Socially Relevant™ Film Festival NY Reveals Sixth Edition Official Selection

• 60 feature, short and documentary films from 30 countries

• Expert panels on film industry and social issues

• Women directed films on the forefront

SR Socially Relevant Film Festival 2019 (SRFF 2019) unveiled its SRFF 2019 Official Selection in the presence of a group of film critics and journalists at Pisticci Restaurant. The festival’s Sixth season brings international and local films, industry workshops and panels, and other events dedicated to social issues to New York. SRFF 2019 will be held from March 15 to 21, 2019 at Cinema Village and neighboring venues. $6 early bird tickets and $100 all-access passes are available now in limited quantities until full price tickets kick-in on February 28.   

The Official Selection to be screened in the heart of Greenwich Village covers a diverse mix of seven narrative features, 14 documentaries, close to 40 shorts, and more. There will also be a script-writing contest with readings from finalist scripts. The films represent 30 countries. Visit www.ratedsrfilms.org for full slate and film details. The schedule will be published soon.

The selected narrative feature films are:

• A Thousand Pieces by Véronique Mériadec (France)

• Coming Home by Daria Shumakova (Russian Federation, Armenia)

• Big Earth (Hotel California) by Patrick Merz, Benno Gut (Germany)

• Doing Money by Lynsey Miller (UK)

• I’m Not Blond by Hassan Hamza (France)

• Yeva by Anahid Abad (Iran, Armenia)

• The Merger by Mark Grentell (Australia)

Highlights from the selected documentary features (full list on website) include:

• Backlash (Switzerland)

• Danseur (USA)

• It will Be Chaos (USA, Italy)

• Monument of Pride (The Netherlands)

• Piripkura (Brazil)

• Seeing is Believing: Women Direct (USA)  

Themes for selected short film groupings include:

• Across the Border, Capital Punishment, Drug Addiction, Freedom, Health in Life and Death, Pollution and the Environment, Women and Choice

Monday March 18, features a Spotlight Screening of the documentary film by Thierry Michel on 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege and his work. The film is called The Man Who Mends Women and depicts the life of the doctor who risks his life helping women victims of rape in the 20-year war and conflict in DR Congo. The film is followed by a panel discussing the UN SDG’s specifically on women in collaboration with the UN.  

ABOUT SR SOCIALLY RELEVANT FILM FESTIVAL NY

SR Socially Relevant ™ Film Festival New York is a 501(c)3 non-profit film festival founded by actress Nora Armani. The Mission of the SR Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant™, human interest stories, across a broad range of social issues. The festival was created as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment. SR™ believes in the power of cinema in raising awareness towards social issues and promoting positive social change. During its first five years, the festival showcased 287 films from 35 countries. Submissions are received from all over the world.

Annual Newport Beach UK Honours Kicks Off BAFTA Weekend With Celebration of UK Creative Talent

Honorees include Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, Lesley Manville, Rob Brydon, Lily Cole, as well as the film Stan & Ollie, new talent, and more

In a star-studded celebration of the best of UK talent from film, television, and music, the Newport Beach Film Festival kicked off BAFTA weekend with the Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours on Feb. 7 at The Langham London.

For 20 years, the Newport Beach Film Festival, one of the fasted growing luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States, has included a dedicated UK showcase during its 10-day program.  Starting in 2015, the film festival and Visit Newport Beach partnered to elevate the connection to the UK industry by honoring talent via the Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours held in London just ahead of the BAFTA Awards. Honours include Arts Champions, Breakout Talent, Artists of Distinction, Icons, and Outstanding Achievement in Cinema.

In addition, starting in 2017, Variety, the entertainment industry bible, partnered to use the opportunity to present their annual list of 10 Brits to Watch.

2019 Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours Honorees

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN BRITISH CINEMA:

Stan & Ollie – Jon S. Baird, Jeff Pope

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN GLOBAL CINEMA:

The Favourite

ICON:

Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread, All or Nothing), John Llyod (Blackadder, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)

ARTIST OF DISTINCTION:

Rob Brydon (Gavin & Stacey, The Trip), Lily Cole (Balls, Snow White and the Huntsman), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Fortitude), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey, Liar), Laura Carmichael (Downton Abbey, A United Kingdom)

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST:

Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, The Bisexual), Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals, High Resolution), Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp, Ready Player One), Louis Ashbourne Serkis (The Kid Who Would be King, Mowgli)

ARTS CHAMPION:

MediCinema, Women in Film and Television

Presented by Jenelle Riley, deputy awards and features editor, Variety’s 2019 10 Brits to Watch included Rhianne Barreto, Raffey Cassidy, Paapa Essiedu, Jess Glynne, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Billy Howle, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Jessica Swale, Joivan Wade, and Fionn Whitehead. Profiles of the talent appear in the magazine’s Feb. 5 issue and on Variety.com.

Images from the event can be found via Getty and here: https://bit.ly/2DTT5nr

Event EPK can be downloaded here (available until Feb. 14, 2019): https://we.tl/t-jOID5q0jrk

Event EPK can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/gettyimagesentertainment/review/316011033/cabfdd2171

By-line: Newport Beach Film Festival UK Honours

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About Newport Beach

Situated between Los Angeles and San Diego and nestled among golden stretches of pristine Pacific coastline, Newport Beach epitomizes the casual yet sophisticated lifestyle of Southern California. This idyllic seaside destination is widely celebrated for its natural beauty that sets the scene for a vibrant yachting community alongside stylish accommodations, eclectic coastal cuisine, and world-class shopping. Comprised of ten distinct district neighborhoods, each lend a unique culture, charm, natural beauty, and history to the city. Ranked among the “Top 10 Resort Towns in the U.S.,” Newport Beach is also distinguished as one of the country’s “Top 10 Best Family Beaches.”

About The Newport Beach Film Festival

Celebrated as one of the leading lifestyle film festivals in the United States, the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) seeks to bring to Orange County the best of classic and contemporary filmmaking from around the world. Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program, a forum for cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the NBFF focuses on showcasing a diverse collection of studio and independent films from around the globe. The 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 25 – May 2 and will spotlight over 300 films from more than 50 different countries.

 About Variety

Recognized and respected throughout the world of show business, Variety is the premier source of entertainment news. Since 1905, the most influential leaders in the industry have turned to Variety for timely, credible and straightforward news and analysis — information vital to their professions.

9TH ANNUAL OTHER ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES COMPLETE LINE-UP

Other Israel Film Festival Nov. 5-12, 2015 Films screen at JCC Manhattan and around New York The Other Israel Film Festival is back! Premiere films from Israel's edgy film industry and engage in conversation on hot topics that illuminate the diversity of Israeli culture.

The 9th Annual Other Israel Film Festival announced its complete line-up of feature and short films. The Festival, which provides a platform to engage with some of the challenges within Israeli society through films and conversations with special guests, runs from November 5 – 12, 2015 at the JCC Manhattan on 76th St and Amsterdam Ave, as well as at Cinema Village and other locations throughout the city. 

Censored Voices, recently recognized with the award for Best Documentary at the Ophir Awards (Israel’s equivalent of the Academy Awards), was previously announced as the festival’s opening night film, with acclaimed documentary Women in Sink closing the festival on November 12. Following screenings at the Cannes and Toronto Film Festivals, Dégradé, directed by twin brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser, will also have a Special Feature screening on closing night, marking the film’s New York premiere.

“From the candid conversations of Arab/Israeli women in a Haifa beauty shop, to the refugee crisis in Tel Aviv and the hopeful business collaboration of an Israeli and a Palestinian woman, this year’s slate ranges from provocative genre films to surprising documentaries and everything in between.” commented festival founder Carol Zabar.  “These extraordinary films reveal the fullest spectrum of Israeli and Palestinian life and culture and will spark a frank, vital dialog.”

To view a trailer containing footage from this year’s films, please visit: https://youtu.be/niHNZya86Jo

Tickets for the Other Israel Film Festival go on sale on October 8th. For additional information, please visit: www.OtherIsrael.org.

The complete line-up for this year’s festival includes:

ARAB MOVIE
New York Premiere
Dir. Eyal Sagui Bizawe & Sara Tsifroni
(60 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew & Arabic w/ English subtitles)

A nostalgic look back at that old Friday afternoon ritual, when Israeli families of all backgrounds would gather to watch the week’s “Egyptian Movie” on Israel’s official TV station. Arab Movie takes us back to that fleeting moment when Israelis shared the same cultural heroes as everyone else in the Middle East, even as it raises disturbing questions about their relationship to their neighbors across the border.

http://www.censoredvoices.com/ Censored Voices is coming soon to cinemas in the UK. One week after the 1967 'Six-Day War', a group of young kibbutzinks, led by renowned author Amos Oz and Editor Avraham Shapira, recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published.

CENSORED VOICES
East Coast Premiere
Dir. Mor Lushi
(84 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew & English w/ English subtitles)

One week after the Six Day War, a group of soldiers, led by renowned author Amos Oz, recorded intimate conversations with fellow soldiers returning from war. In these recordings, the men wrestled with their fears, taking an honest look at the moment Israel turned occupier. These recordings, censored by the Israeli army until now, are played back to the men 50 years later, revealing their confessions for the first time.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh0Z1VfYPcE 
Censored Voices opens in theaters on November 20, via Music Box Films

COLLIDING DREAMS
Special Sneak Preview
Dir. Oren Rudavsky & Joseph Dorman
(135 min, Documentary, US, English, Hebrew, Arabic w/English subtitles)

A feature-length exploration of one of the most influential, controversial, and urgently relevant political ideologies of the modern era. With origins in Europe in the late 19th century, Zionism was born out of the Jewish confrontation with modernity and persecution. Yet early on, Zionism faced opposition from Palestine’s Arab inhabitants, who saw it depriving them of their own national rights in a land they had inhabited for centuries. Now, amid unceasing religious conflict and tragic bloodshed, it is more crucial than ever for Americans to better understand the meaning, history and future of the movement.
Colliding Dreams will open in New York at Lincoln Plaza in January 2016. 

DÉGRADÉ

NEW YORK PREMIERE
Dir. Tarzan & Arab Nasser
83 min, Narrative, France / Palestine, Arabic w/English subtitles

In this Cannes film festival favorite, we take a look into the lives of a diverse group of women visiting a beauty salon on a hot summer’s day in the Gaza Strip. A bride-to-be, a pregnant woman, a bitter divorcée, a devout woman and a pill-popping addict all meet for some leisure time and pampering. But all is disrupted when a gang war erupts between Hamas and a local group, right in front of the salon, trapping the woman and raising the temperature and anxiety. Starring Hiam Abbass, Maisa Abdelhadi, and Manal Award.

JERUSALEM BOXING CLUB
United States Premiere
Dir. Helen Yanovsky
(65 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew, Russian, & Arabic w/ English subtitles)

The Jerusalem Boxing Club, which operates out of a bomb shelter in Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood, is a meeting point for teens from all around the city. For many of these young people, the desire to excel and to win is nourished by the tough training and boundless love of Gershon Luxemburg, the club's manager and trainer, for whom boxing is not just another sport, but a way of life.
Jerusalem Boxing Club was supported by the Other Israel Film Fund.

JERUZALEM
New York Premiere
Dir. Doron & Yoav Paz
(81 min, Narrative, Israel, English)

JeruZalem (Israel: 2015), directed by Doron & Yoav Paz (TIFF and Berlinale's Phobidilia) Starring: Yael Grobglas (JANE THE VIRGIN, REIGN, RABIES) Yon Tumarkin (Berlinale's Panorama Award winner ROCK BA-CASBA) Tom Graziani (A PLACE IN HEAVEN) Danielle Jadelyn Synopsis: Two American girls on vacation follow a mysterious and handsome anthropology student on a trip to Jerusalem.

A horror film that takes us to Jerusalem, where two vacationing American teenagers decide to follow a mysterious archaeologist to the Old City. Their party is cut short when Jerusalem’s ancient gate to hell is opened, releasing a biblical apocalypse. Trapped between the city’s walls, the three travelers must survive long enough to find a way out, as the fury of hell is unleashed upon them.
Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTIwfN-4hZ4

MUSSA
New York Premiere
Dir. Anat Goren
(65 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew, Amharic, Arabic, & English w/ English subtitles)

Hot Docs has received filmmaker permission to upload this trailer to the HotDocsFest YouTube channel.

A moving documentary that tells the story of Mussa, a 12-year-old African refugee living in one of Tel Aviv’s worst neighborhoods. Every day, Mussa is bussed to an upscale private school, where he silently navigates a privileged world, connecting with friends but refusing to speak. When Mussa’s mother is threatened with deportation, Mussa is left devastated, compelled to leave his father and friends behind.: 
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8bIFoMXKjM

ORIENTED
Dir. Jake Witzenfeld
(81 min, Documentary, UK, Hebrew, Arabic, & English w/ English subtitles)

ORIENTED is a documentary following the lives of three gay Palestinian friends in Tel Aviv confronting their national and sexual identity. We premiere at the Sheffield Doc Fest on June 6 and at the LA Film Fest on June 11! Follow us: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orientedthemovie?fref=ts Twitter: https://twitter.com/orientedfilm Instagram: https://instagram.com/orientedfilm For more info: https://www.orientedfilm.com

The story of three gay Palestinian friends confronting their national and sexual identity in Tel Aviv. Khader is a “darling” from a prominent Muslim family living with David, his Jewish boyfriend. Fadi is an ardent Palestinian nationalist, in love with a Zionist. Naim yearns to confront his family with the truth about his sexuality. Determined to make a change, the three best friends form a group to fight for gender and national equality.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/129449012

PARTNER WITH THE ENEMY
New York Premiere
Dir. Duki Dror, Chen Shelach
(56 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew, Arabic, & English w/ English subtitles)

Two women, an Israeli and a Palestinian, are trying to build a business partnership. Brought together by a shared business acumen and knowledge of the logistics industry, the two combine forces to help Palestinian businessmen navigate the everyday absurdities of Israeli control of the West Bank.

In the midst of an ever-fraught political landscape, two women, one Israeli and one Palestinian, attempt the seemingly impossible: to build a business together. Fighting against anti-normalization currents and a male-dominated industry, the two combine forces to create a logistics company which helps Palestinian businessmen navigate the Israeli occupation. But while they help their clients, the divisions between the two threaten to tear their partnership apart. Can the bond between them overcome the impossible?
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NxuiYisaLw
Partner With The Enemy was supported by the Other Israel Film Fund.

ROCK IN THE RED ZONE
New York Premiere
Dir. Laura Bialis
(90 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew w/ English subtitles)

An intimate portrayal of life on the edge in the war-torn city of Sderot. Known for its prolific rock scene that revolutionized Israeli music, Sderot has been the target of ongoing rocket fire from the Gaza Strip for the past thirteen years. Through the personal lives of Sderot’s diverse musicians and a personal love story, this film chronicles the town’s enduring spirit.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48_4dAOWa7U

TEACHING IGNORANCE
United States Premiere
Dir. Tamara Erde
(52 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew & Arabic w/ English subtitles)

This powerful film follows several Israeli and Palestinian teachers and asks: How do the Palestinian and Israeli (Arab and Jewish) education systems teach the history of their peoples and the other? Through observing these teachers’ exchanges and confrontations with students, as well as their debates with the official curriculum, viewers are granted an intimate glimpse into the profound effects that the Israeli/Palestinian conflict transmits to the next generation.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/72800391

THE VOICE OF PEACE – THE DREAM OF ABIE NATHAN
United States Premiere
Dir. Eric Friedler
(90 min, Documentary, Germany, English, Hebrew w/English subtitles)

A radical dreamer and a rebellious visionary, the Israeli peace activist Abie Nathan was the man behind “The Voice of Peace,” a pirate radio station broadcasting from a ship off the coast of Tel Aviv. During the 70’s, the station had more than 20 million enthusiastic listeners from all over the Middle East. This fascinating documentary follows Nathan’s humanitarian work over 4 decades, combining rarely-seen archival footage with interviews with former Israeli President Shimon Peres, Yoko Ono, Sir Michael Caine and other world-renowned individuals who believed in Nathan’s vision of a more peaceful Middle East.

WOMEN IN SINK
New York City Premiere
Dir. Iris Zaki
(36 min, Documentary, Israel, Hebrew w/ English subtitles)

Trailer of the film Women in Sink (Documentary Films - Competition) / Trailer k filmu Ženy v umyvadle (Soutěž dokumentárních filmů)

At “Fifi’s”, a hair salon in the heart of Haifa’s Arab community, Iris Zaki installs a mini film set over the washbasin. While she washes their hair, Zaki speaks candidly and freely with the salon’s Arab and Jewish clients, who share their views on politics, history, and love. What emerges from these conversations is an honest and nuanced portrait of contemporary Israel.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9lHX_l4DJ8
Women In Sink was supported by the Other Israel Film Fund.

New Voices – Short Film Selection
THE ARREST (Dir. Yair Agmon, 10 min, Narrative)
BOYS OF NITZANA (Dir. Tamir Elterman, 9 min, Documentary)
DIRTY BUSINESS (Dir. Vadim Dumesh, 15 min, Documentary)
TILL DAY’S END) (Dir. Amitai Ashkenazi, 19 min, Narrative)