2015 SOHO International Film Festival Review: “Leaves Of The Tree” A Profoundly Inspirational Film

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau There is a line that divides humanity and divinity… In the wake of the ills of life all  depart and fall away leaving no answer to the questions which loom unmercifully like a dark cloud in the sky. A man stands at the crossroads of life waiting as death slowly approaches.  A tree stands in the field of a foreign land … Continue reading 2015 SOHO International Film Festival Review: “Leaves Of The Tree” A Profoundly Inspirational Film

MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL LINE-UP MAY 27th – 31st, 2015

  NEW FESTIVAL UNVEILS LINEUP OF SIXTEEN INNOVATIVE FILMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, SET AMIDST THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL LANDSCAPE OF MAMMOTH LAKES EVENTS INCLUDE OPENING NIGHT OF ALEX GIBNEY’S DOC “STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE”   The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, held in the scenic and majestic setting of Mammoth Lakes, California, has announced its line-up of screenings for the festival’s inaugural year. The … Continue reading MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL LINE-UP MAY 27th – 31st, 2015

Official Selection 2015 Festival de Cannes Press Conference

  In a few weeks the 2015 Festival de Cannes will start. Here is the Official Selection of the 2015 Festival de Cannes  and the press conference. IN COMPETITION Opening Film Emmanuelle BERCOT LA TÊTE HAUTE (STANDING TALL) Out of Competition 2h00 *** Jacques AUDIARD DHEEPAN 1h40 Stéphane BRIZÉ  LA LOI DU MARCHÉ (THE MEASURE OF A MAN ) 1h33 Valérie DONZELLI  MARGUERITE & JULIEN 1h45 Michel FRANCO CHRONIC 1h33 Matteo GARRONE IL … Continue reading Official Selection 2015 Festival de Cannes Press Conference

“An Open Secret” To premiere at The 2015 Marché du Film in Cannes

    Esponda Productions, Vesuvio Entertainment, Rocky Mountain Pictures and Disarming Films are pleased to announce that “AN OPEN SECRET”, Amy Berg’s exposé of the alarming, and unchecked level of child sexual abuse in Hollywood, will have a 20-city US theatrical release beginning June 5, and will also have its international premiere at the 2015 Marché du Film in Cannes, next month. As a World … Continue reading “An Open Secret” To premiere at The 2015 Marché du Film in Cannes

“SAVING MES AYNAK” FILMMAKER PLANS GLOBAL SCREENING DAY TO STOP 5,000 YEAR-OLD BUDDHIST SITE IN AFGHANISTAN FROM DESTRUCTION

ARTEMQUIN, INDIEGOGO, AND VHX UNITE FOR INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY DISTRIBUTION AND ACTIVISM CAMPAIGN  In a bid to save a 5,000 year-old Buddhist archeological site by raising international pressure on a Chinese state-owned mining company, the Afghanistan government, and UNESCO, the filmmakers of Saving Mes Aynak, are launching a campaign on Indiegogo, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. Through the campaign the documentary’s director Brent E. Huffman and documentary collective Kartemquin Films (Life Itself, Hoop Dreams) … Continue reading “SAVING MES AYNAK” FILMMAKER PLANS GLOBAL SCREENING DAY TO STOP 5,000 YEAR-OLD BUDDHIST SITE IN AFGHANISTAN FROM DESTRUCTION

We Have Met The “Frenemy” and IT IS US: A Review of Requiem for the American Dream Which Will Premiere At The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival

By:  Vernon Nickerson The writing and directing team of Peter D. Hutchinson, Kelly Nyks, and Jared P. Scott have  struck pure gold with their new documentary featuring the fact – based reflections of Dr. Noam Chomsky, distinguished linguistics scholar, intellectual and participant observer in the epic history of the United States over the last half – century.  The four years spent filming Professor Chomsky, who … Continue reading We Have Met The “Frenemy” and IT IS US: A Review of Requiem for the American Dream Which Will Premiere At The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival

A weekend celebration of music and film. NEXT FEST is Back! Sundance Institute To Host Summer Film and Music Fest In Downtown L.A.

  Sundance NEXT FEST Returns to The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, August 7-9 Sundance NEXT FEST is a new breed of festival experience fueled by the renegade spirit of independent artists. Los Angeles, CA — Sundance Institute today announced it will host Sundance NEXT FEST August 7-9, 2015, for the second year at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. … Continue reading A weekend celebration of music and film. NEXT FEST is Back! Sundance Institute To Host Summer Film and Music Fest In Downtown L.A.

Tenth Annual South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles To Present Inaugural Legacy and Lifetime Achievement Awards

  Academy Award-winning Actor George Chakiris To Be Honored With Legacy Award; Romanian Acting Great Victor Rebengiuc To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award   Beverly Hills, CA, April 14, 2015 — The South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) (seefilmla.org) will celebrate its 10th anniversary beginning April 30th, with a special opening night gala at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. This year the festival will … Continue reading Tenth Annual South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles To Present Inaugural Legacy and Lifetime Achievement Awards

A Passion for Merging Past and Future: An Interview with Marco Kalantari, writer and director of “The Shaman”

By: Vernon Nickerson Edited By : Colleen Page As a hardworking  artist and creative it is hard to miss what a true genius  Marco Kalantari is and  how humble he is about his craft. A bridge to many different cultures Marco Kalantari is truly a mirror of cultural diversity. The Art Of Monteque had  a chance to sit down with the writer and director to talk about his premiere … Continue reading A Passion for Merging Past and Future: An Interview with Marco Kalantari, writer and director of “The Shaman”

WOW! You must run, don’t walk to catch Marco Kalantari’s featured short, “The Shaman” at The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival!

By: Vernon Nickerson Excellent high-quality production values (sets, costumes, 3-d imagery, etc.) combine with a superb cast ably lead by Danny Shayler as the title character and Susanne Wuest as his nemesis, Colossus, to transport us completely to a post apocalyptic 2204 world that has seen 73 years of continuous war. In this dark time, Shaman’s (our heroes) track and convert the souls of their … Continue reading WOW! You must run, don’t walk to catch Marco Kalantari’s featured short, “The Shaman” at The 2015 Tribeca Film Festival!

Let’s Make A Movie, People! A Review of Max Finnernan’s Feature Film “The Shells” From 2015 The Phoenix Film Festival

    By: Vernon Nickerson The film “The Shells” had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival on Friday, March 27th. It was a little film with quite a few big surprises. Writer/Director/Producer Max Finnernan uses a sexy and comically smarmy male lead, “The Director/Producer Manny” (Erik Heger) to spin an interesting and engaging science fiction yarn involving government-sponsored mind control experiments and a … Continue reading Let’s Make A Movie, People! A Review of Max Finnernan’s Feature Film “The Shells” From 2015 The Phoenix Film Festival

21st ANNUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM MARKETPLACE AND S.E. MANLY SHORT FILM SHOWCASE JANUARY 16-18, 2015

  A GREAT DAY IN BLACK HOLLYWOOD – AN EVENING WITH LEGENDARY MICHAEL SCHULTZ A conversation & presentation of 51 Short Films   (Hollywood, CA) – The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) hosts its 21st Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase January 16-18, 2015 at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California 90038 presenting 51 short films, youth films and animated shorts, … Continue reading 21st ANNUAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM MARKETPLACE AND S.E. MANLY SHORT FILM SHOWCASE JANUARY 16-18, 2015

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES SPOTLIGHT, PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT, NEW FRONTIER FOR 2015 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

  Park City, UT — Sundance Institute announced the films selected to screen in the 2015 Sundance Film Festival out-of-competition sections Spotlight and Park City at Midnight, as well as the films and installations to be featured in the New Frontier program. The Festival, which takes place January 22 to February 1 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah, is the centerpiece of … Continue reading SUNDANCE INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES SPOTLIGHT, PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT, NEW FRONTIER FOR 2015 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

SLAMDANCE 2015 ANNOUNCES DIVERSE SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND BEYOND

  FROM “BASTARDS” TO “FEMALE PERVERT” PROGRAM LINE UP AND SHORT FILM COMPETITIONS   Slamdance brings powerful films from Israel, Iceland, China, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, South Korea and Greece, with San Francisco’s Batkid, Olympic veteran Stella Walsh and acclaimed German architect Gottfried Böhm; casts include Zach McGowan, Sophie Thompson, Fran Kranz, Joel Murray, Pedro Pascal, Yvette Yates and Joey Kern   (LOS ANGELES – December 8, 2014) – Slamdance today … Continue reading SLAMDANCE 2015 ANNOUNCES DIVERSE SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND BEYOND

Grand Jury Award 2014 for THE SUICIDE THEORY from LA’s DANCES WITH FILMS FESTIVAL

AUSTRALIAN FILM “THE SUICIDE THEORY”   WINS THE GRAND JURY AWARD AT L.A.’S 17th DANCES WITH FILMS FESTIVAL   SHOCKING DARKLY COMEDIC NEO-NOIR FILM FROM SEVEN8MEDIA IS THE FIRST FOREIGN FILM TO TAKE THE HONORS The Filmmakers Have Received Three Offers for North American Distribution and Are in Talks for Talent Representation with Remake Rights to the Film which has become a Hot Property HOLLYWOOD, CA … Continue reading Grand Jury Award 2014 for THE SUICIDE THEORY from LA’s DANCES WITH FILMS FESTIVAL

“THE SUICIDE THEORY” PREMIERES AT DANCES WITH FILMS

SHOCKING DARKLY COMEDIC NEO-NOIR FILM FROM NEW AUSTRALIAN FILMMAKERS TO DIE FOR  WORLD PREMIERE AT L.A.’S DANCES WITH FILMS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 AT 7:15PM   Actors Steve Mouzakis’ Star Turn as “Steven Ray,” a Depressed Hit-man, and Leon Caine’s Nuanced Portrayal of “Percival,” His Suicidal Client,  Are Not to Be Missed.   HOLLYWOOD, CA –  The Aussies are coming… to Hollywood for the WORLD PREMIERE … Continue reading “THE SUICIDE THEORY” PREMIERES AT DANCES WITH FILMS

Happy Birthday Slamdance!!

Among beautiful pristine powdered mountains in the heart of Park City, Utah there is an unbelievable Jewel. It is a jewel that was created for and by filmmakers, artists, and storytellers. These would be the trailblazers, the rebels, the ones who would fight against the system to make sure their art form remained pure and reached the masses. Doing so without giving into a system that … Continue reading Happy Birthday Slamdance!!