iHeartMedia and FOX Announce Nominees for the 2019 iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS, Airing Live Thursday, March 14, on FOX

IHEARTMEDIA AND FOX ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR THE 2019 “IHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS,” AIRING LIVE THURSDAY, MARCH 14, ON FOX, FROM MICROSOFT THEATER IN LOS ANGELES

Drake; Ed Sheeran; Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B; Post Malone; and Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey Nominated for Song of the Year

iHeartMedia and Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX) announced today the nominees for the 2019 iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS airing Thursday, March 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed) on FOX, live from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The event also will be broadcast on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and iHeartRadio, the all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live-streaming radio service.

Now in its sixth year, the iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS is a star-studded event celebrating the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2018, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2019. The 2019 telecast will feature live performances from today’s superstar performers, once-in-a-lifetime artist collaborations, celebrity guest appearances and live award presentations in multiple categories. Since the Awards’ inception in 2013, the show has included live performances and appearances by such superstar artists as Bon Jovi, Maroon 5, Camila Cabello, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Big Sean, Rihanna, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Blake Shelton, Pharrell, Pitbull, Justin Bieber and many others.

“It’s no secret why this year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards nominees are a Who’s Who of music,” said John Sykes, President of iHeartMedia Entertainment Enterprises. “These are the artists and the songs iHeartRadio listeners couldn’t get enough of this past year. It’s going to be an unforgettable show.”

Artists receiving multiple nominations include Cardi B, Drake, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Post Malone, Maroon 5 and Imagine Dragons. All nominees are listed below. For a full list of categories, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.

“Millions of music’s biggest fans have once again made their voices heard and, of course, we listened,” said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. “What makes our iHeartRadio Music Awards categories so special is that they truly reflect the artists, songs and moments that have defined this past year in entertainment. We can’t wait to see who wins.”

In addition to being a compelling celebration of music and artists, the 2019 iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS will again celebrate the fans, giving iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Best Fan Army presented by Taco Bell,Best Lyrics, Best Cover Song, Best Music Video, the Social Star Award, Best Solo Breakout, Cutest Musician’s Pet and the first-ever Song That Left Us Shook and Favorite Tour Photographer awards.

Social voting begins today, January 9, and will close on March 7. Fans can vote on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visitingiHeartRadio.com/awards.

Ranking as one of the most talked-about television events in social media this past year, the 2018 iHEARTRADIO MUSIC AWARDS garnered more than 216 billion social media impressions in the U.S. alone. It also proved its strength on individual platforms, such as Twitter, where the official hashtag of the evening, #iHeartAwards2018, trended #1 on Twitter worldwide and in the U.S. in more than 30 cities.

Among the many winners of the 2018 Awards were Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” for Song of the Year, Taylor Swift for Female Artist of the Year, Ed Sheeran for Male Artist of the Year, Cardi B for Best New Artist, Maroon 5 for Best Duo/Group of the Year and U2 for Best Tour. Chance the Rapper received the most prestigious award of the evening – the 2018 iHeartRadio Innovator Award – for his groundbreaking accomplishments in the music industry and his unsurpassable contributions to social causes. In addition, L'Oréal Paris and iHeartRadio presented Camila Cabello with the first-ever Fangirls Award, which recognizes a female artist who has pushed boundaries with her music and message, while inspiring fans around the globe. And Bon Jovi received the first-ever iHeartRadio Icon Award for their global impact on pop culture, longevity and continued relevance as a touring and radio force with a loyal fan base worldwide.

This year’s awards will feature a broad array of categories, including Female Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Best Duo/Group of the Year and individual winners for Album of the Year in music’s biggest genres, including Pop, Country, Alternative Rock, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin and Regional Mexican formats. For the third year, the 2019 Best New Artist awards will be grouped by music format, and format winners will then become finalists for the top title of Best New Artist. Category finalists (by alphabetical order) are:

Song of the Year:

- “Better Now” - Post Malone

- “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

- “God's Plan” - Drake

- “Perfect” - Ed Sheeran

- “The Middle” – Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Female Artist of the Year:

- Ariana Grande

- Camila Cabello

- Cardi B

- Dua Lipa

- Halsey

Male Artist of the Year:

- Drake

- Ed Sheeran

- Kendrick Lamar

- Post Malone

- Shawn Mendes

Best Duo/Group of the Year:

- 5 Seconds Of Summer

- Imagine Dragons

- Maroon 5

- Panic! At The Disco

- twenty one pilots

Best Collaboration:

- “Finesse (Remix)” Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B

- “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

- “I Like It” - Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin

- “Meant To Be” - Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

- “The Middle” - Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Best New Pop Artist:

- Bazzi

- Lauv

- Marshmello

- MAX

- NF

Alternative Rock Song of the Year:

- “Africa” - Weezer

- “Broken” - lovelytheband

- “Happier” - Marshmello featuring Bastille

- “High Hopes” - Panic! At the Disco

- “Natural” - Imagine Dragons

Alternative Rock Artist of the Year:

- Imagine Dragons

- lovelytheband

- Panic! At The Disco

- Portugal. The Man

- Thirty Seconds To Mars

Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist:

- AJR

- Badflower

- Billie Eilish

- lovelytheband

- Two Feet

Rock Song of the Year:

- “Are You Ready” - Disturbed

- “Bulletproof” - Godsmack

- “Devil” - Shinedown

- “Safari Song” - Greta Van Fleet

- “Zombie” - Bad Wolves

Rock Artist of the Year:

- Five Finger Death Punch

- Godsmack

- Greta Van Fleet

- Shinedown

- Three Days Grace

Country Song of the Year:

- “Heaven” - Kane Brown

- “Meant To Be” - Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line

- “Most People Are Good” - Luke Bryan

- “Rich” - Maren Morris

- “Tequila” - Dan + Shay

Country Artist of the Year:

- Carrie Underwood

- Jason Aldean

- Luke Bryan

- Luke Combs

- Thomas Rhett

Best New Country Artist:

- Carly Pearce

- Dylan Scott

- Jordan Davis

- LANCO

- Russell Dickerson

Dance Song of the Year:

- “Friends” - Marshmello and Anne-Marie

- “Happier” - Marshmello featuring Bastille

- “One Kiss” - Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa

- “Remind Me To Forget” - Kygo featuring Miguel

- “The Middle” - Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

Dance Artist of the Year:

- Calvin Harris

- Kygo

- Marshmello

- The Chainsmokers

- Zedd

Hip-Hop Song of the Year:

- “God's Plan” - Drake

- “I Like It” Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin

- “In My Feelings” – Drake

- “Nice For What” - Drake

- “Psycho” – Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

Hip-Hop Artist of the Year:

- Cardi B

- Drake

- Kendrick Lamar

- Post Malone

- Travis Scott

Best New Hip-Hop Artist:

- BlocBoy JB

- Juice WRLD

- Lil Baby

- Lil Pump

- XXXTENTACION

R&B Song of the Year:

- “Boo'd Up” - Ella Mai

- “Finesse (Remix)” - Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B

- “Medicine” - Queen Naija

- “Sky Walker” - Miguel featuring Travis Scott

- “When We” - Tank

R&B Artist of the Year:

- Daniel Caesar

- Ella Mai

- H.E.R.

- Miguel

- SZA

Best New R&B Artist:

- Brent Faiyaz

- Ella Mai

- H.E.R.

- Queen Naija

- TK Kravitz

Latin Song of the Year:

- “Clandestino” - Shakira featuring Maluma

- “Dura” - Daddy Yankee

- “Échame La Culpa” - Luis Fonsi and Demi Lovato

- “Me Niego” - Reik featuring Ozuna and Wisin

- “X” - Nicky Jam and J Balvin

Latin Artist of the Year:

- Bad Bunny

- Daddy Yankee

- J Balvin

- Maluma

- Ozuna

Best New Latin Artist:

- Lele Pons

- Manuel Turizo

- Mau y Ricky

- Nio Garcia

- Raymix

Regional Mexican Song of the Year:

- “Entre Beso y Beso” - La Arrolladora Banda El Limón

- “Me Dejé Llevar” - Christian Nodal

- “Mejor Me Alejo” - Banda MS

- “Mi Sorpresa Fuiste Tú” - Calibre 50

- “Mitad Y Mitad” - Calibre 50

Regional Mexican Artist of the Year:

- Banda Carnaval

- Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga

- Calibre 50

- Christian Nodal

- Gerardo Ortiz

Producer of the Year:

- David Garcia

- Frank Dukes

- Louis Bell

- Marshmello

- Noah “40” Shebib

Best Lyrics: *Socially Voted Category

- “Consequences” - Camila Cabello

- “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

- “God's Plan” - Drake

- “In My Blood” - Shawn Mendes

- “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande

- “Without Me” - Halsey

Best Cover Song: *Socially Voted Category

- “A Million Dreams” - P!nk and Willow Sage Hart

- “Africa” - Weezer

- “Crying in the Club” - Niall Horan

- “Fast Car” - Khalid

- “In My Blood” - Charlie Puth

- “Lucid Dreams” - Halsey

- “Me, Myself & I” - Zayn

- “Natural Woman” - Ariana Grande

- “Rewrite the Stars” - Anne-Marie and James Arthur

- “You’re Still The One” - Harry Styles and Kacey Musgraves

- “Under Pressure” - Shawn Mendes and Teddy Geiger

- “Your Song” – Lady Gaga

Best Fan Army presented by Taco Bell: *Socially Voted Category. Nominees to be announced at a later date

Best Music Video: *Socially Voted Category

- “Delicate” – Taylor Swift

- “Dura” – Daddy Yankee

- “Finesse (Remix)” - Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B

- “Freaky Friday” - Lil Dicky and Chris Brown

- “Girls Like You” - Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B

- “God's Plan” - Drake

- “I Like It” - Cardi B featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny

- “One Kiss” - Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa

- “Psycho” - Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign

- “Taki Taki” - DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B

- “thank u, next” – Ariana Grande

- “This Is America” – Childish Gambino

Social Star Award: *Socially Voted Category

- Agnez Mo

- Bhad Bhabie

- Dylan Minnette

- Joji

- Lele Pons

- Loren Gray

- Mason Ramsey

- Queen Naija

- Tana Mongeau

- Trixie Mattel

Cutest Musician’s Pet: *Socially Voted Category

- Asia – Lady Gaga

- Edgar - Brett Eldredge

- Goodwin - Sabrina Carpenter

- Gracie - Lauren Jauregui

- Hatchi - Perrie Edwards

- Mooshu - Alex Pall from The Chainsmokers

- Piggy Smallz - Ariana Grande

Best Solo Breakout: *Socially Voted Category

- Ally Brooke

- Dinah Jane

- Lauren Jauregui

- Normani

- Tiffany Young

Song That Left Us Shook: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category

- “Here Comes The Change” - Kesha

- “I'll Never Love Again” - Lady Gaga

- “One Day” - Logic featuring Ryan Tedder

- “thank u, next” - Ariana Grande

- “This Is America” – Childish Gambino

- “Youth” - Shawn Mendes and Khalid

Favorite Tour Photographer: (New Category) *Socially Voted Category

- Andy DeLuca (5SOS)

- Christian Tierney (Niall Horan)

- Helene Pambrun (Harry Styles)

- Josiah Van Dien (Shawn Mendes)

- Pixie Levinson (Dua Lipa)

- Rahul B (Camila Cabello)

- Ravie B (Beyoncé)

- Zack Caspary (Why Don't We)

Additional categories include Best Tour, Label of the Year, Most Thumbed Up Song of the Year and Most Thumbed Up Artist of the Year. For a full list of categories visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.

Tickets will be available at axs.com.

Proud partners of the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards include Taco Bell® with more to be announced.

Executive Producers for the iHeartRadio Music Awards are Joel Gallen for Tenth Planet and John Sykes, Tom Poleman and Lee Rolontz for iHeartMedia.

For breaking news and exclusive iHeartRadio Music Awards content, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards or follow the social buzz on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.

About iHeartMedia

iHeartMedia is the #1 audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month – and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company’s leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms including 850 live broadcast stations; streaming music, radio and on demand via its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, TVs and gaming consoles; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; and podcasts as the #1 commercial podcast publisher globally. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics and attribution technology for its marketing partners, using data from its massive consumer base. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (PINK: IHRTQ). VisitiHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About Fox Broadcasting Company

Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), a unit of 21st Century Fox, is home to some of the highest-rated and most acclaimed series on television, including 9-1-1, EMPIRE, THE ORVILLE, THE GIFTED, THE RESIDENT, LETHAL WEAPON, GOTHAM, STAR, THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, BOB’S BURGERS, HELL’S KITCHEN, MASTERCHEF, MASTERCHEF JUNIOR, THE FOUR: BATTLE FOR STARDOM, BEAT SHAZAM, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and GORDON RAMSAY’S 24 HOURS TO HELL AND BACK; as well as new series THE COOL KIDS, REL, LAST MAN STANDING, THE PASSAGE, PROVEN INNOCENT and THE MASKED SINGER. FOX airs 15 hours of primetime programming a week, as well as major sports and Sunday morning news. Through the FOX NOW app, FOX viewers can watch full episodes of their favorite FOX shows on a variety of digital platforms, while enjoying enhanced interactive and social capabilities around those shows. Download the FOX NOW app at www.fox.com/foxnow. To watch primetime programming live on the web, visit www.fox.com/live. “Like” FOX on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FOXTV and follow the network on Twitter @FOXTV. For additional information about FOX, please visit www.fox.com.

About Microsoft Theater

Microsoft Theater hosts over 120 music, family, dance and comedy acts, award shows, televised productions, conventions and product launches with over 500,000 guests passing through the doors annually. The 7,100-seat theater offers guests mid-sized intimacy, with no seat further from the stage than 220 feet. Microsoft Theater offers 12,000 square feet of VIP & hospitality areas, 10 dressing rooms and state-of-the-art technology, making it a favorite indoor venue for performers and fans alike. Since opening in October 2007 with six sold-out shows, featuring the Eagles and Dixie Chicks, Microsoft Theater has hosted concerts starring the most popular artists, including Alan Jackson, Katy Perry, Charlie Wilson, Juan Gabriel, Aretha Franklin, Ed Sheeran, John Fogerty, Gabriel Iglesias, Kanye West, Marc Anthony, Sesame Street Live, John Legend, The Avett Brothers, Neil Young, Steely Dan, Trey Songz, Kelly Clarkson, Rush, Yanni, Nicki Minaj, Juanes and Cat Stevens, as well as the “American Idol” finale shows, and the movie premieres for Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight.” Microsoft Theater is home to the American Music Awards, ESPYs, Primetime Emmy Awards, BET Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Radio Disney Music Awards, 2010, 2011 & 2015 MTV Video Music Awards, 2014 & 2015 MTV Movie Awards and the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Centrally located within L.A. LIVE, Microsoft Theater is a 4 million square foot / $3 billion downtown Los Angeles sports and entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center, featuring Microsoft Theater, a 7,100-seat live theater, a 2,300 capacity live music venue, a 54-story, 1001-room convention “headquarters” destination (featuring The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE hotels and 224 luxury condominiums – The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE – all in a single tower), the GRAMMY Museum and the 14-screen Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theater, as well as broadcast facilities for ESPN, along with entertainment, residential, restaurant and office space.

Regina King & Mahershala Ali Take Home Golden Globe Wins for IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK and GREEN BOOK

The 2019 awards season has officially begun, starting with the Golden Globes! Last night, GREEN BOOK and IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK were honored in major ways! 

Regina King arrives to the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

GREEN BOOK won Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Screenplay Motion Picture and Mahershala Ali won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture. Regina King took home the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK.

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK 
In Theatres Everywhere January 2019
Annapurna Pictures
Based on the novel by James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk, is the story of Tish, newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover’s innocence while carrying their first-born child to term. It is a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple, their families and their lives, trying to bring about justice through love, for love and the promise of the American dream.
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Screenplay: Barry Jenkins, James Baldwin
Cast: Regina King, Stephan James, KiKi Layne, Teyonah Parris, Dave Franco, Pedro Pascal, Brian Tyree Henry

Mahershala Ali attends the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

GREEN BOOK 
Universal Pictures
In 1962, Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, a tough bouncer, is looking for work with his nightclub is closed for renovations. The most promising offer turns out to be the driver for the African-American classical pianist Don Shirley for a concert tour into the Deep South states. Although hardly enthused at working for a black man, Tony accepts the job and they begin their trek armed with The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for safe travel through America's racial segregation. Together, the snobbishly erudite pianist and the crudely practical bouncer can barely get along with their clashing attitudes to life and ideals. However, as the disparate pair witness and endure America's appalling injustices on the road, they find a newfound respect for each other's talents and heart to face them together. In doing so, they would nurture a friendship and understanding that would change both their lives.
Directed by: Peter Farrelly
Written By: Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali

76TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNERS

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Black Panther

BlacKkKlansman

Bohemian Rhapsody

A Star is Born

If Beale Street Could Talk

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Peter Farrelly, Green Book

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman

Adam McKay, Vice

BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Crazy Rich Asians

The Favourite

Green Book

Mary Poppins Returns

Vice

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Christian Bale, Vice

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns

Viggo Mortensen, Green Book

Robert Redford, The Old Man & The Gun

John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns

Olivia Colman, The Favourite

Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade

Charlize Theron, Tully

Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born

Glenn Close, The Wife

Nicole Kidman, Destroyer

Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Rosamund Pike, A Private War

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born

Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate

Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased

Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody

John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

Amy Adams, Vice

Claire Foy, First Man

Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone, The Favourite

Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

Mahershala Ali, Green Book

Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy

Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman

Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Sam Rockwell, Vice

BEST ANIMATED MOTION PICTURE

Incredibles 2

Isle of Dogs

Mirai

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

BEST SCREENPLAY  MOTION PICTURE

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma

Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, The Favourite

Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk

Adam McKay, Vice

Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Green Book

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE

"All The Stars," Black Panther (Kendrick Lamar, SZA)

"Revelation," Boy Erased (Troye Sivan)

"Girl in the Movies," Dumplin' (Dolly Parton)

"Shallow," A Star is Born (Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson)

"Requiem for a Private War," A Private War (Annie Lennox)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE

Marco Beltrami, A Quite Place

Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs

Ludwig Goransson, Black Panther

Justin Hurwitz, First Man

Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Return

BEST MOTION PICTURE - FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Capernaum

Shoplifters

Girl

Never Look Away

Roma

BEST TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

The Americans

Bodyguard

Homecoming

Killing Eve

Pose

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Jason Bateman, Ozark

Stephan James, Homecoming

Billy Porter, Pose

Richard Madden, Bodyguard

Matthew Rhys, The Americans

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA

Caitriona Balfe, Outlander

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale

Sandra Oh, Killing Eve

Julia Roberts, Homecoming

Keri Russell, The Americans

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Edgar Ramirez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal

Henry Winkler, Barry

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects

Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Thandie Newton, Westworld

Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Amy Adams, Sharp Objects

Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora

Connie Britton, Dirty John

Laura Dern, The Tale

Regina King, Seven Seconds

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OF MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso

Daniel Bruhl, The Alienist

Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose

Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

The Alienist

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story

Escape at Dannemora

Sharp Objects

A Very English Scandal

BEST TELEVISION SERIES MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Barry

The Good Place

Kidding

The Kominsky Method

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES  MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Kristen Bell, The Good Place

Candice Bergen, Murphy Brown

Alison Brie, GLOW

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Debra Messing, Will & Grace

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES  MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Sacha Baron Cohen, Who is America?

Jim Carrey, Kidding

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

Donald Glover, Atlanta

Bill Hader, Barry

THE 9TH ANNUAL ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL in NYC (February 28 - March 3, 2019) - Honoring Extraordinary Women In Entertainment & Showcasing Female Leadership

9TH ANNUAL ATHENA FILM FESTIVAL

February 28 - March 3, 2019

The Athena Film Festival celebrates the leadership and creative accomplishments of trailblazers in the entertainment industry. The festival showcases films that tell the extraordinary stories of fierce and fearless female leader from all walks of life – stories of ambition, courage, and resilience. They amplify the voices and stories of strong, bold women, curating a public discourse on gender equality, and changing the cultural conventions surrounding leadership.

The festival was founded by Kathryn Kolbert (Co-Founder and Producing Director of the Athena Film Festival) & Melissa Silverstein (Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Athena Film Festival and founder of Women and Hollywood).

This year’s honorees and programming will be announced in the coming weeks.

WHAT | The 9th Annual Athena Film Festival

WHEN | February 28 - March 3, 2019

WHERE | Barnard College

Past years’ honorees have included:

Barbara Kopple, Amma Asante, Bridget Everett, JJ Abrams, Jodi Foster, Karyn Kusama, Jeanine Tesori, Greta Gerwig, Ava DuVernay, Paul Feig, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sheila Nevins, Cathy Schulman, Julie Taymor, Eve Ensler, Sherry Lansing, Callie Khouri, Kasi Lemmons, Keri Putnam, Debra Martin Chase, David Oyelowo, Leslie Bennetts, Rachel Horovitz and Gale Anne Hurd among others.

About The Athena Film Festival

The Athena Film Festival at Barnard College in New York City, is a weekend of inspiring films that tell the extraordinary stories of fierce and fearless female leader from all walks of life – stories of ambition, courage, and resilience. We amplify the voices and stories of strong, bold women, curating a public discourse on gender equality, and changing the cultural conventions surrounding leadership.

Over the last nine years, the Festival has welcomed more than 35,000 people from all over the world to 200+ screenings. This past year we screened 46 films including 17 features, 13 documentaries, and 16 shorts. We welcomed distinguished guests including Billie Jean King, J.J. Abrams, Lena Dunham, Amma Asante, Barbara Kopple, and Bridget Everett among many others.

As a key part of our educational mission, we offer a wide range of programs including panels, workshops and masterclasses for filmmakers, labs for film and TV writers in New York and Los Angeles, and a works- in-progress showcase for female documentary filmmakers.

Our signature program, the Athena List, is an annual slate of between 3-5 screenplays with female leaders that have yet to be made into films. Now in its 5th year, several Athena List scripts have been produced or are in production. For example Athena List finalist, Little Pink House, written and directed by Courtney Balaker and starring Catherine Keener, opened the 2017 festival and was released in the spring of 2018. Athena List winner, On the Basis of Sex, based on the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, directed by Mimi Leader and starring Felicity Jones as a young RBG, will be released on December 25, 2018.

As the only film festival specifically focused on women’s leadership, the Athena Film Festival provides a forum for dialogue about and an opportunity to showcase what it means to be a powerful woman today, inspiring women and girls in the process. We engage with community partners to reach diverse audiences and ensure that we are connecting with families and youth in the Morningside Heights neighborhood and across New York City.

15th Annual StandUp NBC Final w/Amanda Seales, Tone Bell and more!

((L-R) Comedians Calvin Evans, Sohrab Forouzesh, Luz Pazos, Mike E. Winfield, Ali Clayton, Jay Jurden, Vincent Bryant, Senior Vice President of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion Karen Horne and Venessa Peruda)

On Wednesday, December 5th – the 15th Annual ‘StandUp NBC’ finale was held at the Hollywood Improv with the top 8 outstanding new comics of diverse backgrounds. 

Finalists were chosen from a four city casting call to perform at the finale showcase in front of NBCUniversal Execs from Development programming, Primetime, Alternative & Cable as well as top producers, casting director, agents and managers in the entertainment industry.

Previous StandUp NBC winners and alumni in attendance included: Amanda Seales (“Insecure), Tone Bell (“Disjointed”), Langston Kerman (“Insecure”), Ron G (Comedian) and more!

GOLDEN GLOBES - 'IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK' & VICE score 10 nominations for ANNAPURNA

'IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK' and VICE scored 10 nominations for ANNAPURNA. And the excitement amongst the cast of Beale Street and director Barry Jenkins is high, along with the team at Annapurna Films. Here’s what they said about the nomination, and more deatils…

REGINA KING– “IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK” (Annapurna Pictures) – Nominee, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture – Golden Globes

"I cannot even put into words how I feel right now hearing this exciting news from set. Just elated. So proud of these two amazing and beautiful projects. I'm incredibly lucky and humbled that these roles chose me. For Beale Street, honoring the words and legacy of James Baldwin is truly special. Thank you Hollywood Foreign Press!"

Regina King, Golden Globe nominee as Best Supporting Actress [Motion Picture] (IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK)

BARRY JENKINS – “IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK” (Annapurna Pictures) – Nominee, Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Screenplay – GOLDEN GLOBES

“On behalf of the entire Beale Street family, it’s an honor to have our film recognized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, particularly alongside such varied and wonderful work by our peers. It’s a critical time to be telling stories and creating art that reflects the world we live in. We’ll take this recognition as an affirmation to continue to do so.”

Barry Jenkins, Golden Globe nominee for Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Screenplay (IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK)

Annapurna Pictures

“We could not be more thrilled for our films, filmmakers and talent being acknowledged by the HFPA for their incredible work. These nominations are a tremendous honor and a testament to the HFPA’s support of mavericks and trailblazers who take chances and never stray from their bold visions.”

Megan Ellison, Founder & CEO Annapurna Pictures

Annapurna Pictures is tied for most nominations for any studio with 10 nominations

VICE is the most nominated film with 6 nominations

10 Golden Globe Nominations

Best Motion Picture, Drama – IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Best Motion Picture, Comedy – VICE

Best Director, Motion Picture – Adam McKay, VICE

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama – Nicole Kidman, DESTROYER

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy – Christian Bale, VICE

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture – Sam Rockwell, VICE

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture – Regina King, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture – Amy Adams, VICE

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture – Barry Jenkins, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture – Adam McKay, VICE

In Select Theaters December 14 

#BealeStreet

Official Site: BealeStreet.movie

Facebook: /BealeStreet

Instagram: @BealeStreet

Twitter: @BealeStreet 

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins' first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight is If Beale Street Could Talk, his adaptation of James Baldwin's novel - the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated.

Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple's unbreakable bond and the African-American family's empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. 

Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author's prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Writer: Barry Jenkins

Producers: Megan Ellison, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, Pedro Pascal

PGA HONORS KENYA BARRIS WITH THE 2019 VISIONARY AWARD

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA HONORS KENYA BARRIS WITH THE 2019 VISIONARY AWARD

LOS ANGELES (November 29, 2018) – The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced today that celebrated producer and writer Kenya Barris will be honored with the 2019 Visionary Award. Barris will accept the award at the 30th Annual Producers Guild Awards presented by General Motors on Saturday, January 19, 2018 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles.

The Producers Guild Visionary Award recognizes television, film, or new media producers for inspiring storytelling of unique and uplifting vision or quality to our culture. The Producers Guild 2019 Visionary Award is sponsored by Delta Air Lines.

Kenya Barris is being recognized with the Visionary Award as a trailblazing storyteller whose work has advanced and expanded the representation of diverse perspectives within mainstream media. As the creator of the hit, Peabody award-winning and Emmy-nominated® series “Black-ish,” along with its successful spin-off series “Grown-ish,” and the writer of last summer’s comedy blockbuster “Girls Trip,” Barris has earned praise for honest portrayals of the Black experience that have not only resonated with a broad spectrum of audiences but have continually served as a catalyst for conversations around an array of timely topics. Through his work, Barris has fearlessly tackled difficult social issues, poignantly reflected our culture, and unified audiences through powerful stories that highlight our shared humanity.

“Kenya Barris is simply a fearless producer,” said PGA Presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher.  “Time and again, Kenya has stepped up to tackle the difficult conversations, from the ones we have as families at the kitchen table to the ones we have as colleagues in company boardrooms and network offices.  These are challenging days for many of us, but Kenya’s unique voice—honest, passionate and so very funny—has been one of our industry’s strongest antidotes to ignorance and intolerance.  We are gratified to recognize his inspiring work with the Visionary Award.” 

Previous honorees include: producer and director Ava DuVernay; Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner’s Plan B Entertainment; producer and founder of Illumination Entertainment Chis Meledandri; producer Laura Ziskin; and Participant Media’s Jeff Skoll.

ABOUT KENYA BARRIS

Kenya Barris is the creator of ABC’s Emmy-nominated series “Black-ish,” which is based on his own life.  In its second season, the show won a Peabody Award and an AFI Award and has held NAACP’s title of Best Comedy Series for four consecutive years. Barris was awarded the Humanitas Prize in 2017 as well as the Outstanding Writing NAACP Image Award in 2016 and 2017. Barris premiered the hit spinoff series, “Grown-ish” earlier this year and has since announced his upcoming series “Besties” and “Bewitched.”  Due to his unparalleled innovative creative philosophy, he most recently a three-year exclusive overall producing deal with streaming giant Netflix. As a writer, Barris has worked on several television shows including “Listen Up,” “The Game” and “Girlfriends.” He has also sold a number of pilots including “America’s Next Top Model,” which he co-created and is currently shown in 49 countries with 21 internationally formatted offshoots. On the feature side, he most recently co-wrote “Barbershop 3: The Next Cut” and the hit comedy, “Girls Trip,” which made history by becoming the first film with an all-black creative team in front of and behind the camera to cross $100 million dollars at the box office. Among his other film projects in the works are the high-profile sequels “Son of Shaft” and “Coming 2 America,” as well as an animated feature based on the songs of Bob Marley.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA (PGA)

The Producers Guild of America is a non-profit trade organization which protects and promotes the interests of all members of the producing team in film, television and new media. Representing more than 8,000 producers, the PGA works to safeguard the careers of its members and improve the producing community at large by encouraging the enforcement of workplace labor laws and sustainable production practices, creating fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, facilitating health benefits for its membership, and hosting educational opportunities for new and experienced producers alike. For more information and the latest updates, please visit the Producers Guild of America website and follow on social media:

www.ProducersGuild.org

Twitter / Instagram: @ProducersGuild

www.Facebook.com/PGA

www.YouTube.com/ProducersGuild

https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/Producers-Guild-of-America/

#PGAwards

21st Century Fox and American Film Institute Announce Inaugural Class of Fox DP Lab

21st Century Fox (21CF) and the American Film Institute (AFI) have announced the eight female cinematographers to participate in the first-ever FOX DP LAB, to take place today, Thursday, Nov. 8, and tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 9, on the historic Fox Lot in Los Angeles: Tarin Anderson, Anne Etheridge, Catherine Goldschmidt, Halyna Hutchins, Hana Kitasei, Anka Malatynska, Dominique Martinez and Moira Morel.

As part of its ongoing efforts to bring new and diverse voices into the entertainment industry, 21CF designed the FOX DP LAB to increase the number of women cinematographers working in Hollywood. The Lab will connect participants with cinematographers, producers, directors, agents and executives; and provide an insider’s experience on Fox studio films and TV series in production. The participants will visit the set of Fox feature film “Call of the Wild,” meeting with Academy Award-winning Director of Photography and AFI Conservatory alumnus Janusz Kamiński; and Fox-produced comedies “Speechless” and “Fresh Off The Boat.”

Participants of the Fox DP Lab are recent graduates of the AFI Conservatory — the American Film Institute’s filmmaking MFA program, and one of the most prestigious film training programs in the world.

“We’re excited about this initiative to propel female DPs in their careers,” said MyKhanh Shelton, Senior Vice President, 21CF Global Inclusion. “We believe that focusing on increased gender representation in this key role will help accelerate diversity throughout production crews.”

2018 FOX DP LAB Participants

Tarin Anderson

Seattle native Tarin Anderson earned her master’s degree in cinematography at the AFI Conservatory after studying film at both Vassar and Hampshire colleges. She has shot a wide variety of projects, including commercials, music videos, documentaries, scripted series and feature films.

Anne Etheridge

A cinematographer for feature films, television and documentaries, AFI Conservatory graduate Anne Etheridge’s work has screened at film festivals around the world, including Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Sundance, Berlin, Rotterdam, SXSW and Tribeca. Her latest documentary project, “Dayla’s Other Country,” was selected to kick off the 2017 national PBS series, “POV.” 

Catherine Goldschmidt 

Since graduating from the AFI Conservatory in 2009, Catherine Goldschmidt has lensed eight narrative feature films, dozens of shorts, music videos and commercials, and has shot on such high-profile documentaries as the Academy Award-winning feature “20 Feet From Stardom.” She is a co-founding member of Illuminatrix, a collective of female cinematographers. 

Halyna Hutchins 

A graduate of the AFI Conservatory’s Class of 2015, Halyna Hutchins grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle.  Her AFI thesis film, “Hidden,” was screened at Camerimage, AFI FEST and Austin Film Festival, among others, collecting multiple awards and recognition, including as a finalist in the Vizio + Dolby Vision Cinematography Challenge.

Hana Kitasei

Hana Kitasei is a Japanese and American cinematographer dedicated to telling stories about human connection.  While completing a degree in Math at Harvard, she took a left turn and fell in love with cinematography. Since then, she has shot a huge variety of narrative, commercial and documentary projects. In addition to shooting, she guest-lectures at the AFI Conservatory and is also a core member of the International Collective of Female Cinematographers.

Anka Malatynska

Cinematographer Anka Malatynska’s feature film and documentary credits have ranged from the modern-day adaptation of “Little Women” to the cable comedy “Insecure.” She is an advocate for women working in the industry, coaching and counseling emerging talent through her teaching platform, Fearless Film, which she co-founded with DGA director Liz Hinlein.

Dominique Martinez

Cinematographer Dominique Martinez hails from Miami and is of Cuban and Spanish descent. A graduate of the AFI Conservatory’s prestigious cinematography discipline, her work includes commercials, documentaries, features and television. An avid photographer, she recently finalized her portfolio from her travels to Mongolia with National Geographic.

Moira Morel

Moira Morel is a Latinx cinematographer based in Los Angeles with a background in both documentary and narrative filmmaking.  “Vámonos,” the short film she shot and co-wrote, won a 2016 Imagen Award for Best Theatrical Short Film. Her latest narrative feature, “Unlovable,” premiered at SXSW in 2018 and won the SXSW Gamechanger Award.

This partnership builds on 21CF’s previous work with AFI to expand opportunities for women in the entertainment industry. The first of this two-part series, the AFI Cinematography Introductory Intensive for Women (CIIW), brought 19 emerging female filmmakers to the AFI campus in August for a four-day course exploring the fundamentals of visual storytelling.

About the American Film Institute

The American Film Institute (AFI) was established by presidential proclamation in the White House Rose Garden, and launched its national mandate on June 5, 1967 — to preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. Among AFI’s programs dedicated to training future storytellers are the world-renowned AFI Conservatory; the AFI Directing Workshop for Women; and the AFI Cinematography Introductory Intensive for Women.

About 21CF Global Inclusion

21CF Global Inclusion nurtures diverse voices and stories, both in front of and behind the camera, through a variety of partnerships, initiatives and programs, including the Fox Writers Lab, Fox Directors Lab, Fox Filmmakers Lab and the Fox DP Lab.

NBC OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2019-20 ‘FEMALE FORWARD’ AND ‘THE EMERGING DIRECTOR PROGRAM’ - Last date Nov 9th!

NBC OPENS SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2019-20 CLASSES OF ITS SCRIPTED DIRECTING PROGRAMS, ‘FEMALE FORWARD’ AND ‘THE EMERGING DIRECTOR PROGRAM’

WHAT:           NBC is calling for submissions for the 2019-20 classes of its scripted directing programs, Female Forward and the Emerging Director Program.

 Both pipeline programs are designed to increase diverse representation in episodic directing. Female Forward aims to achieve gender parity in the director’s chair while the Emerging Director Program focuses on ethnically diverse men and gender non-binary talent. They are both part of the tent pole initiatives within the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS) that promotes and encourages people of diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of storytellers.

 Finalists for both programs shadow on up on to three episodes of an NBC or NBCU Cable scripted series and are guaranteed an in-season commitment to direct at least one episode of the series they shadow.

WHEN:           The submissions window for both programs is open starting today, Thursday, Nov. 1 and closing Friday, Nov. 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

WHERE:         Eligible directors can apply here.

To be eligible for Female Forward, applicants must identify as female, have previous directing experience (although no more than one scripted television directing credit), and is legally able to work in the United States.

To be eligible for the Emerging Director Program, applicants must identify as gender non-binary or a man.

Submissions requirements for both programs are as follows:

·         One letter of recommendation from an advocate of the director who is not a talent representative.

o   Letters of nomination will not be accepted from anyone who works for or with talent, specifically managers, agents, publicists and lawyers.

·         Resume with detailed directing experience

·         Bio

·         Reel summarizing the director’s work

·         Up to three completed samples of work

·         Responses to two essay questions

·         One additional letter of recommendation (optional)

NBCU Short Film Festival Honored Diverse Films at Finale Screening

The 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Honored Diverse Films at

Finale Screening and Award Ceremony Held Last Night in Hollywood

“Masks” About a Closeted Persian Woman Who Survives a Mass Shooting and

“Monday” Centered on a Conflicted Asian American Hustler Sweep Major Awards

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – October 25, 2018 – Last night, the 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, honored its six finalist films and filmmakers with a finale screening and awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.

Comedian-actor Zainab Johnson (“Late Night with Seth Meyers,” HBO’s “All Def Comedy”) kicked off the evening with screenings of the six finalist shorts, “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live,” before an audience of industry professionals including network, cable and film executives as well as managers, producers and agents.

Presenters Melissa Barrera (“Vida”), Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Akbar Gbajabiamila (“American Ninja Warrior”), Joseph Lee (“Searching”), Lyric Lewis (“A.P. Bio”), Trace Lysette (“Midnight, Texas,” Transparent”), writer-producer Kay Oyegun (“This Is Us”), Tess Paras (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Claudia Puig (President, Los Angeles Film Critics Association), Bernardo Saracino (“Midnight, Texas”), Mary Sohn (“A.P. Bio”), Kellee Stewart (“Midnight, Texas”), writer-director David E. Talbert ( “Almost Christmas”) and Wilmer Valderrama (“NCIS,” HARNESS co-founder) handed out awards in nine categories including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Writer, Outstanding Actor, the Next Generation Filmmaker Award, the HARNESS Social Impact Award, Critics’ Choice Award and the Audience Award.

“Last night’s finale was a phenomenal showcase of the next generation of storytellers. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the audience reinforces that there are many undiscovered, talented voices whose stories already have an audience eager for fresh perspectives,” said Karen Horne, SVP of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Television. “I’m proud that over the past 13 years, our short film festival has not only celebrated those voices, but advocated for them beyond the festival to provide them with opportunities in the industry.”

HARNESS Social Impact Award: “Kyenvu”

“Kyenvu” writer-director Kemiyondo Coutinho was awarded a $10,000 cash grant for her short film about a young Ugandan woman who struggles to find her footing in a patriarchal society that entitles men to women’s bodies (trailer).

The award was presented by NBCUniversal’s Social Responsibility division and HARNESS, an advocacy organization founded by America Ferrera, Ryan Piers Williams and Wilmer Valderrama, that connects artists, influencers and grassroots leaders to inspire action and change. This year marked the organization’s second year partnering with the festival, and HARNESS co-founder Wilmer Valderrama presented the award to the Coutinho at the ceremony.

Outstanding Comedy: “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class”

“B.U.T.S: Spanish Class” co-creators Irene Lucio and Emma Ramos were presented with a $5,000 cash grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for an episode from their sketch comedy web series that parodies and satirizes the many ‘afflictions’ of the modern-day woman told through a Latina lens. In “Spanish Class,” a couple gets way more than they bargained for when they set out to learn Spanish in a week. (trailer)

Outstanding Drama: “Masks”

“Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O was presented with a $5,000 grant and a DJI OSMO+ Handheld Gimbal 4K camera with full accessory kit for her film about a closeted Persian woman’s experience after surviving a mass shooting. (trailer)

Outstanding Writer: Hammad Rizvi, “Rani”

Writer-director Hammad Rizvi was awarded a $5,000 cash grant in addition to final round placement in NBC’s Writers on the Verge program that prepares talented writers for staff writing positions on scripted series. He also received the newly released Final Draft 11 software on all platforms and a Fire TV Cube, the latest hands-free streaming media player with Alexa voice command.

Rizvi’s short film “Rani” centers on a socially outcast transgender Pakistani woman who sets out to take care of an abandoned child. The short stars trans activist Kami Sid as the titular character in her first acting role. (trailer)

Outstanding Actor: Kevin David Lin, “Monday”

Actor Kevin David Lin from the short film “Monday” was awarded a talent holding deal with NBC, a premiere headshot package with JeanPaul SanPedro, a fund for unlimited private audition coaching and advanced acting classes and a $1,000 wardrobe allowance. Lin starred as the central character in “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation. (trailer)

Outstanding Director: Dinh Thai, “Monday”

“Monday” writer-director Dinh Thai received a studio production services package courtesy of Universal Operations, including one day of shooting on the Universal Studios back lot and an $8,500 valued package including lighting, grip, props and costumes as well as one day of sound mixing. He was also awarded a $60,000 camera package from Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program, a longtime festival sponsor, and final round placement in NBCUniversal’s Emerging Directors Program that provides a pipeline for ethnically diverse directors to break into television by offering shadowing opportunities and an in-season commitment to direct an episode of an NBCUniversal scripted series.

Next Generation Filmmaker Award: Dinh Thai, “Monday”

Writer-director Dinh Thai won the festival’s inaugural Next Generation Filmmaker Award for his short film “Monday” about a conflicted young hustler who’s forced to confront the immorality of his occupation as he ‘code-switches’ through various cliques in his daily dealings throughout Los Angeles (trailer).

Presented by Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s Global Talent Development & Inclusion department along with the Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content group, the award recognizes a filmmaker who possesses a truly unique and innovative artistic vision and whose work delivers fresh content that has the power to connect, engage and inspire global audiences.

Thai receives a $8,000 grant to assist with his career momentum, one year of guidance from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content group executives and eligibility for the 2019 Universal Directors Initiative, a one-year program offering exposure to the studio production process as well as executives throughout NBCUniversal’s film, TV and cable businesses.

Critics’ Choice Award: “Masks”

“Masks” was chosen as the most impactful short by a jury of 25 film and television critics and entertainment writers. This year’s jury included journalists from The Advocate, Brown Girl Magazine, Essence, CNN, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Her Campus, The Hollywood Reporter, Huffington Post, Kore Asian Media, Latina, the Los Angeles Times, Moviemaker Magazine, NewNowNext, Screen International, Slate, The Teal Mango, TVGuide, USA Today, and Vanity Fair, among others.

Los Angeles Film Critics Association President Claudia Puig presented the award to “Masks” writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O. She received a DJI Phantom 4Series Quadcopter Drone with 4K Digital Camera and corresponding accessories.

Audience Award: “Masks”

The audience at the finale screening voted “Masks” as its favorite film amongst the six finalists. Writer-director Mahaliyah Ayla O received a $1,000 cash grant and a 4 TB external hard drive for her next project.

The festival’s finalists and semifinalists also received an array of prizes including a limited run on COMCAST’S XFINITY to 29 million viewers across the world starting December 1 as well as the opportunity to stream their film on the NBCU SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Hulu Channel and EVERYBODY DIGITAL, a mobile app exclusively for short film content created by actor-writer Allen Maldonado (“The Last O.G.”). They also all received a copy of newly released Final Draft 11 on all platforms from the festival’s returning sponsor.

The award winners were determined by a judging panel which includes NBC’s Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Universal Television President Pearlena Igbokwe, NBC’s EVP of Casting Grace Wu, Vice President of Creative at Focus Features Rebecca Arzoian, and Universal Cable Entertainment VP Programming & Diversity Chika Chukudebelu, among others.

The NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is presented by NBCUniversal and NBC Entertainment with title partners: Universal Pictures, Panavision, Xfinity and the NBCUniversal Division for Social Responsibility. Additional 2018 festival partners include Focus Features, Oxygen, USA Network, Bravo, Syfy, Fandango, E! Entertainment, Telemundo and Hulu, as well as industry partners including Creative Artists Agency (CAA), SAG-AFTRA, HARNESS, Tandem Productions, Final Draft, Everybody Digital, Writers Guild of America – East, Writers Guild of America – West, DGA and PGA.

About the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Founded in 2006, the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL is the first and only film festival created and run by an entertainment studio solely dedicated to celebrating the importance of diversity in entertainment and discovering the next generation of storytellers. The annual bicoastal program is a nationwide search for diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, including those from ethnically diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTQ community and female content creators. Winners are awarded with prizes ranging from development meetings and holding deals with NBCUniversal to cash grants and industry standard software and camera packages. Festival alumni include Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed 2”), Hasan Minhaj (“The Daily Show”), Randall Park (“Fresh Off the Boat”) and Simone Missick (“Luke Cage”). For more information, visit NBCUshortsFEST.com #NBCUshortsFEST

About the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS)

Since 2000, NBC has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing on screen and behind-the-camera talent of diverse and inclusive backgrounds through the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS). NBC TIPS are amongst the most extensive and robust diversity and inclusion programs in the television industry. They feature more than 20 programs including Writers on the Verge, the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, Female Forward, Emerging Director Program, StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians and the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL that celebrates diverse stories and the filmmakers who create them. Program alumni are celebrated producers, writers, directors and actors in the entertainment industry who have gone on to win Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards and include Alan Yang, Mindy Kaling, Deon Cole, Lil Rel Howery, Keto Shimizu, Natasha Rothwell, Danny Pudi and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. For more information, visit NBCUniTIPS.com.

Chat w/ Sandra Seeling Lipski - Founder/Director, Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival

Born in Berlin and raised in Palma de Mallorca, Sandra is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, and festival director with a unique international background and experience, currently based in Los Angeles and Palma de Mallorca. She is fluent in English, Spanish and German.

Her earliest passion was acting, and after working professionally as a teenager in Europe, she studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre School in New York City. She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career, and begin her filmmaker career as well. She graduated from the Los Angeles Film School with a degree in Directing and Producing in 2012.

In 2012 she founded the inaugural Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival, with the goal of creating a world-class, destination film festival in the Mediterranean that celebrates innovative independent cinema amidst the natural beauty of Palma de Mallorca.

We had a chat with Sandra. Here are the excerpts.

• What inspired you to start/conduct this festival. 

I started the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival because I saw there was great potential  (in my home, where I grew up) to establish an event could attract the international film industry once a year to celebrate independent film in Mallorca. I am a filmmaker myself and after visiting numerous festivals throughout the years I wondered by Mallorca didn’t have it’s own great festival? I pitched my idea to some friends who lived on the island, all involved in their own amazing businesses and to my surprise everyone jumped on board and the EMIFF was born in 2012. 

• How does this festival stands apart from other festivals?

Location, Location, Location. It’s a cliche but so true. Mallorca has forever been a magical place; enchanting light, beautiful beaches, impressive mountains, excellent food and of course wonderful people. It sits right in the middle of the mediterranean so the weather in October is mild and warm compared to the rest of Europe. Mallorca boasts amazing shooting locations, production services and crew. Apart from the Locals, Mallorca has a large expat community of german, British, Swedish, French and American business entrepreneurs, bringing a fresh new line of innovative start ups, cafes and restaurants, and design oriented brands to the island. Airline connections are endless every day and I have never met a person who wouldn’t want to come to Mallorca.

• What are the few things to look forward to, at the festival this year?

EMIFF 2018 offers 7 full days and nights of films, panels, networking events and parties. Our program includes 102 films, including feature films, short films, documentaries a Made In Baleares section, a virtual Reality lounge, experimental films, Music Videos and films for Kids. We are the only European Film Festival with an original Drive in Cinema hosted by Port Adriano. Our Industry panels are called Producers Club (28.10.) and this year we welcome great names to talk about International Co-Production and Marketing for film such as: Lucinda Syson (Casting Director for Wonder Women, Batman, Inception etc.), Tore Schmidt (Producer of the Academy award winning Danish Girl, 2015), Journalists Hus Miller and Anna Smith (President of the Film Critics Circle UK) and many more. Our 2018 Award winners include Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen who receives the Evolution VISION Award, Academy Award nominee writer/director Tobias Lindholm who will receive the Evolutionary Award and Grand Dame of Spanish cinema Marisa Paredes whom we will honer with the Evolution Honorary Award. 

• Any exciting things you are currently working on?

It’s all very exciting! The 7th EMIFF edition is around the corner and I am 7months pregnant, so lot’s to look forward too :)

• Anything else you would like to share?

EMIFF’s mission since it’s inception as always been BRIDGING CULTURES / BRIDGING PEOPLE. My goal is to create an international Film community on the island who all come together under one roof, no matter their skin color, religion or nationality, all are welcome - Come and Join the Evolution!

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Information on Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival:

Evolution! Mallorca International Film Festival (EMIFF) is one of the fastest growing, most respected and exciting film festivals in the Mediterranean. An excellent hub for networking with some of the brightest minds in filmmaking, EMIFF is as intimate and invigorating as it is breathtakingly gorgeous. Filmmakers and storytelling enthusiasts visit this island paradise to discover "the next great generation of filmmakers" They've yet to go home disappointed. 

Now in its 6th year, EMIFF is based in the heart of Mallorca’s buzzing and culturally rich center of Palma. In addition to feature films and short films, EMIFF also welcomes documentaries, music videos, animation shorts, experimental shorts and more. With competitive screenings unfolding at Teatro Principal, Cineciutat, Port Adriano and the museum of modern and contemporary art Es Baluard, EMIFF is an ideal place for indie filmmakers to rub elbows with industry professionals, while enjoying one of the most stunning islands in the Mediterranean as their backdrop.

This year's EMIFF will include screenings, networking events, panels, and workshops every single day with up-and-coming filmmakers, established industry professionals as well as the general public interested in arts, film and culture.

EMIFF attracts over 2500 attendees from over 20 countries worldwide. In conjunction with its sister-screening event in Los Angeles; SEE THE WINNERS, a special selection of winning films screened at the Los Angeles Film School in the heart of Hollywood, EMIFF is becoming an international launching pad for promising new talent in all film genres

Additional Information about Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival is available at www.evolutionfilmfestival.com

Connect with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival:

https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionFilmFestival/

Twitter: @EvolutionIFF

Instagram: evolutionmallorcafilmfestival

Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema Rebranded as FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, Returns to Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills and Queens Museum Aug. 2-11, 2019

Kew Gardens Festival Of Cinema Rebranded As FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, Returns To Regal UA Midway In Forest Hills And Queens Museum Aug. 2-11, 2019

Ranked By FilmFreeway In The Top 2% Of Film Festivals And Creative Contests Around The World, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC Call for Submissions For 2019 Edition Now Open

Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema has big changes in store for its third annual event taking place August 2-11, 2019, and submissions for the festival are now open. With it’s new home and location at the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills, Queens, this past 2018 festival, Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema is rebranding itself as FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC going forward. This rebranding will allow the festival to expand its appeal, helping attract attendees and filmmakers from around the world, to the city’s most ethnically diverse borough.

In just two years, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC has been ranked as one of the ‘Top 100 Best Reviewed Festivals” on FilmFreeway. According to reviews from real FilmFreeway users, the festival ranks in the top 2% of more than 6,000 film festivals and creative contests around the world.

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC is sponsored by the Queens Museum and Regal Entertainment Group —the second largest theater chain in the United States. Screenings will take place at the Regal UA Midway in Forest Hills on grand screens with state of the art sound and projection. Attendees experience each screening in the comfort of the theaters recliner seats.

At the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, filmmakers and festival guests can take advantage of free programming, industry panels, workshops and additional screenings.

The support of these established organizations allows FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC to bring truly independent cinema to mainstream audiences, breaking the stereotypes that are often associated with lower budget independent films.

Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as an event that New Yorkers are “taking note of,” and with coverage in major media including The New York Times, The Huffington Post and Time Out New York, FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC aims to put independent filmmakers in the spotlight by offering opportunities like no other independent film festival. Our publicity team works to get the most news and media coverage for as many of our films as possible. In the past our filmmakers have been spotlighted on such news media as Page Six and NY1 News on Spectrum Time Warner Cable. Further promotional opportunities available to our filmmakers include participation on the Festival Talks Daily Podcasts, Red Carpet interviews, as well as opportunities for filmmakers to participate on filmmaker panels to discuss the challenges faced in the independent film industry.

This year we are honored to partner with a variety of local and international sponsors who will be presenting panels and workshops. Sponsors include The New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, SAG-AFTRA, Moviemaker Magazine, Variety 411, Final Draft, Simple DCP, Soundview Media Partners, Synimatica, The Acting Studio NYC, Seed & Spark, Yelp and Big City Graphics. Plus, every filmmaker that submits their film(s) will automatically receive a one-year subscription to Videomaker Magazine, a leading subscription service that focuses on guiding independent filmmakers with online tutorials and publications (a $20 value). In addition, all selected filmmakers will receive Full Access film badges that allow entry to all screenings and networking events, as well as the latest edition of Variety 411 (choice of NY or LA edition.)

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC is a competitive festival that accepts films and media of all lengths, genres and subjects. Awards in over 15 categories include Best Feature and Short Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Music Video & Experimental, and Best Web Series. Audience choice for Feature and Short film are also awarded. Winners can expect to walk away with an amazing custom statuette as well as over $15,000 in prizes being offered from some of our amazing sponsors.

FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC will be an amazing experience for everyone that attends - so filmmakers and guests can expect networking events that include Karaoke, Trivia night, Comedy Night, Billiards Night and After Parties taking place throughout the area, hosted by our wonderful local sponsors.

In the past, our festival has hosted panels and workshops that strongly appeal to filmmakers. Subjects including diversity, women in film, distribution and production resources, as well as workshops by industry leaders such as SAG-AFTRA and Seed & Spark have been very popular amongst our filmmakers and attendees.

Past panelists and Jury Board members have included Anna Garduno, Executive Producer at Netflix; Charles E. Williams, two-time Emmy award winner at CBS; and Doug LeClaire, founder of Asbury Shorts USA.

To submit your film(s) to the 2019 FESTIVAL OF CINEMA NYC, find us on FilmFreeway, Withoutabox, or visit http://bit.ly/2lBnNdL.

Tauren Wells Dominates 49th Dove Awards

TAUREN WELLS DOMINATES 49TH ANNUAL GMA DOVE AWARDS WITH FOUR WINS

CELEBRATED CHRISTIAN SINGER GARNERS 4 FIRST TIME DOVES INCLUDING “CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR,” “NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR,” “POP/CONTEMPORARY ALBUM OF THE YEAR” & “RAP/HIP HOP RECORDED SONG OF THE YEAR”

Tune into TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) Sunday, October 21st at 9/8C

Photo Credit: Jamie Gilliam/BandBoxCreative & Gospel Music Association

(October 17, 2018 – Nashville, TN), Tauren Wells dominated the 49th annual Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards winning four of his eight nominations. Wells picked up four awards for Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year (Category 5), New Artist of the Year (Category 9), Rap / Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year (Category 11) and Pop / Contemporary Album of the Year (Category 23). The 49th annual DOVE Awards were taped in Nashville, TN at Lipscomb University and will broadcast on TBN on Sunday, October 21st, 2018 at 9/8C.

Wells, who was the former lead singer for Christian rock group Royal Tailor, performed his number-one single “Known” from his solo debut album, “Hills and Valleys,” and performed “War Cry” with show winners Social Club Misfits.

Backstage Wells said, “While it’s great to pose for all these pictures and getting to hold all these trophies, this doesn’t matter as much as what is happening inside our hearts.”

Wells’ debut solo single, “Hills and Valleys” lifted from the album of the same name, has received over 100 million digital streams and its accompanying acoustic style music video has been viewed over 24 million times; the third single “When We Pray” peaked at number two Billboard National Airplay chart. Tauren also achieved number one status being featured on Crowder’s hit song “All My Hope.”

Tauren Wells is currently touring with Dove Award winner, and Capitol recording artist, Danny Gokey on the “Hope Encounter” Tour.

For more information on Tauren Wells visit TaurenWells.com.

# # #

ABOUT TAUREN WELLS

Four-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated Tauren Wells debuted his solo music in 2017 with the dance-able pop hit, “Love Is Action”, which held the No. 1 spot at CHR radio for eight weeks and the hard-hitting “Undefeated” featuring rapper KB. Those hits were then followed by the GRAMMY-nominated and RIAA Certified GOLD “Hills and Valleys”, the piano and cello-driven thought-provoking track that quickly climbed the radio and sales charts and jumped to the Top 10 at the Christian Airplay radio chart for multiple weeks. The following single, “When We Pray” also hit the Top 10 at Christian Radio. His current single “Known” is already making a splash as it hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard CHR Chart. Tauren Wells is the former front man of GRAMMY® Award-nominated band Royal Tailor, father, songwriter, worship academy founder, multi-instrumentalist, and performer, and his deep desire to draw people closer to their identity in the Lord is apparent in all he pursues.

EVERYBODY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL, October 19-21 in Brooklyn, NYC

Allen Maldonado is a hard and smart working member of Hollywood, and he’s young born on May 20, 1983, to African American and Puerto Rican parents, he began his climb toward success as a child actor.  If you are one of his 23.9k Twitter followers that you already know that along with playing Curtis in Black-ish and Bobby in The Last O.G. he’s also one of the writers inside both writer’s room.  

His mix heritage has shaped his artistic points of view to a degree, with his mothers’ Southern roots deeply entrenched in African-American history. He lost his father at a young age.  

Maldonado has always been entrepreneurial focused and his business ventures include a record company, a production company, a t-shirt line, and the app, Everybody Digital, which has been described as “a “Netflix for short films” and this year, he’s added a brand new film festival—EVERYBODY DIGITAL FILM FESTIVAL— October 19-21—which is being held at Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, New York

The Everybody Digital Film Festival is dedicated to shining the spotlight on high-quality short films and web series and the creativity, passion, and hard work that goes into each and every project but is so often overlooked and under-appreciated. This is an extension of the Everybody Digital app created by Maldonado.  Carefully thought out, the app was created to help promote short-form films and web series and to give filmmakers another organized platform to showcase all of the work they put into writing, shooting and completing their productions. This festival was created to further promote and celebrate filmmakers and to provide them with a big screen and a live event for friends, family, and fellow filmmakers and film enthusiasts to enjoy and appreciate their work.

Connecting those in the industry is important and he’s arranged for opening night, Friday, October 19, to include a mixer fueled by Pizza  Hut at Kinfolk 94. There will also be special screenings for 3  Everybody Digital Original films with surprise celebrity guest appearances. 

The festival will also include several world premieres including  “A Father’s Love,“ written by Allen Maldonado and directed by RonReaco Lee, and produced by Jessie T. Usher, “Narcoleptic,” directed by Allen Maldonado, starring Miles Brown, and “Why Comedians Laugh,” directed by Allen Maldonado, starring Deon Cole, Woody McClain, and Gabrielle Dennis.

#theshortfilmapp.  Tickets are available at www.filmfreeway.com/EDFilmFestival.com.

2018 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS(R) MEDALISTS ANNOUNCED

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences last night honored its student winners from colleges and universities around the world at the 45th Student Academy Awards ceremony, held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards were announced and presented by documentarian Arthur Dong, actor and comedian Kumail Nanjiani and directors Catherine Hardwicke and Patricia Riggen!

The 2018 Student Academy Award winners are:

Alternative (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Shae Demandt, “Reanimated,” Florida State University

Animation (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Hanna Kim, “Raccoon and the Light,” California Institute of the Arts
Silver: Yu Yu, “Daisy,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Eaza Shukla, “Re-Gifted,” Ringling College of Art and Design

Animation (International Film Schools)
Gold: Pierre Perveyrie, Maximilien Bougeois, Marine Goalard, Irina Nguyen-Duc and Quentin Dubois, “The Green Bird,” MOPA

Documentary (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Mathieu Faure, “An Edited Life,” New York University
Silver: Yiying Li, “Love & Loss,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Lauren Schwartzman, “Dust Rising,” University of California, Berkeley

Documentary (International Film Schools)
Gold: Mart Bira, “Nomadic Doctor,” University of Hertfordshire

Narrative (Domestic Film Schools)
Gold: Hua Tong, “Spring Flower,” University of Southern California
Silver: Kelley Kali, “Lalo’s House,” University of Southern California
Bronze: Brian Robau, “Esta Es Tu Cuba”/“This Is Your Cuba,” Chapman University

Narrative (International Film Schools)
Gold: Jonatan Etzler, “Get Ready with Me,” Stockholm Academy of the Arts
Silver: Lisa Gertsch, “Almost Everything,” Zurich University of the Arts
Bronze: István Kovács, “A Siege,” University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest

See the full livestream here. 

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK premiered last night at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater as part of the New York Film Festival

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK premiered last night at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater as part of the New York Film Festival

The premiere marked the first time that a film from the New York Film Festival played at the historic Harlem theater. Following a Q&A in the packed theater, the cast made their way to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem hotspot Red Rooster to celebrate. 

Attendees from the film included KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Diego Luna, Finn Wittrock, Ed Skrein, Aunjanue Ellis, Emily Rios, Ebony Obsidian, Dominique Thorne

Filmmakers in attendance included Writer/Director/Producer Barry Jenkins, Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, PASTEL'S Adele Romanski and Sara Murphy, composer Nicholas Britell, cinematographer James Laxton, costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaeffer, editors Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders

Notable guests included actor Lakeith Stanfield, actor Michael K. Williams, actress Samira Wiley, actor Josh Radnor, actress Alia Shawkat, actress Adepero Oduye, actor Marcus Scribner, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, model TK Quann, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, director Bo Burnham

Exclusively in NYC on November 30

Expanding on December 7

#BealeStreet

Official Site: BealeStreet.movie

Facebook: /BealeStreet

Instagram: @BealeStreet

Twitter: @BealeStreet

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight is If Beale Street Could Talk, his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel — the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. 

Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Writer: Barry Jenkins

Producers: Megan Ellison, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, Pedro Pascal

Flies Collective Awards Over $17K to Five Independent Film Projects

Flies Collective, a Brooklyn-based production company that champions the independent filmmaking community, announced today that they have awarded over seventeen thousand dollars in financial and production support to five projects in their second annual film grant. The announcement was made by Flies Collective principals Daniel Patrick Carbone, Matthew Petock and Zachary Shedd.

Says Zachary Shedd, “Two years in a row we’ve been floored both by the level of talent within the grant proposals we reviewed and the sheer number of submissions, which more than doubled from last year. The ability and heart shown by our winners and by so many of the filmmakers who submitted was overwhelming and made us all proud to be working in this industry. Our hope with these five films is to give them the small leg up they more than deserve.”

 This year, Flies Collective enlisted the help of a grant review committee:

Anna Rose Holmer, writer and director of THE FITS (2015).

Michael Raisler, co-founder and former Creative Director of Cinereach. Executive Producer of MATANGI/MAYA/MIA, WE THE ANIMALS and the upcoming feature adaptation of MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON.

Raven Jackson, filmmaker, poet and 2017 recipient of the Flies Collective Film Grant, for her short film NETTLES.

This year, Flies Collective received over five hundred applications. The winners of this year’s grant are as follows:

FEYATEY  |  Director: Jessica Beshir  |  Experimental Documentary Feature

FEYATEY is a spiritually poetic and intimately political depiction of contemporary Ethiopia under a repressive regime, a window into the fantasies that the mysterious mild narcotic leaf Khat has afforded millions of Ethiopians who seek to escape their grim realities. This seventy-minute immersive documentary tells the story of the fantasy world induced by Khat chewing against the backdrop of the Khat industry workers who work around the clock to fuel the country with the mighty leaf of fantasy. Currently in production. 

PILLARS  |  Director: Haley Anderson  |  Narrative Short

PILLARS is a non-linear experimental short that explores transgenerational trauma and genetic memory through coming of age experiences across three generations of a family in the American South. Currently in pre-production

DON’T EVER LET GO  |  Director: Fabian Molina  |  Animated Short

DON’T EVER LET GO is a 7 minute animated film about a teenage Mexican-American brother and sister who are both trying to figure out their place in the world. Walking home from school one day they come upon a powerful stone, and both of them have different ideas about what to do with it. Currently in production.

WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU  |  Director: Livia Huang  |  Narrative Short

WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU is about two Asian-American boys from Queens caught in a rivalrous, too-close relationship between friendship and romance, spending one last night together in the summer before college. Currently in pre-production.

A BLACK RIFT BEGINS TO YAWN  |   Director: Matthew Wade  |  Narrative Feature

A BLACK RIFT BEGINS TO YAWN is a tone poem that teeters between being a pure mood piece and a mysterious narrative; exchanges of dialogue between the two women, Laura and Lara, working to uncover a conspiracy regarding the work of a deceased teacher and his obsession with an alien satellite, slowly reveal their intentions. One appears to have nefarious motives while the other tries to make sense of a puzzle she feels they have both been placed in, feeling out the danger which her former colleague presents. Currently in post-production.

Matthew Petock adds, “I’m again humbled and honored that so many talented storytellers and creators took time to share their work with us — it makes me very proud to be a member of this community. The outstanding projects we selected are daring and unique, and the filmmakers behind them have singular, inspired voices. We’re thrilled to be able to support their work.”

Wanting to find and support independent filmmakers like themselves, Daniel, Mathew and Zachary established the grant in order to pay forward the support they had received. In its first year, Flies Collective awarded over thirteen thousand dollars in grants and services to projects from Raven Jackson (NETTLES), Joshua Gleason (WHERE THE BOYS ARE), Lana Wilson (THE CURE FOR FEAR) and Jared Hutchinson (EARTHENWARE HEAD).

Flies Collective was established in 2012, but the principals at Flies Collective have been collaborating since they all attended NYU Tisch School of the Arts together. The team has been behind films like HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES, COLLECTIVE:UNCONSCIOUS, A LITTLE CLOSER, AMERICANA, as well as 2018’s Tribeca Film Festival premiere PHANTOM COWBOYS and Aaron Schimberg’s CHAINED FOR LIFE, which will soon screen at Austin’s Fantastic Fest and BFI London Film Festival.

For more information on the Flies Collective Film Grant, please visit: http://fliescollective.com/film-grant/

2018 LA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES WINNERS AND THANKS ITS SPONSORS

LOS ANGELES (September 28, 2018)— Today the LA Film Festival, produced by Film Independent, announced the winners of the 2018 Festival at the Awards Reception at the W Hotel in Hollywood presided over by Festival Director Jennifer Cochis and Film Independent President Josh Welsh. Cochis and Welsh also took the opportunity to thank the more than 50 generous sponsors, funders and media partners without whom the Festival would not be possible.

“We congratulate all of the filmmakers that shared their work with the LA Film Festival,” said Festival Director, Jennifer Cochis. “These awards honor the wide range of exceptional storytelling we’ve been sincerely delighted to present. All of us are looking forward to wider audiences discovering these stories in the year ahead.”

 “A festival is made up of many groups – the filmmakers and the audience, of course, but also the sponsors and funders who make it all possible," said Film Independent President Josh Welsh. "We are profoundly thankful to all the companies, foundations, and individuals who have financially supported the LA Film Festival without whom we truly would not be here.”

 Festival Guest Director, Emmy-award-winning, Lauren Greenfield (Generation Wealth, Queen of Versailles) was awarded the Spirit of Independence Award at the event for her work advancing the cause of independent film and championing creative freedom as a celebrated documentarian, famed photographer and artist.

The Festival’s juried awards include: the U.S. Fiction Award, World Fiction Award, Documentary Award, LA Muse Awards, Nightfall Award, Music Video Award, Episodic Award, well as the Short Fiction Award and the Short Documentary Award. Audience awards are presented for Fiction Feature Film, Documentary Feature Film, Episodic Story, Episodic Pilot, Short Film, Music Video and Series from the Web.

The LA Film Festival kicked off on Thursday, September 20 with the World Premiere of Andrew Slater’s Echo in the Canyon, with a performance with special guests Jackson Browne, Jade Castrinos, Jakob Dylan, Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) and Michelle Phillips.  Gala screenings during the Festival included Eva Vives’ All About Nina, Ike Barinholtz’s The Oath, Rupert Everett’s The Happy Prince and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin’s documentary Free Solo.

Additionally the 25th anniversary of Film Independent’s diversity mentorship initiative Project Involve honored Effie T. Brown (Real Women Have Curves, Dear White People), Jon M. Chu (GI Joe: Retaliation, Crazy Rich Asians), Cherien Dabis (Amreeka, Empire) and MACRO’s Founder & CEO Charles D. King (Mudbound, Fences) at the home of Catharine and Jeffrey Soros during the Festival and the inaugural New Wave brunch celebrated the work of Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine Nine), Jay Ellis (Insecure), Dominique Fishback (The Hate U Give), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Bumblebee), Leonardo Nam (Westworld) and Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place).

VR and immersive storytelling were showcased at The Portal in partnership with Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television at their new Playa Vista campus. Lastly, over two days We the People offered a free series committed to advancing inclusion within the entertainment industry by serving as a solution-oriented call to action, Regina Hall (The Hate U Give, Support the Girls) was the keynote conversation.

The Festival’s competitions featured a diverse slate of 40 feature films, 41 short films and 10 short episodic works representing 26 countries. Across the competition categories 42% of the films are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color.

The Festival will close later today with the World Premiere of David Raymond’s Nomis starring Henry Cavill, Sir Ben Kingsley, Nathan Fillion, Minka Kelly, Alexandra Daddario and Stanley Tucci at the ArcLight Hollywood Cinerama Dome and the Closing Night Documentary will be the LA Premiere of Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown’s United Skates at the ArcLight Culver City.

Awards were given out in the following categories:

The U.S. Fiction Award

Winner: This Teacher, dir. Mark Jackson, World Premiere

Screenwriters: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson

Producers: Mark Jackson, Dana Thompson, Gigi Graff, Josh Mandel, Javier Gonzalez

Cast: Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Kazemy, Lucy Walters, Kevin Kane, Lev Gorn

Film Description: A young Arab-French woman on an introspective journey visits her childhood friend in New York City before heading to the woods upstate.

Jury Members: Karin Chien (Producer), Leena Pendharkar (director, 20 Weeks), Erica Winograd (VP of Development, Refinery29)

U.S. Fiction Special Mention

Winner: In Reality, dir. Ann Lupo, California Premiere

Screenwriters: Ann Lupo, Esteban Pedraza, Aaron Pryka

Producers: Ann Lupo, Nadine Martinez, Holly Meehl

Cast: Ann Lupo, Miles G. Jackson, Kimiko Glenn, Jill Eikenberry, Olivia Washington, Esteban Pedraza, Lauren E. Banks

Film Description: A young woman takes a journey through her own fantastic mind as she investigates her relationship to unrequited love.

World Fiction Award

Winner: Border, dir. Ali Abbasi, California Premiere

Country: Sweden

Screenwriters: Ali Abbasi, Isabella Eklöf, John Ajvide Lindqvis

Producers: Nina Bisgaard, Peter Gustafsson, Petra Jönsson

Cast: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jörgen Thorsson 

Film Description: Despite having the remarkable gift of being able to smell emotions, a border agent leads a mundane existence until she meets a stranger who shares her unique abilities and upends her life.

Jury Members: Roxanne Benjamin (actress/director, V/H/S), Anna Rogers (COO/VP Production at The Art of Elysium/EB Studios), Yuval Sharon (Artistic Director, TheIndustry in Los Angeles)

World Fiction Special Jury Prize, Directing

Winner: The Day I Lost My Shadow, dir. Soudade Kaadan, US Premiere

Country: France/Lebanon/Qatar/Syrian Arab Republic

Screenwriters: Soudade Kaadan

Producers: Amira Kaadan

Cast: Sawsan Arshid, Reham Al Kasar, Samer Ismail, Ahmad Ali

Film Description: In the midst of a gas crisis during the early days of the Syrian Arab Spring, a young mother takes the day off work and strays far from home with only one objective in mind: finding a working cylinder so that she may cook a meal for her son.

Documentary Award

Winner: hillbilly, dir. Sally Rubin & Ashley York, LA Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Sally Rubin & Ashley York

Featuring: bell hooks, Billy Redden, Ronny Cox, Frank X Walker, Crystal Good, Silas Howard

Film Description: Two filmmakers visit rural Kentucky, one returning home to Appalachian to unpack the stereotype of “hillbilly” and explore the personal and painful experiences fueling our polarizing political climate.

Jury Members: Michael Bodie (director/professor, USC School of Cinematic Arts), Hans Charles (Cinematographer,13th), Rae Dawn Chong (actress, The Color Purple)

   Documentary Special Jury Award for

Excellence in Social Justice Storytelling

Winner: False Confessions, dir. Katrine Philp, North American Premiere

Country: Denmark

Producers: Katrine A. Sahlstrøm

Film Description: “Would you confess to a crime you did not commit?” A defense attorney fights against the complex and manipulative tactics of US police interrogations, focusing on victims of coerced confessions as she helps exonerate her incarcerated clients.

LA Muse Award

Winner: Staycation, dir. Tanuj Chopra, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Tanuj Chopra, Anthony Ma, Grace Su

Producer: Lalithra Fernando

Cast: Anthony Ma, Grace Su

Film Description: A modern millennial codependent couple in DTLA have their relationship thrown for a loop when he discovers a photo from an ex on her phone.

Jury Members: Tamar Halpern (filmmaker, Llyn Foulkes One Man Band), Jorge Lendeborg (actor, Bumblebee), Jamil Walker Smith (director, The American Dream, actor, Code Black)

LA Muse Documentary Award

Winner: Fire on the Hill dir. Brett Fallentine, World Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Brett Fallentine, Jordana Glick-Franzheim, Steven Amato

Film Description: Three black cowboys in South Central share their stories following a mysterious fire that burnt down the community’s stables, leaving the fate of the culture in question.

Jury Members: Tamar Halpern (filmmaker, Llyn Foulkes One Man Band), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (actor, Bumblebee),Jamil Walker Smith (director, The American Dream, actor, Code Black)

LA Muse Special Mention, Best Ensemble Cast

Winner: Solace, dir. Tchaiko Omawale, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriter: Tchaiko Omawale

Producers: Tchaiko Omawale, Maya Emelle, Hope Olaide Wilson, Sabine Hoffman, Sascha Brown Rice

Cast: Hope Olaide Wilson, Lynn Whitfield, Chelsea Tavares, Glynn Turman, Luke Rampersad, Sydney Bennett

Film Description: A teenage orphan moves to LA to live with her estranged grandmother and works to win a performance art grant while secretly struggling with binge eating.

Nightfall Award

Winner: The Dead Center, dir. Billy Senese, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Billy Senese

Producers: Billy Senese, Denis Deck, Jonathan Rogers, Shane Carruth

Cast: Shane Carruth, Poorna Jagannathan, Jeremy Childs, Billy Feehely

Film Description: When a mysterious John Doe wakes up in a morgue and wanders into a psychiatric ward, a devoted doctor and curious medical examiner must slowly uncover dark and sinister secrets about the man that reveal a more horrifying truth than they could have ever imagined.

Jury Members: Niyia Mack (producer, Delusion: The Blue Blade), Alex Neustaedter (actor, A.X.L.), Sarah Adina Smith(director, Legion, Room 104)

Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Lead Actor

Actor: Ashleigh Morghan

Film: Head Count, dir. Elle Callahan, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriters: Michael Nader

Producers: Samuel Sandweiss, Brandon Somerhalder

Film Description: During a weekend getaway to Joshua Tree, a group of teenagers find themselves under mental and physical assault from a supernatural entity that mimics their appearances as it completes an ancient ritual.

Nightfall Special Jury Prize, Ensemble Cast

Cast: Barak Hardley, Jackie Tohn, Magnús Jónsson, Birna Rún Eiriksdóttir, Tom Wright, Stacey Moseley, Michael Nanfria, Michole Briana White, Bryndís Haraldsdíttir

Film: Spell, dir. Brendan Walter, World Premiere

Screenwriter: Barak Hardley

Producers: Brendan Walter, Jon Lullo, Barak Hardley, Katy Stoll, Eleanor WIlson

Film Description: Following the unexpected death of his fiancé an American illustrator travels to the Icelandic countryside to seek solace. What he finds instead is a blurred line between reality and fantasy as magical things begin to shake his very foundation -- unless it’s all in his head.

Award for Short Fiction

Winner: The Passage, dir. Kitao Sakurai

Country: USA

Film Description: Fleeing a pair of mysterious agents sends a dim-witted mute on a series of absurd misadventures.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Award for Documentary Short

Winner: One Leg In, One Leg Out, dir. Lisa Rideout

Country: Canada

Film Description: A lively, strong-willed sex worker struggles to move from the streets and into a career as a social worker, hoping to help fellow trans sex workers find acceptance.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Web Episodes Jury Award

Winner: Psusy, dir. Anna Duckworth

Country: New Zealand

Film Description: Two close friends drag us through their controversial, inappropriate, but always playful feminist world.

Jury Members: Missy Laney (Director of Development, Adult Swim), Caleb Spencer (Managing Director, Nashville Film Festival), Garth Trinidad (DJ, KCRW)

Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film

Winner: Brian Banks, dir. Tom Shadyac, World Premiere

Country: USA

Screenwriter: Doug Atchison

Producers: Amy Baer, Monica Levinson, Shivani Rawat

Cast: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Tiffany Dupont, Xosha Roquemore

Film Description: Based on a true story, a young football player’s dreams to play in the NFL are halted when he is falsely accused of rape and sent to prison.

This award is given to the fiction feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select fiction feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature: U.S. Fiction, World Fiction, LA Muse, Nightfall and Premieres.

Audience Award for Documentary Feature Film

Winner: Stuntman, dir. Kurt Mattila, World Premiere

Country: USA

Producers: Steven Golebiowski, Kurt Mattila, Eddie Braun

Featuring: Eddie Braun, Gary Davis, Conrad E. Palmisano, Buddy Joe Hooker, Scott Truax, Meg Braun

Film Description: A veteran Stuntman sets out to complete the jump that bested his idol Evel Knievel: clearing the Snake River Canyon in a rocket-powered craft.

This award is given to the documentary feature audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Select documentary feature-length films screening in the following sections were eligible for the Audience Award for Documentary Feature: Documentary LA Muse and Premieres.

Audience Award for Music Video

Winner: Clutch, dir. Christopher Ripley

Country: USA

Film Description: A professional athlete's rise and fall from grace.

This award is given to the music video audiences liked most as voted by tabulated rating system.

Audience Award for Short Film

Winner: Weekends, dir. Trevor Jimenez

Country: USA

Film Description: A young boy shuffles between the homes of his recently divorced parents in this surreal hand-animated film set in 1980s Toronto.

This award is given to the short film audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system. Short films screening in the Shorts Programs or before feature films in the Festival were eligible for the Audience Award for Short Film.

Audience Award for Episodic Story

Winner: Revenge Tour, dir. Andrew Carter

Country: USA

Film Description: He’s been cheated on, living in a friend’s living room and stuck at a dead-end job. But one night he finds an unlikely stress-reliever—rapping.

This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system.

Audience Award for Episodic Pilot

Winner: 40 & Single, dir. Leila Djansi, World Premiere

Country: Ghana

Film Description: A single, bisexual, mixed race bridal fashion designer maneuvers life and business in post-colonial Africa.

This award is given to the web-series audiences liked most as voted by a tabulated rating system.

Seattle Story Award

Winner: I’m Sorry Happy Birthday, dir. Claire Buss, World Premiere

Film Description: A playful showcase of everyday life in Seattle’s neighborhoods through whimsical vignettes that border on the fantastical – complete with a little bit of Pacific Northwest quirkiness. 

Selected by special committee assembled by Film Independent and funded by Visit Seattle.

TikTok Real Short Award

Winner: dir. Ann Lupo

TikTok gave Festival filmmakers the chance to win a $10,000 unrestricted cash grant. Ann’s video addressed the "Why I'm a Filmmaker" prompt with exceptional storytelling through the lens of TikTok, utilizing creator tools to enhance the narrative. Her innovative short, along with all of the submissions, can be found on the Film Independent (@filmindependent) TikTok account. Selected by special committee assembled by the LA Film Festival programming team.

Venues for the 2018 Festival include the ArcLight Cinemas in Culver City, Hollywood and Santa Monica, as well as the new LMU Playa Vista Campus (opening this fall), the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, the Writers Guild Theater and the Ford Theatres.

In closing out the 2018 edition, the Festival thanks the many sponsors, funders and partners whose support made the entire program possible. These visionaries include Presenting Media Sponsor Los Angeles Times; Official Host Venue ArcLight Cinemas; Platinum Sponsors American Airlines, EFILM | Deluxe, HBO and TikTok; University Sponsor Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television; Official Screening Partner the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Festival Supporters include Directors Guild of America, eTech Rentals, Kona Productions, TREETI and Visit Seattle. Festival Affiliates are 21st Century Fox Global Inclusion, ATK Audiotek, Konsonant Music, SAGindie and Writers Guild of America West.

Stella Artois is the Official Beer. IMDbPro is the Official Industry Resource. CITI is the Official Credit Card. The LINE LA, NoMad Los Angeles and Freehand LA are the Official Hotel Partner. Essentia Water is the Official Water. Hillersden Estate Wines is the Official Wine.

Additional support provided by National Endowment for the Arts, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Time Warner Foundation, Lisa Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation, Jason Delane Lee & Yvonne Huff Lee | Lagralane Group, Brenda Robinson, Spain Arts & Culture, Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Employees Community Fund of Boeing California and the Members of Film Independent’s annual giving group, Arts Circle.

American Airlines

American is committed to the community in Los Angeles through local partnerships and community projects and, as the preferred airline of the entertainment industry, has formed an advisory council of influencers from leading entertainment corporations to shape future decisions. American offers over 200 flights on peak days from LAX to 70 destinations worldwide and is the only carrier to offer non-stop service to five continents.

EFILM | Deluxe

EFILM provides award-winning color finishing services and ground-breaking technology to top filmmakers and emerging talent, putting the same care into indie projects as hundred million dollar features. Recent projects include Sundance short grand jury winner and Project Involve Fellow project “Emergency”, “Blade Runner 2049”, and “The House with a Clock in Its Walls”. Follow us @EFILMholywood on Instagram.

HBO

HBO® is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 142 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world’s most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television including Game of Thrones®, Big Little Lies®, Westworld®, The Sopranos®, Sex and the City®, Band of Brothers®, and The Wire®. In the United States, HBO® and sister network Cinemax® are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand®, Cinemax On Demand®, HBO GO® and MAX GO®, as well as HBO NOW®. Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO®, are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.

Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television

LMU's School of Film and Television is consistently ranked among the best film schools in the world, and was named one of the top 10 film schools in the U.S. by the Hollywood Reporter. Our small class sizes, cutting-edge facilities and innovative, student-centered curriculum provide unique opportunities for students to hone their technical and creative skills as they prepare to become the next generation of storytellers, scholars and industry leaders.

TikTok

TikTok is a destination for short-form mobile videos. Our mission is to capture and present the world's creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter, directly from the mobile phone. TikTok enables everyone to be a creator and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos. TikTok is based in Los Angeles, with global offices in London, Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta, Mumbai, and Moscow. In early 2018, TikTok was one of the most downloaded apps in the world. TikTok is available worldwide for iOS and Android. Visittiktok.com.

Thank you also to Getty Images, the Official Photographer of the LA Film Festival. Please visit gettyimages.com, the official source for photos.

Additional thanks to media partners AFCI, Backstage, Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, KCRW 89.9FM, KPFK 90.7FM, LA Times, LA Metro, Los Angeles Confidential, Martin Outdoor Media, OUTFRONT Media, PROVOKR, The Hollywood Reporter, Univision/KLVE, IMDbPro, Variety, Getty Images and TheWrap.

Online & Social Media:

www.lafilmfestival.com  Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/LAFilmFestival and Twitter @LAFilmFestival. Official event hashtag: #LAFilmFestival.

ABOUT THE LA FILM FESTIVAL

The LA Film Festival is a key part of the exhibition arm of the nonprofit arts organization Film Independent. Showcasing new American and international cinema that embraces diversity, innovation and unique perspectives, the Festival produces one-of-a-kind events featuring critically acclaimed filmmakers, industry professionals and award-winning talent from Los Angeles and around the world. Presenting Media Sponsor is Los Angeles Times. Official Host Venue is ArcLight Cinemas. Platinum Sponsors are American Airlines, EFILM | Deluxe, HBO and TikTok. The University Sponsor is Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Official Screening Partner is The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Festival Supporters are Directors Guild of America, eTech Rentals, Kona Productions, TREETI and Visit Seattle. Festival Affiliates are 21st Century Fox Global Inclusion, ATK Audiotek, Konsonant Music, SAGindie and Writers Guild of America West. Additional support provided by National Endowment for the Arts. Stella Artois is the Official Beer. IMDbPro is the Official Industry Resource. CITI is the Official Credit Card. The LINE LA, NoMad Los Angeles and Freehand LA are the Official Hotel Partner. Essentia Water is the Official Water. Hillersden Estate Wines is the Official Wine. Getty Images is the Official Photographer.

FSLC PRESENTS THE OFFICIAL NYFF56 TRAILER

Tribeca TV Festival lineup announcement- Tracey Ullman, 20yrs of SVU, Bryan Cranston and more

TRIBECA TV® FESTIVAL RETURNS TO BRING THE SMALL SCREEN TO THE BIG SCREEN WITH ICONS, FAN FAVORITES AND NEW VOICES

Season Premieres of HBO’s Tracey Ullman’s Show; Showtime’s Ray Donovan; NBC’s 20th Season of Law & Order: SVU; and a Special Presentation of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Talks with Bryan Cranston, Rosario Dawson, and a Look Back at 10 Years of Dealmaking on ABC’s Shark Tank  
Series Premieres of CNN’s American Style; National Geographic’s Valley of the Boom; and YouTube Premium’s Wayne

Calling all TV fans, the Tribeca TV Festival is back on the big screen bringing audiences together to discover new series and be the first to see favorite new season premieres. The 2nd Tribeca TV Festival will celebrate unforgettable storytellers who have shaped what ‘peak TV’ is today and introduce new voices in episodic storytelling. Over four days at Spring Studios in New York City, each event will feature a conversation with the stars and creators of favorite and soon-to-be-favorite shows. The 2018 Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23. Tickets go on sale today, August 22, at 11am ET at tribecafilm.com/TVFestival.

“TV reaches audiences anywhere--in their homes, on their tablets, on their phones--but it’s also special to experience them on the big screen with others at the Tribeca TV Festival,” said Robert De Niro.

Tribeca TV celebrates the pioneers who have broken boundaries in episodic storytelling and those who will continue to do so this fall and beyond. Programming highlights include the 20th season premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU with star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay and executive producer Dick Wolf, longtime co-star Ice-T, and current cast; a look back at 10 years of dealmakingon ABC’s Shark Tank’s with the Sharks; new season premieres from Emmy®-nominated Tracey Ullman’s Show with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep; Showtime’s Emmy®-nominated Ray Donovan with producer and star Liev Schreiber; CBS’s Madam Secretary with star Téa Leoni, Sony Crackle’s Startup with Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and more.

The Festival will host the world premiere of the first episode of season 12 premiere of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknownwith Bourdain and W. Kamau Bell in Kenya. This special presentation will be an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bell as well as Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

Tribeca will world premiere the zany limited series Valley of the Boom from National Geographic which mixes scripted and unscripted storytelling to chart the rise and burst of the dot-com boom. The writers of Deadpool, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, will debut their teenage edgy comedy dramedy Wayne from YouTube Premium.

The program will include Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston and the latest installment of the Tribeca Talks: The Journey, inspired by TUMI, series with Rosario Dawson. Both conversations will be centered on the dynamic careers and indelible characters each have brought to life throughout their careers. 

The Festival has added Fall Pilot Season, a section of indie pilots, showcasing exciting new voices in episodic storytelling. An extension of pilot season from April’s Tribeca Film Festival, these five comedies play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare. Also premiering is a section of genre stories, Midnight Episodics, that explore the dark side.

"Tribeca has created a platform that lets episodic storytellers experience their stories directly with their audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Tribeca. “We’re excited to celebrate these cultural icons and new voices with the second annual TV Festival."

“Through episodic storytelling you become deeply invested in characters for years, or even decades. At Tribeca TV we are celebrating the genius of Tracey Ullman and her characters we have loved for 30 years, the 20 anniversary of Law & Order SVU and the creators and characters who have enthralled us, the 6th season of Liev Schreiber’s Ray Donovan, Bryan Cranston’s dynamic performances throughout his career, and finally a decade of Shark Tank and all of the careers they have launched,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises.

“With so much incredible work being showcased on TV, the process of discovery can be the most exciting- and the most overwhelming- for audiences. Tribeca TV it here to help!  We hope our guests will discover their newest TV obsession among our series premieres from Valley of the Boom to American Style, or broaden their horizons even further with world premiere indie pilots and digital series.

2018 TRIBECA TV FESTIVAL LINEUP:

PREMIERES

American Style (CNN) – World Premiere

Executive produced by Marty Moe, Chad Mumm, Britt Aboutaleb, and Dan Partland.

American Style examines how America’s changing style through the decades has mirrored the political, social, and economic climate of the time, shaping our unique American identity. Using archival footage and interviews with fashion experts and cultural figures including Donna Karen, Vanessa Williams, Beverly Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi, Andre Leon Talley, John Varvatos, and more, American Style will highlight the most iconic moments from fashion, history, and pop culture, giving audiences a front row seat to the runway of American history. 

·         After the Screening: A conversation with contributor Tim Gunn and more.

• Event time: September 23 at 2:00pm ET

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN) – Season 12 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig.

Anthony Bourdain introduces W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America) to the distinctive sights, tastes, and sounds of Kenya. It is Bell’s first trip to the African continent, and to a country that holds a personal connection for him. Through the eyes of Bourdain and Bell, and their first experiences with this highly dynamic deeply, soulful and beautiful country we ask, what will a future Kenya… for Kenyans…. by Kenyans…look like? In this special presentation, viewers will see an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with W. Kamau Bell, Director Morgan Fallon, Showrunner Sandy Zweig and Executive Producer Lydia Tenaglia moderated by CNN anchor John Berman.

○      Event time: September 22 at 7:30pm ET

Law & Order: SVU (NBC) – 20th Anniversary Celebration

Executive produced by and created by: Dick Wolf
Executive Producers: Michael Chernuchin, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Alex Chapple, Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski.

Twenty seasons strong, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the longest-running primetime drama currently on television. This hard-hitting and emotional series from Dick Wolf’s Law & Order brand chronicles the cases of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who bring justice to the victims of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.  The Tribeca TV Festival is proud to pay tribute to two decades of this iconic and impactful New York City fan-favorite with an exclusive preview screening of the 20th season premiere and a conversation with those both in front of and behind the camera who have madeSVU the institution it is today.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Creator and Executive Producer Dick Wolf, star and Executive ProducerMariska Hargitay, co-stars Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Philip Winchester, and more.

○      Event time: September 20 at 6:00pm ET

Madam Secretary (CBS) – Season 5 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Barbara Hall, Lori McCreary, David Grae, Eric Stoltz and Morgan Freeman.

Madam Secretary stars Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, the shrewd, determined secretary of state who drives international diplomacy and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home. A college professor and a brilliant former CIA analyst who left for ethical reasons, Elizabeth returned to public life at the request of President Conrad Dalton, who values McCord’s apolitical leanings, deep knowledge of the Middle East, flair for languages, and ability to not just think outside the box, but not even acknowledge there is a box. In the season 5 premiere, Elizabeth McCord seeks advice on a delicate situation from her predecessors, guest stars and former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright

●        After the Screening:  A conversation with Téa Leoni and cast.

○        Event time: September 20 at 8:15pm ET

Ray Donovan (Showtime) – Season 6 Premiere

Executive Produced by David Hollander, Mark Gordon, Bryan Zuriff and Lou Fusaro, and created by Ann Biderman.

As season six of Ray Donovan begins, we find Ray (Schreiber) rebuilding his life both personally and professionally in New York City. After being rescued from a plummet into the East River, his savior, a cop named Mac (Domenick Lombardozzi), brings Ray into the fraternity that is the Staten Island Police Department. While exploring this new world of brotherhood and corruption, Ray finds himself once again working for media mogul Sam Winslow (Susan Sarandon). Sam has teamed up with New York City mayoral candidate Anita Novak (Lola Glaudini), a partnership that puts Ray at odds with his new friends out in Staten Island.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Showrunner David Hollander and cast members Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.

○        Event time: September 23 at 5:00pm ET

StartUp (Sony Crackle) – Season 3 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Ben Ketai, Gianni Nunnari, Shannon Gaulding, Tom Forman, Andrew Marcus, Ray Ricord and Anne Clements.

Back for 10 thrilling new episodes, StartUp premieres Season 3 of this internationally acclaimed series at the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival. Following the professional and personal travails of Araknet, a tech darknet company, and its ruthlessly ambitious staff,StartUp builds with high stakes tension as the team fights their most threatening adversary to date—the U.S. Government. Get in on this buzzed about and provocative original drama.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with creator, writer and Director Ben Ketai and cast members Edi Gathegi, Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and Otmara Marrero.

○      Event time: September 21 at 6:30pm ET

Tracey Ullman’s Show (HBO) – Season 3 International Premiere

Executive Producer: Tracey Ullman.

Celebrated British actress/comedian Tracey Ullman returns for a third season of her three-time Emmy®-nominated HBO sketch-comedy series, reprising her takes on beloved real and fictional characters from seasons' past, including a devilish Dame Judi Dench; long-suffering German Chancellor Angela Merkel; spunky Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; newly-minted stepmother Jerry Hall; ever-optimistic spinster Kay Clark; and many more. This season, Ullman introduces an entertaining and razor-sharp set of new impersonations, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, among others.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep.

○        Event time: September 21 at 5:45pm ET

Valley of the Boom (National Geographic) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Producers: Arianna Huffington, Matthew Carnahan, Jason Goldberg, Brant Pinvidic and David Walpert.

Valley of the Boom takes an adrenaline-fueled ride through the culture of speculation, innovation and disruption during Silicon Valley’s unprecedented tech boom and subsequent bust in the 1990s. It’s a timely and captivating story, starring two-time Emmy® award-winning actor Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn, and Lamorne Morris, told through an irreverent blend of drama, comedy and pathos. While most of the show is scripted, Showrunner/Director Matthew Carnahan weaves in select documentary elements that help tell the true inside story of the internet’s fascinating formative years.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with creator Matthew Carnahan, cast members Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn,Lamorne Morris, and real-life subject Stephan Paternot, founder of TheGlobe.com.

○        Event time: September 21 at 7:45pm ET

Wayne (YouTube Premium) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and created by Shawn Simmons.

From the writers of Deadpool and Zombieland, Wayne is a gritty, hilarious, and sometimes bloody roadtrip adventure tale of young love and reckless youth. When the titular teenage renegade’s 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is stolen from his father on his deathbed, Wayne sets out with nothing but a dirt bike and his new crush Del to take back his rightful inheritance. From Southie to South Florida, it is Wayne and Del against the world in this propulsive new must-watch show.  

●      After the Screening: A conversation with series creator Shawn Simmons, stars Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo,director Iain B. MacDonald, and writer and executive producers Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

○      Event time: September 23 at 4:30pm ET

TRIBECA TALKS

Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston

Marking the 10th anniversary since Breaking Bad premiered, the remarkable Bryan Cranston will discuss his illustrious career as one of the most versatile performers over the last three decades. First making waves as affable dad, Hal on Malcolm in the Middle and Dr. Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, Cranston drew worldwide acclaim playing high school teacher - turned drug kingpin, Walter White, for which he won numerous awards including four Emmys. In 2014, Cranston won the Tony Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in the Broadway’s All the Way, for which he reprised the role for the HBO adaptation of the same name. Cranston’s production company, Moonshot Entertainment produced All The Way and has developed various television series including Sneaky Pete, The Dangerous Book for Boys, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams for Amazon, as well as the Emmy-nominated animated series SuperMansion for Sony/Crackle. Most recently, Cranston was nominated for a 2018 Emmy for his guest-starring role as Larry’s therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and this November, he brings to Broadway his Olivier Award-winning performance as the "Mad as Hell" Howard Beale, in Paddy Chayefsky’s Network. Tribeca is proud to host the accomplished and multi-hyphenate Mr. Cranston for a rare opportunity to understand the career that has come to epitomize the golden age of television.

Event time: September 22 at 4:00pm ET

Tribeca Talks: The Journey, Inspired by TUMI, with Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson’s prolific career has taken her from film and television performer, to comic book writer, producer, singer and activist. Dawson first came to attention with her breakout performance in Larry Clark’s film Kids, and went on to star in a range of films including the Sin City franchise, 25th Hour, and RENT. On the small screen, Dawson first starred as Claire Temple in the Netflix adaptation of Marvel’s Daredevil, and has since reprised her role in the Marvel/Netflix series Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and The Defenders. Dawson had a recurring role on the hit series Jane the Virgin and starred in and executive produced the acclaimed web series Gemini Division. Dawson is set to produce and star in USA’s upcoming series Briarpatch, written and executive produced by Andy Greenwald (Legion) and executive produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot). As an activist, Dawson lends her time to a myriad of organizations, most notably Voto Latino, which she co-founded in 2004. In 2013, Rosario co-founded Studio 189, a fashion and media lifestyle brand made in Africa that produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. The brand currently operates a store in NY and Accra, Ghana, collaborates with brands including EDUN (LVMH) and Yoox Net a Porter, and has been the recipient of various awards including the Martin Luther King Jr Social Justice award. Tribeca and TUMI are proud to host this remarkable actress as she illuminates her journey from film to television and beyond.

●        Event time: September 22 at 5:45pm ET

Tribeca Talks: Ten Years of Shark Tank (ABC) 
Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yun Lingner, Max Swedlow, Phil Gurin, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary.
Tribeca is bringing the Sharks to New York to celebrate the 10th season and a momentous 200 episodes of ABC’s Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed and four-time Emmy Award-winning show that reinvigorated entrepreneurship and gave hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs the chance of a lifetime: to showcase their products to more than 7 million viewers and pitch their business to a panel of potential investors. Shark Tank investors Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Mark Cuban – all titans of industry who made their own dreams a reality and turned their ideas into lucrative empires – will take you behind the scenes as they discuss the legacy and impact of the show, the dozens of careers and products they’ve launched, and what methods of storytelling are used in order to sell a great pitch. Tribeca is thrilled to host the Sharks and executive producers Clay Newbill and Yun Lingner as they provide a rare glimpse at the show that has given hundreds of people a shot at the American dream.

●        Event time: September 23 at 3:00pm ET

INDIES & MIDNIGHT 

FALL PILOT SEASON

Tribeca TV Festival presents a truly eclectic block of Indie Comedy Pilots that play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare.

●        Event time: September 22 at 7:45pm ET

Great Expectations – World Premiere

Created by Pip Swallow and Executive Produced by Stefan Georgiou.

Having lost her job, flat, and boyfriend in London, Pip heads back home to the Brexit Britain countryside. Confronted with corrupt care homes, dodgy local councils, and gentrification, Pip's journey to representing social inequality as a member of parliament has now begun. Reimagining the Charles Dickens’ novel from a modern, female perspective, Great Expectationsis a fresh, darkly humorous journey of a woman trying to find her place in a world where she feels ill at ease. With Pip Swallow, David Hemsted, Fred Fergus, Will Hislop, Andy Gathergood, and Katie Stevenson.

I Was a Teenage Pillow Queen – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Bridget Moloney, Claire Coffee.

Nora Nelson was a bestselling sex essayist, but now she's grown up and settled down. Rather than feeling grounded, she finds herself adrift.  After her husband has a health crisis that effectively ends their sex life, he suggests opening up their relationship. Nora agrees and finds that casual sex is just what she needs to get all her juices (creative included) flowing. She starts grappling with questions about objectification, aging, commitment and creative fulfillment—all through the lens of staying committed emotionally to one person while banging many others. With Claire Coffee, Josh Pais, Wayne Wilderson, Anne-Marie Johnson, Camille Chen, and Peter Cellini.

Livin’ on a Prairie – World Premiere

Created by Pamela Bob.

Meet Pamela. A 30 something single woman in the city, who longs for the simple things in life: connection, the spirit of community of family. Of being unconditionally loved. All of these values have been instilled in her since childhood from the single most important influence of her life—The 1970’s NBC classic, Little House on the Prairie. But, is Pamela getting more out of this show then she is out of her real life? With Pamela Bob, Matt W. Cody, Paul Moon, Susan G. Bob, Alison Arngrim, Charlotte Stewart.

My Friend Will – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Elijah Guo.

Jake, a depressed writer in New York City, is increasingly fed up with his life and the meaninglessness of art. Enter William Shakespeare himself, who, by some strange anomaly, appears in Jake's apartment. Through their exploration of the city, Jake learns from the famous bard that some things should not be taken too seriously. Will struggles to appreciate this strange new era that has idolized his work, discovering himself—and burritos—in the process. With Elijah Guo, William John Austin, Peter O'Connor, Osh Ghanimah, James Lurie, Kate Vos. 

Shrimp – World Premiere

Created by/Executive Produced by Zelda Williams and EP Joshua Thurston.

Shrimp is a comedy/drama about the equal parts strange and mundane daily lives of the women of professional dominance. Contrary to popular belief, professional dominatrices don’t sleep with their clients, but that doesn’t mean that their job is any easier to explain to the ‘vanilla’ world. While they’re hired to make the wealthy and powerful feel anything but, out of latex and away from work they’re stuck navigating the same shit as the rest of us as they struggle to figure out just what the hell a normal life even is, let alone how to live one. With Conor Leslie, Zelda Williams, Paulina Singer, Frances Fisher, Jake Abel, Jacob Zachar.

MIDNIGHT EPISODICS

Explore the dark side in this triptych of late-night pilots.

●      Event time: September 21 at 8:45pm ET

Deadwax (Shudder)

Created by/Executive Produced by Graham Reznick and EP Peter Phok.

DEADWAX is a mind-bending neo-noir set in the obsessive world of vinyl collecting.  Etta Pryce, a vinyl tracker, is hired by a rich collector to hunt a legendary rare record that has driven its owners mad and killed anyone that has dared to play it. With Hannah Gross, Evan Gamble, Ted Raimi, Dohn Norwood, Chester Rushing, Yuki Sakamoto, James Ransone. 

Pagan Peak – World Premiere

Created by Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert.

When a gruesomely staged body is found, propped up on a mountain pass in the Alps close to the German-Austrian border, two detectives are sent to investigate. For German detective Ellie, this is the first real challenge in her career; her Austrian counterpart Gedeon though seems to have lost any ambitions in his job. Very soon, they discover more crime scenes with symbolically posed victims, reminiscent of pagan rituals. It all seems to be part of a bigger, sinister plan. Ellie finds herself under increasing pressure to understand the deranged killer’s motives so she can stop him. The hunt leads them ever deeper in the dark valleys and archaic Alpine customs—and the paranoid world of the killer. With Julia Jentsch, Nicholas Ofczarek, Franz Hartwig, Hanno Koffler, Lucas Gregorowicz.  
 

Patricia Moore (Blackpills)

Created by Blake Fraser and produced by Chris Thompson.

In the harsh Australian outback resides the Moore family, travelling in a converted bus, living off the flesh of men who are lured by their 16-year-old daughter Patricia. After an accident breaks the freezer that stores their meat, they’re forced to relocate to a small town to fix their bus and lay low. The rerouting introduces Patricia to Toby, a town resident who happens on Patricia during one of her ‘hunts’. Patricia starts to waver in her alliance to her family’s way of life. As their surroundings fall apart. Patricia is then forced to choose between Toby and her family. With Marlo Kelly, Danielle Cormack, Les Hill, Jack Ruwald, Joe Kloceck.

Festival partners include Spring Studios, Generous Film, TUMI, and media partners Complex Networks, Gothamist, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartRadio, New York Magazine, Variety, Vulture, WNYC.

18TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES, APRIL 24 - MAY 5, AND CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

18TH ANNUAL TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL®, PRESENTED BY AT&T, ANNOUNCES 2019 DATES, APRIL 24 - MAY 5, AND CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Critics Week Debuts; Tribeca X Award Expands with New Juried Award Competitions in Branded Entertainment

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, announced that its 18th edition will take place April 24 - May 5, 2019 in New York City. Tribeca celebrates storytelling in all its forms from film to TV, VR to gaming. Submissions will open on August 20 for feature and short films; episodic and online storytelling; virtual, immersive, and augmented reality; as well as branded entertainment.

The 2019 Festival will introduce Critics Week, the first for a North American film festival, as a sidebar to the main program. Tribeca is collaborating with New York-based film critics to curate the section including Eric Kohn (IndieWire Chief Film Critic and Deputy Editor), K. Austin Collins (Vanity Fair Film Critic), Bilge Ebiri (Village Voice Film Critic), Alison Willmore (BuzzFeed News Film Critic and Culture Writer), and Emily Yoshida (New York Magazine and Vulture Film Critic). The inaugural Critics Week will highlight a slate of 5-7 feature films and screen throughout the Festival.

Tribeca also announced that the Tribeca X Award, which debuted in 2016 to honor the best in branded entertainment, will expand with new juried award competitions for feature length film, short film, episodic, and VR. Past Tribeca X winners include works for Samsung (Hearing Colors, directed by Greg Brunkalla), Smirnoff Ice (Chris Fonseca: Keep It Moving, directed by Zachary Heinzerling), and Square (For Every Kind of Dream Series, directed by Mohammad Gorjestani).

Tribeca is a longstanding champion for female filmmakers – last year 46% of the feature films were directed by women. The 7thannual Nora Ephron Award will again recognize a female writer or director whose work embodies the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron with a $25,000 prize.

In addition to honors for films playing In Competition, Tribeca continues to focus on the discovery of new filmmakers with juried awards for best new narrative and documentary filmmakers.

“The New York critical community has long been our compatriots in championing the most exciting new voices and trends in cinema, so we are thrilled that Tribeca will officially partner with them with this inaugural Critics Week program,” said Tribeca’s Director of Programming Cara Cusumano. “We look forward to discovering the new work they select, along with all the upcoming features, shorts, TV, VR, and online work from around the world as we officially open for submissions for Tribeca 2019.”

“We have been impressed with the caliber of stories and creators submitting to Tribeca X to the point where we see a need to increase visibility for the work being done in branded entertainment by expanding with additional awards opportunities,” said EVP Paula Weinstein.

Last year’s Festival celebrated storytelling and diverse voices with a slate of feature films; acclaimed shorts programming; TV including the world premiere of National Geographic’s Emmy®-nominated Genius: Picasso, the second season of the series which world premiered at the 2017 Festival; in addition to Tribeca N.O.W.’s (New Online Work) showcase of innovative digital storytellers. Tribeca Immersive expanded with the debut of VR theater Tribeca Cinema360, and its acclaimed line-up included projects likeVestige, one of the first VR experiences to be acquired at a major festival. The Festival debuted the first film funded through Untold Stories, the Festival’s premier program awarding $1M to an underrepresented filmmaker, in collaboration with the Festival’s Title sponsor AT&T and the Tribeca Film Institute.

Submissions open on August 20 for all sections of the Festival – feature and short films, TV, Immersive, N.O.W., and the Tribeca X Award. Filmmakers and creators can submit for consideration for all categories directly at https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions or via Withoutabox at https://www.withoutabox.com/tribeca.

Submission deadlines for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival:

Feature and Short Films, Tribeca TV, Tribeca N.O.W., and Tribeca Immersive:
August 20, 2018 – Submissions Open
September 26, 2018 – Early Deadline
October 31, 2018 – Official Deadline
November 28, 2018 – Late Deadline

Tribeca X Award:
August 20, 2018 – Submissions Open
November 28, 2018 – Early Deadline
January 9, 2019 – Official Deadline
January 30, 2019 – Late Deadline

Submission rules, regulations, and complete information regarding eligibility for the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival are now available athttps://tribecafilm.com/festival/submissions. Questions regarding submissions may be directed to entries@tribecafilmfestival.org or by calling 212.941.2305.

The Tribeca Film Festival is curated by Director of Programming Cara Cusumano, Artistic Director Frederic Boyer; VP of Shorts Sharon Badal; Senior Programmers Liza Domnitz (features, TV, and online work), Loren Hammonds (virtual reality and features), Ian Hollander (features); Programmer Ben Thompson (shorts) and Ingrid Kopp (virtual reality); and program advisors Paula Weinstein and Tammie Rosen, along with a team of associate programmers.

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About the Tribeca Film Festival:

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, is the leading cultural event that brings visionaries and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. The Festival champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.

The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Now in its 18th year, the Festival has evolved into a destination for creativity that reimagines the cinematic experience and explores how art can unite communities. The 18th annual edition will take place April 24 - May 5, 2019. www.tribecafilm.com/festival 

About 2019 Presenting Sponsor, AT&T:

As Presenting Sponsor of the Tribeca Film Festival, AT&T is committed to supporting the Festival and the art of filmmaking through access and innovation, while expanding opportunities to diverse creators around the globe. AT&T helps millions connect to their passions – no matter where they are. This year, AT&T and Tribeca will once again collaborate to give the world access to stories from underrepresented filmmakers that deserve to be seen. AT&T Presents Untold Stories. An Inclusive Film Program in Collaboration with Tribeca, is a multi-year, multi-tier alliance between AT&T and Tribeca along with the year-round nonprofit Tribeca Film Institute.