The late Adam Yauch made history as Beastie Boys rapper MCA, but he also leaves behind a rich legacy in filmmaking: Recall his work helming a number of the trio’s music videos (as Nathaniel Hörnblowér), releasing envelope-pushing (and Oscar-nominated) documentaries and features via his production/distribution label Oscilloscope Labs, and directing his own acclaimed films, notably the 2006 concert doc Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! . Take a look back at Yauch’s work behind the camera, with and without fellow Beasties Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz, as Movieline runs down the 9 best films and videos he made as a director. “Shadrach” (1989) Live performance footage was rotoscoped over resulting in the gorgeous and surreal hand-painted music video for “Shadrach,” off the Beasties’ second studio album, Paul’s Boutique . “So What’cha Want” (1992) Mike D, Ad-rock, and MCA traipse the woods as rapping, destructive forces of nature in one of my favorite Beastie Boys videos, made eerily sinister (and strangely perfect) by photo negative effects and speed-tweaked lip synching. “Intergalactic” (1998) A tribute to/send-up of Japanese kaiju monster movies and one of the best music videos of all time. “Body Movin’” (1998) More film nerdery from MCA — “Body Movin'” as parody of the Dino De Laurentiis-produced Italian cult spy flick Danger Diabolik . “Three MCs and One DJ” (1999) A loving nod to DJ Mix Master Mike, who marked his first Beastie Boys collaboration on 1999’s Hello Nasty ; without him around to drop the beat, our MCs are frozen and helpless.
Movieline joins music and film fans in mourning the death of Adam Yauch – a.k.a. MCA, one-third of rap legends the Beastie Boys, influential filmmaker and music-video director, and founder of independent-film distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories. In other film news, Friday afternoon’s Biz Break includes rundowns on Jonah Hill’s collaboration with Martin Scorsese, Cannes’ new addition to its official selection, Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, and UTA’s failed bid for a Beverly Hills street name. The Weinstein Company Nabs Rights To Dustin Hoffman’s Directorial Debut TWC will take U.S. and Latin American rights to Dustin Hoffman’s comedy Quartet from HanWay Films. Starring Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly, Michael Gambon and Pauline Collins, the film revolves around a home for retired opera singers. Each year Reggie, Wilf and Cissy stage a concert to raise funds for the home, but Reggie’s ex-wife shows up, creating tension and playing the diva. Cannes Adds Le Serment de Tobrouk to Roster The festival will add Bernard-Henri Levy’s Le Serment de Tobrouk ( The Oath of Tobruk ) to its Official Selection and will screen May 25. Made during the eight-month conflict that ended Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s dictatorship, the film traces the unfolding of that unusual war. Four key figures from the Libyan revolution will attend the screening. From around the ‘net… Jonah Hill to Star with Leo in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street The recent Moneyball Oscar-nominee will star along with Leonardo DiCaprio in the adaptation of Jordan Belfort’s memoir about hard-partying, dramatic rise and fall on Wall Street. Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter wrote the script, Deadline reports . After Adam Yauch’s Death, Oscilloscope Reverses Management Change After announcing he will leave his top management position at Oscilloscope which he co-founded with Adam Yauch four years ago, David Fenkel will remain involved in running the company, a spokesperson told The Wrap. Fox Renames Neighborhood Watch Movie in Florida Shooting Aftermath Now re-named The Watch , 20th Century Fox wanted to avoid any association with the tragic shooting of teen Trayvon Martin in Florida earlier this year, Deadline reports . UTA Ends Pursuit of Beverly Hills Street Name at New H.Q. The talent agency expected Beverly Hills would approve United Talent Agency Drive street signs near the company’s new headquarters at its new 120,000 square foot offices off Civic Center Drive, THR reports .
Roughly two weeks after Gary Ross’s departure from and Francis Lawrence’s rumored attachment to Catching Fire , Lionsgate has officially announced Lawrence as its man to direct its mega-anticipated Hunger Games sequel . “From the very beginning of this brilliant trilogy’s journey from page to screen, our first priority has been to stay true to the heart and soul of Suzanne Collins’ powerful stories,” producer Nina Jacobson said in a statement just over the transom at Movieline HQ. “From my first conversation with Francis, I knew he would make a great partner for both me and Suzanne. His passion for Catching Fire and inspired ideas for a faithful adaptation make him the perfect director for this movie. I know this will be a wonderful collaboration and I cannot wait to get started.” Added Lawrence: “It is truly an honor and a privilege to bring Catching Fire , the second chapter of Suzanne’s beloved trilogy, to the big screen. I fell in love with the characters, the themes and the world she created and this chapter opens all of these elements up in such a thrilling, emotional and surprising way. I can’t wait to dive right into it and bring this chapter to life along with the truly superb cast and filmmakers involved.” Mazel tov! And get to work : Catching Fire opens November 22, 2013. [Photo: Getty Images]
While talking up this month’s Men in Black III – in which he does an uncanny Tommy Lee Jones impersonation playing Jones’ ‘60s-era younger self – Josh Brolin took a moment to discuss the upcoming project that makes him nervous just to think about: Spike Lee ’s Oldboy , the remake of Park Chan-wook’s ultraviolent 2003 film, for which Brolin says he sought Park’s blessing before taking on the Hollywood remake. “I love Oldboy and I’m close with Chan-wook Park and I emailed him a couple months ago just asking for his blessing to do this movie,” said Brolin, “because if he had said no I wouldn’t have done it. I really respect his movie and we’ll make a little different movie, and this whole idea of a more Hollywood version of it, whatever – we’re just going to do a different version and have respect for the initial story and premise.” “I’m talking about it nervously because it makes me nervous.” Brolin will be joined in the cast by rising ingénue Elizabeth Olsen and District 9 ’s Sharlto Copley , the latter of whom sent his own message to Brolin when he joined the cast. “He just wrote me an email and was like, ‘Look, I’ve got to get this out of the way – Goonies was my favorite film! Now I’m going to make 20 years of your life miserable,’” Brolin said. The details of just how much Lee’s remake will stay true to the original film remain a mystery, though Brolin did confirm that their version will keep the infamous hammer fight scene. “Yes, by the way,” he said. “Yes. It’s a hammer, a knife, and all that stuff. Will we keep the octopus and the other stuff? You know, there are some changes and all that. But I think it’s really good. It still makes me throw down the script halfway through.” Filming begins in October on the anticipated project, and while Brolin seems confident that the remake will remain true to the source material while carving its own path, he knows a thing or two about woulda-coulda-shoulda thinking. Elsewhere in the conversation, Brolin brought up the specter of his 2010 bomb Jonah Hex unprompted. “I think that was a snowball effect,” he said, citing the film’s meteoric plunge in the media. “It got so much negative press, because we did so many reshoots, we did a ton of reshoots, man. I’m going to stand behind any movie that I do, and I do like the character. If I go back and see it now, I go, ‘That’s an interesting character.’ It’s not the movie I would have made. My intention was to make an Eastwood/Leone-esque really gritty $5-7 million film that I think would have been massively profitable, but you don’t have control over these things all the time.” Despite all that, Brolin learned a long time ago to embrace the serendipity of perceived failure – like when he lost the lead in 21 Jump Street to Johnny Depp . “ 21 Jump Street was between Johnny Depp and I,” he recalled. “Johnny got it, but we were in his apartment waiting to find out which one was going to actually leave on a plane that night.” Asked how he dealt with the disappointment of losing that gig, he laughed. “I love that you think 21 Jump Street was a huge disappointment! Johnny called me a year later and said, ‘Dude, this is awful!’” Stay tuned for more from Brolin, Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Barry Sonnenfeld on Men in Black III . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
“A California man who legally changed his name to ‘Obiwan Kenobi’ was released from jail yesterday after spending five days in custody following his arrest on a hit-and-run count. Kenobi, 37, has been charged with leaving the scene of a five-car accident last month in Roseville. According to cops, Kenobi’s reckless driving triggered the chain-reaction collision. Formerly known as Benjamin Cale Feit, Kenobi changed his name in 1999 in response to a radio stunt tied to the release of Star Wars: Episode I. A California station offered $1000 to the first listener to legally change their name to that of the fictional Jedi master.” Nice work! He’s got a ways to go before catching up with Yoda’s four DUI’s, but still. [ The Smoking Gun via Geekologie ]
Avengers fans, fear not! You’ll find no spoilers for this Friday’s big tentpole herein. Just know this: You’re going to want to stay through the end credits for the expected post-credits bonus scenes that Marvel Studios are known to slide into their films, because The Avengers reportedly contains not one, but two of ’em. Looks like Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t lying about filming the day after the premiere! (Wait, does that mean Joss led us all astray?) Oh, fine. If you can’t stand the not knowing, bang it here for details. [@ thefilmcynic , SuperheroHype ]
All the fuss over Spike Lee ‘s Oldboy remake star search can finally be put to rest, it seems — though who could have predicted that South African actor Sharlto Copley would’ve landed the plum co-starring lead opposite Josh Brolin ? According to Deadline , the District 9 star, most recently seen bursting out of the woodwork every now and then as the manic “Howling Mad” Murdock in 2010’s The A-Team , has nabbed the key role of Adrian Pryce, Oldboy ‘s villain and “a mysterious billionaire trying to destroy the life of Joe Douchett (Brolin).” Bold move, Spike. But does Copley fit the bill (and, more importantly: Can he hold his own against Brolin)? [ Deadline ]
The auction-happy crew at Profiles in History, which has previously unloaded Hollywood treasures ranging from Dorothy’s ruby slippers to the Dude’s sweater from The Big Lebowski , has got the 10-year-old in you right where they want it: Prepare yourself for the most comprehensive auction of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory memorabilia to date, featuring costumes, props and one of only two known Everlasting Gobstoppers in existence. Also: They will cost you. Via a press release just in from PiH : First up and most significantly is the Gene Wilder “Willy Wonka” signature costume. The costume consists of flamboyant purple velvet frock coat, wool & camelhair slacks, off-white shirt, distinctive purple & violet lamé vest with floral design and satin bow tie. Originally obtained from Michael D. Beinner, Director of Field Advertising and Publicity for Paramount Pictures who was gifted the costume following its promotional tour of several key cities around the U.S. Without doubt, one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable costumes in the history of film. It is estimated to fetch $80,000 – $120,000. Also up for auction are three iconic items from the collection of Julie Dawn Cole, who played “Veruca Salt.” First is an original screen-used Everlasting Gobstopper, one of only two known to exist. It comes with a notarized copy of a letter from Ms. Cole stating (in part), “The Everlasting Gobstopper was used in the Inventing Room Scene. Mr. Wonka gives each of the children one Everlasting Gobstopper each. Typically Veruca tries to wangle another one, if only she had succeeded! But at least I was allowed to keep this one.” It is expected to fetch $20,000 – $30,000. You can also own the Golden Egg, screen used by Julie Dawn Cole during the “I Want it Now,” musical number. The egg comes with a notarized copy of a letter from Ms. Cole stating (in part), “The Filming of this [Golden Egg] scene and Veruca’s demise was actually filmed on my 13th birthday. The egg was presented to me at the end of the day’s shoot as a birthday present.” The egg is fashioned from polystyrene foam painted gold and is expected to fetch $20,000 – $30,000. And there’s more , all going on the block in July . Sadly, no Oompa Loompas are to be found on the list (though one of those costumes is up for sale as well, a representative notes), and the beheaded chicken from the psychedelic-tunnel-trip montage doesn’t come with a Certificate of Authenticity, so caveat emptor, etc. [ Profiles in History ]
Given Mark Ruffalo ’s reported six-picture deal with Marvel Studios to portray mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner and his rage monster alter ego The Hulk in multiple movies after this week’s The Avengers – and considering how well his take on the iconic comic book character plays, both as Banner and the beast — it seems safe to say that the indie veteran’s first superhero outing won’t be his last. But before The Avengers director Joss Whedon came calling, Ruffalo admits he wasn’t so sure he could pull off such a task. “I didn’t have the confidence to do it,” he told Movieline, “and no one was coming to me with those kinds of parts.” Making Ruffalo’s task even more Herculean in the superhero super-team up The Avengers is the fact that two entirely different recent attempts at a Hulk movie precede his (Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk and Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk ). But Ruffalo’s approach was two-fold: First, he saw his Hulk as a progression from predecessors Eric Bana and Edward Norton, one who’s recruited into Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative (alongside Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye) after years spent harnessing the monster within. And second: Thanks to motion capture technology, he got to actually play The Hulk. Ruffalo spoke with Movieline about the potentially life-changing decision to take on The Avengers , how far his Banner has come in accepting his gift/curse, why he coined the phrase “ boy soup ” in relation to co-star Scarlett Johansson, and which of his superhero co-stars possess the greatest skills… in Dance Dance Revolution . It’s neat to see you all together, and it seems like whenever any of the cast is asked to name their favorite moment from shooting, it’s one of the group scenes when everyone was together. I totally agree. My favorite scenes are when we were all together, and then I have to say working with [Robert] Downey in those scenes was really a joy and a pleasure. He’s one of my heroes and it was just very satisfying to be doing Banner to his Stark, it was very cool. Most of your castmates had already experienced what it’s like to don the superhero suit, but this was your first. What do you feel a role like this offered you in contrast to the kinds of films you’d previously done? What does a movie like The Avengers do for your career? You know, I think it opens up another audience to me that I haven’t ever played to before, and I think it’s going to give me a visibility that I probably haven’t had before, which is a little scary to me. But also it’s going to help me make other movies, little movies that I like to make, as well. What part of the experience do you find scary? I move pretty freely throughout the world without being recognized… Really? I can go around pretty freely – I get recognized but for the most part I can disappear, and I’m afraid that’s going to get a lot harder after this. And that’s fine; that’s part of what I do. But I’m also excited to just be kind of in another realm that’s new to me, that’s challenging to me. And that’s been pretty cool to crack. Did you have any desire to make this sort of mainstream move earlier in your career, and for whatever reasons you didn’t? No, I didn’t really have any interest. And I didn’t really have the confidence to do it, I don’t think. I just didn’t see myself in that, and no one was coming to me with those kinds of parts. No one thought of that for whatever reason. So somewhere along the way, you got more confident and someone had the brilliant idea to cast you in a role like this. Yes, thank you Joss Whedon! [Laughs] I was surprised when it came but I feel like I’m a little like Banner. I’m like, OK – that sounds appealing to me, but can I pull it off? Will I destroy things? I spent a lot of time talking with Joss about how to make it work and why he thought I would be the right person for it. That all made sense to me. Even within this expansive swath of comic book lore and this group of characters, The Hulk has an especially interesting history with movie audiences given the two previous standalone Hulk movies, for starters, not to mention the T.V. show… Which was a big, important part of this one. What was your approach to the role, even just knowing that audiences had not so long ago seen Eric Bana and Ed Norton take a crack at it? I had a lot of reservations about it because of that, obviously, and I’m a big fan of both of those actors and respect the hell out of them, and really admire what they did with those parts – each of them. But I also liked the idea that this is kind of the progression of those movies – it’s Banner, who’s been on the run for a long time. At the end of the last movie we see him almost able to control this thing; at least he can control not turning into it. He spent two years on the road not turning into The Hulk. He’s older now, he went to India where there’s such intense suffering that his problems are all of a sudden dwarfed in the face of the real human misery happening in those slums. And this is not an origin story. He’s a bit farther along from the start. Right. He’s older, and at some point I think you get tired of running from yourself. I think he’s at that moment where he’s like, ‘This is who I am, this is who I’m going to be, I’m going to die one day’ – maybe he won’t [Laughs] – but am I going to keep running from the inevitable, or am I going to turn and face it? And that’s kind of where we are, and I think that’s a nice progression from the other Hulks and the other Banners. There’s an idea that maybe Banner can impress his will onto the monster and get him to do stuff for good instead of just destroy. He goes back and this becomes his family, the thing he’s never been able to have. So I was reticent about it but at the same time I saw an enormous opportunity with the technology as well, because my problem with the Hulks was that once you got into the Hulk, it just felt like a different movie. It just didn’t feel like that same creature, you know? So it was really important for me to do the motion capture and to play the Hulk as well as Banner. I probably wouldn’t have done it if I couldn’t do both of them, and as an actor that was the really exciting thing for me and the thing that made me say, well, this is how I’ll be different – I’ll actually get to play The Hulk as well. So all of my fear and trepidation about moving forward was quelled by actually getting to do Hulk. In recent years, motion capture acting has emerged much more prominently into the conversation – the acting element, the idea that it’s as much an art and not merely the work of animators. Totally. And it’s a collaboration. It’s like playing in a band, it’s like a whole group of people and you’re all working together and the final outcome is greater than the parts on their own. I loved working with the guys at ILM. I think we’re all rejoicing in the way The Hulk turned out. All of a sudden I started realizing, God, what you can do! The imagination’s the limit. Now we’re no longer, as actors, fighting against prosthetics to have a performance come through. Now every facial expression can be manifested without being blocked by a prosthetic or by make-up, so once you get over being in a little ridiculous leotard and looking like this [points to photo of himself during shoot, clad in skin-tight motion capture suit]you can actually have a really great time and do some really cool, totally out-there things. To listen to the audience in my screening, Hulk went over so well in Avengers that it seems that a Hulk spin-off movie would do quite well… I would hope so! But they have a lot of other movies that they’re making. [Laughs] They have three already in the works. I’d be totally open to it, but I think that’s a long way away. Earlier today you mentioned it, so please explain the story behind Scarlett Johansson’s “boy soup.” [Laughs] We all walked into a party and all the stunt men were in a hot tub together, trying to get Scarlett to jump in with them, and I looked over at her and I thought it looked like she was making boy soup, standing over them laughing! And that was where the boy soup came from. Jeremy Renner also outed the cast as having had a Dance Dance Revolution party together. I was there! I almost can’t believe that’s real, it sounds so surreal. It was hilarious! So settle this for me: Which Avenger was the best at Dance Dance Revolution ? [Giggling, Ruffalo pauses.] It’s a tie between [Chris] Evans and [Jeremy] Renner, I would say. And there you have it, folks! Enjoy that mental image. The Avengers hits theaters May 4. Read Stephanie Zacharek’s review here . Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
The Los Angeles Film Festival unveiled its lineup of nearly 200 features, shorts and more today. This year’s event, which comprises work from 30 countries, will open with the North American premiere of Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love ( as previously announced ), while the world premiere of Warner Bros.’ Magic Mike by Steven Soderbergh will close out the festival, which runs June 14 – 24 at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. Other gala events include Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World , Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere and Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild. And Dreamworks Pictures’ People Like Us will have its World Premiere in LAFF’s Summer Showcase screenings. Directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert, and the film stars Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Michael Hall D’Addario, Philip Baker Hall, Mark Duplass, Michelle Pfeiffer, and centers on a 20-something fast talker who is tasked to fulfill his estranged father’s last wishes. LAFF’s lineup below include 30 World, North American and U.S. premieres, 19 of which are in competition. The festival’s International Showcase spotlight narrative and documentary selections from outside the U.S., while Summer Showcase are advance screenings set for release this summer. Narrative Competition (10) (with LAFF descriptions): All Is Well – Portugal (Director Pocas Pascoal, Producer Luis Correia, Cast Cheila Lima, Ciomara Morais) – Strangers in a strange land, two beautiful Angolan sisters fleeing a civil war in their homeland struggle to survive in Lisbon. Pocas Pascoal’s deeply personal saga shows us the face of exile with quietly stunning power. North American Premiere Breakfast with Curtis – (Director/Writer/Producer Laura Colella, Cast Theo Green, Jonah Parker, David Parker, Virginia Laffey, Aaron Jungels, Yvonne Parker, Adele Parker, Laura Colella, Gideon Parker) – A balmy eastern summer and a lush, rambling backyard are the perfect settings for this mirthful tale of unlikely friendships and rekindled neighborliness amongst a quirky and charming cast of bohemians. World Premiere The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man – Mexico (Director/Writer Arturo Pons , Producer Ozcar Ramírez González, Cast Gael Sanchez Valle, Pedro Gamez, Ana Ofelia Murguía, Eligio Melendez, Luis Bayardo, Marco Perez) – A young man and a dead man journey north through a subtly surreal desert landscape, picking up a wagonful of odd characters as they go in this darkly humorous satire of contemporary Mexico. North American Premiere Crazy and Thief – (Director/Writer Cory McAbee, Producers Cory McAbee, Scott Miller, Cast Willa McAbee, John McAbee, Gregory Cook, Graham Stanford) – With only a homemade “Star Map” and their own imagination to guide them, a brother and sister take a fantastical journey through the real world in this ode to being a little kid from cult director Cory McAbee. North American Premiere Dead Man’s Burden – (Director/Writer Jared Moshé, Producer Veronica Nickel, Cast Barlow Jacobs, Clare Bowen, David Call, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Richard Riehle) – This tense, classically crafted indie Western, set in the aftermath of the Civil War, starts with a startling act of violence: a daughter shoots down her father on the open range. Then her long lost brother returns. This is not going to be just any old family reunion. World Premiere Four – (Director/Writer Joshua Sanchez, Producer Christine Giorgio CAST Wendell Pierce, Emory Cohen, Aja Naomi King, EJ Bonilla) – Over the course of a steamy 4th of July night, a father and daughter, each trapped in loneliness, reach out for sexual connection — he with a self-hating teenage boy, she with a smooth-talking wannabe homeboy — in this psychologically complex, beautifully acted drama. World Premiere A Night Too Young – Czech Republic (Director Olmo Omerzu, Writers Bruno Hájek, Jakub Felcman, Olmo Omerzu, Producer Jiří Konečný CAST Martin Pechlát, Jirí Cerny, Natálie Rehorová, Vojtech Machuta, Jan Vasi) – On New Years Day, two innocent 12-year-old boys score vodka for three strangers and get invited to an adult party they’ll never forget. This darkly comic tale by gifted 26-year-old Czech director Olmo Omerzu upends the conventions of the coming of age movie. North American Premiere Pincus – (Director/Writer/Producer David Fenster, Cast David Nordstrom, Paul Fenster, Christi Idavoy, Dietmar Franosch) – An anchorless carpenter returns to his Miami home to help his ailing father. To escape the burden of his responsibilities, he seeks comfort in women, weed and his otherworldly German friend Dietmar. World Premiere Red Flag – (Director/Writer/Producer Alex Karpovsky, Cast Alex Karpovsky, Onur Tukel, Jennifer Prediger, Caroline White, Keith Poulson, Dustin Guy Defa) – Writer/director/star Alex Karpovksy reveals his sterling comic chops playing an indie filmmaker named Alex Karpovsky who, unexpectedly dumped by his girlfriend, takes to the road for a misbegotten mini-tour of film screenings and overly ardent groupies. World Premiere Thursday till Sunday – Chile (Director/Writer Dominga Sotomayor, Producers Gregorio González, Benjamin Domenech, Cast Santi Ahumada, Emiliano Freifeld, Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Paola Giannini) – With uncommon beauty and style, this Chilean road movie finds a family at a crossroads, as the daughter slowly realizes the divide between the adults in the front seat and the kids in back. North American Premiere Documentary Competition (with LAFF descriptions): 25 to Life – (Director Mike Brown, Producers Mike Brown, Yvonne Shirley) – William Brawner contracted the HIV virus through a blood transfusion as a toddler and kept it a secret as an adult while living a promiscuous, womanizing life. 25 years later, he comes clean, and this unflinching, sure-to-be-controversial documentary records his struggle for redemption. World Premiere A Band Called Death – (Directors Jeff Howlett, Mark Covino, Producers Matthew Perniciaro, Scott Mosier, Kevin Mann, Jerry Ferrara FEATURING David Hackney, Bobby Hackney, Sr., Dannis Hackney) – Equal parts electrifying rockumentary and inspiring family chronicle, this is the captivating and little known story of the Hackney brothers and their band Death, the best punk band the world almost never heard. World Premiere Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives – (Directors Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore, Producers Kate Roughan, Zachary Mortensen, Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore FEATURING Ina May Gaskin, Stephen Gaskin, Pamela Hunt, Farm Midwives past and present, Kristina Kennedy Davis) – Ina May Gaskin and the courageous midwives of the Farm commune inspired the modern midwifery movement. This beguiling documentary tells their empowering story with depth, intelligence and wit. World Premiere Call Me Kuchu – (Directors Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, Producer Malika Zouhali-Worrall) – To be openly gay in Uganda is to risk imprisonment and death, yet brave men like David Katos, the country’s first openly gay activist, have fought back. This heartbreaking and stirring documentary takes us inside this life and death struggle for human rights. US Premiere Drought – Mexico (Director Everado González, Producer Martha Orozco) – Contrasting the lives of a cattle-ranching community with the arid northeastern Mexican landscape that surrounds them, this cinema vertité documentary paints a poetic portrait of a community on the verge of extinction. US Premiere The Iran Job – USA/Germany/Iran (Directors Till Schauder, Producers Sara Nodjoumi, Till Schauder FEATURING Kevin Sheppard, Leah Sheppard, Hilda, Laleh, Elaheh, Abdullah, Zoran “Z” Milicic, Kami Jamshidvand, Ali Doraghi, Mehdi Shirjang, Gholamreza Khajeh, Asadollah Kabir, Fereidoon Reisi, Mohammad Ahmadi, Ehsan) – An American pro basketball player signs up for a season with upstart Iranian Super League team A.S. Shiraz. This sports documentary takes a surprising turn when this gregarious charmer meets three strong Iranian women fighting the repressive regime. World Premiere Sun Kissed – (Directors Maya Stark, Adi Lavy, Porducers Jocelyn Glatzer, Maya Stark, Adi Lavy) – With remarkable strength of spirit, a husband and wife examine their lives and why their children and others have been struck with a rare genetic disorder in this powerful portrait of a small Navajo community. World Premiere Vampira and Me – Director/Producer R. H. Greene) – Before Elvira there was Vampira, the playfully ghoulish host of a local L.A. late night horror movie show who became a national celebrity, then disappeared. This loving, personal portrait reveals the remarkable woman behind the chalk-white mask. World Premiere Words of Witness – Egypt/USA (Director/Producer Mai Iskander, Featuring Heba Afify) – Updating your Facebook status is a political act in this street-level documentary depicting the recent Egyptian revolution as seen through the eyes and social network accounts of a young female journalist working for an English language newspaper. US Premiere International Showcase (15): Bestiaire , Denis Côté – Canada Bunohan: Return to Murder , Dain Said – Malaysia (Oscilloscope Pictures) Canícula , José Álvarez – Mexico The First Man , Gianni Amelio – France – US Premiere The Last Elvis , Armando Bo – Argentina Neighboring Sounds , Kleber Mendonça Filho – Brazil (The Cinema Guild) On the Edge , Leila Kilani – France/Morocco/Germany P-047 , Kongdej Jaturanrasamee – Thailand Return to Burma , Midi Z. – Taiwan/Myanmar Sister , Ursula Meier – Switzerland (Adopt Films) – North American Premiere The Strawberry Tree , Simone Rapisarda Casanova – Canada/Cuba/Italy Summer Games , Rolando Colla – Switzerland Teddy Bear , Mads Matthiesen – Denmark (Film Movement) Unforgivable , André Téchiné – France (Strand Releasing) Without Gorky , Cosima Spender – UK Summer Showcase (16) : About Face , Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (HBO Films) Beauty Is Embarrassing , Neil Berkeley Big Easy Express , Emmett Malloy Celeste and Jesse Forever , Lee Toland Krieger (Sony Pictures Classics) Gayby , Jonathan Lisecki (Wolfe Releasing) Gimme the Loot , Adam Leon (IFC Films) The House I Live In , Eugene Jarecki It’s a Disaster , Todd Berger – World Premiere La Camioneta : The Journey of One American School Bus, Mark Kendall – USA/Guatemala Neil Young Journeys , Jonathan Demme (Sony Pictures Classics) An Oversimplification of Her Beauty , Terence Nance – USA/France People Like Us, Alex Kurtzman (Dreamworks Pictures) – World Premiere The Queen of Versailles , Lauren Greenfield (Magnolia Pictures) Reportero, Bernardo Ruiz Robot and Frank , Jake Schreier (Samuel Goldwyn Films) Searching for Sugar Man , Malik Bendjelloul (Sony Pictures Classics)
