Friday, September 26, 2014

'Birdman' To Open 23rd Philadelphia FIlm Festival, Full Line-up Announced

The Philadelphia Film Society announced today the line-up for the 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival, opening with Oscar-hopeful "Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance" by Alejandro González Iñárritu, and closing with another Oscar-hopeful in the Reese Witherspoon vehicle, "Wild".

The festival runs from Oct. 16 to Oct. 26 in six venues around Center City. Here is the complete festival program guide.

Over 100 feature length and short films will be presented in this year's set, ranging from the Cannes- heavy Masters of Cinema selection, to local fair in narrative and documentary features.

"Beginning with our Opening Night screening of the highly acclaimed Birdman through October 26th, our diverse collection of films, everything from prestigious world cinema hits to exciting new American indies will entertain, challenge and truly highlight some of the best cinema of the year," said society executive director J. Andrew Greenblatt in a press release.


Other notable screenings this year include's this year's Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award-winner "The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, the new comedy "St. Vincent" starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy and this year's Palme d'Or winner "Winter Sleep".


Continuing from their recent retrospective film series "David Lynch Revisited", the festival's From the Vaults section will feature four of Lynch's films: "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive," "The Straight Story" and "Wild at Heart".

Films in competition will be rated on by the public, with awards presented in five categories- narrative feature, documentary feature, Archie First Feature Award, Sharon Pinkenson Award (for best local feature) and short film.

"I'm really happy to watch this year's festival come to life," said artistic director Michael Lerman in a press release. "I think we're really on the verge of some big years for cinema and this festival will showcase the first steps in these innovative new directions."

Tickets for the 23rd Philadelphia Film Festival went on sale Sept. 26 to Philadelphia Film Society members, and to the general public on Sept. 30. Tickets may be purchased through the Festival website, www.filmadelphia.org/festival, or in person at the main box office in the PFS Roxy Theater located at 2023 Sansom St.


Opening Night Film
Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Director Alejandro González Iñárritu.  2014, USA.

Closing Night Film
Wild, Director Jean-Marc Vallee. 2014, USA.
  
Centerpiece Screenings
The Good Lie, Director Philippe Falardeau. 2014, USA.
The Imitation Game, Director Morten Tyldum. 2014, USA, UK.
Laggies, Director Lynn Shelton. 2013, USA.
St. Vincent, Director Theodore Melfi. 2014, USA.  
  
American Independents, Presented by the Lincoln Motor Company: Featuring powerful new voices in American cinema, these fresh, gritty films explore a variety of subjects through the filmmaker's uncompromising vision. All films in this series are a part of the "PFF On Us" free ticketing program.
Big Significant Things, Director Bryan Reisberg. 2014, USA.
Glass Chin, Director Noah Buschel. 2014,   USA.
Imperial Dreams, Director Malik Vitthal. 2014, USA.
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, Director David Zellner. 2014, USA.
Man From Reno, Director Dave Boyle. 2014, USA, Japan. 
The Mirage, Director Kyle Roper. 2014, USA.
Wild Canaries, Director Lawrence, Michael Levine. 2014, USA .

Cinema Down, From the land that brought us Mad Max, Moulin Rouge! and Driving Miss Daisy comes brave new work from veteran and budding Australian voices alike.
52 Tuesdays, Director Sophie Hyde. 2013, Australia.
Charlie's Country, Director     Rolf de Heer. 2014, Australia.
The Infinite Man, Director Hugh Sullivan. 2013, Australia    .
The Mule, Director Angus Sampson, Tony Mahony. 2014, Australia. 

Documentary Showcase, Presented by 500 Walnut: Comprising the best in documentary filmmaking, these compelling films feature everything from stirring character studies to fascinating looks at current global issues.
Art and Craft , Director Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman, co-directed by Mark Becker. 2014, USA.
Ballet 422, Director Jody Lee Lipes . 2014,  USA.
The Great Invisible,Director Margaret Brown. 2014, USA.
I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story, Director Chad Walker, Dave LaMattina. 2014, USA.
The Immortalists, Director David Alvarado, Jason Sussberg. 2014, USA.
Mudbloods, Director Farzad Sangari. 2014, USA .
The Overnighters, Director Jesse Moss. 2013, USA.
Point and Shoot, Director Marshall Curry. 2014, USA.
This Time Next Year,Director Jeff Reichert, Farihah Zaman. 2014, USA.

From the Vaults, Film history comes alive as it was meant to be seen - on the big screen. Come see old favorites bigger than life once again.
Blue Velvet, Director David Lynch . 1986,USA.
Capote, Director Bennett Miller. 2005, USA.
Mulholland Drive, DirectorDavid Lynch.2001, USA.
The Straight Story, DirectorDavid Lynch.  1999, USA.
To Have and Have Not, Director Howard Hawks. 1944,USA.
Wild at Heart, Director David Lynch. 1990, USA.

The Graveyard Shift, Horror, action, suspense, and the downright weird, these films will keep you awake during the graveyard shift.
A Hard Day, Director Seong-hun Kim. 2014, South Korea.
Housebound, Director Gerard Johnstone. 2014, New Zealand.
In Order of Disappearance, Director Hans Petter Moland. 2014, Norway.
It Follows, Director David Robert Mitchell. 2014,USA.
Revenge of the Green Dragons, Director Andrew Lau, Andrew Loo.2013, USA.
V/H/S: Viral, Director Marcel Sarmiento, Nacho Vigalondo, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Gregg Bishop. 2014, USA, Spain.  

Greater Filmadelphia, Presented by Philadelphia Gas Works: Featuring work from some of our finest homegrown filmmakers, this category brings our city and its talent to the big screen.
Crescendo! The Power of Music, Director Jamie Bernstein. 2014, USA.
Happy Valley, Director Amir Bar-Lev. 2014, USA.
Listen Up Philip, Director Alex Ross Perry. 2014, USA.
Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere, Director Dave Jannetta. 2014,  USA.
Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse. 2014, USA.
Tomorrow We Disappear, Director Jimmy Goldblum, Adam Weber. 2014, USA.

Masters of Cinema, Presented by Comcast: These new films exemplify the masterful work of world-renowned filmmakers as they continue to thrill and inspire audiences with cutting-edge features.
Clouds of Sils Maria, Director Olivier Assayas. 2014, France, USA.
Goodbye to Language 3D, Director Jean-Luc Godard. 2014, France.
Mommy, Director Xavier Dolan. 2014, Canada.
Two Days, One Night, Director Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne. 2013, Belgium, France.
Winter Sleep, Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan. 2014, Turkey, France, Germany.

New French Films, The birthplace of cinema, France continues to produce some of the best movies in the world with films that are funny, daring, sexy and uniquely French.
Breathe, Director Mélanie Laurent. 2014, France.
Girlhood, Director Céline Sciamma. 2014, France.
Hippocrates, Director Thomas Lilti. 2014, France.
Love at First Fight, Director Thomas Cailley. 2014, France.
This Is My Land, Director Tamara Erde. 2014, France.

Sight and Soundtrack, Presented by Sweat Fitness: Featuring rockumentaries, musician biopics and films that are centered on the unifying power of music.
Beyond the Lights, Director Gina Prince-Bythewood. 2014, USA.
Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound, Director Dennis Scholl, Marlon Johnson, Chad Tingle. 2014, USA.
The Last Five Years, Director Richard LaGravenese. 2014, USA.
Someone You Love, Director Pernille Fischer Christensen. 2014, Denmark, Sweden.
Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland. 2014, USA.
Traitors, Director Sean Gullette. 2013, Morocco.
Tu Dors Nicole, Director Stéphane Lafleur. 2014, Canada.

Spanish Language Stories, Presented by Southwest Airlines: Offering gripping stories and unique perspectives, these Spanish-language films explore a multitude of subjects ranging from the culturally specific to the universal.
10,000 Km, Director Carlos Marques-Marcet. 2014, Spain, USA.
Güeros, Director Alonso Ruizpalacios. 2014, Mexico.
Los Ángeles, Director Damian John Harper. 2014, Mexico, Germany.
Manos Sucias, Director Josef Wladyka. 2014, USA, Colombia.

Spotlights, Presented by Philadelphia Magazine: Highly-anticipated movies from some of the biggest names in the industry, these films shine a spotlight on top talent from around the world.
Big Hero 6, Director Don Hall, Chris Williams. 2014, USA.
Creep, Director Patrick Brice. 2014, USA.
Escobar: Paradise Lost, Director Andrea Di Stefano. 2014, France, Spain, Belgium.
Faults, Director Riley Stearns. 2014, USA.
Gabriel, Director Lou Howe. 2014, USA.
Life Partners, Director Susanna Fogel. 2014, USA.
Love, Rosie, Director Christian Ditter. 2014, UK, Germany.

World Narratives, Presented by 6ABC: Explore the world through film with this diverse selection of international cinema that features distinct perspectives and images from around the globe.
Beloved Sisters, Director Dominik Graf. 2014, Germany, Austria.
Cracks in Concrete, Director Umut Dağ. 2014, Austria.
The Duke of Burgundy, Director Peter Strickland. 2014, UK.
Force Majeure, Director Ruben Östlund. 2014, Sweden.
Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Director Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi, Elkabetz. 2014, Israel, France, Germany.
Human Capital, Director Paolo Virzì. 2014, Italy.
Run, Director  Philippe Lacôte. 2014, Ivory Coast, France.
Stations of the Cross, Director Dietrich Brüggemann. 2014, Germany, France.
The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Director Isao Takahata. 2014, Japan.
Titli, Director Kanu Behl. 2014, India.
The Tribe, Director Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy. 2014, Ukraine.
Villa Touma, Director Suha Arraf. 2014, Palestine.
The Way He Looks, Director Daniel Ribeiro. 2014, Brazil.
When Animals Dream, Director Jonas Alexander Arnby. 2014, Denmark.
Xenia,  Director Panos H. Koutras. 2014, Greece, France, Belgium.

Short Films
12 Years of DFA: Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic, Director Max Joseph. 2013, USA.
130919 * A Portrait of Marina Abramović, Director Matthu Placek. 2013, USA.
8 Bullets, Director Frank Ternier. 2014, France.
After School, Director Guillaume Renusson. 2014, France.
Astigmatismo, Director Nicolai Troshinsky. 2014, Spain.
The Chaperone, Director Fraser Munden, Neil Rathbone. 2013, Canada.
Chevette 83, Director Luis Oliva, 2013, Canada
The Cut, Director Geneviève Dulude-De Celles. 2013, Canada.
High Ground, Director Geoff Bailey. 2013, USA.
Inside the Mind of Colin Furze, Director David Beazley. 2014, UK.
Marilyn Myller, Director Mikey Please. 2013, USA, UK.
Me + Her, Director Joseph Oxford. 2014, USA.
The Obvious Child, Director Stephen Irwin. 2013, UK.
Port Nasty, Director    Rob Zywietz. 2014, UK.
Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns, Director Joe Callander. 2013, USA.
A Town Called Panic: The Christmas Log, Director Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar. 2014, France, Belgium.
The Video Dating Tape of Desmondo Ray, Aged 33 & 3/4, Director Steve Baker. 2013, Australia.
Watch Out, Director Joshua Stewart. 2014, USA
The Way, Director Max Ksjonda. 2012, Ukraine.
Yearbook, DirectorBernardo Britto. 2013, USA.

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