A homeless with his right hand only finds an expensive leather glove that fits his hand. One year later, when he accidentally tears the glove, replacing it appears to be harder than expected. Just when he resigns to the facts he finds a glove identical with the previous.
12 minutes
11:00
Tears of Harmony
25 minutes
11:30
The Guest
After the father’s death, a man gets on a train and stops in a country town. Takes a room in a boarding house run by a mother and her daughter, a fifteen-year-old girl. The girl seduces the man and the man rapes her. The man pays for his stay, and in order to avoid any possible official complaint, he leaves the boarding house and escapes.
11:55
What’s Next
Changing your career isn’t an easy choice. It all goes back to what you really want to achieve in your life. Through the experiences of different people, this film explains what triggered their decisions, the difficulties and doubts they have been facing and where they stand today.
13 minutes
12:15
Bound For Greatness
Darren, who lives with Aspergers, has gone throughout his life not truly connecting with anyone. Seeking the comforting sounds of crashing waves one blustery day, he happens upon a girl nursing a broken bird. She needs him…
26 minutes
12:45
I Am Reva
The film contains two parallel stories about undocumented immigrants.
30 minutes
13:20
Blur
Beautiful landscapes disappear in the rear-view mirror as the intimacy of a marriage is called into question.
70 minutes
14:30
Aspirin for the Masses
16:15
Always In The Present
Always In The Present is the story of six individuals whose lives have been shaken by the disappearance of their friend, the writer Cass Horsely, after a number of detrimental articles were published about him.
93 minutes
17:55
The Arts of the Monsoon
This is a journey of many voices coming together to share their intimate stories of connections not readily known. These universal portrayals make up the Arts of the Monsoon for future generations.This is a journey of many voices coming together to share their intimate stories of connections not readily known.
59 minutes
19:00
Sanctuary
After hiding from the world for 30 years in a Monastery, an old dying Monk who believes that he is possessed wants to tell his story before he dies of how he came to be a Monk and the events that led him there.
13 minutes
19:15
The Barber’s Cut
Two cut off but living heads wake up in a fridge and manage to escape while trying to avoid a psycho barber.
12 minutes
19:30
4ALL
The best blind striker of all time, an ex top model and Big Brother in a wheelchair, the fastest man in the world without legs, a triathlete that woke up paralyzed and in the water turned it around.
21:25
Sisters! - Share Everything
WED 26
ROOM 3
09:30
The Lost One
11:05
Tiktok Tiktok
12:25
Marisol
13:45
Forgiveness
A patient is attending a session with his hypnotherapist. The purpose is to travel back to childhood through the milestones of the whole past life.
13 minutes
14:00
Cotton
A mysterious drifter wanders down a dark and lonely road. He breaks into a barn for shelter during a storm — collapsing from exhaustion — ragged and drunk.
93 minutes
15:35
Hopscotch
A young woman returns home one day to find that a childhood friend, she once lost, is back to play games with her. Ria, loves her best friend and they have many memories together. But Ria can’t come out to play, because her Mama said so.
86 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
20 minutes
102 minutes
110 minutes 94 minutes
When Michael is called to Los Angeles to do a ‘job’, he assumes it’s just going to be business as usual. But from the very beginning nothing goes right for him, no matter how much his best buddy Jerry tries to gloss it over. Rohan Kapoor is a restauranteur, who once heartbroken is searching for love to heal. Mia is a fashion journalist looking for a good interview which will help her get recognized. Their meeting was brief, the passion electric, the moments a memory. Marisol Flores, age 19, lives with her father, a manual laborer, in Lake Dallas, a small town in North Texas. As Marisol goes to register for her first college class, she is informed that she has been identified by the state of Texas as undocumented.
92 minutes 73 minutes 75 minutes
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME
17:05
Ward of State
Ward of State is a contemporary dance film by Australian choreographer Claire Marshall. Ward of State is about a girl who was taken from her mother and step father and became a ward of the state in the 1930’s.
30 minutes
17:40
Heredity
Tati will do whatever to bring her husband Pedro, back to the reallity. He believes he is a child because of a physicologist disorder that he suffers.
101 minutes
19:25
Smac
A dying woman brings home a homeless man trying to overcome her fear of death to discover that it’s not her death she fears more.
110 minutes
THUR 27
ROOM 1
10:00
The Miller prediction
11:24
InPurgatory
12:15
One by One
13:30
Doing Nothing All Day - FREISTUNDE
A young mother starts the search for the ideal scholl for her son and discovers the tradition of democratic schools. She speaks with scientists and protagonists of the democratic education movement in Germany, England and Israel.
65 minutes
14:40
The 13th Step
The 13th Step is a feature-length documentary that exposes the secret, long-hidden truth about the world’s most revered alcohol recovery group: the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous
71 minutes
16:15
As the Tree Under the Hurricane
Two sisters Ati and Mindhiva; They are part of the Arhuaca tribe a Colombian indigenous culture. They have no money and it is impossible for them to enter into the National University… Nevertheless they won’t give up the fight and they will search into other forms of education.
70 minutes
17:30
That Little One is Everything to Me
That little one is everything to me’ is the gripping story of a young mother who struggles with live.
55 minutes
18:30
An open door
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
THUR 27
ROOM 2
09:00
The Cantor Of Swabia
The film tells the story of Richard Gölz, German theologian and legendary church musician. Nicknamed “The Cantor of Swabia,” Gölz brought Reformation Music back into the Protestant Church in Germany.
10:50
Bondage
An amusing evening in the House of Bondage with dominatrix Mistress Terri where anything is possible and everything is unexpected as her customer insists on playing out racial stereotypes and ends up challenging the very nature of her daily existence.
11:39
A Tale with Christ and Jesus
12:15
When I Grow Up, I Want to Be Flamenco
13:10
Deliver Us
A priest embarks on a mission to help solve a crime, a mission which leads him to the discovery of his own personal salvation.
61 minutes
14:15
Cuddler
Marie, a 28 year old university graduate, cuddles people for money. Her business is thriving but just as she settles into her profession, she faces a client who will challenge her unwittingly beyond all her expectations. Marie discovers that the deeper into a lie you enter, the closer to truth you get.
15 minutes
14:34
Beast or Raven
12 minutes
14:50
BREAK
45 minutes
15:19
La Liberacion de AlEXIS
The uplifting story of how the Isenberg Center for Immigration Empowerment ICIE) worked to reunite a ten-eleven year old foreign national of El Salvador with his family that was domiciled in the United States.
31 minutes
15:54
The Road to Tophet
Charlie is a young guy involved in cross-border drug trade in Northern Ontario. After he decides he wants to leave the industry, his boss sets him up in order to force him to keep working.
87 minutes
17:30
Lords of BSV
18:25
If The Trees Could Talk
19:00
The Arts of the Monsoon
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
THUR 27
ROOM 3
10:00
Civil War Veteran MARK MILLER, 32, is torn with what he saw in the War and with personal issues related to his Great Uncle William Miller’s well publicized belief that the world should have ended in 1844. After the War he travels to the Middle East with his horse, BUDDY, working for foreign companies while seeking understanding and inner peace. An evidently successful young business man is tortured one night by terrifying nightmares. He is not aware that his past and his fears have manifested themselves so vividly in his subconscious, to the extent that they begin to merge with reality.
80 minutes 42 minutes 71 minutes
79 minutes
Christ is a lonely young man who has not overcome the loss of his mother and the memories of a violent childhood full of abuse. Jesus student who still lives with his parents, with an intolerant overprotective mother and very different to Christ’s past. Caught between their traditions and the pressures to mainstream into 21st century Europe, the Gitans of Southern France reveal for the first time the principles that have been lost to Western Civilization, which keep their community and culture strong and thriving despite multiple challenges.
In Bed Stuy, Brooklyn – a natural “pressure cooker” for emerging talent, George Adams creates a new dance form called, Brukup, that a group of young men and women follow like a religion. This dance form revived by BSV members Blackie and Poba, has evolved as dancers use the foundation of the Brukup movement to enhance their free form and mutation style of dance. Twenty five time award winning film: A young Jewish girl and her family escape the ghetto and seek refuge in the forest. Struggling to survive, their horror is compounded by what may be the girl’s ultimate demise. Can she be saved by a spiritual force more powerful than we can imagine?
106 minutes 46 minutes 30 minutes 52 minutes
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.
TIME
79 minutes 24 minutes
This is a journey of many voices coming together to share their intimate stories of connections not readily known. These universal portrayals make up the Arts of the Monsoon for future generations.
59 minutes
The Ballad of Exiles ‘’Yilmaz Guney’’
The documentary sheds light on Yılmaz Güney’s life as a script writer, director, author and actor who established the foundation of Turkish political cinema and also on his projects which affected recent history, his cinematic perspective and predominantly his last years spent in France
71 minutes
11:15
Running
A documentary about Struggles and Obstacles of Homeless People in Miami. Inspiring, touching, emotional and eye-opening film.
80 minutes
12:40
Gravedigger
Hero Jackson, fraternity brother and super douche, passes out one night in a graveyard only to awaken the next morning surrounded by teddy bears and wearing a pink nightgown. Hero soon discovers his body was borrowed by a recent deceased teenage girl who only wanted to go home.
41 minutes
13:25
The Game Of Las Vegas
The story reflects the social issues around Malaysia, focusing in particular on Ah Keong (Namewee), a man who has got married young and has an 8-year-old son (Tee Jing Chen) who is studying in a primary school.
21 minutes
13:49
The Return of the 10 Commandments
God has a hard time to find someone who takes a commandment from him…
12 minutes
14:05
No Woman’s Face Remember
A Canadian Waterline is erected in California’s Central Valley to mitigate a Grapes of Wrath-type drought; meanwhile, Chloe, a 20-something millennial, faces a life-altering decision by her best friend, Kat, and high school sweetheart, Budd.
16 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
63
64
TIME
FILM TITLE
14:24
BREAK
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME 60 minutes
Delil Dilanar, one of the greatest singer in Kurdistan. The 90s he was forced to leave his homeland and exile in Europe. After 20 years of exile there during a concert in New York he announced his return to the roots.
98 minutes
15:25
Kurdistan-Kurdistan
17:10
One Hundred Mules Walking the Los...
One Hundred Mules Walking the Los Angeles Aqueduct (Artist’s Cut, 2015) is a documentary of a journey with a string of one hundred mules, that drew a line, between Los Angeles and a major source of its water in the Eastern Sierra.
18:15
Permanent
Finding out how to survive in the underworld, eight lives will be forever changed as a disgraced undercover officer Derrick Forrest struggles through the mob underworld as well as his past demons in order to create a livable future.
100 minutes
20:00
PROFESSIONAL PANEL AND NETWORKING
FRI 28
ROOM 1
10:00
Road to Hope
In Sub-Saharan Africa, more and more children are being orphaned as a result of losing one or both parents to HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, cancer and a whole host of other life-threatening diseases.
77 minutes
11:19
Frame Switch
12:54
The Farmer and I
14:19
Break
14:40
Nobody in Sight
15:19
America Wild
Narrated by Academy Award® winner, Robert Redford, America Wild is an immersive giant-screen experience that takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the pristine wilderness of America’s great outdoors.
43 minutes
16:04
Revelation 12
The Crown, The Woman and The Child. A True Story. Based on the non-fiction book “Biblical Crown Brilliance Constellation”.
50 minutes
17:00
DANCE SHOW
Hosted By Sandip Soparrkar.
90 minutes
18:30
Outcaste - The House that Carol Built
20:00
PARTY
FRI 28
ROOM 2
10:00
Where is she now
Traveling the world filming a documentary about his former students, retired professor John Henry discovers that one of them, Marita, has disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving only a postcard from Salzburg with the words “Remember our games of hide and seek.”
12:04
Tomodachi
In 1995, Toshiro, an old Japanese businessman, visits the Philippines to reconnect with Edilberto, a retired Filipino engineer.
13:49
Kaikou
15:15
Komatose
When Perry is introduced to a powerful new substance called Komatic, he is given the opportunity to relive his most treasured memories. Delving further into his past, Perry is thrust into a nightmarish journey into his deepest and most startling obsessions.
72 minutes
16:25
Remember My Story (Removed 2)
“Stuck in the abyss of the foster care system, Zoe’s life finally begins to move forward until unexpectedly what she holds dearest is taken away from her yet again and she is left to pick up the pieces of her tender heart.”
20 minutes
17:00
DANCE SHOW
Hosted By Sandip Soparrkar.
90 minutes
20:00
PARTY
Hosted By Laura and Colin Graham - The Filmmakers behind “Outcaste - The house that Carol Built”. (Invite Only)
FRI 28
ROOM 3
10:00
Twin Stars
The story of Can and Cihan, identical twins thoughout the years.
10:25
Maria
A film about loneliness. Maria is a middle-aged, well-off woman in the prime of her life. Her children have grown up, yet family is the most important thing to her until one day she has to learn what it means to be alone. On Christmas, of all days…”
9 minutes
10:39
7 years before
“7 years before” is a short film about the last hours before a husband or lover is leaving his girl behind, for changing his home for an unknown future.
9 minutes
10:54
Bernie and Rebecca
A blind date turns into the experience of a lifetime. But it’s not the perfect marriage with angelic kids and a big house and white picket fence. Bernie and Rebecca’s fantasy turns into reality and they are forced to face the consequences of a challenged marriage and life. However, perhaps they are able to grow old together…..
11:15
La prorroga
11:35
Just Data
People are data. Behind the data there are lives that can change if the data is in wrong hands. The film analyses congressional hearing and the gaps in our laws to protect our data.
10 minutes
11:50
Waiting for you
After a stroke, that has left him without the use of his speech, an old man fines himself lost and alone. He sits waiting for the return of his daughter who left a year earlier. When she returns he learns that life is about living, dying and the grey space between the two.
15 minutes
12:09
Deluded (A Fool’s Tale)
The foolish and obsessive desires of Kiki, a young personal assistant takes a tragic direction as events conspire to take from her the thing she desires most.
19 minutes
12:35
The muse is the mountain
A contemporary portrait of artisan women from Monteverde , Costa Rica, captured through interviews, most of them conducted in their own surroundings, far removed from urban places.
49 minutes
13:39
Ferry in the Midst
Ferry in the Midst is about the resilience and the resolute of the Everyman in pursuit of his dreams.
42 minutes
FILM: THE MAGAZINE/BERLIN/OCTOBER 2016
After a devastating urban wildfire kills her boss, auditor Mercedes Lara must fight to expose a corrupt city government that fronts for an international criminal enterprise. The mystery is unraveled with found footage from a wide variety of sources. German filmmaker Irja and Bhutanese farmer Sangay see how quickly Bhutan, after centuries of isolation, starts falling through the traps of unsustainable growth.
60 minutes
89 minutes 81 minutes 20 minutes
Crushed by the weight of memories from the two World Wars, by the prevailing cynicism and by existential issues, Nobody carries on nonetheless a quest for love and happiness.
35 minutes
67 minutes
Hosted By Laura and Colin Graham - The Filmmakers behind “Outcaste - The house that Carol Built”. (Invite Only)
120 minutes 98 minutes 81 minutes
18 minutes
15 minutes 15 minutes
WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM
TIME
FILM TITLE
SYNOPSIS
RUN TIME
14:24
Vacanza
How fortunate to have a partner who can make you dream so that it feels like a holiday. But dreams, like reality, often have a few surprises in store….
14:34
BREAK
15:19
Mercy’s Blessing
15:54
Choc’late Soldiers
17:00
DANCE SHOW
Hosted By Sandip Soparrkar.
20:00
PARTY
Hosted By Laura and Colin Graham - The Filmmakers behind “Outcaste - The house that Carol Built”. (Invite Only)
8 minutes 50 minutes
In a rural village in the heart of Africa a teenage boy has a dream: to get his younger sister and himself out of poverty. But when a twist of fate shatters his hopes, everything seems lost and he is faced with the ultimate choice.
30 minutes
NOMINATED SCRIPTS Brave Hearts
Acts of God
Lynda Lemberg Jeffrey Allen Russel
Reed Moran
Humans die standing
Vivek Kumar
Mohsen Azizi
In the Voodoo Parlour of Marie Laveau M Cristina Beato
Fast Money and French Ladies Paul Myers
Twirling At Ole Miss John Matthew Tyson
C5 Brother Genadijs Dolganovs
Pullman Karen Schmidt
In Motion And At Rest Pawel Grajnert
The Gaze Martine Allard
Diminuendo Paul Gross
Ark of Dreams Stephen Thomas
6th of September Ionut Gaga Buenos Aires Olga Rojer
Sanak The Last Indian War Michael Graf
Supremacy Rosalyn Rosen
The Cortex Connection Dave Danagher
Hold It
Mouschi: The Cat Who Lived with Anne Frank Steve Rubin
Confessions of a Kamikaze Geisha Michael Cooney
When The Bass Drops Marlene Rhein
Unspeakable Jonathan Hughes
Songs of Innocence Cameron Lowe
Marina Bortnik
Humptonville Days Of The Man Eating Trees
The War On Peace
Castillo El Bey
Gary Porpora
h-e-l-l-o Sydney Lloyd Smith
Written by Victors Martin Castaneda
Double Take Shell Walker-Cook
Bar None Shell Walker-Cook
Pluto in the 7th
Trigger Castillo El Bey
Perspective Joy Martinello
Shine Your Eyes Clint Pearson
Haria’s Worlds Houssein Hijazi
Find us on Social Media
Narcisa Kovacevic
See You at the Crossroads Lee Jacob
facebook.com/filmfestint twitter.com/filmfestint soundcloud.com/filmfestint www.filmfestinternational.com
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.
61 minutes