NBC OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2019-20 ‘FEMALE FORWARD’ AND ‘THE EMERGING DIRECTOR PROGRAM’ - Last date Nov 9th!

NBC OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2019-20 CLASSES OF ITS SCRIPTED DIRECTING PROGRAMS, ‘FEMALE FORWARD’ AND ‘THE EMERGING DIRECTOR PROGRAM’

WHAT:           NBC is calling for submissions for the 2019-20 classes of its scripted directing programs, Female Forward and the Emerging Director Program.

 Both pipeline programs are designed to increase diverse representation in episodic directing. Female Forward aims to achieve gender parity in the director’s chair while the Emerging Director Program focuses on ethnically diverse men and gender non-binary talent. They are both part of the tent pole initiatives within the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS) that promotes and encourages people of diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of storytellers.

 Finalists for both programs shadow on up on to three episodes of an NBC or NBCU Cable scripted series and are guaranteed an in-season commitment to direct at least one episode of the series they shadow.

WHEN:           The submissions window for both programs is open starting today, Thursday, Nov. 1 and closing Friday, Nov. 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

WHERE:         Eligible directors can apply here.

To be eligible for Female Forward, applicants must identify as female, have previous directing experience (although no more than one scripted television directing credit), and is legally able to work in the United States.

To be eligible for the Emerging Director Program, applicants must identify as gender non-binary or a man.

Submissions requirements for both programs are as follows:

·         One letter of recommendation from an advocate of the director who is not a talent representative.

o   Letters of nomination will not be accepted from anyone who works for or with talent, specifically managers, agents, publicists and lawyers.

·         Resume with detailed directing experience

·         Bio

·         Reel summarizing the director’s work

·         Up to three completed samples of work

·         Responses to two essay questions

·         One additional letter of recommendation (optional)

BURIED ALIVE 2018 Full Schedule and Ticket Info

The full schedule is now up for BAFF 2018 is up at the website and the Facebook page. We've got 7 features, 4 special event screenings, and a ton of shorts. To go with the already announced special events, we have added a special event screening of our friend James Bickert's Amazon Hot Box.

For the main features of the fest, there are 7 films varying in style and tone from absurdist comedy to documentary to extreme horror.

The opening night feature is Joe Badon's bizarre and intriguing The God Inside My Ear. On Friday, we get to share two of the special event screenings (The Golem and Amazon Hot Box), but not before The FP2 hits Atlanta in all of its unique and weird glory. We kick our international groove into full swing on Saturday with Spain's Framed and Japan's Violence Voyager, before the Taboo-La-La event with The Lost Boys hits the stage and we round out the night with midnight movie Dead by Midnight

On Sunday, the day kicks off with a reprise of the live Samahda soundtrack event screening of 1920's The Golem for the earlier birds in the crowd. The fascinating documentary Survival of the Film Freaks follows and the night wraps up with the WORLD PREMIERE of anticipated Todd Sheets future classic Clownado, a classic horror style film with all of the fixing you've come to expect from the warped mind of one Mr. Sheets.

Top off these features and event screenings with tons of short films, split into several blocks for your viewing pleasure, as well as the return of the SINEMA CHALLENGE on Wednesday night before the official kickoff of the festival. There is so much genre madness crammed into this year's festival, we're bursting at the seams.

Tickets are $12 for each screening block of the festival, $10 for the Sinema Challenge screenings, and $120 for a full festival pass (an over $80 discount). You can purchase tickets at FilmFreeway by clicking here or visiting filmfreeway.com/BuriedAliveFIlmFestival/tickets.

NBCU Short Film Festival Honored Diverse Films at Finale Screening

The 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Honored Diverse Films at

Finale Screening and Award Ceremony Held Last Night in Hollywood

“Masks” About a Closeted Persian Woman Who Survives a Mass Shooting and

“Monday” Centered on a Conflicted Asian American Hustler Sweep Major Awards

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – October 25, 2018 – Last night, the 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, honored its six finalist films and filmmakers with a finale screening and awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.

Comedian-actor Zainab Johnson (“Late Night with Seth Meyers,” HBO’s “All Def Comedy”) kicked off the evening with screenings of the six finalist shorts, “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live,” before an audience of industry professionals including network, cable and film executives as well as managers, producers and agents.

Presenters Melissa Barrera (“Vida”), Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Akbar Gbajabiamila (“American Ninja Warrior”), Joseph Lee (“Searching”), Lyric Lewis (“A.P. Bio”), Trace Lysette (“Midnight, Texas,” Transparent”), writer-producer Kay Oyegun (“This Is Us”), Tess Paras (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Claudia Puig (President, Los Angeles Film Critics Association), Bernardo Saracino (“Midnight, Texas”), Mary Sohn (“A.P. Bio”), Kellee Stewart (“Midnight, Texas”), writer-director David E. Talbert ( “Almost Christmas”) and Wilmer Valderrama (“NCIS,” HARNESS co-founder) handed out awards in nine categories including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Writer, Outstanding Actor, the Next Generation Filmmaker Award, the HARNESS Social Impact Award, Critics’ Choice Award and the Audience Award.

“Last night’s finale was a phenomenal showcase of the next generation of storytellers. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the audience reinforces that there are many undiscovered, talented voices whose stories already have an audience eager for fresh perspectives,” said Karen Horne, SVP of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Television. “I’m proud that over the past 13 years, our short film festival has not only celebrated those voices, but advocated for them beyond the festival to provide them with opportunities in the industry.”

HARNESS Social Impact Award: “Kyenvu”

“Kyenvu” writer-director Kemiyondo Coutinho was awarded a $10,000 cash grant for her short film about a young Ugandan woman who struggles to find her footing in a patriarchal society that entitles men to women’s bodies (trailer).

The award was presented by NBCUniversal’s Social Responsibility division and HARNESS, an advocacy organization founded by America Ferrera, Ryan Piers Williams and Wilmer Valderrama, that connects artists, influencers and grassroots leaders to inspire action and change. This year marked the organization’s second year partnering with the festival, and HARNESS co-founder Wilmer Valderrama presented the award to the Coutinho at the ceremony.

Outstanding Comedy: “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class”

“B.U.T.S: Spanish Class” co-creators Irene Lucio and Emma Ramos were presented with a $5,000 cash grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for an episode from their sketch comedy web series that parodies and satirizes the many ‘afflictions’ of the modern-day woman told through a Latina lens. In “Spanish Class,” a couple gets way more than they bargained for when they set out to learn Spanish in a week. (trailer)

Outstanding Drama: “Masks”

“Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O was presented with a $5,000 grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for her film about a closeted Persian woman’s experience after surviving a mass shooting. (trailer)

Outstanding Writer: Hammad Rizvi, “Rani”

Writer-director Hammad Rizvi was awarded a $5,000 cash grant in addition to final round placement in NBC’s Writers on the Verge program that prepares talented writers for staff writing positions on scripted series. He also received the newly released Final Draft 11 software on all platforms and a Fire TV Cube, the latest hands-free streaming media player with Alexa voice command.

Rizvi’s short film “Rani” centers on a socially outcast transgender Pakistani woman who sets out to take care of an abandoned child. The short stars trans activist Kami Sid as the titular character in her first acting role. (trailer)

Outstanding Actor: Kevin David Lin, “Monday”

Actor Kevin David Lin from the short film “Monday” was awarded a talent holding deal with NBC, a premiere headshot package with JeanPaul SanPedro, a fund for unlimited private audition coaching and advanced acting classes and a $1,000 wardrobe allowance. Lin starred as the central character in “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation. (trailer)

Outstanding Director: Dinh Thai, “Monday”

“Monday” writer-director Dinh Thai received a studio production services package courtesy of Universal Operations, including one day of shooting on the Universal Studios back lot and an $8,500 valued package including lighting, grip, props and costumes as well as one day of sound mixing. He was also awarded a $60,000 camera package from Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program, a longtime festival sponsor, and final round placement in NBCUniversal’s Emerging Directors Program that provides a pipeline for ethnically diverse directors to break into television by offering shadowing opportunities and an in-season commitment to direct an episode of an NBCUniversal scripted series.

Next Generation Filmmaker Award: Dinh Thai, “Monday”

Writer-director Dinh Thai won the festival’s inaugural Next Generation Filmmaker Award for his short film “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation as he ‘code-switches’ through various cliques in his daily dealings throughout Los Angeles (trailer).

Presented by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion department along with the Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content group, the award recognizes a filmmaker who possesses a truly unique and innovative artistic vision and whose work delivers fresh content that has the power to connect, engage and inspire global audiences.

Thai receives a $8,000 grant to assist with his career momentum, one year of guidance from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content group executives and eligibility for the 2019 Universal Directors Initiative, a one-year program offering exposure to the studio production process as well as executives throughout NBCUniversal’s film, TV and cable businesses.

Critics’ Choice Award: “Masks”

“Masks” was chosen as the most impactful short by a jury of 25 film and television critics and entertainment writers. This year’s jury included journalists from The Advocate, Brown Girl Magazine, Essence, CNN, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Her Campus, The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, Kore Asian Media, Latina, the Los Angeles Times, Moviemaker Magazine, NewNowNext, Screen International, Slate, The Teal Mango, TVGuide, USA Today, and Vanity Fair, among others.

Los Angeles Film Critics Association President Claudia Puig presented the award to “Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O. She received a DJI Phantom 4Series Quadcopter Drone with 4K Digital Camera and corresponding accessories.

Audience Award: “Masks”

The audience at the finale screening voted “Masks” as its favorite film amongst the six finalists. Writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O received a $1,000 cash grant and a 4 TB external hard drive for her next project.

The festival’s finalists and semifinalists also received an array of prizes including a limited run on COMCAST’S XFINITY to 29 million viewers across the world starting December 1 as well as the opportunity to stream their film on the NBCU SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Hulu Channel and EVERYBODY DIGITAL, a mobile app exclusively for short film content created by actor-writer Allen Maldonado (“The Last O.G.”). They also all received a copy of newly released Final Draft 11 on all platforms from the festival’s returning sponsor.

The award winners were determined by a judging panel which includes NBC’s Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Universal Television President Pearlena Igbokwe, NBC’s EVP of Casting Grace Wu, Vice President of Creative at Focus Features Rebecca Arzoian, and Universal Cable Entertainment VP Programming & Diversity Chika Chukudebelu, among others.

The NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is presented by NBCUniversal and NBC Entertainment with title partners: Universal Pictures, Panavision, Xfinity and the NBCUniversal Division for Social Responsibility. Additional 2018 festival partners include Focus Features, Oxygen, USA Network, Bravo, Syfy, Fandango, E! Entertainment, Telemundo and Hulu, as well as industry partners including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), SAG-AFTRA, HARNESS, Tandem Productions, Final Draft, Everybody Digital, Writers Guild of America – East, Writers Guild of America – West, DGA and PGA.

About the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Founded in 2006, the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is the first and only film festival created and run by an entertainment studio solely dedicated to celebrating the importance of diversity in entertainment and discovering the next generation of storytellers. The annual bicoastal program is a nationwide search for diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, including those from ethnically diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTQ community and female content creators. Winners are awarded with prizes ranging from development meetings and holding deals with NBCUniversal to cash grants and industry standard software and camera packages. Festival alumni include Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed 2”), Hasan Minhaj (“The Daily Show”), Randall Park (“Fresh Off the Boat”) and Simone Missick (“Luke Cage”). For more information, visit NBCUshortsFEST.com #NBCUshortsFEST

About the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS)

Since 2000, NBC has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing on screen and behind-the-camera talent of diverse and inclusive backgrounds through the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS). NBC TIPS are amongst the most extensive and robust diversity and inclusion programs in the television industry. They feature more than 20 programs including Writers on the Verge, the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, Female Forward, Emerging Director Program, StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians and the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL that celebrates diverse stories and the filmmakers who create them. Program alumni are celebrated producers, writers, directors and actors in the entertainment industry who have gone on to win Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards and include Alan Yang, Mindy Kaling, Deon Cole, Lil Rel Howery, Keto Shimizu, Natasha Rothwell, Danny Pudi and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. For more information, visit NBCUniTIPS.com.

Chat w/ Sandra Seeling Lipski - Founder/Director, Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival

Born in Berlin and raised in Palma de Mallorca, Sandra is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, and festival director with a unique international background and experience, currently based in Los Angeles and Palma de Mallorca. She is fluent in English, Spanish and German.

Her earliest passion was acting, and after working professionally as a teenager in Europe, she studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre School in New York City. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, and begin her filmmaker career as well. She graduated from the Los Angeles Film School with a degree in Directing and Producing in 2012.

In 2012 she founded the inaugural Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival, with the goal of creating a world-class, destination film festival in the Mediterranean that celebrates innovative independent cinema amidst the natural beauty of Palma de Mallorca.

We had a chat with Sandra. Here are the excerpts.

• What inspired you to start/conduct this festival. 

I started the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival because I saw there was great potential  (in my home, where I grew up) to establish an event could attract the international film industry once a year to celebrate independent film in Mallorca. I am a filmmaker myself and after visiting numerous festivals throughout the years I wondered by Mallorca didn’t have it’s own great festival? I pitched my idea to some friends who lived on the island, all involved in their own amazing businesses and to my surprise everyone jumped on board and the EMIFF was born in 2012. 

• How does this festival stands apart from other festivals?

Location, Location, Location. It’s a cliche but so true. Mallorca has forever been a magical place; enchanting light, beautiful beaches, impressive mountains, excellent food and of course wonderful people. It sits right in the middle of the mediterranean so the weather in October is mild and warm compared to the rest of Europe. Mallorca boasts amazing shooting locations, production services and crew. Apart from the Locals, Mallorca has a large expat community of german, British, Swedish, French and American business entrepreneurs, bringing a fresh new line of innovative start ups, cafes and restaurants, and design oriented brands to the island. Airline connections are endless every day and I have never met a person who wouldn’t want to come to Mallorca.

• What are the few things to look forward to, at the festival this year?

EMIFF 2018 offers 7 full days and nights of films, panels, networking events and parties. Our program includes 102 films, including feature films, short films, documentaries a Made In Baleares section, a virtual Reality lounge, experimental films, Music Videos and films for Kids. We are the only European Film Festival with an original Drive in Cinema hosted by Port Adriano. Our Industry panels are called Producers Club (28.10.) and this year we welcome great names to talk about International Co-Production and Marketing for film such as: Lucinda Syson (Casting Director for Wonder Women, Batman, Inception etc.), Tore Schmidt (Producer of the Academy award winning Danish Girl, 2015), Journalists Hus Miller and Anna Smith (President of the Film Critics Circle UK) and many more. Our 2018 Award winners include Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen who receives the Evolution VISION Award, Academy Award nominee writer/director Tobias Lindholm who will receive the Evolutionary Award and Grand Dame of Spanish cinema Marisa Paredes whom we will honer with the Evolution Honorary Award. 

• Any exciting things you are currently working on?

It’s all very exciting! The 7th EMIFF edition is around the corner and I am 7months pregnant, so lot’s to look forward too :)

• Anything else you would like to share?

EMIFF’s mission since it’s inception as always been BRIDGING CULTURES / BRIDGING PEOPLE. My goal is to create an international Film community on the island who all come together under one roof, no matter their skin color, religion or nationality, all are welcome - Come and Join the Evolution!

—————

Information on Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival:

Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF) is one of the fastest growing, most respected and exciting film festivals in the Mediterranean. An excellent hub for networking with some of the brightest minds in filmmaking, EMIFF is as intimate and invigorating as it is breathtakingly gorgeous. Filmmakers and storytelling enthusiasts visit this island paradise to discover "the next great generation of filmmakers" They've yet to go home disappointed. 

Now in its 6th year, EMIFF is based in the heart of Mallorca’s buzzing and culturally rich center of Palma. In addition to feature films and short films, EMIFF also welcomes documentaries, music videos, animation shorts, experimental shorts and more. With competitive screenings unfolding at Teatro Principal, Cineciutat, Port Adriano and the museum of modern and contemporary art Es Baluard, EMIFF is an ideal place for indie filmmakers to rub elbows with industry professionals, while enjoying one of the most stunning islands in the Mediterranean as their backdrop.

This year's EMIFF will include screenings, networking events, panels, and workshops every single day with up-and-coming filmmakers, established industry professionals as well as the general public interested in arts, film and culture.

EMIFF attracts over 2500 attendees from over 20 countries worldwide. In conjunction with its sister-screening event in Los Angeles; SEE THE WINNERS, a special selection of winning films screened at the Los Angeles Film School in the heart of Hollywood, EMIFF is becoming an international launching pad for promising new talent in all film genres

Additional Information about Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival is available at www.evolutionfilmfestival.com

Connect with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival:

https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionFilmFestival/

Twitter: @EvolutionIFF

Instagram: evolutionmallorcafilmfestival

Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema Rebranded as FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, Returns to Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills and Queens Museum Aug. 2-11, 2019

Kew Gardens Festival Of Cinema Rebranded As FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, Returns To Regal UA Midway In Forest Hills And Queens Museum Aug. 2-11, 2019

Ranked By FilmFreeway In The Top 2% Of Film Festivals And Creative Contests Around The World, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC Call for Submissions For 2019 Edition Now Open

Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema has big changes in store for its third annual event taking place August 2-11, 2019, and submissions for the festival are now open. With it’s new home and location at the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills, Queens, this past 2018 festival, Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema is rebranding itself as FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC going forward. This rebranding will allow the festival to expand its appeal, helping attract attendees and filmmakers from around the world, to the city’s most ethnically diverse borough.

In just two years, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC has been ranked as one of the ‘Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals” on FilmFreeway. According to reviews from real FilmFreeway users, the festival ranks in the top 2% of more than 6,000 film festivals and creative contests around the world.

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC is sponsored by the Queens Museum and Regal Entertainment Group —the second largest theater chain in the United States. Screenings will take place at the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills on grand screens with state of the art sound and projection. Attendees experience each screening in the comfort of the theaters recliner seats.

At the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, filmmakers and festival guests can take advantage of free programming, industry panels, workshops and additional screenings.

The support of these established organizations allows FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC to bring truly independent cinema to mainstream audiences, breaking the stereotypes that are often associated with lower budget independent films.

Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as an event that New Yorkers are “taking note of,” and with coverage in major media including The New York Times, The Huffington Post and Time Out New York, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC aims to put independent filmmakers in the spotlight by offering opportunities like no other independent film festival. Our publicity team works to get the most news and media coverage for as many of our films as possible. In the past our filmmakers have been spotlighted on such news media as Page Six and NY1 News on Spectrum Time Warner Cable. Further promotional opportunities available to our filmmakers include participation on the Festival Talks Daily Podcasts, Red Carpet interviews, as well as opportunities for filmmakers to participate on filmmaker panels to discuss the challenges faced in the independent film industry.

This year we are honored to partner with a variety of local and international sponsors who will be presenting panels and workshops. Sponsors include The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, SAG-AFTRA, Moviemaker Magazine, Variety 411, Final Draft, Simple DCP, Soundview Media Partners, Synimatica, The Acting Studio NYC, Seed & Spark, Yelp and Big City Graphics. Plus, every filmmaker that submits their film(s) will automatically receive a one-year subscription to Videomaker Magazine, a leading subscription service that focuses on guiding independent filmmakers with online tutorials and publications (a $20 value). In addition, all selected filmmakers will receive Full Access film badges that allow entry to all screenings and networking events, as well as the latest edition of Variety 411 (choice of NY or LA edition.)

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC is a competitive festival that accepts films and media of all lengths, genres and subjects. Awards in over 15 categories include Best Feature and Short Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Music Video & Experimental, and Best Web Series. Audience choice for Feature and Short film are also awarded. Winners can expect to walk away with an amazing custom statuette as well as over $15,000 in prizes being offered from some of our amazing sponsors.

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC will be an amazing experience for everyone that attends - so filmmakers and guests can expect networking events that include Karaoke, Trivia night, Comedy Night, Billiards Night and After Parties taking place throughout the area, hosted by our wonderful local sponsors.

In the past, our festival has hosted panels and workshops that strongly appeal to filmmakers. Subjects including diversity, women in film, distribution and production resources, as well as workshops by industry leaders such as SAG-AFTRA and Seed & Spark have been very popular amongst our filmmakers and attendees.

Past panelists and Jury Board members have included Anna Garduno, Executive Producer at Netflix; Charles E. Williams, two-time Emmy award winner at CBS; and Doug LeClaire, founder of Asbury Shorts USA.

To submit your film(s) to the 2019 FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, find us on FilmFreeway, Withoutabox, or visit http://bit.ly/2lBnNdL.

Tauren Wells Dominates 49th Dove Awards

TAUREN WELLS DOMINATES 49TH ANNUAL GMA DOVE AWARDS WITH FOUR WINS

CELEBRATED CHRISTIAN SINGER GARNERS 4 FIRST TIME DOVES INCLUDING “CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR,” “NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR,” “POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR” & “RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR”

Tune into TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Sunday, October 21st at 9/8C

Photo Credit: Jamie Gilliam/BandBoxCreative & Gospel Music Association

(October 17, 2018 – Nashville, TN), Tauren Wells dominated the 49th annual Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards winning four of his eight nominations. Wells picked up four awards for Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year (Category 5), New Artist of the Year (Category 9), Rap / Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year (Category 11) and Pop / Contemporary Album of the Year (Category 23). The 49th annual DOVE Awards were taped in Nashville, TN at Lipscomb University and will broadcast on TBN on Sunday, October 21st, 2018 at 9/8C.

Wells, who was the former lead singer for Christian rock group Royal Tailor, performed his number-one single “Known” from his solo debut album, “Hills and Valleys,” and performed “War Cry” with show winners Social Club Misfits.

Backstage Wells said, “While it’s great to pose for all these pictures and getting to hold all these trophies, this doesn’t matter as much as what is happening inside our hearts.”

Wells’ debut solo single, “Hills and Valleys” lifted from the album of the same name, has received over 100 million digital streams and its accompanying acoustic style music video has been viewed over 24 million times; the third single “When We Pray” peaked at number two Billboard National Airplay chart. Tauren also achieved number one status being featured on Crowder’s hit song “All My Hope.”

Tauren Wells is currently touring with Dove Award winner, and Capitol recording artist, Danny Gokey on the “Hope Encounter” Tour.

For more information on Tauren Wells visit TaurenWells.com.

# # #

ABOUT TAUREN WELLS

Four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated Tauren Wells debuted his solo music in 2017 with the dance-able pop hit, “Love Is Action”, which held the No. 1 spot at CHR radio for eight weeks and the hard-hitting “Undefeated” featuring rapper KB. Those hits were then followed by the GRAMMY-nominated and RIAA Certified GOLD “Hills and Valleys”, the piano and cello-driven thought-provoking track that quickly climbed the radio and sales charts and jumped to the Top 10 at the Christian Airplay radio chart for multiple weeks. The following single, “When We Pray” also hit the Top 10 at Christian Radio. His current single “Known” is already making a splash as it hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard CHR Chart. Tauren Wells is the former front man of GRAMMY® Award-nominated band Royal Tailor, father, songwriter, worship academy founder, multi-instrumentalist, and performer, and his deep desire to draw people closer to their identity in the Lord is apparent in all he pursues.

EVERYBODY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, October 19-21 in Brooklyn, NYC

Allen Maldonado is a hard and smart working member of Hollywood, and he’s young born on May 20, 1983, to African American and Puerto Rican parents, he began his climb toward success as a child actor.  If you are one of his 23.9k Twitter followers that you already know that along with playing Curtis in Black-ish and Bobby in The Last O.G. he’s also one of the writers inside both writer’s room.  

His mix heritage has shaped his artistic points of view to a degree, with his mothers’ Southern roots deeply entrenched in African-American history. He lost his father at a young age.  

Maldonado has always been entrepreneurial focused and his business ventures include a record company, a production company, a t-shirt line, and the app, Everybody Digital, which has been described as “a “Netflix for short films” and this year, he’s added a brand new film festival—EVERYBODY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL— October 19-21—which is being held at Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York

The Everybody Digital Film Festival is dedicated to shining the spotlight on high-quality short films and web series and the creativity, passion, and hard work that goes into each and every project but is so often overlooked and under-appreciated. This is an extension of the Everybody Digital app created by Maldonado.  Carefully thought out, the app was created to help promote short-form films and web series and to give filmmakers another organized platform to showcase all of the work they put into writing, shooting and completing their productions. This festival was created to further promote and celebrate filmmakers and to provide them with a big screen and a live event for friends, family, and fellow filmmakers and film enthusiasts to enjoy and appreciate their work.

Connecting those in the industry is important and he’s arranged for opening night, Friday, October 19, to include a mixer fueled by Pizza  Hut at Kinfolk 94. There will also be special screenings for 3  Everybody Digital Original films with surprise celebrity guest appearances. 

The festival will also include several world premieres including  “A Father’s Love,“ written by Allen Maldonado and directed by RonReaco Lee, and produced by Jessie T. Usher, “Narcoleptic,” directed by Allen Maldonado, starring Miles Brown, and “Why Comedians Laugh,” directed by Allen Maldonado, starring Deon Cole, Woody McClain, and Gabrielle Dennis.

#theshortfilmapp.  Tickets are available at www.filmfreeway.com/EDFilmFestival.com.

2018 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS(R) MEDALISTS ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last night honored its student winners from colleges and universities around the world at the 45th Student Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards were announced and presented by documentarian Arthur Dong, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani and directors Catherine Hardwicke and Patricia Riggen!

The 2018 Student Academy Award winners are:

Alternative (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Shae Demandt, “Reanimated,” Florida State University

Animation (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Hanna Kim, “Raccoon and the Light,” California Institute of the Arts
Silver: Yu Yu, “Daisy,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Eaza Shukla, “Re-Gifted,” Ringling College of Art and Design

Animation (International Film Schools)
Gold: Pierre Perveyrie, Maximilien Bougeois, Marine Goalard, Irina Nguyen-Duc and Quentin Dubois, “The Green Bird,” MOPA

Documentary (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Mathieu Faure, “An Edited Life,” New York University
Silver: Yiying Li, “Love & Loss,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Lauren Schwartzman, “Dust Rising,” University of California, Berkeley

Documentary (International Film Schools)
Gold: Mart Bira, “Nomadic Doctor,” University of Hertfordshire

Narrative (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Hua Tong, “Spring Flower,” University of Southern California
Silver: Kelley Kali, “Lalo’s House,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Brian Robau, “Esta Es Tu Cuba”/“This Is Your Cuba,” Chapman University

Narrative (International Film Schools)
Gold: Jonatan Etzler, “Get Ready with Me,” Stockholm Academy of the Arts
Silver: Lisa Gertsch, “Almost Everything,” Zurich University of the Arts
Bronze: István Kovács, “A Siege,” University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest

See the full livestream here. 

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK premiered last night at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater as part of the New York Film Festival

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK premiered last night at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater as part of the New York Film Festival

The premiere marked the first time that a film from the New York Film Festival played at the historic Harlem theater. Following a Q&A in the packed theater, the cast made their way to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem hotspot Red Rooster to celebrate. 

Attendees from the film included KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Diego Luna, Finn Wittrock, Ed Skrein, Aunjanue Ellis, Emily Rios, Ebony Obsidian, Dominique Thorne

Filmmakers in attendance included Writer/Director/Producer Barry Jenkins, Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, PASTEL'S Adele Romanski and Sara Murphy, composer Nicholas Britell, cinematographer James Laxton, costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaeffer, editors Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders

Notable guests included actor Lakeith Stanfield, actor Michael K. Williams, actress Samira Wiley, actor Josh Radnor, actress Alia Shawkat, actress Adepero Oduye, actor Marcus Scribner, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, model TK Quann, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, director Bo Burnham

Exclusively in NYC on November 30

Expanding on December 7

#BealeStreet

Official Site: BealeStreet.movie

Facebook: /BealeStreet

Instagram: @BealeStreet

Twitter: @BealeStreet

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight is If Beale Street Could Talk, his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel — the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. 

Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Writer: Barry Jenkins

Producers: Megan Ellison, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, Pedro Pascal

Mallorca Int'l Film Fest Announces Slate and Special Guests (Oct. 25 - 31)

7th ANNUAL EVOLUTION MALLORCA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

October 25th - 31st, 2018

Events include Opening Night Gala

Gala Award and Tribute to GOYA winning Spanish actress Marisa Paredes

Evolution VISION Award to Cannes winning Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen

Closing Night Evolutionary Award presentation to Academy Award nominated filmmaker Tobias Lindholm

Spanish premiere of Funny Story with writer/director Michael J. Gallagher and lead actors Matthew Glave and Jana Winternitz

Spanish premiere of acclaimed French film M by Sara Forestier

Special Tribute screening of Pedro Almodóvar's acclaimed Spanish cult film The Flower of My Secret with Marisa Paredes in attendance

Special screening of Arctic followed by Q&A with Mads Mikkelsen

Screening of Berlinale hit Away You Go by Philipp Eichholtz

Spanish premiere of acclaimed Documentary George Michael - Freedom

Palma de Mallorca, October 3, 2018: Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, set in the heart of Mallorca's buzzing and culturally rich center of Palma, has announced its line-up of screenings and events for the festival's 7th edition. The six-day festival will take place, October 25th - 31st, 2018, and includes in-person Gala tributes to actress Marisa Paredes, actor Mads Mikkelsen, and Academy Award nominated filmmaker Tobias Lindholm, a Gala Opening Night event, narrative and documentary competition sections, a Drive-In Cinema section at Port Adriano, a Kids section co-curated by the Andorra Kids Film Festival, and Virtual Reality and collaborative sections with the Festival de Cinema de Menorca.

EMIFF will present 11 films in Narrative feature and 6 films in Documentary feature Competition, 48 international short films, a Music Video section, and many additional nightly events and special screenings. Special events include the Opening Night Gala Screening of Funny Story, produced by Cinemand Productions. Centerpiece Gala will be the 'Evolution Honorary' Award Presentation to iconic actress Marisa Paredes, with a screening of her award-winning film The Flower of My Secret, by Pedro Almodóvar. Other Gala events include the Evolution Vision Award presentation to Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, with a screening of his new film Arctic; Closing Night Evolutionary Award presentation to Academy Award nominated filmmaker Tobias Lindholm; Spotlight Gala Screening of acclaimed French narrative film M, with writer/director Sara Forestier; a Closing Night Gala Screening of Back For Good by German writer/director Mia Spengler by acclaimed German Production company Zum Goldenen Lamm; and an Awards Gala at Gerhardt Braun Gallery.

Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF) is one of the fastest growing and exciting film festivals in the Mediterranean. An excellent hub for networking with some of the brightest minds in filmmaking, EMIFF is as intimate and invigorating as it is breathtakingly gorgeous.

Filmmakers and industry professionals visit this island paradise to discover "the next great generation of filmmakers" The festival presents a diverse selection from world premieres to film festival favorites, short film screenings, Q&As, a Drive-In Cinema section at the Philip Stark designed Port Adriano, an Art & Cine event at the Gerhardt Braun Gallery and Industry events such as the Producers Club at the modern museum of contemporary art Es Baluard.

Said EMIFF Founder and Executive Director Sandra Seeling Lipski, "EMIFF is more than a film festival; it provides a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, focusing on showcasing a diverse collection of both local and international independent films."

"For seven days and nights, EMIFF invites you to join us on a journey to far away lands, intimate stories and unexplored realities. With the intention to encourage positive change, EMIFF's films will push your limits and raise your consciousness. Our goal is to bridge bultures and build a stronger and more purposeful community. I believe we have to recognize each others individual stories and dreams in order to realize, that at the end of the day, no matter where we are from, we are not that different from each other."

"I am particularly excited for our Evolution Honorary Award and Evolution Vision Award recipients this year, globally acclaimed actors Marisa Paredes and Mads Mikkelsen. Ms. Paredes has captivated generations, known around the world for her work over five decades, including captivating audiences in her work with Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar. Her extensive and prolific career is defined by a body of international films defined by risk and prestige. Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen remains a singular European actor who eloquently balances award-wining performances in visionary European films with a successful career in Hollywood blockbusters. From his eloquent work with director Susanne Bier and his Cannes Best Actor winning performance in Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt to his standout performance in the Star Wars series, we celebrate Mr. Mikkelsen as visionary actor who inspires audiences, breaks boundaries and bridges cultures" said Lipski.

About Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival

Now in its seventh year, EMIFF has attracted over 4000 attendees from over 30 countries worldwide. In 2018, EMIFF will continue to expand the presence of international filmmakers and strengthen its position within the worldwide film festival calendar. Since its 2012 inception, the number of films screened has tripled, counting over 100 movies from 25 countries during the 2017 festival program.

Previous guest filmmakers, talent, and industry attendees include: Danny DeVito, Paul Haggis, Oscar Jaenada, Emma Suarez, Manuella Velles, Marc Clotet, Ana de Armas, Colm Meaney, Benito Zambrano, Feo Aladag, Ronald Souse Richter, Lilith Stangenberg, and Claudia Eisinger.

EMIFF is extremely grateful for the incredible support of: 2018 EMIFF Sponsors Rialto Living and MallorcaSite.com. Additional collaborators include Turismo Mallorca, with the support of Port Adriano, Es Baluard Museum, Gerhardt Braun Gallery, Mercedes Auto Vidal, Consell de Mallorca, Islas Baleares Film Commission, Illenc, Teatre Principal and Ajuntamiento de Palma among others.

Festival passes and individual tickets are available now.

Additional Information about Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival is available at www.evolutionfilmfestival.com

Connect with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival:

https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionFilmFestival/

Twitter: @EvolutionIFF

Instagram: evolutionmallorcafilmfestival

All screenings and events will take place in Palma de Mallorca, at venues including the Teatro Principal, Cineciutat, Rialto Living, Port Adriano, Musuem Es Baluard and Gallery Gerhardt Braun.

Festival Awards will be awarded on October 31st by internationally esteemed jurors in the following categories: Feature film - Best feature film, Best Actress, Best Actor. Short Film - Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Feature and Short Documentary, best Music Video, Best Experimental short, Best feature film Screenplay, Festival Awards -, Best Film Made in Baleares short, Evolution Island Award (best feature film made in Baleares) and the Evolutionary award (best new filmmaker).

The EMIFF award was designed by internationally acclaimed artist GUSTAVO.

GALA AND COMPETITION SLATE BELOW:

OPENING NIGHT FILM

Funny Story, Director Michael J. Gallagher (USA)

After years of being a neglectful father, a womanizing TV star decides to crash his estranged daughter's vacation in Big Sur. FUNNY STORY is a tragicomedy you never saw coming. FUNNY STORY teaches us about the destructive power of narcissism, the healing power of forgiveness, and our willingness to do karaoke after drinking enough tequila.

Filmmakers and talent will be in attendance.

SPOTLIGHT GALA SCREENING

M, Director: Sara Forestier (France)

Lila and Mo meet at a bus stop. Lila has a paralyzing speech impediment. Mo is chatty and exuberant. Lila is preparing for her exams. Mo illegally races cars for a living. Opposites attract, and they fall in love. But Mo carries a secret burden.

CENTERPIECE GALA TRIBUTE & SCREENING - HONORING MARISA PAREDES

'Evolution Honorary' Award Presentation to iconic actress Marisa Paredes, with a screening of her acclaimed film The Flower of my Secret (1995), by writer/director Pedro Almodóvar.

CENTERPIECE GALA TRIBUTE & SCREENING - HONORING MADS MIKKELSEN

'Evolution Vision" Award Presentation to actor Mads Mikkelsen, with a screening of his new film Arctic by director Joe Penna (2018).

CLOSING NIGHT GALA SCREENING & AWARDS PARTY

Back for Good, Director: Mia Spengler (Germany)

Angie, a reality-TV Star just moved back in with her mom, since none of her friends would take her in after she came out of rehab totally broke. Her mom's health is as bad as their relationship and Angie finds herself taking care of everything at the same time.

CLOSING NIGHT AWARD

Evolutionary Award for Academy Award nominated writer/director Tobias Lindholm

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

ARCTIC - Joe Penna, 2018, (Iceland)

A man stranded in the Arctic is finally about to receive his long awaited rescue. However, after a tragic accident, his opportunity is lost. He must then decide whether to remain in the relative safety of his camp or to embark on a deadly trek through the unknown for potential salvation.

BACK FOR GOOD - Mia Spengler, 2018, (Germany)

Angie, a reality-TV Star just moved back in with her mom, since none of her friends would take her in after she came out of rehab totally broke. Her mom's health is as bad as their relationship and Angie finds herself taking care of everything at the same time.

M - Sara Forestier, 2018, (France)

Lila and Mo meet at a bus stop. Lila has a paralyzing speech impediment. Mo is chatty and exuberant. Lila is preparing for her exams. Mo illegally races cars for a living. Opposites attract, and they fall in love. But Mo carries a secret burden.

ANA DE DIA - Andrea Jaurrieta, 2018, (Spain)

Ana discovers one day that a double identical to her, whose presence does not seem strange, has taken her place. Now, that other person covers all of her obligations in life. She then debates over her lost identity or, on the contrary, tries try to find a new identity outside of everything that used to be her normal life.

DADDY ISSUES - Laura Holliday, 2018,(USA)

Twenty-something stand-up comedian Henrietta hasn't been funny since her dad died. Distraught, in a quart life crisis, she leaves her messy London life behind for LA, to re-examine her past relationships with dysfunctional ex-lovers and friends struggling with adulthood. Henri tries comedically and introspectively to find humour in her darkest moments.

HAWAII - Jesus del Cerro, 2017, (Romania)

Andrei and his father Vasile live in sovietic Romania. Unexpectedly, they receive news from Petrus who was assumed dead and he left them a large heresy. It will be not easy for Andrei and Vasily to take his brother's legacy in a communist country.

AWAY YOU GO (RÜCKENWIND VON VORN) - Phillip Eichholtz, 2018, (Germany)

The young Berlin schoolteacher Charlie no longer wants to continue as usual on her chosen path and asks herself what she really wants and needs.

Premiered at 68TH BERLINALE, Perspektive Deutsches Kino

YOU GO TO MY HEAD - Dimitri de Clercq, 2018, (France, Germany, Belgium)

In a desolate stretch of the Sahara, a mysterious car accident leaves a young woman lost and alone. Jake finds her unconscious, intoxicated by her beauty, he claims to be her husband. He names her Kitty and takes her to his remote desert home to recuperate. Little by little, Kitty begins to fall in love with him. But when shreds of her past begin to surface, Jake increasingly lives in fear of losing her.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

GEORGE MICHAEL - FREEDOM - David Austin, 2018, (UK)

A deeply autobiographical, feature documentary personally narrated by the late Grammy® Award winner. George takes us through his musical life, his thoughts on his public life and his honestly and openly into his very private life. Musically George talks about his first youth band to teen pop idol to becoming a worldwide icon at the time of "Faith".

OUT OF PLASTIC - Line Hadsbjerg, 2018, (Spain)

A documentary film that sets out to explore the obscure depths of plastics in the Mediterranean. Set in the Balearic Islands, it offers viewers a moment to reflect on the profound presence of plastic in our lives and in our natural environment. Views of sweeping landscapes and mystic ocean depths.

THE SILENCE OF OTHERS - Robert Bahar & Almudena Carracedo, 2018 (Spain)

The stolen children, the disappeared, the graves. After decades of silence, Spanish society faces the ghosts of the dictatorship: tortures, executions, summary trials. Through the stories of those who are seeking answers we find the country who wants to reconcile with its past.

ALL THE WOMEN I KNOW - Xiana Gomez Diaz, 2018, (Spain)

From the personal to the political, experiences of diverse women speaking about how masculinized and violent the streets still are nowadays.

HAYATI: MY LIFE - Sofi Escude & Liliana Torres, 2018, (Spain)

In 2015, Ossamah Al Mohsen and his 8-year-old son were tripped up by a TV reporter on the Hungarian border. The moment was captured on film and it soon became one of the most iconic images of the Syrian conflict. This incident helped Ossamah get a job as a football coach when he reached Madrid. But the rest of his family is still stuck in Turkey.

BALTASAR SAMPER - Victoria Morell Salom, 2018, (Spain)

Baltasar Samper is the protagonist of this film that uncovers the cultural vacuum caused by one of the worst armed conflicts of Europe's recent history. The Civil War and the subsequent exile of more than half a million Spaniards. Samper was one of the most recognized musicians of his time.

"THE GOLEM" w/ LIVE soundtrack and "THE LOST BOYS" w/ burlesque: at BURIED ALIVE FILM FESTIVAL

Submissions are closed and the lineup is being finalized, but we couldn't wait any longer to share our amazing new posters for two of our special events at this year's BAFF.

First, our annual silent film experience with Samadha continues when they provide a kickass live soundrack for 1920's The Golem. Check it out on Friday, November 16th at 10:00pm and Sunday, November 18th at noon. $15 per ticket, a one of a kind experience.

Second, another annual tradition continues when Altanta's "Illegitmate Burlesque" troupe, Blast-Off Burlesque. On Saturday, November 17, join BAFF and Blast-Off for another round of Taboo-La-La with classic 80s vampire flick The Lost Boys and the most unique burlesque show you've ever seen. LEave the kiddos at home though, because this event is 18+.

Flies Collective Awards Over $17K to Five Independent Film Projects

Flies Collective, a Brooklyn-based production company that champions the independent filmmaking community, announced today that they have awarded over seventeen thousand dollars in financial and production support to five projects in their second annual film grant. The announcement was made by Flies Collective principals Daniel Patrick Carbone, Matthew Petock and Zachary Shedd.

Says Zachary Shedd, “Two years in a row we’ve been floored both by the level of talent within the grant proposals we reviewed and the sheer number of submissions, which more than doubled from last year. The ability and heart shown by our winners and by so many of the filmmakers who submitted was overwhelming and made us all proud to be working in this industry. Our hope with these five films is to give them the small leg up they more than deserve.”

 This year, Flies Collective enlisted the help of a grant review committee:

Anna Rose Holmer, writer and director of THE FITS (2015).

Michael Raisler, co-founder and former Creative Director of Cinereach. Executive Producer of MATANGI/MAYA/MIA, WE THE ANIMALS and the upcoming feature adaptation of MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON.

Raven Jackson, filmmaker, poet and 2017 recipient of the Flies Collective Film Grant, for her short film NETTLES.

This year, Flies Collective received over five hundred applications. The winners of this year’s grant are as follows:

FEYATEY  |  Director: Jessica Beshir  |  Experimental Documentary Feature

FEYATEY is a spiritually poetic and intimately political depiction of contemporary Ethiopia under a repressive regime, a window into the fantasies that the mysterious mild narcotic leaf Khat has afforded millions of Ethiopians who seek to escape their grim realities. This seventy-minute immersive documentary tells the story of the fantasy world induced by Khat chewing against the backdrop of the Khat industry workers who work around the clock to fuel the country with the mighty leaf of fantasy. Currently in production. 

PILLARS  |  Director: Haley Anderson  |  Narrative Short

PILLARS is a non-linear experimental short that explores transgenerational trauma and genetic memory through coming of age experiences across three generations of a family in the American South. Currently in pre-production

DON’T EVER LET GO  |  Director: Fabian Molina  |  Animated Short

DON’T EVER LET GO is a 7 minute animated film about a teenage Mexican-American brother and sister who are both trying to figure out their place in the world. Walking home from school one day they come upon a powerful stone, and both of them have different ideas about what to do with it. Currently in production.

WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU  |  Director: Livia Huang  |  Narrative Short

WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU is about two Asian-American boys from Queens caught in a rivalrous, too-close relationship between friendship and romance, spending one last night together in the summer before college. Currently in pre-production.

A BLACK RIFT BEGINS TO YAWN  |   Director: Matthew Wade  |  Narrative Feature

A BLACK RIFT BEGINS TO YAWN is a tone poem that teeters between being a pure mood piece and a mysterious narrative; exchanges of dialogue between the two women, Laura and Lara, working to uncover a conspiracy regarding the work of a deceased teacher and his obsession with an alien satellite, slowly reveal their intentions. One appears to have nefarious motives while the other tries to make sense of a puzzle she feels they have both been placed in, feeling out the danger which her former colleague presents. Currently in post-production.

Matthew Petock adds, “I’m again humbled and honored that so many talented storytellers and creators took time to share their work with us — it makes me very proud to be a member of this community. The outstanding projects we selected are daring and unique, and the filmmakers behind them have singular, inspired voices. We’re thrilled to be able to support their work.”

Wanting to find and support independent filmmakers like themselves, Daniel, Mathew and Zachary established the grant in order to pay forward the support they had received. In its first year, Flies Collective awarded over thirteen thousand dollars in grants and services to projects from Raven Jackson (NETTLES), Joshua Gleason (WHERE THE BOYS ARE), Lana Wilson (THE CURE FOR FEAR) and Jared Hutchinson (EARTHENWARE HEAD).

Flies Collective was established in 2012, but the principals at Flies Collective have been collaborating since they all attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts together. The team has been behind films like HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES, COLLECTIVE:UNCONSCIOUS, A LITTLE CLOSER, AMERICANA, as well as 2018’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere PHANTOM COWBOYS and Aaron Schimberg’s CHAINED FOR LIFE, which will soon screen at Austin’s Fantastic Fest and BFI London Film Festival.

For more information on the Flies Collective Film Grant, please visit: http://fliescollective.com/film-grant/

2018 LA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WINNERS AND THANKS ITS SPONSORS

LOS ANGELES (September 28, 2018)— Today the LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, announced the winners of the 2018 Festival at the Awards Reception at the W Hotel in Hollywood presided over by Festival Director Jennifer Cochis and Film Independent President Josh Welsh. Cochis and Welsh also took the opportunity to thank the more than 50 generous sponsors, funders and media partners without whom the Festival would not be possible.

“We congratulate all of the filmmakers that shared their work with the LA Film Festival,” said Festival Director, Jennifer Cochis. “These awards honor the wide range of exceptional storytelling we’ve been sincerely delighted to present. All of us are looking forward to wider audiences discovering these stories in the year ahead.”

 “A festival is made up of many groups – the filmmakers and the audience, of course, but also the sponsors and funders who make it all possible," said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. "We are profoundly thankful to all the companies, foundations, and individuals who have financially supported the LA Film Festival without whom we truly would not be here.”

 Festival Guest Director, Emmy-award-winning, Lauren Greenfield (Generation Wealth, Queen of Versailles) was awarded the Spirit of Independence Award at the event for her work advancing the cause of independent film and championing creative freedom as a celebrated documentarian, famed photographer and artist.

The Festival’s juried awards include: the U.S. Fiction Award, World Fiction Award, Documentary Award, LA Muse Awards, Nightfall Award, Music Video Award, Episodic Award, well as the Short Fiction Award and the Short Documentary Award. Audience awards are presented for Fiction Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Episodic Story, Episodic Pilot, Short Film, Music Video and Series from the Web.

The LA Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, September 20 with the World Premiere of Andrew Slater’s Echo in the Canyon, with a performance with special guests Jackson Browne, Jade Castrinos, Jakob Dylan, Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) and Michelle Phillips.  Gala screenings during the Festival included Eva Vives’ All About Nina, Ike Barinholtz’s The Oath, Rupert Everett’s The Happy Prince and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin’s documentary Free Solo.

Additionally the 25th anniversary of Film Independent’s diversity mentorship initiative Project Involve honored Effie T. Brown (Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People), Jon M. Chu (GI Joe: Retaliation, Crazy Rich Asians), Cherien Dabis (Amreeka, Empire) and MACRO’s Founder & CEO Charles D. King (Mudbound, Fences) at the home of Catharine and Jeffrey Soros during the Festival and the inaugural New Wave brunch celebrated the work of Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine Nine), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Bumblebee), Leonardo Nam (Westworld) and Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place).

VR and immersive storytelling were showcased at The Portal in partnership with Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television at their new Playa Vista campus. Lastly, over two days We the People offered a free series committed to advancing inclusion within the entertainment industry by serving as a solution-oriented call to action, Regina Hall (The Hate U Give, Support the Girls) was the keynote conversation.

The Festival’s competitions featured a diverse slate of 40 feature films, 41 short films and 10 short episodic works representing 26 countries. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color.

The Festival will close later today with the World Premiere of David Raymond’s Nomis starring Henry Cavill, Sir Ben Kingsley, Nathan Fillion, Minka Kelly, Alexandra Daddario and Stanley Tucci at the ArcLight Hollywood Cinerama Dome and the Closing Night Documentary will be the LA Premiere of Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown’s United Skates at the ArcLight Culver City.

Awards were given out in the following categories:

The U.S. Fiction Award

Winner: This Teacher, dir. Mark Jackson, World Premiere

Screenwriters: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson

Producers: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez

Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn

Film Description: A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate.

Jury Members: Karin Chien (Producer), Leena Pendharkar (director, 20 Weeks), Erica Winograd (VP of Development, Refinery29)

U.S. Fiction Special Mention

Winner: In Reality, dir. Ann Lupo, California Premiere

Screenwriters: Ann Lupo, Esteban Pedraza, Aaron Pryka

Producers: Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl

Cast: Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks

Film Description: A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love.

World Fiction Award

Winner: Border, dir. Ali Abbasi, California Premiere

Country: Sweden

Screenwriters: Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvis

Producers: Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson

Cast: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson 

Film Description: Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life.

Jury Members: Roxanne Benjamin (actress/director, V/H/S), Anna Rogers (COO/VP Production at The Art of Elysium/EB Studios), Yuval Sharon (Artistic Director, TheIndustry in Los Angeles)

World Fiction Special Jury Prize, Directing

Winner: The Day I Lost My Shadow, dir. Soudade Kaadan, US Premiere

Country: France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic

Screenwriters: Soudade Kaadan

Producers: Amira Kaadan

Cast: Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali

Film Description: In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son.

Documentary Award

Winner: hillbilly, dir. Sally Rubin & Ashley York, LA Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Sally Rubin & Ashley York

Featuring: bell hooks, Billy Redden, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas Howard

Film Description: Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachian to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate.

Jury Members: Michael Bodie (director/professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts), Hans Charles (Cinematographer,13th), Rae Dawn Chong (actress, The Color Purple)

   Documentary Special Jury Award for

Excellence in Social Justice Storytelling

Winner: False Confessions, dir. Katrine Philp, North American Premiere

Country: Denmark

Producers: Katrine A. Sahlstrøm

Film Description: “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients.

LA Muse Award

Winner: Staycation, dir. Tanuj Chopra, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su

Producer: Lalithra Fernando

Cast: Anthony Ma, Grace Su

Film Description: A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone.

Jury Members: Tamar Halpern (filmmaker, Llyn Foulkes One Man Band), Jorge Lendeborg (actor, Bumblebee), Jamil Walker Smith (director, The American Dream, actor, Code Black)

LA Muse Documentary Award

Winner: Fire on the Hill dir. Brett Fallentine, World Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim, Steven Amato

Film Description: Three black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question.

Jury Members: Tamar Halpern (filmmaker, Llyn Foulkes One Man Band), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (actor, Bumblebee),Jamil Walker Smith (director, The American Dream, actor, Code Black)

LA Muse Special Mention, Best Ensemble Cast

Winner: Solace, dir. Tchaiko Omawale, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriter: Tchaiko Omawale

Producers: Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice

Cast: Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett

Film Description: A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating.

Nightfall Award

Winner: The Dead Center, dir. Billy Senese, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Billy Senese

Producers: Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth

Cast: Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Billy Feehely

Film Description: When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined.

Jury Members: Niyia Mack (producer, Delusion: The Blue Blade), Alex Neustaedter (actor, A.X.L.), Sarah Adina Smith(director, Legion, Room 104)

Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Lead Actor

Actor: Ashleigh Morghan

Film: Head Count, dir. Elle Callahan, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Michael Nader

Producers: Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder

Film Description: During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual.

Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Ensemble Cast

Cast: Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdíttir

Film: Spell, dir. Brendan Walter, World Premiere

Screenwriter: Barak Hardley

Producers: Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor WIlson

Film Description: Following the unexpected death of his fiancé an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation -- unless it’s all in his head.

Award for Short Fiction

Winner: The Passage, dir. Kitao Sakurai

Country: USA

Film Description: Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Award for Documentary Short

Winner: One Leg In, One Leg Out, dir. Lisa Rideout

Country: Canada

Film Description: A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Web Episodes Jury Award

Winner: Psusy, dir. Anna Duckworth

Country: New Zealand

Film Description: Two close friends drag us through their controversial, inappropriate, but always playful feminist world.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film

Winner: Brian Banks, dir. Tom Shadyac, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriter: Doug Atchison

Producers: Amy Baer, Monica Levinson, Shivani Rawat

Cast: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Tiffany Dupont, Xosha Roquemore

Film Description: Based on a true story, a young football player’s dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.

This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, LA Muse, Nightfall and Premieres.

Audience Award for Documentary Feature Film

Winner: Stuntman, dir. Kurt Mattila, World Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun

Featuring: Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax, Meg Braun

Film Description: A veteran Stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft.

This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Documentary Feature: Documentary LA Muse and Premieres.

Audience Award for Music Video

Winner: Clutch, dir. Christopher Ripley

Country: USA

Film Description: A professional athlete's rise and fall from grace.

This award is given to the music video audiences liked most as voted by tabulated rating system.

Audience Award for Short Film

Winner: Weekends, dir. Trevor Jimenez

Country: USA

Film Description: A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto.

This award is given to the short film audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were eligible for the Audience Award for Short Film.

Audience Award for Episodic Story

Winner: Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter

Country: USA

Film Description: He’s been cheated on, living in a friend’s living room and stuck at a dead-end job. But one night he finds an unlikely stress-reliever—rapping.

This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system.

Audience Award for Episodic Pilot

Winner: 40 & Single, dir. Leila Djansi, World Premiere

Country: Ghana

Film Description: A single, bisexual, mixed race bridal fashion designer maneuvers life and business in post-colonial Africa.

This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system.

Seattle Story Award

Winner: I’m Sorry Happy Birthday, dir. Claire Buss, World Premiere

Film Description: A playful showcase of everyday life in Seattle’s neighborhoods through whimsical vignettes that border on the fantastical – complete with a little bit of Pacific Northwest quirkiness. 

Selected by special committee assembled by Film Independent and funded by Visit Seattle.

TikTok Real Short Award

Winner: dir. Ann Lupo

TikTok gave Festival filmmakers the chance to win a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant. Ann’s video addressed the "Why I'm a Filmmaker" prompt with exceptional storytelling through the lens of TikTok, utilizing creator tools to enhance the narrative. Her innovative short, along with all of the submissions, can be found on the Film Independent (@filmindependent) TikTok account. Selected by special committee assembled by the LA Film Festival programming team.

Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Writers Guild Theater and the Ford Theatres.

In closing out the 2018 edition, the Festival thanks the many sponsors, funders and partners whose support made the entire program possible. These visionaries include Presenting Media Sponsor Los Angeles Times; Official Host Venue ArcLight Cinemas; Platinum Sponsors American Airlines, EFILM | Deluxe, HBO and TikTok; University Sponsor Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television; Official Screening Partner the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Festival Supporters include Directors Guild of America, eTech Rentals, Kona Productions, TREETI and Visit Seattle. Festival Affiliates are 21st Century Fox Global Inclusion, ATK Audiotek, Konsonant Music, SAGindie and Writers Guild of America West.

Stella Artois is the Official Beer. IMDbPro is the Official Industry Resource. CITI is the Official Credit Card. The LINE LA, NoMad Los Angeles and Freehand LA are the Official Hotel Partner. Essentia Water is the Official Water. Hillersden Estate Wines is the Official Wine.

Additional support provided by National Endowment for the Arts, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Time Warner Foundation, Lisa Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation, Jason Delane Lee & Yvonne Huff Lee | Lagralane Group, Brenda Robinson, Spain Arts & Culture, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California and the Members of Film Independent’s annual giving group, Arts Circle.

American Airlines

American is committed to the community in Los Angeles through local partnerships and community projects and, as the preferred airline of the entertainment industry, has formed an advisory council of influencers from leading entertainment corporations to shape future decisions. American offers over 200 flights on peak days from LAX to 70 destinations worldwide and is the only carrier to offer non-stop service to five continents.

EFILM | Deluxe

EFILM provides award-winning color finishing services and ground-breaking technology to top filmmakers and emerging talent, putting the same care into indie projects as hundred million dollar features. Recent projects include Sundance short grand jury winner and Project Involve Fellow project “Emergency”, “Blade Runner 2049”, and “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”. Follow us @EFILMholywood on Instagram.

HBO

HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 142 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world’s most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television including Game of Thrones®, Big Little Lies®, Westworld®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, Band of Brothers®, and The Wire®. In the United States, HBO® and sister network Cinemax® are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand®, Cinemax On Demand®, HBO GO® and MAX GO®, as well as HBO NOW®. Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO®, are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.

Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television

LMU's School of Film and Television is consistently ranked among the best film schools in the world, and was named one of the top 10 film schools in the U.S. by the Hollywood Reporter. Our small class sizes, cutting-edge facilities and innovative, student-centered curriculum provide unique opportunities for students to hone their technical and creative skills as they prepare to become the next generation of storytellers, scholars and industry leaders.

TikTok

TikTok is a destination for short-form mobile videos. Our mission is to capture and present the world's creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter, directly from the mobile phone. TikTok enables everyone to be a creator and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos. TikTok is based in Los Angeles, with global offices in London, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai, and Moscow. In early 2018, TikTok was one of the most downloaded apps in the world. TikTok is available worldwide for iOS and Android. Visittiktok.com.

Thank you also to Getty Images, the Official Photographer of the LA Film Festival. Please visit gettyimages.com, the official source for photos.

Additional thanks to media partners AFCI, Backstage, Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, KCRW 89.9FM, KPFK 90.7FM, LA Times, LA Metro, Los Angeles Confidential, Martin Outdoor Media, OUTFRONT Media, PROVOKR, The Hollywood Reporter, Univision/KLVE, IMDbPro, Variety, Getty Images and TheWrap.

Online & Social Media:

www.lafilmfestival.com  Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/LAFilmFestival and Twitter @LAFilmFestival. Official event hashtag: #LAFilmFestival.

ABOUT THE LA FILM FESTIVAL

The LA Film Festival is a key part of the exhibition arm of the nonprofit arts organization Film Independent. Showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives, the Festival produces one-of-a-kind events featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers, industry professionals and award-winning talent from Los Angeles and around the world. Presenting Media Sponsor is Los Angeles Times. Official Host Venue is ArcLight Cinemas. Platinum Sponsors are American Airlines, EFILM | Deluxe, HBO and TikTok. The University Sponsor is Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Official Screening Partner is The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Festival Supporters are Directors Guild of America, eTech Rentals, Kona Productions, TREETI and Visit Seattle. Festival Affiliates are 21st Century Fox Global Inclusion, ATK Audiotek, Konsonant Music, SAGindie and Writers Guild of America West. Additional support provided by National Endowment for the Arts. Stella Artois is the Official Beer. IMDbPro is the Official Industry Resource. CITI is the Official Credit Card. The LINE LA, NoMad Los Angeles and Freehand LA are the Official Hotel Partner. Essentia Water is the Official Water. Hillersden Estate Wines is the Official Wine. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

Submission Window Now Open for AT&T Presents: Untold Stories III - AT&T + Tribeca Film Festival giving filmmakers another shot to win $1 million to make their film

For the third year in a row, AT&T and the Tribeca Film Festival are giving filmmakers a shot at 1 million bucks to make a movie! It’s all a part of the AT&T Presents: Untold Stories program, an alliance between AT&T and Tribeca (along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute) launched in 2017 to provide a platform for underrepresented filmmakers.

Aspiring filmmakers can submit their scripts between now and Nov. 19 for their chance to compete and become the third $1 million recipient of AT&T’s Untold Stories program.  Filmmakers can find official program rules and regulations atTribecaFilmInstitute.org/ATTUntoldStories

From the list of submissions, AT&T and Tribeca will then curate 5 finalists who will participate in a live pitch to a committee of film luminaries just before the opening of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.  AT&T co-founded the initiative on the principle that connecting people – to each other and their passions – is vital, which dovetails with Tribeca’s commitment to championing storytellers. As presenting sponsor of the festival since 2014, AT&T wanted to find a new way to provide more individuals opportunities to connect and discover stories that speak to them. With that, Untold Stories was born. 

• In 2017, filmmaker Faraday Okoro was selected as the first-ever program winner for his film, Nigerian Prince.

• That film debuted in April as part of the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year -- and will soon have its theatrical release on October 19.  We have the official trailer here.

• It was announced this summer that Vertical Entertainment acquired the distribution rights to Nigerian Prince.  That announcement is here.

• In April of 2018, AT&T also awarded its second $1 million “Untold Stories” winners, Sasie Sealy and Angela Cheng. Their film,Lucky Grandma, will have its world premiere screening during the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival next April.

• Past committee members have included Lee Daniels, Ilana Glazer, Antony Mackie, Alfre Woodard and Jeffrey Wright.

• The winning filmmakers also receive mentorship from seasoned industry professionals.

• The four other finalists will receive a $10,000 micro-grant to help achieve their respective film goals.

 The 2019 Tribeca Film Festival will take place on April 24 – May 5, 2019 in New York City.

FSLC PRESENTS THE OFFICIAL NYFF56 TRAILER

espnW: Women + Sports Summit Speaker Line-Up

GRAMMY-Nominated Singer Andra Day, Maverick Carter, the USA Women’s Olympic Hockey Team, Danica Patrick, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, and Jordyn Wieber Headline the Ninth Annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit

Featured Speakers also include Michele Roberts, Val Ackerman, Willow Bay, Audrey Gelman and ESPN’s Sam Ponder, Maria Taylor, Doris Burke and Beth Mowins Discuss Breaking Barriers in Sports Media

The ninth annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit presented by Toyota will again showcase key figures in sports, business and entertainment, and will be headlined by GRAMMY-nominated singer Andra Day, retired motorsports star Danica Patrick, WNBA greats Candace Parker and Breanna Stewart, former gymnasts Jordyn Wieber and Sarah Klein – two of the Sister Survivors who spoke out against sexual abuse by their former team doctor, the USA Women’s Olympic Hockey Team and Maverick Carter (LeBron James’ partner in SpringHill Entertainment). The yearly gathering will take place October 1-3 at The Resort at Pelican Hill, in Newport Beach, Calif., and will include keynotes, work sessions, panels, presentations and activities focused on advancing women in sports.

On the first night of the conference, Andra Day will offer an intimate musical performance after sitting down for a wide-ranging interview with SportsCenter’s Cari Champion. Day’s debut album, Cheers to the Fall, was nominated for Best R&B Album and the single “Rise Up” was nominated for Best R&B Performance at the 2016 GRAMMY Awards. She was also nominated with rapper Common for a GRAMMY in 2017 for their song “Stand Up for Something.” 

Danica Patrick will be featured in a keynote interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, also on Monday, Oct. 1. ESPN The Magazine’sMina Kimes will conduct a keynote interview with Jordyn Wieber and Sarah Klein on Tuesday, Oct. 2, to discuss their journeys to help to bring justice to hundreds of female athletes. Carter, a childhood friend of James’, who has managed the basketball star’s career for the last 15 years and is his production partner, will have a candid one-on-one interview with Champion Tuesday evening, as part of her signature Be Honest interviews.

“The Summit always aims to further the conversation around key issues for women in sports,” said Laura Gentile, senior vice president, espnW, Business Operations & Content Strategy. “This year we have a lineup of powerful voices who will enable us to focus on the most relevant issues impacting women today- from the disturbing abuse of female athletes to pay equity in sports.”

On Monday, Julie Foudy will host a conversation with leaders of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team – Jocelyne Lamoureaux-Davidson, Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield – about their road to gold and their fight for equality. On the final day of the conference, WNBA superstars Breanna Stewart and Candace Parker will discuss their lives and goals, on and off the court, with ESPN’s Sarah Spain.

On Tuesday, College GameDay’s Maria Taylor will join ESPN’s Doris Burke, Beth Mowins and Sam Ponder for a panel on “Breaking Barriers in Sports Media.” ESPN The Magazine and espnW editor in chief Alison Overholt will conduct a Female Founder Interview with The Wing’s Audrey Gelman, then later that evening, ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro will sit down for a discussion withSportsCenter anchor Sage Steele.  

Other speakers and panels will include:

• “Voices of the Future” – featuring dual-sport star Kiana Clay (adaptive motorcross and snowboarding), 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Rachel Garcia (softball), 15-year-old World Championship bronze-medalist Jade Howson (paddleboarding), and 2018 Olympian and World Junior Short Track Speed Skating gold medalist Maame Biney (speedskating);

• “The State of Journalism” – by Willow Bay, dean of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and Annenberg professors Vince Gonzalez, Stacy Smith and ESPN’s Shelley Smith;

• “World Cup Preview” – a look at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup by former U.S. Women’s National Team stars and World Cup champions Julie Foudy and Kate Markgraf.

 Also joining this year’s Summit will be espnW’s Allison Glock, ESPN commentator Victoria Arlen and ESPN The Magazine/espnWsenior writer Alyssa Roenigk. In addition, ESPN executives Christine Dreissen, Connor Schell, Laura Gentile and Alison Overholt will each formally address attendees during the Summit.

 The espnW: Women + Sports Summit is the only one of its kind in the industry. Through structured and thoughtful conversation, the event pushes the boundaries on topics surrounding women and women in sports, and has offered insight from such notable and groundbreaking people as: Los Angeles Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss, WWE chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon, civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, phenom pitching ace Mo’Ne Davis, tennis legend and civil rights activist Billie Jean King, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, journalist and philanthropist Maria Shriver, Ambassador Madeline Verveer, soccer stars Mia Hamm, Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan, and more. 

Interviews, photos and additional content will be posted to espnW.com throughout the Summit. In addition, this year’s conference will be livestreamed from start to finish on espnW.com and via the ESPN app. For more information about The espnW: Women + Sports Summit and to see the complete agenda visit www.espnWsummit.com or follow on Twitter with @espnW and #espnWsummit.

About espnW

espnW is a global multiplatform brand dedicated to engaging and inspiring women through sports. espnW.com, the brand’s content home, offers total access to female athletes and the sports they play, takes fans inside the biggest events, and captures the biggest trends in sports life/style.  espnW also provides a unique point of view on the sports stories that matter most to women and highlights the crossroads of sports and culture. Founded in July 2010, espnW’s content and voices live across digital, television, radio, films, events, educational platforms and social media. The annual espnW: Women + Sports Summit, now in its ninth year, brings together top athletes and industry leaders for meaningful conversations around women and sports, and is the leading event of its kind in the sports industry.

Catriona McKenzie - First Indigenous Australian Woman To Direct US Series TV - Launches Dark Horse Production Company Ahead Of LA Film Festival

CATRIONA McKENZIE LAUNCHES PRODUCTION COMPANY DARK HORSE AHEAD OF LA FILM FESTIVAL SCREENINGS OF KIKI AND KITTY

THE FIRST INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN WOMAN TO DIRECT SERIES TV IN THE UNITED STATES

Los Angeles, Calif. – September 12, 2018 – Ahead of the LA Film Festival screenings of her series Kiki and Kitty this month, multi-award-winning writer/director/ producer Catriona McKenzie has announced that she is setting up her own production company, Dark Horse.

The first Indigenous Australian woman to direct series television in the US (Shadowhunters for Freeform), Catriona spent time as a director’s attachment on the television series Prison Break (Fox) and she interned at Ridley Scott’s production company and as a director’s attachment on his film Alien: Covenant.

Kiki and Kitty, based on an original concept from and written by Nakkiah Lui and produced by Porchlight Films’ Liz Watts and Sylvia Warmer, is a 6 x 12-minute series about the adventures of a young, black woman in a big, white world, where her vagina is a big, black woman and her best friend. The series won two prizes at Series Mania in Paris.

First on the slate at Dark Horse is Stolen, which Catriona is co-writing with Patricia Cornelius (Blessed). Catriona is also attached to direct the US feature Driven with producers Veronica Sive and Brian Gersh at Sunjive.

Catriona’s recent directing credits include Tidelands, Australia’s first Netflix Original, and the series Wrong Kind of Black, Harrow and The Warriors. She has directed outstanding television series including the Emmy-nominated Dance Academy; Logie and AFI award-winner My Place (series 1 and 2) and Satisfaction starring Academy Award-nominated Jacki Weaver. She has also directed the pilot of award-winning series The Circuit, Redfern Now and The Gods of Wheat Street (ABC-TV). Her first feature, Satellite Boy, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, and screened at Palm Springs International Film Festival in 2013, as well as collecting the international and children’s juries’ Special Mention at Berlinale. Satellite Boy was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Film and was the 2014 recipient of the Australian Directors Guild Finders Award and Best Feature at imagiNATIVE Media Arts Festival, Canada.

Dark Horse is the next step in McKenzie’s passion for telling audacious stories to her audience.

“I am partnering with international creatives to bring uniquely diverse stories to the global market. I am committed to championing diverse creative talent and gathering exciting partners around Dark Horse, such as brand strategist Greg Logan at The Definery. I am also working with Erin Bretherton on developing new projects domestically and internationally across various platforms, and with writer Ligiah Villalobos on new television projects,” she says.

Catriona graduated with Honours from the prestigious Australian Film, Television and Radio School and she also studied screen writing at NYU, TISCH. She has mentored other emerging filmmakers at Sundance Native Writing Lab, OUTFEST and UC and she has sat on various film juries including Berlinale and the New Zealand International Film Festival.

Catriona is of Australian Aboriginal descent; her tribe is the Kunai Gurnai of South Eastern Australia.

Kiki and Kitty screens as part of the following LA Film Festival sessions. Q&A follows each session.

EPISODES: INDIE SERIES FROM THE WEB

Saturday Sep 22 at 9:00 PM and Sunday Sep 23 at 12:45 PM

ArcLight Culver City, Culver City

13TH Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Unveils Finalists, Setting New Festival Record for Female Representation In Front and Behind the Scenes

13TH Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Unveils Finalists,

Setting New Festival Record for Female Representation In Front and Behind the Scenes

The Six Finalist Shorts Explore Race Relations, Women’s Rights and Gender/Sexual Identity

Finale Screening and Awards Ceremony Recognizing Finalists Will Be Held October 24 in Hollywood

The 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, has unveiled six original short films, pilots and webisodes as this year’s finalists. They will be recognized at the festival’s finale screening and awards ceremony on October 24, 2018 at the Director’s Guild of America in Hollywood.

The finalists shorts, “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live” were selected from 15 semi-finalist shorts after being showcased at public screenings in New York City this past August. They have already earned acclaim at prominent festivals including CAAMFest, the New York Television Festival, Outfest and the Pan African Film Festival.

This year’s finalists, chosen from more than 3,400 submissions, set a festival record for female representation—both on and off camera. Four out of the six finalists were written and/or directed by women, and female characters are at the center of four of the shorts. While each short film depicts stories exploring today’s social and cultural issues in its own way, they are all rooted in universally relevant themes of love, acceptance and compassion.

“In the festival’s most competitive year to date, we had an incredible selection of shorts, and we are thrilled with the quality and caliber of our finalists,” said Karen Horne, SVP of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment. “Our festival has always aimed to bring unique, diverse stories and storytellers to the forefront, and each finalist is a fantastic representation of the kind of talent we seek to foster.”

At the finale screening and awards ceremony next month, the festival will announce winners for awards such as Best Writer, Best Director and Best Actor. They will be determined by a panel of entertainment industry professionals, members of the press, and NBCUniversal executives. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved at the festival website.

The NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is presented by NBCUniversal and NBC Entertainment. It is one of the tentpole initiatives within the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS) that promote and encourage people of diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of storytellers. Other programs include Female Forward, the Alternative Directors Program, Writers on the Verge and the StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians.

Synopses of the finalist films are:

B.U.T.S: “SPANISH CLASS” Episode Director: Brendan Colthurst

Writers: Emma Ramos, Irene Lucio, Bernardo Cubria and Timmy Wood

Nominated twice for an Imagen Award for Best Web Series, B.U.T.S is a sketch comedy web series created and starring Irene Lucio and Emma Ramos making fun of themselves and their surroundings through a Latina lens. In each episode, they portray different characters that parody and satirize the many ‘afflictions’ of the modern-day woman. In the “Spanish Class” episode, a couple, Lucy and Timmy, get way more than they bargained for when they set out to learn Spanish in a week. (trailer)

KYENVU Writer & Director: Kemiyondo Coutinho

An independent young Ugandan woman lives through the taunts of using public transport on a daily basis. As she struggles to find her footing in a patriarchal society that entitles men to women’s bodies, she finds love in a bittersweet moment. The film won at the Pan African Film Festival and Zanzibar International Film Festival. (trailer)

MASKS Writer & Director: Mahaliyah Ayla O

A closeted medical student risks being outed to her family on the same evening a masked gunman opens fire at a gay nightclub. “Masks” won the AT&T Audience Award for Best Short Film at the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. (trailer)

MONDAY Writer & Director: Dinh Thai

Kwan is everyone’s one-stop shop for anything stolen or illicit, but his reasons for hustling are not as clear-cut as they seem. While maneuvering between disparate cliques and facing racism, he’ll be forced to question the immorality of his occupation. “Monday” was a first place winner at the HBO APA Visionaries and won Best Direction at the New York Television Festival. (trailer)

RANI Writer & Director: Hammad Rizvi

In the streets of Pakistan, a socially outcast transgender woman sets out to take care of an abandoned child. “Rani” won the Fox Inclusion Award at Outfest Los Angeles. (trailer)

WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE Director: Honora Talbott

Writers: Bill Posley and Honora Talbott

When a newlywed Latinx couple moves into a trendy, gentrifying LA neighborhood, two hipsters invite themselves over to offer a "warm welcome." But as the night goes on, it’s clear these neighbors are not what they seem: cold pressed, cold brewed and cold blooded. (trailer)

About the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Founded in 2006, the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is the first and only film festival created and run by an entertainment studio solely dedicated to celebrating the importance of diversity in entertainment and discovering the next generation of storytellers. The annual bicoastal program is a nationwide search for diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, including those from ethnically diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTQ community and female content creators. Winners are awarded with prizes ranging from development meetings and holding deals with NBCUniversal to cash grants and industry standard software and camera packages. Festival alumni include Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed 2”), Hasan Minhaj (“The Daily Show”), Randall Park (“Fresh Off the Boat”) and Simone Missick (“Luke Cage”). For more information, visit NBCUshortsFEST.com #NBCUshortsFEST

About the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS)

Since 2000, NBC has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing on screen and behind-the-camera talent of diverse and inclusive backgrounds through the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS). NBC TIPS are amongst the most extensive and robust diversity and inclusion programs in the television industry. They feature more than 20 programs including Writers on the Verge, the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, Female Forward, Emerging Director Program, Alternative Directors Program, StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians and the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL that celebrates diverse stories and the filmmakers who create them. Program alumni are celebrated producers, writers, directors and actors in the entertainment industry who have gone on to win Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards and include Deon Cole, Donald Glover, Lil Rel Howery, Mindy Kaling, Danny Pudi, Natasha Rothwell, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Keto Shimizu and Alan Yang. For more information, visit NBCUniTIPS.com.

Tribeca TV Festival lineup announcement- Tracey Ullman, 20yrs of SVU, Bryan Cranston and more

TRIBECA TV® FESTIVAL RETURNS TO BRING THE SMALL SCREEN TO THE BIG SCREEN WITH ICONS, FAN FAVORITES AND NEW VOICES

Season Premieres of HBO’s Tracey Ullman’s Show; Showtime’s Ray Donovan; NBC’s 20th Season of Law & Order: SVU; and a Special Presentation of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Talks with Bryan Cranston, Rosario Dawson, and a Look Back at 10 Years of Dealmaking on ABC’s Shark Tank  
Series Premieres of CNN’s American Style; National Geographic’s Valley of the Boom; and YouTube Premium’s Wayne

Calling all TV fans, the Tribeca TV Festival is back on the big screen bringing audiences together to discover new series and be the first to see favorite new season premieres. The 2nd Tribeca TV Festival will celebrate unforgettable storytellers who have shaped what ‘peak TV’ is today and introduce new voices in episodic storytelling. Over four days at Spring Studios in New York City, each event will feature a conversation with the stars and creators of favorite and soon-to-be-favorite shows. The 2018 Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23. Tickets go on sale today, August 22, at 11am ET at tribecafilm.com/TVFestival.

“TV reaches audiences anywhere--in their homes, on their tablets, on their phones--but it’s also special to experience them on the big screen with others at the Tribeca TV Festival,” said Robert De Niro.

Tribeca TV celebrates the pioneers who have broken boundaries in episodic storytelling and those who will continue to do so this fall and beyond. Programming highlights include the 20th season premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU with star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay and executive producer Dick Wolf, longtime co-star Ice-T, and current cast; a look back at 10 years of dealmakingon ABC’s Shark Tank’s with the Sharks; new season premieres from Emmy®-nominated Tracey Ullman’s Show with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep; Showtime’s Emmy®-nominated Ray Donovan with producer and star Liev Schreiber; CBS’s Madam Secretary with star Téa Leoni, Sony Crackle’s Startup with Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and more.

The Festival will host the world premiere of the first episode of season 12 premiere of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknownwith Bourdain and W. Kamau Bell in Kenya. This special presentation will be an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bell as well as Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

Tribeca will world premiere the zany limited series Valley of the Boom from National Geographic which mixes scripted and unscripted storytelling to chart the rise and burst of the dot-com boom. The writers of Deadpool, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, will debut their teenage edgy comedy dramedy Wayne from YouTube Premium.

The program will include Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston and the latest installment of the Tribeca Talks: The Journey, inspired by TUMI, series with Rosario Dawson. Both conversations will be centered on the dynamic careers and indelible characters each have brought to life throughout their careers. 

The Festival has added Fall Pilot Season, a section of indie pilots, showcasing exciting new voices in episodic storytelling. An extension of pilot season from April’s Tribeca Film Festival, these five comedies play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare. Also premiering is a section of genre stories, Midnight Episodics, that explore the dark side.

"Tribeca has created a platform that lets episodic storytellers experience their stories directly with their audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Tribeca. “We’re excited to celebrate these cultural icons and new voices with the second annual TV Festival."

“Through episodic storytelling you become deeply invested in characters for years, or even decades. At Tribeca TV we are celebrating the genius of Tracey Ullman and her characters we have loved for 30 years, the 20 anniversary of Law & Order SVU and the creators and characters who have enthralled us, the 6th season of Liev Schreiber’s Ray Donovan, Bryan Cranston’s dynamic performances throughout his career, and finally a decade of Shark Tank and all of the careers they have launched,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises.

“With so much incredible work being showcased on TV, the process of discovery can be the most exciting- and the most overwhelming- for audiences. Tribeca TV it here to help!  We hope our guests will discover their newest TV obsession among our series premieres from Valley of the Boom to American Style, or broaden their horizons even further with world premiere indie pilots and digital series.

2018 TRIBECA TV FESTIVAL LINEUP:

PREMIERES

American Style (CNN) – World Premiere

Executive produced by Marty Moe, Chad Mumm, Britt Aboutaleb, and Dan Partland.

American Style examines how America’s changing style through the decades has mirrored the political, social, and economic climate of the time, shaping our unique American identity. Using archival footage and interviews with fashion experts and cultural figures including Donna Karen, Vanessa Williams, Beverly Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi, Andre Leon Talley, John Varvatos, and more, American Style will highlight the most iconic moments from fashion, history, and pop culture, giving audiences a front row seat to the runway of American history. 

·         After the Screening: A conversation with contributor Tim Gunn and more.

• Event time: September 23 at 2:00pm ET

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN) – Season 12 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig.

Anthony Bourdain introduces W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America) to the distinctive sights, tastes, and sounds of Kenya. It is Bell’s first trip to the African continent, and to a country that holds a personal connection for him. Through the eyes of Bourdain and Bell, and their first experiences with this highly dynamic deeply, soulful and beautiful country we ask, what will a future Kenya… for Kenyans…. by Kenyans…look like? In this special presentation, viewers will see an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with W. Kamau Bell, Director Morgan Fallon, Showrunner Sandy Zweig and Executive Producer Lydia Tenaglia moderated by CNN anchor John Berman.

○      Event time: September 22 at 7:30pm ET

Law & Order: SVU (NBC) – 20th Anniversary Celebration

Executive produced by and created by: Dick Wolf
Executive Producers: Michael Chernuchin, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Alex Chapple, Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski.

Twenty seasons strong, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the longest-running primetime drama currently on television. This hard-hitting and emotional series from Dick Wolf’s Law & Order brand chronicles the cases of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who bring justice to the victims of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.  The Tribeca TV Festival is proud to pay tribute to two decades of this iconic and impactful New York City fan-favorite with an exclusive preview screening of the 20th season premiere and a conversation with those both in front of and behind the camera who have madeSVU the institution it is today.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Creator and Executive Producer Dick Wolf, star and Executive ProducerMariska Hargitay, co-stars Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Philip Winchester, and more.

○      Event time: September 20 at 6:00pm ET

Madam Secretary (CBS) – Season 5 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Barbara Hall, Lori McCreary, David Grae, Eric Stoltz and Morgan Freeman.

Madam Secretary stars Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, the shrewd, determined secretary of state who drives international diplomacy and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home. A college professor and a brilliant former CIA analyst who left for ethical reasons, Elizabeth returned to public life at the request of President Conrad Dalton, who values McCord’s apolitical leanings, deep knowledge of the Middle East, flair for languages, and ability to not just think outside the box, but not even acknowledge there is a box. In the season 5 premiere, Elizabeth McCord seeks advice on a delicate situation from her predecessors, guest stars and former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright

●        After the Screening:  A conversation with Téa Leoni and cast.

○        Event time: September 20 at 8:15pm ET

Ray Donovan (Showtime) – Season 6 Premiere

Executive Produced by David Hollander, Mark Gordon, Bryan Zuriff and Lou Fusaro, and created by Ann Biderman.

As season six of Ray Donovan begins, we find Ray (Schreiber) rebuilding his life both personally and professionally in New York City. After being rescued from a plummet into the East River, his savior, a cop named Mac (Domenick Lombardozzi), brings Ray into the fraternity that is the Staten Island Police Department. While exploring this new world of brotherhood and corruption, Ray finds himself once again working for media mogul Sam Winslow (Susan Sarandon). Sam has teamed up with New York City mayoral candidate Anita Novak (Lola Glaudini), a partnership that puts Ray at odds with his new friends out in Staten Island.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Showrunner David Hollander and cast members Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.

○        Event time: September 23 at 5:00pm ET

StartUp (Sony Crackle) – Season 3 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Ben Ketai, Gianni Nunnari, Shannon Gaulding, Tom Forman, Andrew Marcus, Ray Ricord and Anne Clements.

Back for 10 thrilling new episodes, StartUp premieres Season 3 of this internationally acclaimed series at the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival. Following the professional and personal travails of Araknet, a tech darknet company, and its ruthlessly ambitious staff,StartUp builds with high stakes tension as the team fights their most threatening adversary to date—the U.S. Government. Get in on this buzzed about and provocative original drama.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with creator, writer and Director Ben Ketai and cast members Edi Gathegi, Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and Otmara Marrero.

○      Event time: September 21 at 6:30pm ET

Tracey Ullman’s Show (HBO) – Season 3 International Premiere

Executive Producer: Tracey Ullman.

Celebrated British actress/comedian Tracey Ullman returns for a third season of her three-time Emmy®-nominated HBO sketch-comedy series, reprising her takes on beloved real and fictional characters from seasons' past, including a devilish Dame Judi Dench; long-suffering German Chancellor Angela Merkel; spunky Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; newly-minted stepmother Jerry Hall; ever-optimistic spinster Kay Clark; and many more. This season, Ullman introduces an entertaining and razor-sharp set of new impersonations, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, among others.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep.

○        Event time: September 21 at 5:45pm ET

Valley of the Boom (National Geographic) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Producers: Arianna Huffington, Matthew Carnahan, Jason Goldberg, Brant Pinvidic and David Walpert.

Valley of the Boom takes an adrenaline-fueled ride through the culture of speculation, innovation and disruption during Silicon Valley’s unprecedented tech boom and subsequent bust in the 1990s. It’s a timely and captivating story, starring two-time Emmy® award-winning actor Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn, and Lamorne Morris, told through an irreverent blend of drama, comedy and pathos. While most of the show is scripted, Showrunner/Director Matthew Carnahan weaves in select documentary elements that help tell the true inside story of the internet’s fascinating formative years.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with creator Matthew Carnahan, cast members Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn,Lamorne Morris, and real-life subject Stephan Paternot, founder of TheGlobe.com.

○        Event time: September 21 at 7:45pm ET

Wayne (YouTube Premium) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and created by Shawn Simmons.

From the writers of Deadpool and Zombieland, Wayne is a gritty, hilarious, and sometimes bloody roadtrip adventure tale of young love and reckless youth. When the titular teenage renegade’s 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is stolen from his father on his deathbed, Wayne sets out with nothing but a dirt bike and his new crush Del to take back his rightful inheritance. From Southie to South Florida, it is Wayne and Del against the world in this propulsive new must-watch show.  

●      After the Screening: A conversation with series creator Shawn Simmons, stars Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo,director Iain B. MacDonald, and writer and executive producers Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

○      Event time: September 23 at 4:30pm ET

TRIBECA TALKS

Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston

Marking the 10th anniversary since Breaking Bad premiered, the remarkable Bryan Cranston will discuss his illustrious career as one of the most versatile performers over the last three decades. First making waves as affable dad, Hal on Malcolm in the Middle and Dr. Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, Cranston drew worldwide acclaim playing high school teacher - turned drug kingpin, Walter White, for which he won numerous awards including four Emmys. In 2014, Cranston won the Tony Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in the Broadway’s All the Way, for which he reprised the role for the HBO adaptation of the same name. Cranston’s production company, Moonshot Entertainment produced All The Way and has developed various television series including Sneaky Pete, The Dangerous Book for Boys, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams for Amazon, as well as the Emmy-nominated animated series SuperMansion for Sony/Crackle. Most recently, Cranston was nominated for a 2018 Emmy for his guest-starring role as Larry’s therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and this November, he brings to Broadway his Olivier Award-winning performance as the "Mad as Hell" Howard Beale, in Paddy Chayefsky’s Network. Tribeca is proud to host the accomplished and multi-hyphenate Mr. Cranston for a rare opportunity to understand the career that has come to epitomize the golden age of television.

Event time: September 22 at 4:00pm ET

Tribeca Talks: The Journey, Inspired by TUMI, with Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson’s prolific career has taken her from film and television performer, to comic book writer, producer, singer and activist. Dawson first came to attention with her breakout performance in Larry Clark’s film Kids, and went on to star in a range of films including the Sin City franchise, 25th Hour, and RENT. On the small screen, Dawson first starred as Claire Temple in the Netflix adaptation of Marvel’s Daredevil, and has since reprised her role in the Marvel/Netflix series Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and The Defenders. Dawson had a recurring role on the hit series Jane the Virgin and starred in and executive produced the acclaimed web series Gemini Division. Dawson is set to produce and star in USA’s upcoming series Briarpatch, written and executive produced by Andy Greenwald (Legion) and executive produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot). As an activist, Dawson lends her time to a myriad of organizations, most notably Voto Latino, which she co-founded in 2004. In 2013, Rosario co-founded Studio 189, a fashion and media lifestyle brand made in Africa that produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. The brand currently operates a store in NY and Accra, Ghana, collaborates with brands including EDUN (LVMH) and Yoox Net a Porter, and has been the recipient of various awards including the Martin Luther King Jr Social Justice award. Tribeca and TUMI are proud to host this remarkable actress as she illuminates her journey from film to television and beyond.

●        Event time: September 22 at 5:45pm ET

Tribeca Talks: Ten Years of Shark Tank (ABC) 
Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yun Lingner, Max Swedlow, Phil Gurin, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary.
Tribeca is bringing the Sharks to New York to celebrate the 10th season and a momentous 200 episodes of ABC’s Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed and four-time Emmy Award-winning show that reinvigorated entrepreneurship and gave hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs the chance of a lifetime: to showcase their products to more than 7 million viewers and pitch their business to a panel of potential investors. Shark Tank investors Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Mark Cuban – all titans of industry who made their own dreams a reality and turned their ideas into lucrative empires – will take you behind the scenes as they discuss the legacy and impact of the show, the dozens of careers and products they’ve launched, and what methods of storytelling are used in order to sell a great pitch. Tribeca is thrilled to host the Sharks and executive producers Clay Newbill and Yun Lingner as they provide a rare glimpse at the show that has given hundreds of people a shot at the American dream.

●        Event time: September 23 at 3:00pm ET

INDIES & MIDNIGHT 

FALL PILOT SEASON

Tribeca TV Festival presents a truly eclectic block of Indie Comedy Pilots that play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare.

●        Event time: September 22 at 7:45pm ET

Great Expectations – World Premiere

Created by Pip Swallow and Executive Produced by Stefan Georgiou.

Having lost her job, flat, and boyfriend in London, Pip heads back home to the Brexit Britain countryside. Confronted with corrupt care homes, dodgy local councils, and gentrification, Pip's journey to representing social inequality as a member of parliament has now begun. Reimagining the Charles Dickens’ novel from a modern, female perspective, Great Expectationsis a fresh, darkly humorous journey of a woman trying to find her place in a world where she feels ill at ease. With Pip Swallow, David Hemsted, Fred Fergus, Will Hislop, Andy Gathergood, and Katie Stevenson.

I Was a Teenage Pillow Queen – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Bridget Moloney, Claire Coffee.

Nora Nelson was a bestselling sex essayist, but now she's grown up and settled down. Rather than feeling grounded, she finds herself adrift.  After her husband has a health crisis that effectively ends their sex life, he suggests opening up their relationship. Nora agrees and finds that casual sex is just what she needs to get all her juices (creative included) flowing. She starts grappling with questions about objectification, aging, commitment and creative fulfillment—all through the lens of staying committed emotionally to one person while banging many others. With Claire Coffee, Josh Pais, Wayne Wilderson, Anne-Marie Johnson, Camille Chen, and Peter Cellini.

Livin’ on a Prairie – World Premiere

Created by Pamela Bob.

Meet Pamela. A 30 something single woman in the city, who longs for the simple things in life: connection, the spirit of community of family. Of being unconditionally loved. All of these values have been instilled in her since childhood from the single most important influence of her life—The 1970’s NBC classic, Little House on the Prairie. But, is Pamela getting more out of this show then she is out of her real life? With Pamela Bob, Matt W. Cody, Paul Moon, Susan G. Bob, Alison Arngrim, Charlotte Stewart.

My Friend Will – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Elijah Guo.

Jake, a depressed writer in New York City, is increasingly fed up with his life and the meaninglessness of art. Enter William Shakespeare himself, who, by some strange anomaly, appears in Jake's apartment. Through their exploration of the city, Jake learns from the famous bard that some things should not be taken too seriously. Will struggles to appreciate this strange new era that has idolized his work, discovering himself—and burritos—in the process. With Elijah Guo, William John Austin, Peter O'Connor, Osh Ghanimah, James Lurie, Kate Vos. 

Shrimp – World Premiere

Created by/Executive Produced by Zelda Williams and EP Joshua Thurston.

Shrimp is a comedy/drama about the equal parts strange and mundane daily lives of the women of professional dominance. Contrary to popular belief, professional dominatrices don’t sleep with their clients, but that doesn’t mean that their job is any easier to explain to the ‘vanilla’ world. While they’re hired to make the wealthy and powerful feel anything but, out of latex and away from work they’re stuck navigating the same shit as the rest of us as they struggle to figure out just what the hell a normal life even is, let alone how to live one. With Conor Leslie, Zelda Williams, Paulina Singer, Frances Fisher, Jake Abel, Jacob Zachar.

MIDNIGHT EPISODICS

Explore the dark side in this triptych of late-night pilots.

●      Event time: September 21 at 8:45pm ET

Deadwax (Shudder)

Created by/Executive Produced by Graham Reznick and EP Peter Phok.

DEADWAX is a mind-bending neo-noir set in the obsessive world of vinyl collecting.  Etta Pryce, a vinyl tracker, is hired by a rich collector to hunt a legendary rare record that has driven its owners mad and killed anyone that has dared to play it. With Hannah Gross, Evan Gamble, Ted Raimi, Dohn Norwood, Chester Rushing, Yuki Sakamoto, James Ransone. 

Pagan Peak – World Premiere

Created by Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert.

When a gruesomely staged body is found, propped up on a mountain pass in the Alps close to the German-Austrian border, two detectives are sent to investigate. For German detective Ellie, this is the first real challenge in her career; her Austrian counterpart Gedeon though seems to have lost any ambitions in his job. Very soon, they discover more crime scenes with symbolically posed victims, reminiscent of pagan rituals. It all seems to be part of a bigger, sinister plan. Ellie finds herself under increasing pressure to understand the deranged killer’s motives so she can stop him. The hunt leads them ever deeper in the dark valleys and archaic Alpine customs—and the paranoid world of the killer. With Julia Jentsch, Nicholas Ofczarek, Franz Hartwig, Hanno Koffler, Lucas Gregorowicz.  
 

Patricia Moore (Blackpills)

Created by Blake Fraser and produced by Chris Thompson.

In the harsh Australian outback resides the Moore family, travelling in a converted bus, living off the flesh of men who are lured by their 16-year-old daughter Patricia. After an accident breaks the freezer that stores their meat, they’re forced to relocate to a small town to fix their bus and lay low. The rerouting introduces Patricia to Toby, a town resident who happens on Patricia during one of her ‘hunts’. Patricia starts to waver in her alliance to her family’s way of life. As their surroundings fall apart. Patricia is then forced to choose between Toby and her family. With Marlo Kelly, Danielle Cormack, Les Hill, Jack Ruwald, Joe Kloceck.

Festival partners include Spring Studios, Generous Film, TUMI, and media partners Complex Networks, Gothamist, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartRadio, New York Magazine, Variety, Vulture, WNYC.

18TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES, APRIL 24 - MAY 5, AND CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

18TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL®, PRESENTED BY AT&T, ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES, APRIL 24 - MAY 5, AND CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Critics Week Debuts; Tribeca X Award Expands with New Juried Award Competitions in Branded Entertainment

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced that its 18th edition will take place April 24 - May 5, 2019 in New York City. Tribeca celebrates storytelling in all its forms from film to TV, VR to gaming. Submissions will open on August 20 for feature and short films; episodic and online storytelling; virtual, immersive, and augmented reality; as well as branded entertainment.

The 2019 Festival will introduce Critics Week, the first for a North American film festival, as a sidebar to the main program. Tribeca is collaborating with New York-based film critics to curate the section including Eric Kohn (IndieWire Chief Film Critic and Deputy Editor), K. Austin Collins (Vanity Fair Film Critic), Bilge Ebiri (Village Voice Film Critic), Alison Willmore (BuzzFeed News Film Critic and Culture Writer), and Emily Yoshida (New York Magazine and Vulture Film Critic). The inaugural Critics Week will highlight a slate of 5-7 feature films and screen throughout the Festival.

Tribeca also announced that the Tribeca X Award, which debuted in 2016 to honor the best in branded entertainment, will expand with new juried award competitions for feature length film, short film, episodic, and VR. Past Tribeca X winners include works for Samsung (Hearing Colors, directed by Greg Brunkalla), Smirnoff Ice (Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving, directed by Zachary Heinzerling), and Square (For Every Kind of Dream Series, directed by Mohammad Gorjestani).

Tribeca is a longstanding champion for female filmmakers – last year 46% of the feature films were directed by women. The 7thannual Nora Ephron Award will again recognize a female writer or director whose work embodies the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron with a $25,000 prize.

In addition to honors for films playing In Competition, Tribeca continues to focus on the discovery of new filmmakers with juried awards for best new narrative and documentary filmmakers.

“The New York critical community has long been our compatriots in championing the most exciting new voices and trends in cinema, so we are thrilled that Tribeca will officially partner with them with this inaugural Critics Week program,” said Tribeca’s Director of Programming Cara Cusumano. “We look forward to discovering the new work they select, along with all the upcoming features, shorts, TV, VR, and online work from around the world as we officially open for submissions for Tribeca 2019.”

“We have been impressed with the caliber of stories and creators submitting to Tribeca X to the point where we see a need to increase visibility for the work being done in branded entertainment by expanding with additional awards opportunities,” said EVP Paula Weinstein.

Last year’s Festival celebrated storytelling and diverse voices with a slate of feature films; acclaimed shorts programming; TV including the world premiere of National Geographic’s Emmy®-nominated Genius: Picasso, the second season of the series which world premiered at the 2017 Festival; in addition to Tribeca N.O.W.’s (New Online Work) showcase of innovative digital storytellers. Tribeca Immersive expanded with the debut of VR theater Tribeca Cinema360, and its acclaimed line-up included projects likeVestige, one of the first VR experiences to be acquired at a major festival. The Festival debuted the first film funded through Untold Stories, the Festival’s premier program awarding $1M to an underrepresented filmmaker, in collaboration with the Festival’s Title sponsor AT&T and the Tribeca Film Institute.

Submissions open on August 20 for all sections of the Festival – feature and short films, TV, Immersive, N.O.W., and the Tribeca X Award. Filmmakers and creators can submit for consideration for all categories directly at https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions or via Withoutabox at https://www.withoutabox.com/tribeca.

Submission deadlines for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival:

Feature and Short Films, Tribeca TV, Tribeca N.O.W., and Tribeca Immersive:
August 20, 2018 – Submissions Open
September 26, 2018 – Early Deadline
October 31, 2018 – Official Deadline
November 28, 2018 – Late Deadline

Tribeca X Award:
August 20, 2018 – Submissions Open
November 28, 2018 – Early Deadline
January 9, 2019 – Official Deadline
January 30, 2019 – Late Deadline

Submission rules, regulations, and complete information regarding eligibility for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival are now available athttps://tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions. Questions regarding submissions may be directed to entries@tribecafilmfestival.org or by calling 212.941.2305.

The Tribeca Film Festival is curated by Director of Programming Cara Cusumano, Artistic Director Frederic Boyer; VP of Shorts Sharon Badal; Senior Programmers Liza Domnitz (features, TV, and online work), Loren Hammonds (virtual reality and features), Ian Hollander (features); Programmer Ben Thompson (shorts) and Ingrid Kopp (virtual reality); and program advisors Paula Weinstein and Tammie Rosen, along with a team of associate programmers.

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Hashtag: #Tribeca2019

About the Tribeca Film Festival:

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 - May 5, 2019. www.tribecafilm.com/festival 

About 2019 Presenting Sponsor, AT&T:

As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. AT&T Presents Untold Stories. An Inclusive Film Program in Collaboration with Tribeca, is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.