Sun, Sand, & Cinema at the Nantucket Film Fest

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Monday, 18 June 2018 11:48

Written by Brad Balfour

Running June 22 to the 25th, the Nantucket Film Festival has a slate of narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and star studded panels coming to the scenic Massachusetts island.

One of the spotlight films of the fest is Burden. Motivated by his girlfriend (Andrea Riseborough) and an African-American reverend (Forest Whitaker), a Ku Klux Klansman (Garrett Hedlund) seeks redemption. In Inventing Tomorrow is a profile of the forward-thinking scientists of tomorrow by inspiring teenagers from around the globe who bring their environmentally-themed projects to the world's largest science fair. Love, Gilda is a documentary following the life of comedy legend Gilda Radner directed by Lisa D'Apolito. The Sentence is a portrait exploring the personal impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on the filmmaker's own family, centered on his imprisoned sister and her three young daughters.

The festival has more to offer than just films. Actors and comedians Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) and Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) present a special version of their hysterical improv show, with special participation from Ben Stiller as part of the All-Star Comedy Roundtable. The fest also includes a slate of virtual reality films and experiences courtesy of Samsung.

To learn more, go to: http://nantucketfilmfestival.org/

Nantucket Film Festival
June 22 - 25, 2018

Various locations on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts

Downtown Comes Alive With Cinema During the SOHO International Film Festival

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Thursday, 14 June 2018 15:11

Written by Brad Balfour

The SOHO International Film Festival, taking place at Village East Cinemas located at 189 2nd Avenue on 12th Street from June 14 to the 21st, brings a cavalcade of films and stars to NYC. The SOHO International Film Festival, which proudly carries the “Made in NY” logo from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Film, Television and Broadcasting is a vehicle to help the economy of the city, enhancing the festival’s sense of pride while boosting filmmaking and tourism in the Big Apple.

Features, shorts, and documentaries fill the proceedings. Films being shown include Moss, starring male supermodel-turned-actor Mitchell Slaggert, a road movie on a river about a young man who disappears into the woods on his eighteenth birthday to find himself. In Farmer of the Year, a grandfather tries to recapture his youth by road tripping with his unemployed granddaughter in a dilapidated Winnebago to his WWII reunion while desperately trying to find a date to impress his old army buddies. In the sexually charged Daddy Issues,  Maya, a talented queer artist cyberstalks the alluring Jasmine; an aspiring designer in an emotionally charged, co-dependent relationship with a neurotic sugar daddy. When Maya and Jasmine’s paths finally cross, it leads to a bizarre love triangle.The festival closes with Edouard Salier’s Cabeza Madre (Mother’s Head), a suspenseful thriller/black comedy set against the dreamy and vibrant backdrop of Cuba.

To learn more, go to: http://www.sohofilmfest.com/

SOHO International Film Festival
June 14 - 21, 2018

Village East Cinema
181-189 2nd Ave.
New York, NY 10003

The American Black Film Festival 2018 at Miami Beach

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Tuesday, 12 June 2018 18:50

Written by Brad Balfour

With the weather getting hot, Miami Beach is often considered a destination for sun, sand, and fun, but it’s also a destination for bold new cinema. The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), running June 13 - 17, 2018 is an annual event dedicated to showcasing quality film and television content by and about people of African descent. Founded by Jeff Friday, it supports emerging artists to foster a wider range of stories told in the entertainment and cinema industry.

Not only does the ABFF feature a slate of films, it also includes business seminars, panel discussions with filmmakers and actors, workshops on financing, auditioning, and showrunning, with short film competitions and parties going into the night.

Films include The Flea, an Official Selection of the 2018 American Black Festival, which is a comedy about the day in the life of a flea market manager, who must deal with customers, vendors and his boss, as he struggles to survive one more day on the job.  Whitney, an unflinching documentary on the legendary singer’s tragic life. 1970’s classic, Superfly, now has a remake from music video director, Director X.

To learn more, go to: http://www.abff.com/

American Black Film Festival
June 13 - 17, 2018

Various Locations
Miami Beach, FL