“I believe in the power and promise of science to end disease and save lives, and this is why I am glad to showcase both the transcendent beauty of Linda’s voice in this film as well as the bold, groundbreaking research of BrightFocus,” Keach said, noting that Ronstadt’s iconic career was cut short by a neurodegenerative disease.
“Artist Vodka continues to be such an important part of our film festival by lending a big financial hand to one of our filmmakers as they have in years past,” Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “And now our audience members can take a real active part in deciding whose name will go on that big check. It adds a rooting interest to the entertainment each one of these three programs delivers in a major way. I can’t wait to see who is going to win that prize.”
“Our audiences have become accustomed to the Oxford Film Festival bringing the world to them via the documentary films we program,” Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “QUEEN OF LAPA and LIFE IN SYNCHRO are vastly different films, but share that sense of discovery, whether it be a transgender sex workers community in Brazil or the amazing women that make synchronized skating a sport that will surprise and excite you. It’s also exciting to give a platform to the filmmakers and stories delving into the black experience in Mississippi, Memphis and this country through our Black Lens Narrative shorts program and the expected, yet unexpected cinematic visions our Fest Forward programs always deliver.”
OUTstream Film Fest Co-Founder and Co-Director Ben McCarthy, said, “We are thrilled to announce these first 11 films, which come to us from all over the world, to bring people together all across the country, of any sexual identity, to be entertained, touched, enlightened, and affected – as one. While we can not be in a theatre together yet, we can still connect virtually through the shared experience of watching a film and then experiencing and participating remotely in a Q&A with the filmmakers, actors, and/or subjects of the films. The virtual film festival allows us to bring a wider cross section of people from greater distances all together via this shared event; in some ways, in a more substantial way than is available with a physical event.”
CineCina Film Festival Co-Director of Programming Frank Yan, said, “This initial group of films include nine features, and two shorts that offer a wonderful cross section of recent Chinese-language cinema releases. In the subsequent weeks we will offer more features and short films for our audiences as we continue to plan for the 2nd edition of our film festival this Fall, under the LOVE AND DUTY theme. That will include the announcement and presentation of our Project Horizon winners. In the meantime, we will celebrate film in New York, both with this virtual film festival and our Films on the Wall projections throughout the city.”
The “asshole” thing. How has that colored all of this as the story gets rolled out? How DOES someone keep the sexual predator thing going while also not endearing themselves in the work space in order to get away with that behavior. Ultimately, why did those people and organizations I listed above keep hiring him back or keep him in the fold? By so many reports I have seen and heard, he was toxic and abusive on these productions. If not, why the raining down of these accounts. I have literally read one account (out of MANY that went the other direction) by someone that worked side-by-side with him that offered up surprise when he heard the news.
“The results of our first Film Festival Day surpassed any of our expectations,” said Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director of Film Festival Alliance. “To witness the collective power of these community & filmmaker-driven festivals coming together in support of independent storytellers and audiences, embodies the spirit of our members’ organizations. Thus, the idea of doing a sequel seemed natural and LIFE IN SYNCHRO was a perfect film for us to feature. It’s a film that would have played the in-person festival circuit in 2020, and it represents the heart that independent filmmakers often infuse into their projects – exactly the type of storytelling that brings audiences to a film festival. The cherry on top is being able to support the filmmakers, as well.”
“Ghostly scares, silly superheroes, LGBTQIA+ stories, Americana, animation and experimental cinema is all on tap this week,” Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “This week will be a fun, adventurous slate of programming for our audiences, as well as having a great pair of panels and presentations courtesy of Seed&Spark for truly valuable information on crowdfunding and distribution for filmmakers to soak up, and then a chance to seriously look at the reality of getting our filmmakers back on the set here in Mississippi the following day.”
BBFS CEO Gabriel Horn, added, “The priority with a film festival always begins and ends with the films and filmmakers, so while we will wait until next year to celebrate the art of independent cinema against the backdrop of this historically Hollywood-friendly area, celebrate those films we will. The debut of the Big Bear Film Summit will be a testament to the ability of the filmmaker to persevere.”
CineCina Film Festival Founder and Director Vina Sun, said, “Each day, we join with our fellow New Yorkers in making the best of our current situation and working toward a way forward from the shut down and the health crisis caused by COVID-19. We are heartened by the progress that has been made, knowing there is so much more to do and a long road still ahead. However, it’s important to mark the successes and, as measured as it is, reaching the first phase of the reopening process is an accomplishment to be celebrated. These projections of film scenes and images reflecting the unique style and beauty of the city as depicted by these classic films seemed like an appropriate and fun way to do that.”
