Last week I offered up my top 5 fiction films to look out for in 2013, and as promised, here is my non-fiction list of films coming through the pipeline bound to make an impression and impact this year. Two are profiles of influential iconic American activists whose work and spirit have left indelible marks on their generation and reintroduction through the docs will serve to celebrate and carry on their positive influence as Latinos. The other films deal with redefining our perception of American identity, gender and human rights while wielding cinematic ingenuity and power. As these films prove, docs can be just as striking in their characterization and cinematic form as their fiction counterparts, in addition to their intrinsic educational value. Take note, all of these are seeking opportunities to engage with their audiences so again click on the links to follow and show your interest in their work so we can bring awareness and demand their exhibition.
1. Las Marthas by Cristina Ibarra, produced by Erin Ploss-Campoamor
In Laredo Texas, there exists a debutante ball held by the exclusive Society of Martha Washington that takes place every year celebrating George Washington's birthday. A 114 year-old tradition, the lavish affair presents members' daughters- all of aristocratic pedigree and lineage dating back to the foundation of Texas, who dress up in grand, colonial gowns representing characters from the American Revolution. Las Marthas follows a couple of high achieving, bi-literate and conscious young Mexican Americans going through the lengthy preparations as they enter this rite of passage that ends with a parade that draws huge crowds. What's especially remarkable about the whole patriotic event is that we are talking about a city that is 94% Latino. Laredo became part of Texas in 1848, when everything north of the Rio Grande became the United States. Many families who stayed, benefited off the oil boom and settled into an upper class aristocracy. Many generations later these are still the most prominent Laredo citizens and proud bearers of this historic tradition.
I'm so proud of this chicana sister for revealing this world. She has intuitively seized on and explored this unique legacy, which clearly demonstrates the vibrant bi-culture of Texas and shows how aptly the founding father narrative belongs to Mexican Americans. She is also working on a fiction feature titled Love and Monster Trucks about an 18-year-old Chicana artist named Impala Mata who can't wait to escape her 4x4 truck-obsessed, Texas bordertown family. Sounds so cool. Need to track that one too. Filmmakers website here
2. Cesar'S Last Fast by Richard Ray Perez, produced by Molly O'Brien
Back in the Spring on Chavez's anniversary I wrote about this documentary in progress here on the site. Cut to today and I’m happy to share it is just about ripe and ready for its premiere. Wisely and effectively entering the vast legacy by angling on Chavez's 1988 Fast for Life, the film focuses on conveying the private sacrifice and spiritual conviction behind Chavez's struggle for the humane treatment of American farm workers. With each and every day adding up that he refused to eat in protest of the rampant use and ill effects of growers spraying pesticides on farm workers, Chavez seriously risked his health and life and in turn inspired a nation. It boasts never-before-seen footage in which artists and activists came to see him, endeared in solidarity by his fortitude, including the likes of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Kennedy family, interviews with his son Paul Chavez, Chicano filmmaker Luis Valdez, activist veteran, Dolores Huerta and Martin Sheen, along with showing the press hoopla this man was able to attract back then It’s taken years for the family to trust someone with his story so it’s telling that Rick has managed to gain their support.
Film contact <CesarsLastFast@earthlink.net>
Website, Facebook
3. Ruben Salazar: Man In The Middle by Phillip Rodriguez, produced by City Projects
On August 29 1970, just as the Chicano Moratorium March, a protest denouncing the extremely high number of Chicano soldier casualties in Vietnam (front of the line browns), was winding down, a tear gas canister was suddenly thrown by La County police into the old Silver Platter Cafe on Whittier Blvd, killing the pioneering civil rights journalist Ruben Salazar. Set to broadcast on PBS in the Fall, this documentary is the first thorough investigation into the life and mysterious death of Salazar who was raised in El Paso and went on to become a brilliant reporter covering Vietnam, the Olympics and the Chicano movement for the La Times and Kmex TV 34 television, making him the first Mexican American to cover news for mainstream outlets. In that critical and turbulent moment in the Chicano rights movement, Salazar gave voice, rationale and dignity to Chicanos’ fight to demand equality. An inquest was later regarding his untimely death made but murder charges were never brought. Instead Los Angeles County paid $700,000 to the Salazar family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Just last month, after two years of requests, Philip Rodriguez finally won the battle to uncover case details when Maldefsued Sheriff Lee Baca for withholding unredacted records regarding the 42 year old case. This new unearthed footage, photos and documents will appear in the film along with interviews with Salazar’s family, friends, colleagues as well as the deputy who threw the fatal tear gas missile, Tom Wilson. So the story goes, there had been allegedly a tip that an armed man entered the bar (hence blindly throwing tear gas while folks were in there?). For the first time we might get answers and insight surrounding the mysterious and suspicious circumstances of this leading Latino voice. As quoted on Kpcc, Phillip Rodriguez says, “I think this is one of the most important stories that has remained on the margins and that has been characterized as a regional or an ethnic story and it’s a fantastic American story”.
4. The Wildness by Wu Tsang produced by Kathy Rivkin
Although this premiered at a few noteworthy film festivals in 2012 including Austin's SXSW, Outfest in Los Angeles and Moma in NYC last December, I’m thrilled to know there is still a long life ahead towards sharing this beautiful experience with the public so it definitely deserves to be on the Watch Out For list. A dazzling requiem to the 7th & Alvarado corner bar joint, Silver Platter, specifically the transformation and haven as a Latin/Lgbt/immigrant community spurred on by the introduction of performance parties known as Wildness, produced by a fiercely talented collective including Wu Tsang, the director of the film. The intersection of stories and people borne out of that multi cultural, trans and cross-generational magic potion is fascinating and poignant to behold in this cinematic and audiovisual piece. The cinematography captures the wonderful and tragic beauty, and by personifying the bar as a majestic hostess welcoming all wayward transients, the film pulses with heart. Currently looking for distribution opportunities (repped by Cinetic). Check out the trailer below and go to the Facebook for more info.
5. Who Is Dayani Crystal? by Marc Silver, produced by Canana and Pulse
I highlighted this unique docu-drama about the discovery of a migrant found dead in the border desert and the unfolding mystery of his identity with the parallel of retracing his journey, as part of my Wtf is Latino at Sundance post. The film will open the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival this Thursday and I will be onsite to cover the audience's reaction (Don't forget to follow me on twitter for my sporadic Sff coverage). Not only is it a feat of ingenuity in the way the narrative is structured, it's an extremely urgent topic deserving a larger audience to provoke more humanity and thought into the pressing immigration reform debate. I guarantee this one will travel to many festivals in 2012 and get theatrical distribution, in no small part helped by the compassionate and driven producer and narrator, Gael Garcia Bernal. Last year, Searching for Sugarman screened in the same Day One screening slot, was subsequently snapped up by Sony Pictures and as of last week officially nominated for an Academy Award. Hmmmm. Get updates by following their twitter @DayaniCristal
Film Contact: lucas@pulsefilms.co.uk...
1. Las Marthas by Cristina Ibarra, produced by Erin Ploss-Campoamor
In Laredo Texas, there exists a debutante ball held by the exclusive Society of Martha Washington that takes place every year celebrating George Washington's birthday. A 114 year-old tradition, the lavish affair presents members' daughters- all of aristocratic pedigree and lineage dating back to the foundation of Texas, who dress up in grand, colonial gowns representing characters from the American Revolution. Las Marthas follows a couple of high achieving, bi-literate and conscious young Mexican Americans going through the lengthy preparations as they enter this rite of passage that ends with a parade that draws huge crowds. What's especially remarkable about the whole patriotic event is that we are talking about a city that is 94% Latino. Laredo became part of Texas in 1848, when everything north of the Rio Grande became the United States. Many families who stayed, benefited off the oil boom and settled into an upper class aristocracy. Many generations later these are still the most prominent Laredo citizens and proud bearers of this historic tradition.
I'm so proud of this chicana sister for revealing this world. She has intuitively seized on and explored this unique legacy, which clearly demonstrates the vibrant bi-culture of Texas and shows how aptly the founding father narrative belongs to Mexican Americans. She is also working on a fiction feature titled Love and Monster Trucks about an 18-year-old Chicana artist named Impala Mata who can't wait to escape her 4x4 truck-obsessed, Texas bordertown family. Sounds so cool. Need to track that one too. Filmmakers website here
2. Cesar'S Last Fast by Richard Ray Perez, produced by Molly O'Brien
Back in the Spring on Chavez's anniversary I wrote about this documentary in progress here on the site. Cut to today and I’m happy to share it is just about ripe and ready for its premiere. Wisely and effectively entering the vast legacy by angling on Chavez's 1988 Fast for Life, the film focuses on conveying the private sacrifice and spiritual conviction behind Chavez's struggle for the humane treatment of American farm workers. With each and every day adding up that he refused to eat in protest of the rampant use and ill effects of growers spraying pesticides on farm workers, Chavez seriously risked his health and life and in turn inspired a nation. It boasts never-before-seen footage in which artists and activists came to see him, endeared in solidarity by his fortitude, including the likes of Rev. Jesse Jackson, the Kennedy family, interviews with his son Paul Chavez, Chicano filmmaker Luis Valdez, activist veteran, Dolores Huerta and Martin Sheen, along with showing the press hoopla this man was able to attract back then It’s taken years for the family to trust someone with his story so it’s telling that Rick has managed to gain their support.
Film contact <CesarsLastFast@earthlink.net>
Website, Facebook
3. Ruben Salazar: Man In The Middle by Phillip Rodriguez, produced by City Projects
On August 29 1970, just as the Chicano Moratorium March, a protest denouncing the extremely high number of Chicano soldier casualties in Vietnam (front of the line browns), was winding down, a tear gas canister was suddenly thrown by La County police into the old Silver Platter Cafe on Whittier Blvd, killing the pioneering civil rights journalist Ruben Salazar. Set to broadcast on PBS in the Fall, this documentary is the first thorough investigation into the life and mysterious death of Salazar who was raised in El Paso and went on to become a brilliant reporter covering Vietnam, the Olympics and the Chicano movement for the La Times and Kmex TV 34 television, making him the first Mexican American to cover news for mainstream outlets. In that critical and turbulent moment in the Chicano rights movement, Salazar gave voice, rationale and dignity to Chicanos’ fight to demand equality. An inquest was later regarding his untimely death made but murder charges were never brought. Instead Los Angeles County paid $700,000 to the Salazar family to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit.
Just last month, after two years of requests, Philip Rodriguez finally won the battle to uncover case details when Maldefsued Sheriff Lee Baca for withholding unredacted records regarding the 42 year old case. This new unearthed footage, photos and documents will appear in the film along with interviews with Salazar’s family, friends, colleagues as well as the deputy who threw the fatal tear gas missile, Tom Wilson. So the story goes, there had been allegedly a tip that an armed man entered the bar (hence blindly throwing tear gas while folks were in there?). For the first time we might get answers and insight surrounding the mysterious and suspicious circumstances of this leading Latino voice. As quoted on Kpcc, Phillip Rodriguez says, “I think this is one of the most important stories that has remained on the margins and that has been characterized as a regional or an ethnic story and it’s a fantastic American story”.
4. The Wildness by Wu Tsang produced by Kathy Rivkin
Although this premiered at a few noteworthy film festivals in 2012 including Austin's SXSW, Outfest in Los Angeles and Moma in NYC last December, I’m thrilled to know there is still a long life ahead towards sharing this beautiful experience with the public so it definitely deserves to be on the Watch Out For list. A dazzling requiem to the 7th & Alvarado corner bar joint, Silver Platter, specifically the transformation and haven as a Latin/Lgbt/immigrant community spurred on by the introduction of performance parties known as Wildness, produced by a fiercely talented collective including Wu Tsang, the director of the film. The intersection of stories and people borne out of that multi cultural, trans and cross-generational magic potion is fascinating and poignant to behold in this cinematic and audiovisual piece. The cinematography captures the wonderful and tragic beauty, and by personifying the bar as a majestic hostess welcoming all wayward transients, the film pulses with heart. Currently looking for distribution opportunities (repped by Cinetic). Check out the trailer below and go to the Facebook for more info.
5. Who Is Dayani Crystal? by Marc Silver, produced by Canana and Pulse
I highlighted this unique docu-drama about the discovery of a migrant found dead in the border desert and the unfolding mystery of his identity with the parallel of retracing his journey, as part of my Wtf is Latino at Sundance post. The film will open the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival this Thursday and I will be onsite to cover the audience's reaction (Don't forget to follow me on twitter for my sporadic Sff coverage). Not only is it a feat of ingenuity in the way the narrative is structured, it's an extremely urgent topic deserving a larger audience to provoke more humanity and thought into the pressing immigration reform debate. I guarantee this one will travel to many festivals in 2012 and get theatrical distribution, in no small part helped by the compassionate and driven producer and narrator, Gael Garcia Bernal. Last year, Searching for Sugarman screened in the same Day One screening slot, was subsequently snapped up by Sony Pictures and as of last week officially nominated for an Academy Award. Hmmmm. Get updates by following their twitter @DayaniCristal
Film Contact: lucas@pulsefilms.co.uk...
- 1/17/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Outfest 2012, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing, showcasing and protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (Lgbt) media, has announced the award winners of its 30th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
The nation’s leading Lgbt festival and the oldest continuously running film festival in the city ran from July 12th to 22nd. Outfest 2012 closed with Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning, starring Chris Colfer. Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Ashley Rickards.
Special Programming Awards
Special Programming Award for Freedom
Sponsored by The Mondrian Los Angeles
I Am A Woman Now, Directed by Michiel van Erp
For illuminating the stories of the first generation of transwomen who forged their paths with grace, courage, and fabulousness and the pioneering surgeon who changed history for transpeople everywhere, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to I Am A Woman Now, directed by Michiel van Erp.
Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
Sponsored by Fandango
She Male Snails, Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark
For its bold imagination, provocative storytelling, striking imagery and unshakable emotional impact, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Ester Martin Bergsmark, director of She Male Snails.
Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenmann Llp
Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director
For crafting a stylistically fearless film to match the excitement, danger and chaos that can erupt with youthful sexual exploration, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Marialy Rivas, the writer/director of Young & Wild.
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood
A Force Of Nature, Directed by Barbara Kopple
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Wolfe Video
The First Date, Directed by Janella Lacson
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
I Stand Corrected, Directed by Andrea Meyerson
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Innovative Artists
Any Day Now, Directed by Travis Fine
Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)
Mosquita Y Mari, (Isa:Film Collaborative), Directed by Aurora Guerrero
Jury Awards
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, Directed by Antony Osso.
For its sensitive portrayal of enduring love that spans seven decades, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film goes to The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, directed by Antony Osso.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Cre – Computer Rentals & Av Solutions
Dol (First Birthday), Directed Andrew Ahn
For its honest exploration of the complexities of culture, family and relationships, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film to Dol (First Birthday), directed by Andrew Ahn.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Avalon
Wildness, Directed by Wu Tsang
With beautiful cinematography, a vibrant score and poetic storytelling, this year’s winning documentary succeeded in taking on the complexities of class, culture and difference in a most timely and brave fashion. The Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to Wildness, directed by Wu Tsang.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club
My Brother The Devil, Directed by Sally El Hosaini
For its taut narrative, sensitive interrogation of masculinity, excellent performances by an ensemble cast, and intense cinematic experience, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film goes to My Brother The Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Sponsored by The Avenue Hollywood
Fenessa Pineda, Mosquita Y Mari
This actress brought nuance and subtlety to a fresh coming of age story. For beautifully capturing the fleeting moments of transition from innocence to curiosity to self-discovery, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film goes to Fenessa Pineda in Mosquita Y Mari.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Alan Cumming, Any Day Now
For bringing depth, humor, fierce wit, and emotional integrity to a moving portrait of a man who unexpectedly finds a family and the strength to fight for it, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film goes to Alan Cumming in Any Day Now.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Sponsored by Yellow Cab
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Keep The Lights On
For masterfully constructing an emotionally honest portrait of a relationship that spans the better part of a decade and artfully weaving the mundane and the momentous, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting goes to Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Keep The Lights On.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue
Keep The Lights On, (Isa: Films Boutique), Directed by Ira Sachs
This film resonated with us for its confidence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. For taking us on a challenging but poetic journey through the landscape of a long-term relationship, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film goes to Keep The Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs.
For more information, log on to http://www.outfest.org/fest2012/
To download high-res images, please visit: ftp://ftp.mprm.com/outfest2012
Outfest 2012: The 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment Services. Under the Stars Series Sponsor is presented by Oxygen. The Automotive Partner is Mini. Other sponsors at the Premiere level include: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, Directv, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Out, Variety and 104.3MYfm, The Official Sponsors are Barefoot Wines, Big Picture Group, Coca-Cola, Luca Bites, Lichter Yu & Associates, NBCUniversal, Orbitz, Propaganda Media, Room & Board, Southwest Airlines, Stella Artois, techpal, and Verizon Wireless. Day Sponsors are The David Geffen Foundation, Frontiers/InLA, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct Magazine, The Lesbian News, Lifetime, Logo, Sony Pictures, and Wells Fargo, Organizational Funders: Andrew Kuehn Foundation, City of West Hollywood, Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Foreign Press, and Los Angeles County Arts. For more information about Outfest 2012 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.
About Outfest
Outfest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012 with a yearlong celebration honoring the organization's rich film history, innovative filmmakers and cultural legacy. The anniversary celebration includes the signature film festival, a major film restoration, a new logo, a new monthly screening series and a comprehensive social media campaign. Founded by volunteers on the campus of UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into an internationally recognized organization that works to promote Lgbt equality through the arts. For three decades Outfest has brought together film lovers, artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to create a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform Lgbt lives. Outfest has showcased over 5,600 films to audiences, reaching close to one million people, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected over 18,000 stories and images through the Outfest Legacy Project for Lgbt Film Preservation, the only program of its kind in the world.
The nation’s leading Lgbt festival and the oldest continuously running film festival in the city ran from July 12th to 22nd. Outfest 2012 closed with Brian Dannelly’s Struck by Lightning, starring Chris Colfer. Allison Janney, Rebel Wilson, Christina Hendricks, Dermot Mulroney and Ashley Rickards.
Special Programming Awards
Special Programming Award for Freedom
Sponsored by The Mondrian Los Angeles
I Am A Woman Now, Directed by Michiel van Erp
For illuminating the stories of the first generation of transwomen who forged their paths with grace, courage, and fabulousness and the pioneering surgeon who changed history for transpeople everywhere, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Freedom goes to I Am A Woman Now, directed by Michiel van Erp.
Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement
Sponsored by Fandango
She Male Snails, Directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark
For its bold imagination, provocative storytelling, striking imagery and unshakable emotional impact, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Ester Martin Bergsmark, director of She Male Snails.
Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent
Sponsored by Katten Muchin Rosenmann Llp
Marialy Rivas, Writer/Director
For crafting a stylistically fearless film to match the excitement, danger and chaos that can erupt with youthful sexual exploration, the Outfest Special Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Marialy Rivas, the writer/director of Young & Wild.
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood
A Force Of Nature, Directed by Barbara Kopple
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Wolfe Video
The First Date, Directed by Janella Lacson
Audience Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
I Stand Corrected, Directed by Andrea Meyerson
Audience Award for Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Innovative Artists
Any Day Now, Directed by Travis Fine
Audience Award for Outstanding First U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by HBO (cash prize of $5,000 from HBO)
Mosquita Y Mari, (Isa:Film Collaborative), Directed by Aurora Guerrero
Jury Awards
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film
Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios
The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, Directed by Antony Osso.
For its sensitive portrayal of enduring love that spans seven decades, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Short Film goes to The Devotion Project: More Than Ever, directed by Antony Osso.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film
Sponsored by Cre – Computer Rentals & Av Solutions
Dol (First Birthday), Directed Andrew Ahn
For its honest exploration of the complexities of culture, family and relationships, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film to Dol (First Birthday), directed by Andrew Ahn.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film
Sponsored by Avalon
Wildness, Directed by Wu Tsang
With beautiful cinematography, a vibrant score and poetic storytelling, this year’s winning documentary succeeded in taking on the complexities of class, culture and difference in a most timely and brave fashion. The Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Documentary Feature Film goes to Wildness, directed by Wu Tsang.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by The Los Angeles Athletic Club
My Brother The Devil, Directed by Sally El Hosaini
For its taut narrative, sensitive interrogation of masculinity, excellent performances by an ensemble cast, and intense cinematic experience, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film goes to My Brother The Devil, directed by Sally El Hosaini.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Sponsored by The Avenue Hollywood
Fenessa Pineda, Mosquita Y Mari
This actress brought nuance and subtlety to a fresh coming of age story. For beautifully capturing the fleeting moments of transition from innocence to curiosity to self-discovery, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film goes to Fenessa Pineda in Mosquita Y Mari.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film
Alan Cumming, Any Day Now
For bringing depth, humor, fierce wit, and emotional integrity to a moving portrait of a man who unexpectedly finds a family and the strength to fight for it, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film goes to Alan Cumming in Any Day Now.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting
Sponsored by Yellow Cab
Ira Sachs & Mauricio Zacharias, Keep The Lights On
For masterfully constructing an emotionally honest portrait of a relationship that spans the better part of a decade and artfully weaving the mundane and the momentous, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Screenwriting goes to Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias for Keep The Lights On.
Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
Sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue
Keep The Lights On, (Isa: Films Boutique), Directed by Ira Sachs
This film resonated with us for its confidence, complexity, and emotional intelligence. For taking us on a challenging but poetic journey through the landscape of a long-term relationship, the Outfest 2012 Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film goes to Keep The Lights On, directed by Ira Sachs.
For more information, log on to http://www.outfest.org/fest2012/
To download high-res images, please visit: ftp://ftp.mprm.com/outfest2012
Outfest 2012: The 30th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO. Grand Sponsors include Absolut and Ease Entertainment Services. Under the Stars Series Sponsor is presented by Oxygen. The Automotive Partner is Mini. Other sponsors at the Premiere level include: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, The Directors Guild of America, Directv, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times, Merrill Lynch, Out, Variety and 104.3MYfm, The Official Sponsors are Barefoot Wines, Big Picture Group, Coca-Cola, Luca Bites, Lichter Yu & Associates, NBCUniversal, Orbitz, Propaganda Media, Room & Board, Southwest Airlines, Stella Artois, techpal, and Verizon Wireless. Day Sponsors are The David Geffen Foundation, Frontiers/InLA, Hollywood & Highland, Instinct Magazine, The Lesbian News, Lifetime, Logo, Sony Pictures, and Wells Fargo, Organizational Funders: Andrew Kuehn Foundation, City of West Hollywood, Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Foreign Press, and Los Angeles County Arts. For more information about Outfest 2012 sponsorship, visit www.outfest.org/sponsor.
About Outfest
Outfest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2012 with a yearlong celebration honoring the organization's rich film history, innovative filmmakers and cultural legacy. The anniversary celebration includes the signature film festival, a major film restoration, a new logo, a new monthly screening series and a comprehensive social media campaign. Founded by volunteers on the campus of UCLA in 1982, Outfest has grown into an internationally recognized organization that works to promote Lgbt equality through the arts. For three decades Outfest has brought together film lovers, artists, celebrities and entertainment industry professionals to create a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform Lgbt lives. Outfest has showcased over 5,600 films to audiences, reaching close to one million people, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers and protected over 18,000 stories and images through the Outfest Legacy Project for Lgbt Film Preservation, the only program of its kind in the world.
- 7/25/2012
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Ira Sachs' Keep the Lights On took home the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic feature at Outfest, the 30th Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The feature, which Music Box Films will release Sept. 7, charts the ups-and-downs of a long-term relationship. It also earned a screenwriting prize for Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias. Grand Jury Awards were also presented to Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil, named Outstanding International Dramatic Feature Film, and Wu Tsang’s Wildness, named Outstanding Documentary Feature Film. The Audience Award winners included the dramatic feature Any Day Now, directed
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- 7/22/2012
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Outfest has just announced the lineup for its 30th Anniversary Edition. The festival's outdoor Closing Night screening will be Brian Dannelly's "Struck By Lightning," written by and starring "Glee" phenom Chris Colfer. [Go Here for our interview with him.] Gala screenings include "Keep the Lights On" (Ira Sachs, Us Dramatic Centerpiece), "Young & Wild" (Marialy Rivas, International Centerpiece), "How to Survive a Plague" (David France, Documentary Centerpiece), and "Mosquita Y Mari" (Aurora Guerrero, Fusion Centerpiece). The festival's Five in Focus series will spotlight five hot new talents. This year's honorees are: Alica Luz Rodriguez (actress, "Young & Wild"), Wu Tsang (director, "Wildness"), Sally El Hosaini (writer/director, "My Brother the Devil"), Matthew Wilkas (actor, "Gayby") and Michael Marius Pessah (cinematographer,...
- 6/4/2012
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Director Wu Tsang's "Wildness" is a chronicle of the Silver Platter, an Lgbt immigrant bar in Los Angeles. Tsang had no filmmaking experience prior to directing "Wildness," so he had to teach himself how to write and edit. He says that money was a certainly a major issue in the production of the film, but his biggest challenge was telling a story that could appeal to all audiences. "Not only because I'm an artist with an experimental background, but because my experience of the world - and the experiences of my subjects - are so far outside the realm of what people expect to be 'normal,'" says Tsang. "Yet at the same time, we all know ourselves to be humans with the same impulses, desires, and weaknesses as everybody else - so my struggle was figuring out how to create representations that were 'relatable' for wider audiences, while...
- 3/4/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Sound On Sight will once again be covering the SXSW Film Festival this year, making it our second time attending. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas fest taking place March 9-17, including 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. As previously announced, Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods will have the honours of opening the festival, and now they have released the full list of films – and it’s looking pretty amazing. Enjoy!
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths,...
- 2/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry, shot by Bob Gruen in 1977
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
Rock 'N' Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen
screens as part of 24 Beats per Second
SXSW Film has just announced its features lineup for the 2012 edition, running March 9 through 17. We already knew that the Opening Night Film would be Drew Goddard's The Cabin in the Woods. For its Closing Night Film, the festival will host the world premiere of of Emmett Malloy’s documentary Big Easy Express (more below). The lineup, with descriptions from the festival:
Narrative Feature Competition
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin. When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted. Cast: Nico Stone, Adam DuPaul, Seymour Cassel, Kristin Dougherty, Brian McGrail. (World Premiere)
Eden
Director: Megan Griffiths, Screenwriters: Richard B. Phillips, Megan Griffiths, Story by: Richard B. Phillips & Chong Kim.
- 2/1/2012
- MUBI
With Sundance 2012 Film Festival over, the next big one on the horizon is South by Southwest, which we’ll be heavily covering. The biggest chunk of the line-up has been announced today, which has some great premieres including 21 Jump Street, Tiff and Sundance hit The Raid, Will Ferrell‘s Casa de mi Padre, the documentary Girl Model (which we liked at Tiff), as well as the next from Broken Lizard, The Babymakers. There are many other promising titles included and you can see them all below. Check back for our coverage for the fest, kicking off March 9th.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
Narrative Feature Competition
This year’s 8 films were selected from 1,112 submissions. Each film is a World Premiere. Films screening in Narrative Feature Competition are:
Booster
Director/Screenwriter: Matt Ruskin
When Simon’s brother is arrested for armed robbery, he is asked to commit a string of similar crimes in an attempt to get his brother acquitted.
- 2/1/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Attendees of South by Southwest 2012 are in for a treat. 130 feature films will screen at the Austin, Texas festival taking place March 9-17. Among them are 65 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres. The organization already announced [1] Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods would open the festival (the movie is phenomenal [2]) and today the majority of the remaining line up has been revealed. One of the highlights is the unbelievably smart and hilarious 21 Jump Street, directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller. Both of those are World Premieres. Other highlights include The Hunter, Killer Joe, The Babymakers, frankie goes boom, God Bless America, The Imposter, The Raid, Bernie and Casa de mi Padre just to name a few. After the jump, read descriptions of all the films that have been announced so far. Before I copy and paste the rest of the list, a few minor notes.
- 2/1/2012
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
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