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It was 2007. Steven Soderbergh was starting to shoot “Che” in Spain when the Bolivian casting director Rodrigo Bellott came armed with a bottle of Singani, the country’s national spirit, to the production kickoff party. At that moment, the “Ocean’s Eleven” director probably didn’t realize he was about to embark on a 16-year odyssey to introduce the traditional liquor to the rest of the world.
“I had one sip and started grilling him,” Soderbergh, normally a vodka drinker, recalls of his first taste. “It had a unique bouquet and was very active on the palate with no burn.”
The bottle happened to be from Casa Real, a 98-year old distillery with four generations of experience making the country’s favorite tipple. “If it hadn’t have been from Casa Real,...
It was 2007. Steven Soderbergh was starting to shoot “Che” in Spain when the Bolivian casting director Rodrigo Bellott came armed with a bottle of Singani, the country’s national spirit, to the production kickoff party. At that moment, the “Ocean’s Eleven” director probably didn’t realize he was about to embark on a 16-year odyssey to introduce the traditional liquor to the rest of the world.
“I had one sip and started grilling him,” Soderbergh, normally a vodka drinker, recalls of his first taste. “It had a unique bouquet and was very active on the palate with no burn.”
The bottle happened to be from Casa Real, a 98-year old distillery with four generations of experience making the country’s favorite tipple. “If it hadn’t have been from Casa Real,...
- 10/30/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Capping a year of extraordinary success among Bolivian filmmakers in the international arena, Rodrigo Bellott, a key driving force behind the tiny Central American country’s cinematic advances, has inked with the Gersh Talent Agency and is prepping his first U.S. feature, “Cutting Season.”
To be shot in English with an American cast, “Cutting Season” is written by actor-scribe Brock Yurich, who also stars. It tracks bodybuilder Eddie (Yurich) as he strives towards achieving Pro-card status. Once he realizes that his single mother/de-facto coach can’t help him reach the next level, he hires a new coach but faces a new set of challenges as their complex relationship unfolds.
“Brock has written an incredible script that explores profound aspects of masculinity and the relationship between Eddie and his coach,” said Bellott who has taken up body building himself to better understand the sport.
“I’ve been working with trainers,...
To be shot in English with an American cast, “Cutting Season” is written by actor-scribe Brock Yurich, who also stars. It tracks bodybuilder Eddie (Yurich) as he strives towards achieving Pro-card status. Once he realizes that his single mother/de-facto coach can’t help him reach the next level, he hires a new coach but faces a new set of challenges as their complex relationship unfolds.
“Brock has written an incredible script that explores profound aspects of masculinity and the relationship between Eddie and his coach,” said Bellott who has taken up body building himself to better understand the sport.
“I’ve been working with trainers,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Breaking Glass Pictures has snagged North American rights to Rodrigo Bellott’s horror thriller Blood-Red Ox, reports Variety.
In Blood-Red Ox…
“A Lebanese-American journalist and his boyfriend travel to Bolivia where the trip takes a bizarre turn as one of them starts having strange visions and loses his mind over the presence of a giant blood-red ox. While trying to save his boyfriend from paranoia, the other one realizes nothing and nobody is to be trusted as he might be losing his mind too.”
The film stars Mazin Akar and Kaolin Bass as the couple who descends into madness, with Andrea Camponovo in a supporting role.
“The film is my attempt to fall in love with storytelling and cinema, inspired by the work of Bergman and the early horror films of the 60s and 70s like Polanski and Argento,” Bellott previously stated. “It attempts to play with the essence of...
In Blood-Red Ox…
“A Lebanese-American journalist and his boyfriend travel to Bolivia where the trip takes a bizarre turn as one of them starts having strange visions and loses his mind over the presence of a giant blood-red ox. While trying to save his boyfriend from paranoia, the other one realizes nothing and nobody is to be trusted as he might be losing his mind too.”
The film stars Mazin Akar and Kaolin Bass as the couple who descends into madness, with Andrea Camponovo in a supporting role.
“The film is my attempt to fall in love with storytelling and cinema, inspired by the work of Bergman and the early horror films of the 60s and 70s like Polanski and Argento,” Bellott previously stated. “It attempts to play with the essence of...
- 8/19/2022
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Breaking Glass Pictures has snagged North American rights to “Blood-Red Ox,” the first genre pic by award-winning Bolivian director-producer Rodrigo Bellott, now playing at the 18th Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic) sidebar Visions of the World.
“A mind-bending trip into the depths of myth and madness, Bellott has crafted a haunting tale that pays homage to classic horror films while offering commentary on contemporary environmental and social issues,” said Scott Motisko, Breaking Glass VP of acquisitions, business development and sales, who together with Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff negotiated the pact with Ida Martins, CEO of Media Luna.
“We have a longstanding business relationship with Breaking Glass Pictures and couldn’t think of a better outlet for “Blood-Red Ox,” said Martins, adding: “They have been doing an excellent job with all Media Luna previous titles, and we are honored to have one more title in their care.”
Shot on location...
“A mind-bending trip into the depths of myth and madness, Bellott has crafted a haunting tale that pays homage to classic horror films while offering commentary on contemporary environmental and social issues,” said Scott Motisko, Breaking Glass VP of acquisitions, business development and sales, who together with Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff negotiated the pact with Ida Martins, CEO of Media Luna.
“We have a longstanding business relationship with Breaking Glass Pictures and couldn’t think of a better outlet for “Blood-Red Ox,” said Martins, adding: “They have been doing an excellent job with all Media Luna previous titles, and we are honored to have one more title in their care.”
Shot on location...
- 8/18/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
“It has been long in the making since this started as a personal tragedy and turned into a best selling book, then a play that made an unexpected major impact in my home country, Bolivia, and now an international feature film” says writer — director Rodrigo Bellott. And now, it is finally coming out in U.S. in virtual theaters this April.
Coming out in virtual theaters April 2021 through Dark Star Distribution, NYT called this film about a conservative father who could not accept his son’s sexuality who is led on a contemplative tour of queer life in New York in this Bolivian film, “a moving and intellectually rewarding testament to queer life and loss…Bellott’s biggest success is freeing his film’s relationship to time.”
Tu me manques is a film adapted by Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellott from his socially transformative stage play...
Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...
Coming out in virtual theaters April 2021 through Dark Star Distribution, NYT called this film about a conservative father who could not accept his son’s sexuality who is led on a contemplative tour of queer life in New York in this Bolivian film, “a moving and intellectually rewarding testament to queer life and loss…Bellott’s biggest success is freeing his film’s relationship to time.”
Tu me manques is a film adapted by Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellott from his socially transformative stage play...
Continue reading on SydneysBuzz The Blog »...
- 4/25/2021
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Like many of its counterparts worldwide, the Guadalajara Int’l Film Festival (Ficg), Mexico’s largest film festival, faced the quandary of whether to go online, reschedule or cancel altogether because of the pandemic.
It opted for a rescheduled hybrid 35th edition which would serve those either unable or afraid to travel and those without an internet connection in Mexico.
“We struck a deal with Canal 44 to have them air some of our films,” said festival director Estrella Araiza, who is adamant that despite the challenges and complications, the film community will prevail in the end. “We have to believe in cinema,” she declared. Outdoor screenings and restricted indoor cinema screenings are on the schedule while most of the master classes and conferences are online.
Ficg was pushed from its traditional March dates to the fall, where it’s now been running over Nov. 20-27.
Its inauguration on Friday Nov.
It opted for a rescheduled hybrid 35th edition which would serve those either unable or afraid to travel and those without an internet connection in Mexico.
“We struck a deal with Canal 44 to have them air some of our films,” said festival director Estrella Araiza, who is adamant that despite the challenges and complications, the film community will prevail in the end. “We have to believe in cinema,” she declared. Outdoor screenings and restricted indoor cinema screenings are on the schedule while most of the master classes and conferences are online.
Ficg was pushed from its traditional March dates to the fall, where it’s now been running over Nov. 20-27.
Its inauguration on Friday Nov.
- 11/22/2020
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Sales agent Media Luna New Films has acquired international rights to Rodrigo Bellott’s horror thriller “Blood-Red Ox.”
Bellott directed Bolivia’s Academy Award entries “Sexual Dependency” and “Tu Me Manques,” and was the producer behind Jim Mickle’s U.S. remake of Mexican horror hit “We Are What We Are.”
In “Blood-Red Ox,” which is in post-production, a Lebanese-American journalist and his boyfriend travel to Bolivia where the trip takes a bizarre turn as one of them starts having strange visions and loses his mind over the presence of a giant blood-red ox. While trying to save his boyfriend from paranoia, the other one realizes nothing and nobody is to be trusted as he might be losing his mind too.
Bellott said: “The film is my attempt to fall in love with storytelling and cinema, inspired by the work of Bergman and the early horror films of the 60s...
Bellott directed Bolivia’s Academy Award entries “Sexual Dependency” and “Tu Me Manques,” and was the producer behind Jim Mickle’s U.S. remake of Mexican horror hit “We Are What We Are.”
In “Blood-Red Ox,” which is in post-production, a Lebanese-American journalist and his boyfriend travel to Bolivia where the trip takes a bizarre turn as one of them starts having strange visions and loses his mind over the presence of a giant blood-red ox. While trying to save his boyfriend from paranoia, the other one realizes nothing and nobody is to be trusted as he might be losing his mind too.
Bellott said: “The film is my attempt to fall in love with storytelling and cinema, inspired by the work of Bergman and the early horror films of the 60s...
- 2/17/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Sales to commence in Berlin next month.
Us-based Apl Film has picked up sales rights to gay drama and Bolivian Oscar submission Tu Me Manques starring Oscar Martinez and Pedro Almodóvar regular Rossy de Palma and will kick off sales in Berlin next month.
Rodrigo Bellott directed the story of a man (Martinez) who travels to New York to confront his late dead son’s lover. Fernando Barbosa plays the boyfriend. Bellott’s 2003 local smash Sexual Dependency also represented Bolivia in the Oscar race.
Martinez is the Venice 2016 Coppa Volpi winner for The Distinguished Citizen and recently starred for Juan José Campanella...
Us-based Apl Film has picked up sales rights to gay drama and Bolivian Oscar submission Tu Me Manques starring Oscar Martinez and Pedro Almodóvar regular Rossy de Palma and will kick off sales in Berlin next month.
Rodrigo Bellott directed the story of a man (Martinez) who travels to New York to confront his late dead son’s lover. Fernando Barbosa plays the boyfriend. Bellott’s 2003 local smash Sexual Dependency also represented Bolivia in the Oscar race.
Martinez is the Venice 2016 Coppa Volpi winner for The Distinguished Citizen and recently starred for Juan José Campanella...
- 1/6/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
The annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in California is always an opportunity to catch up on many of the contenders for the Best International Feature — née Best Foreign-Language — Film Academy Award. Now in its 31st edition, the festival this year has 51 of them, from favorite-to-beat “Parasite” from South Korea and Senegal’s “Atlantics,” to other films quietly making strides in the race: Czech Republic’s “The Painted Bird,” Sweden’s “And Then We Danced,” Russia’s “Beanpole,” Romania’s “The Whistlers,” North Macedonia’s documentary contender “Honeyland,” Norway’s “Out Stealing Horses,” and many more.
The festival will screen 188 films from 81 countries, including 51 premieres, from January 2-13, 2020. The Awards Buzz section includes a special jury of international film critics, who will review these films to present the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category.
The festival will screen 188 films from 81 countries, including 51 premieres, from January 2-13, 2020. The Awards Buzz section includes a special jury of international film critics, who will review these films to present the Fipresci Award for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, as well as Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay in this category.
- 12/10/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
One hundred eighty-eight films films from 81 countries including 51 premieres highlight the lineup for the 31st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which kicks off January 2 with a star-studded gala that has become a must-stop during awards season for Oscar hopefuls. The festival, which runs through January 13, also is known for showcasing a large number of submissions in the Motion Picture Academy’s International Film (formerly Foreign Language) competition and will feature 51 of those entries.
The opening-night film on January 3 is the Italian farce An Almost Ordinary Summer, while the closer is director Peter Cattaneo’s heartwarming dramedy Military Wives in which Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng lead a superb ensemble cast. The film had its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and became an instant crowd-pleaser. Bleecker Street releases it in 2020.
Among the previously announced honorees at the January 2 gala are Antonio Banderas, Renee Zellweger,...
The opening-night film on January 3 is the Italian farce An Almost Ordinary Summer, while the closer is director Peter Cattaneo’s heartwarming dramedy Military Wives in which Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan and Jason Flemyng lead a superb ensemble cast. The film had its world premiere at September’s Toronto International Film Festival and became an instant crowd-pleaser. Bleecker Street releases it in 2020.
Among the previously announced honorees at the January 2 gala are Antonio Banderas, Renee Zellweger,...
- 12/10/2019
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Sex in all its permutations dominates this year’s crop of Latin American submissions, whether it be intersex issues in Venezuela’s “Being Impossible,” Bolivia’s homophobia in “Tu Me Manques,” or a transgender’s person’s plight in Panama’s “Everybody Changes.”
“Retablo,” set in a mountaintop hamlet in Peru, is Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio’s nuanced portrait of a young indigenous teen as he struggles with a revelation about his devoted father, exacerbated by the ultra-conservative, religious community they live in.
The Dominican Republic’s Jose Maria Cabral, representing his county for the third time with “The Projectionist,” also dwells on unsettling revelations about parents in the context of a road movie.
Colombian Alejandro Landes’ “Monos” is a breed apart although one of its child soldiers is androgynous in this haunting tropical mash-up of “Apocalypse Now” and “Lord of the Flies.”
Out of the 15 entries this year, four are by women,...
“Retablo,” set in a mountaintop hamlet in Peru, is Alvaro Delgado-Aparicio’s nuanced portrait of a young indigenous teen as he struggles with a revelation about his devoted father, exacerbated by the ultra-conservative, religious community they live in.
The Dominican Republic’s Jose Maria Cabral, representing his county for the third time with “The Projectionist,” also dwells on unsettling revelations about parents in the context of a road movie.
Colombian Alejandro Landes’ “Monos” is a breed apart although one of its child soldiers is androgynous in this haunting tropical mash-up of “Apocalypse Now” and “Lord of the Flies.”
Out of the 15 entries this year, four are by women,...
- 12/5/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
After a ten-year hiatus where he produced the films of other directors in the U.S. and Latin America, Rodrigo Bellott returned to directing with gay drama “Tu Me Manques,” which trumped other local contenders to represent Bolivia at the Academy Awards and Spain’s Goyas.
He confesses that the experience nearly broke him. “It was a very personal drama that took over eight weeks of production, 56 actors and 18 months to edit,” he said. It was such a painful experience, he thought he’d never direct again.
Advised to take a break, Bellott instead pulled a Wong Kar Wai, who while shooting “Ashes of Time,” allegedly took two weeks off to make “Chungking Express” before restarting his dramedy.
Bellott opted to do the same, directing his Blood Window entry “Blood Red Ox” from a screenplay he co-wrote with American genre writer Nate Atkins. Shot on location in Bolivia and upstate...
He confesses that the experience nearly broke him. “It was a very personal drama that took over eight weeks of production, 56 actors and 18 months to edit,” he said. It was such a painful experience, he thought he’d never direct again.
Advised to take a break, Bellott instead pulled a Wong Kar Wai, who while shooting “Ashes of Time,” allegedly took two weeks off to make “Chungking Express” before restarting his dramedy.
Bellott opted to do the same, directing his Blood Window entry “Blood Red Ox” from a screenplay he co-wrote with American genre writer Nate Atkins. Shot on location in Bolivia and upstate...
- 12/2/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
“It has been long in the making since this started as a personal tragedy and turned into a best selling book, then a play that made an unexpected major impact in my home country, Bolivia, and now an international feature film.”
Tu me manques is a film adapted by Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellott from his socially transformative stage play, based on his own very personal story about his boyfriend’s struggle with coming out, his family’s homophobia and eventual suicide. The play had such an historic impact on Bolivian society that it led to the inclusion of the Lgbtq community in Bolivia’s anti-discrimination law with its Supreme Court declaring May 17 as National Day Against Homophobia.
The story is simple: Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City In order to understand the circumstances surrounding his death. Jorge initiates contact with Gabriel’s former partner,...
Tu me manques is a film adapted by Bolivian director Rodrigo Bellott from his socially transformative stage play, based on his own very personal story about his boyfriend’s struggle with coming out, his family’s homophobia and eventual suicide. The play had such an historic impact on Bolivian society that it led to the inclusion of the Lgbtq community in Bolivia’s anti-discrimination law with its Supreme Court declaring May 17 as National Day Against Homophobia.
The story is simple: Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City In order to understand the circumstances surrounding his death. Jorge initiates contact with Gabriel’s former partner,...
- 11/20/2019
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Ventana Sur’s Blood Window sidebar for projects and films in progress has been a standout event on the Latin horror calendar since its launch in 2013, and is one of the Buenos Aires market’s most popular sections.
In the following years, it has become a key two-way conduit between Latin American and international festivals and box offices.
To that end, one of coordinator Javier Fernández’s primary focuses for this year’s seventh edition is to “continue promoting our collaboration with fantastic international film festivals and industry events,” he explained to Variety ahead of the December event.
This year’s Blood Window Spotlight on International Projects includes five works brought to Buenos Aires by the Bucheon Korea International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan), Sitges Catalunya Fantastic Film Festival and Bif-Market from the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival and Nordic Genre Invasion.
Three of the selected projects are features: Norway’s “Alpha...
In the following years, it has become a key two-way conduit between Latin American and international festivals and box offices.
To that end, one of coordinator Javier Fernández’s primary focuses for this year’s seventh edition is to “continue promoting our collaboration with fantastic international film festivals and industry events,” he explained to Variety ahead of the December event.
This year’s Blood Window Spotlight on International Projects includes five works brought to Buenos Aires by the Bucheon Korea International Fantastic Film Festival (Bifan), Sitges Catalunya Fantastic Film Festival and Bif-Market from the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival and Nordic Genre Invasion.
Three of the selected projects are features: Norway’s “Alpha...
- 11/11/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Among the record 92 submissions this year, 27 titles are directed or co-directed by women. There are six documentaries in the mix, as well as two animated features. Moreover, for the first time, Ghana and Uzbekistan are each fielding an entry. However, Nigeria’s submission was disqualified by the Academy as being mostly in the English language. Here’s a guide to the films, including logline and sales or production contact.
Albania
“The Delegation”
Director: Bujar Alimani
Logline: In autumn 1990,
a political prisoner is secretly taken out of jail to meet the head of the European delegation investigating human-rights violations. But nothing goes according to plan.
Key Cast: Viktor Zhusti, Ndriçim Xhepa, Xhevdet Feri
Sales: Art Film
Algeria
“Papicha”
Director: Mounia Meddour
Logline: A female student rebels against the bans set by radicals during the civil war and plans a fashion show.
Key Cast: Lyna Khoudri, Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda
Sales:...
Albania
“The Delegation”
Director: Bujar Alimani
Logline: In autumn 1990,
a political prisoner is secretly taken out of jail to meet the head of the European delegation investigating human-rights violations. But nothing goes according to plan.
Key Cast: Viktor Zhusti, Ndriçim Xhepa, Xhevdet Feri
Sales: Art Film
Algeria
“Papicha”
Director: Mounia Meddour
Logline: A female student rebels against the bans set by radicals during the civil war and plans a fashion show.
Key Cast: Lyna Khoudri, Shirine Boutella, Amira Hilda Douaouda
Sales:...
- 11/6/2019
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Earlier in the week, we finally learned which films would be selected by all of the countries in search of Academy Award love in Best International Feature. Not only did we get the answers to some questions regarding what each nation would pick, but we found that a record breaking 93 submissions have been made here in 2019. It’s truly the largest slate ever for voters to sift through. Talk about a good problem to have! Below you can see all of the titles in competition for the Best International Feature Oscar. Right now, only Parasite from South Korea and Pain and Glory from Spain seem like safe bets, with the former almost assured of winning the Academy Award. Aside from them? Anything goes in this category, which has potential nominees like Atlantics from Senegal, Beanpole from Russia, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind from the United Kingdom, The Chambermaid from Mexico,...
- 10/12/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
A record 93 countries submitted entries in the International Feature Film race at the 2020 Oscars. That is up by six from last year,when the category was still called Best Foreign-Language Film, and eclipses the record 92 submissions in 2018. The nations represented ranged from A (Albania) to V (Vietnam). Predicting the eventual five Oscar nominees is made difficult by the two-step process.
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as will three films added by the 20 members of the executive committee.
Those nine semi-finalists will be screened three per day beginning in early January by select committee members in Gotham, Hollywood, London and San Francisco. These 40 folks will...
First, the several hundred academy members of the Foreign-Language Film screening committee are required to watch a number of the submissions (upwards of a dozen) over a two-month period that ends in mid December. They will rate them from 6 to 10 and their top six vote-getters make it to the next round, as will three films added by the 20 members of the executive committee.
Those nine semi-finalists will be screened three per day beginning in early January by select committee members in Gotham, Hollywood, London and San Francisco. These 40 folks will...
- 10/7/2019
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Expanded shortlist of 10 films to be announced on December 16.
The Academy on Monday (7) confirmed that 93 countries have submitted films for consideration in the international feature film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants with Kwabena Gyansah’s Azali, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, and Umid Khamdamov’s Hot Bread, respectively.
Earlier this year, the Academy board voted to rename the category formerly known as foreign language film, and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films.
The shortlist will be announced on December 16. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars will be unveiled on January 13, 2020, and the Oscars...
The Academy on Monday (7) confirmed that 93 countries have submitted films for consideration in the international feature film category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants with Kwabena Gyansah’s Azali, Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart, and Umid Khamdamov’s Hot Bread, respectively.
Earlier this year, the Academy board voted to rename the category formerly known as foreign language film, and expand the shortlist from nine to 10 films.
The shortlist will be announced on December 16. Nominations for the 92nd Oscars will be unveiled on January 13, 2020, and the Oscars...
- 10/7/2019
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
A record-breaking total of 93 countries have submitted entries to be considered for best international film nominations at the Academy Awards.
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday. Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekisztan are competing for the first time in the category, which was previously known as the best foreign-language film category.
The previous high for submissions was 92 in 2017. A total of 87 films were submitted last year. Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” won the category this year, becoming the first Mexican entry to win the award.
High-profile entries include South Korea’s “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Spain’s “Pain and Glory” from Pedro Almodovar with Antonio Banderas starring as a film director; Japan’s “Weathering With You,” the country’s first animated entry since “Princess Mononoke”; Senegal’s “Atlantics” from director Mati Diop,...
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday. Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekisztan are competing for the first time in the category, which was previously known as the best foreign-language film category.
The previous high for submissions was 92 in 2017. A total of 87 films were submitted last year. Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” won the category this year, becoming the first Mexican entry to win the award.
High-profile entries include South Korea’s “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho’s black comedy which won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; Spain’s “Pain and Glory” from Pedro Almodovar with Antonio Banderas starring as a film director; Japan’s “Weathering With You,” the country’s first animated entry since “Princess Mononoke”; Senegal’s “Atlantics” from director Mati Diop,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The 2020 foreign-language Oscar nominees will come from submissions from 93 countries, up from last year’s 87, and breaking the record 92 from 2017. A contender for the renamed Best International Feature must be a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.
Ghana, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants, but Uganda did not qualify. China (Yu Yang’s “Ne Zha”) and Senegal (Mati Diop’s “Atlantics”) submitted their films under the wire on the deadline of October 1.
Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted not only to rename the Foreign Language Film category, but to expand the shortlist from nine films to 10.
The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,...
Ghana, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants, but Uganda did not qualify. China (Yu Yang’s “Ne Zha”) and Senegal (Mati Diop’s “Atlantics”) submitted their films under the wire on the deadline of October 1.
Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted not only to rename the Foreign Language Film category, but to expand the shortlist from nine films to 10.
The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The 2020 foreign-language Oscar nominees will come from submissions from 93 countries, up from last year’s 87, and breaking the record 92 from 2017. A contender for the renamed Best International Feature must be a feature-length motion picture (more than 40 minutes) produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.
Ghana, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants, but Uganda did not qualify. China (Yu Yang’s “Ne Zha”) and Senegal (Mati Diop’s “Atlantics”) submitted their films under the wire on the deadline of October 1.
Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted not only to rename the Foreign Language Film category, but to expand the shortlist from nine films to 10.
The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,...
Ghana, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan are first-time entrants, but Uganda did not qualify. China (Yu Yang’s “Ne Zha”) and Senegal (Mati Diop’s “Atlantics”) submitted their films under the wire on the deadline of October 1.
Earlier this year, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted not only to rename the Foreign Language Film category, but to expand the shortlist from nine films to 10.
The 2019 submissions, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Albania, “The Delegation,” Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, “Papicha,” Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, “Heroic Losers,” Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, “Lengthy Night,” Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, “Buoyancy,” Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, “Joy,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the full list of countries that have submitted a pic for consideration for the new International Feature Film Oscar category.
Here are the 93 nations and their hopefuls, in alphabetical order:
Albania, The Delegation, Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, Papicha, Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, Heroic Losers, Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, Lengthy Night, Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, Buoyancy, Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, Joy, Sudabeh Mortezai, director;
Bangladesh, Alpha, Nasiruddin Yousuff, director;
Belarus, Debut, Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, director;
Belgium, Our Mothers, César Díaz, director;
Bolivia, I Miss You, Rodrigo Bellott, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Son, Ines Tanovic, director;
Brazil, Invisible Life, Karim Aïnouz, director;
Bulgaria, Ága, Milko Lazarov, director;
Cambodia, In the Life of Music, Caylee So, Sok Visal, directors;
Canada, Antigone, Sophie Deraspe, director;
Chile, Spider, Andrés Wood, director;
China, Ne Zha, Yu Yang, director;
Colombia, Monos, Alejandro Landes, director;
Costa Rica, The Awakening of the Ants,...
Here are the 93 nations and their hopefuls, in alphabetical order:
Albania, The Delegation, Bujar Alimani, director;
Algeria, Papicha, Mounia Meddour, director;
Argentina, Heroic Losers, Sebastián Borensztein, director;
Armenia, Lengthy Night, Edgar Baghdasaryan, director;
Australia, Buoyancy, Rodd Rathjen, director;
Austria, Joy, Sudabeh Mortezai, director;
Bangladesh, Alpha, Nasiruddin Yousuff, director;
Belarus, Debut, Anastasiya Miroshnichenko, director;
Belgium, Our Mothers, César Díaz, director;
Bolivia, I Miss You, Rodrigo Bellott, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Son, Ines Tanovic, director;
Brazil, Invisible Life, Karim Aïnouz, director;
Bulgaria, Ága, Milko Lazarov, director;
Cambodia, In the Life of Music, Caylee So, Sok Visal, directors;
Canada, Antigone, Sophie Deraspe, director;
Chile, Spider, Andrés Wood, director;
China, Ne Zha, Yu Yang, director;
Colombia, Monos, Alejandro Landes, director;
Costa Rica, The Awakening of the Ants,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
A record-breaking total of 93 countries will be competing in the Oscar race for Best International Feature Film, the new name for what previously has been known as the Best Foreign-Language Film category.
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday, with three countries — Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan — competing in the category for the first time.
The previous high for submissions was 92 films, which was set in 2017. This year’s field also sets a new record for the number of women with films in the race, with 29 female directors responsible for 28 of the qualifying films.
One film, Algeria’s “Papicha,” needed a special ruling from the Academy to retain its eligibility. The film was scheduled to open in Algeria in late September, but the Algerian government cancelled the screenings without explanation just before they were scheduled to happen, presumably because it was uncomfortable with a film...
The Academy announced the full list of eligible films and countries on Monday, with three countries — Ghana, Nigeria and Uzbekistan — competing in the category for the first time.
The previous high for submissions was 92 films, which was set in 2017. This year’s field also sets a new record for the number of women with films in the race, with 29 female directors responsible for 28 of the qualifying films.
One film, Algeria’s “Papicha,” needed a special ruling from the Academy to retain its eligibility. The film was scheduled to open in Algeria in late September, but the Algerian government cancelled the screenings without explanation just before they were scheduled to happen, presumably because it was uncomfortable with a film...
- 10/7/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
NewFest has released its full lineup for their 31st annual fest that features the year’s best Lgbtq films from around the world. The fest runs October 23-29 at the Sva Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, as well as The Lgbt Community Center in New York City.
As Deadline revealed exclusively last week, the festival will feature Mike Doyle’s Manhattan-set ensemble rom-com Sell By as their opening night film. The film stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Buteau (Tales of the City) and Augustus Prew (High-Rise). The fest will feature Martha Stephen’s To The Stars as the U.S. Centerpiece Gala and close with Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning Tu Me Manques.
NewFest will also feature the world premiere of Alexis Clements’ documentary All We’ve Got which looks into what it takes in America for queer, spaces for women to survive and why/how they are disappearing. In addition, Megan Wennberg’s Drag Kids, which follows the lives of four young drag performers from around North America, will make its U.S. premiere and the fest will have a spotlight screening of Martin Krejcí’sThe True Adventures of Wolfboy, a modern-day fairytale starring Jaeden Martell, John Turturro. and Chloë Sevigny.
NewFest will also serve up some scares with thier queer-centric “HalloKween” program with the transgender vampire film Bit with Nicole Maines, the documentary Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street about the controversial sequel of the Wes Craven classic that ended Mark Patton’s acting career, and the Spanish alien rescue mission film Brief Story From the Green Planet which won the coveted Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival.
The full program of 27 narrative features, 14 documentary features, 15 episodic series, 8 centerpiece and spotlight screenings, and 100 shorts from all over the world. 71% of content is by and about underrepresented voices.
The complete lineup of full-length features can be read below. Read the lineup of shorts here.
Opening Night Gala
Sell By
New York Premiere
Dir. Mike Doyle, USA, 2019, 94 mins
Cast: Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, Michelle Buteau, Zoe Chao, Patricia Clarkson, Christopher Gray, Colin Donnell, John Doman
Having been together for five years, Adam and rising social media celeb Marklin are faced with confronting their commitment to each other, while both Cammy and Haley (Zoe Chao) face their own challenges with companionship. Rounding out the lively and talented cast under Doyle’s assured direction is Kate Walsh (Grey’S Anatomy) and Academy Award-nominee Patricia Clarkson (High Art). Imbued with a can-do charm so becoming of our great metropolis, Sell By captures both how we let ourselves go, as well as how we grow closer to those we love.
Closing Night Gala
Tu Me Manques
New York Premiere
Dir. Rodrigo Bellott, USA/Bolivia, 2019, 110 mins
Cast: Oscar Martinez, Rossy de Palma, Fernando Barbosa
After his son Gabriel passes away, conservative Bolivian patriarch Jorge (Oscar Martínez) accidentally Skypes Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend Sebastian (Fernando Barbosa), leading him on a journey from Bolivia to New York City in search for the truth about his child. Based on writer/director Rodrigo Bellott’s own electrifying and influential play, Tu Me Manques is an inspiring story that celebrates community, love, and storytelling, and excavates both familial and international homophobia with tremendous tact and care.
International Centerpiece
And Then We Danced
New York Premiere
Dir. Levan Akin, Sweden/France, 2019, 113 mins
Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili
Sweden’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, And Then We Danced offers a riveting and visceral lead performance from newcomer Gelbakhiani, while featuring dynamic cinematography and a cathartic dance sequence that will leave you breathless.
U.S. Centerpiece
To The Stars
New York Premiere
Dir. Martha Stephens, USA, 2019, 111 mins
Cast: Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro, Malin Akerman, Shea Whigham, Tony Hale, Lucas Zumann, Adelaide Clemens
Set in the conservative, bobby-socked setting of a 1960s Oklahoma high school, mysterious cosmopolitan new girl Maggie (Liana Liberato)—a coveted recruit among the popular girls—takes an unexpected shining to Iris, a withdrawn pariah. As the two teens grow closer, we learn the curious circumstances behind Maggie’s sudden arrival in the small Dust Bowl town.
New York Centerpiece
Cubby
New York Premiere
Dir. Mark Blane, USA, 2019, 83 mins
Cast: Mark Blane, Joseph Seuffert, Patricia Richardson, Zachary Booth, Christian Patrick
Written and co-directed by breakout star Mark Blane and shot in crisp 16mm, this quirky dark comedy tells the semi-autobiographical story of an anxious midwestern twenty-something who moves to New York City in hopes of becoming an artist. We follow Mark as he navigates his new life in this overwhelming city and chemically imbalanced flights of fancy, all while fostering a friendship with Milo, a precocious 6-year-old he begins to babysit in brownstone-filled Brooklyn.
Documentary Centerpiece
Drag Kids
Us Premiere
Dir. Megan Wennberg, Canada, 2019, 78 mins
This documentary follows the four young stars as they prepare for the biggest performance of their lives at Montreal Pride, demonstrating the importance of artistic expression, community-building, and non-judgmental support for people of all ages. A surprisingly moving film about gender, art, and affirming parenting, Drag Kids will have you cheering through tears by its end. This oft misunderstood segment of the drag community deserves more accurate representation in media, and Megan Wennberg’s film is only the beginning.
Narrative Features
15 Years
New York Premiere
Dir. Yuval Hadadi, Israel, 2019, 89 mins Cast: Oded Leopold, Udi Persi, Ruth Asarsai
When his best friend becomes pregnant and his longtime boyfriend starts talking about adopting, the often-unfazed Yoav begins to unravel. Small arguments fester to extreme degrees in Yuval Hadadi’s stunning portrait of a relationship in crisis. Shot against the backdrop of contemporary Tel Aviv, Hadadi explores ingrained pressures on the Israeli Lgbt community in his confident feature directorial debut.
A Dog Barking At The Moon
New York Premiere
Dir. Lisa Zi Xiang, China/Spain, 2019, 107 mins
Cast: Naren Hua, Nan Ji, Wu Reyuan, Thomas Fiquet
While visiting her broken family with her American husband, pregnant writer Huang Xiaoyu finds herself trapped between her cult-brainwashed mother and her secretly homosexual father. An epic Chinese family saga that unfolds over–and weaves together–multiple periods of time, Lisa Zi Xiang’s directorial debut is a masterful tale of secrets, infidelity, and the enormous weight of societal norms.
Benjamin
New York Premiere
Dir. Simon Amstell, UK, 2019, 85 mins
Cast: Gabe Gilmour, Jack Rowan, Colin Morgan, Anna Chancellor, Robin Peters, Arnab Chanda, Jessica Raine, James Bloor, Joel Fry, PhéniYES Brossard, Jessie Cave
Benjamin is an anxious, awkward filmmaker who feels stuck ahead of the premiere of his second feature. His lack of confidence in the film is eating him away, and, though love fuels his writing material, he’s overwhelmed by his self-proclaimed inability to love. When a beautiful young French musician named Noah comes into Benjamin’s life, he begins to let go of his past love traumas and see the light. It’s not long, however, before Benjamin’s insecurities come knocking and threaten to throw his life and relationship into disarray.
Billie & Emma
New York Premiere
Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2019,107 mins
Cast: Gabby Padilla, Zar Donato, Beauty Gonzales, Chelo Aquino
In the Philippines during the 1990s, out teenager and rock music-lover Billie is sent from Manilla to live with her aunt in a rural village. Sticking out like a sore thumb in her strict Catholic high school, Billie develops an intimate bond with Emma, an ambitious classmate who is hiding the fact that she’s pregnant from their peers. Together, Billie and Emma stand up against oppressive school officials and gossipy classmates, and discover there is so much more to live for aside from religious doctrine.
Holy Trinity
New York Premiere
Dir. Molly Hewitt, USA, 2019, 97 mins
Cast: Molly Hewitt, Theo Germain, Heather Lynn, Imp Queen
Holy Trinity is an absolute acid trip of kinky, drug-induced, gender-fluid adventures through an alternative universe’s Chicago. We follow Trinity, a queer dominatrix, who, after huffing a new brand of magic aerosol, can see dead people.
Last Ferry
New York Premiere
Dir. Jaki Bradley, USA, 2019, 86 mins
Cast: Ramon O. Torres, Myles Clohessy, Sheldon Best
When lonely lawyer Joseph ventures out to The Pines for the first time, he is drugged and mugged, and witnesses a murder on the beach. After he is found and taken in by a group of friends he quickly acclimates, but then begins to wonder, who can he trust? This taut thriller offers a delightfully gay spin on the classic thriller formula and features excellent cinematography from Alexa Wolf, who manages to capture the beauty and brightness of beaches and mimosa-drenched brunches, as well as the darkness that always seems to be lurking underneath this story’s surface.
Monsters
East Coast Premiere
Dir. Marius Olteanu, Romania, 2019, 116 mins Cast: Judith State, Cristian Popa
Presenting a clear snapshot of a contemporary Romanian couple through three distinct chapters, Marius Olteanu’s formal portrait of a marriage in quiet disarray is immersive in its naturalism and sneaky in its sense of humor. Subtly exploring the varied routes through which humans seek connection, whether through an extended all-night conversation with a cab driver or a secretive Grindr hookup, Monsters. is an observational film that refuses to judge its characters no matter how desperate they appear to be at times.
Music For Bleeding Hearts
World Premiere
Dir. Rafael Gomes, Brazil, 2019, 102 mins
Cast: Victor Mendes, Mayara Constantino, Caio Horowicz, Icaro Silva, Denise Fraga
In present day São Paulo, a trio of young hearts are about to break. Ricardo has both a steady boyfriend and a wandering eye for a new coworker. Isabella is taking a break from both her boyfriend and best friend Ricardo. And hopeless romantic Felipe has suddenly found himself caught between the two of them. These three have big dreams, yearning passion, and opinionated acquaintances, but they’re all unprepared for what’s to come from Cupid’s arrows.
Nevrland
New York Premiere
Dir. Gregor Schmidinger, Austria, 2019, Tbc mins Cast: Simon Frühwirth, Paul Forman, Josef Hader
Seeking escape from his drab life at home and at work in a slaughterhouse, Jakob retreats into online worlds in search of excitement. After making a connection with tight-torsoed Kristjan in a cam chatroom, Jakob ventures out to meet up in person, leading to a mind-bending journey to the center of the self that will irreparably alter both of their lives.
Second Star On The Right
New York Premiere
Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Silvia Varón, Ximena Rodríguez, Alejandra Lara, Tatiana Rentería, Diana Wiswell, Andrés Jiménez, Lorena Castellanos, Justin Vahala, Gina Medina
In the blink of an eye, gregarious bisexual Emilia (Silvia Varón) has gone from being a core member of a tight-knit group of women to its biggest burden. As her thirties close in on her, Emilia flits from day job to passion project to romantic interest without wholly committing to any. As the group’s focus shifts from friendship to careers, partners, and kids, Emilia becomes yet another load its members must shoulder.
Seventeen
New York Premiere
Dir. Monja Art, Austria, 2019, 104 mins
Cast: Elisabeth Wabitsch, Magdalena Wabitsch
As summer looms in bucolic Austria, seventeen year-old Paula studies and silently pines for her boarding school classmate and close friend, Charlotte, who is biding time with an unremarkable boyfriend and exercising restraint in her shared feelings for Paula. Rather than dwelling, Paula attempts to date Tim, an eccentric but earnest classmate, in turn striking an imperfect balance between erotic connection and attraction that ultimately proves satisfying.
Siberia & Him
World Premiere
Dir. Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy, USA/Russia, 2019, 72 mins
Cast: Ilya Shubochkin, Anastasiya Voskresenskaya, Irina Novokreshennyh, Aleksandr Savin, Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy
Meek farmhand Sasha and policeman Dima have a fraught relationship. They’re brothers-in-law, travel companions, and—secretly—lovers. Over the course of their journey to visit Sasha’s grandmother, unspoken truths are uttered, intimacy is built, and authenticity is challenged. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice.
Straight Up
New York Premiere
Dir. James Sweeney, USA, 2019, 95 mins
Cast: Katie Findlay, James Sweeney, Randall Park
Writer/director/producer James Sweeney stars in this witty comedy as Todd, an obsessive-compulsive and Gilmore Girls-loving twentysomething plagued by intense anxieties. Todd has never been comfortable with his queerness, or with most aspects of his life, and consistently struggles with insecurity. That is until he thinks he’s met his soulmate. The only problem? She’s a woman.
Tremblores (Tremors)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France/Luxembourg, 2019, 107 mins Cast: Juan Pablo Olyslager, Mauricio Armas, Diane Bathen
In Guatemala, earthquakes (or tremors) can be a very common occurrence. Temblores explores what happens to an affluent religious family as a rumbling rift symbolically tears them apart after patriarch Pablo (a revelatory Juan Pablo Olyslager) reveals that he’s been sustaining a loving relationship with another man. What follows is a tale of passionate romance, immense inner conflict and devastating tragedy. Separated from his wife, his children and his life of Evangelical tradition, Pablo initially finds a sense of freedom. But how long can he sustain this new and exciting life when he’s fired from his job and his religious creed begins to take over again?
The Shiny Shrimps
New York Premiere
Dir. MaYESime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo, France, 2019, 103 mins Cast: Nicolas Gob, Alban Lenoir, Michaël Abiteboul, Geoffrey Couët
After an Olympic swimmer near the end of his career makes a homophobic comment on TV, he’s barred from any further events unless he agrees to coach the Shiny Shrimps, a flambouyant gay water-polo team. They might have the worst record in the amateur league, but they’re dead-set on qualifying for the most prestigious and challenging Lgbtq sporting event in Europe, the Gay Games.
Top 3 (And Other Animated Tales)
New York Premiere
Dir. Sofie Edvardsson, Sweden, 2019, 44 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
In this inventive and bittersweet animated rom-com, perpetual list-maker Anton falls in love with David and the two share a globetrotting young romance. But things start to go awry when Anton realizes that his dreams could be in direct opposition to his crush’s. Sofie Edvardsson’s charming and moving tale of miscommunication, idealization, and star-crossed love premiered at Frameline and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Outfest.
Zen In The Ice Rift
New York Premiere
Dir. Margherita Ferri, Italy, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
Maia “Zen” Zenassi is a quick-tempered, nonconforming sixteen year-old living in a provincial Italian mountain village. A standout on the local boys hockey team, Zen uses the sport as a vital outlet for rage, an escape from emotional vulnerability, and a stage for gender performance. While being scouted for the national women’s team, Zen develops an improbable friendship with a male teammate’s reluctant girlfriend, causing an icy demeanor to melt away as Zen finally shares a closely-guarded desire to be a boy. Here, an open heart comes with mixed results.
Documentary Features
A Night At Switch ‘N’ Play
New York Premiere
Dir. Cody Stickels, USA, 2019, 72 mins
You are cordially invited to a night at Switch n’ Play! Meet the daring and dazzling Queer artists behind one of Brooklyn’s most popular and groundbreaking performance groups. Come along for the ride as they display their own unique blend Burlesque and drag, and navigate how gender identity, body image, and familial issues affect their performance personas and personal lives.
All We’Ve Got
World Premiere
Dir. Alexis Clements, USA, 2019, 67 mins
Since 2010, over 100 queer women’s spaces—from dive bars to bookstores and dance halls to health centers—have shuttered across the United States. As concern grows over this death and dearth of these essential social hubs, this documentary takes inventory of those that continue to thrive across the country, inciting a powerful conversation about the importance of community. Whether at Alibi’s Club in Oklahoma City or Wow Café Theatre in our own New York City, queer women are tirelessly making room for one another on barstools, stages, and activism’s front lines.
Burn Down The House (Screening with Fabulous)
Dir. Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah, France, 2019, 44 mins
Giselle Bailey & Nneka Onuorah’s immersive documentary follows Kiddy Smile and several Parisian dancers as they prepare to perform in his next concert (and also features Fabulous’ Lasseindra Ninja). After DJing for Emmanuel Macron in a T-shirt that read “Fils d’immigrés, noir et pédé”, Smile was the subject of extraordinary praise and backlash. But he and his friends won’t let that faze them. As they discuss contemporary racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and the art that binds them, these rising stars make it clear that they won’t stop until everyone knows Paris is still burning.
Fabulous (Screening with Burn Down The House)
Dir. Audrey Jean-Baptiste, France, 2019, 46 mins
Audrey Jean-Baptiste’s triumphant Fabulous follows Lasseindra Ninja, a notable fixture of the ballroom scene in Paris, who travels from France to French Guiana in order to teach the art of voguing to Lgbtq young adults in her home country. A powerful and personal look at one woman’s return home, Fabulous gives the gift of empowerment and community to the next generation of queer dancers.
Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life
Dir. Tomer Heymann, Israel/Germany, 2019, 106 mins
Jonathan Agassi, one of the world’s most successful gay porn stars, splits his time between Israel, where both his parents live, and Berlin. The recipient of multiple international porn awards, Agassi built his fame on something considered taboo but enjoyed by millions worldwide. But as Agassi’s success starts to wane, he responds in increasingly self-destructive ways.
Leonard Soloway’S Broadway
New York Premiere
Dir. Jeff Wolk, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Leonard Soloway is a Broadway legend, and he’s got the Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and unforgettable stories to prove it. Narrated by Campbell Scott, this documentary follows the octogenarian producer as he works tirelessly to bring Maurice Hines’ musical memoir Tappin Thru Life to New York City. Interwoven with footage from Soloway’s more than 70 years in show business, the film features hilarious anecdotes about Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Elaine Stritch, alongside candid interviews with friends and colleagues including John Slattery, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Ashley, and Tovah Feldshuh. Leonard Soloway’S Broadway vividly paints the portrait of a great man of the theater, and pulls back the curtain on what it takes to get a show to the Great White Way.
Markie In Milwaukee
New York Premiere
Dir. Matt Kliegman, USA, 2019, 88 mins
Markie Wenzel, a transgender Tsa agent and former minister, struggles with being ostracized within her conservative community as she debates whether to de-transition. On the eve of her confirmation surgery, Markie professes that she heard the voice of God who convinced her not to go forward with it. In the aftermath of this decision, Markie reintegrates into her family and fundamentalist church, while reconciling the mutability of gender and the explicit and implicit transphobia of those she loves. Shot over ten years, director Matt Kliegman provides space for Markie to tell her own story while beautifully stitching together an endearing and often challenging portrait of gender fluidity, transphobia, and self-acceptance in the American Midwest.
Mr. Leather
New York Premiere
Dir. Daniel Nolasco, USA, 2019, 85 mins
Brazil’s leather community gets up close and personal in Daniel Nolasco’s playful documentary about the titular competition. Nolasco follows judges, past winners, and current contenders for the title of Mr. Leather Brazil, as they prepare for the annual contest, where one participant will win the honor of representing their country at Chicago’s annual International Mr. Leather contest. Combining vérité footage with stylized sequences, Mr. Leather keeps its audience on their toes through its illuminating, playful, and uncompromising depiction of this kinky subculture. Sex, activism, and community-building collide to make Mr. Leather a one-of-a-kind glimpse into São Paulo’s fetish scene.
One Taxi Ride
New York Premiere
Dir. Mak Ck, Mexico/Sinagpore, 2019, 84 mins
When Erick was seventeen-years-old, his life changed forever. Ten years after a traumatic taxi ride, he’s ready to reclaim his future and set out on a journey that will not only shift his path, but that of those closest to him. One Taxi Ride is a thoughtful and delicate look at how sexual violence impacts survivors, their relationships, and their futures. C.K. Mak’s documentary doesn’t turn Erick’s trauma into a source of spectacle, but, rather, a means of healing and honest introspection.
Our Dance Of Revolution
New York Premiere
Dir. Phillip Pike, Canada, 2019, 102 mins
Our Dance Of Revolution is an enriching documentary that celebrates the unsung heroes of Toronto’s black Lgbtq community. Tracing four decades of necessary rebellion while highlighting the crucial role of black women and black queer spaces, director Phillip Pike gives voice to the trailblazers who fought on the frontlines against violence and police brutality via fascinating archival footage and first person interviews.
Queen Of Lapa
New York Premiere
Dir. Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat, Brazil, 2019, 73 mins
Against the backdrop of political corruption and flagrant transphobia in Brazil, the late, great Luana Muniz—cabaret performer, activist, and sex worker since age eleven—minced no words about the challenges in calling Lapa, Rio de Janeiro home. In her hostel, she provided a rare safe haven and a heavy dose of tough love for the next generation of trans sex workers.
Queer Japan
New York Premiere
Dir. Graham Kolbeins, USA/Japan, 2019, 100 mins
While queer and trans subject-matter remains somewhat taboo in parts of Japan, Graham Kolbeins assembled an extraordinary group of artists, activists, and community-leaders who are fighting to shift societal and political perspectives on the Lgbtq+ community. Featuring the country’s first transgender elected-official Aya Kamikawa, erotic manga illustrator Gengoroh Tagame, lesbian bar-owner Chiga Ogawa, and many more, Kolbeins’ film demonstrates the wide range of experiences, identities, and obstacles among Japan’s queer and trans pioneers.
The Archivettes
New York Premiere
Dir. Megan Rossman, USA/Australia, 2019, 61 mins
Led by local heroes Deb Edel and Joan Nestle in the 1970s, a group of young lesbians frustrated by misogyny and homophobia within academia huddled together and built an accessible archive of lesbian documents and artifacts for those conducting research, both professional and personal. The location: a bedroom in a modest apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Unsettled: Seeking Refuge In America
New York Premiere
Dir. Tom Shepard, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Tom Shepard’s new documentary follows four asylum-seekers from Syria, Angola, and The Democratic Republic of Congo as they try to start fresh in the United States. Subhi, Junior, Mari, and Cheynne have come a long way from home, but their journies are just beginning. Even before Donald Trump’s election, the asylum process has been notoriously labyrinthine for many refugees. Nonetheless, these four extraordinary individuals have persisted tenaciously.
Your Turn
New York Premiere
Dir. Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019, 93 mins
Lucas “Koka” Penteado, Marcela Jesus, and Nayara Souza were three ordinary high school students whose lives suddenly changed when the state of São Paulo announced plans to close ninety-four public schools. In response to corruption and inefficiency in their government, these teens started to organize. Beginning with protests in which local students occupied their schools for weeks on end, the student labor movement reached extraordinary heights in 2015 and 2016, bringing awareness to numerous injustices in Brazil and remedying widespread problems for the country’s poorest residents. That was until 2018, when Jair Bolsonaro was elected with 55% of the popular vote. As the tides shift against activists and social justice movements, Koka, Marcela, and Nayara are faced with a jarring reality.
Episodic
A Luv Tale: The Series
New York Premiere
Dir. Kay Oyegun, USA, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Leon, Rotim, Sheria Irving, Amber Whittington
Based on the 1999 award-winning film, writer and creator Sidra Smith brings us back to Harlem: a section of New York City vibrant with brilliant, Black artists in A Luv Tale: The Series. When we meet Taylor, she has a magical one stand with an older woman named Candice. The next night at Taylor’s gallery opening, she meets Candice again. Only this time, Candice is with her husband. (This is when things start to really get crazy.) Taylor then discovers that Candice is not only married to a man, but that she’s also Taylor’s best friend Jake’s Mother. At the same time, Taylor’s roommate Akila navigates her own love life, and her work as a musician, all while still having to defend herself and her sexuality against her Mother who is a famous singer.
These Thems: Season 1 (Episodes 1-7)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jett Garrison, USA, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Gretchen Wylder, Victoria Ortiz, Shaan Dasani, Nick Park
After realizing she may be a lesbian, Gretchen (Gretchen Wylder) befriends non-binary dog-walker Vero (Victoria Ortiz), who decides to stop training dogs and start training cishets. Vero takes Gretchen under their wing and introduces her to the queer world of New York City as she navigates what it’s like to be newly out at the age of 30.
Work In Progress: Episode 101 & Season Sneak Preview
Dir. Tim Mason, USA, 2019
Cast: Abby McEnany, Karin Anglin, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney
Work In Progress, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski is a funny and uniquely human comedy, Work In Progress features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live) appearing in a crucial role as herself and serving as executive producer. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.
Hallokween
HalloKween Centerpiece
Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street
New York Premiere
Dir. Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, USA, 2019, 100 mins Cast: Mark Patton, Robert Englund, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler
Following a successful stint on Broadway alongside stars such as Cher, Karen Black, and Sandy Dennis, closeted actor Mark Patton launched his film career with a prominent role in A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’S Revenge in 1985. What initially seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime soon became a horror story worthy of its own midnight movie. Appreciated fondly by razor-gloved connoisseurs the world over, Freddy’S Revenge’s intricately crafted gay subtext decimated its lead’s job prospects in a single swipe. In Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street, Patton finally strikes back.
Bit
New York Premiere
Dir. Brad Michael Elmore, USA, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Diana Hopper, Nicole Maines, James Paxton, Jimmy Jagger, Julia Voth, Mc Gainey
Think Los Angeles is soulless? Try surviving the city’s underground feminist vampire scene. In this comedic-horror flick with a flair for the postmodern, Laurel (Supergirl’s Nicole Maines) leaves the suburbs hoping to catch a breather and a couple of good rock shows while crashing with her with her brother Mark (James Paxton) in the City of Angels. Instead, she quickly finds herself swept up in a faction of vampires with hazy motives. Led by a centuries-old, discerning sanguine by the name of Duke (Diana Hopper), entry into this clique might be more than Laurel bargained for. As the age-old queer girl adage goes, she must find out whether they want to befriend her, date her, or turn her—before it’s too late.
Brief Story From The Green Planet
New York Premiere
Dir. SantIago Loza, Argentina/Germany/Brazil/Spain, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Romina Escobar, Paula Grinszpan, Luis Soda, Elvira Onetto, Pablo Cura, Anabella Bacigalupo, Leo Kildare Louback
In the eerie early moments of this mesmerizing Teddy Award winner, Tania–a transgender club performer–finds out that her grandmother has died. When she brings her two friends (the depressed Daniela and the dancey Pedro) to visit her late relative’s home, they discover that Tania’s grandmother spent her last years with a very special pal of her own: a small blue alien. Now Tania, Daniela, and Pedro must journey through rural Argentina to bring the alien back home before time runs out for the creature.
Special Events
Crystal City
New York Premiere
Dir. Terrence Crawford, USA, 2019, 89 mins Cast: David Fawcett, PhD
Filmmaker Terrence Crawford delivers a respectful and intimate look into the lives of gay men dealing with the re-emerging crisis of crystal meth addiction in New York City. Crawford expertly traces the history of the drug while making connections to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and mental health in the Lgbtq community. Through first hand experiences we learn about how these men became addicts and about their road to recovery via essential and life changing queer support groups. Simultaneously revealing, compassionate, and deeply informative, this essential documentary humanizes a stigmatized subject matter, ensuring awareness across our community rather than shame and isolation.
Queer Genius
New York Premiere
Dir. Chet Catherine Pancake, USA, 2019, 114 mins
Cast: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother, Jibz Cameron Aka Dynasty Handbag
Effortlessly multigenerational, interdisciplinary, and diverse in scope, Queer Genius peers into the lives of five virtuosos who have challenged artistic formalism, gender roles, and heterosexism without apology in both their private lives and creative practices. Composed of rare and in-depth portraits of late experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, the art collective Black Quantum Futurism, East Village poet Eileen Myles, and performance artist Jibz Cameron, this documentary charts the robust family tree of the lesbian and queer avant-garde across six decades. It’s a lineage that shows no sign of growing dormant.
Queering The Script
New York Premiere
Dir. Gabrielle Zilkha, USA/Canada, 2019, 93 mins
Cast: Angelica Ross, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Gloria Calderon Kellett & Mike Royce, Ilene Chaiken, Lucy Lawless, Tanya Saracho
Fangirls have long been overlooked and disregarded, but Gabrielle Zilkha’s documentary beautifully honors the queer women who have consistently supported some of television’s most popularly coded shows, such as Xena: The Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Queering The Script looks at queer representation over past decades—charting its course from mild subtext to fully realized queer characters—and its impact on the women who were watching.
Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
New York Premiere
Dir. Vishnu Dass, USA, 2019, 81 mins
Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston narrates this exploration of the spectacularly dreamlike world of Salvador Dalí protégé Steven Arnold and his strikingly creative body of work. Arnold’s photography, filmography, paintings, and illustrations are filled with occult rituals, Hollywood camp, and surrealist whimsy. Taken from more than 70 hours of original and archival footage,
director Vishnu Dass digs deeply into the inspiring life of this unheralded multimedia artist and countercultural icon.
As Deadline revealed exclusively last week, the festival will feature Mike Doyle’s Manhattan-set ensemble rom-com Sell By as their opening night film. The film stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Buteau (Tales of the City) and Augustus Prew (High-Rise). The fest will feature Martha Stephen’s To The Stars as the U.S. Centerpiece Gala and close with Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning Tu Me Manques.
NewFest will also feature the world premiere of Alexis Clements’ documentary All We’ve Got which looks into what it takes in America for queer, spaces for women to survive and why/how they are disappearing. In addition, Megan Wennberg’s Drag Kids, which follows the lives of four young drag performers from around North America, will make its U.S. premiere and the fest will have a spotlight screening of Martin Krejcí’sThe True Adventures of Wolfboy, a modern-day fairytale starring Jaeden Martell, John Turturro. and Chloë Sevigny.
NewFest will also serve up some scares with thier queer-centric “HalloKween” program with the transgender vampire film Bit with Nicole Maines, the documentary Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street about the controversial sequel of the Wes Craven classic that ended Mark Patton’s acting career, and the Spanish alien rescue mission film Brief Story From the Green Planet which won the coveted Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival.
The full program of 27 narrative features, 14 documentary features, 15 episodic series, 8 centerpiece and spotlight screenings, and 100 shorts from all over the world. 71% of content is by and about underrepresented voices.
The complete lineup of full-length features can be read below. Read the lineup of shorts here.
Opening Night Gala
Sell By
New York Premiere
Dir. Mike Doyle, USA, 2019, 94 mins
Cast: Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, Michelle Buteau, Zoe Chao, Patricia Clarkson, Christopher Gray, Colin Donnell, John Doman
Having been together for five years, Adam and rising social media celeb Marklin are faced with confronting their commitment to each other, while both Cammy and Haley (Zoe Chao) face their own challenges with companionship. Rounding out the lively and talented cast under Doyle’s assured direction is Kate Walsh (Grey’S Anatomy) and Academy Award-nominee Patricia Clarkson (High Art). Imbued with a can-do charm so becoming of our great metropolis, Sell By captures both how we let ourselves go, as well as how we grow closer to those we love.
Closing Night Gala
Tu Me Manques
New York Premiere
Dir. Rodrigo Bellott, USA/Bolivia, 2019, 110 mins
Cast: Oscar Martinez, Rossy de Palma, Fernando Barbosa
After his son Gabriel passes away, conservative Bolivian patriarch Jorge (Oscar Martínez) accidentally Skypes Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend Sebastian (Fernando Barbosa), leading him on a journey from Bolivia to New York City in search for the truth about his child. Based on writer/director Rodrigo Bellott’s own electrifying and influential play, Tu Me Manques is an inspiring story that celebrates community, love, and storytelling, and excavates both familial and international homophobia with tremendous tact and care.
International Centerpiece
And Then We Danced
New York Premiere
Dir. Levan Akin, Sweden/France, 2019, 113 mins
Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili
Sweden’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, And Then We Danced offers a riveting and visceral lead performance from newcomer Gelbakhiani, while featuring dynamic cinematography and a cathartic dance sequence that will leave you breathless.
U.S. Centerpiece
To The Stars
New York Premiere
Dir. Martha Stephens, USA, 2019, 111 mins
Cast: Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro, Malin Akerman, Shea Whigham, Tony Hale, Lucas Zumann, Adelaide Clemens
Set in the conservative, bobby-socked setting of a 1960s Oklahoma high school, mysterious cosmopolitan new girl Maggie (Liana Liberato)—a coveted recruit among the popular girls—takes an unexpected shining to Iris, a withdrawn pariah. As the two teens grow closer, we learn the curious circumstances behind Maggie’s sudden arrival in the small Dust Bowl town.
New York Centerpiece
Cubby
New York Premiere
Dir. Mark Blane, USA, 2019, 83 mins
Cast: Mark Blane, Joseph Seuffert, Patricia Richardson, Zachary Booth, Christian Patrick
Written and co-directed by breakout star Mark Blane and shot in crisp 16mm, this quirky dark comedy tells the semi-autobiographical story of an anxious midwestern twenty-something who moves to New York City in hopes of becoming an artist. We follow Mark as he navigates his new life in this overwhelming city and chemically imbalanced flights of fancy, all while fostering a friendship with Milo, a precocious 6-year-old he begins to babysit in brownstone-filled Brooklyn.
Documentary Centerpiece
Drag Kids
Us Premiere
Dir. Megan Wennberg, Canada, 2019, 78 mins
This documentary follows the four young stars as they prepare for the biggest performance of their lives at Montreal Pride, demonstrating the importance of artistic expression, community-building, and non-judgmental support for people of all ages. A surprisingly moving film about gender, art, and affirming parenting, Drag Kids will have you cheering through tears by its end. This oft misunderstood segment of the drag community deserves more accurate representation in media, and Megan Wennberg’s film is only the beginning.
Narrative Features
15 Years
New York Premiere
Dir. Yuval Hadadi, Israel, 2019, 89 mins Cast: Oded Leopold, Udi Persi, Ruth Asarsai
When his best friend becomes pregnant and his longtime boyfriend starts talking about adopting, the often-unfazed Yoav begins to unravel. Small arguments fester to extreme degrees in Yuval Hadadi’s stunning portrait of a relationship in crisis. Shot against the backdrop of contemporary Tel Aviv, Hadadi explores ingrained pressures on the Israeli Lgbt community in his confident feature directorial debut.
A Dog Barking At The Moon
New York Premiere
Dir. Lisa Zi Xiang, China/Spain, 2019, 107 mins
Cast: Naren Hua, Nan Ji, Wu Reyuan, Thomas Fiquet
While visiting her broken family with her American husband, pregnant writer Huang Xiaoyu finds herself trapped between her cult-brainwashed mother and her secretly homosexual father. An epic Chinese family saga that unfolds over–and weaves together–multiple periods of time, Lisa Zi Xiang’s directorial debut is a masterful tale of secrets, infidelity, and the enormous weight of societal norms.
Benjamin
New York Premiere
Dir. Simon Amstell, UK, 2019, 85 mins
Cast: Gabe Gilmour, Jack Rowan, Colin Morgan, Anna Chancellor, Robin Peters, Arnab Chanda, Jessica Raine, James Bloor, Joel Fry, PhéniYES Brossard, Jessie Cave
Benjamin is an anxious, awkward filmmaker who feels stuck ahead of the premiere of his second feature. His lack of confidence in the film is eating him away, and, though love fuels his writing material, he’s overwhelmed by his self-proclaimed inability to love. When a beautiful young French musician named Noah comes into Benjamin’s life, he begins to let go of his past love traumas and see the light. It’s not long, however, before Benjamin’s insecurities come knocking and threaten to throw his life and relationship into disarray.
Billie & Emma
New York Premiere
Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2019,107 mins
Cast: Gabby Padilla, Zar Donato, Beauty Gonzales, Chelo Aquino
In the Philippines during the 1990s, out teenager and rock music-lover Billie is sent from Manilla to live with her aunt in a rural village. Sticking out like a sore thumb in her strict Catholic high school, Billie develops an intimate bond with Emma, an ambitious classmate who is hiding the fact that she’s pregnant from their peers. Together, Billie and Emma stand up against oppressive school officials and gossipy classmates, and discover there is so much more to live for aside from religious doctrine.
Holy Trinity
New York Premiere
Dir. Molly Hewitt, USA, 2019, 97 mins
Cast: Molly Hewitt, Theo Germain, Heather Lynn, Imp Queen
Holy Trinity is an absolute acid trip of kinky, drug-induced, gender-fluid adventures through an alternative universe’s Chicago. We follow Trinity, a queer dominatrix, who, after huffing a new brand of magic aerosol, can see dead people.
Last Ferry
New York Premiere
Dir. Jaki Bradley, USA, 2019, 86 mins
Cast: Ramon O. Torres, Myles Clohessy, Sheldon Best
When lonely lawyer Joseph ventures out to The Pines for the first time, he is drugged and mugged, and witnesses a murder on the beach. After he is found and taken in by a group of friends he quickly acclimates, but then begins to wonder, who can he trust? This taut thriller offers a delightfully gay spin on the classic thriller formula and features excellent cinematography from Alexa Wolf, who manages to capture the beauty and brightness of beaches and mimosa-drenched brunches, as well as the darkness that always seems to be lurking underneath this story’s surface.
Monsters
East Coast Premiere
Dir. Marius Olteanu, Romania, 2019, 116 mins Cast: Judith State, Cristian Popa
Presenting a clear snapshot of a contemporary Romanian couple through three distinct chapters, Marius Olteanu’s formal portrait of a marriage in quiet disarray is immersive in its naturalism and sneaky in its sense of humor. Subtly exploring the varied routes through which humans seek connection, whether through an extended all-night conversation with a cab driver or a secretive Grindr hookup, Monsters. is an observational film that refuses to judge its characters no matter how desperate they appear to be at times.
Music For Bleeding Hearts
World Premiere
Dir. Rafael Gomes, Brazil, 2019, 102 mins
Cast: Victor Mendes, Mayara Constantino, Caio Horowicz, Icaro Silva, Denise Fraga
In present day São Paulo, a trio of young hearts are about to break. Ricardo has both a steady boyfriend and a wandering eye for a new coworker. Isabella is taking a break from both her boyfriend and best friend Ricardo. And hopeless romantic Felipe has suddenly found himself caught between the two of them. These three have big dreams, yearning passion, and opinionated acquaintances, but they’re all unprepared for what’s to come from Cupid’s arrows.
Nevrland
New York Premiere
Dir. Gregor Schmidinger, Austria, 2019, Tbc mins Cast: Simon Frühwirth, Paul Forman, Josef Hader
Seeking escape from his drab life at home and at work in a slaughterhouse, Jakob retreats into online worlds in search of excitement. After making a connection with tight-torsoed Kristjan in a cam chatroom, Jakob ventures out to meet up in person, leading to a mind-bending journey to the center of the self that will irreparably alter both of their lives.
Second Star On The Right
New York Premiere
Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Silvia Varón, Ximena Rodríguez, Alejandra Lara, Tatiana Rentería, Diana Wiswell, Andrés Jiménez, Lorena Castellanos, Justin Vahala, Gina Medina
In the blink of an eye, gregarious bisexual Emilia (Silvia Varón) has gone from being a core member of a tight-knit group of women to its biggest burden. As her thirties close in on her, Emilia flits from day job to passion project to romantic interest without wholly committing to any. As the group’s focus shifts from friendship to careers, partners, and kids, Emilia becomes yet another load its members must shoulder.
Seventeen
New York Premiere
Dir. Monja Art, Austria, 2019, 104 mins
Cast: Elisabeth Wabitsch, Magdalena Wabitsch
As summer looms in bucolic Austria, seventeen year-old Paula studies and silently pines for her boarding school classmate and close friend, Charlotte, who is biding time with an unremarkable boyfriend and exercising restraint in her shared feelings for Paula. Rather than dwelling, Paula attempts to date Tim, an eccentric but earnest classmate, in turn striking an imperfect balance between erotic connection and attraction that ultimately proves satisfying.
Siberia & Him
World Premiere
Dir. Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy, USA/Russia, 2019, 72 mins
Cast: Ilya Shubochkin, Anastasiya Voskresenskaya, Irina Novokreshennyh, Aleksandr Savin, Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy
Meek farmhand Sasha and policeman Dima have a fraught relationship. They’re brothers-in-law, travel companions, and—secretly—lovers. Over the course of their journey to visit Sasha’s grandmother, unspoken truths are uttered, intimacy is built, and authenticity is challenged. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice.
Straight Up
New York Premiere
Dir. James Sweeney, USA, 2019, 95 mins
Cast: Katie Findlay, James Sweeney, Randall Park
Writer/director/producer James Sweeney stars in this witty comedy as Todd, an obsessive-compulsive and Gilmore Girls-loving twentysomething plagued by intense anxieties. Todd has never been comfortable with his queerness, or with most aspects of his life, and consistently struggles with insecurity. That is until he thinks he’s met his soulmate. The only problem? She’s a woman.
Tremblores (Tremors)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France/Luxembourg, 2019, 107 mins Cast: Juan Pablo Olyslager, Mauricio Armas, Diane Bathen
In Guatemala, earthquakes (or tremors) can be a very common occurrence. Temblores explores what happens to an affluent religious family as a rumbling rift symbolically tears them apart after patriarch Pablo (a revelatory Juan Pablo Olyslager) reveals that he’s been sustaining a loving relationship with another man. What follows is a tale of passionate romance, immense inner conflict and devastating tragedy. Separated from his wife, his children and his life of Evangelical tradition, Pablo initially finds a sense of freedom. But how long can he sustain this new and exciting life when he’s fired from his job and his religious creed begins to take over again?
The Shiny Shrimps
New York Premiere
Dir. MaYESime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo, France, 2019, 103 mins Cast: Nicolas Gob, Alban Lenoir, Michaël Abiteboul, Geoffrey Couët
After an Olympic swimmer near the end of his career makes a homophobic comment on TV, he’s barred from any further events unless he agrees to coach the Shiny Shrimps, a flambouyant gay water-polo team. They might have the worst record in the amateur league, but they’re dead-set on qualifying for the most prestigious and challenging Lgbtq sporting event in Europe, the Gay Games.
Top 3 (And Other Animated Tales)
New York Premiere
Dir. Sofie Edvardsson, Sweden, 2019, 44 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
In this inventive and bittersweet animated rom-com, perpetual list-maker Anton falls in love with David and the two share a globetrotting young romance. But things start to go awry when Anton realizes that his dreams could be in direct opposition to his crush’s. Sofie Edvardsson’s charming and moving tale of miscommunication, idealization, and star-crossed love premiered at Frameline and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Outfest.
Zen In The Ice Rift
New York Premiere
Dir. Margherita Ferri, Italy, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
Maia “Zen” Zenassi is a quick-tempered, nonconforming sixteen year-old living in a provincial Italian mountain village. A standout on the local boys hockey team, Zen uses the sport as a vital outlet for rage, an escape from emotional vulnerability, and a stage for gender performance. While being scouted for the national women’s team, Zen develops an improbable friendship with a male teammate’s reluctant girlfriend, causing an icy demeanor to melt away as Zen finally shares a closely-guarded desire to be a boy. Here, an open heart comes with mixed results.
Documentary Features
A Night At Switch ‘N’ Play
New York Premiere
Dir. Cody Stickels, USA, 2019, 72 mins
You are cordially invited to a night at Switch n’ Play! Meet the daring and dazzling Queer artists behind one of Brooklyn’s most popular and groundbreaking performance groups. Come along for the ride as they display their own unique blend Burlesque and drag, and navigate how gender identity, body image, and familial issues affect their performance personas and personal lives.
All We’Ve Got
World Premiere
Dir. Alexis Clements, USA, 2019, 67 mins
Since 2010, over 100 queer women’s spaces—from dive bars to bookstores and dance halls to health centers—have shuttered across the United States. As concern grows over this death and dearth of these essential social hubs, this documentary takes inventory of those that continue to thrive across the country, inciting a powerful conversation about the importance of community. Whether at Alibi’s Club in Oklahoma City or Wow Café Theatre in our own New York City, queer women are tirelessly making room for one another on barstools, stages, and activism’s front lines.
Burn Down The House (Screening with Fabulous)
Dir. Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah, France, 2019, 44 mins
Giselle Bailey & Nneka Onuorah’s immersive documentary follows Kiddy Smile and several Parisian dancers as they prepare to perform in his next concert (and also features Fabulous’ Lasseindra Ninja). After DJing for Emmanuel Macron in a T-shirt that read “Fils d’immigrés, noir et pédé”, Smile was the subject of extraordinary praise and backlash. But he and his friends won’t let that faze them. As they discuss contemporary racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and the art that binds them, these rising stars make it clear that they won’t stop until everyone knows Paris is still burning.
Fabulous (Screening with Burn Down The House)
Dir. Audrey Jean-Baptiste, France, 2019, 46 mins
Audrey Jean-Baptiste’s triumphant Fabulous follows Lasseindra Ninja, a notable fixture of the ballroom scene in Paris, who travels from France to French Guiana in order to teach the art of voguing to Lgbtq young adults in her home country. A powerful and personal look at one woman’s return home, Fabulous gives the gift of empowerment and community to the next generation of queer dancers.
Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life
Dir. Tomer Heymann, Israel/Germany, 2019, 106 mins
Jonathan Agassi, one of the world’s most successful gay porn stars, splits his time between Israel, where both his parents live, and Berlin. The recipient of multiple international porn awards, Agassi built his fame on something considered taboo but enjoyed by millions worldwide. But as Agassi’s success starts to wane, he responds in increasingly self-destructive ways.
Leonard Soloway’S Broadway
New York Premiere
Dir. Jeff Wolk, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Leonard Soloway is a Broadway legend, and he’s got the Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and unforgettable stories to prove it. Narrated by Campbell Scott, this documentary follows the octogenarian producer as he works tirelessly to bring Maurice Hines’ musical memoir Tappin Thru Life to New York City. Interwoven with footage from Soloway’s more than 70 years in show business, the film features hilarious anecdotes about Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Elaine Stritch, alongside candid interviews with friends and colleagues including John Slattery, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Ashley, and Tovah Feldshuh. Leonard Soloway’S Broadway vividly paints the portrait of a great man of the theater, and pulls back the curtain on what it takes to get a show to the Great White Way.
Markie In Milwaukee
New York Premiere
Dir. Matt Kliegman, USA, 2019, 88 mins
Markie Wenzel, a transgender Tsa agent and former minister, struggles with being ostracized within her conservative community as she debates whether to de-transition. On the eve of her confirmation surgery, Markie professes that she heard the voice of God who convinced her not to go forward with it. In the aftermath of this decision, Markie reintegrates into her family and fundamentalist church, while reconciling the mutability of gender and the explicit and implicit transphobia of those she loves. Shot over ten years, director Matt Kliegman provides space for Markie to tell her own story while beautifully stitching together an endearing and often challenging portrait of gender fluidity, transphobia, and self-acceptance in the American Midwest.
Mr. Leather
New York Premiere
Dir. Daniel Nolasco, USA, 2019, 85 mins
Brazil’s leather community gets up close and personal in Daniel Nolasco’s playful documentary about the titular competition. Nolasco follows judges, past winners, and current contenders for the title of Mr. Leather Brazil, as they prepare for the annual contest, where one participant will win the honor of representing their country at Chicago’s annual International Mr. Leather contest. Combining vérité footage with stylized sequences, Mr. Leather keeps its audience on their toes through its illuminating, playful, and uncompromising depiction of this kinky subculture. Sex, activism, and community-building collide to make Mr. Leather a one-of-a-kind glimpse into São Paulo’s fetish scene.
One Taxi Ride
New York Premiere
Dir. Mak Ck, Mexico/Sinagpore, 2019, 84 mins
When Erick was seventeen-years-old, his life changed forever. Ten years after a traumatic taxi ride, he’s ready to reclaim his future and set out on a journey that will not only shift his path, but that of those closest to him. One Taxi Ride is a thoughtful and delicate look at how sexual violence impacts survivors, their relationships, and their futures. C.K. Mak’s documentary doesn’t turn Erick’s trauma into a source of spectacle, but, rather, a means of healing and honest introspection.
Our Dance Of Revolution
New York Premiere
Dir. Phillip Pike, Canada, 2019, 102 mins
Our Dance Of Revolution is an enriching documentary that celebrates the unsung heroes of Toronto’s black Lgbtq community. Tracing four decades of necessary rebellion while highlighting the crucial role of black women and black queer spaces, director Phillip Pike gives voice to the trailblazers who fought on the frontlines against violence and police brutality via fascinating archival footage and first person interviews.
Queen Of Lapa
New York Premiere
Dir. Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat, Brazil, 2019, 73 mins
Against the backdrop of political corruption and flagrant transphobia in Brazil, the late, great Luana Muniz—cabaret performer, activist, and sex worker since age eleven—minced no words about the challenges in calling Lapa, Rio de Janeiro home. In her hostel, she provided a rare safe haven and a heavy dose of tough love for the next generation of trans sex workers.
Queer Japan
New York Premiere
Dir. Graham Kolbeins, USA/Japan, 2019, 100 mins
While queer and trans subject-matter remains somewhat taboo in parts of Japan, Graham Kolbeins assembled an extraordinary group of artists, activists, and community-leaders who are fighting to shift societal and political perspectives on the Lgbtq+ community. Featuring the country’s first transgender elected-official Aya Kamikawa, erotic manga illustrator Gengoroh Tagame, lesbian bar-owner Chiga Ogawa, and many more, Kolbeins’ film demonstrates the wide range of experiences, identities, and obstacles among Japan’s queer and trans pioneers.
The Archivettes
New York Premiere
Dir. Megan Rossman, USA/Australia, 2019, 61 mins
Led by local heroes Deb Edel and Joan Nestle in the 1970s, a group of young lesbians frustrated by misogyny and homophobia within academia huddled together and built an accessible archive of lesbian documents and artifacts for those conducting research, both professional and personal. The location: a bedroom in a modest apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Unsettled: Seeking Refuge In America
New York Premiere
Dir. Tom Shepard, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Tom Shepard’s new documentary follows four asylum-seekers from Syria, Angola, and The Democratic Republic of Congo as they try to start fresh in the United States. Subhi, Junior, Mari, and Cheynne have come a long way from home, but their journies are just beginning. Even before Donald Trump’s election, the asylum process has been notoriously labyrinthine for many refugees. Nonetheless, these four extraordinary individuals have persisted tenaciously.
Your Turn
New York Premiere
Dir. Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019, 93 mins
Lucas “Koka” Penteado, Marcela Jesus, and Nayara Souza were three ordinary high school students whose lives suddenly changed when the state of São Paulo announced plans to close ninety-four public schools. In response to corruption and inefficiency in their government, these teens started to organize. Beginning with protests in which local students occupied their schools for weeks on end, the student labor movement reached extraordinary heights in 2015 and 2016, bringing awareness to numerous injustices in Brazil and remedying widespread problems for the country’s poorest residents. That was until 2018, when Jair Bolsonaro was elected with 55% of the popular vote. As the tides shift against activists and social justice movements, Koka, Marcela, and Nayara are faced with a jarring reality.
Episodic
A Luv Tale: The Series
New York Premiere
Dir. Kay Oyegun, USA, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Leon, Rotim, Sheria Irving, Amber Whittington
Based on the 1999 award-winning film, writer and creator Sidra Smith brings us back to Harlem: a section of New York City vibrant with brilliant, Black artists in A Luv Tale: The Series. When we meet Taylor, she has a magical one stand with an older woman named Candice. The next night at Taylor’s gallery opening, she meets Candice again. Only this time, Candice is with her husband. (This is when things start to really get crazy.) Taylor then discovers that Candice is not only married to a man, but that she’s also Taylor’s best friend Jake’s Mother. At the same time, Taylor’s roommate Akila navigates her own love life, and her work as a musician, all while still having to defend herself and her sexuality against her Mother who is a famous singer.
These Thems: Season 1 (Episodes 1-7)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jett Garrison, USA, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Gretchen Wylder, Victoria Ortiz, Shaan Dasani, Nick Park
After realizing she may be a lesbian, Gretchen (Gretchen Wylder) befriends non-binary dog-walker Vero (Victoria Ortiz), who decides to stop training dogs and start training cishets. Vero takes Gretchen under their wing and introduces her to the queer world of New York City as she navigates what it’s like to be newly out at the age of 30.
Work In Progress: Episode 101 & Season Sneak Preview
Dir. Tim Mason, USA, 2019
Cast: Abby McEnany, Karin Anglin, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney
Work In Progress, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski is a funny and uniquely human comedy, Work In Progress features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live) appearing in a crucial role as herself and serving as executive producer. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.
Hallokween
HalloKween Centerpiece
Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street
New York Premiere
Dir. Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, USA, 2019, 100 mins Cast: Mark Patton, Robert Englund, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler
Following a successful stint on Broadway alongside stars such as Cher, Karen Black, and Sandy Dennis, closeted actor Mark Patton launched his film career with a prominent role in A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’S Revenge in 1985. What initially seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime soon became a horror story worthy of its own midnight movie. Appreciated fondly by razor-gloved connoisseurs the world over, Freddy’S Revenge’s intricately crafted gay subtext decimated its lead’s job prospects in a single swipe. In Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street, Patton finally strikes back.
Bit
New York Premiere
Dir. Brad Michael Elmore, USA, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Diana Hopper, Nicole Maines, James Paxton, Jimmy Jagger, Julia Voth, Mc Gainey
Think Los Angeles is soulless? Try surviving the city’s underground feminist vampire scene. In this comedic-horror flick with a flair for the postmodern, Laurel (Supergirl’s Nicole Maines) leaves the suburbs hoping to catch a breather and a couple of good rock shows while crashing with her with her brother Mark (James Paxton) in the City of Angels. Instead, she quickly finds herself swept up in a faction of vampires with hazy motives. Led by a centuries-old, discerning sanguine by the name of Duke (Diana Hopper), entry into this clique might be more than Laurel bargained for. As the age-old queer girl adage goes, she must find out whether they want to befriend her, date her, or turn her—before it’s too late.
Brief Story From The Green Planet
New York Premiere
Dir. SantIago Loza, Argentina/Germany/Brazil/Spain, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Romina Escobar, Paula Grinszpan, Luis Soda, Elvira Onetto, Pablo Cura, Anabella Bacigalupo, Leo Kildare Louback
In the eerie early moments of this mesmerizing Teddy Award winner, Tania–a transgender club performer–finds out that her grandmother has died. When she brings her two friends (the depressed Daniela and the dancey Pedro) to visit her late relative’s home, they discover that Tania’s grandmother spent her last years with a very special pal of her own: a small blue alien. Now Tania, Daniela, and Pedro must journey through rural Argentina to bring the alien back home before time runs out for the creature.
Special Events
Crystal City
New York Premiere
Dir. Terrence Crawford, USA, 2019, 89 mins Cast: David Fawcett, PhD
Filmmaker Terrence Crawford delivers a respectful and intimate look into the lives of gay men dealing with the re-emerging crisis of crystal meth addiction in New York City. Crawford expertly traces the history of the drug while making connections to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and mental health in the Lgbtq community. Through first hand experiences we learn about how these men became addicts and about their road to recovery via essential and life changing queer support groups. Simultaneously revealing, compassionate, and deeply informative, this essential documentary humanizes a stigmatized subject matter, ensuring awareness across our community rather than shame and isolation.
Queer Genius
New York Premiere
Dir. Chet Catherine Pancake, USA, 2019, 114 mins
Cast: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother, Jibz Cameron Aka Dynasty Handbag
Effortlessly multigenerational, interdisciplinary, and diverse in scope, Queer Genius peers into the lives of five virtuosos who have challenged artistic formalism, gender roles, and heterosexism without apology in both their private lives and creative practices. Composed of rare and in-depth portraits of late experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, the art collective Black Quantum Futurism, East Village poet Eileen Myles, and performance artist Jibz Cameron, this documentary charts the robust family tree of the lesbian and queer avant-garde across six decades. It’s a lineage that shows no sign of growing dormant.
Queering The Script
New York Premiere
Dir. Gabrielle Zilkha, USA/Canada, 2019, 93 mins
Cast: Angelica Ross, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Gloria Calderon Kellett & Mike Royce, Ilene Chaiken, Lucy Lawless, Tanya Saracho
Fangirls have long been overlooked and disregarded, but Gabrielle Zilkha’s documentary beautifully honors the queer women who have consistently supported some of television’s most popularly coded shows, such as Xena: The Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Queering The Script looks at queer representation over past decades—charting its course from mild subtext to fully realized queer characters—and its impact on the women who were watching.
Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
New York Premiere
Dir. Vishnu Dass, USA, 2019, 81 mins
Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston narrates this exploration of the spectacularly dreamlike world of Salvador Dalí protégé Steven Arnold and his strikingly creative body of work. Arnold’s photography, filmography, paintings, and illustrations are filled with occult rituals, Hollywood camp, and surrealist whimsy. Taken from more than 70 hours of original and archival footage,
director Vishnu Dass digs deeply into the inspiring life of this unheralded multimedia artist and countercultural icon.
- 9/19/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The 31st edition of NewFest, the New York Lgbtq film festival, has unveiled Mike Doyle’s rom-com Sell By as its opening-night film, while Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning Tu Me Manques will close the fest. In addition, Martha Stephens’ To the Stars will serve as the centerpiece.
This year’s festival runs October 23-29 at Sva Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The Lgbt Community Center in New York.
“As we were reminded during this year’s World Pride and 50th anniversary of Stonewall, New York City is and always has been the epicenter of queer life and queer liberation,” said NewFest executive director David Hatkoff. “We are thrilled to bookend New York’s 31st annual Lgbtq Film Festival, our biggest and boldest yet, with two magnificent films set in our vibrant, diverse, international city.”
Sell By stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Michelle Buteau, Augustus Prew (High-Rise) and Patricia Clarkson. The Manhattan-set ensemble follows a group of friends who navigate their complicated relationships in the city. Adam (Evans) and Marklin (Prew) seem to have the world in the palm of their hands, but their love life could use improvement. Marklin’s rise as a social media influencer, and Adam’s struggle to switch from ghost painting to creating his own work, has caused a rift between them. As their five-year relationship grows colder, they must decide whether to go all-in or explore other options. Meanwhile, Cammy (Buteau) is failing to find her way in the world of online dating, and Haley (Zoe Chao) has to fend off an almost-legal student who’s hot for teacher.
Tu Me Manques is an adaptation of Bellott’s own 2015 play which explores a trio of men and their struggle to reconcile their identity and heritage. Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City to confront Gabriel’s boyfriend Sebastian. While the two battle over Jorge’s inability to accept his son, Sebastian channels his grief into a bold new play in honor of his lost love, in which Gabriel’s inner turmoil is transformed into an eye-popping gay fantasia. The film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at Outfest this year and is Bolivia’s selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.
NewFest’s U.S. Centerpiece Film, To the Stars, features Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom), Malin Akerman (Billions), Jordana Spiro (Ozark) and Tony Hale (Veep). The story follows a bespectacled and reclusive teen, Iris, who endures the booze-induced antics of her mother and daily doses of bullying from her classmates in a god-fearing small town in 1960s Oklahoma. Iris finds solace in Maggie, the charismatic and enigmatic new girl at school who hones in on Iris’s untapped potential and coaxes her out of her shell. When Maggie’s mysterious past can no longer be suppressed, the tiny community is thrown into a state of panic, leaving Maggie to take potentially drastic measures and inciting Iris to stand up for her friend and herself.
Stay tuned for the complete festival lineup, which will be announced September 19.
This year’s festival runs October 23-29 at Sva Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, and The Lgbt Community Center in New York.
“As we were reminded during this year’s World Pride and 50th anniversary of Stonewall, New York City is and always has been the epicenter of queer life and queer liberation,” said NewFest executive director David Hatkoff. “We are thrilled to bookend New York’s 31st annual Lgbtq Film Festival, our biggest and boldest yet, with two magnificent films set in our vibrant, diverse, international city.”
Sell By stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Michelle Buteau, Augustus Prew (High-Rise) and Patricia Clarkson. The Manhattan-set ensemble follows a group of friends who navigate their complicated relationships in the city. Adam (Evans) and Marklin (Prew) seem to have the world in the palm of their hands, but their love life could use improvement. Marklin’s rise as a social media influencer, and Adam’s struggle to switch from ghost painting to creating his own work, has caused a rift between them. As their five-year relationship grows colder, they must decide whether to go all-in or explore other options. Meanwhile, Cammy (Buteau) is failing to find her way in the world of online dating, and Haley (Zoe Chao) has to fend off an almost-legal student who’s hot for teacher.
Tu Me Manques is an adaptation of Bellott’s own 2015 play which explores a trio of men and their struggle to reconcile their identity and heritage. Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City to confront Gabriel’s boyfriend Sebastian. While the two battle over Jorge’s inability to accept his son, Sebastian channels his grief into a bold new play in honor of his lost love, in which Gabriel’s inner turmoil is transformed into an eye-popping gay fantasia. The film won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at Outfest this year and is Bolivia’s selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.
NewFest’s U.S. Centerpiece Film, To the Stars, features Kara Hayward (Moonrise Kingdom), Malin Akerman (Billions), Jordana Spiro (Ozark) and Tony Hale (Veep). The story follows a bespectacled and reclusive teen, Iris, who endures the booze-induced antics of her mother and daily doses of bullying from her classmates in a god-fearing small town in 1960s Oklahoma. Iris finds solace in Maggie, the charismatic and enigmatic new girl at school who hones in on Iris’s untapped potential and coaxes her out of her shell. When Maggie’s mysterious past can no longer be suppressed, the tiny community is thrown into a state of panic, leaving Maggie to take potentially drastic measures and inciting Iris to stand up for her friend and herself.
Stay tuned for the complete festival lineup, which will be announced September 19.
- 9/16/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
by Nathaniel R
In the heat of festival season we're also getting continued news about the Oscar race for Best International Feature. In terms of South America we'd already heard about submissions from the Dominican Republic (The Projectionist), Ecuador (The Longest Night which is sometimes referred to as Mala Noche), Panama (Everybody Changes), and Uruguay (The Moneychangers). There are three more already announced that will likely have higher profiles due to familiar actors. Colombia has Monos starring Julianne Nicholson, Cuba has A Translator starring Rodrigo Santoro and of course there's Brazil's Un Certain Regard-winning melodrama The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao which feels like a probable finalist / possible nominee. It's very moving and accessible and Fernanda Montenegro (of Central Station fame) adds a last boost of melancholy and nostalgia to it in terms of Brazilian cinema and Oscar affections. To add to that stack of films we've just learned that...
In the heat of festival season we're also getting continued news about the Oscar race for Best International Feature. In terms of South America we'd already heard about submissions from the Dominican Republic (The Projectionist), Ecuador (The Longest Night which is sometimes referred to as Mala Noche), Panama (Everybody Changes), and Uruguay (The Moneychangers). There are three more already announced that will likely have higher profiles due to familiar actors. Colombia has Monos starring Julianne Nicholson, Cuba has A Translator starring Rodrigo Santoro and of course there's Brazil's Un Certain Regard-winning melodrama The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao which feels like a probable finalist / possible nominee. It's very moving and accessible and Fernanda Montenegro (of Central Station fame) adds a last boost of melancholy and nostalgia to it in terms of Brazilian cinema and Oscar affections. To add to that stack of films we've just learned that...
- 9/9/2019
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Bolivia’s selection committee has opted to submit Rodrigo Bellott’s polemical “Tu Me Manques” to vie for the International Feature Film Academy Award.
The gay drama beat 11 other local films in contention. “By supporting my film despite the controversy, Bolivia has proven that it is a progressive country, and that in the end, art and cinema will prevail,” said Bellott, who has seen his fourth film greeted by both glowing reviews and homophobic slurs since it bowed in August.
This is the second time Bellott represents Bolivia at the Oscars. His breakout film, “Sexual Dependency,” which snagged the Fipresci Award in Locarno and screened at more than 65 international film fests, also became the country’s second official entry to the Academy Awards in 2003, after an eight-year absence following Juan Carlos Valdivia’s “Jonas and the Pink Whale.”
The fact that there were 11 other films under consideration is also testament...
The gay drama beat 11 other local films in contention. “By supporting my film despite the controversy, Bolivia has proven that it is a progressive country, and that in the end, art and cinema will prevail,” said Bellott, who has seen his fourth film greeted by both glowing reviews and homophobic slurs since it bowed in August.
This is the second time Bellott represents Bolivia at the Oscars. His breakout film, “Sexual Dependency,” which snagged the Fipresci Award in Locarno and screened at more than 65 international film fests, also became the country’s second official entry to the Academy Awards in 2003, after an eight-year absence following Juan Carlos Valdivia’s “Jonas and the Pink Whale.”
The fact that there were 11 other films under consideration is also testament...
- 9/9/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Bolivia’s Rodrigo Bellott, after some years dedicated to casting and producing for other directors, has marked his return to filmmaking with the adaptation of his groundbreaking stage play, “Tu Me Manques.” On Sunday Aug. 28, his eponymous bi-lingual film snagged the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at L.A.’s Outfest where it had its world premiere. Drama will have a special screening at Chile’s Santiago Int’l Film Festival (Sanfic), which runs Aug. 18-25.
When the play broke out in 2015, what was originally meant to stage for one night went on for an unprecedented four months due to popular acclaim. More importantly, the story based on Bellott’s gay boyfriend, who killed himself for fear of coming out, had such a momentous impact on Bolivian society that it led to the inclusion of the Lgbtq community in Bolivia’s anti-discrimination law. Its Supreme Court declared May 17 as...
When the play broke out in 2015, what was originally meant to stage for one night went on for an unprecedented four months due to popular acclaim. More importantly, the story based on Bellott’s gay boyfriend, who killed himself for fear of coming out, had such a momentous impact on Bolivian society that it led to the inclusion of the Lgbtq community in Bolivia’s anti-discrimination law. Its Supreme Court declared May 17 as...
- 7/30/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Outfest has unveiled its programming lineup, including appearances by Kathy Griffin, Trixie Mattel, Angelica Ross and Robert Englund, for its 37th version on July 18-28.
Officially titled the 2019 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbtq Film Festival, the event opens at the Orpheum Theatre with the “Circus of Books” documentary and closes at The Theater at the Ace Hotel with family comedy “Before You Know It” from Hannah Pearl Utt (who also co-wrote and stars), featuring Judith Light alongside Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin.
Films are from 33 countries and in 26 languages, and more than two-thirds of the titles are directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers.
“As my tenure comes to an end I am most proud of Outfest’s increased visibility in Hollywood and our ever-growing stature within the industry,” said executive director Christopher Racster. “Outfest Los Angeles continues to shine a spotlight on those stories we must see and...
Officially titled the 2019 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbtq Film Festival, the event opens at the Orpheum Theatre with the “Circus of Books” documentary and closes at The Theater at the Ace Hotel with family comedy “Before You Know It” from Hannah Pearl Utt (who also co-wrote and stars), featuring Judith Light alongside Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin.
Films are from 33 countries and in 26 languages, and more than two-thirds of the titles are directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers.
“As my tenure comes to an end I am most proud of Outfest’s increased visibility in Hollywood and our ever-growing stature within the industry,” said executive director Christopher Racster. “Outfest Los Angeles continues to shine a spotlight on those stories we must see and...
- 6/12/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
After 37 years as the nation’s premier Lgbtq film festival, Outfest shows no signs of slowing down. The 2019 festival, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles from July 18-28, has just announced its full schedule. The lineup features a combination of festival favorites and rarely-seen foreign films, placing Lgbtq cinema in a truly global context.
The festival opens on July 18 with “Circus of Books,” the Tribeca hit about a daughter’s learning about her parents’ groundbreaking gay porn shop. It closes out with Sundance breakout “Before You Know It,” and will feature 28 world premieres during its run.
From features and documentaries to shorts and episodic content, this is truly an all-inclusive launching pad for Lgbtq filmmakers. The festival continues to push the boundaries of progress, with a majority of this year’s films directed by filmmakers from groups underrepresented in queer film.
“As my tenure comes to an end I...
The festival opens on July 18 with “Circus of Books,” the Tribeca hit about a daughter’s learning about her parents’ groundbreaking gay porn shop. It closes out with Sundance breakout “Before You Know It,” and will feature 28 world premieres during its run.
From features and documentaries to shorts and episodic content, this is truly an all-inclusive launching pad for Lgbtq filmmakers. The festival continues to push the boundaries of progress, with a majority of this year’s films directed by filmmakers from groups underrepresented in queer film.
“As my tenure comes to an end I...
- 6/12/2019
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Now in its 37th year, Outfest serves up an inclusive and intersectional slate of programming, two-thirds of which includes content directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers. The fest, which will be held July 18-28 in Los Angeles, will open with Rachel Mason’s documentary Circus of Books which spotlights L.A.’s iconic brick-and-mortar gay erotica emporium and bookstore. Sundance favorite Before You Know It directed, co-written and starring Hannah Pearl Utt, as well as Judith Light, Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin, will serve as the festival’s closing night film.
The fest will have films from 33 countries and in 26 languages and will include appearances from Kathy Griffin, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Trixie Mattel, Pose actress Angelica Ross, horror icon Robert Englund, musician and actor Sam Harris and others.
“As my tenure comes to an end I am most proud of Outfest’s increased...
The fest will have films from 33 countries and in 26 languages and will include appearances from Kathy Griffin, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Trixie Mattel, Pose actress Angelica Ross, horror icon Robert Englund, musician and actor Sam Harris and others.
“As my tenure comes to an end I am most proud of Outfest’s increased...
- 6/12/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Roster includes third annual Trans Summit, Martha Stephens’ Sundance selection To The Stars, Rodrigo Bellott’s Tu Me Manques.
Berlinale Teddy winner Brief Story From The Green Planet is among the selection at 2019 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbtq Film Festival, set to run from July 18-28.
The festival will feature 28 world premieres across features, short films and special events, including Rodrigo Bellott’s Tu Me Manques inspired by his hit play from Bolivia, and Elegance Bratton’s documentary Pier Kids, which follows the queer and trans Poc youth who gather at New York City’s Christopher Street pier.
The roster includes Megan Rossman’s The Archivettes,...
Berlinale Teddy winner Brief Story From The Green Planet is among the selection at 2019 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbtq Film Festival, set to run from July 18-28.
The festival will feature 28 world premieres across features, short films and special events, including Rodrigo Bellott’s Tu Me Manques inspired by his hit play from Bolivia, and Elegance Bratton’s documentary Pier Kids, which follows the queer and trans Poc youth who gather at New York City’s Christopher Street pier.
The roster includes Megan Rossman’s The Archivettes,...
- 6/12/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
One of the producers on the 2013 Sundance entry We Are What We Are, Bolivian filmmaker Rodrigo Bellott was his country’s foreign film category entry with Sexual Dependency a decade prior. Flash-forward to 2017 a personal story, that served as the basis for a book and then feature film. Starring Rossy de Palma, Rick Cosnett, Ana Asensio and Oscar Martinez, a U.S, Mexican and Bolivian co-production Tu Me Manques was shot last summer in New York and Bolivia.
Gist: Oscar Martinez plays a wealthy man from Bolivia with old school values, who learns about his gay son’s recent suicide in the U.S.…...
Gist: Oscar Martinez plays a wealthy man from Bolivia with old school values, who learns about his gay son’s recent suicide in the U.S.…...
- 11/23/2018
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Read More: 7 Queer Female Filmmakers to Watch for in 2015 Queer/Art/Mentorship, the mentorship program founded by Ira Sachs in 2011 to establish working relationships between emerging and established Lgbtqi artists in New York City, has announced the 11 fellows that will participate in its 2015-2016 cycle. Spanning five different artistic disciplines, the fellows chosen are Monstah Black, Eva Peskin and Justine Williams in performance; Jacob Matkov and Brendan Williams-Childs in literary; Rodrigo Bellott, Erin Greenwell and Mylo Mendez in film; Caroline Wells Chandler and Doron Langberg in visual arts; and Hugh Ryan in curatorial. For more information on the participating fellows and the mentors they'll be matched with, plus more information on the Queer/Art/Mentorship program in general, visit the program's official website. Read More: Reader's Poll: The 50 Most Important Lgbt Television Series...
- 10/5/2015
- by Ryan Anielski
- Indiewire
We Are What We Are, breakout starlets, Julia Garner and Ambyr Childers will be attending the Cannes Film Festival. Julia a genre and indie queen in her own rightstarted out with a memorable supporting role in Martha Marcy May Marlene, echoing the trauma to come that Elizabeth Olsen's character endured and recently completed shooting for Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Julia recently wrapped Billy Kent's Hairbrained, starring Parker Posey, as well as David Chase's Not Fade Away with James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) and Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire). She can also be seen in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
Ambyr Childers started her career with an established spot on the daytime soap opera All My Children before breaking out in a pivotal role as the daughter of Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in the Oscar Nominated The Master. Recently, Ambyr can be seen in Gangster Squad and will soon be seen in the new Liev Schreiber show on Showtime, Ray Donovan.
In We Are What We Are, a re-imagining of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name, Jim Mickle paints a gripping and gruesome portrait of an introverted family struggling to keep their macabre traditions alive.
A seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank (Bill Sage, Boardwalk Empire) rules his family with a rigorous ferver, determined to keep his ancestral customs intact at any cost. As a torrential rainstorm moves into the area, tragedy strikes and his daughters Iris (Ambyr Childers) and Rose (Julia Garner) are forced to assume responsibilities that extend beyond those of a typical family. As the unrelenting downpour continues to flood their small town, the local authorities begin to uncover clues that bring them closer to the secret that the Parkers have held closely for so many years.
Also starring Michael Parks (Django Unchained), Kelly McGillis (Stakeland), Nick Damici (Stakeland), Wyatt Russell (This is 40) and newcomer Jack Gore. Written by Mickle and Damici. The two previously collaborated on the screenplays for Mickle’s first two features, Mulberry Street and Stakeland (winner of the “Midnight Madness” Audience Award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival).
Produced by Rodrigo Bellott, Andrew D. Corkin, Linda Moran, Nicholas Shumaker and Jack Turner.
Trt: 100 minutes
*We Are What We Are will have it's U.S. theatrical release this Fall through eOne.*
*Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight Premiere:*
May 21st, 2013 9:00Pm @ Theater Croisette
* Cannes Film Festival's Press Screening* May 21st, 2013 11:30Am @ Theater Croisette...
Julia recently wrapped Billy Kent's Hairbrained, starring Parker Posey, as well as David Chase's Not Fade Away with James Gandolfini (The Sopranos) and Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire). She can also be seen in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks Of Being A Wallflower.
Ambyr Childers started her career with an established spot on the daytime soap opera All My Children before breaking out in a pivotal role as the daughter of Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in the Oscar Nominated The Master. Recently, Ambyr can be seen in Gangster Squad and will soon be seen in the new Liev Schreiber show on Showtime, Ray Donovan.
In We Are What We Are, a re-imagining of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name, Jim Mickle paints a gripping and gruesome portrait of an introverted family struggling to keep their macabre traditions alive.
A seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank (Bill Sage, Boardwalk Empire) rules his family with a rigorous ferver, determined to keep his ancestral customs intact at any cost. As a torrential rainstorm moves into the area, tragedy strikes and his daughters Iris (Ambyr Childers) and Rose (Julia Garner) are forced to assume responsibilities that extend beyond those of a typical family. As the unrelenting downpour continues to flood their small town, the local authorities begin to uncover clues that bring them closer to the secret that the Parkers have held closely for so many years.
Also starring Michael Parks (Django Unchained), Kelly McGillis (Stakeland), Nick Damici (Stakeland), Wyatt Russell (This is 40) and newcomer Jack Gore. Written by Mickle and Damici. The two previously collaborated on the screenplays for Mickle’s first two features, Mulberry Street and Stakeland (winner of the “Midnight Madness” Audience Award at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival).
Produced by Rodrigo Bellott, Andrew D. Corkin, Linda Moran, Nicholas Shumaker and Jack Turner.
Trt: 100 minutes
*We Are What We Are will have it's U.S. theatrical release this Fall through eOne.*
*Cannes Film Festival's Directors' Fortnight Premiere:*
May 21st, 2013 9:00Pm @ Theater Croisette
* Cannes Film Festival's Press Screening* May 21st, 2013 11:30Am @ Theater Croisette...
- 5/20/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Jim Mickle's We Are What We Are starring Julia Garner and Amber Childers has added a new Cannes Film Festival clip. Catch the film in the Directors' Fortnight Premiere on May 21st, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. at Theater Croisette if you're attending. Also in the film helmed by Mickle are Michael Parks, Kelly McGillis, Nick Damici, Wyatt Russell and Jack Gore. Mickle scripts alongside Damici and the film's produced by Rodrigo Bellott, Andrew D. Corkin, Linda Moran, Jack Turner and Nicholas Schumaker. In We Are What We Are, a re-imagining of the 2010 Mexican film of the same name, Mickle paints a gripping and gruesome portrait of an introverted family struggling to keep their macabre traditions alive. A seemingly wholesome and benevolent family, the Parkers have always kept to themselves, and for good reason. Behind closed doors, patriarch Frank (Sage) rules his family with a rigorous ferver, determined to keep...
- 5/17/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
EOne has landed U.S. distribution rights to Jim Mickle's cannibalism horror We Are What We Are, starring Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis and Michael Parks According to The Hollywood Reporter, the deal was in the low-seven figures for the film scripted by Mickle and Nick Damici (also in the cast) which is a remake of the Mexican film from Jorge Grau. Other cast members include Wyatt Russell, Julia Garner, Michael Parks and Bill Sage. Rodrigo Bellott, Andrew Corkin, Jack Turner and Nicholas Shumaker produce. In We Are What We Are, a storm washes up clues leading authorities closer to discovering the truth about the cannibalistic Parker family.
- 1/23/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
EOne has landed U.S. distribution rights to Jim Mickle's cannibalism horror We Are What We Are, starring Ambyr Childers, Kelly McGillis and Michael Parks According to The Hollywood Reporter, the deal was in the low-seven figures for the film scripted by Mickle and Nick Damici (also in the cast) which is a remake of the Mexican film from Jorge Grau. Other cast members include Wyatt Russell, Julia Garner, Michael Parks and Bill Sage. Rodrigo Bellott, Andrew Corkin, Jack Turner and Nicholas Shumaker produce. In We Are What We Are, a storm washes up clues leading authorities closer to discovering the truth about the cannibalistic Parker family.
- 1/23/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
#5. Concussion
Who: Having begun her ascension via her work as a commercials director/producer, 2012/2013 has turned out to be fairly kick ass in terms of receiving support. From the guidance of producer Rose Troche (helmer of Go Fish), being chosen by Independent Feature Project’s narrative lab to grabbing grants in the shape of the Adrienne Shelly Director’s Grant and Gothams Award’s Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant.
What: Sight unseen, with a high libido, this might be compared to Steve McQueen’s Shame as it also centers on a Manhattanite whose midlife crisis includes a character with a double life of sorts.
Where: You can find more info on the facebook page and the official website should start getting into gear shortly.
When: The Rose Troche produced drama was shot in New York City in March of last year.
Why: Premise alone for...
Who: Having begun her ascension via her work as a commercials director/producer, 2012/2013 has turned out to be fairly kick ass in terms of receiving support. From the guidance of producer Rose Troche (helmer of Go Fish), being chosen by Independent Feature Project’s narrative lab to grabbing grants in the shape of the Adrienne Shelly Director’s Grant and Gothams Award’s Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers Live the Dream Grant.
What: Sight unseen, with a high libido, this might be compared to Steve McQueen’s Shame as it also centers on a Manhattanite whose midlife crisis includes a character with a double life of sorts.
Where: You can find more info on the facebook page and the official website should start getting into gear shortly.
When: The Rose Troche produced drama was shot in New York City in March of last year.
Why: Premise alone for...
- 1/18/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Having steadily built his career in the genre with Mulberry Street (’06), Stake Land (’10), Jim Mickle is still treading the indie horror course and his third outing either falls into unnecessary remake category or in the “I didn’t think the remake of Let the Right One In would turn out the way it did.” We think it might be the latter and that the summer production will indeed be primed for a January film fest splash. Re-teaming with Kelly McGillis (Stake Land lead), perhaps the festival’s next “it” actress in Julia Garner (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Michael Parks who received tons of cred for Red State, and Ambyr Childers fresh off The Master, We Are What We Are will begin a long film festival life that will probably be a hit among buyers. Exclusive pic above: Jim Mickle on left, Nick Damici (co-writer and co-star) and Michael Parks on the right.
- 11/22/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
More casting news has come for the next needless remake of a recent foreign film, We Are What We Are (review here), but given the talent involved, we're actually kind of excited for this one.
Screen Daily reports that Riley Keough, Julia Garner, Bill Sage, and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of the flick, which is to be directed by Stake Land's Jim Mickle.
"Keough and Garner will play a pair of sisters who are secluded from mainstream society. Following the untimely death of their mother, their father, played by Sage, forces them to perform a depraved ritual, carried out by their ancestors for generations. Russell will play a young deputy who is in love with Keough’s character."
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran...
Screen Daily reports that Riley Keough, Julia Garner, Bill Sage, and Wyatt Russell have joined the cast of the flick, which is to be directed by Stake Land's Jim Mickle.
"Keough and Garner will play a pair of sisters who are secluded from mainstream society. Following the untimely death of their mother, their father, played by Sage, forces them to perform a depraved ritual, carried out by their ancestors for generations. Russell will play a young deputy who is in love with Keough’s character."
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran...
- 5/2/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Unlike Matt Reeves' U.S. adaptation of the Swedish horror flick "Let the Right One In, "Stake Land" director Jim Mickle's adaptation of Jorge Michel Grau's "Somo Lo Que Hay (We Are What We Are)" will be more of a reimagining than a remake. "Somo Lo Que Hay" is a film about a family of cannibals lurking about unnoticed in a poor Mexican neighborhood. The family's survival slowly becomes threatened when the police catch on. When the team behind the remake sat down to figure out how they would tackle the project, they realized there was no way the script could just be put into Google Translate and shot in a similar setting. For one, as Rodrigo Bellott, one of the film's producers, told Indiewire, "Just the element of the police alone. The police in the U.S. and the police in Mexico work so differently. The...
- 3/2/2012
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
"Stake Land" director Jim Mickle will helm a remake of cult cannibal picture "We Are What We Are" at Memento Films International says Screen Daily.
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s helmed the 2010 original about a family of cannibals in Mexico City. Mickle's remake shifts the action to the poorer parts of New York State's Catskills region.
Mickle and Nick Damici are writing the script while shooting kicks off in June. Andrew Corkin, Rodrigo Bellott, Nicholas Shumaker, Linda Moran and Rene Bastian are producing.
Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s helmed the 2010 original about a family of cannibals in Mexico City. Mickle's remake shifts the action to the poorer parts of New York State's Catskills region.
Mickle and Nick Damici are writing the script while shooting kicks off in June. Andrew Corkin, Rodrigo Bellott, Nicholas Shumaker, Linda Moran and Rene Bastian are producing.
- 2/10/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Once again a remake is on its way of a perfectly good foreign film that most American audience members are too lazy to watch because it has subtitles. Read on for the latest.
Screen Daily reports that Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are (review here).
Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York state. Principal photography starts in June.
"It’s a cool challenge to do justice to Jorge’s story but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici.
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual...
Screen Daily reports that Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are (review here).
Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Grau’s picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York state. Principal photography starts in June.
"It’s a cool challenge to do justice to Jorge’s story but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici.
Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual...
- 2/9/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Stake Land director Jim Mickle is set to sink his teeth into a remake of cult cannibal picture We Are What We Are, Paris-based Memento Films International (Mfi) has announced. Mickle will transpose Mexican director Jorge Michel Graus picture about a family of cannibals from its original setting of Mexico City, to a poor part of the Catskills region in New York State. Principal photography starts in June. "Its a cool challenge to do justice to Jorges story, but also explore things from an unexpected angle," said Mickle, who is writing the script with Nick Damici. Andrew Corkin of New York-based Uncorked Productions (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Afterschool) and Bolivian director/producer Rodrigo Bellott (Sexual Dependency) are producing alongside Mfi's Nicholas Shumaker and Linda Moran and Rene Bastian of Belladonna Productions, who produced Mickle's first two films.
- 2/9/2012
- bloody-disgusting.com
Rodrigo Bellott first came to our attention in 2003 when producer Ara Katz, retained our services to create the best strategy for finding international and domestic distribution for Rodrigo's debut feature Sexual Dependency, a La Ronde type film which begain in a small town in his native Bolivia to New York City. Since then, Rigo has produced and or directed 4 features. When Steven Soderbergh was casting Che, he came to Rodrigo for help and afterward encouraged him to create a casting company which has served the industry very well as the first such company in Bolivia if not in…...
- 7/6/2010
- Sydney's Buzz
Cinemavault Releasing
PALM SPRINGS -- Despite the provocative title and the young, scantily clad actors displayed in its artwork, "Sexual Dependency" is ultimately more about affectation than titillation.
A first feature by Rodrigo Bellott and Bolivia's official submission for foreign-language Oscar consideration strings together five interrelated stories of raging machismo and its effects on various female and male characters on two continents.
Among the improvised film's collection of victims and perpetrators (presented in a constant split-screen format) are a Bolivian high school girl who is date-raped; a young man visiting from Colombia who is goaded into visiting a hooker; a poetry-reciting female college student with a disturbing story; and a closeted football player who moonlights as an underwear model.
But while Bellott seems intent on saying something about male "pack" behavior fanning the flames of sexism, racism and homophobia, the director's split-screen effects and hand-held digital camerawork go from being innovative to repetitive to irritating in a Santa Cruz minute.
PALM SPRINGS -- Despite the provocative title and the young, scantily clad actors displayed in its artwork, "Sexual Dependency" is ultimately more about affectation than titillation.
A first feature by Rodrigo Bellott and Bolivia's official submission for foreign-language Oscar consideration strings together five interrelated stories of raging machismo and its effects on various female and male characters on two continents.
Among the improvised film's collection of victims and perpetrators (presented in a constant split-screen format) are a Bolivian high school girl who is date-raped; a young man visiting from Colombia who is goaded into visiting a hooker; a poetry-reciting female college student with a disturbing story; and a closeted football player who moonlights as an underwear model.
But while Bellott seems intent on saying something about male "pack" behavior fanning the flames of sexism, racism and homophobia, the director's split-screen effects and hand-held digital camerawork go from being innovative to repetitive to irritating in a Santa Cruz minute.
Cinemavault Releasing
PALM SPRINGS -- Despite the provocative title and the young, scantily clad actors displayed in its artwork, "Sexual Dependency" is ultimately more about affectation than titillation.
A first feature by Rodrigo Bellott and Bolivia's official submission for foreign-language Oscar consideration strings together five interrelated stories of raging machismo and its effects on various female and male characters on two continents.
Among the improvised film's collection of victims and perpetrators (presented in a constant split-screen format) are a Bolivian high school girl who is date-raped; a young man visiting from Colombia who is goaded into visiting a hooker; a poetry-reciting female college student with a disturbing story; and a closeted football player who moonlights as an underwear model.
But while Bellott seems intent on saying something about male "pack" behavior fanning the flames of sexism, racism and homophobia, the director's split-screen effects and hand-held digital camerawork go from being innovative to repetitive to irritating in a Santa Cruz minute.
PALM SPRINGS -- Despite the provocative title and the young, scantily clad actors displayed in its artwork, "Sexual Dependency" is ultimately more about affectation than titillation.
A first feature by Rodrigo Bellott and Bolivia's official submission for foreign-language Oscar consideration strings together five interrelated stories of raging machismo and its effects on various female and male characters on two continents.
Among the improvised film's collection of victims and perpetrators (presented in a constant split-screen format) are a Bolivian high school girl who is date-raped; a young man visiting from Colombia who is goaded into visiting a hooker; a poetry-reciting female college student with a disturbing story; and a closeted football player who moonlights as an underwear model.
But while Bellott seems intent on saying something about male "pack" behavior fanning the flames of sexism, racism and homophobia, the director's split-screen effects and hand-held digital camerawork go from being innovative to repetitive to irritating in a Santa Cruz minute.
- 2/13/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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