2012 american film market press report - part 1 by david l. $money train$ watts, matthew ables &...
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2012 American Film Market Press Report – Part 1:
11-15-2012 - Written By: David L. $Money Train$ Watts, Howard Hobson, Matthew Ables
– FuTurXTV - Funk Gumbo Radio – Auggie Cavanagh - Cameraman & Still Photographer
“It costs at a minimum of $20,000 a week to run a suite at AFM and I don‟t
know if it is worth coming here anymore”…Veteran AFM 2012 Buyer/Seller
The 2012 American Film Market might be best summed up it in the above quote. I have been
covering the AFM since its peak around 2005 and 2006. Yet in the six years since then there has
always been a sinking feeling that this great film event in Santa Monica was dying a slow and
painful death. I would have to conclude that the birth of YouTube, Hulu and Netflix has sealed
the fate of the long standing viability of even having a successful and relevant American Film
Market. The millions of filmgoers, TV viewers and digital media consumers are less worried or
concerned than ever before if a film opens in the U.S. first or in Scandinavia first. International
territories are actually meaningless when there is a whole generation of Millennials who are used
to seeing digital media content everywhere around the world and anytime they want--and here’s
the kicker—whether that film/TV/media content is legal or illegally streamed is of no concern to
them. The vast majority of Millennials have grown up buying digital music on iTunes, paying a
monthly fee to watch films and TV shows online with Netflix or Hulu Prime and some even will
patiently endure the torture of watching pre-roll commercials before seeing videos on YouTube.
So the pressing question that must be asked by a press AFM veteran, like myself, is attending the
American Film Market, worth the gas, time and effort to drive down to the Loews Hotel in Santa
Monica, park, get a press badge, go to press events/conferences, attend private screenings and
walk up and down several floors of suites on the off chance to discover that small breakout indie
film or foreign blockbuster no one in Hollywood has heard about yet? The only problem with the
AFM scenario is that one can sit down in front of their laptop at midnight the night before the
AFM opens and easily find out about every new film being sold, premiered or in pre-production
at AFM. All one needs is the help of Google, Bing and a case of Red Bulls. So what has always
made going to the American Film Market special to me is not just regurgitating press releases
about what AFM sellers are aggressively pushing this year. The real invaluable magic at AFM
comes from face to face meetings with sales agents, producers, actors, directors, writers who are
all passionately focused on making you think that there feature film or documentary is the best in
the world. And that is why the 2012 American Film Market maybe the beginning of AFM’s end.
If the 2012 American Film Market was featured on an episode of the AMC’s The Walking Dead
than I would have to say that the zombies won because it was DEAD!...DEAD!...DEAD! this
year. And it is kinda surprising because last year’s AFM started off with a band because Ron
Howard showed up Day 1 to hype up one of his films, Rob Reiner was doing panels for his film
and there were other many lesser but notable Hollywood folks buzzing about the lobbies and
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suites of the Loews and Le Merigot Beach Hotel. Now don’t get me wrong it was not crazy
packed at the 2011 AFM, but it was not as noticeably light and airy as it was this year. I’ll say it
again—the flesh eating zombies won and scared away folks or either ate all the crowds. There
was not the usual horde of wannabe low budget film producer/hucksters looking for a free AFM
badge or hawking their DVDs in the Loews lobby. And the AFM is either a boom or bust in my
opinion as far as attendance goes because what starts weak by Day 2 of the AFM rarely improves
thereafter. Yeah, there were plenty of folks at some of the film financing and pitch panels, but
again some of the AFM regulars and new D list panelists that showed up were just another sign
why there was no buzz, hype or energy to be found. I even think many of them knew what to say
to be polite and informative, but it’s almost laughable to compare the 2012 AFM panels with the
high caliber Industry ones I went to this summer at the Variety BRIC Film Summit at the 2012
Locations Expo. And only two weeks earlier there were more important Hollywood players at
the Marina Del Rey Ritz Carlton who were attending Variety’s Fall Entertainment and Tech
Summit at Digital Hollywood. I even was surprised that if one stood in the center of the Loews
lobby and just looked up and all around there were far less posters and banners adorning the
railings of each suite floor. The lack of highly visible expensive or eye-catching promotional
mock-ups, models or is another sign film companies at AFM were either saving dough and
phoning it in. I also knew that I was not getting any AFM hired film publicists flooding my email
with invites to film screenings, actor sit-downs, breaking news on deals, VIP parties, directors,
filmmakers or producers appearing on AFM panels or even just AFM spam about new films that
are being sold. That again tells me that AFM companies are trying to save some more dollars and
publicists are the first thing you hire when times are good and the last to get hired when you are
uncertain or have doubts about the viability of the AFM last year, this year and maybe several
years to come. I also found it perplexing that there were many companies that came to the 2010
and 2011 AFM that did not return in 2012. The suites were all filled and many were doubling up
with other companies to save costs, but I still had to conclude in my own mind that there were far
more pressing concerns of diminishing returns when one is factoring all the benefits of going to
the AFM. It was already bad last year at AFM when many foreign companies told me their
budgets were being slashed, so they could only stay in their suites for the first few days and first
weekend at AFM. By Monday of the second week many of these companies had already checked
out of the Loews and flying back to their native country. Those are the shortcomings of the 2012
American Film Market. I will explore in Part 2 of my report five ways to quickly fix the AFM.
By David L. Watts, FuTurXTV, Funk Gumbo Radio and www.thedarkroome.com
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October 31 - November 7, 2012 The business of independent motion picture production and distribution reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market (AFM), the world’s largest film market. Founded in 1981, the AFM is a pivotal destination for independent film companies and business people from all over the world. Each year, more than 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, seminars, premieres, networking and parties. The AFM offers unique accessibility to the ever-changing global motion picture industry. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed on both completed films and those that haven’t started shooting yet. Participants come from more than 70 countries and include acquisition and development executives, agents, attorneys, directors, distributors, financiers, film commissioners, producers, writers, the world’s press, and all those who provide services to the motion picture industry. The AFM is produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA), the trade association representing the world’s producers and distributors of independent motion pictures and television programs. Films available at this year’s AFM can be found in The Film Catalogue, IFTA’s comprehensive and authoritative online source which gives up-to-the-minute details on nearly 6,000 independent motion pictures, and is regarded as the most extensive and significant online film resource for distributors and buyers around the globe. The Film Catalogue allows users to explore the database of films by a myriad of search options, including language, production status, year of completion, budget, director, cast, company, title and genre, and is available in English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin and Korean. The site operates on a year-round basis and highlights market line-ups at AFM, EFM, Filmart and Cannes. This year’s AFM highlights include: • More than 800 screenings of more than 400 films. • 30 films screened every two hours. • More than 400 production/distribution companies exhibiting. • The AFM Conference Series, a five-day conference program covering topics spanning from treatment to screen and featuring the industry’s global thought leaders, decision makers and experts, as well as intimate, interactive and informative Industry Conversations led by visionaries, trendsetters and experts. Location: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel and Le Merigot Beach Hotel Future dates: 2013: November 6 - 13 2014: November 5 - 12 2015: November 4 -11 AFM Website: AmericanFilmMarket.com AFM on Facebook: Facebook.com/AmericanFilmMarket
AFM on Twitter: Twitter.com/AFMOFFICIAL
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Cinema do Brasil and the Ministry of External Relations
show Brazilian films in the American Film Market
THE EVENT WILL SHOW SEVEN FEATURE FILMS BY PRODUCERS ASSOCIATED
WITH THE PROGRAM, SUCH AS “THE CLOWN”, “THE URPRISING”, AND “PEACE IN
RIO”, GATHERING PROFESSIONALS OF THE FILM INDUSTRY FROM MORE THAN 70
COUNTRIES.
Cinema do Brasil, a program that promotes the distribution and advertising of Brazilian films
abroad, now prepares one more action in the American Film Market, to be held in Santa Monica,
USA, from October 31st to November 7th. Seven productions by companies associated with the
Program will be shown to the market in the event. In a partnership with the Ministry of External
Relations (MRE), Cinema do Brasil will also promote a meeting between Brazilian and foreign
professionals.
“The American Film Market is an important access for Brazilian movies into the American
market,” says André Sturm, chairman of Cinema do Brasil. He recalls that the Program has
participated in the event since 2009, supported by the Consulate-General of Brazil in Los
Angeles, promoting the exhibition of films produced by associate companies in the Market
Screening and providing support to the delegation with a booth at the event, which this year will
be located in Room 712 of The Loews Santa Monica, where the AFM will take place.
The films to take part in the Market this year include “The Clown”, by Selton Mello. The feature
film was produced by Bananeira Films and represents Brazil in the run for a nomination in the
Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Other movies will be shown in the Market, such as “The Uprising”, by Raphael Aguinaga
(produced by Querosene Filmes); “Who Cares!”, by Mara Mourão (distributed by Imovision);
“Peace in Rio”, by Cadu Barcellos, Luciano Vidigal, Rodrigo Felha, and Wagner Novais
(distributed by Riofilme); “Soulbound”, by Caio Sóh (produced by Lobo Filmes); “AE-
AutoExposure”, by Juliana Reis (produced by Diversid’arte), and “Astro - An Urban Fable In A
Magical Rio De Janeiro”, by Paula Trabulsi (Sales Agent: Elo Company).
In addition to the films shown along the event, Cinema do Brasil will promote a meeting with
associate producers and distributors and foreign professionals on the Santa Monica Promenade.
The event is scheduled to November 3rd, at the Ocean Avenue Seafood restaurant.
Since its first edition in 1981, the American Film Market has had a yearly audience of 8,000
participants, among executives, sales agents, lawyers, directors, distributors, festival directors,
sponsors, producers, screenwriters, and others. Every year, the Market has experienced higher
participation in the exhibition of films, seminars, and business meetings. The participants will be
able to see more than 800 screenings of 400 different films (30 new films every two hours).
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Line-Up:
O Palhaço/The Clown, by Selton Mello. Production: Bananeira Filmes 01.11.2012 7 pm Fairmont 4
Astro – Uma Fábula Urbana em um Rio de Janeiro Mágico/Astro - An Urban Fable In A Magical Rio De
Janeiro, by Paula Trabulsi. Sales Agent: Elo Company
03.11.2012 9 am Fairmont 5
Quem se importa!/Who Cares!, by Mara Mourão. Distribution: Imovision
04.11.2012 9 am Fairmont 4
5 X Pacificação/Peace in Rio, by Cadu Barcellos, Luciano Vidigal, Rodrigo Felha and Wagner Novais.
Distribution: Riofilme
05.11.2012 9 am Fairmont 2
Teus Olhos Meus/Soulbound, by Caio Sóh. Production: Lobo Filmes
05.11.2012 11 am Fairmont 3
Disparos/AE-AutoExposure, by Juliana Reis. Production: Diversid‟arte
05.11.2012 1 pm Fairmont 3
O Levante/The Uprising, by Raphael Aguinaga. Production: Querosene Filmes
05.11.2012 3 pm Fairmont 3
Distributors World Cup Cinema do Brasil is now open to enrollment for the Distributors World Cup. The event has its
focus on companies that have distributed Brazilian films since 2005. The more Brazilian films a
company has in its catalogue, more points the company gets in the general ranking.
The first phase of this competition is open to enrollment until December 17th. The award is a trip
to watch the Carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro in February, 2013.
The second phase of the World Cup, in 2013, will award the three winning companies with
invitations to watch football games in the Brazil World Cup, in 2014. The two fist companies in
the ranking will also be awarded with US$ 30,000 to be used in the launching of Brazilian films.
To take part in the Distributors World Cup, fill out the form available at
http://www.cinemadobrasil.org.br/worldcup/ and submit it by December 17th.
Cinema do Brasil Cinema do Brasil is a program dedicated to export and promote Brazilian films around the
world. Idealized by the Union of Audiovisual Industries of the State of São Paulo (SIAESP), the
program established partnerships with Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion
Agency) - which support and participates in project planning and strategy formulation -, and the
Secretariat of Audiovisual of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture. Cinema do Brasil has also
entered a co-partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations (MRE) with
institutional support by Ancine (Brazilian Film Agency). The objective of Cinema do Brasil is to
reinforce and expand the participation of Brazilian audiovisual productions in the international
market. To do so, it provides associate companies with logistic and strategic support, enabling
these associates to develop co-productions and expand markets for the distribution of their
productions, so as to enhance the value of the Brazilian film industry abroad. For more
information, contact Belém Com in São Paulo through phone: (11) 2769-3806, with Carminha
Botelho ([email protected]) and Ciro Bonilha
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2012 AMERICAN FILM MARKET‟S BEST FILMS:
CINEMA DO BRASIL (BR):
AE-AutoExposure (Disparos) (2012) is the real story of a photographer trapped in a situation of common
violence, in which he doesn‟t know whether he is victim, witness, or accomplice.
Astro - An Urban Fable in a Magical Rio de Janeiro (2012) is directed by Paula Trabulsi and this feature
film portrays the adaptation process of the young woman Astro to Rio de Janeiro. Daughter of a Brazilian
mother and a Swedish father, this Swedish dormant star comes to Brazil to inherit a mansion and stays
longer than she had expected. So Alice and her friends cross her life and she slowly begins to awaken. ART
and the CITY act as driving forces of the character‟s transformation journey.
The Clown (O Palhaço) (2011) is about Benjamin and Waldemar who are the fabulous clown duo Pangaré
and Puro Sangue. Benjamin is a clown with no identity, social security number or proof of residence. He
lives on the road accompanied by the troupe of Circus Esperanza. But he believes he has lost his talent and
goes on a journey after his dream.
Missing (Desaparecidos) (2011) is about a VIP private party in a tropical island surrounded by rainforest.
The invitation is a small video camera (flipcam) that you have to wear around your neck at all times. The
cameras record randomly and you never know when they are on. Sounds like the best and sexiest party ever?
It is until a group of friends disappear in the forest. After weeks when their cameras are found on them we
discover what has happened, and why the authorities did not want these images to be revealed. Are you sure
you want to know what happened?
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Peace In Rio (5X Pacificação) (2012) is about the establishment of the “Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora“
(which translates roughly as “Police Unit with a Mandate to Pacify”), or UPP for short, was the first step
towards consolidating a new security policy in the federal state of Rio de Janeiro. The declared aim is to
occupy territories in the favelas controlled by the drug Mafia and thus to liberate the inhabitants. The
immediate success of this measure triggered debate throughout the country. 5X Pacificação (Peace in Rio)
is a documentary directed by four young filmmakers native from Rio's Favelas.
Soulbound (Teus Olhos Meus) (2011) is about Gil who is a twenty year old young man that questions himself
and the world. His lifestyle is fulfilled by his guitar, poetry and alcohol, generating a family war that causes
Gil to run away from home. With his guitar on his back, without a destiny, Gil meets a music producer that
will change his destiny.
The Uprising (La Sublevación) (2011) is about a retirement home where time seems to have stopped has its
structures shattered by the arrival of a new tenant, which challenges the conformity of the place, and the
news that the church has cloned Jesus Christ. Lots of laughs, revitalization and romance abound.
Who Cares (Quem se Importa) (2012) is a feature film of 92 minutes and was shot in seven different
countries: Brazil, Peru, USA, Canada, Tanzania, Switzerland and Germany. A total of 20 locations in just
40 days, with all the difficulties of combining agendas of our interviewees. The film also features several
animations in addition to scenes shot in three different languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish).
Directed by Mara Mourao, produced by Mamo Filmes and Grifa Filmes.
DOUBLE DUTCH INTERNATIONAL (US):
Dorfman (2012) is in the vein of movies such as BRIDGET JONES‟S DIARY, MY BIG FAT GREEK
WEDDING, MURIEL‟S WEDDING and MOONSTRUCK, DORFMAN is an antic, romantic comedy about
twenty-seven year old Deb Dorfman, a lovable doormat, who is uprooted from the beige comfort of the
suburban San Fernando Valley and caught up in the kaleidoscopic whirlwind of a newly revitalized
downtown L.A. In the course of one week, while hoping to win the heart of her unrequited love interest, Deb
changes in ways she never thought possible. In discovering the renaissance downtown, Deb ignites a
renaissance of her own and profoundly transforms both herself and those around her.
Lucky (2011) is a South African feature length film about a ten-year-old orphan who leaves his Zulu village,
following the death of his mother, to make his own life in the city...only to find no one will help him, except a
formidable Indian woman. Together, unable to speak each others language, they develop an unlikely bond.
Through an odyssey marked by greed, violence, and ultimately, belonging, LUCKY shows how a child's spirit
can bring out decency, humility and even love in adults struggling to survive in the new South Africa.
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The Notorious Guys (Les Fameux Gars) (2011) follows Steven, a slow minded daydreamer and his band of
misfit friends, Guy, Armand and Henri. While attending a special education school in Luxembourg, Steven
and his friends are surprised to find out that they have been selected to go to Portugal on a student exchange
program. Being half-Portuguese, Steven is elated at the chance to see his homeland and he constructs a plan
for him and his friends to enjoy Portugal their own way, with a suitcase full of counterfeit money. When the
counterfeits are exposed, Steven and his friends become Police enemy number one and with their faces all
over local news they must figure a way home and avoid being arrested.
HERITAGE FILMS INTERNATIONAL (AUS):
Jesus Freaks (2012) is a powerful faith–based documentary. On December 9th, 2007, a gunman opened
fire into a Youth With A Mission dorm in Denver, Colorado killing 2 people and injuring 2 others.
“Jesus Freaks” is an observational, character-driven documentary, based on a young, dynamic, visionary
leader, John Murphy and his school of 45 boarders (ages 17-25) as he guides them through a maze of
spiritual transformation in the wake of tragedy. With little in common but God and snowboarding, these
young boarders wrestle with authority, substance abuse, religion, dysfunctional relationships, death and
more. Guided by peer leadership, deep faith, and the longing of fresh snow, they set out on a journey that
will ruin them for the ordinary.
The I Heart Revolution (We're All In This Together) (2009) is a The feature length documentary filmed
over a period of 3 years, The I Heart Revolution: We‟re All In This Together follows the worship band,
Hillsong United, as they travel across 6 continents, 42 nations, and 93 cities in a cross-cultural journey of
music, animation, interviews and live action documentary as they realize every story of hope, love, loss and
sacrifice ultimately points to the one story. We're All In This Together is a feature-length social justice
documentary presented by Hillsong United. It demonstrates the potential impact of this unified heart if
put into practice by showing the love of God toward others... to not just preach the good news, but
together, to be the good news. The film is part two of a three part series. While Hillsong United's first
film, With Hearts As One was focused on the worship we have within church and the words that we
proclaim within our music, this second part is about putting those words into action and becoming the
hands and feet of Jesus in a world that desperately needs him. It tells the stories of many across the
world and opens up doors for us, not only to understand but to be inspired and to help make a difference.
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JINGA FILMS (UK):
Bad Meat (2011) is about a group of so-called problem teens are sent by their parents to a repressive Boot
Camp in the middle of nowhere, in hopes that the strict regime will transform them into youthful model
citizens that their parents can be proud of. However, when the kids refuse to play ball, tensions emerge
between them as they try to resist the guards' sadistic methods. Meanwhile, the camp's down-trodden cook
has also tired of the abuse meted out to him by the guards, and fixes them a meal of illegal, diseased meat...as
a final „screw you!‟ before he abandons the camp. But he doesn't know that the meat is infected with a virus,
which instead of simply making the guards ill as he intended, transforms them into flesh-crazed maniacs!
If our heroes are to make it to morning and survive the carnage, they must put aside their differences and
work together. They're going to learn the lessons of maturity and responsibility - the hard way……
Gandu (2011) is A kinetic, style-hopping musical about a friendship between two disaffected youth Gandu,
a rapper who picks the pocket of the man to whom his mother sells sex, and Ricksha, a cycle driver and
Bruce Lee fan. As Gandu exorcises his rage in explicit rhymes, the two desperado's escape into a world of
drugs and porn until they are discovered by Q an enigmatic documentary film-maker.
Ghetta‟A Life (2011) is about Derrick, a ghetto teenager, dreams of being Jamaica‟s next world boxing
champion, but it‟s election year and politics and tribal violence divide the country. His father, a loyal party
supporter, forbids him from going to the boxing gym situated in a rival part of town. Derrick defiantly
follows his heart but is confronted by the local "don" who threatens his family. Derrick refuses to give up
and the ignorance of divisiveness soon give way to the triumph of unity.
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MPI MEDIA GROUP (US):
Hatchet III (2012) is a sequel to the old school American horror sensation Hatchet, Hatchet 2 picks up right
where the 2006 original film ends as Marybeth (Danielle Harris) escapes from the clutches of the deformed,
swamp-dwelling killer Victor Crowley (Kane Hodder). Marybeth returns to the Louisiana swamps along with
an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her family and exact her revenge against Victor Crowley.
Stake Land (2010) is a gritty, blood-fest and an award winning horror film. The America of STAKE LAND is
a lost nation. When an epidemic of vampirism strikes, humans find themselves on the run from vicious, feral
beasts. Cities are tombs and survivors cling together in rural pockets, fearful of nightfall. When his family is
slaughtered, young Martin is taken under the wing of a grizzled, wayward hunter whose new prey are the
undead.
NZ FILM (NZ):
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Fresh Meat (2012) is about a dysfunctional gang of criminals invade the home of a middle class Maori
family and take them hostage. But this seemingly normal family has a deep, dark secret and when the
fugitives discover the home abattoir, the tables are turned and the hunters become the hunted. There's
fresh meat for dinner (washed down with a nice Chianti of course).
MT Zion (2012) has Stan walker who stars as Turei, a talented young musician with a dream – for his band
to win the audition to be the support act for Bob Marley‟s 1979 concert in Auckland. Set amongst a Maori
family of contract potato pickers in Pukekohe, Mt Zion is a family- oriented story in which Turei‟s desperate
ambition clashes with traditional whanau values, leading to an emotional showdown and powerful change.
Shopping (2013) is a drama set in New Zealand 1981, half-Samoan brothers Willie and Solomon indulge in
muscle cars, racial tensions and a thieving bird. After a chance encounter with charismatic thief Bennie and
his close-knit gang of 'shoppers', Willie is seduced into a criminal world that allows him to escape mounting
tensions with his volatile father. But as Bennie's hold over him grows, Willie finds himself in over his head.
PATHE INTERNATIONAL (FR):
Diversity: Rise (2013) is the true story of a group of street dancers who took on the dance establishment and
won. Against all odds, Diversity triumphed at Britain‟s Got Talent in 2009 (beating Susan Boyle) and went
on to star in the hit feature film StreetDance. This is the behind the scene story of how a group of kids risked
everything-including friendship and family-to live their dream.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) is a movie that will span Mandela‟s life journey from his childhood
in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
The story is described as a thrilling and ultimately joyous story of a good man triumphing against all odds.
Rengaine (Hold Back) (2012) is set in Paris, today. Dorcy, a young Christian black man, wants to marry
Sabrina, a young Arab girl. It would be simple and easy if she didn‟t have forty brothers, and if this
unconcerned wedding wouldn‟t raise all the taboos still heavily anchored in both communities: no marriage
between Blacks and Arabs. Simane, the elder brother of Sabrina‟s family and keeper of the traditions, will
try to oppose their union by any means necessary.
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RECREATION (US):
Gun Hill Road (2011) is the story of a family in transition. It is the story of a young man exploring his
sexuality in an intolerant and judgmental world and his exploration's impact on his relationship with his
parents and himself.
Red Hook Summer (2012) is about a teenage boy who is sent to New York to spend the summer with his
grandfather, whom he's never met before. The continued Chronicles of Brooklyn from the director of "She‟s
Gotta Have It" and "Do the Right Thing."
Valley of Saints (2012) is a Kashmiri film notable for winning the Sundance Film Festival World Dramatic
Audience Award in 2012. War and poverty force Gulzar, a young tourist boatman, to run away from
Kashmir with his best friend. But a military crackdown derails their escape, and they become trapped in
Gulzar's lake village. Waiting for conditions to change, they discover a mysterious woman, braving the
curfew to research the dying lake. As Gulzar falls for her, rivalry and jealousy threaten his boyhood
friendship and their plans of escape. Gulzar must choose between a new life and a new love. The first film set
in the endangered lake communities of Kashmir, Valley of Saints blends fiction and documentary to bring
audiences inside this unique world.
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STUDIO CANAL (FR):
Cuban Fury (2013) is about Beneath Bruce Garrett‟s shabby, overweight exterior, the passionate beating
heart of a salsa king lays dormant. Only one woman can reignite his Latin fire. Spotlight hits, sweat drips,
heels click - Nick Frost IS Cuban Fury.
Kirikou (2012) is an animated French film. Once again, Kirikou‟s noble grandfather comes to tell us that
there is still much to learn about his grandson‟s childhood. He then goes on to recount five of the tiny little
boy‟s new adventures in his village. This time, the brave boy helps the Strong Woman to deceive Karaba,
the terrifying witch. He saves the Old Grouch, discovering his hidden qualities. He comes face to face with a
monster who isn‟t really a monster. He meets a fascinating new character, the Storyteller. And he discovers
something wonderful about his mother and music...
The Lookout (2012) is about a cop and a rogue army sniper go head to head in this suspenseful action thriller
from the producers and director of Romanzo Criminale. Captain Mattei is about to arrest a gang of bank
robbers when a sniper watching from a rooftop single-handedly decimates a whole army of cops, allowing
his accomplices to escape. Unfortunately, one of the gang is wounded and their plans are badly compromised.
While Mattei organizes a spectacular manhunt, the gang spirals into an abyss of violence and betrayal...
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THE LITTLE FILM COMPANY (US):
The Forgotten Kingdom is a story where Atang leaves the slums of the big city to bury his estranged father
in the remote, mountainous village where he was born. Befriended by an orphan herd-boy and stirred by
memories of his youth, he falls in love with his childhood friend, Dineo, now a radiant young teacher.
Through her, Atang is drawn to the mystical beauty and hardships of the people, and faces his own
bittersweet reckoning.
War Of The Dead is like an episode of Band Of Brothers with Zombies. Captain Martin Stone is leading
a finely-trained, elite platoon of American and Finnish soldiers as they attack an enemy bunker.
Underestimating their enemy‟s strength, they are quickly beaten back into the forest. As they try to
regroup, they're suddenly attacked by the same soldiers they had just killed a few minutes earlier.
Forced to flee deeper into Russian territory, they discover one of war‟s most terrifying secrets and
realize that they have woken up an enemy far deadlier than ever before imagined.
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Funk Gumbo Radio: http://www.live365.com/stations/sirhobson • @FUNKGUMBO • [email protected] • www.funkgumbo.com