Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2022 announces filmmaker awards

By John Wildman 3 years ago

“This year marked a wonderful and rousing success, as we continue to foster conversation and connection between attending filmmakers and industry, students in our education programs, and, of course, our dedicated patrons here in Hot Springs through our inspiring and thought-provoking slate,” said Festival Director Sheryl Santacruz, “These award-winning films were also exemplary of the kind of thoughtful and dynamic filmmaking that the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival has built its taste-making reputation on, and our audiences have celebrated throughout our three decade-long history.”

Coronado Island Film Festival opens this week with awards hopefuls, indie films, and honorees

By John Wildman 3 years ago

The Coronado Island Film Festival (November 10-13) opens this week with an impressive lineup of films with awards-aspirations, as well as the honorees for the 2022 Leonard Maltin Industry Awards Gala. Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light is the Opening Night selection, Elegance Bratton’s The Inspection is the Centerpiece selection, and Maria Schrader’s She Said taking the Closing Night spot, along with CIFF’s traditional screening of Billy Wilder’s classic Some Like it Hot.

HorrorFest International Film Festival announces filmmaker awards at wrap of 20th Anniversary edition of fest

By John Wildman 3 years ago

HorrorFest International Film Festival Co-Founders and Senior Programmers, Adam Mast, John Pugh, and Jeff Sanders, said, “The celebration of our 20th year was highlighted by the things that have made this film festival a truly special event for the lovers of horror, sci-fi, and genre films for the past two decades. The special events like our live Creepshow reading and special presentation of horror films that inspired him with stalwart genre writer/filmmaker/artist Frank Dietz, our secret screening underlined the festival in our title, but it still begins and ends with the films in our lineup. These award-winning films and filmmakers highlighted a great year for HorrorFest International.”

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival brings on Ken Jacobson as new Executive Director

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Regarding the new position, Jacobson said, “When I first assisted on interviews with legendary leaders of the Civil Rights Movement as an intern on the series “Eyes on the Prize II,” I knew, deep down, that I always wanted to return to the South to connect the paths of documentary film and great Southern storytellers. After serving 15 years in the film festival and documentary non- profit worlds, I feel honored and thrilled to be joining Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute as the new Executive Director.”

Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQIA+ film festival 2022 hands out awards, honors Colman Domingo

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Out on Film Festival Director Jim Farmer said, “This year’s 35th Anniversary celebration was just that – a celebration of what our audiences and attending filmmakers have come to look forward to each year, here in Atlanta as they enjoy our film festival. Our award-winning films exemplified that and the wonderful time we had with ICON Award honoree Colman Domingo put the entire thing over the top. We’ll have our work cut out for us to match the experience at this year’s festival.”

As the city recovers from Ian, Naples International Film Festival hopes to inspire by moving forward with fest this month

By John Wildman 3 years ago

“Artis—Naples is a reflection of our community – resilient and focused on helping those affected by the storm. We recognize the restorative power of the arts and the role of our mission to help our community recover,” said CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “In the upcoming weeks and months, we will continue presenting visual and performing arts programming—including NIFF—that we hope will bring solace, inspiration and even laughter to our community. This year, more than ever, we look forward to bringing film lovers and filmmakers together again to share in four days that promise to deliver the best in independent film across a variety of genres—shorts, Florida films, student films and documentary and narrative features.”

Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival 2022 announces films for Austin and Minneapolis duo-city film festival spectacular

By John Wildman 3 years ago

Sound Unseen’s Program Director Rich Gill, said, “What began as an idea to bolster our pandemic response by bringing our Sound Unseen “show” to both Austin and Minneapolis virtually and then dip our toes into the in-person screenings in Austin adding to our traditional screenings and events in Minneapolis has been received with more enthusiasm than we could have ever imagined. So, we are now a full-fledged two-city film festival, based in two of the most influential musical cities in the country. It makes sense that we would find ourselves in this place and we could not be more excited to increase our presence down in Texas while also delivering the Sound Unseen experience that Minnesota has come to expect from us.”

Utah-based HorrorFest International Film Festival 2022 announces lineup of films and events for this month’s fest

By John Wildman 3 years ago

HorrorFest International Film Festival Co-Founders and Senior Programmers, Adam Mast, John Pugh, and Jeff Sanders, said, “We could not be more excited to roll out this lineup of films and events as we celebrate our 20th year. We have seen this film festival grow over the past two decades to become a truly special film festival that is a stalwart on the international scene, while highlighting the filmmaking accomplishments in our home state of Utah – and yet, never losing the warmth and camaraderie our filmmakers and film fans enjoy here at the Electric Theater in St. George.”

NYC-based Imagine Science Film Festival 2022 announces films and events for mid-October hybrid fest

By John Wildman 3 years ago

New York City’s Imagine Science Film Festival announced the lineup of films and events for the hybrid presentation of its 15th edition, taking place October 14-21. Screenings will kick off with the Opening Night presentation of Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s Utama, and Spotlight Features including a special presentation of Jean-Luc Godard’s classic Alphaville: The Strange Adventure of Lemmy Caution, Ali Cherri’s The Dam (Le Barrage), Jacquelyn Mills’ Geographies of Solitude, and Signe Baumane’s My Love Affair with Marriage.

Double Exposure Investigative Docs & Symposium 2022 rolls out films and panel subjects

By John Wildman 3 years ago

This year’s slate is a testimony to the incredible dedication of journalists and filmmakers who risk it all to go beyond the headlines,” said Double Exposure founder and co-director Diana Jean Schemo. “From an eight-year long investigation of cross-border land grabs, to an anonymous collective documenting the death of democracy in Myanmar, to a documentary on the devastation of Mariupolis, Ukraine, that cost the director his life, these films all embody a commitment to convey deeper truths at any cost.”