The folks behind the St. Louis Black Film Festival Presents a Classic Black Film Festival for Black History Month at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis’ Loop) each Thursday in February. Last year the St. Louis Black Film Festival presented a series of new films by black filmmakers, but this year are going back into the vaults and digging out some vintage cinema for audiences with an interest in black history to enjoy on the big screen.

This offerings for this Thursday, February 9th are CARMEN JONES at 5pm and CAR WASH at 7pm.

CARMEN JONES (1954) was produced and directed by Otto Preminger from Oscar Hammerstein’s update of the Bizet opera. It stars Dorothy Dandridge as the title character, a free-spirited, free-loving parachute factory worker whose romantic entanglement with conflicted Joe(Harry Belafonte), who’s engaged to sweet Cindy Lou and about to go into pilot training for the Korean War, kicks off one of the most unique movie musicals in history. The music is definitely a highlight of CARMEN JONES, with memorable songs that include Dat’s Love, Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum, Card Song, Stan’ Up and Fight, and Dat’s Our Man. Familiar faces in supporting roles include Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll and Brock Peters. Dandridge received on Oscar nomination as Best Actress – the first time such a nod was given to a black woman in this category.

CAR WASH (1976) is a very funny, lively and engaging comedy that tells of the day in the life of a close-knit group of black employees who work at a Los Angeles car wash, sort of a black AMERICAN GRAFFITI.With Bill Duke as an angry Muslim, Ivan Dixon as a wise, hard-working parolee, Sully Boyar as the harried owner, Franklyn Ajaye as an amiable dreamer, Tracy Reed as a sweet waitress, Antonio Fargas as a flamboyant homosexual, Lorraine Gary as a stuck-up upper class white lady, Jack Kehoe as an affable cowboy, Pepe Serna as a jovial Hispanic, George Carlin as a flaky cab driver, Lauren Jones as a sad hooker, Professor Irwin Corey as a middle-aged guy who’s mistaken for a pot bottle bomber, Garrett Morris as a jivey hipster, Melanie Mayron as the sexy cashier, Tim Thomerson as a handsome hunk, Richard Pryor as slick hustler reverend Daddy Rich, and the Pointer Sisters as Daddy Rich’s gospel singers, CAR WASH has a great ensemble cast, a loose, funky script that left room for improvisation and a memorable (nonstop) pulsating disco/soul soundtrack which makes the film not only a funny and pleasant diversion, but a document of its’ era.

So head to Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis’ Loop) this Thursday to take in some black film history during Black History Month. The St. Louis Black Film Festival continues with IMITATION OF LIFE and COOLEY HIGH on Feb. 16; and A RAISIN IN THE SUN and SUPERFLY on Feb. 23. Stay tuned here at We Are Movie Geeks for details on those films.

We like to celebrate the great Hollywood tough guys at Super-8 Movie Madness and this February’s show is no exception. We’ve had Super-8 CHARLES BRONSON Movie Madness and Super-8 LEE MARVIN Movie Madness and on Tuesday February 7th at The Way Out Club we’ll be keeping up the tradition with SUPER-8 CLINT EASTWOOD MOVIE MADNESS !!!

That’s right; we’ll be showing condensed (18 minute) versions of several of Clint Eastwood’s greatest films on Super-8 sound film projected on a big screen. Here’s the Clint line-up: ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, WHERE EAGLES DARE, THE EIGER SANCTION, and a 35-minute cut of HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER. We’ll also show 8-minute version of two films that Clint made early appearances in: REVENGE OF THE CREATURE and TARANTULA. Then we’ll haul out our 16mm projector and screen a 16mm print of an episode of the ’60s TV series RAWHIDE starring Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates.

Other (non-Eastwood) films screening on February 7th are: NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST, W.C. Fields in MUCH ADO ABOUT GOLF, Tim Burton’s VINCENT, and the 1955 sci-fier THE CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN.

Cover charge is a mere $3.00 and the show begins at 8pm. We’ll have Clint Eastwood trivia with prizes, and, as usual, there will be lots of posters and T-Shirts and stuff given away. The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue in South St. Louis (corner of Jefferson and Gravois). There are yummy Way-Out pizzas available for only $8.00.

What better way to celebrate Black History Month than takein some vintage films about the black experience?

The folks behind the St. Louis Black Film Festival Presents a Classic Black Film Festival for Black History Month at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in St. Louis’ Loop) each Thursday in February. Last year the St. Louis Black Film Festival presented a series of new films by black filmmakers, but this year are going back into the vaults and digging out some vintage cinema for audiences with an interest in black history to enjoy on the big screen.

The event kicks off tonight, February 2nd, at the Tivoli Theater at 5pm with the 1943 classic STORMY WEATHER, about the relationship between an aspiring dancer (Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson) and a popular songstress (Lena Horne). Robinson was the world’s preeminent tap dancer of his day, and is remembered for his appearances with Shirley Temple in four of her 1930s films. Ms Horne, whose signature song was the movie’s title tune, had a long stage and screen career and died in May of 2010. Famed black musicians Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, and the amazing Nicholas Brothers (whose eye-popping “Jumpin Jive” dance number was done in one take) all make appearances in STORMY WEATHER and the dance choreography is by Katherine Dunham, the dancer instructor, songwriter, author, educator, and activist from East St. Louis who died in 2006.

John Shaft is the ultimate in suave black detectives and STORMY WEATHER will be followed tonight by the original SHAFT at 7pm. Shaft is the cat who won’t cop out when there’s danger all about in Gordon Parks’ 1971 action film that was not the first ’70s Blaxploitation film but, with its iconic, Oscar winning theme music by Isaac Hayes, was the most influential. SHAFT is a fast-paced and savvy detective story involving a private eye (Richard Roundtree) and the police department in a power struggle between a black mobster (Moses Gunn) and the Mafia to control the drug, prostitution and numbers racket in Harlem. Roundtree would go on to play Shaft in two sequels and a TV series.

The other screenings this month are “Carmen Jones” and “Car Wash” on Feb. 9; “Imitation of Life” and “Cooley High” on Feb. 16; and “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Superfly” on Feb. 23. Stay tuned here at We Are Movie Geeks for details on those films.

Passes Now on Sale Now for Four-Day Festival,
Coming to Hollywood April 12-15, 2012

Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Debbie Reynolds and “Baby Peggy” Diana Serra Cary, along with film noir leading ladies Peggy Cummins, Rhonda Fleming and Marsha Hunt are the latest stars scheduled to appear at the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival.

Also announced today, the festival will feature the North American premiere of a new 75th anniversary restoration of Jean Renoir’s powerful POW drama Grand Illusion (1937), widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. And the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will provide a live musical accompaniment for a screening of the silent Douglas Fairbanks fantasy-adventure The Thief of Bagdad (1924).

Minnelli and Grey are slated to join TCM’s own Robert Osborne to kick off the four-day, star-studded event with a gala opening-night world premiere screening of the 40th anniversary restoration Cabaret (1971), the film for which the two stars took home Academy Awards®. Reynolds will make her second appearance at the TCM Classic Festival, appearing at the world premiere screening of a new 60th anniversary restoration of Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Reynolds will also appear at a 50th anniversary screening of How the West Was Won (1962), which will offer festival passholders the rare opportunity to see the epic western in all its Cinerama glory at Arclight Cinema’s Cinerama Dome.

Cummins, Fleming and Hunt and will each appear at screenings of film noir classics, presented as part of a celebration of The Noir Style. And Cary, who was one of Hollywood’s top child stars during the silent era, will join filmmaker Vera Iwerebor for the U.S. premiere of Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room (2010), Iwerebor’s fascinating documentary chronicling Cary’s life on and off the screen.

In addition, the festival’s celebration of Style in the Movies will include an extensive tribute to one of the most stylish actresses in cinema history: Audrey Hepburn. Presentations will include Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957) and the world premiere of a new 45th anniversary restoration of Two for the Road (1967).

The 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival will take pace Thursday, April 12 – Sunday, April 15, 2012, in Hollywood. Passes are on sale now through the official festival website: tcm.com/festival.

The following is a roster of newly added screenings and appearances:

Opening Night

Cabaret (1972) – World Premiere 40th Anniversary Restoration, featuring appearances by Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey*

One of the most acclaimed films of its era, Bob Fosse’s Cabaret stars Oscar®-winner Liza Minnelli as an American singer looking for love and success in pre-World War II Berlin. Joel Grey, who is currently co-starring in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, earned an Oscar as the ubiquitous Master of Ceremonies. And Michael York co-stars as a young English teacher whose eyes are opened by what he experiences. Fosse also earned Oscar gold for directing this perfect showcase for his unique choreography and imaginative visual style.
* schedule permitting

Style in the Movies – The Noir Style
Presented by Eddie Muller, founder of the Film Noir Foundation, this collection explores the unique style of film noir, known for its often-shadowy black-and-white photography and stylistic set design.

Raw Deal (1948) – Featuring an appearance by Marsha Hunt
Noted for its extraordinary cinematography by John Alton, this gritty Anthony Mann thriller stars Dennis O’Keefe as a man in prison for another man’s crime, Claire Trevor as the gun moll who helps him break out of jail and Marsha Hunt as the social worker who wants to reform him. Raymond Burr and John Ireland co-star.

Gun Crazy (1950) – Featuring an appearance by Peggy Cummins
Long before Bonnie and Clyde rattled moviegoers came this ruthless tale of a gun-toting husband-and-wife team. Peggy Cummins and John Dall star, with a script by blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo (credited to Millard Kaufman).

Cry Danger (1951) – New restoration, featuring an appearance by Rhonda Fleming
Shot in only 22 days by former child star Robert Parrish, this gripping film noir stars Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming in the story of a man trying to clear his name after being sentenced for a crime he didn’t commit. Cry Danger has been restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, in cooperation with Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., and funded by the Film Noir Foundation.

Audrey Hepburn: Style Icon
The TCM Classic Film Festival pays tribute to one of the most beautiful and stylish actresses ever to grace the screen with this collection of films showcasing Audrey Hepburn.

Sabrina (1954)
Audrey Hepburn is the chauffeur’s daughter caught in a love triangle between tycoon Humphrey Bogart and his playboy brother William Holden. Billy Wilder directed and co-wrote this offbeat romance, based on the play Sabrina Fair.

Funny Face (1957)
Fred Astaire is a fashion photographer who turns Audrey Hepburn into a chic model in this highly stylized musical featuring memorable Gershwin songs. Kay Thompson co-stars, with impeccable color cinematography by Ray June and John P. Fulton.

Two for the Road (1967) – World Premiere of 45th Anniversary Restoration
Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney star as a quarrelsome couple reminisce about their relationship during a drive in southern France in Stanley Donen’s insightful drama. Henry Mancini wrote the score. The 4K digital restoration of Two for the Road was completed by Twentieth Century Fox in collaboration with The Film Foundation.

Additional Events & Screenings
The Thief of Bagdad (1924) – Featuring live accompaniment by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra
Douglas Fairbanks considered this lavish fantasy to be his personal favorite, and it’s easy to see why when one watches the gymnastic and charismatic star in action. Fairbanks stars as a thief in love with the daughter of the Caliph, with Raoul Walsh directing.

Grand Illusion (1937) – North American Premiere of 75th Anniversary Restoration
Jean Renoir directed this extraordinary World War I drama about a small group of French officers held captive. Considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made, Grand Illusion features memorable performances by Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay and Erich von Stroheim.

Singin’ in the Rain (1952) – World Premiere of 60th Anniversary Restoration, featuring an appearance by Debbie Reynolds

Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s delightful musical about Hollywood’s transition to talkies features Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, along with the scene-stealing Jean Hagen and the sensuous Cyd Charisse. This movie will be presented in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Gene Kelly’s birth.

How the West Was Won (1962) – Presented in Cinerama and featuring an appearance by Debbie Reynolds – Event sponsored by Arclight Cinemas and presented at Arclight’s Cinerama Dome

The panorama of the American West is presented in its glory with a memorable Cinerama presentation of this epic adventure from directors John Ford, Henry Hathaway and George Marshall. This multi-generational tale stars Henry Fonda, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Debbie Reynolds, Carroll Baker, Carolyn Jones, Eli Wallach, Robert Preston, James Stewart, John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Walter Brennan and many more.

Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room (2010) – U.S. Premiere, featuring appearances by “Baby Peggy” Diana Serra Cary and filmmaker Vera Iwerebor

This intimate portrait of one of the last survivors of Hollywood’s silent era features the 92-year-old star speaking openly for the first time about her life and experience as a child star. Diana Serra Cary’s sudden rise to fame and fortune as Baby Peggy had a severe impact on her family life. The frustrations of her father, the naivety of her mother and the jealousy of her senior sister created a love/hate relationship between the young star and those around her. But she reserved her greatest anger and resentment for the Baby Peggy persona itself. Now with the discovery of her lost films, Cary has seen her childhood talent through fresh eyes and slowly reconciled with her younger self.

About the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival

Taking place Thursday, April 12 – Sunday, April 15, 2012, in Hollywood, the third-annual TCM Classic Film Festival is produced by TCM and sponsored by Vanity Fair, host of the exclusive, opening-night party, and Delta Air Lines, official airline of the event. Since launching in spring 2010, the TCM Classic Film Festival has quickly established itself as a destination event for film lovers, drawing more than 25,000 attendees from around the country and around the globe in 2011.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Oscars® ceremony, will serve as the official hotel for the festival, as well as home to Club TCM, a central gathering point for passholders. Screenings and events will be held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and, for the first time this year, Arclight Cinema’s Cinerama Dome

About TCM
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award winning network that presents great films, uncut and commercial free, from the largest film libraries in the world. Currently seen in more than 86 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of Oscar® and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings, such as the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and the TCM Classic Cruise; produces a wide range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth of materials on its website, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Follow TCM on twitter @TCM and @TCMPR.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tcmtv

The House I Live In, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Law in These Parts and Violeta Went to Heaven Earn Grand Jury Prizes

Audience Favorites Include The Invisible War, The Surrogate, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN and Valley of Saints

Sleepwalk With Me Receives Best of  Audience Award

Park City, UT — Sundance Institute this evening announced the Jury, Audience, and other special awards of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival at the Festival’s Awards Ceremony, hosted by Parker Posey in Park City, Utah. An archived video of the ceremony in its entirety is available at www.sundance.org/live.

“Every year the Sundance Film Festival brings to light exciting new directions and fresh voices in independent film, and this year is no different,” said John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival. “While these awards further distinguish those that have had the most impact on audiences and our jury, the level of talent showcased across the board at the Festival was really impressive, and all are to be congratulated and thanked for sharing their work with us.”

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “As we close what was a remarkable 10 days of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, we look to the year ahead with incredible optimism for the independent film community. As filmmakers continue to push each other to achieve new heights in storytelling we are excited to see what’s next.”

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Awards presented this evening were:

The Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Charles Ferguson to:

The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

The Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Justin Lin to:

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Nick Fraser to:

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population.

The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Julia Ormond to:

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías.

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura, was presented by Mike Birbiglia to:

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

The World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

The World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic was presented by Edward James Olmos to:

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid.

The Best of NEXT <=> Audience Award, Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated, was presented by Tim Heidecker to:

Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Director: Mike Birbiglia, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.

The U.S. Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Fenton Bailey to:

The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire falters due to the economic crisis. Their story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream.

The U.S. Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Lynn Shelton to:

Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissaint, Edwina Findley.

The World Cinema Directing Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world.

The World Cinema Directing Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award was presented by Anthony Mackie to:

Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni.

The World Cinema Screenwriting Award was presented by Richard Pena to:

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastián Sepúlveda) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto.

The U.S. Documentary Editing Award was presented by Kim Roberts to:

DETROPIA / U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

The World Cinema Documentary Editing Award was presented by Clara Kim to:

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Tia Lessin to:

Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

The Excellence in Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Amy Vincent to:

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Documentary was presented by Jean-Marie Teno to:

Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it.

The World Cinema Cinematography Award: Dramatic was presented by Alexei Popogrebsky to:

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for an Agent of Change was presented by Heather Croall to:

Love Free or Die / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance was presented by Heather Croall to:

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing was presented by Cliff Martinez to:

Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz for Smashed and Nobody Walks

• Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and… drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.
• Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting was presented by Cliff Martinez to:

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist in an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

A World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Artistic Vision was presented by Clara Kim to:

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Uçer, Serdar Orçin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci.

A World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Prize for its Celebration of the Artistic Spirit was presented by Richard Pena to:

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN / Sweden, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away.

The inaugural Short Film Audience Award, Presented by Yahoo!, based on online voting for nine short films that premiered at the Festival and are currently featured on Yahoo! Screen, was presented to:

The Debutante Hunters (Director: Maria White) — In the Lowcountry of South Carolina a group of true Southern belles reveal their more rugged side, providing a glimpse into what drives them to hunt in the wild.

The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:

The Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking was awarded to: FISHING WITHOUT NETS / U.S.A. (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey). The Jury Prize in Short Film, U.S. Fiction was presented to: The Black Balloon / U.S.A. (Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie). The Jury Prize in Short Film, International Fiction was presented to: The Return (Kthimi) / Kosovo (Director: Blerta Zeqiri, Screenwriter: Shefqet Gjocaj). The Jury Prize in Short Film, Non-Fiction was presented to: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker). The Jury Prize in Animated Short Film was presented to: A Morning Stroll / United Kingdom (Director: Grant Orchard). A Special Jury Award for Comedic Storytelling was presented to: The Arm / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos, Jessie Ennis). A Special Jury Award for Animation Direction was presented to: Robots of Brixton / United Kingdom (Director: Kibwe Tavares).

The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Award, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Etienne Kallos / Vrystaat (Free State) (South Africa); Ariel Kleiman / Partisan (Australia); Dominga Sotomayor / Tarde Para Morir Joven (Late To Die Young) (Chile); and Shonali Bose / Margarita. With a Straw (India).

The Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Jens Assur, director of the upcoming film Close Far Away.

The inaugural Hilton Worldwide LightStay Sustainability Award for a completed feature film was presented to The Island President, directed by Jon Shenk. The in-process feature film award was presented to Solar Mamas, directed by Jehane Noujaim and Mona Eldaief. Each project received $25,000.

The inaugural Sundance Institute Indian Paintbrush Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Dan Janvey and Josh Penn for Beasts of the Southern Wild.

The Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prizes, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character, were presented to Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford, and Valley of Saints, directed and written by Musa Syeed. The two films will split the $20,000 cash award by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival Jurors were: U.S. Documentary Competition: Fenton Bailey, Heather Croall, Charles Ferguson, Tia Lessin, Kim Roberts; U.S. Dramatic Competition: Justin Lin, Anthony Mackie, Cliff Martinez, Lynn Shelton, Amy Vincent; World Cinema Documentary Competition: Nick Fraser, Clara Kim, Jean-Marie Teno; World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Julia Ormond, Richard Pena, Alexei Popogrebsky; Alfred P. Sloan Award: Tracy Day, Helen Fisher, Dr. Robert J. Full, Gwyn Lurie, Alex Rivera; Short Film Competition: Mike Judge, Dee Rees, Shane Smith.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival presented 117 feature-length films, representing 30 countries by 45 first-time filmmakers, including 24 in competition. These films were selected from 4,042 feature-length film submissions composed of 2,059 U.S. and 1,983 international feature-length films. 91 films at the Festival were world premieres. The Short Film Program was comprised of 64 short films selected from a record 7,675 submissions.

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs through January 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of films and events is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

The Sundance Film Festival

A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire^SM ; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood^®, a partnership between Brita^® and Nalgene ^®, Grey Goose^® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois^®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTube^TM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth,Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) and Samuel Goldwyn Films are partnering on the U.S. theatrical release in addition to jointly acquiring North American rights to Park Pictures Features’ ROBOT & FRANK, the 2012 Sundance Film Festival favorite, starring Academy Award® nominee Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Academy Award® winner Susan Sarandon (Dead Man Walking), James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Golden Globe® nominee Peter Saarsgard (Shattered Glass), Jeremy Sisto and Jeremy Strong.  Additionally, SPWA has acquired all media rights for Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe including Russia.

The deal was negotiated by SPWA’s Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, Michael Helfand, and Joe Matukewicz, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, with Peter Goldwyn, Vice President of Acquisitions, representing Samuel Goldwyn Films.  CAA and ICM’s Jessica Lacy negotiated on behalf of the filmmakers.  ICM represents Langella, Sarandon and Strong.

“We have loved this project from the script stage and were at the very first Gala screening in Salt Lake City,” Matukewicz said. “This winning film strikes a special chord with audiences, and we are delighted to bring ROBOT & FRANK into the Sony Pictures family.  Jake’s film shows us a future that is right around the corner, and I for one, can’t wait for my own Robot!”

Added Meyer Gottlieb, President of Samuel Goldwyn Films: “Our team fell in love with this clever, irreverent story anchored by Frank Langella’s indelible performance. Jake has done a remarkable job and we are thrilled to continue working with talented first time filmmakers. We look forward to partnering again with our friends at Sony on a title we know audiences will flock to in droves.”

Filmmaker Jake Schreier added, “I heard Jonathan Demme say once at a Q&A that all you can hope for is to find people who care as much about releasing your film as you did making it.  The Sony/Goldwyn guys were there from the first night in Salt Lake City and really showed that they got the movie and even connected to it personally.  I’m thrilled to be working with them on getting it out into theaters.”

Producers Galt Niederhoffer and Sam Bisbee said, “We are thrilled to have found not one but two passionate partners with Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Samuel Goldwyn Films.”

Set in the near future, Frank (Frank Langella) a retired jewel thief gets a new lease on life when he is introduced to a surprising new companion. With the help of his new friend, he attempts to woo a local librarian (Susan Sarandon) and resume his criminal escapades.  ROBOT & FRANK is directed by first time filmmaker Jake Schreier, written by Christopher Ford (TVs “Atom TV”), and produced by Galt Niederhoffer, Sam Bisbee, Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord.  ROBOT & FRANK is Park Pictures Features’ first film.  The film was produced in association with White Hat Entertainment and Dog Run Pictures.  Park Pictures Features is represented by John Sloss and Marc Simon

SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS 

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation.  SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries.  Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web athttp://www.sonypictures.com.

ABOUT SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS

Samuel Goldwyn Films is a major, independently owned and operated motion-picture company that develops, produces and distributes innovative feature films and documentaries.  The company is dedicated to working with both world renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories.  This is best exemplified by the Academy Award® nominated THE SQUID AND THE WHALE and SUPER SIZE ME, AMAZING GRACE and Julie Delpy’s hit comedy 2 DAYS IN PARIS. Past Goldwyn titles include PRICELESS, a romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou, Academy Award® winner Claude Lelouch’s ROMAN DE GARE, the critically hailed ELEGY starring Academy Award® nominee Penélope Cruz, HARRY BROWN starring Michael Caine and the box office smash FIREPROOF.  MAO’S LAST DANCER, directed by Academy Award nominee Bruce Beresford was one of the top grossing independent films of 2010. In addition to THE DOUBLE HOUR, a revered thriller that was one of the top foreign language grossers of 2011, SGF released THE WHISTLEBLOWER, a powerful, ripped from the headlines thriller starring Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz that premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. Upcoming releases include THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (March 28th), winner of this year’s Audience Award at Toronto about President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced – the literal survival of his country and everyone in it as well as DIANA VREELAND THE EYE HAS TO TRAVEL, an acclaimed documentary about the late fashion icon which premiered at this year’s Venice Film Festival.

ABOUT PARK PICTURES FEATURES

Launched in July 2011, Park Pictures Features is a feature film division of Park Pictures and is devoted to the production of high quality and entertaining films.  The company is lead by Galt Niederhoffer and Sam Bisbee. Parent company Park Pictures, formed by Jackie Kelman Bisbee and Lance Acord, is one of the most prestigious commercial production houses in the business, with offices in NY, LA and London, having won numerous Clios, AICP awards, and Cannes Lions and working regularly with blue chip corporations including Nike, Target, and Coca-Cola, most notably Lance Acord directed the beloved and widely seen “The Force” Super Bowl spot for Volkswagen.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions and the Official Digital Camera of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, will host private screenings of “when you find me,” produced by two-time Academy Award® winner Ron Howard, and directed by his versatile daughter Bryce Dallas Howard, on January 26 and 27 at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. at the Holiday Village Cinema. Attendees will be able to view the short film, the final product of “Project Imagin8ion,” the first user-generated photo contest to inspire a Hollywood film.

After receiving nearly 100,000 submissions, the eight winning photos were chosen by Ron Howard, setting the stage for his next production.  The film “when you find me”, shot using Canon cameras including the new Cinema EOS System and DSLR cameras and lenses, tells the story of two sisters whose childhood bond is tested by a tragedy they are too young to understand.  Alternating between the past and present, the short film is an emotional fable of two people coping with loss in very different ways and what it takes to find peace within yourself and reconciliation with the ones you love.  The screening will also include the “Project Imagin8ion Making Of” movie, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the project’s journey.

“‘when you find me’ is just one example of how the world of storytelling on screen has been drastically changed,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.  “At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, we wanted to tap into the increasing accessibility and usability of digital SLRs with our speaking series and workshop, EOS HDSLR Storytelling.”

The common goal for filmmakers remains to suspend the viewer in a sweeping visual and emotional reality.  Canon will present “EOS HDSLR Storytelling: One Tool Endless Potential” at New Frontier on Thursday, January 26 and Friday, January 27 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., bringing together speakers Shane Hurlbut, ASC, of Hurlbut Visuals and Patrick Moreau of stillmotion, to highlight how they achieve their vision with varied production crew sizes using Canon EOS equipment.

Festival attendees will also be able to tap into the inspiration of “Project Imagin8ion” with the “Frame Your Imagin8ion” sweepstakes for the chance to win a Canon EOS DSLR kit. Street teams will be dispersed throughout the festival, handing out special “Project Imagin8ion” picture frames to encourage consumers to capture photos that best represent each of the eight movie themes that were featured in the “Project Imagin8ion” contest.  Consumers can then upload their photo at the Canon booth (first floor of the Festival Co-op at 608 Main Street) and be entered into the sweepstakes with one winner chosen each day.

The Canon experience at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival is coordinated by Canon U.S.A.’s agency of record, Grey NY and Alliance, the entertainment and lifestyle marketing division.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With more than $45 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranked fourth overall in patent holdings in the U.S. in 2010†, and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2011. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyoseiphilosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

SKOLL FOUNDATION AND SUNDANCE INSTITUTE PRESENT
CELEBRATING “STORIES OF CHANGE” PANEL

AT 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Fifth Stories of Change Convening for Filmmakers and Social Entrepreneurs

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation today announced a special Celebrating “Stories of Change” panel to be held at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The panel celebrates the fifth anniversary of the Stories of Change: Social Entrepreneurship in Focus Through Documentary initiative, dedicated to exploring film’s role in advancing knowledge about social entrepreneurship.

At this special event on Tuesday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, Skoll Foundation President and CEO Sally Osberg will moderate a thought-provoking dialogue between award-winning filmmakers (including clips from their work) and innovators who are impacting millions. Panelists include Joia Mukherjee (Partners in Health), Jehane Noujaim (Director, Control Room), Bunker Roy (Founder, Barefoot College) and Kief Davidson (Director, The Devil’s Miner). Ticket information is available atwww.sundance.org/tickets.

Also at the Festival, the Documentary Film Program and the Skoll Foundation will host a Stories of Change Convening. A series of private workshops focused on storytelling strategies as well as nightly networking events, film screenings and panels will create a framework for defining entrepreneurs’ unique personal and organizational stories. A select group of Skoll Foundation-awarded social entrepreneurs and filmmakers will participate.

“It is a gift not only to put the work in, but also get the word out,” said Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation. “We believe in the power of social entrepreneurs to find innovative ways to solve the planet’s most daunting problems – and then, ingenious ways to spread the message that change is not just possible, it is essential.”

“Global issues demand innovative solutions, and the power of documentary film is increasingly showcasing the unprecedented efforts of social-issue changemakers around the world,” said Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program.

Since 2007, Stories of Change has supported nearly 100 filmmakers and social entrepreneurs through a strategic combination of high-level, invited gatherings and documentary film project funding. Convenings at the Sundance Film Festival, the Skoll World Forum, the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Summit and related gatherings have created a network of learning and professional exchange for documentary filmmakers, change-makers, and their stakeholders. The partnership has also made possible the production of ten new, feature-length independent documentary films that reframe and amplify social entrepreneurship – an innovative approach to the central issues of our time.

In addition to critical funding from the Skoll Foundation, the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program is made possible by generous support from the Cinereach Foundation, The Charles Engelhard Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation, the Woodruff Charitable Memorial Trust, and the Wallace Global Fund.

Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program 

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program provides year-round support to nonfiction filmmakers worldwide. The program advances innovative nonfiction storytelling about a broad range of contemporary social issues, and promotes the exhibition of documentary films to audiences. Through the Sundance Documentary Fund, the Documentary Edit and Story Laboratory, Composers + Documentary Laboratory, Creative Producing Lab, as well as the Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Creative Producing Summit and a variety of partnerships and international initiatives, the program provides a unique, global resource for contemporary independent documentary film. www.sundance.org/documentary

Sundance Institute 

Founded by Robert Redford in 1981, Sundance Institute is a global, nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to nurturing artistic expression in film and theater, and to supporting intercultural dialogue between artists and audiences. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to unite, inform and inspire, regardless of geo-political, social, religious or cultural differences. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival and its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, film composers, playwrights and theatre artists, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Skoll Foundation

The Skoll Foundation drives large scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and the innovators who help them solve the world’s most pressing problems. It has given almost $300M since 1999, including awards to 91 entrepreneurs in 74 organizations on five continents. The aim? Identify those already bringing positive change around the world and help them extend their reach, tell their stories, and maximize their impact. Jeff Skoll created the Skoll Foundation to help create a sustainable world of peace and prosperity. It has been led by CEO Sally Osberg since 2001 and its Skoll World Forum is the premier conference on social entrepreneurship. www.skollfoundation.org

STORIES OF CHANGE SHORT FILM

Back to School
Director: Kirsten Johnson
Producer: Julia Parker Benello
Social Entrepreneur: Sakena Yacoobi

Sakena Yacoobi’s Afghan Institute for Learning, a grassroots organization she founded 12 years ago, brings education to women in Afghanistan. Due to security concerns about filming a feature-length documentary in Afghanistan at this time, this project is a short film which premiered at the Skoll World Forum in 2010.

STORIES OF CHANGE FEATURE FILMS

Barefoot Engineers (working title)
Director: Jehane Noujaim
Producer: Mette Heide
Social Entrepreneur: Bunker Roy

An intimate observational documentary that follows three women with limited formal education as they take a life-changing journey from their home villages in Africa and the Middle East to India in order to become educated in solar engineering.

Easy Like Water
Director: Glenn Baker
Producer: Stephen Sapienza
Social Entrepreneur: Abul Hasanat Mohammed Rezwan

In Bangladesh, solar-powered floating schools are turning the front lines of climate change into communities of learning. As the water steals the land, one man’s vision is recasting the rising rivers as channels of communication and transforming people’s lives.

Poor Consuelo Conquers the World
Director: Peter Friedman
Producer: Paul Miller
Social Entrepreneur: PCI-Media Impact

Poor Consuelo Conquers the World tells the story of popular soap operas and telenovelas that are being used to combat the effects of poverty around the world. The film makes the connection between the fictional stories and the real lives of the fans and shows that in the post-TV/Internet age, radio remains a vital way to reach millions of the world’s poor.

The Revolutionary Optimists
Directors/Producers: Maren Grainger-Monsen and Nicole Newham
Social Entrepreneur: Amlan Ganguly

In the slums of Calcutta, children are leading the way to saving lives. Amlan Ganguly, a lawyer turned social entrepreneur, empowers children to become “health minders” in their communities. As a result, malaria and diarrhea rates are dropping, neighborhoods being transformed, and children are blossoming. The Revolutionary Optimists shows both the desperate, flawed world that Ganguly is trying to change and the vibrant, colorful world his optimism is making a reality.

SH*T!

Directors/Producers: Annika Gustafson and Phil Jandaly
Social entrepreneurs: Camilla Wirseen and Anders Wilhelmson, Peepoople; Bob Erwin, MaxWest; Dr. Kamal Kar, CLTS; and Dr. Pathak, Sulabh International.

Access to clean water is a human right, but if we cannot talk about why the water is contaminated in the first place, change will not happen. Using animation to look at innovative ways of producing green energy from human waste, SH*T! is a socially minded film that plays fast and loose with taboo and relevant issues. It tells you how to save the planet, improve the economy while you do it, and have a laugh or two in the process. You’ll be sorry you flushed.

The Team 

Director: Patrick Reed
Producer: Peter Raymont
Social Entrepreneurs: John Marks and Susan Collin Marks/Search for Common Ground

Using a technique developed by Search for Common Ground to employ popular culture as a tool for reconciliation, Kenyans scramble to produce a dramatic TV soap-opera series, hoping taboo story lines can bridge deep divisions as their country is wracked by ethnic and tribal tensions in the wake of elections.

To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America 

Director: Gayle Ferraro
Social Entrepreneur: Muhammad Yunus

This film journeys with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and the architect of microfinance, as he continues building opportunities for the poor worldwide through Grameen microcredit and his latest venture, social business. The film chronicles the first year of Grameen America and the challenge of marrying a process proven in developing countries to the American dream of immigrant women in Queens, New York.

Partners in Health Project

Director: Kief Davidson
Producer: Cori Sheperd Stern
Social Entrepreneur: Paul Farmer

This is the story of Partners In Health, a remarkable public health charity organization operating in thirteen of the poorest countries around the world and the controversial man who founded it, Dr. Paul Farmer. Dr. Farmer and his colleagues are larger-than-life heroes to millions, fighting to change the way the world cares for the poorest among us, by insisting on quality health care as a basic inalienable human right.

Youthbuild Project
Directors/Producers: Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern
Social Entrepreneurs: Dorothy Stoneman and YouthBuild

This feature-length documentary follows a year in the lives of out-of school young people selected for a high-stakes community rebuilding project in North Philadelphia.

Five Films with Major Support from JustFilms Set for World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival

In its first year, the Ford Foundation initiative has already provided $10 million
to more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world

Just one year after its launch, JustFilms, the Ford Foundation’s documentary film fund, is providing major support to five independent films selected for competition and premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the world’s leading showcase for independent filmmaking.

Each of the five embodies JustFilms’ vision of the power of independent film to illuminate the world in which we live and inspire people to engage in pressing social challenges, from the untold story of bravery and activism that opened access to AIDS drugs in the United States, to a poignant account of Detroit residents reimagining their city.

“We’re extremely pleased that five projects receiving major support from JustFilms have been selected to premiere at Sundance,” said Darren Walker, vice president of Ford’s Education, Creativity and Free Expression Program. “This is exactly what our initiative is all about—ensuring that talented filmmakers who are tackling tough social issues can break through to large new audiences in a timely way.”

JustFilms was launched one year ago, a day before the start of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In its inaugural year, the initiative has made more than $10 million in grants to support more than 100 filmmakers and mediamakers around the world.

“We believe that Sundance is just the beginning of an opportunity for these filmmakers, and many others like them, to reach a new audience of engaged people who are hungry for stories about issues shaping our future,” added Walker.

JustFilms focuses on film, video and digital works that show courageous people confronting difficult issues and actively pursuing a more just, secure and sustainable world. Through 2016, it will invest $10 million every year to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences.

The following films are premiering at the Sundance Film Festival with major support from JustFilms:

How to Survive a Plague (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: David France
Ford Foundation Support: $400,000

Chronicles the battle to find life-saving drugs to fight AIDS in the United States.

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World
(U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: Macky Alston
Ford Foundation Support: $400,000

Explores the story of Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop.

DETROPIA (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Ford Foundation Support: $450,000

Tells the dramatic story of the economic challenges facing Detroit and its most innovative residents.

The House I Live In (U.S. Documentary Competition)
Director: Eugene Jarecki
Ford Foundation Support: $600,0000

Filmed in more than 20 states, explores how America’s war on drugs has led to mass incarceration and the growth of a U.S. prison industry.

Red Hook Summer (Premiere)
Director: Spike Lee
Ford Foundation Support: $200,000

A feature film about a young Atlanta boy who spends a summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, whom he’s never seen before.

And More

An additional nine films in the festival are receiving funding through JustFilm’s partnerships with the Sundance Documentary Film project and the Independent Television Service (ITVS).

“While focusing on issues as diverse as human rights, poverty, cultural expression and sustainable development, every project supported by JustFilms has one thing in common—the power of good storytelling,” said Orlando Bagwell, director of the JustFilms initiative at Ford. “These films make complex and often difficult issues accessible and entertaining, opening up whole new opportunities for audiences to engage on topics that may have once felt overwhelming or simply out of reach.”

With the explosion of digital media production over the past decade, there is far more film and video content available from which audiences can choose. But it remains a challenge for most documentary filmmakers to find support—and audiences—for works that address social issues in meaningful and compelling ways. JustFilms seeks to support courageous filmmakers to complete their important works and to help them reach a growing audience of engaged and socially conscious viewers.
The foundation pursues a three-part strategy to ensure that it is able to identify and support a wide range of innovative filmmakers:

Signature Partnerships for Creativity and Change

• ·         JustFilms partners with major film industry and public media organizations such as the Sundance Institute, the Independent Television Serviceand the Tribeca Film Institute, to help open doors for our filmmakers and broaden the reach of their work.

Strategic Films to Advance Social Causes

• ·         Building linkages across the work of the Ford Foundation globally, JustFilms uses about one-third of its resources to support projects that advance public understanding and engagement on issues aligned to the efforts of our grantees worldwide. This path invests in filmmakers working to bring voice to some of the toughest issues confronted by the people and organizations we support.

New Ideas that Expand Horizons

• ·         Remaining open to new ideas wherever they may emerge, JustFilms devotes a third of its grants to projects that it discovers through an ongoing open application process. This path will help ensure that JustFilms stays attuned to creative and innovative trends and aware of emerging artists and ideas from around the world.

The Ford Foundation’s JustFilms initiative builds on the foundation’s longtime support for scores of documentaries, including such landmark productions as “Eyes on the Prize,” “State of Fear” and “Why Democracy.” It also leverages the foundation’s global network of 10 regional offices to identify and lift new talent from around the world and to strengthen emerging communities of documentary filmmakers.

To view the films the Ford Foundation has supported over its history, visit the Ford Foundation’s Film Collection.

To learn more about JustFilms, visit its Strategy and Partners pages, as well as an overview of its Grant Making.

ICE-T TO HEADLINE ‘A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC IN FILM’
AT 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

 Free Tickets to be Distributed via Twitter @sundancefestnow and @finallevel

 Event Hosted By Sundance Institute Film Music Program

Sundance Institute today announced that Ice-T and hip hop icons Chuck D (Public Enemy) and Grandmaster Caz will perform at ‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ on January 21 at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. ‘A Celebration of Music in Film,’ one of the most anticipated music events at the annual Festival, this year celebrates SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP, by director Ice-T, co-director Andy Baybutt and producer Paul Toogood.

The event takes place Saturday, January 21, 8:30 p.m. at the Sundance Music Café. A limited number of free tickets to the event will be available to Festival credential holders (21 and up) via Twitter @sundancefestnow and Ice-T’s feed @finallevel. Additionally, the event will be live streamed at www.sundance.org/live and http://www.livestream.com/sundancefest in participation with Livestream. RSVP to be notified when the event is live.

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP explores the roots and history of Rap. Through conversations with Rap’s most influential artists – among them Kanye West, Eminem,  Common, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Chuck D, Mos Def, and Ice Cube – Ice-T reveals the creative process behind this now-dominant art form.

“Ice-T’s legacy in the music community is indelible, and we are very proud to showcase these prolific and groundbreaking artists at the Festival this year,” said Peter Golub, Director of the Sundance Institute Film Music Program and producer of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film.’ “Similarly, the Festival has long been a champion of showcasing the art and imagination of music in film, and that legacy continues this year.”

“We could not be more excited and honored to have music legends Ice-T, Chuck D and Grandmaster Caz perform at this year’s Festival,” said Tracy McKnight, producer and co-host of ‘A Celebration of Music in Film’ and Head of Film Music for Lionsgate. “This night is about celebrating music in film, and highlighting this incredible art form will certainly make this evening a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ event.”

Other music-related events to be featured at the Festival include: Roundtable Discussion: Music and Film, The Creative Process, produced by BMI (January 25, 11:00 a.m. at Sundance House Presented by HP); Film Music Remix featuring Sundance Composers Lab Alums Ronit Kirchman, Kathryn Bostic, Terry Dame, Lili Haydn, Vivek Maddala and David Poe  (January 23, 8:00 p.m. at Sundance Music Café: Night Sessions); and the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, with scheduled performers including John Forte and friends featuring Natasha Bedingfield, Flying Lotus, David Gray, The All-American Rejects, Josh Kelley, David Nail, A Fine Frenzy, Greg Laswell and filmmaker/composer Terence Nance.

Among the Film Music Program alumni whose work will be featured at this year’s Festival are: T. Griffin (composer, California Solo); Kathryn Bostic (composer, Middle of Nowhere); Ryan Beveridge (composer, Mosquita y Mari); Terry Dame (composer, My Best Day); Fall On Your Sword (Nobody Walks); Ronen Landa with Anna Bulbrook (composer, The Pact); and Gingger Shankar (Himalaya Song).

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival runs January 19 through 29, in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. A complete list of films and events is available atwww.sundance.org/festival.

The Sundance Film Festival

A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase Sapphire^SM; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood^®, a partnership between Brita^® and Nalgene^®, Grey Goose^® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois^®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTube^TM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute

Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

CHRIS KATTAN TO HOST
AT&T U-VERSE 2012 SUNDANCE SPECIAL

It was announced today that actor Chris Kattan will be the host of Sundance 2012 coverage on AT&T U-verse® Buzz.

Daily coverage of the festival, including interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, will be offered by AT&T U-verse on their Buzz Channel (Ch. 300 and 1300 HD for U-verse subscribers), Facebook (www.facebook.com/uverse), Twitter (@Sundance2012), Instagram (#Sundance2012), U-verse Online (uverseonline.att.net/uverse/exclusive), as well as a dedicated Sundance website (att.com/sundance2012). In addition to the daily coverage, a comprehensive 30-minute special will air on U-verse Buzz February 15 through March 15.

ABOUT CHRIS KATTAN

Chris Kattan got his start with the famous LA-based comedy improvisational group “The Groundlings.” He is best known for his memorable characters during his seven seasons on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003, alongside Will Ferrell, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan and Tina Fey. Kattan is currently filming his third season on the Wednesday night ABC comedy The Middle,while also writing his first book Zen and Narcissism – a surprisingly romantic autobiography. He can be seen in the upcoming film, Just Crazy Enough, a physical comedy in which he starred and co-wrote.

ABOUT AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world <http://www.att.com/corporateawards> . Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

LIVEstyle AND FULCRUM GROUP ANNOUNCE “AXE HAIR MEDIA LOUNGE and GROOM ROOM and Supper Club” AT THE 2012 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

New York-based entertainment agency LIVEstyle Entertainment, in partnership with Connecticut-basedFulcrum Group, is preparing to launch the 9^th year and 37^th major festival installation of its signature multi-day branded entertainment programs, the LIVEstyle Film Lounge, The Supper Club and AXE® Hair Media Lounge & Groom Room, located at 628 Park Ave in Park City, Utah.  The venue and integrated programs will be an anchor destination for filmmakers, celebrities, global film and consumer media outlets, world-class chefs, independent and major studios and producers.  Through this platform, sponsors AXE Hair; Issey Miyake’s new men’s fragrance L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport; Monster Energy Beverages; AriZona Beverages; hipswag.com; outdoor athletic products company Thule; IndieFlix.com; Pook Toque and official Festival sponsor Stella Artois will come face-to-face with the principal industry influencers, media, tastemakers and VIPs during one of the world’s largest film festivals, as more than thirty individual events and programs unfold onsite over six days involving fifteen different official festival films.

Friday, January 20, 2012 (5pm-7pm)

WHAT: YOUR SISTER’S SISTER cast dinner hosted by IFC Films and the cast and guest chef La-Toya Fagon

CAST: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass

Friday, January 20, 2012 (8pm-11pm)

WHAT: FILLY BROWN cast dinner and premiere party hosted by cast with guest chef La-Toya Fagon and a surprise musical performance

CAST:      Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos

Friday, January 20, 2012 (11pm-2am)

WHAT: KEEP THE LIGHTS ON premiere after-party hosted by Director Ira Sachs

CAST:  Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane and Paprika Steen

Friday, January 20, 2012 (1:30-40:00AM)

WHAT: TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE post-premiere party

CAST:  Will Ferrell; John C. Reilly; Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim

Other Guest include : Blythe Danner and Melanie Lynskey

AXE HAIR MEDIA LOUNGE and Groom Room @ Blue Iguana 628 Park Ave, Park City, Utah  84060

About FULCRUM GROUP:

Fulcrum Group is a full service agency based in New York City and Connecticut with more than 50years combined experience in promotions, marketing, communications and digital media. Providing strategic programming, complete execution and customizable marketing campaigns, Fulcrum Group helps companies discover their core values and achieve their goals. Their wide range of printing and digital promotional services help clients acquire customized and creative merchandise vital to strengthen brand presence and equity, enhance market awareness and emanate overall success. Whether Fulcrum serves as event producer, consultant or promotional company; it delivers all components to create an exclusive event experience and maximum brand exposure unlike any other. For more information, please visit http://www.fulcrumgrp.com.

About LIVEstyle  Entertainment:    

Founded in 2002, LIVEstyle Entertainment is a leader in innovative live entertainment marketing, programming and production.  Having built and executed successful events and properties throughout the film, fashion, music, art and sports industries, LIVEstyle has proven its ability to deliver high-impact brand programs on an annual basis for clients and consumers alike.  In addition to being the most prolific film festival event producer in the world,  LIVEstyle Entertainment creates tailor-made event programs for corporate and entertainment industry clients alike.  For more information, please visit www.livestylent.com.

About AXE®

AXE Hair, a leader in men’s hair care, is proud to be the Title Sponsor of the AXE Hair Media Lounge & Groom Room at Sundance 2012, treating media, tastemakers, filmmakers and celebrity talent to the ultimate AXE Hair experience.  AXE is an iconic personal care brand around the world that helps guys look, smell and feel their best. The Unilever-manufactured brand is available in a line of shampoos and styling aids, as well as deodorants and shower gels.  The brand’s mission is to help guys get the girl with grooming products that reflect individual personality and lifestyle.  For more information, visit www.theaxeeffect.com.

About Unilever North America

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180.  With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, OMO, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemmé, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone.

All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2010.  For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca,orwww.unilevercaribbean.com.

About AriZona

AriZona Beverages USA LLC was founded in Brooklyn in 1971 by Don Vultaggio and John Ferolito and to this day remains a privately held and family-run American business based in Woodbury, NY. AriZona Beverages—makers of AriZona Iced Tea, waters, juices, energy drinks, sports drinks and powdered tea mixes —is the number one ready-to-drink tea in North America and has begun worldwide expansion starting with South America, Europe and Asia. AriZona’s mission is to create the highest quality products that not only look great, but also taste great and are affordable for people to buy. For more information, visit www.drinkarizona.com.

World Premiere Event at the Sundance Film Festival in the Premiere Section
Wednesday, January 25th

Parker Posey is making her way back to Sundance with her film PRICE CHECK, a comedy written and directed by Michael Walker.

SXSW announced this week THE CABIN IN THE WOODS as their opening night, world premiere for SXSW 2012. There is a lot of hype surrounding this long-awaited genre film, hype that we hope is true. According to some lucky Austinites who had the great fortune of seeing the film during this year’s Butt-numb-a-thon, the hype is justified. Little to nothing has has been revealed about the plot, but the general idea comes across in the title. I would comment on the trailer, but I have chosen not to watch it… at least, for as long as I possibly can avoid spoiling anything at all for myself. My recommendation to you… watch if you wish, but at your own risk. I’ve been told the film’s even better without seeing the trailer. The poster however, pictured below, is pretty darn cool, though!

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS was co-written by Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) and Drew Goddard (CLOVERFIELD, LOST), and is Goddard’s directorial debut. The 2012 SXSW Film Conference and Festival will take place March 9 – 17, 2012 in Austin, Texas.

The film stars Chris Hemsworth (THOR), Kristen Connolly, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, Jesse Williams, Richard Jenkins (LET ME IN) and Bradley Whitford (THE WEST WING).

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, the upcoming “horror movie to end all horror movies” that will turn the genre on its head, will be in theaters everywhere April 13th, 2012. Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods. Bad things happen. If you think you know this story, think again.

Official Website: http://www.discoverthecabininthewoods.com/
Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/TheCabininTheWoods
Official Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/#!/lionsgatehorror #DiscoverTheSecret

Attention all you Jive-ass Cornpone Peckerwoods!….Blood Kwanzaa is this Friday night!

Gabriel “Skuzzy” Zolman is a St. Louis promoter, DJ, writer, performance artist, and movie nut who produces and hosts a monthly show at the downtown nightclub The Crack Fox. He calls his show Subversion and describes it as a “post-industrial variety show”. Subversion features music, magic, comedy, burlesque dancers, and more and every month he has a different theme. One month the theme was Ed Wood and he recreated, on stage, some dance numbers from ORGY OF THE DEAD. He once dove into a box of hypodermic needles to recreate a scene from SAW 2. Needless to say, Mr. Zolman is devoted to his art (or just nuts)!

This Friday (December 9th) the Subversion show is called Blood Kwanzaa and it’s got a Blaxploitation theme! Of course you can’t have a Blaxploitation-themed show without Pam Grier so I’ll be teaming up with the Subversion crew and opening the show with some Super-8 Blaxploitation Movie Madness! I’ll be showing 18-minute condensed versions, on super-8 sound film, of COFFY, SHAFT, and THE KLANSMAN! The first two are urban classics and the third features a young O.J. Simpson murdering white folks almost twenty years before he did so in real life!!

From the Facebook invite:

“Subversion pimps out Christmas like Mrs. Claus during the off-season! We officially cross the line this time, but as always with style! Tons of guest performances (including jive turkeys like FOXY LA FEELION and PARIS VERSACE AMOR!) and outrageous antics (A HUMAN SOUL FOOD BUFFET?!?! ….BURLESQUE, FIRE, DRAG, POLE, and more! It’s a blaxploitation celebration unto utmost damnation! Sweet Dolemite have mercy! Music by SHADOW THIEVES, with an exclusive bootyhouse set by GGJIM! “No, Ike–that’s my good eye!”
There will also be a pervy Ghetto Santa dispensing cheap-ass gifts, zombie elfs, and…probably a lot of stuff that will get us in trouble. You won’t want to miss it!”

The show is this Friday, December 9th. The Crack Fox is located at 1114 Olive (at Tucker) in Downtown St. Louis. Cover charge is $7. The show starts with an hour of Super-8′s at 9pm

Leg ‘er down ‘n smack ‘em yak ‘em !!!

The Facebook Invite is HERE

Special Event with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s hitRECord on Jan. 26

Sundance Institute announced today the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Festival will be held January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “The fact that most of the Premieres have been produced completely independently further underscores the resourcefulness and tenacity of filmmakers in this climate. That drive and entrepreneurial spirit has pushed narrative and documentary filmmakers alike to create rich stories which will entertain and inspire audiences at the festival and in the year to come.”

Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “Featuring one of the most influential directors of all time returning to his Brooklyn roots as well as emerging filmmakers tackling big issues with sophistication beyond their experience, our Premieres section has much to offer – including a live performance/exhibition by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s open collaborative production company hitRECord that defies categorization. Our Documentary Premieres section features equally impressive filmmakers at the top of their game who have crafted impactful films that will both dazzle and enlighten.”

PREMIERES
A showcase of some of the most highly anticipated dramatic films of the coming year from new and established directors. Presented by Entertainment Weekly. Each is a world premiere.

2 Days in New York / France (Director: Julie Delpy, Screenwriters: Julie Delpy, Alexia Landeau) — Marion has broken up with Jack and now lives in New York with their child. A visit from her family, the different cultural background of her new boyfriend, her sister’s ex-boyfriend, and her upcoming photo exhibition make for an explosive mix. Cast: Julie Delpy, Chris Rock, Albert Delpy, Alexia Landeau, Alex Nahon.

Arbitrage / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas Jarecki) — A hedge-fund magnate is in over his head, desperately trying to complete the sale of his trading empire before the depths of his fraud are revealed. An unexpected, bloody error forces him to turn to the most unlikely corner for help. Cast: Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth, Brit Marling, Nate Parker.

Bachelorette / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Leslye Headland) — Unresolved issues between four high school friends come roaring back to life when the least popular of them gets engaged to one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City and asks the others to be bridesmaids in her wedding. Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, James Marsden, Adam Scott, Kyle Bornheimer.

California Solo / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marshall Lewy) — A former Britpop rocker has long settled for an unfettered life working on a farm outside of L.A. When he’s caught driving drunk and faces deportation, he must confront past and current demons in his life to stay in the country. Cast: Robert Carlyle, Alexia Rasmussen, Kathleen Wilhoite, A Martinez, Danny Masterson.

Celeste and Jesse Forever / U.S.A. (Director: Lee Toland Krieger, Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack) — Celeste and Jesse met in high school, married young, and at 30, decide to get divorced but remain best friends while pursuing other relationships. Cast: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Ari Graynor, Chris Messina, Elijah Wood, Emma Roberts.

For A Good Time, Call… / U.S.A. (Director: Jamie Travis, Screenwriters: Katie Anne Naylon & Lauren Anne Miller) — Lauren and Katie move in together after a loss of a relationship and a loss of a rent controlled home, respectively. When Lauren learns what Katie does for a living the two enter into a wildly unconventional business venture. Cast: Ari Graynor, Lauren Anne Miller, Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk.

GOATS / U.S.A. (Director: Christopher Neil, Screenwriter: Mark Jude Poirier) — Ellis leaves his unconventional desert home to attend the disciplined and structured Gates Academy. There, he re-connects with his estranged father and for the first time questions the family dynamics. Cast: David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Justin Kirk, Ty Burrell.

LAY THE FAVORITE / U.S.A. (Director: Stephen Frears, Screenwriter: D.V. DeVincentis) — An adventurous young woman gets involved with a group of geeky older men who have found a way to work the sportsbook system in Las Vegas to their advantage. Cast: Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Rebecca Hall.

Liberal Arts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Radnor) — When 30-something Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that springs up between them. Cast: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, John Magaro, Elizabeth Reaser.

Price Check / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Walker) — Pete is having trouble resolving a happy marriage and family life with rising debt and a job he hates. When his new boss pulls him into the maelstrom that is her life, money and opportunities come his way, but at what price? Cast: Parker Posey, Eric Mabius, Annie Parisse, Josh Pais, Cheyenne Jackson.

Red Hook Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Spike Lee, Screenwriters: James McBride, Spike Lee) — A young Atlanta boy spends his summer in Brooklyn with his grandfather, who he’s never seen before. Cast: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd.

Red Lights / U.S.A., Spain (Director and screenwriter: Rodrigo Cortés) — Psychologist Margaret Matheson and her assistant study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic. Cast: Cillian Murphy, Sigourney Weaver, Robert De Niro, Elizabeth Olsen, Toby Jones.

Robot and Frank / U.S.A. (Director: Jake Schreier, Screenwriter: Christopher Ford) — A curmudgeonly older dad’s grown kids install a robot as his caretaker. Cast: Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler. SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM

Shadow Dancer / United Kingdom (Director: James Marsh, Screenwriter: Tom Bradby) — When a widowed mother is arrested in an aborted bomb plot she must make hard choices to protect her son in this heart-wrenching thriller. Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Aidan Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, with Gillian Anderson and Clive Owen.

The Words / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal) — Aspiring writer Rory Jansen finds another man’s haunting memories in a collection of lost stories and claims them as his own, propelling him to literary stardom. Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde with Zoe Saldana. CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Special event: Hit RECord at the Movies with Joseph Gordon-Levitt — Be a part of the process by joining Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the global hitRECord community for a special one-time-only interactive exploration of the power of making things together. Gordon-Levitt will showcase works that have been created from the collaborative hitRECord production company and invite the audience to engage, interact and contribute to the event using their digital devices. The event will be recorded, with footage posted on their website for all to enjoy and be inspired by. hitRECord, which launched with an installation in the New Frontier section of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, returns to the Festival to showcase the project’s evolution and potential for creative experimentation.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
Created to highlight the growing impact and popularity of documentaries in our world today, Documentary Premieres presents eight moving new films about big subjects or by master filmmakers that showcase the power of the form. Each is a world premiere.

About Face / U.S.A. (Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders) — An exploration of beauty and aging through the stories of the original supermodels. Participants including Isabella Rossellini, Christie Brinkley, Beverly Johnson, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Paulina Porizkova, Jerry Hall and Christy Turlington weigh in on the fashion industry and how they reassess and redefine their own sense of beauty as their careers progress.

BONES BRIGADE: An Autobiography / U.S.A. (Director: Stacy Peralta) — When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.

The D Word: Understanding Dyslexia / U.S.A. (Director: James Redford) — While following a Dyslexic high school senior struggling to achieve his dream of getting into a competitive college, The D Word exposes myths about Dyslexia and reveals cutting edge research to elucidate this widely misunderstood condition.

ETHEL / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — This intimate, surprising portrait of Ethel Kennedy provides an insider’s view of a political dynasty, including Ethel’s life with Robert F. Kennedy and the years following his death when she raised their eleven children on her own.

A Fierce Green Fire / U.S.A. (Director: Mark Kitchell) — A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present.

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP / United Kingdom (Director: Ice-T, Co-Director: Andy Baybutt) — Through conversations with Rap’s most influential artists – among them Chuck D, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, MC Lyte, Mos Def, and Kanye West – Ice-T explores the roots and history of Rap and reveals the creative process behind this now dominant art form.

Untitled Paul Simon Project / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Paul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash he sparked for allegedly breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa, designed to end Apartheid.

West of Memphis / U.S.A. (Director: Amy Berg) — Three teenage boys are incarcerated for the murders of three 8-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas. 19 years later, new evidence calls into question the convictions and raises issues of judicial, prosecutorial and jury misconduct – showing that the first casualty of a corrupt justice system is the truth.

The Sundance Film Festival
A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julien, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase SapphireSM; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, Grey Goose® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTubeTM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America.

Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Super-8 CHILDREN’S CANCER FUNDRAISER Movie Madness is December 6th. Super-8 Movie Madness is teaming up with Roger’s Reels and The National Children’s Cancer Society for the next big show December 6th at The Way out Club. The cover charge is $4.00 and all of that money will be donated to the The National Children’s Cancer Society to help find a cure for cancer in kids.

Roger will be bringing by three 16mm prints from his collection to share. They are: The Little Rascals short A LAD AND A LAMP, the episode Superman Gets Married from the ’50s Superman TV show starring George Reeves, and The Munsters episode “John Doe Munster”. The Super-8 Sound films (condensed from features, they average 15 minutes in length) to also be projected on a large screen December 6th are: Burt Reynolds in SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, THIS ISLAND EARTH, Tony Curtis in THE BOSTON STRANGLER, Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier in THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in THE RAVEN, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN, The Three Stooges in THREE SAPPY PEOPLE, Danny Kaye in THE MAN FROM THE DINER’S CLUB, JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT, and a Puppettoon History of Music.

There will be lots of posters and T-Shirts and stuff given away. The Way Out Club is located at 2525 Jefferson Avenue in South St. Louis (corner of Jefferson and Gravois). The show starts at 8pmThere are yummy Way-Out pizzas available for only $8.00.

Park City, UT – Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Film Festival will take place January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.

Robert Redford, Founder and President of Sundance Institute remarked, “We are, and always have been, a festival about the filmmakers. So what are they doing? What are they saying? They are making statements about the changing world we are living in. Some are straight-forward, some novel and some offbeat but always interesting. One can never predict. We know only at the end, and I love that.”

John Cooper, Director of the Sundance Film Festival, said, “In these challenging economic times, filmmakers have had to be more resourceful and truly independent in their approaches to filmmaking. Looking at this year’s submissions, the result is more fully realized visions and stronger stories; we are proud to see the Festival emerging as a key indicator of the health and creativity of our filmmaking community. The overall quality of the films in the 2012 Competition section will make for an exciting Festival and a remarkable year ahead for independent film audiences everywhere.”

For the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, 110 feature-length films were selected, representing 31 countries and 44 first-time filmmakers, including 26 in competition. These films were selected from 4,042 featurelength film submissions composed of 2,059 U.S. and 1,983 international feature-length films. 88 films at the Festival will be world premieres.

In addition to the four Competition categories, the Festival presents feature-length films in six out-ofcompetition sections. Films in the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, and New Frontier sections will be announced on December 1. Films in the Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections will be announced on December 5.

On Day One, the Festival will screen one narrative film and one documentary from both the U.S. and World Cinema competitions, as well as one shorts program.

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said, “The enthusiasm and optimism of John Cooper and his programming team this year is infectious; we are all excited to unveil and experience their selections for the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. On behalf of my colleagues at the Sundance Institute we are pleased to introduce new storytellers to our audience, welcome new and returning filmmakers to the Festival and kick off a lively cultural dialogue for 2012.”

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION
The world premieres of 16 American narrative feature films.

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The Comedy / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Robert Donne, Colm O’Leary) — Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson whiles away his days with a group of aging Brooklyn hipsters, engaging in small acts of recreational cruelty and pacified boredom. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alexia Rassmusen, Gregg Turkington.

The End of Love / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mark Webber) — A young father unravels following the loss of the mother of his child. Cast: Mark Webber, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Amanda Seyfried, Frankie Shaw.

Filly Brown / U.S.A. (Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, Screenwriter: Youssef Delara) — A Hip Hop-driven drama about a Mexican girl who rises to fame and consciousness as she copes with the incarceration of her mother through music. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos.

The First Time / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jonathan Kasdan) — Two high schoolers meet at a party. Over the course of a weekend, things turn magical, romantic, complicated and funny, as they discover what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. Cast: Brittany Robertson, Dylan O’Brien, Craig Roberts, James Frecheville, Victoria Justice.

For Ellen / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: So Yong Kim) — A struggling musician takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter. Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, Shay Mandigo.

Hello I Must Be Going / U.S.A. (Director: Todd Louiso, Screenwriter: Sarah Koskoff) — Divorced, childless, demoralized and condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35, Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak – until the unexpected attention of a teenage boy changes everything. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Abbott, John Rubinstein, Julie White. DAY ONE FILM

Keep the Lights On / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias) —An autobiographically inspired story of a passionate long-term relationship between two men driven by addiction and secrets but bound by love and hopefulness. Cast: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane, Paprika Steen.

LUV / U.S.A. (Director: Sheldon Candis, Screenwriters: Sheldon Candis, Justin Wilson) — An orphaned 11-year-old boy is forced to face the unpleasant truth about his beloved uncle during one harrowing day in the streets of Baltimore. Cast: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton.

Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissant, Edwina Findley.

Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karen Soni.

Save the Date / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Mohan, Screenwriters: Jeffrey Brown, Egan Reich, Michael Mohan) — As her sister Beth prepares to get married, Sarah finds herself caught up in an intense post-breakup rebound. The two fumble through the redefined emotional landscape of modern day relationships, forced to relearn how to love and be loved. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber.

Simon Killer / France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Antonio Campos) — A recent college graduate goes to Paris after breaking up with his girlfriend of 5 years. Once there, he falls in love with a young prostitute and their fateful journey begins. Cast: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Constance Rousseau, Michael Abiteboul, Solo.

Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and… drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist with an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

The Atomic States of America / U.S.A. (Directors: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce) — In 2010, the United States announced construction of the first new nuclear power plant in more than 32 years. A year later, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan sparking a fierce debate in the U.S. over the safety and viability of nuclear power.

Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

DETROPIA /U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare / U.S.A. (Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke) — What can be done to save our broken medical system? Powerful forces are trying to maintain the status quo in a profit-driven medical industry, but a movement to bring innovative methods of prevention and healing is finally gaining ground – potentially saving the health of a nation.

Finding North /U.S.A. (Directors: Lori Silverbush, Kristi Jacobson) — A crisis of hunger looms in America and is not limited to the poverty stricken and uneducated. Can a return to policies of the 1970s save our future?

The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

How to Survive a Plague / U.S.A. (Director: David France) — The untold story of the intensive efforts that turned AIDS into a manageable condition – and the improbable group of (mostly HIV-positive) young men and women whose amazing resilience broke through a time of rampant death and political indifference.

The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

Marina Abramović The Artist is Present / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Akers) — Marina Abramović prepares for a major retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York hoping to finally silence four decades of skeptics who proclaim: ‘But why is this art?’

ME at the ZOO / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Moukarbel, Valerie Veatch) — With 270 million hits to date, Chris Crocker, an uncanny young video blogger from small town Tennessee, is considered the Internet’s first rebel folk hero and at the same time one of its most controversial personalities.

The Other Dream Team / Lithuania, U.S.A. (Director: Marius Markevicius) — The 1992 Lithuanian National Basketball Team went from the clutches of Communism to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona – a testament to the powerful role of sports as a catalyst for cultural identity.

The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire collapses and their house is foreclosed. Their rags-to-riches-to-rags story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. DAY ONE FILM

Slavery By Another Name / U.S.A. (Director: Sam Pollard) — As slavery came to an end with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, a new system of involuntary servitude took its place with shocking force, brutalizing, terrorizing and ultimately circumscribing the lives of hundreds of thousands of African Americans well into the 20th century.

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

We’re Not Broke / U.S.A. (Directors: Karin Hayes, Victoria Bruce) — As American lawmakers slash budgets and lay off employees, leaving many people scrambling to survive, multibillion-dollar corporations are concealing colossal profits overseas to avoid paying U.S. income tax. Fed-up Americans are taking their frustration to the streets.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Fourteen films from emerging filmmaking talents offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

4 Suns / Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Bohdan Sláma) — Immature Fogi attempts to straighten up and accept his responsibilities as a new husband and father, as well as role model to his troubled son from a previous relationship, but finds himself unable to change his nature, leaving him to watch haplessly as his family begins to crumble. Cast: Jaroslav Plesl, Aňa Geislerová, Karel Roden, Jiří Mádl, Klára Melíšková. World Premiere

About the Pink Sky / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Keiichi Kobayashi) — A high school girl finds a wallet full of money and tracks down its owner, leading to unexpected consequences for the girl and her friends. Cast: Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara, Tsubasa Takayama, Hakusyu Togetsuan. International Premiere

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Ucer, Serdar Orcin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci. World Premiere

Father’s Chair (A Cadeira do Pai) / Brazil (Director: Luciano Moura, Screenwriters: Elena Soarez, Luciano Moura) — Following the trail of his runaway teen son, Theo confronts his own identity as a son, a father and a man along the way. Cast: Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima. World Premiere

L / Greece (Director: Babis Makridis, Screenwriters: Efthymis Filippou, Babis Makridis) — A man who lives in his car gets caught up in the undeclared war between motorcycle riders and car drivers. Cast: Aris Servetalis, Makis Papadimitriou, Lefteris Mathaios, Nota Tserniafski, Stavros Raptis. World Premiere

The Last Elvis (El Ultimo Elvis) / Argentina (Director: Armando Bo, Screenwriters: Nicolás Giacobone and Armando Bo) — A Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who believes that he is the reincarnation of the King struggles to shake free from reality and live his musical dream. Cast: John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez. World Premiere

Madrid, 1987 / Spain (Director and screenwriter: David Trueba) — The balance of power and desire constantly shifts during the meeting of an older journalist and a young student, of two generations completely foreign to one another. Cast: José Sacristán, María Valverde, Ramon Fontserè. International Premiere

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed. World Premiere

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen. World Premiere

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid. World Premiere

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías. International Premiere

Wish You Were Here / Australia (Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith, Screenwriters: Felicity Price, Kieran Darcy-Smith) — Four friends embark on a carefree holiday, but only three return home. Who knows what happened on that fateful night? Cast: Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price, Antony Starr. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

WRONG / France (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux) — Dolph searches for his lost dog, but through encounters with a nympho pizza-delivery girl, a jogging neighbor seeking the absolute, and a mysterious righter of wrongs, he may eventually lose his mind… and his identity. Cast: Jack Plotnick, Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena, Steve Little, William Fichtner. World Premiere

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmakers working today.

½ REVOLUTION / Denmark (Directors: Omar Shargawi, Karim El Hakim) — In January 2011, two filmmakers captured the reality of the Egyptian revolution as it occurred out of view from the world’s media in the alleyways and streets away from the square – and in the process were arrested by the secret police. North American Premiere

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world. International Premiere

THE AMBASSADOR / Denmark (Director: Mads Brügger) — What happens when a very white European man buys his way into being a diplomat in one of Central Africa’s most failed nations? Welcome to the bizarre and hidden world of African diplomacy, where gin and tonics flow and diamond hustlers and corrupt politicians run free. North American Premiere

BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* / Sweden (Director: Fredrik Gertten) — The behind-the-scenes story of a full-scale attack on freedom of speech. When Dole set its sights on the WG Film production Bananas!* in May 2009, confusion was the method, aggression was the tactic and media control was the story. North American Premiere

China Heavyweight / Canada, China (Director: Yung Chang) — In central China, where a coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions, the top students face dramatic choices as they graduate – should they fight for the collective good or for themselves? A metaphor for the choices everyone in the New China faces now. World Premiere

Gypsy Davy / Israel, U.S.A., Spain (Director: Rachel Leah Jones) — How does a white boy with Alabama roots become a Flamenco guitarist in Andalusian boots? A tale of self-invention and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of the cost to others. International Premiere

The Imposter / United Kingdom (Director: Bart Layton) — In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in Spain with a shocking story of kidnap and torture. But all is not what it seems in this tale that is truly stranger than fiction. World Premiere

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. World Premiere

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population. International Premiere

Payback / Canada (Director: Jennifer Baichwal) — Based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling book, Payback explores how debt is a central organizing principle in our lives – influencing relationships, societies, governing structures and the very fate of this planet. World Premiere

Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. North American Premiere

Searching for Sugar Man / Denmark, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

The Sundance Film Festival
A program of the non-profit Sundance Institute, the Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most ground-breaking films of the past two decades, including sex, lies, and videotape, Maria Full of Grace, The Cove, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious, Trouble the Water, and Napoleon Dynamite, and through its New Frontier initiative, has showcased the cinematic works of media artists including Isaac Julian, Doug Aitken, Pierre Huyghe, Jennifer Steinkamp, and Matthew Barney. The 2012 Sundance Film Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Entertainment Weekly, HP, Acura, Sundance Channel and Chase SapphireSM; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe Systems Incorporated, Bing™, Canon, DIRECTV, Focus Forward, a partnership between GE and CINELAN, Southwest Airlines, Sprint and Yahoo!; Sustaining Sponsors – Bertolli® Frozen Meal Soups, FilterForGood®, a partnership between Brita® and Nalgene®, Grey Goose® Vodka, Hilton HHonors and Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, L’Oréal Paris, Stella Artois®, Timberland, Time Warner Inc. and YouTubeTM. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations will defray costs associated with the 10-day Festival and the nonprofit Sundance Institute’s year-round programs for independent film and theatre artists. www.sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Sundance Institute is a global nonprofit organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Through its artistic development programs for directors, screenwriters, producers, composers and playwrights, the Institute seeks to discover and support independent film and theatre artists from the United States and around the world, and to introduce audiences to their new work. The Institute promotes independent storytelling to inform, inspire, and unite diverse populations around the globe. Internationally recognized for its annual Sundance Film Festival, Sundance Institute has nurtured such projects as Born into Brothels, Trouble the Water, Son of Babylon, Amreeka, An Inconvenient Truth, Spring Awakening, I Am My Own Wife, Light in the Piazza and Angels in America.

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It was a late night down at the Ballpark Hilton where Cinema St. Louis held their annual post-fest awards party for the St. Louis International Film Festival last night. The most coveted prize is the audience-choice award and this year it was a bit of a surprise when IN DARKNESS was announced as the winner. THE DESCENDANTS or THE ARTIST both seemed like more obvious choices but Agnieszka Holland’s drama about Jewish refugees living in the sewers beneath in Nazi-occupied Poland apparently wowed St. Louis audiences enough to take home the prize. It was not a film that We Are Movie Geeks was able to review in our extensive coverage of the fest, but one we will certainly look forward to seeing and reviewing.  THE ARTIST received the second highest number of votes and was named “Best Foreign Narrative Feature”. Big congratulations to Cinema St. Louis. This was their 20th annual International Film Festival and attendance was reportedly “through the roof”. We Are Movie Geeks was proud to cover and help promote the event and look forward to next year.

Here are all the winners of the 20th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival:

New Filmmakers Forum Award

This review originally ran when BRICK BY CHANCE & FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY played at the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase

As a native St. Louisan, I guess I’ve just taken the red bricks that constitute much of the structure of our city for granted. But according to BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY, a perceptive new documentary by Bill Streeter, we have a rich and unique heritage of bricks to be proud of; beautiful red ones that are a result of the ‘Clay Colossu’, the abundance of Mississippi Valley red clay here that was so important to the clay-working and brick-making companies that were such a big industry in our city beginning in the nineteenth century. One’s enjoyment of BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE may depend on how much you want to hear academics speak about bricks and it seems at first glance like an narrow focus for a documentary. Streeter, the creator of the internet video program and blog Lo-Fi St. Louis, got the idea for his doc when his out-of-town friends kept commenting on the beauty of St. Louis’ brick buildings and the end result is a surprisingly lively history lesson that, at one hour, never wears out its welcome.

Architectural historian Michael Allen, ‘Preservationist Activist Blogger’ Toby Weiss, Missouri History Museum Director Robert Archibald, and Missouri Department of Resources geologist Mimi Garstug are some of the narrators on hand to discuss our city’s brick history in BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY, a history which dates back to before the Civil War. Streeter sets his talking-head interviews to a musical soundtrack that includes locals Mat Wilson, Pokey LaFarge, the Rum Drum Ramblers and the South City Three. He spaces these interviews out with montage focusing on the many brick buildings throughout St. Louis as well as vintage photos and illustrations. The history lesson begins with the great St. Louis fire of 1849. Hundreds of steamboats and paddle boats were moored at our wharf when the fire broke out on one of them, spreading from boat to boat until it reached the buildings resulting in the gutting of a significant portion of the city (a stunning photo of the destruction is shown). It was then that new regulations and building codes were drawn up resulting in St. Louis being rebuilt in brick. Bill Allen, the former (and final) president of Hydraulic-Press Brick Company is interviewed. Hydraulic-Press, located at Manchester and Kingshighway, was at one time the largest brick company in the world. Every city wanted our superior red bricks and Hydraulic shipped them by train across the country. Larry Giles, president of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation, notes that Chicago’s buildings are constructed with ‘Chicago Common’, a less-attractive, yellow-tinged brick he describes as “probably the worst bricks ever manufactured” (Ha! Lame-ass yellow bricks!!). Streeter takes his camera to the buildings the talking heads are referring to and these shots of buildings we’ve driven by and never noticed are eye-opening in context of what the narrators are saying about them. The bricklayers who assembled these buildings are praised as the artisans that they were. The way bricks are spaced, embossed and inset with various patterns is shown as a forgotten art form and another reason to appreciate and expand of our perception of St. Louis’ buildings.

Unfortunately, brick poachers from out-of-state love St. Louis bricks, too. And they’re stealing them. In the final chapter of BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY, Streeter trains his camera on the mean streets of North St. Louis where entire blocks of homes have been stolen by brick thieves. A City Alderman tells of trucks that roll into St. Louis from as far away as Alabama and Louisiana to steal our bricks, often in broad daylight. Local preservationists address this issue and label it a crisis but are frustrated that police consider brick thieves a low priority. Like anything we see every day, brick is largely taken for granted, which is why BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY is such a revelation. Even viewers who’ve never given St. Louis brick a second thought should be impressed how Streeter unexpectedly manages to turn a seemingly narrow subject into the type of relevant discourse that a great documentary should be.

Showtime
Sunday, November 20th at 4:00pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema