Shorts Awards at 2018 Sundance Film Festival

(L-R) Matria, Credit: Lucia C. Pan; Hair Wolf, Credit: Charlotte Hornsby; Would You Look At Her, Credit: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Park City, Utah — Winners of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival jury prizes in short filmmaking were announced on Jan 23, by Sundance Institute at a ceremony in Park City, Utah. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize, awarded to one film in the program of 69 shorts selected from 8,740 submissions, went to Matria, written and directed by Álvaro Gago. Full video of the ceremony is at youtube.com/sff. The Short Film program is presented by YouTube, as part of their ongoing support for emerging storytellers, unique voices and independent artists. 2018 marks the sixth year YouTube has been the official sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival Shorts program.

This year's Short Film jurors are Cherien Dabis, Shirley Manson and Chris Ware.

Short Film awards winners in previous years include And so we put goldfish in the pool. by Makato Nagahisa, Thunder Road by Jim Cummings, World of Tomorrow by Don Hertzfeldt, SMILF by Frankie Shaw, Of God and Dogs by Abounaddara Collective, Gregory Go Boom by Janicza Bravo, The Whistle by Grzegorz Zariczny, Whiplash by Damien Chazelle, FISHING WITHOUT NETS by Cutter Hodierne, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom by Lucy Walker and The Arm by Brie Larson, Sarah Ramos and Jessie Ennis.

The short film program at the Festival is the centerpiece of Sundance Institute’s year-round efforts to support short filmmaking. Select Festival short films are presented as a traveling program in over 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada each year, one of the few theatrical releases of short films in North America. Short films and filmmakers also take part in regional Master Classes geared towards supporting emerging shorts-makers in cities around the country.

2018 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Jury Awards: 

The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to: Matria / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Álvaro Gago) — Faced with a challenging daily routine, Ramona tries to take refuge in her relationships with her daughter and granddaughter.

The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to: Hair Wolf / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mariama Diallo) — In a black hair salon in gentrifying Brooklyn, the local residents fend off a strange new monster: white women intent on sucking the lifeblood from black culture.

The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to: Would You Look at Her / Macedonia (Director and screenwriter: Goran Stolevski) — A hard-headed tomboy spots the unlikely solution to all her problems in an all-male religious ritual.

The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to: The Trader (Sovdagari) / Georgia (Director: Tamta Gabrichidze) — Gela sells secondhand clothes and household items in places where money is potatoes. 

The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to: GLUCOSE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeron Braxton) — Sugar was the engine of the slave trade that brought millions of Africans to America. Glucose is sweet, marketable and easy to consume, but its surface satisfaction is a thin coating on the pain of many disenfranchised people.

A Special Jury Award was presented to: Emergency / U.S.A. (Director: Carey Williams, Screenwriter: K.D. Dávila) — Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.

A Special Jury Award was presented to: Fauve / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Jérémy Comte) — Set in a surface mine, two boys sink into a seemingly innocent power game, with Mother Nature as the sole observer.

A Special Jury Award was presented to: For Nonna Anna / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Luis De Filippis) — A trans girl cares for her Italian grandmother. She assumes that her Nonna disapproves of her – but instead discovers a tender bond in their shared vulnerability.
 

The Sundance Film Festival®
The Sundance Film Festival has introduced global audiences to some of the most groundbreaking films of the past three decades, including Boyhood, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Whiplash, Brooklyn, Twenty Feet from Stardom, Life Itself, The Cove, The End of the Tour, Blackfish, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Dope, Little Miss Sunshine, sex, lies, and videotape, Reservoir Dogs, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, An Inconvenient Truth, Precious and Napoleon Dynamite. The Festival is a program of the non-profit Sundance Institute®. 2018 Festival sponsors include: Presenting Sponsors – Acura, SundanceTV, and Chase Sapphire®; Leadership Sponsors – Adobe, Amazon Studios, AT&T, DIRECTV, Dropbox, Omnicom, Stella Artois® and YouTube; Sustaining Sponsors – Canada Goose, Canon U.S.A., Inc., Dell, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, GEICO, Google Pixel 2, Grey Goose Vodka, High West Distillery, IMDbPro, Lyft, Unity Technologies and the University of Utah Health; Media Sponsors - Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and Variety. Sundance Institute recognizes critical support from the Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development, and the State of Utah as Festival Host State. The support of these organizations helps offset the Festival’s costs and sustain the Institute's year-round programs for independent artists. Look for the Official Partner seal at their venues at the Festival. sundance.org/festival

Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute's signature Labs, granting, and mentorship programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices, and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station, Sin Nombre, The Invisible War, The Square, Dirty Wars, Spring Awakening, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Fun Home. Join Sundance Institute on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Ariel Marx, composer of "The Tale" #Sundance

Featured as one of ASCAP's Composers to Watch and recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Henry Mancini Fellowship, Ariel Marx is an award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist for film, TV, and multimedia. Most recently, Ariel completed the score for two projects that will premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Jennifer Fox’s “The Tale” starring Laura Dern, Jason Ritter, and Common and “Hair Wolf” a short film that takes places in gentrifying Brooklyn. She has also scored dramas “West of Her” and “By Jingo.” Outside of film, she has scored television series including comedy series “UnChartered” and “The Pioneers.” Ariel has additionally contributed to “Blind” starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin, and assisted composer Marcelo Zarvos on Showtime’s “The Affair” starring Dominic West and Ruth Wilson, as well as, Amazon’s “Z: The Beginning of Everything” starring Christina Ricci and “Wonder” starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson.

Her scores have premiered alongside films at national and international film festivals, such as Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW—winning awards at several for her musical contributions. Ariel draws from many different genres and often combines orchestral and folk instruments with electronics to create unique worlds of sound. Ariel earned her Masters of Music degree in composition with a concentration in film scoring from New York University's Steinhardt program, and is currently an Adjunct Faculty.

We had a chat with Ariel, here are the excerpts.

• What's your process of composing music for a film. Do you read the script, collaborate with director, and what more/else?

It really depends from project to project, and what stage of the process I come in at. For instance, on a film I’m currently working on, I was able to read the script before it was filmed and visit the set. With “The Tale,” the film had already been shot and edited, so I was working with a final product. Regardless of what stage I come in at, to me, the most important step is determining the palette. What is the tone of the score? What instrumentation? What sort of presence will it have? After these larger aesthetics are established, I dive into writing specific themes and scoring individual scenes, always keeping the bigger picture in mind. 

• What was the most challenging part of working on this particular film?

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of scoring this film was to convey the complexity of the mechanics of memory and perspective through music. I ultimately settled on writing a score that had several individualized, self-sustaining motors — or spinning gears — that could interlock and separate and join again, transformed — just like our memories, and perceptions of them. 

• What are your favorite films (from music perspective) and your favorite composers?

This is a hard question because there are so many incredible working composers. This answer could really change from day to day, but in this moment, my two answers are the collaborations between composer Jonny Greenwood and director Paul Thomas Anderson and director Joe Wright and composer Dario Marianelli. 

• What's your advice to other aspiring musicians and composers who want to break into this business?

The best advice I received was that no one gets into this business the same way — there is no formulaic strategy to success. This has always inspired me because there is no uniform checklist of pre-requisites, and therefore you have to be your own trailblazer. All of the opportunities that have come my way are from connections I made with new filmmakers in New York City while I was in school. My best advice is to develop a unique and authentic voice, find kindred collaborators that create stories that inspire you, and push yourself to grow as a composer and collaborator. 

Anne Nikitin, composer of "American Animals" #Sundance

Anne Nikitin is an award-winning composer for film and television. Anne recently completed
the score for “American Animals,” starring Emmy-winner Ann Dowd and premiering at the
2018 Sundance Film Festival. Anne also scored Bart Layton’s BAFTA winner “The Imposter,” the Sundance Audience Award winner “Dark Horse,” the Netflix true crime series “Captive,” and the German film “Freistatt,” which was shortlisted for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. In 2015, Anne scored “Chuck Norris vs. Communism,” which premiered at Sundance and
is now on Netflix.

Anne has scored numerous high-profile television series and films in genres ranging from
natural history to documentary and drama. They include “BBC Natural World,” “Locked
up Abroad,” “America: The Story of Us” and the television movie “Revelation: The End
of Days II,” which was nominated for a Music+Sound Award for Best Television Soundtrack. Anne’s score for “This Beautiful Fantastic,” starring Jessica Brown Findlay and Tom Wilkinson, was nominated for a Music+Sound Award and a Hollywood Music in Media Award. Outside of television and film, Anne worked with the London Contemporary Orchestra on the score for the Damien Hirst film “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable.” Her upcoming project “Calibre,” starring Jack Lowden and Martin McCann, will be released in 2018.

We had a chat with Anne, here are the excerpts.

• What's your process of composing music for a film? Do you read the script, collaborate with director, and what more/else?

The process tends to differ from project to project largely depending on how the director likes to work and when they are ready to bring a composer on board. Sometimes I start very early on. I read a script and sketch ideas before the film has been shot. Sometimes they wait until the very end of the edit, when there’s a locked version of the film.  It seems most common to come on board during the first few weeks of the edit, when there’s a rough assembly that they can show me.  

There are pros and cons with each scenario, but the earlier you start the more time you have to experiment.  It’s good to have time to show the director a range of ideas – sometimes surprising them with something they didn’t know they wanted and coming up with something original!  “Tempitis” is a real danger – when you come on board late and the director has fallen in love with temp music.  

Once I start, it’s a very collaborative process. I have ongoing discussions with the director and editor until the very end. It feels like you’re embarking on a journey together.

• What was the most challenging part of working on this particular film?

This is a film with many complex layers so the challenge was to create a diverse score that somehow sounded homogenous. There are a wide range of emotions to score, with four very different characters, so I had to strike the right balance between tension, sadness and humor, and give each character an appropriate musical flavor. “American Animals” is also “a movie within a movie”, and pays homage to other periods and genres, so the score had to play with this idea. Lastly, it’s a film that dips in and out of real life interviews, so music was used to help transition in and out of a documentary-based world, without jolting the audience out of the drama.

• What are your favorite films (from music perspective) and your favorite composers?

I’ll never forget the first film that made me sit up and listen to the score, which was “The Piano,” with music by Michael Nyman. It was such a mesmerizing marriage between film and music - something just clicked, and I thought “that’s what I want to do!” In terms of favorite composers, I adore Thomas Newman (“Road to Perdition” is an all-time favorite score of mine.)  I also love “Blade Runner” for how the music helps create the atmosphere of the film.

Most recently, I’ve been enjoying music by a rising crop of composers such as Johann Johannsson, Jed Kurzel, Max Richter, Dustin O’ Halloran. I thought Johansson’s scores for “Arrival” and “Sicario” were spine-tingling and helped bring those films to life.  It’s exciting to hear film music being extra inspired and eclectic these days. Anything goes!

• What's your advice to other aspiring musicians and composers who want to break into this business?

It’s a very competitive field. You have to be dedicated, determined and very patient. It took me years of blood, sweat and tears before I got my first commission. “Practicing” film scoring might sound like a strange concept, but it’s actually very important. Try to score as many short films as possible to gain experience scoring pictures. This also helps you develop your own voice and versatility, and gives you more confidence when you land your first commission. A positive attitude when meeting directors and producers always helps. Hanging out with other composers can be your salvation. You can learn from each other, support each other, share work and even collaborate.

WOMEN BREAKING BARRIERS by HFPA #Sundance

TINA LIFFORD, REED MORANO, SANDRA OH,  CATHY SCHULMAN AND OCTAVIA SPENCER PARTICIPATE IN  “WOMEN BREAKING BARRIERS” PANEL HOSTED BY  THE HOLLYWOOD FOREGIN PRESS ASSOCIATION

 PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 21, 2018 – In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe® Awards, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) continued their series of special events, this time at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The HFPA hosted a special “Women Breaking Barriers” panel featuring accomplished women from various fields in the film industry, moderated by HFPA member Elisabeth Sereda, who opened the session by announcing a $50.000 HFPA grant to the Sundance Institute Women’s programs. Panelists included Tina Lifford (Award-winning actress currently starring in “Queen Sugar” and founder and motivational speaker of The Inner Fitness Project), Reed Morano (Award-winning cinematographer and director; “I Think We’re Alone Now"), Sandra Oh (Golden Globe-winner; starring in and associate producer of BBC America’s “Killing Eve”), Cathy Schulman (Award-winning producer and president of Women in Film), and Octavia Spencer (Golden Globe-winner; currently starring in “The Shape of Water"). The panel was held at the Sundance TV Headquarters.

The talk touched on personal experiences and practical aspects in achieving equality for women in the entertainment business from in-access, on-set morale, treatment and pay. 

“Seven years ago, I would call the trades and beg them to cover our issues and I couldn’t get a single article published,” said Schulman. “Now there isn’t a minute, a day, week or month that goes by that we don't talk about women’s issues. The most important thing is that we don't get all excited and then just brush everything under the rug again.”

Looming large was the industry-wide debate that’s currently taking place in Hollywood. Panelists concurred that it has been an important moment in starting the conversation but that the problem is more systemic than the abuse, which has come to light. 

The role of men in the conversation was also touched upon. Spencer expressed a sentiment on many people’s mind when she suggested quietly listening as an important first step. 

“This is a wonderful moment that's happening right now. It is making us confront deep-seated cultural issues, it’s a paradigm shift. That can be frightening but we just need to take baby steps, put one foot front of the other. It’s not going be easy but we’ll get there.”

Added Lifford, “I don't think we can underestimate the importance of conversation. Human beings tend to be afraid of change period. When we’re talking about huge cultural relationship changes it’s going to make everyone afraid. We need to create a space where everyone can express their feelings then we can move on to some sort of cooperation.” 

Sandra Oh concluded on a positive note. “There is a new generation of women who have less heaviness on them and I’m sure there are lot of women in this room who have a clear creative vision and will put it out there and they inspire me tremendously.”

Photos: https://amcnetworks.app.box.com/s/m6kkb18fgq48lomjxcwge22fxy411zin

Courtesy: Sundance TV

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About the Hollywood Foreign Press Association

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was founded in 1943 as the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association (HFCA) by a group of entertainment journalists representing world media in Hollywood, who realized the need to unite and organize to gain the recognition and access to studios and talent accorded to the domestic press. All qualified journalists were accepted, with the bold goal of “Unity Without Discrimination of Religion or Race.” A year later, the HFCA created the Golden Globe Awards which, to this day, the entire membership selects, votes on and awards every year for outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards. Members of the HFPA represent 56 countries with a combined readership of 250 million in some of the world’s most respected publications. Each year, the organization holds the third most watched awards show on television, the Golden Globe® Awards, which has enabled the organization to donate $30 million to entertainment-related charities, scholarship programs and humanitarian efforts over the last 25 years. Last year, the HFPA distributed $3 million in grants through their Charitable Trust to a diverse group of organizations and institutions within the entertainment industry. For more information, please visit www.GoldenGlobes.com and follow us on Twitter (@GoldenGlobes), Instagram (@GoldenGlobes), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes).

Hank Chen embodies INCLUSION! #Sundance

Hank Chen is a very talented actor and comedian who can be seen next in Jacza Bravo’s directorial debut, Lemon, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2017. The film has a talented cast that includes Michael Cera, Nia Long, Megan Mullally, and Shiri Appleby. Hank can also be seen in the web series “Strangers" and “The Chances," both also premiering at the Sundance Film Festival 2017.

We had a chance to talk to him at Sundance. Here it is:

What did you enjoy most about this project? Why should audience watch it?

- The film I'm lucky enough to be in, Lemon, is a labor of love that took the producers, Janicza Bravo, the director, and her husband, Brett Gelman, the star of the film over 5 years to get made. Because of that, I was on a set where everyone cared so much and it showed in the environment, and the work. The audience should definitely watch it if they've ever felt weird or like an underdog. When you watch the ordeal Brett's character goes through, trust me when I say you won't feel so alone anymore. Oh, and if you're Jewish. There are some moments where I felt like only someone truly Jewish could understand and appreciate, and all I could do was smile and clap along.

What's your most favorite memory of Sundance?

- I attended the SAG Indie actors brunch and literally in the course of half an hour, met a ton of my acting heroes and simultaneously reconnected with 10 people I had worked with or known back in New York and Los Angeles. None of whom I knew would be attending Sundance, and some I'm back in touch with now. I have a few coffees and lunches lined up that I'm really looking forward to. Moments like that are terrific because it makes you realize just how small and inter-connected the artistic community is.

Hank Chen at Sundance 2017 with film Lemon. He loves Gambit, but not sure if he wants to play it LOL. Wonderful actor & wonderful guy!

What do you think about state of inclusion in Hollywood? 

- I think Hollywood has done an okay job. There's always more and never enough, so you can't lose sight. But it's important to acknowledge and commend people when change is being made in the right direction - even if it's incremental. Because, hey, at least it's still forward movement.

What's your experience and what do you think we all can do to improve the situation?

- Like every actor, my experience is going to be unique because no two careers are alike. But what I can say is that as a member of two minority groups, there are advantages and disadvantages. For instance, it might be easier for me to get through a door to get seen because my line isn't as long as, say, the young blonde ingenue line. But on the other hand, that door I'm walking through... the roles available to me are limited in their size and influence. I've played waiters more times that I can count and not interested in doing that anymore.

What do you like about being a storyteller and artist? What's your message to other aspiring storytellers?

- If I'm doing my job correctly, I love getting to reflect the human condition. When a performer moves you, it's because the audience sees in them something they see in themselves - whether you're willing to admit it to yourself or not. For me, art helped me come out, and ultimately influence my identity as a gay man. Was I terrified to watch shows with queer themes like, Six Feet Under? Absolutely. But I also felt that show speak to me and understand me in a way no one in my current world was able to, so I couldn't look away.

- My message to other storytellers is to tell a story that is uniquely yours and don’t try to be anyone else. Sundance is all about films with strong single visions and new perspectives. Don't water it down for a mass audience. Make it your voice, and make it heard.

What's your most favorite and least favorite thing about NYC?

Favorite: that there's variety in New York - it doesn't seem like everyone is in show business. New York is the pinnacle of finance, art, fashion, media, food, museums, you name it. You run into (literally and figuratively) a lot more people doing different things in New York and that keeps things, life, and your circle of friends interesting.
Least favorite: the weather. Only 4 good months out of the year. Two in the spring, and two in the fall.

---------------

Hank will be seen in season 2 of "Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders,”  later this March, and the feature film directorial debut of Hallie Meyers-Shyer's Home Again, produced by Nancy Meyers, starring Reese Witherspoon, Michael Sheen, and Candice Bergen and is set for a wide holiday release fall of 2017. Hank is known for Amazon’s “Transparent," TV Land's “Lopez,” and CBS's "NCIS: Los Angeles." Other television roles include Netflix’s "Grace and Frankie,” ABC Family’s “Baby Daddy,” and CBS’s “Blue Bloods." One of Hank’s favorite roles to date is working alongside Robin Williams in his final theatrical release, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. 

Ben Milken, director of "Lake Alice" #Sundance

Ben Milliken directs the film Lake Alice, which will premiere at Sundance in January 2017. The English-born actor starred in the independent feature film, “Newcastle,” which made its world premiere at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. Ben’s other roles include “Melrose Place” (CW) and “Gigantic” (Teen Nick), “CSI- Miami” (CBS) and was the male lead in the TV movie, Deadly Sibling Rivalry (Lifetime). He also played the lead male role in Blue Crush 2 (Universal Pictures). Ben’s passion for storytelling and filmmaking led him into the role of producer as he went on to produce the single take romantic comedy Somebody Marry Me. Ben then made his directorial debut with the thriller Lake Alice in early 2015. In 2016, Ben returned to the silver screen landing a role in the feature film Emerald Run.

We had a chance to catch up with him at Sundance 2017. here are the excerpts:

• What's your most favorite memory of Sundance? 
  The buzz of the place. there is so much excitement and anticipation that fills the air. 
• What did you enjoy most about this project? Why should audience watch it? 
  All the actors were such a joy to work with. It felt like a collaborative journey we were all on together. 
• What do you like about being a storyteller and artist? What's your message to other aspiring storytellers? 
  To be able to bring ideas to life, for an audience to see. I would say, don't focus on money or fame, it's always about the work. 
• What was your experience of being behind the camera? What was most painful and most satisfying aspect? 
  It was a very rewarding experience to be able to take something from an idea to a finished product. To be able to bring a story to life visually. The most painful part of this project was the extreme cold we faced while shooting. -30 degrees.
• What's your most favorite and least favorite thing about NYC? 
  Favorite thing - the city is alive, there is always something to do, somewhere to go, something new to see. My least favorite - winter. too cold. 

Viola Davis's JuVee brings "NIGHT SHIFT" @ #Sundance

Executive produced by Viola Davis and Juvee Productions, Marshall Tyler's NIGHT SHIFT was selected for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Shorts program. It's definitely one of the best short films at Sundance 2017, and the competition is tough there. It's not only an intriguing and interesting story that's beautifully acted and shot. But it's also a movie that showcases diversity & inclusion, in a truly entertaining way. The film brings several new voices to Hollywood. It's a wonderful time for black art, with Black History Month approaching in February. NIGHT SHIFT explores uncharted ground and is a part of a new millenium of the black art movement epitomized by films like Moonlight. 

With NIGHT SHIFT, director Marshall Tyler makes his transition from the documentary world to narrative film with a richly-textured piece that zooms in on one man's last chance to change his life. Starring famed musician Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio) and with new original compositions from producer Michael Uzowuru ( Nights, the stand out track from Frank Ocean's acclaimed 2016 album blond). The film also stars CHINA SHAVERS, a native New Yorker who grew up in Spanish Harlem. 

We had a chance to talk to Marshall, Tunde, China and rest of the amazing cast. Here it is:

Director Marshall Tyler and the cast of wonderful short NIGHT SHIFT, talk to Art Shrian at Sundance 2017

“Marshall has such a unique voice and, with JuVee, we're always looking for ways to support the next wave of up-and-coming artists and filmmakers like him." - Viola Davis

Written, Produced and Directed by Marshall Tyler
Presented by JuVee Productions, New Bumper & Paint and Flourishing Films
Exec-Producers: Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, John Evangelista, Bryan H Carroll
Producers: Moira Griffin, Efuru Flowers

Get a glimpse into one night in the life of a bathroom attendant in a Los Angeles nightclub. Starring Tunde Adebimpe and China Shavers. Written & Directed by Marshall Tyler. Featuring music from Michael Uzowuru, Tunde Adebimpe and Timo Chen. A New Bumper and Paint Production in association with Juvee Productions & Flourishing Films. Executive Producers Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, John Evangelista and Bryan H Carroll.

SYNOPSIS:

OLLY JEFFRIES (Tunde Adebimpe - Nasty Baby) is an on-again off-again actor whose stagnant career leads him to a long-term gig as a bathroom attendant in an LA nightclub called “The Fix.” At first, it was quick, easy, tax-free money to hold him over between jobs. But it didn't take long for him to realize that the strange solitude of the job agreed with him. Olly has always found joy in being invisible, it's something he calls the art of disappearing and besides this, working in close quarters with random strangers gives him the perfect opportunity to study human behavior in its purest, unadulterated form...bathroom habits. Even as the attendant part of him eclipsed the actor part of him, he never stopped telling himself that this is something he can use to create believable performances if ever cast in something again.

But on this particular night, a series of random and sometimes degrading encounters become too much to bear and Olly is forced to overcome the disrespect of his customers and confront the specter of his failed marriage and his soon-to-be ex-wife TRACEY (China Shavers- Mulignans) in a bid for another shot at the visible side of life.

Helene Hegemann, writer/director of AXOLOTL OVERKILL. #Sundance

AXOLOTL OVERKILL, the debut feature from writer/director Helene Hegemann, had its world premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in the World Dramatic Competition program, 

Hegemann makes an astonishingly accomplished and stylish debut feature, at the young age of 24.  She has written two novels, including the controversial German best seller Axolotl Roadkill, which she wrote and published at the age of 17. Hegemann has also directed award-winning work in theatre and opera.  We had a chance to talk to her, here it is:

Helene Hegemann talks with Art Shrian, about her film ACXOLOTL OVERKILL, women in films and more at Sundance 2017

AXOLOTL OVERKILL is a tightly and kinetically edited tale of youthful excess and exuberance.   It follows Mifti (Jasna Fritzi Bauer in a breakthrough performance), a beautiful and reckless 16-year-old girl who's mother recently died. Having no use for peers her own age and being aware of the sexual power she wields with her looks and youth, she immerses herself in a world of adults of questionable character, testing the limits through the Berlin nightlife and extreme partying. 

Mifti, age 16, lives in Berlin with a cast of characters including her half-siblings; their rich, self-involved father; and her junkie friend Ophelia. As she mourns her recently deceased mother, she begins to develop an obsession with Alice, an enigmatic, and much older, white-collar criminal.

Directed/written by: Helene Hegemann
Cast: Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Arly Jover, Mavie Hörbiger, Laura Tonke, Hans Löw, Bernhard Schütz

Synopsis: 
Mifti is a beautiful and reckless 16-year-old girl. Her mother is dead, and her wealthy, eccentric father is too self-absorbed to be responsible for her. Mifti has no use for peers her own age, and being aware of the sexual power she wields with her looks and youth, she immerses herself in a world of adults of questionable character. Lovesick over an elusive older woman, she strikes up a friendship with Ophelia, an actress, and together they test the limits through Berlin nightlife and extreme partying.