Author: Alton Williams

Ashes Edition: Bits & Pieces: Based on The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s groundbreaking 1982 feature film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance tells a new story, set many years before the events of the movie, and realized using classic puppetry with cutting edge visual effects. The world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.

Writer director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE), brings his signature style of humour and pathos to his latest film, JOJO RABBIT, a World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy (Roman Griffin Davis), whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in her attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his naive patriotism.

In this science-fiction thriller, a disturbed father (Emile Hirsch) locks his bold 7-year-old daughter (Lexy Kolker) in a house, warning her of grave dangers outside. But the mysterious Mr. Snowcone (Bruce Dern) convinces the girl to escape and join him on a quest for family, freedom, and revenge. 

After a night of debauchery spirals out of control, Marcus retreats to his family home along the New England coast. Solitude is disturbed when his brother asks Marcus to look after his estranged nephew and niece. As days pass, solace escapes him; he feels baited by a dark force. Is he losing his mind or has something terrible burrowed deep within him? Incubating. Waiting until the climate is right. Haunted by his deepest fears, Marcus struggles not to succumb as he fights to protect Lily, his beloved niece from a monster that lies in wait.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN DEADWOOD concerns a notorious gunslinger who is slipped a slow-acting poison by an heiress and told he has three days to track down and rescue her sister, who has been kidnapped by a band of hoodlums and holds the antidote.  Rene Perez directs from his screenplay, with Jeff Miller (THE TOYBOX) also contributing.

HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN, the remarkable film charting the creation and incredible success of the legendary Motown Records against the backdrop of the growing civil rights movement, will be released in UK & Irish cinemas for One Night Only from the World Premiere on 30 September.  The first documentary about the iconic label to be made with the participation of the label’s visionary founder, Berry Gordy, HITSVILLE: THE MAKING OF MOTOWN will be an unmissable cinematic event, releasing during the year Motown Records celebrates its 60th Anniversary.

After premiering on opening night and winning an award in Rhode Island before playing at Hollyshorts, Nicolas Greinacher’s topical film Ayaneh will be released in Los Angeles this week. This important film shares the story of a Muslim girl (Afsaneh Dehrouyeh) who, after embarking on a romance with a Swiss girl, rebels against the constraints of her family and religion.

Sudden Death meets Sicario in this gritty Mexican-set gang land thriller starring action legend Jean Claude Van Damme. When ruthless drug lord Rincon recruits 10-year-old boy Lucas to work as a runner, his older brother Lucas is desperate to keep him safe at all costs. The boys soon flee for their lives and are rescued by a troubled war veteran named Daniel (Van Damme). Daniel, who suffers with PTSD, is consumed in helping the boys to find their revenge against the violent MS-13 gang leader, in the only way he knows how. 

Bruce Willis (Die Hard) is back and paired with new partner-in-action Michael Chiklis (The Shield) in 10 Minutes Gone, a crime thriller about a man whose memory has been lost due to a bank heist gone wrong. Ruthless crime boss Rex (Willis) hires Frank (Chiklis) and his crew to steal a priceless jewel stash. However, the job goes completely wrong when someone tips the police and Frank suffers a heavy blow to the head. Frank wakes up to find the jewels gone and no memory of his attacker. Now Frank will need to piece together the missing 10 minutes from his memory, and fast, to find out who betrayed him so that Rex does not have him murdered in cold blood. 

Cairo To Honour Gilliam: The visionary and iconic director, screenwriter, actor and animator, Terry Gilliam will be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 41^st edition of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) which runs from 20-29 November, 2019. In recognition of his career, which spans four decades, and outstanding contributions to the film industry, marking him as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, Gilliam is set to accept the accolade during the opening ceremony of the Festival at The Cairo Opera House. 

In conjunction with the prestigious award, fans and industry members alike will also have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear the Oscar® nominated and BAFTA Fellowship director’s remarkable story with an in-conversation event at the Cairo Opera House. This rare event provides an unmissable opportunity for audiences to gain an insight into Gilliam’s life, career and achievements, with an exclusive question and answer session for audience members. The Festival will also host special screenings of Brazil (1985) and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018).

Terry Gilliam first gained recognition when he made his mark on pop culture as a founding member of the Monty Python comedy troupe and with his animations for Monty Python’s Flying Circus, which first aired on television in the U.K. in 1969. His unique flair and remarkable imagination in storytelling soon propelled him into the director’s chair for Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and segments of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983) alongside Terry Jones. 

Gilliam’s first outing as a solo director was the captivating and dazzling Jabberwocky (1977) which he also co-wrote. He followed on with the hugely successful Time Bandits (1981), an intoxicating time travel fantasy starring John Cleese and Sean Connery. In 1985 he went onto write and direct the remarkable sci-fi picture Brazil (1985), wowing critics who hailed it a visual masterpiece and scored Gilliam an Oscar® nomination.

Gilliam’s trademark imagination was on full display in his flamboyant fantasy The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989). In 1991, Gilliam cemented his reputation as a successful director of actors with The Fisher King (1991) starring Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams and Mercedes Ruehl, which received critical acclaim and performed well at the Oscars® and Golden Globe Awards®.

Highly regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films ever made, 12 Monkeys hit screens in 1996 with excellent performances from Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, who won a Golden Globe Award® and Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Gilliam gained further acclaim with the literary adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s eponymous Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), which Gilliam co-wrote and directed. With Gilliam’s unique directorial vision and stellar performances from Johnny Depp and Benico Del Toro, the film became a famed cult classic.

Gilliam’s next film whisked audiences away on a fantastical adventure in The Brothers Grimm (2005) starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger.  Returning to independent filmmaking, Gilliam directed and co-wrote Tideland (2005) before delivering the intoxicatingly imaginative The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), re-confirming Gilliam’s status as a conjurer of cinema and featuring a final performance from the late, gifted Heath Ledger.

Bursting with the filmmaker’s trademark deep-focus detail, Gilliam directed The Zero Theorem (2014), a spellbinding sci-fi epic featuring a captivating performance by two-time Oscar® winner Christoph Waltz. Finally, after three decades, Gilliam’s long-dreamed-of project, adventure-comedy The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018), came to light. Gilliam also co-wrote the project with Tony Grisoni, which stars Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce. From the unique worlds of Brazil to Twelve Monkeys, this prolific filmmaker’s body of work confirms what a dreary place the world would be without the magic of Terry Gilliam.     

Terry Gilliam said: “It’s a great honour to be recognised with this award by the Cairo International Film Festival, I am very excited to be visiting Egypt in November to meet with audiences and filmmakers to celebrate storytelling.”

CIFF’s President Moh Hefzy commented: “Terry Gilliam is a genius filmmaker, a maverick who has an extraordinary gift for storytelling. His films are wildly imaginative and sublime, submerging audiences into dizzying dystopias and whimsical fairytales; he is undoubtedly one of the true greats of cinema. His remarkable, visionary body of work, which spans over 40 years, has seen him craft some of the most unique, epic and captivating films ever made. We are honoured to present Terry Gilliam with a Lifetime Achievement Award and we look forward to welcoming him to Cairo.”

Derby Edition: Bits & Pieces: The Joke’s on you when Clownado blows in this September! Bunker down for Todd Sheets’ twisted new horror film, featuring genre icons Linnea Quigley and Eileen Deitz, on VOD September 3 and DVD September 17 from Wild Eye Releasing! Cursed demonic circus clowns set out on a vengeful massacre using tornadoes. A stripper, Elvis impersonator, truck driver, teen runaway, and a dude get caught in the supernatural battle between femme fatal and the boss clown from hell. Rachel Lagen, John O’Hara, and Joel D. Wynkoop co-star in “an enjoyable, blood-soaked love letter to the genre” from the legendary Todd Sheets.

The Netflix Television Event EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE reunites fans with Jesse Pinkman (Emmy-winner Aaron Paul).  In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.  This gripping thriller is written and directed by Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad.  The movie is produced by Mark Johnson, Melissa Bernstein, Charles Newirth, Diane Mercer and Aaron Paul, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Hal, wayward prince and reluctant heir to the English throne, has turned his back on royal life and is living among the people. But when his tyrannical father dies, Hal is crowned King Henry V and is forced to embrace the life he had previously tried to escape. Now the young king must navigate the palace politics, chaos and war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life — including his relationship with his closest friend and mentor, the ageing alcoholic knight, John Falstaff.

Derby Edition: Bits & Pieces: Directed by Erick Stoll and Chase Whiteside, América makes it’s NY Theatrical Debut September 13, 2019 at the Museum of the Moving Image and runs until September 22, 2019.  The documentary has its national broadcast debut on the PBS documentary series POV and pov.org on Monday, October 7 at 9 p.m. (check local listings). The film is a Lifelike Docs production in association with American Documentary | POV. POV is American television’s longest-running independent documentary series now in its 32nd season. The film is a co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB).

TUCKED is a raw and tender drama about an ageing 80 year old drag queen who forms an unlikely friendship with a younger queen, both struggling with their own issues of gender identity & mortality. As they discover more about each other, they realise how to truly be themselves. A story about love, loss and friendship with a great charm and sense of humour, TUCKED features fantastic performances from Derren Nesbitt (WHERE EAGLES DARE, THE NAKED RUNNER) and Jordan Stephens (star of Platinum recording artists RIZZLE KICKS as well as films including STAR WARS: ROGUE ONE). From writer/director Jamie Patterson the film also includes wonderful supporting roles for April Pearson (SKINS, TORMENTED) and Steve Oram (SIGHTSEERS, THE END OF THE F****G WORLD).

Written by lead actors Sebastian Street and Stuart Brennan to create a movie that meant something, that mattered, tackling subject matters close to their heart with rounded and three-dimensional characters they could play, the film is directed by Martin Scorsese’s long-time script supervisor Martha Pinson who is making her helming debut. TOMORROW stars Sebastian Street, Stuart Brennan, Stephanie Leonidas, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Paul Kaye, Joss Stone with James Cosmo and Stephen Fry.         

Derby Edition: Bits & Pieces: Bored and trapped in the cinema box office, and with their minds on far more important things, we follow the philosophical musings of two cinema staff as they fight boredom, apathy and the general public to ponder the human condition; consciousness, existence, happiness and necrophilia. 
The series is running for 52 episodes, with a new conversation for every week in the year, and we watch them set the world to rights as they fail to recognise their own hypocrisy and lack of motivation.

Norbert Keil’s brilliantly disturbing Replace has an answer – see what it is on digital and DVD this October. Afflicted with a dermatological disease, young and beautiful Kira discovers that she can replace her skin with that of other girls. Helped by her lover, she plots a murder and the victim becomes her donor, but when the disease returns, she is forced to find more victims. From writers Richard Stanley and Norbert Keil, Replace stars Rebecca Forsythe (The Bronx Bull), Lucie Aron (Berlin Syndrome), Sean Knopp and genre icon Barbara Crampton.

Derby Edition: Bits & Pieces: This autumn, the worldwide phenomenon DOWNTON ABBEY, becomes a grand motion picture event, as the beloved Crawleys and their intrepid staff prepare for the most important moment of their lives.  A royal visit from the King and Queen of England will unleash scandal, romance and intrigue that will leave the future of Downton hanging in the balance.  Written by series creator Julian Fellowes and starring the original cast.

Raindance Film Festival returns to London 18-29 September for its 27th edition. Against a backdrop of divisive politics and global turmoil, Raindance uses the medium of cinema to amplify the voice of indie filmmakers with compelling stories to tell. Whether it’s honest narratives from trans people, exposing environmental crimes, or tales of vulnerable individuals forced by fate to make risky choices, Raindance is a champion of the underdog, the marginalised, and the independently minded. With features, documentaries, short films, industry events and immersive VR experiences, Raindance is a place to see the kind of fascinating, multi-faceted characters who thrive in today’s crazy world of indie film.

The 27th Raindance Film Festival includes 90 feature films, with 12 World Premieres, 10 International Premieres, 9 European Premieres and 53 UK premieres. The programme also includes 113 short films, 19 music videos, and 30 VR experiences.

Elliot Grove, Raindance founder says: “Raindance is happening from 18 September – no ifs no buts. Despite Brexit uncertainty, we’re bringing the boldest and freshest talent from the world of indie filmmaking to the heart of London. Raindance is proud to have a global vision, not a narrow one, and this year’s festival has an incredible range of stories from Britain and across the world. And remember that Raindance means Raindance.”

OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

Raindance opens 18 September with the World Premiere of KROW’S TRANSFORMATION (dir: Gina Hole Lazarowich, Canada), documenting Canadian transgender model Krow Kian. A successful female model as a teen, the film charts Krow’s transition over a 3-year period, including Krow walking the catwalk for Louis Vuitton’s iconic SS19 show in Paris – his first show since transitioning to a male. The film incorporates conversations between Krow and his mother, plus stories from other trans people in Krow’s circle. Krow Kian and director Gina Hole Lazarowich will attend the gala premiere at Vue West End in Leicester Square, the Home of Entertainment. A party at Café De Paris will follow, featuring Guilty Pleasures.

A special gala, the World Premiere of EVERYBODY FLIES (dir: Tristan Loraine, Beth Moran, UK) sees former British Airways captain turned documentary filmmaker Tristan Loraine exposing the cocktail of toxins that make up the air on commercial passenger aircraft.

The festival closes 29 September with post-modern comedy AREN’T YOU HAPPY? (dir: Susanne Heinrich, Germany). This debut feature brings together theory, feminism, humour and a bubblegum pop palate of colour as we follow a girl roaming a city looking for a place to sleep.