Tribeca Cinemas Screenings This Week

April 2011 Events at Tribeca Cinemas As we wait for Spring to arrive, Tribeca Cinemas springs itself into the new season with some great upcoming events. This month also marks the 10th Tribeca Film Festival. Be sure to scroll down to check out what's coming up, and for more information about when and how to get your Festival tickets and official swag.

April 5th & 19th: THE KOREAN CULTURAL SERVICE SCREENINGS

Everyone knows all about Japanese animation, but what do we know about Korean? There are stories about North Korean animation sweatshops employed to work on The Lion King and The Simpsons and there’s the fact that most television animation in the 90’s was drawn in Korea, but since 1967, South Korea has been releasing its own animated films that are almost never shown in the United States. After the glut of Korean animation in the 90’s things died down but recently there has been a new explosion of talent and experimental techniques that are once again putting Korean animation on the world stage.

Tuesday, April 5 @ 7:00 pm

WHAT IS NOT ROMANCE (2009)Directed by Hong Eun-ji, Park Jae-ok, and Soo KyoungA surprisingly moving animated film, WHAT IS NOT ROMANCE is all about a middle aged couple approaching their anniversary and it’s as tender, delicate and subtle as the best arthouse movie. Tensions are rising, dinner table conversation is nonexistent and all their romance seems dead. Leaping backwards in time it returns to the beginning of their marriage when they were head over heels in love with each other and traces it to the present when they barely talk and tries to see if there’s any way for a couple married for years to get back to the way things were.What is not Romance trailer at Animation Insider

Tuesday, April 19 @ 7:00 pmAUDITION (2008)

What line-up of Korean animation would be complete without a glitzy, gaudy, crowd-pleasing anime-style manhwa (Korean manga) adaptation? Based on the most popular manhwa of the late 90’s, AUDITION is a teen-girl-ready romance about four dudes, all misfits, who form a rock band. All the main characters are already licensed products in Korea and this feature film version of their well-known story took 8 years to make. It’s pure pop culture cream cheese: smooth and delicious.Admission is free, and is based on a first come first serve basis.

For questions call 212-759-9550.

For more information and the screening schedule click HERE

April 7th: THE NEW YORK WILD FILM FESTIVALA WILD preview event -- The New York WILD Film Festival, is the first annual documentary film festival in New York to assemble the best films about the wild world around us. These carefully selected films from around the world will cover a spectrum of wild topics, from exploration and adventure to wildlife and conservation environment. The festival celebrates the filmmakers who - through the power of their images and storytelling - promote awareness, educate, and inspire interest in protecting the natural world around us.

For more information check out http://www.nywildfilmfestival.com/. April 12th: TELLING AMY'S STORYTHE MAYOR’S FUND TO ADVANCE NEW YORK CITY and the NYC MAYOR’S OFFICE TO COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE present a special screening of “Telling Amy’s Story”Telling Amy’s Story is a documentary film chronicling the experience of a victim of domestic violence. It is a public service media project made possible by Verizon Wireless HopeLine and the Verizon Foundation.

A panel discussion with distinguished guests will follow. Light refreshments will be served. Space is very limited. RSVP to 212-788-7794 or email fund@cityhall.nyc.govAngel Supporter: $250 (priority seating) Ticket: $100Please note that 100% of ticket sales and donations are fully tax deductible to the extent provided by law.For more information or to donate to the fund, visit www.nyc.gov/fund.

April 19th: STAINSSTAINS

is a Saidiana Productions feature length documentary confronting the challenges the formerly incarcerated and their families face. The film allows a perspective through dual lenses and focuses on the impact of social disinvestment in prisoners, their families and communities. The need to connect society around this crisis is the driving force behind the production of STAINS. Lou Myers, an Audalco award winner, Broadway, film and television star who is best known for his role as the irascible ‘Mr. Gaines’ in A Different World”, narrates. Grammy nominated storyteller, Diane Ferlatte serves as the voice of the voiceless. America can no longer look away and say ‘they’ got what they deserved. America can no longer live by the ‘we’ versus ‘they’ code of ethics. America can no longer hide behind the refrain of that old familiar standard - ‘it’s not our responsibility’. We can no longer rationalize our inhumanity. While it may not be America’s responsibility – it is our duty – we are our brother’s keeper and when we don’t live by that code, we suffer - by ignoring it. This is a film whose time has come – don’t miss it!Join us for the premiere on April 19 at 7:00 PM and 9:45 PM. Free admission. There are no reserved seats – first come first serve. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.stainsthemovie.com/ or e-mail at stainsthemovie@aol.com

April 20th - May 1st: TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

Tickets go on sale beginning April 12 to American Express Cardmembers, April 17 to downtown residents, and April 18 to the general public. Discount ticket packages will be available to help customize your Festival experience, or buy a Festival pass and not worry about single tickets to access screenings and panel discussions. The new line-up of Official TFF Merchandise is now on sale online, or visit one of the retail outlet locations throughout Festival venues and events. Go to Tribecafilm.com to find out more about everything happening in and around the Festival. To keep track of all 2011 Tribeca Film Festival announcements, follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

You can also register for My Tribeca and sign up for the weekly newsletter.COMING SOON May 4th - 8th: NY INDIAN FILM FESTIVAl 11th ANNUAL IAAC FILM FESTIVALSAVE THE DATES!! New York Indian Film Festival Eleventh Annual IAAC Film Festival May 4-8, 2011

The Indo-American Arts Council is a 501 ©3 not-for-profit arts organization passionately dedicated to promoting, showcasing and building an awareness of artists of Indian origin in the performing arts, visual arts, literary arts and folk arts. For more information please visit http://iaac.us/nyiff2011/

May 13th - 14th: THE BOSNIAN-HERZEGOVINIAN FILM FESTIVAL

March 15th is the official call for entries deadline! Click HERE to download the official press release. 
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.bhffnyc.org/ UPCOMING FILM FESTIVALSTribeca Cinemas will be the home to a variety of film festivals next year. Keep checking TribecaCinemas.com for all of our exciting upcoming festivals. For up to date information, and how to purchase tickets, be sure to bookmark tribecacinemas.com.

Tribeca Cinemas is a classic downtown venue located on the northern tip of Tribeca, just 10 minutes from Midtown. Perfectly suited and conveniently located for film premieres, screenings, cocktail parties, dinners, corporate meetings and presentations, receptions, personal affairs and celebrations, holiday parties and so much more. Fully equipped with ground-floor access, outdoor signage opportunities, two theaters and an adjacent reception space, which features a full bar and kitchen as well as a talented team of in-house event producers. Tribeca Cinemas is a multi-functional venue for a wide array of events. Continue to check in for updates at the Tribeca Cinemas website and stay up to date with our year-round schedule of events. www.TribecaCinemas.com

GUCCI TRIBECA DOCUMENTARY FUND PRESENTS: DOCS ON THE SHORTLIST

The Tribeca Film Institute and Gucci announce a two day series “Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund presents: Docs on the Shortlist.” Presented by the Fund which offers finishing funds to documentaries of social significance, the new series offers filmgoers the opportunity to see a selection of the documentary contenders shortlisted for the nomination for Best Feature Documentary for the 81st Academy Awards®. This series is also supported by media sponsor indieWIRE, the start page for independent and specialty films.

Launching on Thursday, January 8 and continuing on Saturday, January 10, the two day series brings together filmmakers who have been part of past Tribeca Film Festivals to screen their new documentary films, which are currently being recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Six of the 15 documentaries under consideration for nomination will be screened; the films in the series are: At the Death House Door, The Garden, I.O.U.S.A., Man on Wire, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, and They Killed Sister Dorothy.

The series will be hosted by three Oscar® nominated documentary filmmakers and Tribeca alumni Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp) and Marshall Curry (Street Fight) and last year’s Oscar® winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side), also a Tribeca alumnus. All of the screenings will feature special appearances by the filmmakers and will be followed by Q & A’s moderated by Curry, Ewing, Gibney, or Grady.

“This series emphasizes our commitment to supporting filmmakers in every stage of the filmmaking process,” said Brian Newman, CEO of Tribeca Film Institute. “We are happy to provide this opportunity for audiences who are interested in quality documentary films, as well as for those that may have missed these movies the first time around or can’t wait to see them again.”

"Tribeca has been a great booster for documentaries, showcasing them at the festival, supporting them with the Gucci fund, and now with this series," says Marshall Curry, whose documentary, Street Fight, won the Audience Award at Tribeca, and went on to be nominated for an Oscar®. "Like a lot of documentary filmmakers, I appreciate everything Tribeca has done for me and the filmmaking community.”

Two of the selections received an award and/or critical praise at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival: James Marsh’s Man on Wire had its New York premiere at TFF and Gini Reticker’s Pray the Devil Back to Hell world premiered at 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and took home the Best Documentary Award.

Submissions for the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund offering finishing funds of $100,000 for 2009 are currently open. www.tribecafilminstitute.org/documentary

Public Information:
Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick Street (corner of Laight), New York, NY 10013
The public may call 212/941.2001 for further information. Visit us on the Web at www.tribecacinemas.com
Subway: A, C, E – Canal Street/6 Avenue; 1 – Canal Street/Varick Street

Admission: Admission for each film screening is $8 regular tickets; $5 for members of the Guilds, members of BAFTA East Coast, DocuClub, IDA, IFP, and/or Shooting People, and full-time students with current I.D.; free for Academy Members.


SCREENING SCHEDULE

Thursday January 8th:
5:30pm

Man on Wire, directed by James Marsh
Running time: 94 minutes

On August 7th 1974, a young Frenchman named Philippe Petit stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After nearly an hour dancing on the wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail before he was finally released.

Following six and a half years of dreaming of the towers, Petit spent eight months in New York City planning the execution of the coup. Aided by a team of friends and accomplices, Petit was faced with numerous extraordinary challenges: he had to find a way to bypass the WTC’s security; smuggle the heavy steel cable and rigging equipment into the towers; pass the wire between the two rooftops; anchor the wire and tension it to withstand the winds and the swaying of the buildings. The rigging was done by night in complete secrecy. At 7:15 AM, Philippe took his first step on the high wire 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan…

James Marsh’s documentary brings Petit’s extraordinary adventure to life through the testimony of Philippe himself, and some of the co-conspirators who helped him create the unique and magnificent spectacle that became known as “the artistic crime of the century.”

World Premiered at Sundance, New York Premiered at Tribeca Film Festival.

7:30pm
Pray the Devil Back to Hell, directed by Gini Reticker
Running time: 72 minutes
Pray the Devil Back to Hell tells the remarkable but little-known story of a small band of unarmed women who risked their lives to bring change to Liberia, reconstructing the moment through interviews, archival footage and striking images of contemporary Liberia. This incredible story has earned awards at the Tribeca Film Festival (Best Documentary Feature), Silverdocs (Witness Award), Jackson Hole Film Festival (Audience Choice: Documentary), Traverse City Film Festival (Special Jury Prize: Non-fiction Filmmaking), and Heartland Film Festival (Best Documentary).

Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, a coalition of Christian and Muslim women confronted cruelty and corruption, taking on Charles Taylor and the warlords and bringing peace to their country after decades of war. Their demonstrations brought about the exile of Charles Taylor and the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa's first female head of state – and mark the vanguard of a new wave of people taking control of their political destiny around the world.
World Premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and won Best Documentary award.


Saturday January 10th:
3pm

At the Death House Door, directed by Peter Gilbert and Steve James
At The Death House Door follows the remarkable career journey of Carroll Pickett, who served as the first death house chaplain at the infamous “Walls” prison unit in Huntsville, Texas. From 1982 until 1995, Pickett ministered to 95 men who were executed, including the very first lethal injection done anywhere in the world. “Your job,” the warden told Pickett before the first execution, “is to talk to the inmate, comfort him, and win his trust and seduce his emotions so he won’t fight on the gurney at midnight.” After each of the 95 executions, Pickett recorded an audiotape account of that fateful day.

No inmate’s execution would haunt Pickett more than that of Carlos De Luna, a young man who claimed to be innocent of the murder of a convenience store clerk. In 1989, during the final hours of his life, 27 year-old De Luna came to trust Pickett so much he called him “daddy.” 17 years later, two Chicago Tribune reporters turn up evidence that strongly suggests De Luna was innocent. The film tracks their investigation and the impact Carlos continues to have not just on Pickett, but on Carlos’ sister and a television reporter who had befriended the young man on death row.

At The Death House Door is a film about the failures of the criminal justice system; about one man’s spiritual and moral journey; and how this very final act of punishment does not bring closure. As often as not, it just brings more suffering.
From award-winning directors Steve James ("Hoop Dreams") and Peter Gilbert ("Vietnam: Long Time Coming").

World Premiered at SXSW. Peter Gilbert’s with All Deliberate Speed played in the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. Steve James participated in the 2006 with War Tapes.

5pm
They Killed Sister Dorothy, directed by Daniel Junge. An HBO Documentary FilmRunning time: 94 minutes
On February 12th, 2005, A 73-year old nun from Ohio was shot 6 times and left to die on a muddy road deep in the Amazon.
Her murder shocked the world and revealed a sordid battle in the Brazilian rainforest. Who was she? What are the complex factors that led to her murder? And what will be done about it? The answers may hold the key to the future of the rainforest itself.
They Killed Sister Dorothy follows the powerful real-life courtroom drama at the trials of her accused killers and explores the conflicts in the Amazon that led to that fateful day.
World Premiered at SXSW. Premieres on HBO in March 2009. Daniel Junge’s Chiefs screened at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival.
7pm
The Garden, directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Running time: 80 minutes

The fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the
polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers: Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is
nothing more we can do.” If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?

World Premiered at Silverdocs. Scott Hamilton Kennedy’s OT: Our Town screened in the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival.

9pm
I.O.U.S.A., directed by Patrick Creadon
Running time: 85 minutes
Wake up, America! We're on the brink of a financial meltdown. I.O.U.S.A. boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. Burdened with an ever-expanding government and military, increased international competition, overextended entitlement programs, and debts to foreign countries that are becoming impossible to honor, America must mend its spendthrift ways or face an economic disaster of epic proportions.
Throughout history, the American government has found it nearly impossible to spend only what has been raised through taxes. Wielding candid interviews with both average American taxpayers and government officials, Sundance veteran Patrick Creadon (Wordplay) helps demystify the nation's financial practices and policies. The film follows former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker as he crisscrosses the country explaining America's unsustainable fiscal policies to its citizens.
With surgical precision, Creadon interweaves archival footage and economic data to paint a vivid and alarming profile of America's current economic situation. The ultimate power of I.O.U.S.A. is that the film moves beyond doomsday rhetoric to proffer potential financial scenarios and propose solutions about how we can recreate a fiscally sound nation for future generations.
Creadon uses candid interviews and his featured subjects include Warren Buffett, Alan Greenspan, Paul O'Neill, Robert Rubin, and Paul Volcker, along with David Walker and Bob Bixby of the Concord Coalition.
Pointedly topical and consummately nonpartisan, I.O.U.S.A. drives home the message that the only time for America's financial future is now.

World Premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Patrick Creadon’s Wordplay played in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.

Manhattan's Young and Affluent Host Film-Launch Soiree at Exclusive Nightspot, BUNGALOW 8

If making movies is an "unrealistic job expectation," then Josh Sugarman, Duke Greenhill and Brandon Yankowitz are the poster-boys for "Millennials" every where. Yankowitz and Sugarman both left lucrative careers as attorneys to chase their dreams of filmmaking. Greenhill, a former producer of controversial political ads (remember the Swift Boat ads?) did the same. There's even a reality show in the works about their "irresponsible" departure from stable, lucrative occupations to search for filmmaking fame.

So, what is their maiden project together? A movie about Manhattan Trophy Kids, of course.
And what better way to launch the development of the movie than with a gathering of real-life Millennials at one of Manhattan's most exclusive night-spots?
"We wanted to bring together the people that inspired this film to celebrate the beginning of this journey of ours," says Greenhill, "and to show that we may be 'Trophy Kids,' but that doesn't mean we can't do it.

In attendance will be the filmmakers themselves (Yankowitz, recently designated by Gotham Magazine, one of Manhattan's Most Eligible Bachelors), cast members from Project Runway and America's Next Top Model, Steve and John Madden of the footware giant, Steve Madden, and a host of Millennial representatives from the spectrum of the New York social scene, including Entertainment Weekly, GQ, Broadway, and Manhattan's fashion and underground music scene.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 11
7-10 PM
BUNGALOW 8
515 W 27th StNew York, NY 10001

Rooftop 2009 Summer Series

Rooftop Films is now accepting submissions for the 2009 Summer Series! (Please help us out by forwarding this information to filmmakers and/or posting to relevant websites)Submit your movies! We are currently accepting submissions for the 2009 Summer Series. In May 2009 we will begin celebrating our 13th year of bringing the best underground films in the world outdoors and to the rooftops of New York. Submit your films and videos now and participate in one of the most unforgettable, unique, filmmaker-friendly, independent film events in the world!

A complete list of rules and regulations are available on our website. Films can be submitted via Withoutabox.com or directly to Rooftop Films. General deadlines and fees have changed since last year: Earlybird: $9, postmarked by January 5, 2009; Regular: $13, postmarked by February 02, 2009; Late: $16, postmarked by March 1, 2009; Without A Box Extended: $16, April 1, 2009 (Without A Box members only.)• Rooftop continues to accept films year round, but if you want to guarantee that your films will be considered for the 2009 Summer Series please make sure to submit them on or before the deadlines.

THE FESTIVAL: The 2009 Summer Series will run from May through September and will feature more than 200 daring new films, all screened outdoors, in front of big, loyal audiences in parks, along the water, and on rooftops overlooking the greatest city on earth. More than 15,000 people attended Rooftop screenings in 2008, making it one of the most popular festivals in New York City. The 2009 Summer Series will surely feature even bigger crowds, even more beautiful venues, and more incredible films. SUBMITTING TO ROOFTOP:Rooftop Films is committed to helping filmmakers get their films screened and we believe that it is the responsibility of a film festival to make it as easy as possible for filmmakers to submit their films and get them screened. That is why we don't demand that filmmakers send us exorbitant submission fees. There is a recommended early submission fee of $9.00 per filmmaker or curator for any films postmarked prior to January 5th, and for that fee you can submit as many films as you like without paying additional submission fees. Our early submission fee is the same as our regular ticket price, and every filmmaker who submits to Rooftop will get TWO free passes to any regular Rooftop Films show (a value of $18). We try to keep the cost to filmmakers as minimal as possible and though we can't show all the films sent in to us, we hope that all the filmmakers that submit come out to our shows—and the first one is on us.

Che

On behalf of IFC Films and indieWIRE, we are pleased to announce that an exclusive Steven Soderbergh interview and clip from Che is now live on indieWIRE.com!

One week before his two-part epic, "Che," opens in New York and Los Angeles, filmmaker Steven Soderbergh talks with Anthony Kaufman in an interview published today at indieWIRE.com. "Since premiering in Cannes," writes Kaufman (author of "Steven Soderbergh: Interviews"), "'Che' has been hailed as both a masterpiece and misguided; eitherway, it's one of the most ambitious films in Soderbergh's career--a 'frustrating' one, he acknowledges--and a fascinating, beautifully rendered reinvention of the bio-pic."In his New York production office, Soderbergh reflected on his career, talked about video-on-demand, the RED digital camera, landscape photography and the benefits of being nice. Today's indieWIRE interview includes an exclusive video clip from the IFC Films release. On December 12, "Che" will be released for one week in New York and Los Angeles as a single 257-minute film with intermission and in theatres nationwide in two parts on Jan. 9th, debuting on VOD starting Jan. 21, 2009.

Check out the exclusive clip here!

iW VIDEO: Benicio Del Toro in an exclusive scene from "Che" from indieWIRE Video on Vimeo.

Courtesy of MAMMOTH ADVERTISING

Sex Positive

here! Films, the theatrical distribution and worldwide sales division of here! Networks, announced today on World AIDS Day it has acquired North American distribution rights to the documentary, "Sex Positive," from the director Daryl Wein and produced by Wein and David Oliver Cohen. here! Films acquired this documentary from Ro*Co Films, and its sister company Regent Releasing will distribute the film starting March 13, 2009 in select U.S. cities.

"Sex Positive," Wein's first feature-length documentary, made its world premiere in competition at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival and went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at LA Outfest in 2008. Wein began his promising film career after graduating from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and went on to direct the short film, "Unlocked," starring Olivia Thirlby (Juno), which had its world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival."Daryl's insight into the life and work of Richard Berkowitz explores the explicit bravery of an unrecognized activist in an era of fear and uncertainty," said Mark Reinhart, West Coast General Manager and Executive Vice President Distribution and Acquisitions, Regent.

'Sex Positive' carries a vital message still today about an epidemic that's hitting American youth hard, as HIV rates have nearly doubled between 2001 and 2006." Reinhart continues, "Regent continues our support of emerging filmmakers like Daryl with a message of education and responsibility around World AIDS Day.""Sex Positive" explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary AIDS activist in the 1980's, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe-sex practices has never been aptly credited. Berkowitz along with Dr. Joseph Sonnabend (a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor) and beloved activist/musician Michael Callen emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic as community leaders, demanding a solution to the problem before anyone else would pay attention. Through the eyes of Berkowitz, the audience is made witness to a graphic testimony of sex, death and betrayal, while placing the invention of "safe sex" in a fresh and compelling context."Both in government and the gay population, the widespread silence during the early years of the AIDS crisis is absolutely shocking," said Daryl Wein, director of "Sex Positive."

"People my age were not born of the era in which the crisis of AIDS forced behavioral change." Wein continues to say, "I'm proud to be releasing 'Sex Positive' through here! Films as I feel it is my duty to challenge the complacency of my generation by instilling the values of those forgotten heroes."The acquisition deal for "Sex Positive" was negotiated by Mark Reinhart, West Coast General Manager and Executive Vice President Distribution and Acquisitions and Annie Roney, Founder and Managing Director for Ro*Co Films International. For more information about the film, please visit http://www.sexpositive-themovie.com/ or information about the director, please visit http://www.darylwein.com/

Tribeca Goes International!

QATAR MUSEUMS AUTHORITY AND TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL
TO LAUNCH “TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL DOHA” IN NOVEMBER 2009

Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and Festival Founders Sign Strategic Alliance Agreement and Announce Long-Term Cultural Partnership

Doha’s Museum of Islamic Art to Host Film Festival

Doha, Qatar, Nov 23 2008: Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), the organization dedicated to developing the cultural resources of this Arabian Gulf state as a platform for international dialogue and understanding, has announced a groundbreaking agreement with New York’s world-renowned Tribeca Film Festival (TFF), to launch a world-class international film festival, Tribeca Film Festival Doha. The first festival will take place November 10 – 14, 2009 and be presented at Doha’s celebrated new Museum of Islamic Art and in cinemas across Doha.

The announcement of the cultural partnership was made at a special ceremony at the new Museum of Islamic Art, which was attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chairperson of the Qatar Museums Authority Board of Trustees, and Abdullah Al Najjar, Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Museums Authority. Joining on behalf of the Tribeca Film Festival were the co-founders, Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff.

H.E. Sheikha Mayassa expressed her confidence that the Tribeca Film Festival Doha will bring together people from around the globe and help to build international awareness and understanding of Arab culture and the Arab world.

“I invite film enthusiasts from every country to share their passion for this art by visiting the Tribeca Film Festival Doha,” Her Excellency stated. “In today’s increasingly globalized world, creative initiatives like this Festival can play a truly inspirational role by bringing cultures closer together.”

Tribeca Film Festival Doha will be modeled after the annual Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, which is going into its eighth year. Like the New York event, it will welcome the community, diverse audiences and the global filmmaking industry. As a result of an extensive collaboration between TFF and QMA, the Festival has been designed to showcase the local Qatari community, as well as the broader Arab culture.

Tribeca Film Festival Doha will feature new work from established filmmakers, alongside film debuts from newly discovered directing talents. The program will include approximately 40 films, as well as special events. The Festival will launch “The Doha Conversations”, thought-provoking and insightful dialogues between icons of world culture set in intimate environments, with the goal of fostering discussion in Qatar and around the globe. Full details of the festival program and guests will be announced at a later date.

“The Tribeca Film Festival Doha is destined to become a major annual event in world cinema,” stated Abdullah Al Najjar. “The Festival will include a wide range of programming, from outdoor screenings to movies for children, from documentaries to new Hollywood releases and from independent films to showcases of the very best works by Arab filmmakers.”
“We are honored to create an enduring cultural partnership with QMA and to announce the launch of the Tribeca Film Festival Doha next November. Qatar’s transformational vision for the 21st century with its emphasis on culture and education is uniquely consistent with the goals and aspirations of the Tribeca Film Festival,” said TFF co-founder, Jane Rosenthal.

“We hope that film will not only be used as a form of entertainment at Tribeca Film Festival Doha but play a role in bridging cultures closer together. By learning each other’s stories, we can see how much we share in common as well as explore and better understand our differences,” said Robert De Niro.

“In addition to the positive cultural implications, this initiative underscores the enormous potential of the entertainment market in the Middle East and the strategic importance of the region to the future of the film industry,” said TFF co-founder Craig Hatkoff. “We think the key to success will be understanding and respecting one another’s cultures and traditions. We believe this Festival will lead to many other important and educational initiatives in Doha and beyond.”

"The Tribeca Film Festival has become a world-renowned event, and its new partnership with the Qatar Museums Authority will leverage that success and help further its mission of introducing films and filmmakers to a global audience," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "The Festival's substantial cultural and economic impact in New York City is unequivocal, and our hope is that Doha will reap similar benefits. The expansion of a New York institution like the Tribeca Film Festival to Doha is a sign of the international significance of New York City cinema and will help foster new relationships between our two cities."

Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2001 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in response to the events of September 11. The festival’s initial purpose was to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan through an annual celebration of film, music and culture.

Up to date festival information can be found by visiting the official Tribeca Film Festival Doha website – http://www.tffdoha.com/

Filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt comes to NYC

AN EVENING WITH DON HERTZFELDT: Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00, 9:15 and 11:15pm at IFC Center Don Hertzfedlt comes to New York's IFC Center on Wednesday, November 19th to present three screenings of his work. The highlight of the program is the New York premiere of I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, the sequel to his Sundance winning short Everything Will Be Ok. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU was funded in part by the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund. Read More about the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund below and at http://rooftopfilms.com/produce.html. Tickets are on sale now and quickly selling out - $15 general admission/$12 for IFC Center members. You can purchase tickets on the IFC Center Website

ABOUT THE SCREENING:An Evening with Don Hertzfeldt, a special event with the Academy Award-nominated animator in person to present the New York premiere of his newest film, takes place Wednesday, November 19 at 7:00, 9:15 and 11:15pm at IFC Center. Mr. Hertzfeldt will screen his latest, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU, featuring his trademark hand-drawn animation, along with a selection of his earlier films. The evening also includes a on-stage interview and Q&A session with the audience.Hertzfeldt’s longest piece to date, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU is the eagerly anticipated second chapter to Everything Will Be OK, which screened at Rooftop Films in 2007 and was the winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Award in Short Filmmaking and named by many critics as one of the "best films of 2007". Like all of Hertzfeldt's films, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU was single-handedly animated and photographed by hand without the use of computers. It was shot entirely on an antique 35mm animation stand, one of the last remaining cameras of its kind left in America.

The film's special effects were meticulously created directly on film, using traditional double exposures, in-camera mattes, and innovative experimental techniques. The 22-minute film was nearly two years in the making. Mr. Hertzfeldt’s appearance at IFC Center is part of a national tour, with additional screenings scheduled for Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle and other cities. Find out more at http://www.bitterfilms.com/About the Rooftop Filmmakers Fund:Rooftop Films commits $1 of every ticket sold and every film submission fee to fund new productions, an innovative approach to the exhibition/production cycle which uses the support of our community to produce dynamic films. T

This year, Rooftop Films screened a number of films we co-funded, including PJ Raval's documentary Trinidad, Benh Zeitlin's award-winning short film Glory at Sea, a post-Katrina shipwreck epic; and an excerpt from Fabio Wuytack's upcoming feature Persona Non Grata, about his father, a radical left-wing missionary working in Venezuela in the 1970s. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU will likely screen outdoors as part of the 2009 Summer Series (dates announced in the spring). In 2007-8, Rooftop Films gave away over $12,000 in cash and more than $10,000 in services to help produce work by filmmakers whose works have shown with Rooftop Films previously.Read more about the fund at http://rooftopfilms.com/produce.html

AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

On Saturday, November 15th
6:00pm

AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL,
in conjunction with the Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival,
PRESENT:

TODAY THE HAWK TAKES ONE CHICK
(Jane Gillooly, Swaziland/USA, 2007, 72min.)
The Lubombo region of Swaziland suffers from the world's highest prevalence of HIV and a life expectancy that has dropped to 32 years. In this small, landlocked country in southern Africa , a generation of parents has died, leaving the grandparents in charge of the children as well as responsible for retaining the threads of the fraying traditional life. Presented without an overt narrative structure or narration, the film's drama emerges from the steady accumulation of details that tell a greater story of family in a world dictated by AIDS.

Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival
November 14-16, 2008

American Museum of Natural History
Entrance for screenings on 77th Street
(between Central Park West & Columbus)


13th AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL
TRAVELING FILM SERIES 2008 - 2009
For over a decade, the Traveling Film Series of African and Diaspora cinema has given audiences the unique experience of watching African films often difficult to discover elsewhere. This film program travels to cultural institutions, museums and universities in different cities in the US , Puerto Rico and abroad.
AFF is proud to launch our 13th Annual Traveling Film Series, which will commence in November.


TRAVELING FILM SERIES SCHEDULE

NOVEMBER
5-College Consortium
Amherst College
Hampshire College
Mt. Holyoke College
Smith College
UMASS Amherst

JANUARY
Pacific Film Archives
Berkeley, CA
FEBRUARY
Arizona TRADOC Cultural Center
Fort Huachuca, Arizona

Baltimore Museum of Arts
Baltimore, MD

Goucher College
Baltimore, Maryland

Museum of Fine Arts , Boston
Boston, MA

MARCH
Washington University
St. Louis, MO

APRIL
Maine African Film Festival
Portland, Maine

Wayne County Community College
Detroit, MI

MAY
Brooklyn Academy of MusicBrooklyn, NY

FILMS IN THIS YEAR’S TRAVELING SERIES:
Feature Films
Heartlines
Kinshasa Palace
Paris Selon Moussa
Shoot The MessengerShort FilmsMeteni: The Lost One
Le Clandestin Come Back To Sudan
Awaiting For Men
This Is My Africa

For more information on participating venues, film synopses, interviews and more please check our website: http://www.africanfilmny.org/

The 2008 New York City Horror Film Festival

The 2008 New York City Horror Film Festival kicks of Wednesday, November 12th, 2008, at Don Hills Nightclub, located at 511 Greenwich St., at Spring Street, in New York City. Residing over the evening’s festivities will be legendary sideshow performer Harley “The Lunatic” Newman, featured in director Nick Basile’s documentary “American Carney. In the early 80's, Harley began to create a performance that combines escapes and traditional sideshow stunts. But he's taken some of the stunts much farther than his predecessors. Harley also has two world records: minimum number of nails in a bed of nails (four nine-inch spikes), and weight on top of someone on a bed of nails, over 1,700 pounds.

In addition to a large selection of special short films and trailers, the opening night celebration will feature several live musical performances by critically acclaimed macabre musician Voltaire and the heavy metal band M-16, who sing in Latin!

This year’s festival showcases several premiers, including the North American premier of Resident Evil: Degeneration. The Thursday, November 13th is close to selling out so don’t delay in reserving your tickets. Other spotlight screenings quickly filling up are director Daniel (Blair Witch Project) Myrick’s The Objective, The Lifetime Achievement Presentation for director Frank Henenlotter’s Bad Biology, Jennifer Chambers Lynch’s Surveillance, and director Nacho Vigalondo’s critically acclaimed Timecrimes. For a complete screening schedule listing at ticket availability please visit www.NYCHorrorfest.com.

The New York City Horror Film Festival (www.NYCHorrorfest.com) was established in 2001 by Festival Director Michael J. Hein. The festival is dedicated to the international genre film community. There are no restrictions on the films that are screened at the festivals. The program includes films screened both in and out of competition. The Festival jury presents awards to films in the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Actor / Actress, Best Screenplay for films showcased, and Audience Choice. The NYCHFF also presents an annual Lifetime achievement award. Past recipients include director George A. Romero, Special Effects Artist and Director Tom Savini, Producer and Director Roger Corman, and Producer and Director Mick Garris.

Don Hills Nightclub511 Greenwich St., at Spring Street8:00pm (21 to enter) $10 COVER

An hour free beer (9-10) and some of our friends from The Coney Island Freak Show will perform some outrageousness on stage!!

Voltaire performs live!!!! Over 15 great short horror films, one hour of free beer, and live performances by :Voltaire (The one and only)M16 (Latin Death Metal) The Ross Byron Band (old school Rock)

The Features:

Tribeca Cinemas
54 Varick @ Canal

Resident Evil: Degeneration (Feature / USA - Japan) genre: Horror

The Resident Evil franchise gets a brand new addition this winter with Resident Evil: Degeneration. It's the first full CGI Resident Evil movie and it picks up seven years after the destruction of Raccoon City by the US government after the first zombie outbreak caused by the Umbrella Corporation. It's set in a US airport where the T-Virus gets released once again and the airport is locked down, giving the counter-zombie fighters four hours to solve the problem before the virus is spread to the whole of the US.
Directed by Makoto Kamiya, staring Alyson Court and Paul Mercier



Alien Raiders (Feature /USA) genre: Sci-Fi /Horror

It's the end of yet another night at Hastings Supermarket, an idyllic family grocery store in Buck Lake, Arizona. But the normal monotony of rounding up shopping carts and settling out the cash drawers is broken at 11:07pm, just before closing when a group of masked and armed-to-the-teeth militants invades the store, immediately killing several of the employees and shoppers and holding the rest hostage. Though the hostage-takers at first appear to be robbers or terrorists, they reveal themselves to be a cadre of rogue scientists that has discovered and tracked an alien infestation to THIS STORE on THIS NIGHT, and they are determined to find out which of the survivors are extraterrestrials and end the invasion at any cost. Directed by Ben Rock, stars Mathew St. Patrick & Carlos Bernard


Surveillance (Feature /USA) Thriller

Two FBI Agents track two twisted serial killers with the help of their would-be victims in this twisted tale that one best feature at Sitges. Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch and Stars Bill Pullman & Julia Ormond. Produced by genre legend David Lynch


The 7th Hunt (Feature / Australia) genre: Horror /Thriller

The five victims of the 7th Hunt never knew they were being watched... Files were being built on them, on the eligibility to die. This innocent prey must fight for their lives against sociopaths who know their environment intimately, becoming increasingly outnumbered as their friends are killed. Directed by Jon Cohen, stars Imogen Bailey and Jason Stojanovski


From A Place of Darkness (Feature / USA) genre: Horror

A documentary filmmaker finds himself drawn into the seedy world of a snuff filmmaker with a mysterious dark side. Soon what is real and what is otherworldly become increasingly blurred.
Directed by Douglas A. Raine and stars John Savage and Travis Schuldt


How To Be A Serial Killer (Feature / USA) genre: Horror/Comedy

The story of Mike Wilson, a charismatic, educated, and articulate young man who has found his life's purpose in exterminating people. Mike is determined to spread his message about the joy of serial killing and recruits a lost soul named Bart to be his pupil. Mike leads Bart through the ethics of serial killing as well as teaching him various lessons in disposing corpses, balancing work and play, methods of killing, and many many more. Mike and Barts curriculum is interrupted when Mikes girlfriend discovers what's beneath her boyfriend's charming exterior and Mike and Bart must kill their way out of being discovered by the cops. Directed by Luke Ricci, Stars Dameon Clarke



Bad Biology (Feature / USA) genre: Horror
Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient: Frank Henelotter

Driven by biological excess, a young man and woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each other's existence. Unfortunately, they eventually meet, and the bonding of these two very unusual human beings ends in an explosive and ultimately over-the-top sexual experience, resulting in a truly god awful love story. Directed by Frank Henelotter



Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula (Feature / USA) genre: Horror/Comedy

Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula combines the rough and tumble world of 1930's era gangster movies with the violent gothic atmosphere of a classic horror film. When a robbery goes bad and one of their companions is shot, Bonnie and Clyde are forced to seek help at a nearby mansion, home to the twisted Dr. Loveless (Allen Lowman) and his imprisoned sister, Annabel, but Loveless has a secret. Deep in his cellar, the recently revived Dracula awaits...Directed by Timothy Friend. Stars Tiffany Shepis and Trent Haaga



Timecrimes (Feature / Spain) genre: Sci-Fi /Horror
(Los Cronocrimes )

A man accidentally gets into a time machine and travels back in time nearly an hour. Finding himself will be the first of a series of disasters of unforeseeable consequences.
Directed by Nacho Vigalondo, stars



Devils Grove (Feature / USA) genre: Horror/ Grindhouse

In 1999, nine family members are found brutally murdered in the family-owned Denville Grove Amusement Park. Police convict a transient working at the park for the murders. Now…a group of high-school students become the first people to go back inside the park. The purpose is to shoot a documentary about the murders, but they soon learn that certain things should be left alone! Directed by Zoe Judd & Michael J. Hein, Staring Kimberly Magness, Susie Silva, and Chris Cochran.



The Objective (Feature / USA) genre: Horror/Supernatural

A group of Special Ops Reservists on a mission in the harsh and hostile terrain of Afghanistan find themselves lost in a Middle Eastern "Bermuda Triangle" of ancient evil.
Directed by Daniel Myrick, stars Jonas Ball & Matthew R. Anderson

Patrik, Age 1.5

here! Films, Regent Acquire U.S. Rights for "Patrik, Age 1.5"

TIFF, AFI Favorite Set To Hit Theatres in Summer of 2009--- here! Films, the theatrical distribution and worldwide sales division of here! Networks, announced today it has acquired North American distribution rights to "Patrik, Age 1.5," the latest film from acclaimed Swedish director, Ella Lemhagen. here! Films acquired the film from Svensk Filmindustri, and its sister company Regent Releasing will distribute the film in select U.S. cities during the summer of 2009.Directed and co-written by Ella Lemhagen, "Patrik, Age 1.5" made its US premiere at AFI Fest on November 3rd ArcLight Hollywood.

"Patrik, Age 1.5" had it world premiered as an official selection at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is based on an original play, "Patrik, Age 1.5" written by Michael Druker.Lemhagen made her debut as a feature film director (also original screenplay) in 1996 with the highly praised "The Prince of Dreams," which was nominated for a Guldbagge Award (Swedish academy award) for Best Director and also nominated for the Norwegian Amanda prize for Best Nordic Film. "'Patrick, Age 1.5' was delightful discovery for Regent as we continue our commitment to showcase the best in gay cinema," said Mark Reinhart, West Coast General Manager and Executive Vice President Distribution and Acquisitions. "Ella does an amazing job portraying the sentiments and trials of these two loving men trying to build a new home and family together." "Patrik, Age 1.5" centers on a married gay couple who move into a picture-perfect suburb outside of Stockholm, Sweden with hopes to adopt a baby boy.

When they receive notice that they are to expect Patrik, age 1.5, they are elated. However, a little mistake made at the adoption agency turns their world upside down. A decimal point had been misplaced in the agency's records and a 15-year-old homophobe shows up at their front door. Even worse, they discover that he may have a criminal past. "We are so thrilled that here! Films and Regent Releasing will be handling our film in the U.S.," said Ann-Kristin Westerberg, Senior Vice President, International, for AB Svensk Filmindustri. "We are confident they understand this market and are pleased they love the movie." The acquisition deal for "Patrik, Age 1.5" was negotiated by Quinn Coleman, Vice President of Acquisitions for Regent and Ann-Kristin Westerberg, Senior Vice President, International, for AB Svensk Filmindustri. For more information, please visit

www.regentreleasing.com.

Short Cutz:Act 1- Exploring Extremes

Our premier ACT in what will be TAPt.’s signature original one act series. The plays in this evening may seem extreme in nature, however they were not selected for shock value but for their creative, artistic integrity and exploration of the human psyche. The intent is that these plays leave you exploring the truths around us: extreme darkness, extreme decisions, extreme laughter. When: *November 16, 17, 18th (Curtain call is 8PM) Where:Manhattan Theatre Source77 Macdougal St. (btwn 8th & Waverly)New York, NY 10011(212) 260-4698Directions: A, B, C, D, E, F, Q at W 4th St. Tickets: $15Space is limited and Tickets are going fast!For tickets and information, please visit http://www.theartistsplayground.org *

Each night of the Short Cutz production there will be a cocktail hour/ fund raiser from 7-8pm, with all proceeds going to the Manhattan Theatre Source Writer's Forum to support their January Production “In-genius. We are proud to say that 3 of the four writers chosen for our production hail from this Forum. It is an amazingly talented group and if your heading out for drinks before the show, come on in and buy them here! A joint TAPt & Free2BU Production About TAPt.TAPt., The Artists' Playground Theatre, was created to bring talented artists together to create a community and a network.

The goal always, is to recognize, utilize and appreciate the talent that surrounds us, for those who have knowledge to share knowledge and to support each other in what ever way we can. TAPt believes we can all succeed, but we cannot do it alone. Support is necessary and positiveity is contagious.

Day Dream Reading Next Monday

NewFest is pleased to present the first staged reading in our NewDraft series: Day Dream, a new script by Rodney Evans, featuring Andre Holland, Marc Damon Johnson, Lonette McKee, Adriane Lenox, and Aunjanue Ellis, as well as a live jazz quartet with musical arrangements by Aaron Diehl!Monday, November 10The Theatres at 45 Bleecker St(Bleecker at Lafayette)6:30-9:30PMTickets: $20 General / $15 NewFest 2009 Member Discount In Day Dream, gay African-American composer Billy Strayhorn travels to New Orleans to investigate the life of Buddy Bolden, the forefather of modern jazz, who spent his last 24 years in a mental institution.Rodney Evans is the recipient of the Independent Feature Project's Gordon Parks Award for Screenwriting and the 2004 Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Prize in Drama for his first narrative feature, Brother to Brother. He is a Creative Capital Grantee and a Guggenheim Fellow for 2008/09.

NewDraft is NewFest's Screenplay Competition & Reading Series, dedicated to discovering and fostering LGBT feature screenwriters and/or LGBT feature screenplays. Day Dream was one of the two winners of the inaugural competition at this past June's festival. Before NewDraft was formalized as a new program, NewFest presented screenplay readings of Another Gay Movie, Were the World Mine, and Another Gay Sequel, all of which went on to be made into films!

Purchase tickets now!
DATE: 11/10/2008
TIME: 6:30-9:30PM
LOCATION: The Theatres at 45 Bleecker St (Bleecker at Lafayette)
FOR TICKETS: click here!

We need a few volunteers who can help the evening of the event by maintaining the RSVP list, selling tickets, handing out programs, crowd control, and generally helping staff. You will be able to watch the performance as soon as the attendees have been seated. We would need you to be at the theatre, which is The Theaters at 45 Bleecker St (Bleecker at Lafayette), right off of the 6 train, from 6-10PM. If you can help, please reply to this email ASAP, and I'll send you a confirmation with more information. Thanks!

Basil Tsiokos

Artistic Director

Tribeca Film Institute Announces First Annual TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund Recipients; GIVES $110,000 to five projects

[New York, NY – October 28, 2008] The Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) has announced the selection of five film projects to receive financial and creative support from its inaugural TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Out of 130 applications submitted, the five projects chosen will receive a total of $110,000. The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund supports narrative projects that tell compelling stories about science and technology or portray scientists, engineers and mathematicians as major characters.

The projects were selected by a committee made up of filmmakers Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream) and Steven Shainberg (Fur, Secretary), producer Caroline Baron (Capote), producer and writer Ann Druyan (Contact), Columbia University Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor of Biological Sciences Darcy B. Kelley, and former Director of the National Institutes of Health, co-recipient of the 1989 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and President and Chief Executive Officer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Harold Varmus.

The selected projects selected and funding are:
· Face Value - $40,000
· The Radioactive Boy Scout - $40,000
· Alva - $10,000
· A Noble Affair - $10,000
· Kitty Hawk - $10,000

"The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund affords us an opportunity to provide funding at a crucial time in the industry,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Chairman of the Board, TFI. “These are projects we would like to see brought to fruition and we are happy to be able to support them with funding and our vote of confidence.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Tribeca Film Institute in supporting these five film projects that showcase the tremendous box office appeal of science and technology themes and characters,” said Doron Weber, program director at the Sloan Foundation. “We expect Face Value and Radioactive Boy Scout to be produced within the next year – there is already significant industry interest and attachments – while developing the other promising scripts for the future.”

“It was exciting to read so many interesting and compelling stories with scientific themes,” said Caroline Baron. “It makes you realize how big a role science plays in all of our lives. The committee feels strongly that we have identified projects where Sloan funding would have the greatest impact.”

Films funded tell stories of a screen siren’s unheralded talents as a pioneering inventor, the true story of a boy scout trying to build a nuclear reactor and win his father’s respect, the controversial life of Thomas Edison, Marie Curie’s passionate personal entanglements on the path to the discovery of Radium, and the intense family drama and intrigues behind the extraordinary achievements of the Wright brothers.

Selected projects for funding:

Face Value - The story of screen siren Hedy Lamarr's little-known vocation as an inventor and scientist. Working with avant-garde composer George Antheil, with whom she had a passionate affair, Lamarr patented "frequency hopping" to aid the US military in WWII. Little did she know, it would become a key component in most current wireless technology.
Director: Amy Redford; Producers: David Baxter, Gretchen Somerfeld;
Screenwriters: Gretchen Somerfeld, Jose Rivera

The Radioactive Boy Scout - Based on the true story of a 16-year-old Boy Scout in Michigan who, in 1995, attempted to build the core of a nuclear reactor in his backyard shed and was shut down by the Federal government.
Director/Screenwriter: Greg Harrison;
Producer: Danielle Renfrew, William Horberg;

Alva - Was Thomas Edison America's greatest inventor, or a clever thief with a pioneering acumen for marketing? Alva explores the life of Edison from a precocious young rule breaker, to the full blown 'Wizard of Menlo Park'.
Screenwriters: Alex Lyras, Michael Dorian

A Noble Affair - Marie Curie was one of the leading feminist figures of the scientific world, facing obstacles in her professional and personal life, both exacerbated by gender discrimination. This is the story of how she proved the existence of the element Radium, thereby paving the way for many discoveries in nuclear science and earning her a second Nobel Prize.
Producer: Anil Baral
Screenwriter: Kathryn Maughan

Kitty Hawk - The story of the Wright Brothers, the original aviation pioneers, that chronicles their journey and struggles towards the first manned flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Director/Screenwriter: Tim Kirkman
Producers: Joshua Astrachan, Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Gill Holland

Submissions for the 2009 TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund open November 12, 2008 and will be accepted through January 9, 2009 (postmark deadline). Fund recipients will be announced in the spring of 2009. Visit www.tribecafilminstitute.org for further rules and information on submissions.

About Tribeca Film Institute
The Tribeca Film Institute is dedicated to creative innovation in film and media arts. The Institute creates original programs that draw on the unifying power of film to promote creativity, understanding, tolerance and global awareness. Our commitment is to educate, entertain and inspire filmmakers and audiences alike, while strengthening the artistic and economic fabric of New York City and its Lower Manhattan community.

For more information visit www.tribecafilminstitute.org.

About the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

The New York based Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, founded in 1934, makes grants in science, technology, economics and the quality of American life. Sloan’s program in public understanding of science and technology, directed by Doron Weber, supports books, radio, film, television, theater and the Internet to reach a wide, non-specialized audience.

Sloan’s partnership with Tribeca forms part of a broader national program by the Sloan Foundation to stimulate leading artists in film, television and theater to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. Over the past ten years, Sloan has partnered with six of the top film schools in the country—AFI, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, UCLA and USC—and established annual awards in screenwriting and film production. In addition to the Tribeca/Sloan Screenplay Development Program, the Foundation has initiated screenwriting and film production workshops at Sundance, the Hamptons and Film Independent and honored new feature films such as the recent Flash of Genius, Sleep Dealer, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Sloan is also supporting several new plays at the Ensemble Studio Theater and Manhattan Theater Club and John Adams’ acclaimed opera Dr. Atomic currently at the Metropolitan Opera. For more information, please visit www.sloan.org.

Gotham Screen Film Festival

At Tribeca Cinemas: Gotham Screen

What: The 2nd Annual GOTHAM SCREEN Film Festival

Are you a discerning New York moviegoer who likes to discover fresh, new film talent? If so, get your tickets today for this weekend's GOTHAM SCREEN Film Festival, which is sure to showcase cutting-edge feature, documentary and short films from independent, first- or second-time directors, as well as international releases making their East Coast or US debut. GOTHAM SCREEN's Opening Night feature, Left Bank, is a thriller that features archery, mysterious disappearances, and life in Antwerp.

Pretty Ugly People, the festival's Closing Night film, stars Missi Pyle as a formerly-obese woman in for a surprise when she debuts her new self. Browse the online film guide to read about all the offerings, including short films, a staged screenplay reading, and more!When: Thursday, October 30—Sunday, November 2 (That's this weekend!)

Where: Tribeca Cinemas, New York City

How: Tickets are now on sale. Buy yours today!

Learn more about GOTHAM SCREEN


Learn more about Tribeca Cinemas Box Office Information::Tribeca Cinemas54 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 (at Laight Street, one block below Canal Street)(212) 941-2001

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival

Tonight is the opening night of the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival!!!

Here is an intinerary of today's events! NYIndieSeen will provide to you live and direct as much insight as possible about the films premiering at the festival this week.

If you're in the city, stop by and check it out and support BOTH independent film and musicians!

OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Join us for The Hilfiger SessionsKicking off the CMJ Music Marathon - Tuesday October 21st, 2008At Terminal 5 – 610 West 56th Street , NYC – Doors open at 7 PMFEATURING: LOUIS XIV, Young Lords, and Special Guests.RSVP to rsvp@tommy-usa.comAnd check out previous HILFIGER SESSIONS exclusively on TommyTV.com


MEDIA MEET-N-GREET

5:00-7:00PM
Location: Surta – 16 First Avenue (at First Street )
Open Bar, Performances by Sarah White followed by a DJ set from the Beatards


Music Recommendations For Tuesday October 21st

Chairlift – breezy synth pop from Brooklyn - The Annex, 10/21/2008
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson – devastating singer-songwriter from Oregon via Brooklyn - Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 9:00:00 PMLykke Li – Swedish singer with serious pop flair - Bowery Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 11:00:00 PMPhenomenal Handclap Band – sprawling, killer electronic/dance outfit - Music Hall of Williamsburg , 10/21/2008, 12:00:00 AMWale – great, nuanced hip hop from DC - S.O.B.'s, 10/21/2008, 10:00:00 PMDel McCoury Band legendary guitarist w/his two sons - Highline Ballroom, 10/21/2008, 10:00:00 PM


Film Recommendations
The New York Premiere Of Zack and Miri Make a Porno (Thursday Event)
(Dir. Kevin Smith, USA , 102 min) Will take place on Thursday, October 23rd - 7 p.m.Regal Cinemas Union Square , 850 Broadway AvenueLegendary for finding the humorous and heartfelt in life's more vulgar moments, Kevin Smith has helmed what might be his raunchiest film to date. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play low-income working shmoes with a bright idea to score some cash: homemade porno! Who wouldn't wanna watch that?

Post-screening Q&A with director Kevin Smith.
Panel Recommendations For Tuesday October 21st
It’s Broken, Fix It
11:00am-12:15pm / NYU Kimmel Center , 4th Floor, Eisner & Lubin, Room 401
This panel will be an in-depth discussion on new models for the music industry and how they integrate to make a system that is profitable and fair for all.
Scott Austin, CEO, Authentik Artists
Dallas Austin , Artist/Producer/Owner, Rowdy Records
Steve Yegelwel, President, S-Curve Records
Chris Gannett, VP Strategic Marketing & Business Development, Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Ian Rogers, CEO, Topspin


A Jazz State of the Union Forum
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , 9th Floor, Room 909
This panel featuring the legendary Slide Hampton, will deliver compelling conversation about changes in jazz music along with the state of the jazz industry.
Locksley Wellington Hampton / DBA Slide Hampton , Owner/President/Founder/Composer/Arranger/ Master Trombonist, Slide Hampton Musique
Eli Wolf, Vice President, A&R, Blue Note Records
Guy Eckstine, Partner, Iconique Music Group
Anthony Charles Hammond/ DBA Tony Charles, VP-Director of Marketing, Slide Hampton Musique/Owner, The Anthony Charles Agency
Jana Herzen President, Motema Music

A Performance Rights Organization Cage-match
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , Shorin room 802
The Arena: Comic Book Heroes; an unsigned P.R.O.-less band, their entertainment attorney, and 3 P.R.O.'s. If you ever wondered what the difference was between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and if you’ve ever wondered how these industry giants deliver the Ben Franklins, watch them battle for the John Hancock! To raise the stakes, the band will be announcing their choice PRO at their CMJ showcase later that night.

The Hip-Hop Renaissance: A Cultural Rebirth? (Feat. Q-Tip)
3:30pm-4:45pm / NYU Kimmel Center , Eisner Lubin

For more information about CMJ click this link!

Cinereach Awards $5K to 4 Filmmakers in 2009 Fellowship Program

CINEREACH ANNOUNCES FOUR FILMAKERS

SELECTED FOR 2009 REACH FILM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Jeremy Kipp Walker, Nicole Kassell, Renee Bishop, and So Yong Kim
to be Paired with Young Filmmakers

www.thereachfilmfellowship.org
www.cinereach.org

New York, NY (October 20, 2008) – Nurturing the next generation of socially-conscious filmmakers, Cinereach today announced the four young filmmakers selected to participate in its 2009 Reach Film Fellowship Program.

Launched in 2006 by a group of young filmmakers, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs, Cinereach, a non-profit media organization, works to celebrate socially conscious filmmaking from fresh, exciting and thought-provoking viewpoints.
Now in its second year, The Reach Film Fellowship is an intensive, six-month program in which four filmmakers work with mentors and a team of advisors to take their films from script or treatment through completion.

The fellows will each receive a $5,000 grant and be paired with mentors, including Jeremy Kipp Walker (Half Nelson, Maria Full of Grace), Nicole Kassell (The Woodsman), Renee Bishop (Farmers’ Almanac TV of Savannah, GA), and So Yong Kim (Treeless Mountain).

Designed to support the filmmakers in every part of the production process, the program also provides fellows with resources such as free film stock from Kodak, software from Showbiz Budgeting, and advice from veteran indie producer Susan Leber, who will be “on-call” to consult during Fellowship.

During the course of the program, the filmmakers also participate in workshops led by industry insiders such as producer Susan Leber (Down to the Bone, Adrift in Manhattan), documentary director Edet Belzberg (Children Underground, The Recruiter), screenwriter Afia Nathanial, an acclaimed independent filmmaker from Pakistan, and director/actor Paola Mendoza (Still Standing, Autumn’s Eyes). Director and cinematographer Ellen Kuras (The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Summer of Sam) will lead a Master Class this evening as part of the RFF program kick-off.

For the first time this year, an additional $5,000 grant for best film will also be presented to one of the four Fellows. The award will be presented at the 2009 Reach Out celebration in spring 2009, where the winner’s film will also be screened. Kodak will also present an award.

The 2009 Reach Film Fellows are:

Brendan McQueen (Fiction) – A student in Columbia’s Film Studies program, McQueen’s project, Skip Rocks, weaves a tale of intergenerational alienation and connectedness between a 12 year old girl and a grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Jules Monteyne (Fiction) – A New York University graduate, Monteyne’s film, I Go to War with Everything That Doesn’t Make Sense in a Bathtub, explores racial tension and stereotyping among teenagers, and how adults in their lives influence that tension.

Dena Greenbaum (Fiction) – A New York University student, Greenbaum’s project, Blues tells the story of two boys, a religious Jew and African American who develop a friendship through their love of Jazz during The Crown Heights, Brooklyn riots in 1990.

Danielle Russell (Documentary) – A Savannah College of Art student, Russell’s Bridging the Gap depicts a highly segregated school system that revives the spirit of the Civil Rights movement and infuses it with a new call to action.

“As young filmmakers, we understand how difficult the transition can be from student to professional in the film industry,” said Phillip Engelhorn, Cinereach founder. “Our mission is to connect talented young people with resources and access to industry leaders to create films addressing tough issues. We are excited to see the four films develop over the next six months.”

The Fellowship recipients were selected by a judging panel that included Benjamin Goldhirsh, Founder and CEO of GOOD Magazine and Reason Pictures; Renée Bastian, Founder and President of Belladonna Productions, Inc.; and Phillip Engelhorn, Cinereach Founder.

2008 Reach Film Fellowship alumni include Nicholas Bruckman and Annie Waldman. Bruckman’s latest film, La Americana won Best Documentary Film at the 2008 New York Latin Film Festival. Waldman’s RFF documentary So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away was accepted to the St. Louis International Film Festival, San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, Bay Area Now and the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival.

Last year’s mentors were Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter), Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, Boys of Baraka), Sandi DuBowski (Trembling Before G-d), and Afia Nathaniel, an acclaimed independent filmmaker from Pakistan.

The 2008 Reach Film Fellowship is sponsored by Kodak, Showbiz Software and the Savanna College of Art and Design.

Gotham Independent Film Awards

Starting December 2nd at New York City’s Cipriani Wall Street, the new name for the awards, making the subtle shift from the Gotham Awards to the Gotham Independent Film Awards™.

Presented by IFP, the nation's oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ is one of the leading awards for independent film and the first major honors of the film awards season. The awards provide critical early recognition for worthy independent films, such as past winners Juno (2007), Half Nelson (2006), and Junebug (2005) - all of which went on to earn numerous awards and Oscar™ nominations for their stars Ellen Page, Ryan Gosling, and Amy Adams, respectively.

Garnering four separate nominations – the most for this year – is Ballast, Lance Hammer’s directorial debut and multiple-award winner from festivals as diverse as Sundance , Berlin , Deauville and others. The film is currently being self-distributed by Hammer’s Alluvial Film Company with the help of marketing consultant Steven Raphael’s Required Viewing. It was nominated for Best Feature, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor and Best Ensemble Performance.

Six films received two nominations, including Antonio Campos’ directorial debut from Cannes Afterschool; Courtney Hunt’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Frozen River; Jonathan Demme’s current release Rachel Getting Married; Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut from Cannes Synecdoche, New York; Woody Allen’s latest Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Tom McCarthy’s sophomore effort, The Visitor.

A total of 22 films received nominations in six categories: Best Feature, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, Best Ensemble Performance, and Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You™.

New this year, the recipient of the Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You™ will receive a cash award of $15,000 provided by Artists Public Domain, the non-profit dedicated to supporting the artistic vision of filmmakers working outside of the commercial mainstream, and D.R. Reiff & Associates Inc., a full service brokerage firm specializing in Arts & Entertainment Insurance.

“Contradicting the doom and gloom stories about the state of independent film, 2008 has proven to be an extremely strong year for an immensely diverse group of filmmakers tackling a range of subjects and forms in new and dynamic ways,” says Michelle Byrd, executive director of IFP. “Impressively, nearly 50% of our titles are directorial debuts.”

IFP previously announced that actor Penélope Cruz, president of HBO Documentary Films’ Sheila Nevins, and filmmakers Gus Van Sant and Melvin Van Peebles will be presented with Tributes at this year’s awards ceremony.

Selecting this year’s nominees were 18 critics, journalists, and film programmers (see list below). Final award recipients will be determined by separate juries of writers, directors, actors, producers, casting directors, composers and others directly involved in making films. The recipient of The Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You™ award will be determined by the editors of Filmmaker magazine, a publication of IFP, and a curator from The Museum of Modern Art.



The 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award™ nominees are:

Best Feature

Ballast

Lance Hammer, director; Lance Hammer, Nina Parikh, producers (Alluvial Film Company)

Frozen River

Courtney Hunt, director; Heather Rae, Chip Hourihan, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Synecdoche, New York

Charlie Kaufman, director; Anthony Bregman, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze, Sidney Kimmel, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Visitor

Tom McCarthy, director; Mary Jane Skalski, Michael London, producers (Overture Films)

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky, director; Scott Franklin, Darren Aronofsky, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)



Best Documentary

Chris & Don: A Love Story

Guido Santi & Tina Mascara, directors; Julia Scott, Tina Mascara, Guido Santi, James White, producers (Zeitgeist Films)

Encounters at the End of the World

Werner Herzog, director; Henry Kaiser, producer (THINKFilm / Image Entertainment)

Man on Wire

James Marsh, director; Simon Chinn, producer (Magnolia Pictures)

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Maria Zenovich, director; Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Lila Yacoub, Marina Zenovich, producers (THINKFilm in association with HBO Documentaries)

Trouble the Water

Tia Lessin & Carl Deal, producers/directors (Zeitgeist Films)



Best Ensemble Performance



Ballast

Micheal J. Smith, Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs, Johnny McPhail (Alluvial Film Company)



Rachel Getting Married

Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Mather Zickel, Anna Deavere Smith, Anisa George, Debra Winger (Sony Pictures Classics)



Synecdoche, New York

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis, Tom Noonan (Sony Pictures Classics)



Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz (The Weinstein Company)



The Visitor

Richard Jenkins, Hiam Abbas, Haaz Sleiman, Danai Gurira (Overture Films)





Breakthrough Director



Antonio Campos for Afterschool

Dennis Dortch for A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy (Magnolia Pictures)

Lance Hammer for Ballast (Alluvial Film Company)

Barry Jenkins for Medicine for Melancholy (IFC Films)

Alex Rivera for Sleep Dealer (Maya Releasing)





Breakthrough Actor



Pedro Castaneda in August Evening (Maya Releasing)

Rosemarie DeWitt in Rachel Getting Married (Sony Pictures Classics)

Rebecca Hall in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (The Weinstein Company)

Melissa Leo in Frozen River (Sony Pictures Classics)

Alejandro Polanco in Chop Shop (Koch Lorber Films)

Micheal J. Smith, Sr. in Ballast (Alluvial Film Company)





Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You™



Afterschool

Antonio Campos, director; Josh Mond, Sean Durkin, producers



Meadowlark

Taylor Greeson, producer/director



The New Year Parade

Tom Quinn, director; Steve Beal, Tom Quinn, producers



Sita Sings the Blues

Nina Paley, producer/director



Wellness

Jake Mahaffy, director; Jake Mahaffy, Jeff Clark, producers





The nominating committees for the Gotham Independent Film Awards™ announced above are as follows:



Nominating Committee for Best Feature and Best Ensemble Performance:

Ty Burr, Film Critic, The Boston Globe

Scott Foundas, Film Editor / Film Critic, LA Weekly

Dave Karger, Senior Writer, Entertainment Weekly

Carrie Rickey, Film Critic, The Philadelphia Inquirer



Nominating Committee for Breakthrough Director and Breakthrough Actor:

Cynthia Fuchs, Film Critic, PopMatters and NPR.org

Robert Koehler, Film Critic, Variety

Rob Nelson, Film Critic, Minnesota Post

Andrew O’Hehir, Senior Writer, Salon.com



Nominating Committee for Best Documentary:

Cynthia Fuchs, Film Critic, PopMatters and NPR.org

Owen Gleiberman, Film Critic, Entertainment Weekly

Tom Hall, Director of Programming, Sarasota Film Festival

Ronnie Scheib, Film Critic, Variety



Nominating Committee for Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You™:

Joshua Siegel, Associate Curator, Department of Film and Media, Museum of Modern Art;

and members of the editorial staff of Filmmaker Magazine: Scott Macaulay (Editor-in-Chief), Nick Dawson, Mary Glucksman, Jason Guerrasio, Brandon Harris, Ray Pride





2008 Gotham Independent Film Awards™ – Alphabetical List of Nominated Films



Afterschool

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominee

Breakthrough Director nominee



August Evening

Breakthrough Actor nominee



Ballast

Best Feature nominee

Best Ensemble Performance nominee

Breakthrough Actor nominee

Breakthrough Director nominee



Chop Shop

Breakthrough Actor nominee



Chris & Don: A Love Story

Best Documentary nominee



Encounters at the End of the World

Best Documentary nominee



Frozen River

Best Feature nominee

Breakthrough Actor nominee



A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy

Breakthrough Director nominee



Man on Wire

Best Documentary nominee



Meadowlark

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominee



Medicine for Melancholy

Breakthrough Director nominee



The New Year Parade

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominee



Rachel Getting Married

Best Ensemble Performance nominee

Breakthrough Actor nominee



Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Best Documentary nominee



Sita Sings the Blues

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominee



Sleep Dealer

Breakthrough Director nominee



Synecdoche, New York

Best Feature nominee

Best Ensemble Performance nominee



Trouble the Water

Best Documentary nominee



Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Ensemble Performance nominee

Breakthrough Actor nominee



The Visitor

Best Feature nominee

Best Ensemble Performance nominee



Wellness

Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You nominee



The Wrestler

Best Feature nominee





Sponsors of the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards™ include Premiere sponsors The New York Times and Nokia. Presenting sponsors are A DIAMOND IS FOREVER, Focus Features, Stella Artois and Variety. Official Spirit ABSOLUT VODKA. Additionally, the awards will be promoted nationally in an eight-page special advertising section in The New York Times this December.