Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

Waco’s Deep in the Heart FF 2023 grows, expands indie features lineup for this month’s fest

By John Wildman 3 years ago

The Deep in the Heart Film Festival announced the film and events lineup for its 7th edition, which will combine in-theater screenings July 20-23, followed by an online encore July 24-30. Deep in the Heart FF will kick things off with an Opening Night presentation of Dawn Mikkelson and Keri Pickett’s film festival sensation Finding Her Beat, and Anna Baumgarten’s decorated drama Disfluency will be the Closing Night selection. The festival will also present a special multi-media screening and performance of Greg Brownderville and Bart Weiss’ critically acclaimed Southern Gothic shaggy dog story Fire Bones, and a Friday Night Spotlight screening of Thaddeus D. Matula’s inspiring documentary Into the Spotlight.

Austin’s Cine Las Americas 2023 wraps up 25th Anniversary celebration with Filmmaker Awards

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Austin’s Cine Las Americas announced the filmmaker award winners following the conclusion of a hugely successful 25th Anniversary edition of the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival (CLAIFF). Leading the list of films winning jury prizes were Clara Cullen’s Manuela (Best Narrative Feature), and Gisela Delgadillo’s Kenya (Best Documentary Feature). Films taking the Audience Awards were topped by Marie Clements’ Bones of Crows (Narrative Feature), and Miwene, directed by Keith Heyward, Jennifer Berglund, Gange Anita Yeti Enomenga, Obe Beatriz Nenquimo Nihua(Documentary Feature).

Freestyle Digital Media picks up Linh Tran’s Slamdance Grand Jury Prize winner WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE for North American VOD

By John Wildman 3 years ago

“DePaul’s Indie Studio Initiative showcases the filmmakers of tomorrow,” said Bill Vergos, Head of Digital Film Distribution for Freestyle Digital Media. “We at Freestyle have partnered with this unique program because rising talent such as Linh Tran and her team deserve an opportunity for their hard work and creativity to be seen on as many platforms as possible.”

Asian Film Festival of Dallas 2023 Announces Film Lineup highlighted with Slamdance and Sundance winners

By John Wildman 3 years ago

AFFD Executive Director Thomas Schubert, said, “This year’s edition of the film festival will build upon the successes of our efforts to reinvigorate the film festival format here in Dallas by highlighting appearances and conversations with our filmmakers and talent, and making sure we have ways that the people who love Asian cinema and films in general can immerse themselves in that joy. AFFD has always been a signature event for Dallas film lovers, introducing exciting films and cinema to DFW, and this year we will continue to try new ways to add to the fun.”

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2023 Announces Filmmaker Awards and wraps winner of a fest

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Ellie Foumbi’s Our Father, the Devil (Best Narrative Feature) and Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb’s Butterfly in the Sky (Best Documentary Feature) led the jury awards. Audience Award winners were topped by Nardeep Khurmi’s Land of Gold, chosen as Best Narrative Feature, Jesse Rudoy’s Dusty and Stones, Best Documentary Feature, with Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry taking the Audience Best of Fest award.

Cine Las Americas announces film and events for 25th Anniversary edition in June

By John Wildman 3 years ago

CLAIFF Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, added, “We are thrilled that this year’s 25th anniversary edition is all the more special due to it being such a thoroughly female filmmaker-dominated lineup. This year’s group of films also is incredibly exciting with a strong current of thrillers and illuminating documentaries running throughout it. Our audiences are in for several great nights at the movie theater!”

Harlem International Film Festival delivers music films and world premieres as it plans to RUN THE WORLD in May

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Harlem International Film Festival’s Program Director, Nasri Zacharia, said. “We are celebrating over a century of Harlem Renaissance and Resilience with an amazing slate of films from the area. We are also glad to be back at the AMC Magic Johnson Theaters and Columbia University as well as Maysles Documentary Center, and this year we are thrilled to present the world premiere of the first two episodes of STARZ Run the World season 2, set in Harlem, to our lineup featuring several other world premieres, and wonderful work by our filmmakers here in Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx. This year, music runs throughout our schedule with amazing documentaries, very special honorees, culminating in a big day of music films and a special live performance on Sunday, the 21st. This film festival has always emphasized the idea of being a festival with exciting and entertaining events inspired by the films we screen, and this year really underlines that idea.”

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival 2023 announces honorees coming off Oscar win and nomination for THE FABELMANS

By John Wildman 3 years ago

San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “Every year, there is so much anticipation as to who will be the recipients of our King Vidor Award and Spotlight Award. This year, not only do our honorees share achievements recognized by the Motion Picture Academy as winners and nominees, but they also both worked on last year’s The Fabelmans. In fact, this may be the first time SLO Film Fest has had a pair of honorees connected by one of their most recent films. They are both extremely talented–we are excited to celebrate their accomplishments and have them share their stories with the SLO Film Festival attendees.”

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival announces films and events for 29th edition

By John Wildman 3 years ago

San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “This year, the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is focused on programming films and creating fun and exciting film events that are not available to our film fans every weekend at the multiplex. Film festivals give us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the love of cinema and filmmaking and to see something unique or rare or inspired that can’t easily be found on our television screens or laptops at home. Seeing great films, meeting, and rubbing elbows with the filmmakers and actors responsible for them, and going to fun events built around all of it is what we promise to bring to SLO this year.”