Indie Entertainment Magazine Cannes 2019 Edition by gotham ch

May 2019

Editor-In-Chief | Publisher Monica Morrison Managing Editor Nicole Goesseringer Muj Web Content | Digital Marketing Manager Gotham Chandna Director of Photography & Productions Annette Baca Art Director Sitanshu Datta Contributors: Lena Basse Claude Brickell Gotham Chandna Brigitte Leloire Kerackian Nicole Goesseringer Muj Hedi Grager Eric Minh Swenson James Prestige

Additional Photos Courtesy

EMS Gallery, Fanboy, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Jungle Cry Ltd., MovieStillsDB, Salaud Morissett Distribution, Tattoo, Wikimedia Commons.

No part of Indie Entertainment Magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher. Indie Entertainment Magazine’s liability in the event of an error is limited to a printed correction.

PRESENT

GLOBAL FILM SHOWCASE P PA AN NE E LL FF O O LL LL O OW WE ED D B BY Y R RE EC CE EP P TT II O ON N M MA AY Y 22 00 ,, 22 00 11 99 || 22 .. 00 00 P PM M R RU US SS S II A AN N P PA AV V II LL II O ON N ,, II N N TT E ER RN NA A TT II O ON NA A LL R R II V V II E ER RA A 11 33 99

JAMIE LUNDY Principle Deception

ALLISON MELODY Melody Productions

DENA RASSAM Berlinale Winner, Tattoo

KATYA MTSITOURIDZE Roskino

EILEEN TASCA (Moderator) Alien Films

ROSKINO, Cloud 21 International and Kultura PR International To Present Second Annual

“Global Film Showcase” during Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2019 Katya Mtsitouridze

(CEO, ROSKINO)

Leading ROSKINO since 2011, Katya Mtsitouridze is one of the most accomplished executives in the global film industry today. She is the creator of the television series This Is Cinema and film expert for Russia’s Channel One, and previously served as Variety Russia’s editor-in-chief. In 2017, in conjunction with the City of Moscow, Ms. Mtsitouridze initiated the Moscow Film Commission, an institution created to promote the city as a unique shooting location and to provide assistance to international film and TV production companies wishing to shoot there. In 2008, she founded the Russian Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, which she heads to this day, and in 2014 she created and produced the first edition of the Saint Petersburg International Media Forum. Ms. Mtsitouridze is frequently asked to serve on the juries of major world film festivals, including Moscow International Film Festival and Cannes International Film Festival. She is a member of FIPRESCI, Russian Filmmakers’ Union and National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Russia.

Allison Melody

(Melody Productions)

Twice named an “Icon of Influence,” Allison Melody is an eco-entrepreneur with a passion for film, fitness and food. Her endeavors include filmmaking, podcast-hosting and motivational speaking. She hosts the top-ranked Food Heals Podcast, owns the film production company, Melody Productions and speaks at events across the US and Europe. For the past twelve years, Melody has also directed and produced documentary films, PSAs, commercials and viral videos on the topics of social justice, human rights and public health. She is currently directing Food Heals, a documentary that chronicles the journey of inspiring individuals who have used nutrition and alternative medicine to heal themselves of chronic, degenerative and terminal disease. She is frequently invited to speak at top events and conferences.

Jamie Lundy

(Director / Executive Producer, Principle Deception)

Jamie Lundy is a British film producer, director, cinematographer and writer. In his professional career, he has worked and excelled in many different industries, from fashion to engineering. In his early years, he was a successful international model working with the top names of the fashion world, including Kate Moss, Mario Testino, Bruce Weber, Versace, D&G, and more. After graduating with a mechatronics degree from Manchester University, Lundy went on to become an award-winning designer, project manager and director for a multi-million pound organization, working within the Engineering and Railway Network. In 2009, he was awarded the national “Outstanding Individual Project Award” by Network Rail. In recent years, Lundy has turned his professional career back towards the creative realm, mastering photography and lighting and becoming a professional photographer. He is now the CEO of a premium global menswear brand 7L. Always having a keen eye for making movies and drawing from his past successes and professional skills, Lundy’s creative direction is now firmly targeted to directing, producing and investing with his production company Full Circle. Lundy’s current film projects include the World War II drama Principle Deception and horror/thriller Evie.

Andy Lee

(Director / Co-Writer, Principle Deception)

Andy Lee is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum director, producer, script writer and director of photography, with a 30 year industry career. Lee is an ambassador for Panasonic worldwide where he works closely with the corporation’s Japanese technicians and engineers to develop and test new cameras. He has directed over 50 pop videos for MTV, The Box, Clubland TV and similar music channels over the past 25 years for artists like Kelly Llorenna, Soda Club and Love To Infinity. Lee has worked in the studio with, and produced hit records for, world class artists including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, KD Lang, Grace Jones, Reba McEntire, Kylie, Aretha Franklin, Simply Red, Robbie Williams, Texas, Jessica Simpson, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, Take That and The Who. Lee co-wrote the scripts for the British spy film The Intercept and Principle Deception with script writer Paula Van Wijngaarden.

Dena Rassam

(Executive Producer, Tattoo)

Dena Rassam is the daughter of renowned Iranian director/producer Masoud Rassam. The actress turned producer played in many commercials and TV series in her youth. She was educated in Auckland, New Zealand as an international student at age 13, attending Marrist College, and received a diploma from the Foundation of Business. She also studied business at Auckland University, but her studies were cut short due to a family emergency. In 2018, Rassam directed and produced her first short film titled Zan. The next film she produced titled Tattoo won the 2019 Berlinale Crystal Bear for short film. The film recounts a true event that happened in her own life. With the film, she wanted to spotlight the pressure experienced by young people in her culture, and how they are often not treated or respected.

Eileen Tasca

(Managing Director, Alien Films & Task Films - Moderator)

Eileen Tasca is managing director of Alien Films and Task Films, a production whose co-shareholder is legendary Polish film director, Jerzy Skolimowski. In 2015, Ms. Tasca was executive producer of Skolimowski’s 11 Minutes that premiered at the 2015 Venice Film Festival. The film won top prize at the Lisbon Film Festival and was selected as Poland’s entry for foreign language film for the 2016 Academy Awards. In 2010, she co-financed Essential Killing, also directed by Skolimowski, that garnered numerous awards at the Venice Film Festival. Previously, she worked in venture capital at Citi Corporation and as a journalist for Variety and several other trade publications. Tasca is currently collaborating with renowned filmmaker Dario Argento to develop a feature film and TV series.

Green Book at Golden Globes 2019

Viggo Mortensen at 2019 Golden Globes

Viggo Mortensen:

Chameleon from “Green Book” By embodying tough-talking Italian bouncer in the comedy “Green Book,” Viggo Mortensen proves again that he is able not only to master any foreign accent but more importantly, to portray any peculiar character with incredible integrity and humility. No wonder that he is considered to be one of Hollywood’s most appealing actors Viggo Mortensen has always been known for his ability to transform himself into very different characters, however, the Danish-American actor still surprises audiences with his natural talent in his portrayal of Tony Lip in the critically acclaimed Green Book, by Peter Farrelly. The movie, which was awarded by the Academy for the Best Picture, tells the true story of an Italian-American immigrant who went on a tour in the segregated South in the early 1960’s with the brilliant pianist Dr. Donald Shirley. Mortensen is unrecognizable from his most famous role, Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For the role of Tony Lip, the actor gained more than 20 kilograms and learned how to speak in a traditional Italian-American immigrant accent. He is well known for his ability to do accents, which he can attribute to his multicultural upbringing. He was born to a Danish father and American mother and spent his early life between Manhattan and South America. He learned how to speak fluent Spanish and Danish, as well as English and French. Throughout his career, Mortensen has showed off his language skills by acting as twin brothers in an Argentinean thriller Everybody Has a Plan, as Algerian-born teacher in the French drama Far from Men inspired by a short story by Albert Camus and as a Russian mobster in Eastern Promises. Gaining a reputation for his magnetic, intense portrayals, the actor was cast as the devil in the film, The Prophecy, the father of modern psychology, Sigmund Freud in A Dangerous Method, and a loving father in the post-apocalyptic film, The Road. On top of acting, he also spent time studying painting and writing poetry. One of his co-stars, Maria Bello, once said about him, “He’s a different sort of person. He truly lives his life with art. You can’t separate Viggo from art. Everything he does is art.” At sixty years old, his career is still on the rise. After getting an Oscar nomination for his leading role in Captain Fantastic last year, Viggo Mortensen is continuing to be recognized by the prestigious film organizations of Hollywood, including Academy of Motion Picture and Hollywood Foreign Press Association, that nominated him as best actor again this year. But despite his popularity, Mortensen is definitely not a traditional movie star. When talking to him it is impossible not to feel his kind of quiet inner strength and vulnerability at the same time. We meet with Mortensen at The London Hotel West Hollywood where he spoke about his experience working on the role of Tony Lip.

ABOUT AN INSPIRATION TO EMBODY THE CHARACTER I was nervous at first, I think Pete (the director) just thought that I would do it and there would be no big deal. But I was nervous because I am not an Italian or an Italian-American and I didn’t want to do a caricature and I didn’t want to disrespect people who were that. And I am also aware as an actor that there are some really good Italian-American actors and some great Italian-American characters on television and in the movies and in recent years, so I was nervous about that, even though the script, there was no question the first time I read it, I was just blown away. I don’t think I ever read an original screenplay that was that solid, that was that strong, that was that entertaining, well structured and dialogue that was so sparkling. And it was also a profound story and it made me think seriously about history and about where we are at now and all these things. ABOUT THE RELEVANCE OF THE STORY FOR TODAY I think that little kids, when they are like two or three years old, they play together, they don’t care what the color of the other kid is, or if he has got two arms or not or if he or she is blind…. they don’t think about the way they talk or what they sound like or what the color of their skin is, they just don’t. And then somehow they learn to see that as different and even problematic and then hopefully at some point and in those lessons of adulthood, they relearn to be in some sense to be the way they were, where none of that matters. It’s superficial and it makes no difference and we are all human beings. Stories like this help you with the possibility of relearning those things. And so they are always going to be timely. Each generation has to go through that process of learning and unlearning and learning anew and that’s part of being a human being. The moment where you stop being open minded, then you calcify. Most old people tend to do that, they tend to get bitter or look back and they are like, well the past was better and they stop taking in information and it’s normal. I have known some people in their 80s and 90s who are interested in what young people say and follow the news and they learn how to use a computer. And that’s not like the be all end all, but just an openmindedness and a story like this can encourage that in some small degree and I think that that’s always important and it’s not just now. ABOUT ENJOYING EATING A LOT OF UNHEALTHY FOOD At first I really enjoyed it, it was great, it was fun. And the food was good, on the set as well, the food that they had that we had to eat in the scenes was really good. After a while I got tired of it because I realized I had to keep eating that amount just to maintain the weight we started the shoot at and sometimes on a Monday I would come back after a weekend and I had just sort of gone back to eating normal for two days and Monday morning the costume people would say your pants are a little loose, (laughter) you need to pick up the pace and have a couple of more donuts or whatever, have an extra pizza this time. I wasn’t just eating, but also lifting weights and being a certain type of bulky body as much as I could be. Because it was right for the character. The trickier part was getting the voice and the tone and the body language, I was nervous about that, I didn’t want to do a caricature.

ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO MOST ODD TRAVELLING COMPANIONS On this trip, neither Don or Tony would have gone on this trip if they didn’t have to. Tony needed the money. Don didn’t have to take this trip, he was an empowered person. He could have gone to Europe and he could have stayed in the North and made more money and got treated better, but he wanted to make a point, a sort of non-violent protest if you will, by going down to these places. But to go to these places just to be safe, you needed a guy like Tony to take it, otherwise he would have never, I mean they would have turned around and gone back to Carnegie Hall before they even crossed the George Washington Bridge. Once he heard how Tony was talking and smoking, I mean am sure he had drivers who didn’t speak unless they were spoken to, and all of a sudden you have got this maelstrom of activity and noises. So I think the first impression for Don is, this is going to be a very long trip. (laughter) And for Tony too, this guy is so boring and he is so buttoned up, this is no fun, this is going to be a really long trip, he would never do this if he didn’t need the money. ABOUT THE TOUR AS A FORCE TO BOND AND LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER When they past their first impressions, they learn about each other. You have seen other stories like this, where people are in a war situation or on a sports team or they are trapped in an elevator or whatever, and people, some of those stories are well written and some are not so well written, but the idea is good because if you are forced to be with someone, you are bound to learn something, whether you want to or not. And they certainly do on this trip and they evolve. Don learns I think among other things that Tony is not that stupid and that he does have a certain sense of honor, a sense of commitment, a code of ethics, responsibility, a man of his word, and there’s a certain inherent decency to him, in spite of all the noise and the offensive language and being there. And Don as Tony realizes, has very good reasons for being emotionally closed off and cautious as that particularly kind of and very unusual, black man at that time, for many reasons. And so it’s great. ABOUT DRIVING I love driving. I have always loved driving and I have driven professionally and I have driven furniture trucks and flower trucks (laughing) and tractors. I have driven, transported things on wharfs, unloading from ships, so I like driving and I am a good driver. And I can drive in the snow. And in fact the Louisiana crew there was like we should call the National Guard and how are we going to get out of here and I am like it’s like two inches so far. They don’t even close school in Northern New York state and come on guys, relax. And they were like we can’t let the actor drive! And Pete was like: “Viggo, are you good to drive?” “I am fine to drive you from Rhode Island.” And he goes: “He is fine to drive, just let him drive.” So that’s how we did that. But yes, I love driving.

ABOUT LOSING WEIGHT AFTER SHOOTING Losing weight was a lot harder and a lot less fun as gaining, actually. Not much fun at all because I had got accustomed to not just eating a lot but eating things that tasted good. (laughter) And I guess also because am not 20 years old, so it’s a little slower. But we finished shooting in January and I have been steadily losing, I have a little way to go to get back to what is normal for me, but yeah, it took a long time. For the longest time, nothing happened, and I was like oh my God am I stuck? by Lena Basse, Hollywood Foreign Press Association

(L) Lena Basse with Viggo Mortensen (R)

Eric Minh SwensoN ON

Frieze LA

Hurricane Frieze LA blew through its inaugural weekend last February and left a devastating pile of FOMO on its way out of town.

Alexandra Grant, Jerry Saltz, Gisela Colon

While many braved the rare months of relentless and much needed rain in the Southland, there were many, too, who didn’t make it. Those left out were either too lazy to get out or too intimidated to see and experience the greatest weekend in Los Angeles art history. Frieze LA rolled into town hosting the world’s most prestigious art galleries, along with a few other very decent art fairs that fed off the gravy train. DiCaprio, Stallone, and Pitt showed up as Hollywood royalty actually interested in padding their art collections. However, we all wish the event was more star-studded because it would have shown that the Hollywood ruling class would have cared to extend more patronage.

Jennifer Flavin and Sylvester Stallone

The lagging indicator for LA to become a true art market and purchasing destination for the uber rich is that the city’s bourgeoisie is not so sophisticated yet. In 10 to 20 years perhaps, more A-listers will permeate the Hollywood elite ranks as blue chip art buyers, and as the city continues to internationalize its wealth. Frieze LA coming to town was a risk. We Angelenos can only hope that it was a financial success and that more global art fairs can slate themselves throughout the yearly calendar. Only time will tell.

Brad Pitt

Christopher Knight LA Times Art Critic

Bettina Korek, Frieze LA Executive Director and Victoria Siddall, Director of Frieze Fairs

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

MEMORIES OF

Michel Legrand Unfortunately within only a few months apart, two great composers and music writers disappeared. Charles Aznavour’s demise has left music lovers very sad. Oscar-winning composer Michel Legrand left us at age of 86 after a severe lung infection. What is the link between Damien Chazelle, Academy Award-winning director for Lala Land, and Monsieur Legrand? - two films composed by Michel Legrand, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964, Grand Prix, Cannes Film Festival) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) by Jacques Demy. Damien Chazelle states openly that his admiration for Michel Legrand, who reinvented the musical genre in the 60’s, was the root of a passion and inspiration for Lala Land. Legrand was born in Paris in1932. His father, Raymond Legrand, was a conductor and composer. His mother, Marcelle Ter-Mikaëlian, sister of conductor Jacques Hélian, was of Armenian descent. His father left his family when Legrand was only three years old and he often elegantly mentioned, “My father went away, but he left the piano!” Legrand didn’t like school very much, but studied music at the Paris Conservatory from age 11, working with, among others, Nadia Boulanger, He graduated with top honors as both a composer and pianist. His classical background and his opening to world music was thanks to his Armenian grandfather, who led him to play jazz, to arrange music and to conduct. He couldn’t simply stay in only one field. Despite experiencing hard times and enduring privatization during WWII in Paris, he maintained his happiness through music. He started with arranging music for his father who introduced him to popular singers in France, and soon accompanied such legendary French singers as Maurice Chevalier. His ability to mix jazz with classical harmonies and symphonies was well noticed by Nouvelle Vague directors, including his compositions for the late Agnès Varda (Cléo de 5 à 7 1962), Jean-Luc Godardt (Une femme est une femme 1961) and most of all, Jacques Demy (Lola 1961, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg 1964, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort 1967, Peau d’âne 1970). His Oscar nomination in 1966 brought him to Los Angeles where he became friends with Quincy Jones. Always innovative, he composed a 90 minute original musical score for a movie that he had only seen once. He provided a rhythm to the director who edited sequences adapted to the music. And so in 1968, Michel Legrand’s “The Windmills of Your Mind” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair. Michel Legrand and wife Macha Méril

Michel Legrand at San Javier Jazz Festival in 2017

Legrand has received numerous nominations from BAFTAs, Academy Awards, Grammys and the French Césars. He has worked and collaborated with Ray Charles, Jean Cocteau, Frank Sinatra, Charles Trenet, Edith Piaf and Barbra Streisand, but his involvement in film music composition was his most famous accomplishment. He was regularly invited to film festivals all over the world and attended the Festival Lumière in Lyon in 2014, organized by the Institut Lumière. When I interviewed him in 2014, he mentioned many anecdotes about his abundant career, including one very special conversation with Igor Stravinsky. “A determining event in my life! When I was at the Conservatory with Nadia Boulanger, she allowed me to attend rehearsals of Igor Stravinsky in Paris and I was eager to learn about grand compositions, musical writing and analysis. When I asked him about Boulez’s book on the Sacre du Printemps, he answered that it was too boring and surprisingly, because he read explanations about his work which he didn’t intend to involve in his ballet. Igor Stavinsky added, ‘When you are genuine creator, you don’t really know what you are doing!’ What a miraculous sentence! Composing doesn’t mean you perfectly know what you are doing! I stopped analysis courses and started to let go into music writing.” By Brigitte Leloire Kerackian

Funeral Michel Legrand

Brigitte Bardot

Filming On The Riviera

AMERICAN PRODUCERS ARE YOU LISTENING? Ah, the Côte d’Azur!... France’s legendary southern coastline, better known to Americans as the French Riviera! Tourists know it and so do the rich and famous as the home of the world renowned Cannes Film Festival, but most Americans are totally unaware that the Riviera is also an active film production locale. Film enthusiasts know it as where some of the most memorable French films in cinematic history have been made. Who can forget such foreign film masterpieces as Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise) with Jean-Louis Barrault (1945), Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman with Brigitte Bardot (1956) or François Truffaut’s Day for Night with Jacqueline Bisset (1973)? … all filmed right on the Riviera. The Victorine Studios, located some fifteen minutes from Cannes and situated on a parched hillside in neighboring Nice, was first opened in 1921 as France’s answer to Hollywood. In no time, Americans discovered it as their own. Silent film director Rex Ingram landed there in 1924 to film two of his most notable works The Magician and Mare Nostrum. But it wasn’t until the 1950s that American producers would rediscover the Riviera for major Hollywood production. Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief would lense on the lot in 1954 starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, and that was followed by Bitter Victory with Richard Burton and Curt Jűrgens in 1957. Then, Connie Francis showed up in 1963 to make Follow the Boys, and Triple Cross filmed in 1966 with Christopher Plummer, Romy Schneider and Yul Brynner. That was followed by Two for the Road with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney in 1967, and finishing out the decade was the memorable The Madwoman of Chaillot with Katherine Hepburn in 1969.

Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas in Jewel Of The Nile

The next decade would begin with Cold Sweat in 1970, starring Charles Bronson and Liv Ullmann, The Last of Sheila with James Mason and Dyan Cannon in 1973 and the never released, which I have personally screened, Jackpot with Richard Burton and Charlotte Rampling. The ‘70s would end fittingly then with an American action picture The Passage in 1979 with Anthony Quinn and Patricia Neal. It was in the 1980s that most of us remember the American films made on the Riviera beginning with Better Late than Never with David Niven and Maggie Smith in 1983, and the James Bond picture Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery that same year. During my sojourn there representing the studio to Hollywood producers, I helped bring to the screens The Jewel of the Nile in 1985 with Michael Douglas, Under the Cherry Moon in 1986 with Prince and John Frankenheimer’s miniseries Riviera in 1987. The last American production of that decade was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Steve Martin and Michael Caine in 1988.

Today, the future of the South of France lot remains in question. The City of Nice owns the property the studio resides on, and unless the Victorine undergoes a revival in major film production−and that includes American films−there is a good chance the city will take over the premises for residential development. This threat looms simply because land in Nice is in such high demand as one of the major pleasure capitals on the Mediterranean. American producers, are you listening?

As the 20th century drew to a close, Blake Edwards’ Son of the Pink Panther shot there in 1993 with, who else?, but Claudia Cardinale, Four Weddings and a Funeral with Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis in 1994, Maximum Risk and Double Team in 1996/97 with JeanClaude Van Damme and, lastly, Ronin with Robert De Niro in 1998. But in the modern era, with the studio focusing mostly on French productions, some American films still managed to be made there like the action thriller Swordfish in 2001 with John Travolta, Love Actually with Richard Curtis and Emma Thompson in 2003, and, finally, the internationally-successful Mr. Bean’s Holiday with Rowan Atkinson in 2007.

Romy Schneider and Christopher Plummer in Triple Cross

By Claude Brickell Film director/producer, former Hollywood development executive and representative for The Victorine Studios (Nice) during the mid to late-1980s.

Gillian Greene

FEMALE FILMMAKER FOCUS Director Gillian Greene’s new comedy short Fanboy has been named a finalist at the French Riviera Film Festival, set for May 18 and 19, during this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film, now available on Amazon Prime Video, offers a highly realistic depiction of what it’s really like to start out in Hollywood. The film is the story of a video store employee from South Carolina travels to Hollywood when he learns that his favorite director is holding auditions for his next big film. The film was a passion project for Greene, daughter of the legendary actor Lorne Greene, who is married to director Sam Raimi, most known for the Spiderman Trilogy. Raimi, along with two of the couple’s children, also appear in the film. Other notable cast members include Eugenia Kuzmina, Gonzalo Menendez, Ian Bohen, Jed Rees, J.K. Simmons, Matt Lanter, and many others.

Your father was the great Canadian actor Lorne Greene. Were there any lessons you learned from your father? (What was the best piece of professional advice he gave you?) Did he inspire you to get into the entertainment business? My father Lorne Greene, who was a successful actor, was always supportive of me, and never encouraged or discouraged me from entering the entertainment business. He used to have a saying, and it has stuck with me to this day - and its message is relevant to the central theme of Fanboy. He used to say: “There are four stages to an actor’s career: 1) Who is Lorne Greene? 2) Get me Lorne Greene! 3) Get me the ‘next’ Lorne Greene!! 4) Who is Lorne Greene?”

Greene explains, “Fanboy came from a desire to tell a story about following your dreams and risking it all, even if things don’t go your way. I really love bittersweet stories, and from the minute ‘Jeremiah,’ played by Fran Kranz, gets to Hollywood, he is thrown curve ball after curve ball but he remains unjaded—which is very difficult and made the character really appeal to me.” IEM spoke with the talented director about her work and the entertainment industry. What inspired you to make Fanboy? It started with my friend’s boyfriend. He is a fascinating guy and a bit of an oddball who I thought might make a sympathetic character, so I based the character of Jeremiah on him. From there, I found two terrific writers, Chester Hastings and Dean McCrary, who turned the character and the idea into a full 40 page script. Then we started casting and after many auditions, I found the perfect ‘Jeremiah’ in Fran Kranz, who was so clearly this character. Did you hope to shed some light and lightness on “making it” in the industry? For obvious reasons, I started out as an actress. My dad was an actor. Then I worked in casting and at a talent agency. Then I married a director, and then I became a director...so I’ve seen this business from several different sides. We in the entertainment business are lucky to be working in it, and so I felt it was okay to make fun of it, including myself and my husband, and finding the funny and absurdity in some of it. I’ve always found the crucible of Hollywood to be fascinating and entertaining - all of the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, at all levels, so it seemed natural to make a film about what someone will do to break into Hollywood. How did the casting come about? (You have top notch actors in the film.) My friend John Papsidera, one of the biggest casting directors in Hollywood, cast this movie. He brought in great actors to audition for each of the roles, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with everyone who is in the movie. In particular, we auditioned a lot of actors for the lead role of ‘Jeremiah,’ and many of them were good, but not quite right...until Fran Kranz walked into the room. As soon as we he opened his mouth, my whole team and I knew immediately that he was our ‘Jeremiah.’

Gillian Greene and Sam Raimi

In recent years the topic of equality in the film industry has become a major issue. What has your experience been as a female director in Hollywood? I think there’s a big difference between male and female directors, particularly as it relates to how we shoot women. The ‘Male Gaze’ is a pretty well-known feminist theory that argues that when masculine, heterosexual men depict women in their art - whether it’s film or fine arts - that the female characters are very often represented as sexual objects, and I agree with this theory. If you don’t believe me, look at how Michael Bay shoots the female actresses in his movies. First of all, he makes sure to cast extremely good-looking models. I’m not even sure if some of them have even acted before! Second, his female characters are always portrayed ONLY as the hero’s love interest or as a sexual object worth conquering. And third, with the camera, he lingers on the actresses physiques, showing off their most attractive assets, often in slow motion. Compare that style with, say, Patty Jenkins, the female director of Wonder Woman, who portrayed Gal Gadot - also a former model - as just a superhero, who had more of a purpose in the movie than just being a love interest (obviously), and without lingering on close-ups of Gal’s rear end, etc. Perhaps not all male directors are as guilty of this as Michael Bay, but it is definitely pervasive in our culture. So that is one major difference between how male and female directors tell their stories. Can you tell us about any upcoming projects? My next project is a feature film called The Caterpillar, which is a drama about a father and his young son who have to learn to be a family again after their wife/mom unexpectedly dies. We’re casting it right now. By Nicole Goesseringer Muj

Living Her Own Fairy Tale DESIGNER EVA POLESCHINSKI

Eva Poleschinski is one of the internationally most successful Austrian designers today. Her fabulous, handmade gowns and wedding dresses are in high demand, with many celebrities selecting her creations for international red carpet events, including the Oscars, Golden Globes or British Fashion Awards. The 34-year-old Poleschinski, interviewed in her Vienna studio, always wanted to become a fashion designer. “Apart from the artistic aspect, the craft and the work with the body are important to me. That’s why there never was another plan for me,” says the designer, who attended the international fashion school ESMOD in Munich and had internships with Emanuel Ungaro and Abaeté. In 2008, at the age of 23, the designer, who was born in Hartberg in Styria, founded her own fashion label. Today, Eva Poleschinski’s designs can be found on the pages of all the major fashion magazines, including Vogue, Elle or Madame. She presented her collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Berlin, at the Slovak and Indie Fashion Night in New York, in Paris, Tokyo and at the Zagreb Fashion Week. In 2014, she was named “Designer of the Year” at the Vienna Awards for Fashion & Lifestyle. In 2018, she received the “TOP OF STYRIA Award” and in 2019, the PR Panther as “Communicator of the Year.“

Photo Credits: Oliver Rathschueler

International companies such as Campari, Vöslauer, Milka or Vossen like to collaborate with the creative designer, as well as L’OR for the Viennese Life Ball. Very special to Poleschinski was her fashion show in her hometown Hartberg, where she could present her beautiful wedding gowns in the parish church.

However, the wedding dresses by Eva Poleschinski, dream robes for the most beautiful day in the life of a bride, are also very popular. “The perfect wedding dress must underline the personality of the wearer one hundred per cent. I really enjoy this joint and creative process for such a happy occasion.” Poleschinski has an extraordinary sense for material mixing, Poleschinski’s creations have been worn by the world’s fashion and individuality and extravagance. She is a perfectionist and entertainment A-listers, including top model Barbara Meier at the attaches great importance to professionalism, the best quality and Golden Globes, production manager of the film Everything is Alright. workmanship. She sources her materials from France, Italy, Austria Yu Guo at the Oscars, presenter and singer Victoria Swarovski at and the Netherlands, with all produced in Austria. She is convinced the British Fashion Awards, top model Franziska Knuppe at the that many people underestimate the clothing, because clothes make Inhorgenta Awards in Munich, entertainer Motsi Mabuse at Let’s people, create images and have a considerable impact. “But the most Dance and singer Zoé at the Eurovision Song Contest, both on the important thing is that you feel comfortable, authentic and not red carpet and on stage. Even at the famous Vienna Opera Ball, her disguised in what you wear.” creations were repeatedly captured by the cameras. Meier again wore a gown by Eva Poleschinski and Maria Santner, the event’s She describes her style, “I like feminine notes with a classic cut and choreographer, opened the ball in one of the designer’s gorgeous combine them with materials and patterns that surprise. My designs designs. are full of craftsmanship, embroidery and fairy dreams.” Her fairy tale dreams bring her back again and again to her favorite When asked about further wishes and goals, the designer says country - Iceland. There she not only spends holidays with her with a smile: “I have many goals–the most important one for me husband, but also uses the beautiful country for shoots. “I am very is to continually grow, not only my company, but also for me as a pleased and touched to be able to work with my husband Oliver, who designer.” photographs most of my campaigns. It is wonderful being married to someone who understands, shares and also challenges my creative view.“ By Hedi Grager

Eva Poleschinski Couture Show-Finale (C) A Twist of Lemon

Guy Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman

Skin

I n t e r v i e w : G u y N a t t i v, D i r e c t o r o f O s c a r - W i n n i n g S h o r t F i l m , TACKLES THE DESTRUCTIVE AND CYCLICAL NATURE OF RACISM The story of a young boy being brought up in a family of white supremacists, Guy Nattiv’s short film Skin packs an almighty punch. One that unflinchingly strikes at the self-destructive and cyclical nature of racism. Nattiv joins us to discuss his film, working with Danielle MacDonald, growing up in Israel, and much more. Q: Skin is an incredibly timely short film. What prompted you to tell this story about the cyclical and destructive nature of racism? A: I am a 2nd generation decedent of Holocaust survivors. All four of my grandparents came to Israel in the late 1940’s having survived the worst of humanity, so I’ve always been intrigued by what causes a culture of bigotry. When I moved to America four years ago, I did extensive research for my feature Skin, which is a true story about reformed neo-Nazi Bryon Widner, and the rise of white supremacy hate groups in the USA. I was shocked to find how prevalent these ideas were. We all grew up with assumption that America was a safe haven for Jews, immigrants, a real melting pot of acceptance. This was in 2014, and it dawned on me that ideas people thought were in the backyard of America, may just be creeping into the front lawn. Then one day I read this crazy article in the news about the son of a racist man, who shot his own dad just because he thought he was an African American intruder when he came home late one night and was locked out. My filmmaker friend and collaborator Sharon Maymon came up with the other “core idea” (I won’t give it away), and combining those ideas we decided it could be timely short. We wrote it over a weekend, and after asking every favor from every friend and colleague we had, I shot it over four days. This was soon after Trump took office, and on the heels of Charlottesville, so I think our friends felt it was a worthy story.

Q: The film opens with a haircut that reminds us of the influence parents often have over their child’s appearance – both outwards and inwards. What do you think is the most effective way to break these cycles of hate? A: I am not a particularly religious person, but this sentence in Judaism has always stuck with me: “The fathers ate immature fruit, and the teeth of their sons became rotten.” Which means the present generation pays for the sins of previous generations. The most effective way to break the cycle of hate is first and foremost education. Kids are like a clean sheet, and I see that now more than ever since I have a newborn daughter. What I teach her now will shape so much of her adult life, for better or for worse. I want her to see this movie one day when she’s older and understand that intolerance is taught and can be perpetuated or broken by only one generation. Education is the key for a real change. Q: The film has a striking finale. Have you had any standout or noteworthy responses to that ending and the film? A: At the first friends and family screening we did, there was five minutes of just silence as the credits rolled. Even people who knew the script just kind of sat there with their mouths open. It’s definitely a conversation starter!

Q: Young Jackson Robert Scott does a terrific job. What caught your attention about Jackson when casting for the film? A: Jessica Sherman, our amazing casting director, sent me the trailer for IT right after the film came out. I knew immediately that Jackson was our boy, but I had to convince his family as the themes are pretty mature. I think they were more worried about that opening haircut – his hair was really long! His snake monologue was all improvised. He had just given a speech at school on his favorite animal and his mom sent it to me. I knew immediately that I wanted it incorporated into the film. And Lonnie Chavis, our other boy, I knew from This Is Us. One night on set the two kids had a break dancing battle. It was fierce, and I’m still not sure who won. They really loved each other. Enormous talents, those two.

is usually very tricky. But Jaime (who is an enormously talented, veteran actress) and I are basically the same person. We think the same, we have the same taste in art and we jive together on so many levels. Jaime is involved in the primal process when there is only an idea or a concept in my head, through writing, production and post production and the end result. She’s my artistic muse, mental support and my “secret” weapon. It’s so rare to have not only the love of your life but your business partner who you trust so much. No ego, just straight pure creativity and joy.

Q: You’ve had Skin the short film and Skin the feature film release this year. How have you found that experience? A: Almost all my features were shorts before, but not every story can be a short film. In this case, Skin the short and Skin the feature are cut from the same cloth but are totally different stories. Shooting a short before your feature is always very helpful to me. It’s an efficient tool that exercises specific muscles to prepare you for the marathon. The short is also my first American narrative work. I’d never worked before in English, with American crew and actors, and it helped me greatly before diving into the feature. As a team it helped us recruit actors and producers for Skin the feature.

Q: What does it mean to you to be making films in the US? How does it differ to making films in Israel? A: The movies I grew up on. The music I listened to. The culture that shaped my life in the 80’s and 90’s was mostly American. When I came to America at the age of 10 for the first time to visit, I was overwhelmed by the culture, diversity, history and opportunity this country had to offer. It left a deep impression on me. I actually told my parents I want to move to the States. The main difference is the system. In Israel, there is a government committee that read scripts and grants the budget based on the quality of your material. They don’t care about how much money the movie is going to make, or who you want to star in it. In the US, it’s all about the numbers. Israeli movies are seen by almost no one outside of the country. American films have a much bigger potential audience. I am extremely proud to have made several features in Israel.

Q: Danielle MacDonald stars in both ﬁlms. What interests you about Danielle as an actor and what is your working relationship like? A: The crazy thing is that I’ve known Dani for years, we share a close mutual friend and she used to hang out at our house. Once I saw her brilliant performance in Patti Cakes though, I knew I wanted her to play Krista in the short. I saw how she was becoming much in demand after that, and knew that the feature was a really different kind of role for her. She is such a fresh presence on screen, and doesn’t have a diva bone in her body. If I could make every movie with her I would.

Q: What do you hope the future holds for you? Are there any subjects or issues that you are waiting to tackle through ﬁlm? A: My next feature is a script I wrote about my grandmother who joined a women’s cult in the 80’s, moved to Virginia and is still buried there today. It’s a crazy, wild story, with 35 women on a compound in the woods. My grandmother left our family when I was a teenager for a truer happiness in Virginia, and it was devastating to us. I wanted to explore what the cost of “happiness” is, and who suffers from it. I am drawn to real life stories and attracted to material that pushes your mind. Not seeing any light rom-coms in my immediate future!

Q: You worked with producer and your wife Jamie Ray Newman on Skin. What is your dynamic like behind the camera? A: Everyone knows that working with your spouse or family member

By James Prestige, Close-Up Culture @closeupculture

Films are Dena Rassam’s World Dena Rassam is the executive producer of the 2019 Berlinale Crystal Bear winner Tattoo and finalist in the French Riviera Film Festival short drama category. The film recounts a true event that happened in her own life. With the film, she wanted to spotlight the pressure experienced by young people in her culture, and how they are often not treated or respected. Daughter of renowned Iranian director/producer Masoud Rassam, the actress turned producer played in many commercials and TV series in her youth. In 2018, Rassam directed and produced her first short film titled Zan. IEM caught up with Rassam prior to Cannes 2019. What inspired you to become a filmmaker? My dad has been the root of my drive and inspiration to become a filmmaker. He taught me the most important lesson in my life - how to be an independent woman. As a kid, I grew up watching him work hard for his dreams and what I loved the most was that he always helped others along the way. Nothing was impossible for him. He always found a way to make it possible. He taught me to dream big and take risks for what I love Dena Rassam and never give up. My experience in film industry began when I was about six years old, playing in TV commercials and series. I guess for most of my life, I was either behind or in-front of the camera. Even at school, I was practicing scripts with my friends and making some kind of theatre for others. To be honest, I can’t even think of doing anything else. Films are my whole world. Is there a specific reason for filming Tattoo in the Academy aspect ratio? Yes. Mr. Delaram came up with it when he was doing the storyboards with our amazing cinematographer Mr. Jahanpanah, whom I want to thank for accepting to work with us. Use of the square framing shows and also helps the audience feel how much pressure our lead actress Behdokht Valian is under, with her amazing acting. It feels like someone is choking her from inside, feeling insecure, sometimes fear, shocked and angry at the same time, because of the way she’s been treated. She is trying to be tough and to control her emotions to not have a nervous breakdown, especially in front of the doctors. But over time, the situation gets more intense, and in the end, everything goes black, which for me feels like all of these feelings, particularly her anger, continues and remains with her. Overall I think we made a good choice, and we had good reasons for using the square (Academy) ratio. What message would you like to send out to the women filmmakers? Well, Tattoo was only my second film, so I don’t see myself giving advice, however I just would like to offer some hints from what I experienced. Do not tell your ideas or stories to anyone before submitting your synopsis... you don’t know who you can actually trust nowadays. Stick with your gut feelings and just do what you want to do. It feels so much better to try and make mistakes, than having regrets for never trying at all. Go after your dream and never give up!

Actress Emily Shah Poised To Shine On The Global Film Stage Actress Emily Shah is the lead actress in the new feature Jungle Cry, directed by Sagar Ballary, the true story of the Jungle Crows team of 12 young tribal Indian boys from extreme tribal regions of India, who played sports barefoot, and went on to win the coveted U14 Rugby World Cup in England. The young actress stars opposite award-winning Indian actor Abhay Deol. The film is the former Miss New Jersey USA’s second lead in a feature, following her debut in the 2018 thriller Fortune Defines Death. An ambassador for UNICEF, she has participated in national campaigns for Proactive, Motorola, T3 and Sephora, and assisted the legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood on the film Jersey Boys. IEM had the opportunity to speak with Shah about her latest role, charitable endeavors, working with Mr. Eastwood and the future. How was your experience working with Abhay Deol? Throughout Bollywood and the Indian film industry, Abhay is known to be a very solid actor. When he signed onto Jungle Cry, I felt fortunate to be able to not only work beside him, but have an opportunity to learn from an actor like him. We never rehearsed prior to any scenes, so every take was different. Working with him was effortless and fulfilling as an actress, especially on my first major feature. How did you prepare for your character in Jungle Cry? I’m a big fan of American football, but I never had watched a rugby game prior to this. I started watching matches from all over the world, older and live ones. I attended an international 7’s tournament in America where I shadowed a physiotherapist, who also happened to be a female of Indian decent. Her name was Purvi and she studied in the UK, just like my character. She taught me the ropes of UK medicine and rugby, so I was able to educate myself as much as possible before the camera started rolling. Can you tell me a little more about your involvement with UNICEF? I started working with the End Polio Campaign when I was Miss New Jersey USA in 2014. That year, India became polio free. Ever since then, I’ve had a relationship with UNICEF. At the moment, we are in discussions to attach UNICEF’s #icommit movement. Jungle Cry will promote the message of perseverance through various schools across the globe especially in underdeveloped communities. What were the most important lessons you learned working with Clint Eastwood? I learned two important things from Mr. Eastwood. The first one was

his way of calling slate... or lack thereof. He never said ‘action’ before a scene. I heard people talk about this before, but I never knew as to why, so I asked him one day. He told me that when he used to work on westerns back in the day, whenever he’d yell ‘action,’ the horses would go crazy. So if that were to be the cause and effect on a horse’s mind, imagine what it could do to a human’s mind. With that, on my first major feature, Jungle Cry, I remember having a few very emotional and intimate scenes. I would be in character and all of a sudden, when I heard the slate, I would lose all the work I had just prepared. So I asked the director’s team if they could try it ‘Clint Eastwood style’ and they agreed. It helped tremendously. So much so, I was able to continuously stay emotional for hours on end throughout that day. Another day on set, he asked me if he could give me a piece of advice. Mr. Eastwood told me the key to life is to be able to retire early. I joked and said, “but you’re in your eighties, directing and still acting.” He laughed and said “yeah well... what else am I going to do?” Any new film or TV projects or campaigns on the horizon? When you work within a family production company, there’s content that’s being worked on across all different platforms at all times. At the moment, there’s an action feature, that is female based, which I’m focusing, on as well as a true story about a royal family. Shah will be attending the 72nd Cannes Film Festival this May, representing Jungle Cry, along with Deol, director Sagar Ballary, and the film’s producers, and participating in several high profile events. By Nicole Goesseringer Muj

Abhay Deol Makes Cannes Debut in “Jungle Cry” Born into the influential Deol cinema family, Abhay Deol is one of the top Indian actors on the global stage today. He began acting at a young age in theater productions and later, after graduating from Mumbai University, he headed to Los Angeles to study acting and fine arts. He then returned India and joined the Hindi cinema, making his acting debut in the 2005 romantic comedy Socha Na Tha. This year, Deol will attend the Cannes Film Festival for the first time to represent his latest film, the UK/India production Jungle Cry. IEM had a chance to catch up with Deol before his trip to the Riviera. You come from such a major and renowned film and entertainment family in India. What made you choose the indie film path? In my house I grew up watching all sorts of movies, from mainstream fare like Star Wars and Indiana Jones, to the offbeat films of Pedro Almodovar and Majid Majidi. My all time favorite were the films of Stanley Kubrick who I discovered early in life. Of course I also watched all the movies my family made and I understood that art is expressed depending on the culture you are from. I also did my foundation year of college in fine arts and that had a further impact on my view of the world. I wanted to express myself not for the recognition of others but as an exploration of myself. It wasn’t about mainstream or independent, but more to do with authenticity. Things have picked up more recently. I can’t explain exactly how that happened, sticking to a particular path for long enough may have something to do with it. I’m an explorer as I see it, in retrospect I had a bit of naïveté and my ignorance of the larger picture kept me in bliss. All I knew was I had to do what I had to do, to keep pushing and collaborating with likeminded people along the way. Changing market forces definitely helped. I had some privileges and I used them for the larger cause.

How did you choose your most recent projects? They are all so different unique and different. I like to read scripts. I look for relatability with the character, significance of the story to its time and place. I like to push the edge, go further than where the industry has in the moment. I look for emotionally connecting with the story and not just my character. Currently I have five films in post, most of them coincidentally are foreign productions with India at the heart of them and very diverse genres. There’s a Sci-Fi Canadian film called JL-50 based in Calcutta, an American drama called Line of Decent based in Delhi, a show that I am producing called The Odds based in Mumbai, Netflix’s first Indian production called Chopsticks and of course, Jungle Cry, a British/Indian production based on a true story.

family in CA and a good community of friends and film makers. The film industry there is very inspiring and much more diverse than it is in Bombay. More than anything else I love the weather!

In general, how do you prepare for your film roles? I look at the character’s background. For example I played a South Indian IAS officer in the film Shanghai. I had to learn to speak Hindi not only in the way he, a Tamil would speak it, but how he being an IAS officer based in Maharashtra would speak it. It mattered not only where he learnt Hindi but for how long. In Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara I play an urban character so I didn’t have to work on my speech or body language as much as I had to find the dynamic he shared with the other two main characters. The narrative, tone and genre of the movie play a big part in how a character develops. Every character/story has its own journey and audience. I let that be a guide to my approach.

You seem to choose roles that are inspiring and have a social message. Is this a conscious decision when selecting your projects, and if so, why is this important to you? No, as I said earlier, my work is all about exploring myself. That is why I have shied away from larger than life roles and films. I look for a platform that will help me on this adventure of exploration. It makes sense that most such stories would come with a strong social message but that has not been the point, rather the side effect of being open and vulnerable within a frame that is pushing the boundaries of what should be in that frame. I am inspired by those who choose to create a path instead of walking on an already constructed one, and actively seek out other film makers who do so. I guess people find those projects inspiring because we the makers ourselves, are coming from a place of inspiration.

You lived and studied in Los Angeles. Do you visit often? Can you comment on what LA means to you? I studied in LA and I spend a lot of time there now. I also have my

Can you tell us a little more about your role in the India/UK production Jungle Cry, and about the film in general? I play a football coach who has to teach his group of students how to play rugby. He is reluctant at first, but as the story progresses he eventually sees the merit in it, and is as driven as the British coach is in teaching them. It is the true story of a group of tribal kids from Orissa who had four months to learn rugby and they not only learnt how to play the game, but went on to win the under 14 world cup in the UK in ‘07!

By Nicole Goesseringer Muj

Abhay Deol and Emily Shah in Jungle Cry

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FRENCH RIVIERA FILM FESTIVAL MAY 18 - 19 | CANNES www.FrenchRivieraFilmFestival.com

FINALISTS DRAMA

Any Wednesday: Any Wednesday is a sensitive, delicate drama of disparate souls reaching for connection. [Director: Allie Light, Patrick Stark, Country: USA, Duration: 29:40]

Cycle: Cycle follows 10-year-old Elina as she observes her mother, Irene, in the aftermath of a violent fight with her husband, Marcel. [Director: Laura D’Antoni, Country: USA, Duration: 11:38]

Mr. Punchbag: In the backstreets of inner-city London, a broken man exists as a human punchbag for hire. [Director: Shirit Kedar, Frank Burke, Gavin O’ Brien, Country: UK, Duration: 9:11]

Tattoo: A young Iranian woman only wanted to renew her driver’s

ANIMATION

Filfla: The story of a woman who goes to look for a boy on the mystical island of Filfla, where a terrifying creature is lurking in its midst. [Director: Fabrizio Ellul, Country: Malta, Duration: 6:57]

license, but when the officials noticed a scar on her wrist and her tattoo, they began looking at her with suspicion. [Director: Farhad Delaram, Country: Iran, Duration: 15:00]

The Photographer: Helena walks in the gardens of Versailles, photographing statues of antique gods, and through her camera, she perceives the presence of a male statue who has come to life. [Director: Bertrand Normand, Country: France, Duration: 11:45] Three Years 1 Night: A juxtaposition of two dimensions of the same story - the first takes place during one night and talks about Krzysztof ’s journey to the seaside. [Director: Bartosz Jakub Jasinski, Country: Poland, Duration: 19:25]

Under Covers: On the night of a lunar eclipse, we uncover the sweet, salacious, and spooky secrets of a small town. [Director: Michaela Olsen, Country: USA, Duration: 7:22]

The Tree of Lost Souls: An introverted 11 year old girl uses her imagination as a refuge from the world around her, a world that has been falling apart around her. [Director: Laura Zamora, Country: Spain, Duration: 15:35]

COMEDY

Fanboy: A video store employee from South Carolina travels to Hollywood when he learns that his favorite director is holding auditions for his next big film.

Mis’TIC: A loving father his devoted daughter and his troublesome ‘tic.’ A comedy about misunderstandings and a wonderful heartwarming father / daughter relationship.

Matty Boy: A man with a suggestible mind, who ends up marrying a second wife out of a desperate situation, faces the consequences of it.

Tumble Dry: Following his therapist’s advice to be more social, Gary, an aspiring NYC playwright, channels his obsessive compulsive tendencies towards online dating.

[Director: Gillian Greene, Country: USA, Duration: 39.53]

[Director: Dr. Shahid Kamal, Country: UK, Duration: 13:57]

FASHION

Hana: International model/actress, director Luey Nohut and music producer/composer Ryszard Zych working on a fashion project together. [Directors: LueyNohut, Country: Croatia, Duration: 1:18]

Levi’s Film: Film about iconic Levi brand.

[Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 2:25]

[Director: Eric Rino, Country: Austria, Duration: 14:00]

[Directors Delia Kelly, Stephen Riscica: Country: USA, Duration: 24.50]

XiaoWen in NY: Film about Victoria’s Secret Model Xiao Wen. [Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 3:14]

FINALISTS DOCUMENTARY

&you: In the wake of the #metoo movement, a survivor at James Madison University becomes a powerful advocate on campus after her own assault case gets handled in all the wrong ways.

Charlie Bee Company: A show about a wild bunch of Texas beekeepers who rescue killer honeybees from desperate and dangerous situations.

A Grand Journey: Kira, who was born with a disability, embarks on a unique, but incredibly relatable, journey to climb the iconic Grand Teton.

Powered by Plants: Does the cure for cancer exist? What the heck is juice fasting? Find out in the film, that follows several inspiring individuals who have used nutrition and alternative medicine to heal themselves.

[Director: Claire Downey, Taylor Autumn Herndon, Tessa Lawrence, Country: USA, Duration: 20:39]

[Director: Amon Barker, Country: USA, Duration: 15:00]

EXPERIMENTAL

Fictional Characters: Hans is just starting to discover the world. Gretel is a teen, feeling rage to everything. Everyone is in love with the Witch searching for their “virtual I” and trigger for transformation. [Director: Ivana Noa, Country: Belgium, Duration: 10:00]

Gwyr: Reflections: Vincent draws us back to imagine the life in Weobley Castle of Sir Rhys ap Thomas and his wife Efa, over 500 years ago.

[Director: Ashley Davison, Country: USA, Duration: 22:05]

[Director: Allison Melody, Country: USA, Duration: 27:17]

Platonic: After a dream about a murder scene, a professor discovers a pregnant woman in her house. [Director: David Leidy, Country: USA, Duration: 19:30]

Sickness - Il grandedisegno: A girl and her desire to get lost. [Director: Benedetta Mori, Country: Italy, Duration: 5:51]

[Director: Georgios Dimitropoulos, Country: UK, Duration: 10:52]

MUSIC VIDEOS

Red Lion: A numinous Red Lion illuminates the path the warrior goddess Metallia must take to align her fragmented selves and restore an ever-present multidimensional vision long lost to humanity.

MAYBETHEPROBLEMISYOU –GiiRL: A lonely, brokenhearted man enters a dubious bar to find relief. [Director: Alexander Kohn, Country: Germany, Duration: 3:15]

[Director: Olivia Hadjiioannou, Country: Greece, Duration: 5:22]

Heartbeat: Written and performed by MedieM and his muse Dustin Quick. [Director: Medi eM, Country: USA, Duration: 3:05]

LIFESTYLE

Be Your Own Kind: A young man meets a woman with an abusive past, they fall in love at first sight.

[Directors: Amir Zargara, Christian Lat, Country: Canada, Duration: 9:58]

Levi’s Film: Film about iconic Levi brand.

[Director: Ali Murtaza, Country: USA, Duration: 2:25]

Warrior With A Crown: In the quest to excel in life, a man battles with his own failures. [Directors: JMP, Francesco Cuizza, Country: UK, Duration: 4:08]

SCHEDULE DAY 1

SATURDAY, MAY 18TH 2019 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM Hotel Eden, 133 Rue d’Antibes, 06400 Cannes Loho Auditorium 11:30 AM Opening Remarks 11:35 AM Screening of Out of Competition, Oscar winning short film - Skin Screening of In-Competition Films in the Folowing Categories Drama Animation Documentary

DAY 2

SUNDAY, MAY 19TH 2019 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM Hotel Eden, 133 Rue d’Antibes, 06400 Cannes Loho Auditorium 11:30 AM Screening of In-Competition Films in the Following Categories Comedy Sci-fi/Horror Experimental Music Video Fashion Lifestyle

Awards Ceremony followed by Closing Soirée at Akwaba Bar (3:30 PM - 5:00 PM) Please arrive 10 minutes early to secure seating. Entry is on first come first serve basis.

SPECIAL THANKS