Reporting on film festivals
Executive Director Matt Wymer, who will be overseeing his first Oxford Film Festival as Executive Director, said, “This is our 20th Anniversary edition and we’re celebrating the audiences that allowed the Oxford Film Festival to inspire and entertain our community for the past two decades. To show our appreciation, we are providing more free screenings, more panels and bigger parties than ever before. “
“AFI DWW+ is integral to creating a pipeline of highly trained, diverse voices who have the power to drive culture forward and shape the future of the entertainment industry. We are thrilled to welcome this new class of accomplished artists to the AFI DWW+ program and guide them on their journey as directors and storytellers,” said Susan Ruskin, Dean of the AFI Conservatory and Executive Vice President of the American Film Institute.
News at Sundance: During FILM3 on the Mountain Director/producer Steven Soderbergh announced the first winner of three financing awards that his production company Extension 765 launched in partnership with blockchain-powered non-profit Decentralized Pictures (DCP). Spanish filmmaker Miguel Faus will receive $100,000 in finishing funds for his feature-length fiction film CALLADITA.
Katsura Toda, Senior specialist for the arts at Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs – Government of Japan, and the organizer of ACA Cinema Project said, “These films are among the outstanding works that Japan has produced last year, with each sharing a true artistic achievement in filmmaking. All four films demonstrate a nuanced approach to storytelling, beautifully shot, with wonderful performances across the board. We could not be more excited to give them this platform at the IFC Center in New York City.”
SPIFF Festival Director Ziggy Mrkich, said, “It will be wonderful to be back in theaters, bringing films and filmmakers back to San Pedro to the Historic Warner Grand Theatre, and the Terrace Cinemas, and more. The San Pedro International Film Festival celebrates truly independent films, and the film artists that put their lives into making them. We cherish the fact that this film festival brings together the San Pedro business and arts community and film festival fans like no other event does locally and we’ve got another great lineup in store for everyone.”
Executive Director Gabriel Ornelas, said, “This will be a very special year for Cine Las Americas. Celebrating its 25th year, this festival represents the dedication and passion of hundreds of filmmakers, volunteers, staff, businesses, and community that each year have believed in the mission and significance to showcase Latino and Indigenous stories in cinema. The 25 years have been full of wonderful successes and not without challenges. But it is the perseverance and will of a collective community to ensure the voices Cine Las Americas represents are heard and shared.
Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Matt Wymer, said, “As we gear up for our big 20th Anniversary edition of the Oxford Film Festival, this is a big win for the organization, both in terms of the funds which will support next year’s presentation, screenings, panels, and events, but also because it underlines the notice we are receiving nationally for the work we have done and the success we have seen leading up to now.”
Out on Film Festival Director Jim Farmer said, “Last year’s 35th Anniversary celebration highlighted what our filmmakers and audiences have come to rely on when they attend Out on Film – a celebration, here in Atlanta of the best in LGBTQ cinema, wonderful conversations on films with our honorees, like last year’s ICON honoree, Colman Domingo, and simply screenings and events that immerse everyone in the joy we all receive from seeing great films and meeting the people who have made those films.”
Festival Directors Philip Vasquez and Luci DiGiorgio said, “In our fourth year, the Billy the Kid Film Festival kept the momentum going for our celebration of movies in Texas’ Hill Country. Having our film festival debut the Pine Moore Studios Award, which comes with a free day’s film shoot at their legendary Western Town location, and the first Ruth Buzzi Comedy Award, points both to the legacy our film festival is already creating, and our continued promotion and support of future film work created by our alumni.”
The 2022 Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners during the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 30. The jury prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $2,500) went to Alex Lehmann’s Acidman, and the jury prize for Best Documentary Feature (and $2,500) was given to Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel’s The Pez Outlaw. Audience Awards went to Balbinka Korzeniowska’s Playing Through (Best Narrative Feature), Eric Bendick’s Path of the Panther (Best Documentary Feature) and Diane Moore’s Conducting Life (Best Short Film). Both feature films received cash prizes of $1,000 and the short film winner received a cash prize of $500.
