Issue 005 - London 2016

Film FILM: THE MAGAZINE /FEB 2016

THE MAGAZINE

TM

EVERYONE GETS SCR#@%D!

DEDICATED TO THE BUSINESS OF FILM

WELCOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA LONDON 2016.

WELCOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA LONDON 2016.

Dear Filmmaker,

Firstly, sincere congratulations to all filmmakers and scriptwriters who entered their latest project into the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London 2016!

With a full calendar from London to Milan stretching across almost an entire year, we are delighted that the growth we have seen in entries to all of our festivals has been extraordinary which of course, makes the judging selection so much more difficult, particularly as the quality of work entered is always of such an outstanding level! Part of this were sure is the inherent convenience and lower cost of very high quality digital equipment, so hopefully filmmaking can now be achieved at a much faster rate and of course, gives the opportunity to so many more potential and existing filmmakers.

Carl Tooney Publisher publishing@filmthemagazine.com Steve Grossmith Director of Marketing and Editor steve@filmthemagazine.com Chris Dawes Associate Editor chris@filmthemagazine.com 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.

As a team, we all love the buzz that comes from meeting filmmakers at every festival and interviewing these artists either on camera or audio (for Podcasts). This is one of the most enjoyable parts of hosting our festivals because whether cast or crew, they always have the most amazing stories to tell and we have never been disappointed. In fact for the first time ever, over 50% of the available interview slots were booked prior to the start of London 2016, which is a wonderful testament to how we always try to go that extra mile.

Being entertained and moved by a film or documentary is something that we want everyone to experience and this happens to be an industry which is often driven by passion, particularly from independent filmmakers.

And as such, we admire this amazing art form known as film, and as always the creativity, vision and sheer talent that we see from filmmakers from all corners of the world is a true reflection of this passion.

Have a wonderful Festival and were looking forward to meeting you all in London!

The Festival Team.

May 7th - 14th July 1st - 9th

Check out the latest Filmmaker Podcast from Film Fest International.

October 22nd - 28th November 27th - December 3rd Find us on Social Media

facebook.com/filmfestint twitter.com/filmfestint soundcloud.com/filmfestint www.filmfestinternational.com FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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Actor/Director/Producer: Maria Soccor Co-Writers: Maria Soccor & Frank J. Orefice Jr.

Maria Soccor’s Lords of BSV receives four nominations for the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London 2016: Best Film Best Documentary Jury Award and Best Cinematography in a Documentary.

Written by Ken Simmons. After winning nine major awards in 2015, Maria Soccor’s Lords of BSV kicks the New Year off with four nominations at the London International Film Festival 2016 (London IFF 2016). The award winning project is up for Best Film, Best Documentary, Jury Award, and Best Cinematography in a Documentary. It will screen February 24 at London IFF 2016. The new nominations continue the tremendous acclaim Lords of BSV has received in Europe as well as in America.

It was named Best Feature Documentary at the Milan International Film Festival 2015, plus Soccor won Best Director of a Feature Documentary, and Lords of BSV was recognized for Best Music in a Feature Film, at the Madrid International Film Festival 2015. The film added to its list of honors by winning Best Documentary at the I FilmMaker International Film Festival Marbella in Marbella, Spain on December 8, 2015.

Lords of BSV tells the inspiring story of the breathtaking Brukup dancers in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of New York City. One of the world’s most esteemed movie critics, 30 year veteran Sandy Kenyon of WABC-TV Eyewitness News, applauds the powerful message of Lords of BSV. He says, “These performers are dedicated to making their community a better place by sharing what they know with the youngsters of BedStuy.” Referring to their Brukup dance, he adds, “The style made its way to Brooklyn in the 1990s, and now the veterans have revived it to keep kids away from gangs and heal their own pain.”

The founder of the Documentary Channel, acclaimed Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominated director/producer Tom Neff, calls Lords of BSV, “an example of the finest in documentary filmmaking today.”

“It is a perfect marriage of in-depth content with a unique approach to form,” says Neff.

“Maria Soccor followed her heart to create a unique vision of a unique art form while simultaneously developing a strong underlying theme of dance and art as a way out for inner city youth. Soccor’s documentary is a definitive refutation to the stereotype of the inner city youth as violent and uncaring; these young artists are focused, involved, and determined to make a difference.” Neff continues, “Lords of BSV is extremely visual and engaging, impeccably researched and presented, and inspiring to the audience.”

Journalist Kim Jarrett from soulciti.com also raves about Lords of BSV. She writes, “No film compares to that in which first-time, groundbreaking director Maria Soccor reinvents film by standing with the Lords of Bed Stuy, New York, and pointing the lens at life,” says Jarrett. “Affirming that truth is more raw and magical than fiction, BSV’s Brukup dancers delight the eye and capture the mind with wit, will and charm. Soccor gives, gets much respect; this beautifully-produced documentary is an instant classic.”

“As a first time director, I am humbled that Lords of BSV has received national and international recognition,” says Soccor, who produced the short film, Play House, which was screened at the 2013 South by Southwest Festival (SXSW). “I am also very proud that our documentary is nominated for Best Documentary at London IFF 2016.” While Lords of BSV continues to gain accolades, Soccor’s short comedy Cinecoma, which she produced, has been picked up for distribution by Just the Story TV. Also, her new comic series SPEAR, illustrated by artist Rolo Ledesma, recently launched at the 2015 New York Comic Con in Manhattan.

As an actress, Soccor has appeared in over 20 movies, including Playmakers of New Orleans starring Zoe Saldana as Tracey Austin, Saldana’s sister. Her television credits include NCIS New Orleans on CBS, Another World on NBC, and K-Ville on Fox starring Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser. Soccor is also a trained dancer, and she was inspired to document the stars of Lords of BSV after witnessing their unique talents. “It is the most fabulous urban artistry I’ve ever seen,” Soccor says. “They are the most dynamic dancers in New York City.”

Soccor’s goal in creating Lords of BSV was to erase the negative stigma and stereotypes about urban dancers.

“Dance gives them dignity, a sense of identity, and keeps them from lives of crime,” she states. “There is tragedy throughout the entire film, yet the dance lifts them above the negativity surrounding them. Through dance, they find love for each other, and survive.”

She adds that the art form has tremendous positive social significance. “Brukup is not just a dance, it is a culture,” she comments.

“Through the art, the dancers overcome poverty and homelessness, becoming better people. BSV serves the community by keeping kids off the streets and showing them how to turn anger into the art of dance. Their dancing saves lives.”

BSV provides a positive alternative to the negative spiral of street life, despite the lack of funding or facilities. “I want to show the world what they do, teaching students without classrooms, without schools.” says Soccor.

“My dream is that one day they will have a school to truly nurture and spread their gift.”

ABOUT LORDS OF BSV AND BRUKUP Created in 1998, the Bed-Stuy Veterans (BSV) became kings of the Brooklyn underground dance culture. They are revivalists of a dance style known as Brukup, which originated in Jamaica, West Indies in the early 1990s from George “Brukup” Adams. Brukup is a hybrid dance chronicled in the New York Times that incorporates bone breaking, connecting, pausing, popping, mutation, morphing, ballet and hip-hop, mixed with theatrical miming. www.LordsofBSVfilm.com Run Time 79 Mins

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THE PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS PAGE FEATURES IMAGES FROM THE DOCUMENTARY “LORDS OF BSV”.

LORDS OF BSV

The international honors for the documentary directorial debut by actress/director/producer/comic creator Soccor follows five honors at American film festivals. In the United States, Lords of BSV was chosen Best Documentary at the 2015 Visionfest Film Festival in New York City and the Rahway International Film Festival 2015, received the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary at the Hudson Valley International Film Festival 2015, and won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Long Island Film International Expo 2015. Also, Soccor received the Emerging Director Award at the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival 2015.

STRONGBOY Written & Directed By Keon Hedayti

THE REMAKE Writer/Director: Lynne Alana Delaney

“If you could do it all over again…would you”?

Sure! Who wouldn’t want to go back for a second chance at that elusive something that had so much promise the first time around? Take another shot at a love that has the potential to make your life complete? Heck, yes!

Our two main characters, Sheridan O’Connor and Riccardo Rossi, might be able to give you just a few pointers on why not to let nostalgia win over common sense. When these two veteran actors are reunited to star in an updated version of their earlier film, the gloves come off and this Hollywood remake starts to look a lot more like a rematch.

Sheridan and Riccardo, played by Lynne Alana Delaney and Ruben Roberto Gomez, were paired up in a cult classic in the 70’s when barely out of their teens. They go for round two in the world ring of moviemaking years later as they head toward the final round of their film careers. The production heats up as their on-screen sparring turns Director Frank Zelski into a reluctant referee.

Not only are they in for a few surprises of their own as they begin to relive the past through their character’s eyes, but it’s a virtual smack down when they come face to face with what fate has in store for them in front of a live television audience on Larry King’s TV talk show.

It becomes the perfect impromptu reality show as they are forced to bare all and face some long hidden truths.

The mother-daughter dynamics of Sheridan and her daughter Lori (played by Tessa Munro) turn the tables on tradition as Lori unwittingly tries to play matchmaker to Sheridan and the one person her mother never wanted to see again.

Take a backdrop of filming a Hollywood movie within a movie, a bittersweet script of love lost/ love regained, throw in a few tragic secrets that inexplicably connect our star-crossed lovers, and you get a delightful throwback to the light-hearted Romantic Comedies of the 1970’s. Sheridan’s sharp-tongued sarcasm and Riccardo’s vulnerability only serve to highlight the inspiring theme that we should never give up on love.

As a first time Screenwriter on this project, Lynne Alana Delaney tackled her fair share of issues in addition to preparing for her role as Sheridan. Wanting to create a human story that would not only be a vehicle for their acting but appeal to a general audience was always a top priority. And, as with most independent films, it had to be the type of film that could be made within their limited budget. Given their short pre-production schedule, finding a Director who could relate to the characters on the page as well as the original writer became a further luxury they didn’t feel they could afford. Luckily, Lynne Alana Delaney found she was able to remake her own career as she seamlessly fell into the role of Director on this project. The finished product speaks for itself and Sheridan and Riccardo are more than ready for the next rematch!

This zany and inspiring Romantic Comedy is the first full-length feature film by Associated Artists Productions and a great tribute to never giving up on life or love. As with most true indie productions, The Remake has been a collaborative effort throughout. The husband and wife team of producers, Ruben Roberto Gomez and Lynne Alana Delaney and their fellow producer Timothy Delaney, wore a variety of hats during production hoping to create a film that would resonate with audiences everywhere.

It doesn’t involve superheroes or superspies and there are no dramatic car chases, but has a simple, heartwarming storyline to which everyone can relate. The warmth and appeal of the female dominated family dynamics between Sheridan, her sarcastic sister Eileen, (played by Patrika Darbo of Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and her down-to-earth Aunt Peg (played by Sally Kellerman, of Mash) draws you into their rocky history while the contentious relationship between Sheridan and her mother Irene (So deliciously and evilly portrayed by veteran actress June Lockhart of Lassie/Lost in Space) add spice to the ancestral mix.

Life has a great way of providing it’s own comic relief as we watch Ruben Roberto Gomez’ wonderful portrayal of his character, Riccardo, struggle with both the nuances of English and re-acquainting himself with just how tough Hollywood can be. If his agent, Marc (played

by Robert Romanus of Fast Times At Ridgemont High) or the determined but firm Director, Frank Zelski (played by Timothy Carhart of Thelma and Louise) have anything to say about it, they will make sure Riccardo gets a few life-lessons along the way.

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Run Time 97 Mins

FROM TOP: JUNE LOCKHART, PATRIKA DARBO, SALLY KELLERMAN, RUBAN ROBERTO GOMEZ AND LYNNE ALANA DELANEY – THE O’CONNOR LADIES & GENT ON SET. CHECKING THE GATE DURING FILMING WITH PRODUCERS TIMOTHY DELANEY, LYNNE ALANA DELANEY AND RUBEN ROBERTO GOMEZ. LARRY KING AND KOMPANY.

Or maybe not?

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THE ANSWER Director: Pavan Kaul

The Answer is the true story of an American James Donald Walters, and his youthful quest for truth which took him from his birthplace in Romania, to Switzerland, England, and finally the United States, where in 1948 in Hollywood, California he had an extraordinary meeting with Paramhansa Yogananda, the great Indian Master author of Autobiography of a Yogi, a spiritual classic which remains the highest selling autobiography in all languages since 1946. The book was also lately in the news when Steve Jobs, revealed that he read it every year for the past 12 years and gifted it to his closest circle before he passed on.

Does the universe have a purpose?

What’s the purpose of life? Great visionaries throughout time have declared that there is in fact a reason behind existence, known intuitively by those who reach heightened states of awareness. But the question remains, how can a normal person reach these higher levels of consciousness?

The young Donald Walters explored these existential dilemmas which were answered finally under the aegis of his Guru Paramhansa Yogananda known as the father of Yoga in the West.

to India) who essays the role of Yogananda, the movie is an unforgettable visual and emotional experience.

Swami Kriyananda, who wrote the script and also composed all the music for THE ANSWER, departed for his Heavenly abode on 21st April 2013 in Asissi, Italy “I think the reason for this movie being important is not because it’s about a person. My life is not important, but what is essential to consider are the things I have been through in seeking what everybody seeks. People think they are looking for money, for love, success, fame, and so on, but beyond that everyone is looking for happiness, since ultimately we all come from bliss.

To me, anything I can do to bring back divine bliss into people’s lives, the more worthwhile my own life will have been for me. I want to work towards this cause, up until my last breath.

I think this movie will be a priceless legacy, worthy of being treasured in all ages”. ~ Swami Kriyananda (1926-2013)

This film then is the saga of his anguished search, of his momentary illuminations and dark nights, of his determination to never give up, and of the winding path that lead him to the presence of his spiritual master. In his quest, we recognize the eternal search of every individual; through his inner battles, the discovery of our own inner strength; in his attunement with the expanded vision of his master, the hope for our own illuminations.

The Answer, is a motion picture that presents, for the first time on the cinematic screen, one of the most widely-known and revered spiritual Masters of our times, Paramhansa Yogananda, through the living testimony and in the own words of his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda who lived with him, and vowed to carry his light to future generations. A first in the genre of movies about a true Guru Disciple relationship, the message it carries, is Universal.

The film is a period piece; set in the 1920’s through to the 1950’s and was filmed across the U.S.A and Europe.

Featuring an ensemble cast headed by Victor Banerjee (David Lean’s A Passage

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www.movietheanswer.com Run Time 108 Mins

THE IMAGES ON THIS PAGE ARE STILLS FROM THE FILM “THE ANSWER”.

Having spent his entire life in dedication to his Master’s teachings, he later came to be known as Swami Kriyananda the world renowned teacher, author, music composer and founder of the worldwide Ananda Community.

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Official Online Selection

Germany 2016

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DIRTY GAMES THE PHOTOGRAGHS ON THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN DURING THE MAKING OF “DIRTY GAMES”.

Filmmaker: Benjamin Best

Even before the latest FIFA scandal took place, one thing was quite clear: that international sport is governed by fraud, corruption and manipulation. Like a cancerous growth, fraud and deception have infiltrated sports, creating fertile breeding ground for all kinds of criminals. And it is always a question of millions of Euros, or rather milliards of Euros, Francs and Dollars.

cians, corruptible sportsmen and women, powerful sponsors and people involved in organised crime. This film, which draws upon very personal stories by protagonists from all over the world, shows how the system operates, and it gives those who are protesting an opportunity to speak out against the system. In the process, it also exposes new and sinister wheeling and dealing in the world of sports.

The documentary film ‘Dirty Games’ deals with soccer, NBA basketball and boxing. Outwardly, sport seems to bring nations together and to create trust – and it also functions beyond social, cultural and religious boundaries, creating a sense of identity, an emotional home and a source of conversation for millions of fans. The award winning investigative journalist Benjamin Best (CNN Journalist of the Year 2011) takes a global look behind the scenes at the colourful world of sports and exposes the bitter taste behind the multi-billion sports business. From Europe to the USA. From South America to Asia.

The sincere passion of the spectators stands in marked contrast to the deceptive mixture of greed, and of corruptible and power-mad officials, influential politi-

HOPSCOTCH Writer/Director: Shomshuklla Das

benjaminbest.de Run Time 90 Mins

For the first time I shot the whole film through the camera lenses and controlled the actors each and every movement. It was stunning, that this kind of exercise can happen, that the actor can take such instructions while acting.

THE PHOTOGRAGHS ON THIS PAGE WERE TAKEN DURING THE MAKING OF “HOPSCOTCH”.

The fascinating filmmaker Shomshuklla Das, explains how her latest film “Hopscotch” was created

It is my third feature, and as a filmmaker, I feel each new project needs to be different, otherwise the creative journey can get boring. It is written by me and directed. I was on a flight between Delhi and Mumbai and was restless to write something. I wrote the script in a 2 hour flight! That itself was a challenge. Thus the film started with challenges which are of course lovingly created.

One solo actor, experimental with sounds and effects. But I loved the journey as a creative person because it was so tough. Not only that we shot the film in two days from 8am to 8pm. It was an intoxicating experience. Everyone in the team was energized. Sohini mukherjee, the actor is from the stage, thus she could perform without a break, though I kept on feeding honey and dry apricot to keep her sugar levels up, so that she doesn’t collapse. We remember at the end of the shoot the whole team was so exhausted we all collapsed on the floor.

As it is a psychological horror, thus I used props like soft toys and added elements like ankle bells, without the sound of the bells and top. To create a sense of eeriness, I introduced the hat to be used in a very unique way as well as the mirror. I am highly influenced by European films and I just wanted to create something that I have learnt all of these years. www.cuttocut.com Run Time: 86 Mins.

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JAREEDY Writer/Director: Mohamed Hisham

The Filmmaker behind “Jareedy”, Mohamed Hisham, explains how this fascinating film came to be made.

PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US YOUR BACKGROUND? My name is Mohamed Hisham and I am an independent filmmaker currently living in the city of Dubai. I started my work in creative editing in Egypt and then made my move to the UAE. In 2010 I decided to launch my filmmaking career to be able to express my ideas and reach a greater audience.

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A FILMMAKER? My passion for Filmmaking started in my early teenage life, there was no apparent reason for my choice but I felt as though it was my calling, an urge that motivated me later on to embark on this career path. As with everything else, it wasn’t easy at the beginning, I faced many obstacles and difficulties, but these setbacks only became the driving force for me to achieve my goal and here I am today, with my second film “Jareedy” and hopefully it will not be my last!

Also, the scene where the boy was standing on the rock was one of the major challenges as we needed a solo shot of him and nothing else in the frame, but since the Nile is very wide in this area we had to film on boats, which resulted in the cameras shaking and not enough light sources in the middle of the body of water.

WHERE DID YOU FIND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR FILM TEAM AND HOW DO YOU KEEP THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM RUNNING WELL? The entire staff were present in Egypt, except for Ghalia Ben Ali, she was in Belgium and of course I was in Dubai, we would communicate via phone and the Internet to complete preparations for the film. Most of the crew are working in the production business in Egypt and enjoy high professionalism; we have also created strong ties and friendships amongst the team.

The song was composed and recorded in Belgium, where Ghalia made a great effort in completing it in the Nubian Language (FTM: please see below for an in-depth interview with Ghalia who was kind enough to elaborate on this).

This film wouldn’t have been possible without the support and confidence of Filmedia (Ahmed Kardous) and The Cell (Wael Farag).

I truly thank them for their faith in me and my abilities. Also, not forgetting to mention Ashraf Mahrooqi and Samo Riera who are considered two of the best directors of photography in Egypt and whom I also consider my friends.

WE OFTEN WONDER WHY ANYONE WOULD WANT TO MAKE A FILM; IT CAN BE A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS - WHAT DRIVES YOU? Passion. It’s the only thing that drives us and gives us the motivation to overcome the difficulties and obstacles. As I said before, humans are constantly trying to answer the question of “what is my purpose in life?” The driving force of this search will always be passion. It is the keyword of our purpose and if it didn’t exist we will not achieve anything with our lives.

WHAT ROLE HAVE FILM FESTIVALS PLAYED IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR AND WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE THEM TO SHOWCASE YOUR FILM? International film festivals are a good opportunity to network and exchange experiences from different cultures. It also gives independent filmmakers the chance to present their work in addition to giving many directors room for developing and improving their work especially the good and important projects, it is here where the evolution process begins.

WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR MAKING “JAREEDY” COME FROM AND WHY WAS YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING THIS FILM? No one really knows where ideas come from, I think with meditation and immersion in different subjects one becomes prone and more sensitive to receiving inspiration and ideas, which i consider to be messages or gifts from the universe. I’ve paid Aswan and Nubia several visits, it was there that I was introduced to the “Jareedy” which is a small boat Nubian children create with their own hands. This to me represented the means to conquer the fear of the river Nile. Also, the nostalgia the Nubians carried around for their sunken land left a huge impact on me. Knowing that there is no way of returning to their homeland someday compelled me to direct this film and tell this story.

PHOTOGRAPHICALLY, THE FILM HAS A WONDERFUL LOOK TO IT, VERY VIBRANT IN PLACES, HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE LOCATIONS? I spent a year and a half travelling between Dubai and Cairo then to Aswan and Nubia to scout for the perfect locations for the film.

The region is distinctive for its magical nature, between the river Nile and the granite rocks, the desert sands to the forests of green trees.

During this period, I took many photographs that helped me determine where to film my scenes. I also familiarised myself with the residents of the area and cast some of them to be my main actors in the film, no actor can deal with that nature the way they can, as it all lies at the heart of their culture, this was all intended to maintain the credibility of my story.

WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART ABOUT MAKING THE FILM? Dealing with the actors was the most challenging part of this project as they didn’t really know the story of the film but were instead following my instructions in both performance and dialogue. The language of the film is the Nubian language, which is a language that I do not understand; I actually had to record audio files and number them according to each scene in order to be able to work on editing the film, which was a very difficult process.

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WHAT MESSAGE WERE YOU TRYING TO CONVEY TO YOUR AUDIENCE WITH “JAREEDY”?

I want to say dreaming is an experience that exists amongst all the inhabitants of this planet and we’re still to find out if we are following that dream or if it is haunting us. Dreamers must listen to that persistent voice inside their heads, as our subconscious knows what we do not. This is why before facing the world we have to initially face our fears, therefore, we all have our own “Jareedy”, it is our means to cross over to the other side.

IN THE FILM, GHALIA BENALI HAS TO SING A SONG IN NUBIAN, HOW AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HER, PARTICULARLY AS SHE DOES NOT SPEAK THE LANGUAGE? I believe in the law of attraction; when you are a firm believer that you will obtain something, the universe has its way of bringing it right to your doorstep. This affirmation brought me and Ghalia together despite her being Tunisian and not Egyptian and didn’t speak the Nubian language. Her drive was passion and as I said before, passion is the keyword to success.

She believed in this project and was exceptional in her contribution to this film. She also believed in the Nubian cause whereas many Nubian artists didn’t.

PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT PROJECT? I am currently working on a new feature film, but still looking for funding. It will be titled “The Bridge”. This film is inspired from my personal experience of the Egyptian revolution that took place in 2011. I was standing on Qasr Al-Nile Bridge and witnessed the huge conflict that occurred between the police and the people, an event that had the whole world watching.

The idea of this film depicts the transformation of a person trying to cross from one side of the bridge to the other. This person that was at one end of this infamous bridge in the afternoon never to be the same once he has finally made his journey to the other side onto Tahrir Square, a transition that occurs in just three hours.

The well known Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali, tells FTM how she came to be part of “Jareedy”.

THESE PAGES FEATURE IMAGES FROM THE FILM “JAREEDY”.

HOW WERE YOU APPROACHED TO BE IN “JAREEDY” - HOW DID IT HAPPEN? It was through a common friend of Mohamed who put us in contact, his name was Weaam Ismael, who wrote the lyrics of “Jareedy” in Arabic and it was beautiful poetry that he wrote and he thought that I would be the best person cast to put it to music and sing. So I was contacted and then I sent in a first trial and was then asked to add more and more specific things and Mohamed had a kind of rhythm in his head and he wanted this translated to music and the first proposition to Mohamed was a kind of blues, because Nubia to me is already Africa, very quiet and very slow – but also with a kind of sadness, a kind of separation. But then we talked with Mohamed again and he was talking to me about the kind of fiction, but it wasn’t about Nubia but about the story of a little boy and that the idea for the story came to him when he was in Nubia but actually the story could be set anywhere.

WERE YOU UNSURE ABOUT ACTUALLY WORKING ON “JAREEDY”?

I wasn’t scared, but actually in the beginning I refused. And I said to Mohamed that the dialect and language is a whole culture, the whole civilisation and I wasn’t sure that I could do it at the start. Then I listened to the song everyday and then Mohamed sent me a video with a Nubian singing the song and I tried to imagine their daily lives and then looked into the history of Nubia, And for me singing that one song – Abeyessa – was really the most difficult part but I loved the song and I loved the people and the civilisation and dialect.

HAS THIS EXPERIENCE HELPED YOU AND HAS IT MADE YOU MORE CONFIDENT? Of course! To sing in Spanish, in Turkish I was already kind of confident and although my heart was beating I loved this thing and I thought it would take time but OK, I can do it. And of course it took a lot of effort, trying to catch the soul of this but because I loved it I could do all of these things!

Run Time 28 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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I KNOW YOU Filmmaker: Colin Gerrard

SYNOPSIS This film does not push the envelope of cult personality and distortion of media; neither does it break the bonds of false exaggeration.

Rather it enfolds it. It’s a game of confidence.

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “I KNOW YOU”.

What if you couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what was not?

What if you could get away with something and everyone seemingly believed you?

Sometimes it doesn’t matter who you are, it’s who they think you are.

Politicians, reality TV, and people with positions of power are what we look at for reasons to why some are never telling the truth. Society sometimes puts more faith in fame then substance. Just ask a lot of children these days what they want to be when they grow up, a lot of them will tell you; “I want to be famous”.

Would you want to be famous and have the public follow your every movement, everyday?

This narrative fiction film should have you guessing about what is real...and what is not.

www.7colliproductions.com Run Time 8 Mins

UNSOLICITED MATERIAL Writer/Director: Andre Muse

Aspiring comedian Ed Surname videotaped his life 24/7 for 20 years to share if following a childhood dream was the meaning of life or an unrealistic waste of time.

ALL IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE PART OF THE DOCUMENTARY “UNSOLICITED MATERIAL”.

The line between fact and fiction has become so blurred in society today that being able to discern between what is real and what is not has becoming increasingly difficult.

Made from the 10,000 video tapes he left behind, this documentary explores the illusion of fame in society, the role of money in happiness and the dilemmas of artistic ambition.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is just a personal story, when in fact it’s a satire on show-business and all performers.

This is where it breaks the mould; it’s not a “mockumentary”, but instead is real footage of a man’s real life, edited satirically.

The documentary’s viewpoint is that what goes on inside a performer is quite different to what they project externally and that society shouldn’t provide the show-business career ladder that rewards its climbers with fame and fortune when they really need something else to make them happy.

Starting as a teenager, Ed creates a reality-sitcom just for fun where his camera shoots an exaggerated version of himself interacting with the public. But with the camera on 24/7, the lines between Ed’s performances and real life become blurred.

Ed eventually needs the show to succeed to support his growing family, a predicament he tries and fails to confront himself about in the mirror. When rejected by hundreds of companies who refuse unsolicited material, publicity attempts become ridiculous, like filming intros on the roof of a furious neighbour’s house. Two scenes are so insane we won’t describe them, but you’ll laugh like never before.

The project evolves into a demystification of show-business; the lows behind the highs of paydays and fanfare. Unsolicited Material fools you into thinking it’s all silly capering, leaving only those open to deeper psychoanalysis to watch the real story play out.

Ed always planned to share cocktails on the beach with his wife when the project finished. The documentary alternates between Ed’s journey from childhood to adulthood and footage of his last month chasing fame in London, narrated by a talk with his childhood influence Andre.

How can an ending so sad also be so happy?

Run Time 118 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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Writer/Director/Producer: Bulent Gunduz

BULENT GUNDUZ, the Filmmaker behind Kurdistan-Kurdistan, give’s FTM a fascinating account of the story and background to his latest film that is in competition in London.

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

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FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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.

THE FILM INDUSTRY NETWORK LAUNCHES INTO THE NEW YEAR AT ‘LONDON’S 2016 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA.’ The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London, Feb 2016 - Sees the UK launch of The Film Industry Network (TFIN) with membership and advisory services to film makers who wish to seek film advise with regards to film structure, production set up, finance, world sales also distribution.

Membership costs just $149 annually and can be tailored to bespoke need providing privileged access to film industry mentors with the knowledge, experience (and industry connections) to guide you from the pit-falls and costly mistakes that can spoil or terminally damage what could have been the greatest opportunity.

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.

‘TFIN’ 2016 AND BEYOND!

“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.

COPYRIGHT 2015 - CRAIG CONNOLLY - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (BACKGROUND IMAGE) TAKEN FROM THE PRODUCTION OF “COLD READER”.

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 the requirement.

Our members can contact us at any stage of a project regarding all or any of ‘the next steps’ as we can advise and support you at every level so you know what to expect and ensure you are fully briefed and covered.

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 N America rolling out strategies to support TFIN Social networking, Film making, Producers, Directors, Script Writers, Entrepreneurs with new exciting distribution market strategies.

Our fabulous relationship with ‘FFI’ has taken a new step and we would welcome contact from servicing, commercial inance 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.

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 coul

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 London Festival: ray@thefilmindustrynetwork.com paul@thefilmindustrynetwork.com FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

15

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.

ROAD TO HOPE Director/Producer: Mike Wargo

NO PARENTS. NO FUTURE. NO HOPE. Road to Hope explores the realities of life in developing countries where hope for a better life is often an elusive dream for the orphaned children who cared for their dying parents.

Through penetrating interviews, the filmmakers reveal the hearts and minds of the shepherds who emerge to restore faith in these children who might otherwise have been lost. Together, they walk the road to hope in search of a better life for themselves and for those they encounter along their journey.

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 Run Time 119 Mins

But that investment of time and energy paid huge dividends as the film successfully follows its principal characters through times of life, death and mourning in ways that are only possible with the passage of time.

Through her narration, actress Torrey DeVitto (Chicago Med, Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries) educates the audience about life, death and hope in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Triple-nominated at the 2016 International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema – London for Best Feature Documentary, Best Director of a Feature Documentary and the Scientific & Educational Award, the film makes its official European debut at the festival on February 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Screening Room 2.

Filmed over a period of two years, the scope of the finished documentary is much broader than originally imagined. According to the film’s director, Mike Wargo, “We knew at the onset we’d be spending 3-1/2 weeks filming in Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, but never expected that our story would take us to various parts of the U.S. and back to Africa two more times.”

roadtohopefilm.org Run Time 71 Mins

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FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

THIS SECTION FEATURES PRODUCTION PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE FILM “WHERE IS SHE NOW?”.

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.

THIS SECTION FEAURES STILLS TAKEN FROM THE FILM “ROAD TO HOPE”.

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.

HAPPY THOSE WHO CRY Director Statement – by Marcelo Torcida - Written by inspiration but Directed by “accident”!

This is the real historical story behind “Happy those who cry”. I wrote the script motivated by some experiences that had marked my life. My intention was to testify somehow the depth that I had reached with my soul in what looked like the worst moments of my life. But there was a new path prepared for me.

Now you have my story, the story that I wanted to tell. I hope not only that you enjoy it, but that it also inspires you. This then is my Magnum Opus.

COURIER-X

Run Time 92 Mins

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “HAPPY THOSE WHO CRY”.

As a person who had actually lived the history I had very clear idea of the film that I wanted to make so that´s why I also chose the locations. Once there, the Executive Producer asked if I would help the some of the crew create the storyboards. So I did. However, some misunderstandings and friction between the Producer and former Director ended with the resignation of an important part of the team, including both of them. So that’s how, with no experience in the audio-visual industry, but entrusting God I said: “Here I´m here, let me make this film!”

GROWING IN THE MIDDLE OF GARBAGE This movie revolves around a musical group named H2O and formed by guys who made all of their instruments from recycled garbage. For instance, the bass is made with the top of a bath seat, the violins are made with disposables plastic soda bottles and the cello has as its resonance box a 20 litre returnable plastic bottle. The trumpet was made with tin funnel and the flutes using plastic pipes. The percussion however, are all original pieces.

Everything about this movie was done to show how people living in an adverse environment (“Favelas”) can still lead happy and creative lives. It´s a matter of will.

Run Time 137 Mins

THIS PAGE FEAURES STILLS TAKEN FROM THE FILM “COURIER X”.

Marcelo Torcida; the director, producer, writer and editor of “Happy those who cry” was born in Asuncion, Paraguay in 1964.

A former swimming champion, who then worked in the crop insurance industry for 30 years. Then, motivated by his life experiences, he ventured into the audio-visual art form in order to encourage and reflect in a country where art spaces are scarce. He created his first Feature Movie in 2014-5 and is now is owner of AGNUS Film.

Director/Producer: Thomas Gulamerian

A brief synopsis behind this fascinating film premiering on February 19th, at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London.

“Courier-X”, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Hair & Makeup at The International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London, is an events based drama. Written by Karl Wachsmann, and showcasing the affairs of a surreptitious smuggler (Bron Boier) whilst working for a former member of the German Stasi (Udo Kier), who is then solicited by the CIA (James C. Burns) for deleterious involvement of the well-known mid-air explosion of Flight TWA 800, killing all 230 passengers, and also to help cover-up the little known Nicaraguan blackmail attempt on the CIA, after the release of “Dark Alliance”, by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Gary Webb.

After 20 years, the events of TWA Flight 800 continues to capture the attention and curiosity of people across the globe.

A recent TWA 800 Documentary, which aired on Netflix, had over one-million views. With a theatrical release of “Courier-X”, this would translate to over 15 million dollars in theatre sales alone.

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FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

With this baked-in marketing, distributor curiosity is expected to be high. Udo Kier has been seen in more than 226 films, over his 30-year career, and has worked with everyone from Andy Warhol, Dario Argento, Werner Herzog, Gus Van Sant and his frequent collaborator Lars Von Trier.

Kier, who is known for taking on both sinister & edgy characters, now embarks upon a very serious role, in a film which will surely be one of the most controversial political films ever made about the CIA and the events of Flight TWA 800.

A STORY ABOUT CAPTURING HAPPINESS

iFeel

LIFELOG PICTURES PRESENTS DIRECTED BY LUDWIG CIUPKA PRODUCED BY DOMINIC TREMBLAY AND LUDWIG CIUPKA STARRING RON WILDER AND ALI TATARYN WRITTEN BY LUDWIG CIUPKA AND DOMINIC TREMBLAY MUSIC BY CULT NATION FEATURING SONGS BY SOL SEPPY AND NOOSA

iFeelMovie.com FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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TIME

FILM TITLE

DIRECTOR RUN TIME

FRI 19

ROOM 1

10:00

Tea + Cake

11:45

Finding Home

12:00

Dysgenisis

12:40

I am Reva

13:15

Stages

14:55

Outermost Radio

16:00

Parallax

17:25

The women ISIS fears

18:20

You’re the enemy – Welcome Back

19:10

Kaleidoscope World

FRI 19

ROOM 2

12:00

No Second Take

13:40

Yan Yuan

14:05

3000

14:30

Road to hope

15:45

On the brink : Uncharted waters

16:45

TIME

FILM TITLE

SAT 20

ROOM 2

Kirsty Robinson

93 mins

12:00

Visible sound

Rupert Nixon

15 mins

12:15

The jungle

David Flint

12 mins

12:35

Francine

Naures Sager

30 mins

13:00

Adam Ozozsturk

20 mins

DIRECTOR RUN TIME

Conor Mc Leod Keenan

10 mins

Onur Saylak

14 mins

Ignacio Velasquez

18 mins

What do you desire

Tom Falck

4 mins

13:10

Mystic juunfraujoch

Markus Eichenberger

4 mins

Joseph Spadaro

22 mins

Sanvir Chana

15 mins

Michael Beddoes

11 mins

Mark Day

14 mins

Tina DiFeliciantonio

14 mins

Joseph Minion

22 mins

Ashley Harris

12 mins

Jan Hendrik Verstraten

24 mins

Taylor Wieluns

60 mins

13:20

Upstairs

Tommy Stackhouse

78 mins

13:45

Contra

Mr Halkawt Mustafa

43 mins

14:05

Cold reader

Pankaja Brooke

46 mins

14:20

The suburbs go on forever

Eliza Cornejo

121 mins

14:40

Sideshow of the absurd

15:00

Airport 2012

Jay Cuevas

89 mins

15:30

Long way down

Nueraili Maimaitimusha

17 mins

15:50

I am Henry

Tia Spanos Tsonis

20 mins

16:20

Jareedy

Mohammed Hisham

28 mins

Mike Wargo

72 mins

16:55

Galesa

Roger Williams

56 mins

Vincent Soberano

55 mins

17:55

Flytrap

Stephen Brooks

82 mins

The symmetry of love

Aitor Gaizka

79 mins

19:25

Hannah

Marta Gyorgy-Kesler & Adam Penny

90 mins

18:10

Territorial behaviour

Peter Bergin

80 mins

SAT 20

ROOM 3

19:35

Lure

Chris Turner

79 mins

10:00

My Blood

Diamantis Karanastasis

85 mins

FRI 19

ROOM 3

11:30

Finding Kim

Jasten King

83 mins

10:00

The answer

11:55 13:25 16:45

Cesium and a Tokyo girl

18:35

Courrier X

SAT 20

ROOM 1

10:00

Of fortune and gold

11:45

As good as you

13:10

Laut

14:40

Extremely used cars

16:10 17:55

Happy those who cry

19:35

Children and America

Pavan Kaul

108 mins

13:00

He won her with fish

Charlotte Eichhorn

78 mins

Walls and the tiger

Shusma Kallam

84 mins

14:25

Illusion

Anna Troyanskaya

25 mins

My life with a king

Ferdinand Lapuz

90 mins

14:50

Mother’s day

Nico Raineau

22 mins

Ryo Saitani

111 mins

15:15

Strongboy

Keon Hedayati

17 mins

Thomas Gulamerian

137 mins

15:35

Mother of Sorrows

Kristin Verbitsky

24 mins

16:10

Dendrologium

Rafael Stemplewski & Amin Azan

109 mins

Jared Marshall

100 mins

Heather De Michele

85 mins

10:00

Belly flop

Amy Ball

14 mins

Ferdinand Lapuz

84 mins

10:20

Metamorphosis

Elaine Xia

15 mins

Marl Donnell

87 mins

10:40

Ponty Party

Nathaniel Collins

24 mins

Searching for Eddie Running Wolf Thomas Hartmann

98 mins

11:10

Behind the times

Victoria Gordon

22 mins

Marcelo Torcida

92 mins

11:40

C.T.R.L

Mariana Conde

4 mins

Ranjit Koka

92 mins

11:50

Heard it at sunset

David Paleologos

5 mins

FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

SUN 21 ROOM 1

12:00

Freedom lost

12:15

Shine

12:40

Holding back

13:05

Lest we forget

13:30

DIRECTOR RUN TIME

FILM TITLE

Mischa Auzins

11 mins

19:10

Osei Bonsu

17 mins

TUES 23 ROOM 1

DIRECTOR RUN TIME

Lilia, a Tunisian Girl

Wilson Louis

20 mins

10:00

#66

James Aubrey Smith

20 mins

12:00

Husband factor

Queen of Hearts

Johnny Lin

30 mins

13:55

The Giggles

14:05

Milkshake

SangJin Ko

30 mins

15:30

Anna Unbound

14:40

Burning in fire Drowning in water Zanyar Tahmasebi

10 mins

17:05

Myanmar goes Democrazy

14:55

Ugly me

Hyangil Kim

22 mins

18:45

Sabki Bajegi Band

15:25

The tiki war

John Ervin

42 mins

TUES 23 ROOM 2

16:15

Project Hebi

Emanuele Dainotti

58 mins

12:00

Addiction – This is not a love story

17:20

Hospcotch

Shomshuklla Das

87 mins

12:20

Unknown

18:50

What am I afraid of

Yulia Shcherbina

52 mins

12:40

Shackles and spiders

19:55

Congo beat the drum

Ariel Tagar

57 mins

12:50

Death do us part

13:20

Cobain and his raincoat

SUN 21 ROOM 2 12:00

One hundred mules walking...

13:05

Blue Collar Boys

14:40

Freesia

16:20

The shore break

17:55

Look again

19:35

Capturing happiness

Zran Mohamed

85 mins

Asun Mawardi

116 mins

Dilara Omur

108 mins

James Boratyn

75 mins

Bernd Porr

90 mins

Daniel Grendel

92 mins

Anirudh Chawla

108 mins

Sabrina Culver

14 mins

Akhilesh Tripathi

12 mins

Cheng, YaChen

5 mins

Shaub Miah

23 mins

Cheng, YaChen

40 mins

Mohammed Salman

15 mins

Charlie Crane

13 mins

Serena Dykman

18 mins

Bruce Dickson

60 mins

14:05

Scarecrow

Mark Nistico

89 mins

14:25

Talger the Hunter

Conor Ibrahiem

92 mins

14:45

Welcome

Ryley Grunenwald

90 mins

15:10

My christmas wish

James Tumminia

25 mins

Daniel O’Connor

93 mins

15:40

The guest

Federico Olivetti

20 mins

Ludwig Ciupka

81 mins

16:05

Bycicle notes

Fernanda Torres

4 mins

16:15

Switch Man

Hsun-Chun Chuang

4 mins

Barry Gamba

12 mins

MON 22 ROOM 1 10:00

Intersection

Hoyt Richards

80 mins

16:25

School Zone

11:25

Dirty Games

Benjamin Best

90 mins

16:45

High falls

Amanda Cole

20 mins

13:00

Running- Homeless Documentary

Dmitry Zhitov

77 mins

17:10

I know you

Colin Gerrard

9 mins

14:25

The chosen few (life of an AFL captain) Peter Dickson

92 mins

17:25

Gas

Byron Mc Nally

12 mins

16:05

Awaken

89 mins

17:45

Thinker

Alex Hardgreaves

10 mins

17:40

Mango Dreams

John Upchurch

90 mins

18:00

What I like

19:15

Popolo

Edo Natasha

100 mins

18:10

Bound for Greatness

18:40

The way out

Natalie Burn

MON 22 ROOM 2 12:00

Cotton

Marty Madden

92 mins

19:20

The El Savador Incident

13:40 15:15

Pink and Blue

Alan M. Blassberg

90 mins

20:05

Ghent in Motion

The 21st door

Joao Marco

93 mins

16:55

Desire in NY

Ed Ziari

65 mins

18:20

Ghost walk : The farm

Steve O’Lander

46 mins

Byron Mc Nally

4 mins

James Gadd

26 mins

Mikhail Uchitelev

34 mins

Joe Goschy

40 mins

Michael Tiger

47 mins

FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.

FILM TITLE

21

DIRECTOR RUN TIME

WED 24 ROOM 1 10:00

Bondage

10:55

Bird

12:00

Decoding Baqtun

14:10

FILM TITLE 13:45

May

DIRECTOR RUN TIME Morag McKinnon

23 mins

Heikko Deutschmann

28 mins

Esquire Jauchem

47 mins

14:15

One last sigh before nightfall

Lars Emil Leonhardt

60 mins

14:50

Life on a leash

Thiago Dadalt

12 mins

Elizabeth Thieriot

91 mins

15:05

Sundown

Sinem Cezayirli

16 mins

El Stories : Art on track

Joseph Baldwin

33 mins

15:40

Tick tock

Zeynep Kocak

10 mins

14:50

The schoolboy

Paloma Lommel

20 mins

15:55

… Where is she now

John Henry Richardson

119 mins

15:15

No woman’s face remember

Chuck Griffith

16 mins

18:00

Living lost

15:35

Detach

Daniel Ambor

4 mins

19:35

Hurrengo Geltokia, The Next Stop

15:45

The Throne (film scoring)

Xiaoshu Chen

2 mins

THUR 25 ROOM 1

15:55

An unexpected journey

Fethi Bendida

12 mins

10:00

The road to Monterey

16:15

The Barber’s cut

Mark Brocking

12 mins

12:10

Kurdistan Kurdistan

16:35

The Eve

Yuri Missoni

21 mins

13:55

Urban Survivor

17:00

Time stood still

Tianyi Zhang

21 mins

16:00

17:25

Biblical Conspiracies

John Mc Ginley

49 mins

18:15

1989 : The final story

19:10

Good business

19:40

Lords of BSV

Montgomery

Jeffrey Morin

13 mins

16:15

The organist

Aaron Woods

8 mins

16:25

Imagine that

16:40

Lonely

Maria Soccor

79 mins

16:45

Pundemic

17:00

Unsolicited material

The visit

12:30

A message from Tarcreek

12:40

Apple

12:50

The women newspaper

13:10

Delete

13:25

Rabbits

Marlene Pardeller

123 mins 98 mins

25 mins

Corto

Rob Scheeren

105 mins

48 mins

12:15

99 mins

Bulent Gunduz

Peter Dickson

12:00

102 mins

José Claudio Cunha e Silva

Robert Schermbrucker

WED 24 ROOM 2

Jon Bessire Jon Diaz Egurbide

Taichi Kimura

11 mins

David Paleologos

5 mins

Richard Summers-Calvert

13 mins

Andre Muse

117 mins

Margarete Hentze

65 mins

Niyi Coker

60 mins

Nico Sentner

85 mins

Alexis De Vigan

9 mins

THUR 25 ROOM 2

Leandro Corinto Pinto Da Silva

8 mins

12:00

Doing nothing all day

Niki Goodwin

5 mins

13:10

Ota Benga

Guanyu Li

3 mins

14:10

Atomic Eden

Renaud Duval

15 mins

15:40

The remake

Lynne Alana Delaney

97 mins

Kim Young Hoon

7 mins

17:30

Single in South Beach

Alejandro Itkin

87 mins

15 mins

19:00

A tale with Christ and Jesus

Oldren Romero

30 mins

THE BARBERS CUT Writer/Director: Mark Brocking Co-Producer: Caitlin Moore & Mark Brocking

SYNOPSIS The film centres around a man and woman who wake up next to each other inside a fridge with their heads cut off!

They gradually realize that they have been the victim of a psychotic killer barber that does gruesome experiments in his basement, keeping the severed body parts of his customers strangely alive. They finally manage to work out a way to escape, having to free their missing limbs from both weird machinery and a hungry Yorkshire terrier. Using masking tape, they reassemble their bodies and make a run for the door whilst being chased by the enraged barber with a razor blade.

The film was shot over 4 weekends in total and the post production and VFX took many more weeks to complete. All in all it was a huge effort by a great number of people without whom the film would never have been made..

Mark Brocking has been working in the film industry since around 1990.

He started his career in 2D animation working on features for Disney, Warner brothers and Spielberg amongst others.

Around 2003 he entered the field of CG animation at Framestore, London working his way up to supervising animator on films such as Narnia “The Dawn Treader” and “Where the Wild Things Are”.

He was nominated for a Bafta for his work as animation director on the TV series “Primeval 2” again, in 2003.

Mark started writing and directing his short films in 2008 which has so far resulted in two films, “The Double Cross” in 2013 (Best shorts winner) and “The Barber’s Cut” in 2015.

We had the combined cinematography talent of Malcolm Hadley and Jesse Llande on set, using a 35mm Arricam LT and a great cast of comedy actors, namely Lewis Georgeson , Alisa Arnah and David Whitfield. CG visual effects were crucial to sell the vision of the film, brilliantly executed by Tim Kirkby. Pre production for the short involved the creation of the many props used, the main one being the “fake” fridge to film the actors in, all skillfully made & built by James Innes of 2P Films.

TBC was shot in London at 3 locations, the lab was actually the director work place’s basement and the corridor/living room was his own flat.

The barber shop was Pall Mall Barbers near Leicester Square, London in the middle of town.

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WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE SCREENING TIME AND DATE OF ANY FILM IN THE FESTIVAL COMPETITION WITHOUT ANY PRIOR NOTIFICATION.

FILM TITLE

/thebarberscut Run Time 12 Mins

THIS SECTION FEATURES IMAGES FROM THE FILM ”THE BARBERS CUT”.

TIME

IFF LONDON SCREENING - Friday February 19 - 14:30 - Room 2

The film the CIA tried to stop Udo Kier James C. Burns

International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema London

19th February 2016 IFF LONDON SCREENING - Wednesday February 24 - 15:55 - Room 2

SABKI BAJEGI BAND Writer/Director: Anirudh Chawla Producer: Yusuf Shaikh

Here FTM has an interview with Anirudh Chawla, the charismatic first time filmmaker and the driving force behind his film Sabki Bajegi Band and with a fascinating background story, coupled with the trials and tribulations to have this movie made; we suggested that perhaps a film should be made about the making of this controversial Indian production...

SO HOW DID THIS ALL HAPPEN, HOW DID YOU EVENTUALLY END UP MAKING THIS FILM? So I was born in India and then moved to Canada when I was 15 and I look at it this way that my heart is of an Indian, but my head is of a Canadian. So all of my value systems are Indian but a lot of my habits, my attitude, my views towards sex and sexuality, religion, politics and other things is very much “Westernised” and this taught me to be individualistic. So when I moved to Canada I realised how liberal relationships there are, so same sex, equality, gay relationships and so on and that kind of opened my mind. So when I came back to India when I was around 22, I started to work on the radio here and then I realised in that time that I had been away that suddenly, India had become much more open in terms of discussing sex and sexuality but they hadn’t found the perfect outlet. So I decided to be the catalyst, to get people to talk, so on radio it worked beautifully, no one can

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU THINK, I HAVE THIS GREAT IDEA FOR A FILM, HOW CAN I GET THIS MADE? Well as you know I always wanted to start with a “bang” and I always wanted to be a filmmaker, so I also had a couple of conventional rom-com scripts that were already going around the industry. Then after about two years, I realised that because I hadn’t actually directed anything - in fact it’s worth pointing out that I had no experience of filmmaking till then and had never been to film school – but was really a writer, it was a problem and in Europe and in America, writing is held in high regard but it’s not the same in India where writers for movies earn very little respect and very little money.

So I decided then if I’m writing, I have to direct this film myself and of course none of the big filmmakers here were willing to take the chance with me, but I understood because I hadn’t proved myself so then I thought why not make it as an independent film, with a minimal budget of say one hundred to two hundred thousand pounds? And actually in a way it’s easier, because you don’t have to promote a movie star but if you choose the right subject then the movie will promote itself.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS ON THESE PAGES ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “SABKI BAJEGI BAND”.

YOU SEEM TO BE VERY DRIVEN, VERY FOCUSED, WOULD THAT BE A FAIR ASSESSMENT? Well I realised that in India things were never going to be easy, the system favours the few people – the privileged, in Bollywood it’s basically ruled by a few film families. So what happens is that the famous actors (of the past) their sons and daughters rule now so very few people outside of the industry get a break or there are all sorts of compromises that you have to make whether sexually, creatively and so on so eventually people get tired of the system and either do something else or be really, really persistent as I had to be. And I realised that if I was going to make a film in India with a big star that I would have to make a lot of compromises and having to suffer the actors tantrums and so on and so I decided why not make a film on my own terms? So then I decided to take a subject that would be shocking and sensational but then at least that would get the attention that I wanted! So yes I knew that it would be difficult but I realised that’s what you have to do in life.

see you and people can talk anonymously so then I decided why not turn it into a film – to be a pioneer? So then I made these two films, Sabki Bajegi Band and Balls and of course Balls was more difficult to make because I had to convince real people to talk about sex whereas Sabki Bajegi Band is a fictionalised account. In fact when I first started hosting radio shows in India I became one of the top five or ten radio presenters, so once I got my financial stability then it became a little bit easier to focus on my filmmaking.

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SO IS IT A PARADOX THAT YOU HAPPEN TO CHOOSE A SUBJECT THAT IN INDIA, IT’S ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TO GET BACKING FOR, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN AND WANT TO TALK ABOUT? Absolutely, that’s the irony of it all, and funnily enough if I had actual sex scenes in the movie, rather than people just talking about the subject, that would have made the film more financially viable. But I said no, if I do that then I would become an exploited director and the attention will go away from all of the issues that I’m trying to raise by making this movie and will just become another cheap attempt at getting people to go to the theatres and would also have lost the respect of my audience.

SO MUCH SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPENED IN SUCH A SHORT TIME, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS RIGHT NOW? Yes, it’s been a whirlwind! Well, for both of my film – Balls and Sabki Bajegi Band - were now looking for international distributors.

Balls premiered at the River to River Festival in Florence, Italy which was amazing for us and has also been featured in the French channel arte-produced documentary “Sex in India”. On top of all of this I’m working on a brand new film titled ‘‘boooo...’’ which will be India’s first horror comedy! In fact, my plans are to make a film every year with a budget of just 100,000 pounds and with new talent in every department of the film and this new talent will be sourced directly through my FaceBook page--door 2 Bollywood.

WHY CHOOSE TO MAKE A HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL FILM ABOUT SEX? Sabki Bajegi Band is based on true events and I wanted us Indians to break away from our repressed attitudes towards sex. And of course, Indians pay more attention to the message if Bollywood film stars talk about sex, which they rarely do openly, so I decided to host a party, where I invited my celebrity pals, including actors, models, socialites etc and started asking them questions on camera, on sex, marriage and love and of course, a can of worms opened up ,as they bitched about each other and gave uncensored opinions on everything from the casting couch to marital infidelity to past affairs, to does size matter, to domestic violence to homosexuality to virginity to sexual disorders to safe sex.

The explosive revelations were so sensational that I wanted to reveal Bollywood and Indians real attitudes towards sex through the actual footage but for legal reasons, I was unable to, so I decided to make this film, inspired by those events. My film will expose the shocking sexual secrets of Bollywood, the sensational revelations of suppressed sexuality, the real face of India in matters of sex, love and marriage, not what we pretend to be, but rather what we actually are....

SO YOU ALREADY HAVE THE PROBLEM OF RAISING THE FINANCE, NOT HELPED BY THE SUBJECT MATTER, HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? I’m not entirely sure how it happens in the west but here, there is actually a lot of opportunity for smaller producers, so you may have five to seven big production houses but besides them you have a lot of independent producers that want to make their mark. So I started to target both types but the larger corporate companies, the subject matter scandalised them and what I mean by that is that they actually loved what I had presented to them but, I had targeted a lot of well known Indian film stars, not by name but had alluded to and some of them quite openly. And what I wanted to say was that in Bollywood, these people have affairs just like we do and that it goes on everywhere. As you can imagine, that did not go down well with the larger corporate’s and it was like “you have to remove this name, or change that name” but, by doing that you miss the point, I mean the English translation of the film is “Everyone Gets Screwed” which is to show that in the end we should all be treated in a fair manner and there should be no bias. And to give you an idea of just how challenging this was to make, I narrated

my film to around fifty producers and two hundred actors no kidding! But most of them were too intimidated by the boldness of the script, the openness with which my characters talked about sex which was the first time in Indian cinema and as mentioned, my blatant references to the biggest Indian film stars and their scandals and affairs. But eventually, my ballsy producer, Yusuf Shaikh, who loved the script for its boldness, agreed to produce it with a controlled budget and the famous film company Percept Pictures decided to present the film!

IS THAT RIGHT THAT YOU MADE FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS INVESTED IN JUST TWO WEEKS? Yes, I mean the budget was tiny in comparison to films made in the US or UK and so on, but here the best way to make it was that it is so profitable that the economics have to be right. So were making an experimental film that could go either way and at such a small cost that you know that you can never be a loser, so my idea was let’s make such a small budget film that my producer will literally be laughing all the way to the bank, even if it makes double and so that he will want to make a second film with me. So my gamble paid off, and so after my film was released you would be surprised how many producers were lining up saying “oh we want to produce the same formula”! The thing is they don’t actually care what kind of film I’m making; because a lot of them are difficult business men and they say “oh we have this amount of budget” just go and make the film of your choice. So for them they don’t really care about the creativity.

IRONICALLY, IT DOES SOUND AS THOUGH YOU HAVE CHANCES THERE, THAT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE IN EUROPEAN AND US FILMMAKING? Absolutely, I’m glad that you mentioned that and that’s one of the reasons that I ended up coming back to make a film in India!

Unfortunately, or fortunately India celebrates mediocrity in many ways, so here if your even average in your talent you can become a superhero, and in the West you can be a super talented person and you never get the chance that you deserve. So in India, where you have these people working in the film industry, they may not have the talent, but they have the power. So here an example of mediocrity is where you are only being given a chance because you are the son or daughter of so and so and of course you do have a huge amount of talented people in India. So here if you’re just a little bit smart, you can actually make it big and this why a lot of Indians have come back because they realise there is so much opportunity, not just in films but in “Start-Up’s”, with entrepreneurial chances, tech industries and so on.

SO YOU HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH YOUR FILMMAKING, COULD YOU EVER STOP DOING THIS – IS THIS YOUR GOAL NOW? It is, but there is a flip side. I have spent between three and five years making this film, from the original concept to actually finishing it and the entire journey was a crazy journey.

You know I had all sorts of problems with producers that for instance would leave me hanging around, or would just want to have a good time, or want to shoot in Bangkok (!), which we did and that became a nightmare where half the cast and crew were literally stuck for over a month (I fortunately wasn’t there) and also cheques started bouncing and one producer even took off as he ran out of money. So as you know I finally found the producer Yusuf Shaikh who came up with the money and who said “can you make the film for this amount”? Which was less than we FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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had originally planned for so I said yes, I can do it and actually worked my way backwards where normally, you know the budget, and write to that budget but this way around it was the exact opposite! Then of course I had to make compromises in order to shoot, such as hiring theatre actors who wouldn’t for instance need too many re-takes and had to use the furniture from my own house and then I had to choose a production guy that wouldn’t try to steal on the side, I mean seriously I had so many things to think about. But even with the compromises I thought “f**k it, you know what Yusuf has given me the chance and I have start from somewhere, let me do it”!

YOU HAD SOME PROBLEMS ACTUALLY HAVING YOUR FILM SHOWN – HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO HAVE IT SEEN BY A LARGE AUDIENCE? Because of the system we have in India we had real problems trying to get the film shown, and I actually protested and in fact it’s the first time that I know of where a film director had done this in India. So here we have the single screens and they are generally reserved for the bigger films, the blockbusters and so on. Then your offbeat films, lower budget films and independents, there shown at the Multiplexes. So I already knew that Sabki Bajegi Band would not be shown at the single screens so suddenly, half of the theatres would not show my film and even if they did show the film at a Multiplex, if they then decided to show a blockbuster your film would get kind of squashed out! On top of this if you did get a showing it would only be once a day and often at an abominable time, maybe early in the morning so it was all a huge issue for us. So this is all killing my movie, even before it’s released so then I decided, quite spontaneously, that I would protest because over a number of years I realised that a lot of filmmakers are facing the same issue and whilst a lot of them complained about it, no one would do anything. And I wasn’t prepared to do that and told my producer that at the very least it would get us some good coverage. So I went out there with my placard’s and banners and in a period of just two or three days all of a sudden, other independent filmmakers started turning up to support me.

It was brilliant and they all started to recount their horror stories to me and the media and it did change things and suddenly my film was being shown twice a day in the Multiplexes. Then of course, we also had problems with the censors, and I think the thing that they had the most issue with was women talking so openly about sex! I told them that’s just the way it is now days but fortunately, the advisory committee in India (which is like a second tier) are more broadminded, they simply removed two small parts and that’s the only cuts that we had to make for a general release.

Also, because of the way the critics align themselves with certain movie stars in India, I decided to start a social media campaign on Facebook and so on to counter any biased reviews which worked really well and went viral very quickly, as in India were so plugged into the internet and our Smartphone’s that in a sense it doesn’t matter what the critics say and it really helped our film, I mean in Bombay the film ran for 9-weeks, it was a huge thing for us – almost unheard of in India! Also, the wonderful part for me was the amount of people that came up to me after they had seen my film that were able to say to me how profound it was that we had managed to present gay people in such a non-caricature way and that was deliberate on my part as I didn’t want to stereotype anyone.

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WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT YOU DIDN’T JUST WANT TO MAKE A FILM, BUT TO ALSO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? Yes, absolutely, there is one line which is “To get people in India to talk about sex” and everything else is like an offshoot of that.

Whether its women who are unhappy with their relationship or a gay man that wants to come out of the closet or a couple who have an open marriage and so on.

FINALLY, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, HAS MAKING THIS FIRST FILM MET YOUR EXPECTATIONS? So in many ways of course I feel blessed, and I thank God every day. To have your own (first) film shown in a Multiplex, on your own terms without any creative interference, to be appreciated, to have your festival to appreciate this, that for me is terrific. So there are, not regrets, but maybe wishful thinking like if I had a bit more time or if I had a large corporate backer my film would have been in front of a bigger audience, not because of the money but because of the reach. But you know what it’s my first film so those kinds of things are a little frustrating but also it’s been incredibly exciting!

Run Time 108 Mins THE PHOTOGRAPHS ON THESE PAGES ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “SABKI BAJEGI BAND”.

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Emma Mills, 25, recently relocates from Alabama to NYC to pursue a career in journalism. She’s been recruited by a long time family friend and mentor to freelance for his new start-up Style/Culture weekly magazine, “Urban Local”. One morning Emma is surprised by a small adorable dog left on her doorstep with a note attached to his collar.

Her life comes to a “Barking Halt”.... Meet Herman, a 4 lb adorable mixed breed. Her best friend and colleague suggests a visit to the Dog Park, a world unbeknownst to Emma.

STAGES Writer/Director/Producer: Adam Ozozturk

SYNOPSIS The stages of grief do not occur in any order and resisting it will only prolong them. A young ambitious stock broker must come to terms with these stages, after being told that his boyfriend was killed in a hit and run incident. His pain is now a fuel to his obsession for finding the truth, while trying to avoid one of the Met’s most persistent detectives.

Run Time 12 Mins

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT The film is very loosely based on my life around the time I lost my mother, I was 21 and it had a massive effect on me.

Looking back on that time of my life I realised I was going through the stages of grief.

On further reading about these stages it fascinated me as I can recall that they weren’t in any order, you would jump from one to another, and it would last for months.

The experience has stayed with me and inspired me to make this film. My vision was to make a film about these stages but not too obviously, I wanted the film to have characters, narrative and of course, a twist.

My anger drove me mad because there was no one I could blame, although it just happens that at the time everyone was to blame. The type of anger and heartache I was feeling could drive anyone to despair and this was the outline to the film and all the emotions that keep it together.

“Stages” was a real pleasure to work on, alongside a great cast and sound recordist. I really enjoyed taking on the extra roles as it was a challenge and a great experience.

Run Time 20 Mins

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THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION FEATURE STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “LIFE ON A LEASH”.

Director: Thiago Dadalt Creator : Dru Miller

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION FEATURE STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “STAGES”.

LIFE ON A LEASH

This Dog Park sub-culture is the most diverse, unique environment she’s ever experienced. She encounters dog walkers, psychiatrists, socialites, and even male strippers! These encounters and experiences at the Dog Park spark an idea to write a weekly column about these new friendships, romantic crushes, and the array of characters that are both humorous and heart-warming.

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UNIQUE CREATIVE VISION Creative Motion Pictures is proud to present #66, the latest action thriller from award winning director Asun Mawardi. #66 tells the story of an assassin-for-hire, who is hired to kill a police informant, but instead steals the money and runs, igniting the spark that leads a criminal organization to go to war with itself.

Asun Mawardi’s focus as a director is to create action adventures with an extra emphasis on plot, well-rounded characters, and philosophic battles as flawed protagonists struggle to overcome extreme challenges from outside forces and from within. This focus tends to captivate audiences with humanist tales of struggle that highlight the best in people while they battle inner and outer demons.

Creative Motion Pictures and Asun Mawardi are excited to return to the International Filmmaker Festival this year with their latest production. #66 has been nominated for four awards at this year’s festival in the Foreign Language Feature Film Categories, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Sound Design and Best Costumes.

DIRECTOR TURNED ACTOR In this latest project, Asun Mawardi tackles the challenges of directing as well as taking on lead acting responsibilities. Mawardi serves at the titular character, #66, and has broadened his acting abilities and includes performing his own action stunts.

FILM PRODUCTION GOALS CMP is a creative and dynamic independent production company that develops and produces high-quality entertainment content across all facets of film and new media for the domestic and international market. CMP films are dedicated to bridging “the gap of understanding between the East and West.”

Every project maintains a unique voice while telling a great story.

Run Time 116 Mins

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “#66”.

Writer: Matthew Fischer Director: Asun Mawardi

Run Time 16 Mins

ALL IMAGES IN THIS SECTION ARE PART OF THE SHORT FILM “NO WOMAN’S FACE REMEMBER”.

#66

CREATIVE TEAM SUCCESS #66 marks the second collaboration between Asun Mawardi and American screenwriter Matthew Fischer. Their previous endeavor, Pirate Brothers, was an official selection at the 2012 International Filmmaker Festival, and won four awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Main Lead. Pirate Brothers, was released through Lionsgate, and retitled as Mortal Enemies.

c-m-p.us

NO WOMAN’S FACE REMEMBER Writer/Director: Chuck Griffith Producer: Lou Peterson

THE FILM No Woman’s Face Remember is an inverse take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which a 22 year old young woman seeks to get out of her deserted Central California town during an economic apocalypse caused by drought. Inspired by classic Italian Cinema, the eerie universe of our three characters is isolated on a metaphoric desert island -- a mirage from any future for them.

THE DIRECTOR After taking a 15-year break from filmmaking, I felt that I had a more mature story to tell; my first feature was ‘Thank You, Good Night’ (2001), starring Mark Hamill, Star Wars, and Christian Campbell, Reefer Madness. In order to put this vision together, I took what I had for retirement and threw it into investing in this story. This short film is a proof-ofconcept for a feature film version that I’m still working on.

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A TALE WITH CHRIST AND JESUS A FILM BY OLDREN ROMERO

By Genevieve K. Howe “A Tale with Christ and Jesus” is a beautifully filmed commentary on the best and worst of humankind. In contemporary Cuba, two men fall passionately in love and commit to being together forever. Yet, the guts of this densely-packed homage to the arts are an unflinching attack on societal intolerance’s, and the absence of humanity wherever they lead to vilification or rejection of people who are different for any reason at all.

Oldren Romero (“Bad Luck”), a talented director, writer, actor and producer, tells his tale of Christ and Jesus through the hard realities of life in Cuba and through idyllic fantasies. His elegant film integrates religious symbols, romantic poetry, renaissance paintings, music, and the art of photography to reveal a unique cinematic experience.

“Anyone who carries the burdens of chronic suffering,” according to Oldren Romero, “is a Christ.”

Featuring: Hector Medina (Boleto al Paraíso / Ticket to Paradise), Dayron Moreno (Los Desastres de la Guerra / The Disasters of War), and a special performance by Laura de la Uz (Vestido de Novia / The Bride’s Dress).

Mr. Romero can be contacted at oldrencillo@yahoo.com or on Facebook at “Oldren Angel” or “O Man Productions.”

Run Time 30 Mins

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THE IMAGES ON THIS PAGE ARE STILLS TAKEN FROM THE FILM “A TALE WITH CHRIST AND JESUS”.

The story is by turns tragic and comedic, desolate and jubilant, despairing and hopeful. It illuminates the elevating powers of unquestioning acceptance and love, and the destructive powers of intolerance and hatred. As if that were not enough, the film soundly condemns the lowest of human behaviors, including the sexual abuse of children, while honoring the internal strength of those who suffer life-long pains inflicted upon them by others.

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Paloma Lommel, writer and director of the short film The Schoolboy, is based in London and recently graduated from the Met Film School at the Ealing Studios with a Bachelor of Arts in Practical Filmmaking and a Master of Arts in Directing. Her BA short film Little Hurricane was selected at the prestigious Aesthetica Film Festival in York in 2014, where she also directed Sir Ian McKellen for Stonewall’s 25th Anniversary video. She produced, wrote and directed a variety of short films and art directed a feature film.

In 2009, she watched the academy award-winning documentary “Bowling for Columbine”

by Michael Moore for the very first time and started a research on Columbine. This triggered her interest in making a film one day about a similar theme. For her MA graduation research and production, she finally decided to write the story and direct her script The Schoolboy. She developed different elements for the idea of the film at least one year before actually writing the script. Most of it came together when she wrote the piece during a few quiet summer nights.

The film depicts the traumatic experience of a college ex-teacher and it is of such high relevance because of what is happening in the world at the moment. The student project had a very low-budget and was shot in limited time due to locations restrictions. Charlie Heaton, who plays the supporting Michael Stevens in the film, went on to act in films such as “Shut In” and “As You Are” – both of which are due for release this year. The film screens at the London IFF on February 24th at 14:50 in Room 1 and is nominated for Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and the Jury Award. www.palomalommel.com Run Time 20 Mins

METAMORPHOSIS Writer/Director: Elaine Xia

Born in Hong Kong, raised on the Chinese mainland, then educated and now living in Los Angeles, Elaine Xia is a young filmmaker with a global perspective and a unique voice. And as her debut post-graduate short film, “Metamorphosis”, ably demonstrates, it’s a voice that isn’t afraid to speak to dark truths. “’Metamorphosis’ is based on a true story that happened in Hong Kong in the 1990s”, says Xia. “I first heard about this woman’s crime when I was young, and it made a big impression on me.

Years later, when I was deciding to shoot my own film instead of only working as an editor after graduation from film school, I remembered this story. So I worked with my screenwriter friend, Feiyang Sun, to create our own story that was inspired by the true one because we wanted to show that life and revenge is karma.”

Once the script was ready, Xia assembled a solid team of both film students and industry professionals to help her with the production.

Physical pre-production proceeded smoothly, but creatively, there were still several unique challenges to making the film that Xia saw in her head.

The film is loosely set in the same world of the original story - 1990s Hong Kong - but was shot in 2015 Los Angeles, so Xia and her team had to find locations and create production / lighting design plans that best suggested that mood. A bigger challenge was the reality that most Chinese in the West speak Mandarin, the common Chinese language, but the primary Hong Kong language is Cantonese. After finding very few native Cantonese speaking actors in L.A. to choose from, Xia decided to simply cast the people she felt were best for the various roles regardless of their mother language, and then teach them a little of the language herself - phonetically, one syllable at a time which she ultimately did with the character Phoebe the lover and Albert the daughter.

What’s next for Xia? “Feature films! I’ve been really lucky that “Metamorphosis” has gotten a little bit of attention, and I’m excited to take the lessons I’ve learned on this last film to go on and make a feature film next.”

Run Time 15 Mins

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THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION FEATURE STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “THE SCHOOLBOY”.

Writer/Director: Paloma Lommel

THIS SECTION FEATURES IMAGES FROM THE FILM ”METAMORPHOSIS”.

THE SCHOOLBOY

Her MA graduation film The Schoolboy -the story deals with survivor’s guilt trauma - has won 14 awards in the US and has been part of the official selection at 22 festivals in 2015.

The film was very well received from audiences around the world and especially in America.

Paloma cares deeply about the style of her storytelling and her subjects; therefore it took her a long time to research the theme and her characters carefully.

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Writer/Director: Federico Olivetti

Here, FTM poses some questions to Federico Olivetti, the Director of the thought provoking film “The Guest”.

HOW WAS THE FILM CONCEIVED? When Sergio Cremasco, the producer, asked me to make a short film, I had no doubts about what I wanted to do. I had worked for a year as a playwright for one of Peter Stein’s theatre productions: Dostoevsky’s Demons. I had been strongly impressed by the savagery and beauty of one specific part of this novel: Stavrogin’s confession and so the screenplay was taken from this chapter.

HOW DID YOU CAST THE FILM? It was quite difficult to find an actress for the role of Orsola, the raped teenager and I met a strong resistance from the mothers. When I met the daughter of a screenwriter friend of mine I thought I had found my actress. The mother is a screenwriter, I thought, she will understand... I told her the story, but she, too, proved unwilling. A few months later, she invited me to a party. She introduced a girl to me, asking what I thought of her for the role of Orsola. I thought that she was perfect. She asked me: “How old do you think she is?” I answered that she could not be older than 16. I asked the girl if she was interested and she was enthusiastic about the opportunity. I learned later that it had all been organised in advance. My screenwriter friend invited a young 23 years old actress to the party, telling her to dress as a sixteen year old and I fell for it. I am very happy now that the role was played by a 23 year old. She could maintain a distance and play the part with irony.

AFTER FINISHING THE FILM, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD NOW CHANGE? In truth, the changes were made six months after the first post-production phase. I showed the film to some producer and director friends, and one of them in particular, a director, urged me to rework it, to eliminate the voice-over and to write a different ending. I followed his suggestions and I asked for three more days of shooting. I cut four scenes and added eight new ones.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. I learned the art of cinema from Olmi and at NYU. I did not learn it on set, working as an assistant director and in fact, on set there is no time to learn.

The only thing you can learn on set is the rigour. To me, learning means understanding that there is not one specific cinematic language, but many different cinematic languages; understanding which is the correct one for every film and every individual scene. You can learn this on your own, with practice, obviously, or at school. Somehow, on set you are supposed to be ready, to already know.

Even though no one is ever truly ready.

When I came back from America I realised that I did not know anything about directing actors and not so much about dramaturgy. I learned how to direct actors and dramaturgy in the theatre.

The theatre was my true apprenticeship.

I had the honour and privilege to work with excellent directors: Ronconi, Stein, Vassiliev. And to this day, when I have a problem to solve, I ask myself how they would have solved it.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PRODUCTION OF THE FILM? Everything started thanks to Facebook.

Sergio Cremasco, who had been the Director of Photography in a short film I directed at the University and whom I had lost track of, wrote a message on my Facebook page, telling me that he had started a small film studio and asked if we could to do something together and so we started shooting a couple of months later.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO SHOOT AND WERE THERE AND PROBLEMS MAKING THE FILM? The movie was shot in eight days: five plus three. There were no significant problems. I rehearsed with the actors for two weeks. Ilaria Natali, who played the role of Orsola, took a playful approach and brought some lightness on set, compensating for the lack of it in the script. As Peter Book says; a show, any show, must be experienced as a game, a serious, professional game, but a game nonetheless.

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Run Time 19 Mins

THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THIS PAGE FEATURES FEDERICO OLIVETTI, THE DIRECTOR OF “THE GUEST”.

THE GUEST

This makes it possible to keep a lucid distance from the subject and to feel love and compassion for all characters, including the worst ones, without judging them.

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Writer/Director/Producer: Alejandro Itkin Co-Director Hunter Carson An interview with “Alejandro Itkin” the filmmaker behind “Single in South Beach”.

When Alejandro moved to the US he spoke no English and so, making a film was the furthest thing from his mind. His first job was as a “bus boy”, one of those boys that brings the water and cleans tables at restaurants.

Soon after he quit that job, then got into the educational video-tape industry, where he then taught people English. Now 25 year later, he literally stumbled into a script contest and decided to write one and present it.

However, that script had great potential. He presented it to a few producers, managed to find an “angel” as a casting director, got Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, Soul Surfer) to star in it, and the rest was history. Single in South Beach was born, which Alejandro wrote, produced and directed.

A film about relationships and money, Single in South Beach is highly entertaining and controversial. Be prepared to have an argument after the film as it divides opinion.

The film has won Best feature at the Toronto Beaches Film Festival and Best Music in Film at the Marbella International Film Festival.

Run Time 87 Mins

STRONGBOY

Strongboy is the tale of a brawling icon who rejects his power, and in turn slips into madness.

His journey is a mysterious one. But like all endeavors, there are rationalizations to his saga.

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION FEATURE STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “SINGLE IN SOUTH BEACH”.

SINGLE IN SOUTH BEACH

At the time, he had no idea how to write a script or even the format that it should be in.

The purpose of art is to spark that sense of awe, to push the audience into a game of analysis and pleasure. We hope to have accomplished that with our film.

Writer/Director: Keon Hedayti

Einstein says that “the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.”

Run Time 17 Mins

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THIS SECTION FEATURES STILLS FROM THE FILM ”STRONGBOY”.

As human beings, we are destined to rationalize - the mysterious is that element which bypasses our abilities to understand the universe. It goes beyond our rationalizations; we marvel over it because our minds cannot comprehend what goes into its existence. Fire was once thought to be magic because we could not rationalize its essence. But as we advance, the more we are able to comprehend-the pursuit of awe is what makes us human, and also divine.

It is the driving force of our progression.

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HANNAH BUDDHISM’S UNTOLD JOURNEY In 2009, Marta György Kessler and Adam Penny began the journey to make a film about how 60’s wild child Hannah Nydahl and her husband turned into the biggest Tibetan Buddhist pioneers of the 20th Century.

Little did they know how far the project would push them and here Marta and Adam - the co-directors, co-writers and co-executive producers of this film - share the remarkable background to this profound documentary.

Marta: “Nine months,” he told me.

(Laughs.)

Adam: That’s right! That’s how long I thought it would take to make this documentary. I thought, well…a few interviews…a bit of editing… How wrong I was! (laughs). It ended up taking 5 years!

WHY DID YOU MAKE ‘HANNAH’?

Marta: Well, Hannah was an extraordinary woman who changed the lives of thousands of people around the world through her understanding of Buddhism. I was close to Hannah and travelled with her a lot over many years. So, we spent a lot of time together, especially during her last months.

After Hannah died in 2007, people asked me to give talks about her. I’d been a Buddhist Teacher for a while by then, and I realized there was such a strong interest in her as a person. She was so unique. So I decided I wanted to share her inspirational life story.

Adam: Marta came to me to ask for my advice on how to make a documentary. At the time she was thinking about whether it should be a documentary or a book. I’d been running a production company in London for about 9 years. And I leapt on it.

I’d been practising Buddhism for about 4 years and I thought it would be an amazing chance to get closer to a subject that I loved. I’d produced a fair few documentaries for TV, but nothing of this scale. It was a completely different experience to anything I’d done before. I remember a few years ago a seasoned film maker saying to me “Whatever you do, make a movie that will change your life. Then, even if it doesn’t go anywhere, at least you will have changed your life.” I think that is a great approach, so we started.

WHY WAS HANNAH NYDAHL SO UNIQUE? Marta: I think Hannah was unique for a lot of reasons. She was very simple and extraordinarily humble. Hannah was a Buddhist scholar, a highly developed practitioner and an authorized Lama. Everybody - every Lama, every high teacher we talked to - commented on how Hannah embodied the Buddhist teachings in how she lived her life. That isn’t as easy as it sounds. She and Ole (her husband) managed to take the essential nature of the Buddhist teachings and help people understand their relevance

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in all the cultures that they visited, inspiring thousands of people. And they weren’t going to easy comfortable places. They were in Poland and Russia when Communism was breaking down; they were kidnapped by guerillas in South America. They went to wild places where they wanted to make a difference.

HOW DID YOU TURN HER LIFE INTO A FILM? Marta: I think first of all, we wanted to create something different to the usual Buddhist documentaries that we had seen.

We didn’t want anything too pious or sacred. We wanted to create something that showed the vitality and freedom that this kind of Buddhism gives.

And with this Hannah also inspired thousands of women all over the world. Not only was she a supportive friend to many of us, she was also hard working and quite frankly the coolest girl I’d ever met. Strong and hardy, but still so feminine. Additionally she spent a lot of time as a woman in a man’s world. The Tibetan Buddhist world is incredibly male dominated, but she was able to gain the trust and respect of the Lamas there.

Adam: That’s right, we didn’t want people just telling us nice stories, we wanted to give the audience a real feeling for her journey; a feeling for who Hannah was and a feeling for the incredible world that she had been a part of.

Adam: I think part of that was Hannah’s ability as a translator of Tibetan teachings.

Again this is something that sounds easy, but you are talking about very deep texts on meditation practices and the nature of perception. And she had such a deep understanding of it.

Marta: Even Hannah’s death was extraordinary. I remember her body was riddled with cancer but because of her Buddhist practice, she kept remarkably conscious. It was fascinating to see what the power of the mind can do.

Hannah had been a wild child of the 60’s.

Part of what we wanted to show was what happened to that wildness and idealism that people had. How did it grow and change over the next 50 years?

Marta: We researched for about a year. We watched films, read books, and listened to recordings we found of Hannah. We discussed a lot.

Adam: We also had to make sure we had the stories right. There were so many different levels of her life, on top of the view of Hannah as a character, which spanned over 60 years and several continents. What was happening on the world stage? What was happening on the Buddhist stage? What was happening in terms of women’s roles where Hannah was concerned?

And then Marta had this idea that Hannah should tell her own story in this film. And I just thought it was a fantastic idea.

TELL US ABOUT THE TEAM THAT YOU ASSEMBLED? Adam: We were lucky to work with a wonderful Director of Photography, Guy Nisbett, who I have worked with for many years. He has a history directing music videos and fashion photography, so we got a look to the film that was incredibly rich and allowed people to really dive into the journey.

Marta: This was before Senna had come out and done a similar thing. We knew that there were a lot of recordings of Hannah that existed, so it was a possibility it would work. It turned into a bit of a blessing and a curse. To have her voice come through was amazing, but it made it difficult to get the film to feel objective. It’s always her voice, her experience that comes through.

Marta: Then there were our two editors.

We had a fantastic Australian editor, Hamish Lyons, who broke the back of the film over about 30 to 40 weeks of editing.

And for the final 15 weeks we had the very experienced editor Simon Barker, who was shortlisted for an Oscar while we were working. It was an honor to see how his mind pieced together the story.

Adam: We ended up shooting for around two and a half years. We filmed in Kathmandu, Delhi, Darjeeling, Sonada, Hong Kong, Germany and of course Denmark, where Hannah is from. We did about 60 interviews with people, the shortest being about 20 minutes and the longest being 2 days.

Adam: Then there were the composers Chris Hill and Tom Hickox who did a phenomenal job. Their music took the film to another dimension.

We did a lot of work on the story before we even started to film. We had this interlinking matrix that covered it all. Then it was a case of working out who we wanted to interview and what we wanted to show to give us the fabric of our film.

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHER FIRST-TIME DOCUMENTARY MAKERS? Marta: My advice as a first time director is trust the more experienced ones, but at the same time stay with your own vision and follow it. You might find yourself creating something that has never been made before!

Adam: It’s a marathon, it really is. If you are going to do it for 5 years, be prepared to be lost and found again and again. There is this great quote from a documentary on Pixar that came out a few years ago - “pain is temporary but film is forever.” And I guess that was the feeling. “Just keep going, guys! Just keep going.” Because it might be painful now, but once this is done…that’s it! THAT. IS. IT. And not just now, but for the next 30, 40, 50 years or however long the film stays around.

Marta: And on top of that we had enormous support from all over the world.

From friends and Buddhists who knew Hannah and thought it was important that this story was told. This really kept us going. They helped in so many ways – translating, transcribing, finding photos, footage, audio recordings and of course helping to finance the project.

Last but by no means least we had amazing support from the Tibetan Lamas and of course Lama Ole, her husband, who was incredibly generous with his time and support.

ALL IMAGES ON THESE PAGES ARE PART OF THE FILM “HANNAH: BUDDHISM’S UNTOLD JOURNEY”.

Adam: The most wonderful surprise came when we did a “Kickstarter” campaign for the final push. We raised around £54,000 in 5 weeks, which blew us away. People’s generosity was incredibly moving.

Run Time 90 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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Director: Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio Producer: Ferdinand Lapuz, Baby Go, Romeo Lindain & Dennis Evangelista.

Luisito Lagdameo Ignacio is a Filipino filmmaker who has been making recent strides in his shift into independent cinema. His directorial accomplishments and sensibilities were first established and took firm ground in his years of work both in television and the music industry as the go-to director for music videos, talk and even variety shows.

Whilst his television career taught him the most and developed his command for both his technical and artistic craft, Ignacio now continues to consolidate his reputation as an able auteur. Clearly, his aims and desire are to be simple, yet profound in the manner he weaves his stories and explore the way that images can produce meaning and provide such space where probing conversation and personal reflections can take place.

When Luisito started turning toward independent cinema he had always had interest in cultural issues and traditions which he focused on and keenly explored. What he had in mind is to introduce narratives built into the different diverse communities and lives that co-exist in his country which historically is a diverse nation of huge complexity and social divisions.

His first independent film, Asintado gave him more critical space and awareness as a director and his next films Laut and Childhaus also became a reflection of his identity as a Filipino and the complex social realities which he surrounds himself and the very environment that moves him to create, re-imagine things and respond through his films.

Laut , his richly textured film about the displaced sea gypsies of the southern Philippines, made a significant marks at the 2016 Festival of World Cinema in London where it is nominated in various categories.

It has also made its way as a competing film in the 36th Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal and was the opening film at the 5th Singkwento International Film Festival in Manila early this month.

Both ChildHaus and Laut were produced by Ms. Baby Go of BG Productions International while Asintado was an official selection of the 2014 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

Run Time 84 Mins

THE WAY OUT

THE PHOTOGRAPH IN THIS SECTION WAS TAKEN FROM THE FILM ”LAUT”.

LAUT

He did this in ways that allow metaphor and visual approaches to take shape and sharply compliment with real things and situations.

Writer/Director/Producer: Mikhail Uchitelev

This film’s story goes back to WWII to a city occupied by the Nazis, revealing the main characters in the most delicate way. Two worlds are in constant conflict: the world of murder conducted by an SS officer and the world of art squeezed onto an isolated isle an opera theatre. In the middle of it all stands an opera diva, a Jewess who became the most wanted in that world of murder where her fatal destiny is predefined, but the world of the art cannot sacrifice her.

The leading role is played by Elina Amromina - an opera director, graduate of St. Petersburg Conservatory, and soprano herself. Elina comments: “This role allowed me not only play the main character as an actress but also gave me the opportunity to provide the singing voice for my character. Yet, I would say that the main character in the film actually is the Theatre, rather than the actors... The Theatre is the romantic and exalted “character” somewhat addicted to music, and it is no surprise that there is an abundance of beautiful music in the film.” Director Mikhail Uchitelev added: “I was inspired by true documents of the time to explore the possibilities of Art, to discover if it could withstand an assault of evil and really save one’s life.” He elaborates by explaining the main idea behind his work: “We’ve tried to say that hope should never be neglected and a rescuing hand could help even in “a no way out” situation.”

Run Time 33 Mins

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THIS SECTION FEATURES STILLS FROM THE FILM ”THE WAY OUT”.

Beautifully shot, this intense drama was filmed by Mikhail Uchitelev, student of Oscar-Prize Winner Vladimir Menshov, unfolds into a vivid and thrilling story that feels like a feature, but is actually framed into a short film format.

CHILDREN & AMERICA Director: Ranjit Koka Narrator: Aaron Koka

THIS PAGE FEATURES AN ADVERT AND PHOTOGRAGHS THAT WERE TAKEN DURING THE MAKING OF THE DOCUMENTARY “CHILDREN & AMERICA”.

SYNOPSIS A 4th grader analyzes children’s issues related to Schools/Education, Devices/Technology, Health/Environment, Guns/Background Checks, Wars/ Drones, 9/11 First Responders and Congress & Politics. He meets different people, including members of the US Congress, asking some important questions and pushing them for action to implement laws and policy to help children and solve children’s issues.

Ranjit Koka, the filmmaker behind Children and America gives us a brief background to this project and the making of this film: Children will be living in a planet that is more polluted and toxic and filled with more hatred and violence. The idea behind this documentary comes from more than three years ago when our Congress did nothing after the school children were murdered in Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown. As a filmmaker, I analyzed every issue that is related to children and put this documentary together with the help of a fourth grader who narrated the story asking serious questions and pushing for change.

We travelled to many places including Washington, D.C, New York, Philadelphia and Dallas during the making of this film.

Also and again as the filmmaker, I was responsible for starting this project from a piece of white paper to my role as cameraman, editor, producer and director. I sincerely thank everyone who are part of this project for their contribution and support. It was truly an honor to work with them.

Run Time 91 Mins

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LONG WAY DOWN Director/Producer: Ashley Harris

“Ronnie wants his life back; but on the same hand, he wants it to end.”

As Ronnie contemplates his fate, we are introduced to the politically incorrect Angel who has been sent to intervene. As a battle of wills ensues, we discover more about our two characters and what has led them to this moment of desperation.

This statement alone encapsulates the dilemma in which our protagonist finds himself in as he straddles the edge of a towering skyscraper. Having led a privileged life as a respected barrister, loving husband and doting father, Ronnie now contemplates the greatest question of all- should he live, or should he die?

Shot on location over two consecutive nights above the Mantra Hotel in central Melbourne, Australia, this unique 25th storey rooftop setting presented a variety of practical and logistical challenges. Like many film sets, time was of the essence, particularly when capturing the closing moments during “magic hour” as the sun rose in the morning.

Yet perhaps the greatest testament to the creative team was the ability to epitomise the clear and present dangers embedded in the storyline by placing the actors on the actual edge of the building. By doing so, it provided an all too realistic appreciation of Ronnie’s predicament as they peered toward the depths below.

By delving into the project wholeheartedly, Director / Producer Ash Harris has delivered an emotive and foreboding depiction of the struggle to find solace in the aftermath of self-destruction. www.longwaydown.com.au Run Time 11 Mins

Director: Ludwig Ciupka

FTM were lucky enough to have a short chat with both Producer Dominic Tremblay and Director Ludwig Ciupka about the making of this excellent feature.

THIS IS QUITE A THOUGHT PROVOKING FILM, IS THIS AS A RESULT OF SOMETHING THAT YOU EXPERIENCED? LC/DT: It all started with the purchase of a country house (the very one shot in the film).

The house gave us a new perspective on our own lives and connected us to a more meaningful way of living. At some point, we even thought of taking the house ‘off the grid’ and to document it all, but we didn’t have the guts to do it. We decided we’d be more comfortable exploring the idea through someone else.

an actor holding a phone! And normally using a phone you would just pick it up and turn it around and so on and that’s what we had to go with, so we would look at the monitor and we would be like “well it looks real” but it didn’t really look like anything that we knew, we didn’t have a point of reference but of course we had to adapt to that and in fact it was a very interesting part of making this film.

WHAT ABOUT ACTUALLY SHOOTING THE FILM HOW DID THAT WORK? LC/DT: Well normally in advertising you end up using big cameras with a huge team behind it and in this case of course, it often came down to

www.ifeelmovie.com Run Time 81 Mins

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THIS SECTION FEATURES PRODUCTION IMAGES FROM THE FILM “iFEEL”.

i F E E L

SO YOU WANTED TO TRY AND REPLICATE THIS ON FILM, WHAT WAS THE NEXT STEP? LC/DT: We wanted to do it ourselves and we decided that we wanted to do a fiction out of it, but the thing is it’s hard to connect with a fiction in the way that you would with a documentary, but then we thought that we would do it as a happy medium, let’s do it as a fiction that looks like a documentary, but in a way that picks up a pace, that becomes more entertaining. So a hybrid with people wondering is this guy a real guy and so it had to be shot in a way that he could have shot it and that’s how the film ended up looking the way it did.

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION FEATURE STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “LONG WAY DOWN”.

Long Way Down, an intensely dark yet humorous 11 minute exploration of one man’s psychological trauma following a personal tragedy, skilfully balances the tilt of what drives a man to the depths of suicide against what it will take to save him. It has been carefully crafted to draw the audience into a world often obscured in modern society.

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LONDON

2015

INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA LONDON

OFFICIAL NOMINATION COMPETITION

BEST SCRIPT

FILM FESTIVAL

HONOURABLE MENTION

INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMA LONDON

BEST SCRIPT

IFAB INTERNATIONAL

MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVALMONTREAL WORLD

MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

NOMINATION

NOMINATION

OFFICIAL FILM AWARDS BERLIN WINNER INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FILMMAKER FESTIVAL 2015 OF WORLD CINEMA HONOURABLE MENTION

2015 OFFICIAL WINNER COMPETITION

INTERNATIO MAKER FES NOMINAT BEST ACTOR WINNER WORLD INTERNATIONAL LOND BEST DIREC FILMMAKER FESTIVAL OF WORLD CINEMAHONOURABLE MENT

NOMINATION

OFFICIAL OFFICIAL COMPETITION 2015 COMPETITION

OFFICIAL COMPETITION

BEST DIR

HONOURABLE MENTION

MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

2015

NOMIN

WINNER

NOMINATION BEST NARRATIVE SHORT

FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016 OFFICIAL SELECTION

FARGO FILM FESTIVAL

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OFFICIAL SELECTION

SHORTS AND INDEPENDANT SELECTIONS

DHAKA INTERNATIONAL

Writer: Mark Benmore Director: Elisa Kujala Editor: Tuan Hong

A woman is caught up in a tumultuous relationship and plunges into a cycle of adoration and violence.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Inductions is a short film about a tumultuous and passionate relationship which is doomed to fail.

We wanted to take part in the Colchester 60 hours Short Film challenge and we were bouncing ideas with the London Short Film Group. The only idea that really caught my eye was Mark Benmore’s script on domestic violence. The script was fast paced and I liked the way we jumped from present to the past.

However the actual foundation of the film was created in the edit with the editor Tuan Hong, where we were really able to play around with the film’s structure.

OTA BENGA

To me the topic is important because to be able to fight against domestic violence we also need to see why it’s so hard for the victims to walk away from the situation. To somebody who’s never experienced a violent relationship it’s hard to think any reason why you wouldn’t just leave the relationship behind if it’s hurting you. With this film I wanted to point out the many sides of the victim-perpetrator relationship; you can be so attached to the world you’ve created that there’s no place to escape to.

As a director I always battle with challenging themes and I’m keen on learning more about what makes people do violent things to the people they love and the physiological reasons behind it.

Did something happen in their childhood that made them turn cold and have a lack of empathy? It’s a motif I find myself drawn to.

For more information Please contact: team@londonshortfilm.com Run Time 5 Mins

THIS SECTION FEATURES STILLS FROM THE SHORT FILM “INDUCTIONS”.

INDUCTIONS

I think the viewpoint of the script, Jess’s point of view, was an important aspect of the film. I wanted the viewer to see how alluring James could be and how easily you can fall in love with someone who’s still unknown and yet to be uncovered.

The adoration that brought these people together makes both of them blind to the obstacles ahead. Whether it was only physical attraction or true chemistry that brought Jess and James together, it still mostly driven by the fear of losing the person she loves the same way she lost her mother to cancer.

Director: Niyi Coker Jr. & Jean Bodon Producer: Jean Bodon

In their eyes, here was Darwin’s theory of evolution in substance. A hundred years after this event, we can look back now and ponder how it came to be that in the United States a human being was actually housed with primates. Several argued then, as some would today that such an action has nothing to do with race.

www.otabengathedocumentaryfilm.com Run Time 55 Mins

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FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

THIS SECTION FEAURES IMAGES TAKEN FROM THE FILM “OTA BENGA”.

In 1904 a man was removed from Africa and brought to the Saint Louis Missouri for display at the Worlds Fair as evidence of an inferior species. At the end of the Worlds Fair he ended up at the New York City Bronx zoo housed with primates and displayed again with Monkeys as the “missing link” between human and apes.

COLD READER Director/Producer: Michael Beddoes

THE IMAGES ON THIS PAGE ARE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “COLD READER”. COPRYRIGHT 2015 - CRAIG CONNOLLY - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Cold Reader by Director/ Producer Michael Beddoes. Here the writer, actor and director all share their different experiences behind this outstanding short comedy with FTM. THE WRITERS STORY – Kristina Heaney...

Writing Cold Reader I wanted to explore homelessness from a different angle. I didn’t want it to be about being saved from a tough situation, or a kitchen sink drama. People in difficulty so often become their circumstances in the minds of others, stripping them of individuality. I wanted Gaia to give Edward his humanity back. She recognises him as a person, not a social issue. Writing this gutsy, perceptive young woman who isn’t afraid to challenge was great fun. We all need a bit more Gaia about us.

On set, being part of a big team of ladies was just brilliant. Film is such a male-dominated field so it was uplifting to look around the set and see far more women than men. Qualified, talented women fulfilling roles usually attributed to men and making it unmistakably evident that there is no reason cinema should continue as a boys club.

For me, the most revelatory aspect was working with our female DoP, Catherine Goldschmidt, who insisted the images were a slave to the narrative. I can’t say it’s because she’s a woman, but she obviously connected deeply with the story and wanted every shot to tell that story foremost, and look beautiful as a secondary consideration. It was really refreshing as I’m used to cinematographers who are happy so long as everything is pretty. This was the first time I felt the roles of writer and cinematographer were intrinsically connected.

THE ACTORS STORY - Melissa Clements...

Due to several work commitments prior to the shoot, our only rehearsal had to be squeezed in several months earlier with a stand-in actor in the role of Edward.

Between Kristina, Michael and myself we discussed my character, Gaia, a great deal and experimented how far we could push the comic boundaries. The further we pushed, the more we felt it worked. Mettlesome, straight talking female comedy roles in particular have been stomping the spotlight recently and while Cold Reader differs slightly in genre, Gaia I do feel is very much within this band. I knew the script was something quite special from the start. Kristina had shaped such a fresh creation in Gaia; a plucky young female, who dares to speak boldly or humbly entertain with twinkling, knowing charm.

She felt like a gift from the first read. She could be a contemporary, comedic heroine straight out of a Shakespeare play which we all know were great female roles only to be performed by men in dresses.

The shoot itself ran seamlessly. A flow of creative production in a fun and harmonious working environment. From my point of view as an actor, practically and artistically, a welcome opportunity and brilliant experience.

THE DIRECTORS STORY - Michael Beddoes...

I hadn’t planned to make a short film when the script for Cold Reader made its way into my hands. I’d been intending to concentrate on co-writing feature projects and developing my first fulllength film as director. But the script was so delicate, it didn’t preach or hammer an agenda, it merely let the characters be real people, and allowed an audience to take away any emotions on their own terms. So I had to do it!

It was halfway through the first shooting day when I noticed the strong female presence on set. All the Heads of Department, plus several crew were women.

I’d just recruited the best crew I could.

I’d always say that I’m gender blind; I just want a team of the best in their field regardless of whether they’re male or female. Unfortunately, there are others in our industry who don’t agree.

Cold Reader is without doubt, the best set I have ever had the pleasure to work on, and that feeling has translated through into the finished film. The care, attention and skills of everyone have percolated through to make a short that I am incredibly proud of and that we hope people enjoy watching.

Run Time 11 Mins FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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GOOD BUSINESS Director/Producer: Rob Schermbrucker Co-Producer/Exec Producer: Miranda Magagnini

GOOD BUSINESS: THE STORY OF A SOUTH AFRICAN RETAIL GIANT tells the career-tale of Raymond Ackerman, a successful Cape Town entrepreneur who went against the political and social tides to do good work that benefited people of colour during segregated times. In 1967, Raymond Ackerman, with the support of his wife Wendy, bought four stores of a South African retail chain called the Pick n Pay and ignored the laws of apartheid, promoting people of colour and providing them jobs in management and behind registers, even when they were not allowed to touch money, or work in white neighbourhoods. Ackerman fought the government and cartels on price fixing at every turn to make food affordable to all people.

Ackerman was a visionary with a business philosophy grounded in love, compassion and forgiveness. This is exemplified in Ackerman’s table metaphor with one leg representing each administration, merchandise, social responsibility/sustainability and people. The consumer sits on the table’s top.

It was initially difficult to know exactly what we were tasked to look for. What is love, forgiveness and compassion? Where does it come from?

Why do some people display it, and others not?

Is there a place for it in business? And what would that look like, and what would the impact of it be?

The Fetzer Institute identified a South African retail giant – called Pick n Pay. DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT The Good Business Journey - Love Forgiveness Compassion.

The thought of the opportunity to explore business as being a mechanism, or instrumental sample of love, forgiveness and compassion, thrilled me.

“Pick n Pay stands today as proof that business can have a huge role to play in the transformation of a society; and that motivations such as love, forgiveness and compassion are every bit as effective in driving success, as profit.”

To get to hunt for the triggers of true transformation- for some action or experience that shifts a person’s worldview and makes them who they are; and the impact that this changed

What was so amazing was not that it had a turnover exceeding U$6 billion per annum, nor that it had grown from just 4 stores (in 1967) to over 1200 stores (in 2014), nor that it was founded and built by husband and wife, and controlled by a family … but what was truly inspiring, was the way in which it had conducted business ethically in an unethical country and had begun to flourish during the seriously dark, unjust, apartheid period of the South African history.

It was as if we can now see ripples on a lake, or waves shifting things on the shore, and we asking what caused these? What had landed in the water or passed by the shore?

As a country we are now sitting in the shade of democracy and freedom – but what were the seeds that were planted? How did they take root and become this tree of transformation?

One generation plants the seed, the next plays in the shade- so our starting point would be Raymond Ackerman – the founder of Pick n Pay. The way Pick n Pay pushed against the government and status quo, fighting for the consumer, against price fixing, fighting for equality for its staff, becoming the first store to employ black managers and build decent housing for its staff.

Pick n Pay compassionately pioneered a way forward toward a free and fair democracy.

It was our job to find out why.

Rob Schermbrucker - Director

Run Time 25 Mins

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THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION WERE TAKEN FROM THE FILM ”GOOD BUSINESS”.

Pick n Pay also has a business incubator with 100 empowerment projects where new business leaders are encouraged to create products sold through the chain. The Ackermans and their management team have grown Pick n Pay from four to 1,200 stores, in six countries with 60,000 employees, 400 franchisees of colour and $6 Billion in sales.

perspective has on them, their family, the community and country - is a responsible privilege, and something I hope to get to do until I die.

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Writers: Mari Walker & Jon Thibault

A London IFF Nominated Script by Mari Walker: The tale of Derek Moonbody is a hairy one indeed.

Born and raised in Cocoa Beach Florida, Derek grew up with dreams of following the bootprints of his moon-trotting, astronaut hero, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt. For it was on the Apollo 17 mission where Jack made a discovery that would change the way Derek looked at the moon forever.

In the year 2021, Derek’s dream is about to come true. As the most respected meteoriticist in his field, he’ll be one of the first astronauts to land on the moon since 1972. Their mission: to capture and send an asteroid around the moon’s orbit. His excitement to have his dreams come true is increased when the launch happens to be scheduled on his 47th birthday. Little does he know that the transformative nature of the Moonbody bloodline is about to be revealed…

In writing Moonbody, we hoped to capture the pioneering spirit of space exploration and celebrate what mankind can accomplish... but we cannot forget that at his core... Derek is a monster.

While most werewolf movies focus on the torture the main character must suffer due to his wild and woolly nature, Derek comes to embrace it.

Moonbody is an insane, ridiculous mixture between space exploration, alligators, Floridian amusement parks, werewolf lore, George Takei and horror film history - which all converge in one of the craziest states in the country, Florida.

THE ARTWORK ON THIS PAGE IS TAKEN FROM THE SCRIPT “MOONBODY”.

MOONBODY

that what’s seen on the outside isn’t always the same as what’s really underneath.

When the ship flies into space, Derek Moonbody transforms into a raging, psychotic werewolf - causing Titan 1 to crash and the pursuit of his dreams to become a bit more complicated. With his family, friends and co-workers afraid of him, Derek must learn to control his powers, save his marriage and avoid being found out by his leering neighbor, the not-so-legendary Barry Van Helsing. As Thorpe schedules a relaunch and embraces Derek’s monstrous nature, it becomes clear

ARI: MY LIFE WITH A KING One of the most awarded Filipino films in 2015 is Ari: My Life with a King.

Produced by Holy Angel University, a Catholic school in Angeles City, Philippines and known for its advocacy of promoting a local language and culture called Kapampangan.

Directed by an undergraduate whilst taking up a hotel and restaurant management, the film was literally made on a shoestring budget. Shot over seven days the film involved the university’s faculty, employees, students and alumni as cast and crew.

The film was named Best World Film in the 2015 Harlem International Film Festival, Best Debut Film in the All Lights India International Film Festival, and was an official selection in the Vancouver International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival and Dhaka International Film Festival.

In the Philippines’ New Wave film festival last December, it won four awards, including best film, best actor (Francisco Guinto) and best screenplay (Robby Tantingco).

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Run Time 90 Mins

THE IMAGES IN THIS SECTION IS WERE TAKEN FROM THE FILM “ARI: MY LIFE WITH A KING”.

Director: Carlos Enciso Catu

FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016

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Ota Benga THE DOCUMENTARY FILM

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FILM: THE MAGAZINE /LONDON/FEBRUARY 2016