Press Release
Films We Like presents GRACELAND. Starts May 10, TIFF/ Bell Lightbox, Toronto
07/05/13 11:40 Filed in: Graceland
Certain to induce shivers, Graceland offers a frank depiction of political corruption and child sex slavery in the Philippines. The film will now have its Canadian public opening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on May 10, 2013.
Synopsis: Family man Marlon Villar is the long-time driver of Manuel Chango, a corrupt Filipino congressman. One afternoon, while driving his and Chango’s preteen daughters home from school, the three are violently ambushed in a kidnapping attempt. When the
attempt goes horribly awry, the wrong girl is taken, and the driver's life takes a sudden, terrifying turn. Left as the only witness to the crime, Marlon’s loyalty is called into question. As events unravel further, he, Chango, and their families become ensnared in a downward spiral of betrayal and deceit that will ultimately leave no one innocent.
Download high-rez images and press kit.
Publicity inquires, please contact Jasmine Pauk (Publicist)
GRACELAND [Trailer] – On iTunes/VOD 3/28 & in Theaters 4/26 from Drafthouse Films on Vimeo.
Films We Like Acquires Matt Porterfield's I USED TO BE DARKER
02/05/13 15:32 Filed in: I Used to Be Darker
I Used To Be Darker will be released across Canada this fall.
Summary: When Taryn, a Northern Irish runaway, finds herself in trouble in Ocean City, MD, she seeks refuge with her aunt and uncle in Baltimore. But Kim and Bill have problems of their own: they’re trying to handle the end of their marriagegracefully for the sake of their daughter Abby, just home from her first year of college. A story of family revelations, people finding each other and letting each other go, looking for love where they’ve found it before and, when that doesn’t work, figuring out where they might find it next.
Matt Porterfield is a filmmaker living and working in Baltimore. He participated in the Whitney Museum of American Art’s 2012 Biennial with Putty Hill (2010), which was recently acquired, along with his first feature, Hamilton (2006), by New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His new film, I Used to Be Darker, will soon be screened in Canada.
For further information, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Publicist
Films We Like
Films We Like acquires GOOD VIBRATIONS & MUSCLE SHOALS
18/03/13 11:47 Filed in: Good Vibrations | Muscle Shoals
Films We Like is excited to announce that it is adding two more exceptional films to its catalogue.
Good Vibrations and Muscle Shoals, which have both received international attention in recent months, will soon be released in Canada.
GOOD VIBRATIONS
Directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa, Glenn Leyburn
Based on a true story, Good Vibrations depicts the rise of Irish punk out of a violent conflict that rocked Belfast in the late 1960s. The film follows the life of Terri Hooley, a rebellious music enthusiast who opened a record store called Good Vibrations on the most bombed half-mile in Europe. The vibrant music collective that grew around Hooley soon led him to establish the Good Vibrations record label, which ended up releasing some of the most important 45s and LPs of the period. Good Vibrations created a crucial space for the development of the punk scene. There, a group of young musicians gathered to foster an alternative culture that revitalized a devastated population.
MUSCLE SHOALS
Directed by Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
The music that came out of Muscle Shoals is some of the most important and resonant of all time. "I’ll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", "When a Man Loves a Woman", "I Never Loved A Man the Way That I Loved You", "Mustang Sally”, "Tell Mama", "Kodachrome", and "Freebird" are just a few of the tens of thousands of tracks created there. At its heart is Rick Hall, who brought black and white musicians together to create music that would last for generations while also giving birth to the unique ‘Muscle Shoals sound’ and the rhythm section ‘The Swampers’. In this movie, legendary artists including Aretha Franklin, Greg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Jimmy Cliff, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Wilson Pickett, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Steve Winwood, and others bear witness to the magnetism and mystery of Muscle Shoals and why it remains a global influence today.
For further information, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk - Publicist
Good Vibrations and Muscle Shoals, which have both received international attention in recent months, will soon be released in Canada.
GOOD VIBRATIONS
Directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa, Glenn Leyburn
Based on a true story, Good Vibrations depicts the rise of Irish punk out of a violent conflict that rocked Belfast in the late 1960s. The film follows the life of Terri Hooley, a rebellious music enthusiast who opened a record store called Good Vibrations on the most bombed half-mile in Europe. The vibrant music collective that grew around Hooley soon led him to establish the Good Vibrations record label, which ended up releasing some of the most important 45s and LPs of the period. Good Vibrations created a crucial space for the development of the punk scene. There, a group of young musicians gathered to foster an alternative culture that revitalized a devastated population.
MUSCLE SHOALS
Directed by Greg 'Freddy' Camalier
The music that came out of Muscle Shoals is some of the most important and resonant of all time. "I’ll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", "When a Man Loves a Woman", "I Never Loved A Man the Way That I Loved You", "Mustang Sally”, "Tell Mama", "Kodachrome", and "Freebird" are just a few of the tens of thousands of tracks created there. At its heart is Rick Hall, who brought black and white musicians together to create music that would last for generations while also giving birth to the unique ‘Muscle Shoals sound’ and the rhythm section ‘The Swampers’. In this movie, legendary artists including Aretha Franklin, Greg Allman, Bono, Clarence Carter, Jimmy Cliff, Mick Jagger, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Wilson Pickett, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Steve Winwood, and others bear witness to the magnetism and mystery of Muscle Shoals and why it remains a global influence today.
For further information, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk - Publicist
IN YOUR DREAMS, Stevie Nicks documentary scheduled for exclusive Canada Wide Release beginning April 15th in Toronto!
14/03/13 13:04 Filed in: In Your Dreams
Special Screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto on April 15th with Stevie Nicks appearing LIVE for Q&A sessions after both showings.
Toronto – March 14, 2013.Following the tremendous positive response to the Stevie Nicks documentary "In Your Dreams", an intimate portrait of one of rock's most enduring and legendary artists, at the Hamptons International Film Festival and the Mill Valley Film Festival, this up close portrayal of Nicks recording her critically acclaimed "In Your Dreams" CD in collaboration with Dave Stewart is now scheduled to screen in exclusive engagements in theaters across Canada starting in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on April 15. Tickets will be available to the public for the two special screenings of In Your Dreams at 7 p.m. at 7:30 p.m. on April 15, with three regular screenings taking place on April 16 – 18 at 8:30 p.m. at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Tickets go on sale March 20 for TIFF Members and on March 27 for non-members at tiff.net.
The "In Your Dreams" film is being distributed by Films We Like in Canada. Co-produced and co-directed by former Eurythmic Dave Stewart, "In Your Dreams" is a portrait of the elusive Nicks as she and Stewart embark on a musical journey to write and record the critically acclaimed album "In Your Dreams." Nicks called this "the greatest year of my life" and felt compelled to share the joyful experience that she terms "the day the circus came to town" with her fans. The record was co-written by Nicks and Stewart and produced by Stewart and Glen Ballard. Watch the trailer at www.inyourdreamsmovie.com
Nicks, one of the lead singers and emotional catalyst for Fleetwood Mac, is embarking on a world tour with them beginning April 4th in Columbus Ohio. A multi Grammy Award winning artist and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Nicks allowed cameras inside her magical old mansion high atop the hills of LA with a wild cast of musicians and friends. The inner life of the legendary Nicks has by her design long been kept at a distance from the public. We learn in "Dreams" that her world features, costume parties, elaborate dinner feasts, tap dancing, fantasy creations and revealing songwriting and recording sessions all of which are captured on film. Also cameos by Edgar Allan Poe, Mick Fleetwood, Reese Witherspoon, a massive white stallion in the backyard, owls and naturally a few vampires who appear in several "home movie" style music videos.
Along with tracking the Nicks/Stewart creative partnership, "In Your Dreams" has plenty of other cinematic payoffs including rare never before seen personal scrapbook stills from Nicks' childhood and family life, and a wealth of candid backstage and performance shots taken over the last 35 years. The documentary was produced by Dave Stewart's production company, Weapons of Mass Entertainment.
Nicks, who has sold millions of records as a solo artist and writer of such iconic songs as "Landslide," "Gold Dust Woman" and "Edge of 17," is regularly cited by stars as diverse as Taylor Swift, Kid Rock, Courtney Love, Sheryl Crow, The Dixie Chicks and John Mayer as an iconic favorite and heroine and is a continuous inspiration to the world's top fashion designers.
"She is really real. It doesn't matter if she is singing in the make-up room or in the middle of a TV interview. She is who she is, and she doesn't change." commented Stewart.
"This is our baby and we give her lovingly into your dreams. From our tribe to yours," concluded Nicks.
“In Your Dreams” screens in Canada as follows:
Toronto / TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King St W) / April 15, 2013
Tickets Available online Marc h 27: http://tiff.net
Fleetwood Mac concert: 16-Apr-2013
Ottawa / Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank St) / April 19 & 20, 2013
Visit cinema website for further details: http://mayfairtheatre.ca
Fleetwood Mac concert: 23-Apr-2013
Winnipeg / Winnipeg Cinematheque (100 Arthur St) / May 4 & 5, 2013
Visit cinema website for further details: www.winnipegfilmgroup.com
Fleetwood Mac concert: 12-May-2013
Saskatoon / Broadway Theatre (715 Broadway Avenue) / May 13, 2013
Visit cinema website for further details: http://broadwaytheatre.ca, 306.652.6556
Fleetwood Mac concert: 14-May-2013
Edmonton / Metro Cinema at the Garneau (8712 109th Street NW) / May 14, 2013
Visit cinema website for further details: http://www.metrocinema.org
Fleetwood Mac concert 15-May-2013
Calgary / Globe Cinema (617 8 Ave SW) / screening date TBC
Visit cinema website for further details: www.globecinema.wordpress.com
Fleetwood Mac concert: 17-May-2013
Vancouver / Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour St) / May 18, 2013
Visit cinema website for further details: www.viff.org/theatre
Fleetwood Mac concert: 19-May-2013
Montreal/ Cinema du Parc (3575 Park Ave) / June 14-17, 2013
Tickets available online: http://cinemaduparc.ticketacces.net/representations.cfm
Fleetwood Mac concert: 18-Jun-2013
-- 30 --
Running Time: 100min
Images and Press Notes
For further information, please contact:
V Kelly + Associates, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
LEVIATHAN: Opens March 15, 2013 at The TIFF Bell Lightbox
09/03/13 00:01 Filed in: Leviathan
Leviathan is a feature-length documentary about contemporary commercial fishermen at sea. It offers an appreciation for the sensory experience, labor, and the political and ecological stakes of one of human history’s oldest endeavors. The film was shot with eleven GoPro cameras swapping hands between the filmmakers and the fishermen in an effort to create a form of collective experimentation that gives free reign to the perspectives of both the fishermen and their catch.
Press Kit & High-Resolution Images
Upcoming Screenings
Directors are available for interviews.
For further information, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Publicist
Films We Like
SHEPARD & DARK starts Fri March 8 - Toronto and Vancouver
05/03/13 13:59 Filed in: Shepard & Dark
What does it take to maintain a friendship over a lifetime?
Shepard & Dark is an intimate look into the lives of two friends who live completely opposite lifestyles, but who nevertheless have sustained a meaningful relationship across over forty years. Winner of the Best Documentary Feature Award at The Woodstock Film Festival and officially selected for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, Treva Wurmfeld’s Shepard & Dark now opens
March 8, 2013 at The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Toronto
March 8, 2013 at Pacific Cinematheque, Vancouver
March 15, 2013 at Cinema du Parc, Montreal
Sam Shepard and Johnny Dark met in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and, despite leading very different lives, they remained close friends ever since. Shepard became a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (Buried Child) and an Academy Award-nominated actor (The Right Stuff), while Dark remained a homebody with a penchant for letter writing, photography, and supporting himself with odd jobs, from dog-catcher to deli worker. Through the decades, they stayed bonded and maintained their friendship by writing to each other. Over the years, they amassed hundreds of letters. Treva Wurmfeld’s film is an intimate exploration of their unusual relationship.
Shepard & Dark offers meditations on friendship, personal growth, and the subtle nuances that create deep connections between people.
We would love for to you to review the film.
Download Press Kit & High-Resolution Images
A review screener of Shepard & Dark can be sent to you upon request.
Additionally, director Treva Wurmfeld is available for interviews.
For further information, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Publicist
Films We Like

SHEPARD & DARK (Trailer) from filmswelike on Vimeo.
LUNARCY!: Starts February 8th at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Toronto
17/01/13 11:16 Filed in: Lunarcy!
Are you on another planet? Not yet...
Films We Like is proud to present LUNARCY!, which delighted and astounded critics when it premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. LUNARCY! by young, upcoming Canadian director Simon Ennis has since travelled to film festivals across the universe. This incredible doc rocketed to fame and now lands in Toronto, where it will have its first public theatrical opening on February 8th, 2013 at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
Films We Like invites you to review LUNARCY! and encounter a cast of unusual characters you wouldn’t have believed were out there...
Meet former NASA special agent (read: Moon Rock Detective) Joe Gutheinz, noted astrophysicist Dr. Jaymie Matthews, author Matthew Goodman, as well as Moon Society president Peter Kokh, and former Apollo Astronaut Alan Bean. With wry humor and affection, LUNARCY! follows a group of disparate individuals who share one thing in common; they’ve all devoted their lives to the Moon. From the former ventriloquist who has made millions selling Moon lots to the young man who has resolved to depart for Luna (permanently), LUNARCY! is a touching and comic portrait of passion, obsession, and quixotic dreams.
Download Press Kit and High Rez Images!
*Director Simon Ennis is available for interviews.
For additional information, to set up an interview with Simon Ennis, or to request a copy of LUNARCY!, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Films We Like 416-971-9131
LUNARCY! Teaser #1 from Citizen Jones on Vimeo.
Films We Like invites you to review LUNARCY! and encounter a cast of unusual characters you wouldn’t have believed were out there...
Meet former NASA special agent (read: Moon Rock Detective) Joe Gutheinz, noted astrophysicist Dr. Jaymie Matthews, author Matthew Goodman, as well as Moon Society president Peter Kokh, and former Apollo Astronaut Alan Bean. With wry humor and affection, LUNARCY! follows a group of disparate individuals who share one thing in common; they’ve all devoted their lives to the Moon. From the former ventriloquist who has made millions selling Moon lots to the young man who has resolved to depart for Luna (permanently), LUNARCY! is a touching and comic portrait of passion, obsession, and quixotic dreams.
Download Press Kit and High Rez Images!
*Director Simon Ennis is available for interviews.
For additional information, to set up an interview with Simon Ennis, or to request a copy of LUNARCY!, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Films We Like 416-971-9131
GREGORY CREWDSON: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS Opens at Bloor, Toronto on Dec 21
12/12/12 15:33 Filed in: Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters
Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters Trailer from Benjamin Shapiro on Vimeo.
Films We Like, in proud partnership with the Reel Artists Film Festival, invites you to review the new, visually arresting tribute to celebrated American photographer Gregory Crewdson. A New York Times Critics’ Pick, Ben Shapiro’s Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters will leave you in awe of this artist’s imagination and his ability to capture the underlying drama in everyday American life. The film opens at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on December 21, 2012.
An acclaimed photographer with the eye of a filmmaker, Gregory Crewdson has created some of the most gorgeously haunting pictures in the history of the medium. His meticulously composed, large-scale images are stunning narratives of small-town American life—moviescapes crystallized into a single frame. While the photographs are staged with crews that rival many feature film productions, Crewdson takes inspiration as much from his own dreams and fantasies as the worlds of Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Edward Hopper and Diane Arbus. Crewdson’s imagery has also infiltrated the pop culture landscape—including his inimitable Six Feet Under ads and Yo La Tengo album art. Shot over a decade with unprecedented access, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters beautifully bares the artist’s process—and it’s as mesmerizing and riveting as the images themselves.
Download Press Kit & High-Resolution Images
Director Ben Shapiro is available for phone interviews.
Tickets are currently available to December and January screenings of Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema and can be purchased online on via the theatre’s website
Tickets will also be obtainable at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema box office.
For further information or to request the link to Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters, please contact:
Jasmine Pauk
Films We Like 416-971-9131
CHASING ICE Opens in Toronto on Nov 9. Vancouver on Nov 16.
30/10/12 16:49 Filed in: Chasing Ice
THE AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY
Sundance 2012 / SXSX 2012 / Hot Docs 2012 / Full Frame 2012
from the producers of “The Cove”
Opens in Toronto on Friday, November 9 at TIFF/ Bell Lightbox
Also Opens in Vancouver on Friday, November 16 at the Fifth Avenue Cinema
Films We Like is pleased to announce that award-winning feature documentary Chasing Ice, by Jeff Orlowski will open in theatres in Toronto on November 9th. This follows a screening as the closing night film at Planet in Focus where National Geographic photographer James Balog, the subject of the film, attended and received the festival’s prestigious International Eco Hero Award. Each year, Planet in Focus honours inspiring individuals who have made a difference to the environment, globally and within their communities, through their actions and body of work.
The Film
With the intention to provide empirical evidence of the effects of climate change, award-winning photographer James Balog deploys time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. His haunting and breathtaking videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.
Traveling with a team of dedicated adventurers across the Arctic (including Greenland, Iceland, Switzerland, Bolivia, the US and Canada), Balog risks his life in pursuit of the biggest story facing humanity today.
The Filmmakers
Chasing Ice is directed and photographed by award-winning filmmaker Jeff Orlowski. A graduate of Stanford University, Jeff has been working since 2007 with James Balog and the Extreme Ice Survey. Chasing Ice co-producers are Paula DuPre' Pesmen, who produced The Cove which won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary and Jerry Aronson, who produced The Divided Traiand directed The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg. Writer Mark Monroe, won the Writers Guild of America (WGA) award for Best Documentary in 2010 for his work on The Cove. Film composer J. Ralph is known for his scores that include Academy Award winning films The Cove and Man on a Wire.
James Balog
James Balog is an award winning naturalist photographer and author of several books including Extreme Ice Now: Vanishing Glaciers and Changing Climate: A Progress Report, published by National Geographic Books in 2009 and ICE: Portraits of the World’s Vanishing Glaciers to be published Fall 2012. To reveal the impact of climate change, James founded the Extreme Ice Survey (EIS), the most wide-ranging, ground-based, photographic study of glaciers ever conducted.
Press Materials Available On-line
FWL Website/ Official Website
High Rez Images
Press Kit
Filmmaker Jeff Orlowski is available for phone interviews.
Media Contact
Virginia Kelly, Meghan Parnell
V Kelly + Associates
TABU by Miguel Gomes opens Fri Sept 21 @ TIFF/ Bell Lightbox
19/09/12 12:30 Filed in: Tabu
Miguel Gomes’
TABU
Opens in Toronto at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Friday, September 21
“TABU”, the masterful love story by Portugese filmmaker Miguel Gomes opens in Toronto on Friday, September 21 following its North American Premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in the Wavelengths program.
Synopsis
Inspired from the directors own life, and influenced by F. W. Murnau, Tabu is a tale of paradise lost and found. When an elderly neighbour dies, Pilar (Teresa Madruga) reconnects with an old lover. and learns of an episode from her past: a tale of love and crime set in an Africa straight from the world of adventure films. Gomes playfully interprets and rearranges historical events: whilst the first part of his film is in black-and-white and portrays a society wallowing in nostalgia, the second part delivers everything the lovers long for: stirring melodrama, slapstick, and passion.
Tabu won the Alfred Bauer Prize for Artistic Innovation and the FIRPRESCI Jury Prize at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival.
About Miguel Gomes
Former Lisbon film critic, Miguel Gomes directed several award winning short films. THE FACE YOU DESERVE (2004) was his debut feature, followed by the multiple award-winning OUR BELOVED MONTH OF AUGUST (2008) presented in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes
About Films We Like
Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, Films We Like is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada.
Running time: 110 Minutes
Language: Portuguese (with English Sub-titles)
Download press notes and images.
Media Contact: V Kelly &Associates info@vkpr.ca (416) 466-979
TABU
Opens in Toronto at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Friday, September 21
“TABU”, the masterful love story by Portugese filmmaker Miguel Gomes opens in Toronto on Friday, September 21 following its North American Premiere at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in the Wavelengths program.
Inspired from the directors own life, and influenced by F. W. Murnau, Tabu is a tale of paradise lost and found. When an elderly neighbour dies, Pilar (Teresa Madruga) reconnects with an old lover. and learns of an episode from her past: a tale of love and crime set in an Africa straight from the world of adventure films. Gomes playfully interprets and rearranges historical events: whilst the first part of his film is in black-and-white and portrays a society wallowing in nostalgia, the second part delivers everything the lovers long for: stirring melodrama, slapstick, and passion.
Tabu won the Alfred Bauer Prize for Artistic Innovation and the FIRPRESCI Jury Prize at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival.
About Miguel Gomes
Former Lisbon film critic, Miguel Gomes directed several award winning short films. THE FACE YOU DESERVE (2004) was his debut feature, followed by the multiple award-winning OUR BELOVED MONTH OF AUGUST (2008) presented in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes
About Films We Like
Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, Films We Like is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada.
Running time: 110 Minutes
Language: Portuguese (with English Sub-titles)
Download press notes and images.
Media Contact: V Kelly &Associates info@vkpr.ca (416) 466-979
MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ: THE ARTIST IS PRESENT - Opens Friday, June 15th
22/05/12 16:11 Filed in: Marina Abramovic: the Artist is Present
With Marina Abramović, Ulay and Klaus Biesenbach
Opens Friday, June 15th
Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
Vancouver at 5th Avenue
Winnipeg at The Globe
Also Opens Friday, June 29th, Calgary at The Globe
and Friday, August 12, Broadway Theatre, Saskatoon
Toronto Press Screening Confirmed: Wednesday, May 30th, 10:00am @ TIFF Bell Lightbox
Matthew Akers’ Marina Abramović: the Artist is Present is opens in theatres on Friday, June 15th, 2012 in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Testing her mental and physical limits with shocking, compelling and sometimes dangerous performances, Marina Abramović has been challenging the way people think about art for nearly 40 years. Using her own body as a vehicle, pushing herself beyond her physical and mental limits––and at times risking her life in the process––she creates performances that challenge, shock, and move us. Through her and with her, boundaries are crossed, consciousness expanded, and art as we know it is reborn. She is, quite simply, one of the most compelling artists of our time.
She is also a glamorous art-world icon, a lightning rod for controversy, and a myth of her own making. She is most certainly unlike anyone you have ever met before.
Marina Abramović:The Artist is Present looks back on Abramović’s prolific career, and follows her as she prepares herself and a group of artists for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The centrepiece of the show is Abramović’s mesmerizing new performance, The Artist Is Present, involving her constant seated presence in the gallery space for the length of the three-month exhibition, during which she is available for one-on-one silent interaction with members of the public. It will be the longest-duration solo work of her career, and by far the most physically and emotionally demanding she has ever attempted.
When she conceived it, she says, she knew instantly that it was the right piece because the mere thought of it "made me nauseous." The work's simplicity and purity has the potential to crystallize all that is best about her art, but it also demands that Abramović return to her roots––and forgo the overt theatricality that has characterized many of her recent performance pieces.
Countless intimate and individual connections are made between the artist and her scores of participants; through each encounter, as Abramović says, “performance becomes life itself.”
Matthew Akers is an accomplished producer, director, photographer and cinematographer. Recently, he was the series producer and cinematographer on a National Geographic television series about the medical marijuana industry in Colorado. He has worked on several other film series and documentaries including ones for PBS and HBO.
Marina Abramović is represented by Sean Kelly Gallery, New York.
Running time: 89 min
Official Website: http://marinafilm.com
Trailer: http://filmswelike.com/films/marina/ or http://marinafilm.com/view-trailer
For further information, images and press notes: http://filmswelike.com/films/marina/
Toronto Press Screening:
Wednesday, May 30th, 10:00am @ TIFF Bell Lightbox
To RSVP to the press screening and for further information, please contact:
V Kelly + Associates, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE - Press Release
09/03/12 14:21 Filed in: The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
Berlin Film Festival's prestigious Queer 'TEDDY AWARD' prize
“The jury gives the best documentary award to The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye by Marie Losier. This film draws us into a whole new magical world of diversity where anything is possible; genders change, identities shift and two people can become one through pandrogyny. The jury feels that nobody could tell the story of this once in a lifetime love affair like Ms Losier, a filmmaker with the unique imagination to match her film’s subjects and the compassion to tell an extraordinary tale of queer pioneers into a simple and universal tale of love.”
GRAND PRIZE Indilisboa (Portugal)
CALIGARI AWARD Berlin Film Festival-Forum
AUDIENCE AWARD Buenos Aires Film Festival
ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD-Outfest Film Festival (Los Angeles)
SPECIAL MENTION International Competition (Chile)
AUDIENCE AWARD FESTIVAL DU NOUVEAU CINEMA (Quebec)
Here's an intimate, affecting portrait of the life and work of ground-breaking performance artist and music pioneer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV), his other half and collaborator Lady Jaye, and their mutual expression of unity which lead them to becoming near-duplicates of each other.
Undergoing body modification surgery resulted in daring sexual transformations and the melding of their bodies. They called it the “Pandrogyne” project.
"It is neither a documentary nor a rockumentary. Rather, it is a love story and a touching one." -FILM THREAT
"Epic romance and art were among their accomplishments… so was looking alike. Man, if you think you and your partner are co-dependent, check these two out! They met in a fetish dungeon, and spent years having plastic surgery to look more like one another." -qPDX.com
"Losier’s film captures the poignant paradoxes, the ecstasies and burdens, of the transformation of life into art." -THE NEW YORKER
UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Opens March 16, TIFF/ Bell Lightbox, Toronto
April 1, 2, 11 & 12, Pacific Cinematheque, Vancouver
April 6 - 10, Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa
WATCH THE TRAILER
DOPPELGÄNGER PAUL: Opens in Toronto, Friday, February 24th at The Royal
08/02/12 11:14 Filed in: Doppelgänger Paul
DOPPELGÄNGER PAUL
(Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)
A film by Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand
Following its Premiere at TIFF 2011 and successful screenings at the 2011 Whistler Film Festival and Slamdance 2012, Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand’s feature film DOPPELGÄNGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) will open Friday, February 24th at The Royal Theater, Toronto.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) tells the story of the unlikely relationship of Karl (Tygh Runyan, Snakes On A Plane, 15 Minutes, TV’s Battlestar Gallactica) and Paul (Brad Dryborough, The Cabin Movie, TIFF 2005; TV’s Battlestar Gallactica), two lonely men on the brink of middle age.
Following a near death experience, Karl comes to believe that Paul, a stranger he sees on the street, is his doppelgänger. After stalking him for several weeks, Karl finally makes contact thus setting in motion a bizarre chain of events that will result in the loss of a thumb, the theft of a manuscript, rides on a miniature railroad, a trip to Portland in a 1984 Chevy VanDura and two appearances on a popular morning talk show.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) plays out as a mind-bending human comedy that raises questions about the primacy of authorial ownership, intellectual piracy and man’s seemingly limitless ability to hate himself beyond all reason.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) is directed by long-time collaborators Dylan Akio Smith (also DP/Editor) and Kris Elgstrand (also screenwriter). Co-directing for the first time, they are the award-winning team behind previous TIFF offerings Man Feel Pain (Winner, Short Cuts Canada Award, TIFF 2004), The Cabin Movie (TIFF 2005) and Big Head (TIFF 2009).
For further information: http://doppelgangerpaul.com/
Images: http://filmswelike.com/films/doppelgangerpaul/
Press Notes: http://filmswelike.com/films/doppelgangerpaul/
Media contact:
V Kelly + Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
(Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)
A film by Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand
Following its Premiere at TIFF 2011 and successful screenings at the 2011 Whistler Film Festival and Slamdance 2012, Dylan Akio Smith and Kris Elgstrand’s feature film DOPPELGÄNGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) will open Friday, February 24th at The Royal Theater, Toronto.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) tells the story of the unlikely relationship of Karl (Tygh Runyan, Snakes On A Plane, 15 Minutes, TV’s Battlestar Gallactica) and Paul (Brad Dryborough, The Cabin Movie, TIFF 2005; TV’s Battlestar Gallactica), two lonely men on the brink of middle age.
Following a near death experience, Karl comes to believe that Paul, a stranger he sees on the street, is his doppelgänger. After stalking him for several weeks, Karl finally makes contact thus setting in motion a bizarre chain of events that will result in the loss of a thumb, the theft of a manuscript, rides on a miniature railroad, a trip to Portland in a 1984 Chevy VanDura and two appearances on a popular morning talk show.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) plays out as a mind-bending human comedy that raises questions about the primacy of authorial ownership, intellectual piracy and man’s seemingly limitless ability to hate himself beyond all reason.
DOPPELGANGER PAUL (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself) is directed by long-time collaborators Dylan Akio Smith (also DP/Editor) and Kris Elgstrand (also screenwriter). Co-directing for the first time, they are the award-winning team behind previous TIFF offerings Man Feel Pain (Winner, Short Cuts Canada Award, TIFF 2004), The Cabin Movie (TIFF 2005) and Big Head (TIFF 2009).
For further information: http://doppelgangerpaul.com/
Images: http://filmswelike.com/films/doppelgangerpaul/
Press Notes: http://filmswelike.com/films/doppelgangerpaul/
Media contact:
V Kelly + Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE - Opens Dec 9
17/11/11 14:14 Filed in: Paul Goodman Changed My Life
PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE
A film about the most influential man you’ve never heard of
OPENS DECEMBER 9 - THE ROYAL, TORONTO
OPENS DECEMBER 30, 31, JANUARY 1 and 2 - MAYFAIR THEATRE, OTTAWA
“One has the persistent thought that if ten thousand people in all walks of life will stand up on their two feet and talk out and insist, we shall get back our country.”-- Paul Goodman, “Growing Up Absurd”
Following its Canadian Premiere at Doc Soup, and New York Premiere at Film Forum, Jonathan Lee’s highly praised feature documentary PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE will open Friday, December 9 at The Royal Theater, Toronto.
Author of the visionary bestseller GROWING UP ABSURD (1960), Paul Goodman was a poet, writer, pacifist, gay activist and a moral compass for many in the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960s.
PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE immerses you in an era when New York was peaking culturally and artistically; when ideas, and the people who propounded them, seemed to punch in at a higher weight class than they do now.
Unearthing unseen footage of Paul Goodman and his times, director/producer Jonathan Lee and producer/editor Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons) have woven together a rich portrait of an intellectual heavyweight whose ideas are long overdue for rediscovery.
Official Website: paulgoodmanfilm.com
High Rez Images
Press Notes
Interviews available with filmmaker Jonathan Lee
Media contact:
V Kelly + Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
A film about the most influential man you’ve never heard of
OPENS DECEMBER 9 - THE ROYAL, TORONTO
OPENS DECEMBER 30, 31, JANUARY 1 and 2 - MAYFAIR THEATRE, OTTAWA
“One has the persistent thought that if ten thousand people in all walks of life will stand up on their two feet and talk out and insist, we shall get back our country.”-- Paul Goodman, “Growing Up Absurd”
Following its Canadian Premiere at Doc Soup, and New York Premiere at Film Forum, Jonathan Lee’s highly praised feature documentary PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE will open Friday, December 9 at The Royal Theater, Toronto.
Author of the visionary bestseller GROWING UP ABSURD (1960), Paul Goodman was a poet, writer, pacifist, gay activist and a moral compass for many in the burgeoning counterculture of the 1960s.
PAUL GOODMAN CHANGED MY LIFE immerses you in an era when New York was peaking culturally and artistically; when ideas, and the people who propounded them, seemed to punch in at a higher weight class than they do now.
Unearthing unseen footage of Paul Goodman and his times, director/producer Jonathan Lee and producer/editor Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons) have woven together a rich portrait of an intellectual heavyweight whose ideas are long overdue for rediscovery.
Official Website: paulgoodmanfilm.com
High Rez Images
Press Notes
Interviews available with filmmaker Jonathan Lee
Media contact:
V Kelly + Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
LE HAVRE a film by Aki Kaurismäki has it's North American Premiere at TIFF "Masters Programme"
23/08/11 12:27 Filed in: Le Havre
FilmsWeLike, the independent distribution company headed by filmmaker Ron Mann is pleased to announce that Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki’s acclaimed Cannes 2011 favourite and winner of that festival’s FIPRESCI Prize will premiere at TIFF on Thursday, September 8, 2011, 9:30pm at the VISA Screening Room (Elgin). A political fairy tale that takes inspiration from the French cinema of the 1930s, Le Havre finds Kaurismäki working in France for the first time since his 1992 art house hit La Vie de Boheme.
In this warm-hearted portrait of the harbor city that gives the film its name, fate throws young African refugee Idrissa (newcomer Blondin Miguel) into the path of Marcel Marx (André Wilms, Europa Europa), a well-spoken bohemian who works as a shoe-shiner. With innate optimism and the unwavering solidarity of his community, Marcel stands up to officials doggedly pursuing the boy for deportation. In addition to Wilms and Miguel, Le Havre stars Kati Outinen (The Man Without a Past) and Jean-Pierre Darroussin (A Very Long Engagement). Le Havre was co-produced by Fabienne Vonier (The Barbarian Invasions) and Reinhard Brundig (Winged Migration).
Kaurismäki has cast André Wilms in four of his films; La Vie de Boheme, Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses, Juha and now Le Havre.
FilmsWeLike is Canadian distributor for Le Havre. Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, (Grass, Comic Book Confidential) Films We Like is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada. Recent releases include: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, Bill Cunningham New York, and the Cannes Palme D'or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Upcoming releases include Pearl Jam Twenty, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, A Matter of Taste, and Le Havre.
After TIFF, Le Havre will play at VIFF and festivals in Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal. It will begin its Canadian release in Toronto on Friday, November 4 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Running Time: 93 minutes
French with English subtitles
Press Screenings:
Thursday, August 25, 10:30am, Varsity
Monday, August 29, 11am, TIFF BLB (TBC, restricted to accredited TIFF media)
Press + Industry Screenings:
Friday, September 9, 9:15am, Scotiabank 3
TIFF Screenings:
Thursday, September 8, 9:30pm, Visa Screening Room (Elgin)
Friday, September 9, 1:00pm, Jackman Hall, AGO
To Book Interviews with Andre Wilms on September 8, 9, 10
Media Contact: V Kelly & Assoc, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
Kaurismäki has cast André Wilms in four of his films; La Vie de Boheme, Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses, Juha and now Le Havre.
FilmsWeLike is Canadian distributor for Le Havre. Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann, (Grass, Comic Book Confidential) Films We Like is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada. Recent releases include: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop, Bill Cunningham New York, and the Cannes Palme D'or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. Upcoming releases include Pearl Jam Twenty, Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles, A Matter of Taste, and Le Havre.
After TIFF, Le Havre will play at VIFF and festivals in Edmonton, Calgary, Halifax and Montreal. It will begin its Canadian release in Toronto on Friday, November 4 at TIFF Bell Lightbox.
Running Time: 93 minutes
French with English subtitles
Press Screenings:
Thursday, August 25, 10:30am, Varsity
Monday, August 29, 11am, TIFF BLB (TBC, restricted to accredited TIFF media)
Press + Industry Screenings:
Friday, September 9, 9:15am, Scotiabank 3
TIFF Screenings:
Thursday, September 8, 9:30pm, Visa Screening Room (Elgin)
Friday, September 9, 1:00pm, Jackman Hall, AGO
To Book Interviews with Andre Wilms on September 8, 9, 10
Media Contact: V Kelly & Assoc, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
LE HAVRE (Trailer) from filmswelike on Vimeo.
A MATTER OF TASTE Opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Thursday, September 29, 2011
17/08/11 16:07 Filed in: A Matter of Taste
“A MATTER OF TASTE” Serving Up Paul Liebrandt
A film by Sally Rowe
Opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sally Rowe & Paul Liebrandt in attendance
A MATTER OF TASTE takes an intimate look inside the world of an immensely talented and driven young chef, Paul Liebrandt. At 24, he was awarded three stars by the New York Times for unforgettable and hyper modern dishes such as "eel, violets and chocolate," "espuma of calf brains and foie gras," and "beer and truffle soup."
Critic William Grimes likened Paul to "a pianist who seems to have found a couple of dozen extra keys." Conversely, Gourmet critic Jonathan Gold called Paul's food "the result of a failed science experiment." He soon became a chef critics loved or loved to hate.
The film follows Paul over a decade and reveals his creative process in the kitchen, as well as the extreme hard work, long hours, and dedication it takes to be a culinary artist and have success in the cutthroat world of haute cuisine in New York City. Exploring the complicated relationships between food critics, chefs and restaurant owners, the film delves into the life of an uncompromising, thought provoking, young chef ahead of his time.
A MATTER OF TASTE features Paul Liebrandt, Chef, Croton; Frank Bruni, New York Times food critic 2004 – 2009; Thomas Keller, Chef Per Se; Eric Ripert, Chef Le Bernardin; Heston Blumenthal, Chef, The Fat Duck; Grant Achatz, Chef, Alinea; Drew Nieporent, Restauranteur; William Grimes, New York Times food critic 1998 – 2003.
SALLY ROWE – DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
New Zealand born Sally Rowe began working in film in 1992 as an apprentice
editor, assistant and editor in Thailand, Los Angeles and New York, respectively. In
2001, she returned to set as a script supervisor on numerous independent features,
commercials and the entire run of Comedy Central’s Emmy nominated “CHAPPELLE’S
SHOW.” A MATTER OF TASTE marks her directorial debut.
Running time: 68 minutes Official site: www.amatteroftastethefilm.com
For press notes and images: www.filmswelike.com
For further information, to book interviews w Sally Rowe, Paul Liebrandt
V Kelly & Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
A film by Sally Rowe
Opens at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sally Rowe & Paul Liebrandt in attendance
A Matter Of Taste - Trailer from Sally Rowe on Vimeo.
A MATTER OF TASTE takes an intimate look inside the world of an immensely talented and driven young chef, Paul Liebrandt. At 24, he was awarded three stars by the New York Times for unforgettable and hyper modern dishes such as "eel, violets and chocolate," "espuma of calf brains and foie gras," and "beer and truffle soup."
Critic William Grimes likened Paul to "a pianist who seems to have found a couple of dozen extra keys." Conversely, Gourmet critic Jonathan Gold called Paul's food "the result of a failed science experiment." He soon became a chef critics loved or loved to hate.
The film follows Paul over a decade and reveals his creative process in the kitchen, as well as the extreme hard work, long hours, and dedication it takes to be a culinary artist and have success in the cutthroat world of haute cuisine in New York City. Exploring the complicated relationships between food critics, chefs and restaurant owners, the film delves into the life of an uncompromising, thought provoking, young chef ahead of his time.
A MATTER OF TASTE features Paul Liebrandt, Chef, Croton; Frank Bruni, New York Times food critic 2004 – 2009; Thomas Keller, Chef Per Se; Eric Ripert, Chef Le Bernardin; Heston Blumenthal, Chef, The Fat Duck; Grant Achatz, Chef, Alinea; Drew Nieporent, Restauranteur; William Grimes, New York Times food critic 1998 – 2003.
SALLY ROWE – DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
New Zealand born Sally Rowe began working in film in 1992 as an apprentice
editor, assistant and editor in Thailand, Los Angeles and New York, respectively. In
2001, she returned to set as a script supervisor on numerous independent features,
commercials and the entire run of Comedy Central’s Emmy nominated “CHAPPELLE’S
SHOW.” A MATTER OF TASTE marks her directorial debut.
Running time: 68 minutes Official site: www.amatteroftastethefilm.com
For press notes and images: www.filmswelike.com
For further information, to book interviews w Sally Rowe, Paul Liebrandt
V Kelly & Associates
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
RESURRECT DEAD Opens in Toronto on Friday, September 23, 2011 at The Royal
17/08/11 15:59 Filed in: Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles
RESURRECT DEAD THE MYSTERY OF THE TOYNBEE TILES
A film by Jon Foy
Winner – Sundance 2011 Directing award: Documentary
Opens in Toronto on Friday, September 23, 2011 at The Royal
It’s gratifying to know that in the information age there are still shadowy crevices of the world where mystery and perplexity can still live. These dark corners of the world are diminishing in number, but it’s where magic and imagination can still exist. – Jon Foy
“Toynbee Idea in Movie 2001. Resurrect Dead on Planet Jupiter.” Beginning in the mid-1980s, hundreds of tiles carrying this cryptic message started appearing embedded in the asphalt of city streets throughout North and South America. A young artist named Justin Duerr was living in Philadelphia when he stumbled across one, then many, of these strange creations. What began as an ordinary attempt to discover their elusive creator became an obsessive quest as Duerr discovered an increasingly bizarre set of clues. Duerr spent more than a decade searching for the tiles’ creator, eventually teaming up with other Toynbee tile enthusiasts to gather clues. Crafting an enticing journey from Duerr’s experience, filmmaker Jon Foy invites you to get lost in this incredible real life mystery, a tribute to the fantastic things you can discover if you’re looking. – Sarafina DiFelice, Hot Docs
Filmmaker Jon Foy and Philadelphia-based artist and musician Justin Duerr began planning a documentary film about the Toynbee Tiles in 2000. Five years later, they began filming their investigation of these strange street plaques embedded in the asphalt of major U.S. and South American urban intersections that had held Duerr's fascination for over a decade. Having appeared on hundreds of reported examples from the mid-1980s to present, the cryptic four-line message of the Toynbee Tiles read: "Toynbee Idea / In Kubrick's 2001 / Resurrect Dead / On Planet Jupiter". While the text on the plaques was clear enough, neither Duerr nor the numerous media outlets that had documented the phenomenon knew what these tiles meant, how or why they were installed, or who was responsible for them.
Teaming up with local Toynbee Tile fanatics Steve Weinik and Colin Smith, Duerr began his quest with few clues towards the tiler's identity. The investigation led the team through a series of strange and unexpected turns from the discovery of a Jupiter colonization organization to the David Mamet play “4a.m.” and a TV news hijacker with a cryptic message. Along the way, the team met with the eccentric residents in the deepest reaches of South Philadelphia and dedicated shortwave radio buffs for clues and guidance. As the picture of the Toynbee Tiles' narrative slowly entered into focus, Duerr was shocked by the answers he was uncovering and his unexpected emotional connection to the elusive tiler.
Running time: 85 minutes Official Website: www.resurrectdead.com
For images, production notes and trailer: http://filmswelike.com/films/resurectdead/
For more information contact: V Kelly & Assoc.
A film by Jon Foy
Winner – Sundance 2011 Directing award: Documentary
Opens in Toronto on Friday, September 23, 2011 at The Royal
It’s gratifying to know that in the information age there are still shadowy crevices of the world where mystery and perplexity can still live. These dark corners of the world are diminishing in number, but it’s where magic and imagination can still exist. – Jon Foy
“Toynbee Idea in Movie 2001. Resurrect Dead on Planet Jupiter.” Beginning in the mid-1980s, hundreds of tiles carrying this cryptic message started appearing embedded in the asphalt of city streets throughout North and South America. A young artist named Justin Duerr was living in Philadelphia when he stumbled across one, then many, of these strange creations. What began as an ordinary attempt to discover their elusive creator became an obsessive quest as Duerr discovered an increasingly bizarre set of clues. Duerr spent more than a decade searching for the tiles’ creator, eventually teaming up with other Toynbee tile enthusiasts to gather clues. Crafting an enticing journey from Duerr’s experience, filmmaker Jon Foy invites you to get lost in this incredible real life mystery, a tribute to the fantastic things you can discover if you’re looking. – Sarafina DiFelice, Hot Docs
Teaming up with local Toynbee Tile fanatics Steve Weinik and Colin Smith, Duerr began his quest with few clues towards the tiler's identity. The investigation led the team through a series of strange and unexpected turns from the discovery of a Jupiter colonization organization to the David Mamet play “4a.m.” and a TV news hijacker with a cryptic message. Along the way, the team met with the eccentric residents in the deepest reaches of South Philadelphia and dedicated shortwave radio buffs for clues and guidance. As the picture of the Toynbee Tiles' narrative slowly entered into focus, Duerr was shocked by the answers he was uncovering and his unexpected emotional connection to the elusive tiler.
Running time: 85 minutes Official Website: www.resurrectdead.com
For images, production notes and trailer: http://filmswelike.com/films/resurectdead/
For more information contact: V Kelly & Assoc.
“PEARL JAM TWENTY” TO HAVE WORLD PREMIERE AT THE 2011 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, FOLLOWED BY AN EXCLUSIVE ONE NIGHT ONLY PRESENTATION AT PARTICIPATING CINEPLEX THEATRES SEPTEMBER 20
25/07/11 21:26 Filed in: Pearl Jam 20
TORONTO, ON – July 26, 2011: In celebration of their 20th Anniversary, Pearl Jam will debut Pearl Jam Twenty, a definitive portrait of the band as told by the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and music journalist Cameron Crowe, at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival (“TIFF”).
On Tuesday, September 20th following the TIFF premiere, FilmsWeLike and Cineplex Entertainment’s (“Cineplex”) Front Row Centre Events will present this highly anticipated documentary at participating Cineplex theatres across Canada for one night only.
Beginning July 29th, tickets can be purchased at participating theatre box offices, through the Cineplex Mobile Apps and online at www.cineplex.com or the Cineplex mobile site m.cineplex.com. A list of participating Cineplex theatres can be found at: http://www.filmswelike.com/films/pearljam20/screenings/cineplex/.
Starting July 26th, advance tickets for Pearl Jam fans are available via http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/Pearl-Jam-Twenty.aspx
Told in big themes and bold colours with blistering sound, Pearl Jam Twenty chronicles the years leading up to the band’s formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after being catapulted into superstardom, their step back from the spotlight with the instinct of self-preservation, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them—giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. The film celebrates the freedom that allows the band to make music without losing themselves, their fans, or the music lovers they’d always been.
“We put so much into the film – moments, pieces of footage shot by band members, audio snippets, visual bursts, new and old interviews – many different formats, all meant to show the emotional scrapbook of what it felt like to be a member of the band on this twenty-year journey,” said Cameron Crowe. “The richness of the footage made our path very clear – just tell the story of the band and let the music guide us. It was a joy to make this film, and we’re thrilled to share it with the fans.”
The captivating documentary gives fans and audiences an intimate first glimpse into Pearl Jam’s journey culled from more than 1,200 hours of rarely and never-before-seen footage, over 24 hours of recent interviews with the band, as well as live footage of their spellbinding concert performances.
To coincide with this unique theatrical release, The Pearl Jam Twenty soundtrack, released by Columbia Records/Sony Music Entertainment, is currently available for pre-order at www.PJ20.com for its release date of September 20, 2011. Comprised of a selected track listing by Cameron Crowe—the album is a true companion piece to the film.
In addition, as part of their year-long celebration, Pearl Jam is also releasing a Pearl Jam Twenty book on September 13th. Published by Simon & Schuster in Canada and the U.S. and Atlantic Books in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the Pearl Jam Twenty book is an aesthetically stunning chronicle of the band’s past two decades. Compiled and written by veteran music writer Jonathan Cohen with Mark Wilkerson, the book includes a foreword by Cameron Crowe (and material from all his own band interviews) as well as original interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Dave Grohl. The book is also available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and Pearl Jam’s Ten Club at www.PJ20.com.
Pearl Jam Twenty is being distributed in Canada by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential), through his company FilmsWeLike, a boutique distributor of documentary, independent and international films in Canada. Recent releases include: “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop”, “Bill Cunningham New York”, and the Cannes Palm D’or winner “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.”
Pearl Jam Twenty is a Vinyl Films production in association with MonkeyWrench Inc. and Tremolo Productions. The film was produced by Cameron Crowe, Kelly Curtis, Morgan Neville, and Andy Fischer and executive produced by Michele Anthony.
Click here for trailers, clips, photos and additional artwork
Official Film site: www.PJ20.com
FilmsWeLike PEARL JAM 20 PAGE
ABOUT PJ20
2011 is a yearlong celebration of Pearl Jam’s twenty-year history. The band started off the year with the release of a new live compilation album, Live on Ten Legs, followed by the expanded reissues of Vs. and Vitalogy in March. Things kick into high gear in September with the Alpine Valley Labor Day anniversary weekend concert, a ten-date Canadian tour, followed by the theatrical release of Cameron Crowe’s film, Pearl Jam Twenty in September with accompanying book and soundtrack album and subsequent PBS airdate of October, ending the year with the DVD of the film available in October. For the latest Pearl Jam happenings, visit www.pearljam.com.
About Cineplex Entertainment
Cineplex Inc. ("Cineplex") is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,351 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the exclusive provider of UltraAVX™ and the largest exhibitor of digital 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players, Colossus, Coliseum, SilverCity, Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. Cineplex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "CGX". For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.
About Front Row Centre Events (FRC)
Brought to you by Cineplex Entertainment, Front Row Centre Events bring world class entertainment to your local Cineplex Entertainment theatre and other participating locations! Presented in high-definition with digital surround sound, guests can experience the best in original one-night only and series-based programming. With the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series, Broadway productions, live broadcasts direct from the stage of London’s National Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet performances, classic films, concerts, live sporting events and documentaries, Front Row Centre Events put you in the centre of the action on the big screen!
- 30 -
Media Contact:
Virginia Kelly, V Kelly & Assoc, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment,
416-323-6648, pat.marshall@cineplex.com
Kyle Moffatt, Director, Communications, Cineplex Entertainment,
416-323-6728, kyle.moffatt@cineplex.com
CONAN O'BRIEN CAN'T STOP but he does at Participating Cineplex Entertainment Theatres for One Night Only – Thursday, July 7, 2011
13/06/11 14:00 Filed in: Conan O'Brien Can't Stop
Theatrical engagement at select Cineplex theatres follows in Toronto and Vancouver from Friday, July 8, 2011
FilmsWeLike and Cineplex Entertainment’s (“Cineplex”) Front Row Centre Events will present the highly anticipated Rodman Flender documentary “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” at participating Cineplex theatres across Canada on Thursday, July 7. In Toronto and Vancouver, the documentary will begin a limited engagement at select Cineplex theatres on Friday, July 8, 2011.
In 2010, after a much-publicized departure from hosting NBC’s Tonight Show, ex-late night host Conan O’Brien hit the road on a 32-city tour with a music and comedy show, ending his 22-year relationship with the network. The “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television” tour was O’Brien’s answer to a contractual stipulation that banned his appearance on television, radio and the Internet for six months following his last show.
Filmmaker Rodman Flender’s resulting documentary, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, is an intimate portrait of an artist trained in improvisation, captured at the most improvisational time of his career. It offers a window into the private writers room and rehearsal halls as O’Brien’s “half-assed show” (the star’s own words) is almost instantly assembled and mounted to an adoring fan base.
At times angry but mostly hilarious, O’Brien works out his feelings about the very-public separation. Throughout the documentary, O’Brien uses comedy and rockabilly music, engaging in bits with on-stage guests such as Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Jim Carrey. He also, performs a duet with Jack White and sweats out manic Elvis Presley covers with his band and back-up singers. The audience will see a comic who does not stop performing, singing, pushing his staff and himself.
Did Conan O’Brien hit the road to give something back to his loyal fans, or did he travel across the continent, stopping at cities large (New York, Las Vegas) and remote (Enoch, Alberta) to fill a void within himself? Find out July 7th as Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop will be presented at select Cineplex theatres.
Beginning June 17th tickets can be purchased at participating theatre box offices, through the Cineplex Mobile Apps and online at www.cineplex.com or the Cineplex mobile site m.cineplex.com. Cineplex Entertainment presents Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the following theatres:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Langley
Colossus Langley Cinemas, 20090 91A Avenue
Nanaimo
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo, 213-4750 Rutherford Road
Richmond
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas, 14211 Entertainment Way
Vancouver
Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver, 900 Burrard Street
Vernon
Galaxy Cinemas Vernon, 2306 Highway 6
Victoria
SilverCity Victoria Cinemas, 3130 Tillicum Road
ALBERTA
Calgary
Cineplex Odeon Crowfoot Crossing Cinemas, 91 Crowfoot Terrace NW
Scotiabank Theatre Chinook, 6455 Macleod Trail SW
Edmonton
Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas, 1525-99th Street NW
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton, 8882-170 Street
MANITOBA
Winnipeg
SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas, 817 St. James Street
SASKATCHEWAN
Moose Jaw
Galaxy Cinemas Moose Jaw, 1235 Main Street N
Regina
Galaxy Cinemas Regina, 420 McCarthy Boulevard N
Saskatoon
Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon, 347 2nd Avenue
ONTARIO
Barrie
Galaxy Cinemas Barrie, 72 Commerce Park Drive
Brantford
Galaxy Cinemas Brantford, 300 King George Road
Burlington
SilverCity Burlington Cinemas, 1250 Brant Street
Cambridge
Galaxy Cinemas Cambridge, 355 Hespeler Road
Guelph
Galaxy Cinemas Guelph, 485 Woodlawn Road W
Hamilton
SilverCity Hamilton Mountain Cinemas, 795 Paramount Drive
Kingston
Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas, 626 Gardiners Road
London
SilverCity London Cinemas, 1680 Richmond Street
Mississauga
SilverCity Mississauga Cinemas, 3055 Vega Boulevard
Newmarket
SilverCity Newmarket Cinemas and XSCAPE Entertainment Centre, 18151 Yonge Street
Niagara Falls
Cineplex Odeon Niagara Square Cinemas, 7555 Montrose Road
Oshawa
Cineplex Odeon Oshawa Cinemas, 1351 Grandview Street N
Ottawa
Coliseum Ottawa Cinemas, 3090 Carling Avenue
SilverCity Gloucester Cinemas, 2385 City Park Drive
Owen Sound
Galaxy Cinemas Owen Sound, 1020 10th Street
Peterborough
Galaxy Cinemas Peterborough, 320 Water Street
Richmond Hill
SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas, 8725 Yonge Street
Sault Ste. Marie
Galaxy Cinemas Sault Ste. Marie, 293 Bay Street
Sudbury
SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas, 355 Barrydowne Road
Thunder Bay
SilverCity Thunder Bay Cinemas, 850 North May Street
Toronto
Cineplex Odeon Queensway Cinemas, 1025 The Queensway
Coliseum Scarborough Cinemas, 300 Borough Drive
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, 259 Richmond Street W
SilverCity Fairview Mall Cinemas, 1800 Sheppard Avenue E
Waterloo
Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo, 550 King Street N
Windsor
Cineplex Odeon Devonshire Mall Cinemas, 3100 Howard Avenue
QUEBEC
Kirkland
Coliseum Kirkland Cinemas, 3200 rue Jean Yves
Montreal
Cineplex Odeon Cavendish Mall Cinemas, 5800 boul. Cavendish
Scotiabank Theatre Montreal, 977 rue Ste-Catherine O
Ste.Foy
Cineplex Odeon Ste. Foy Cinemas, 1200 boul. Duplessis
PRESS SCREENINGS
TORONTO (Tues, June 21 & Wed, June 29, 10am, Cineplex Odeon Varsity and VIP Cinemas)
VANCOUVER (Wed, June 15, 10:30am, Vancity Theatre)
CALGARY (Tues, June 28, 10am, Scotiabank Theatre Chinook)
EDMONTON (Tues, June 28, 10am, Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton)
WPG (Wed, June 29, 10am, SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas)
Running time: 89 minutes
Download hi-res images, press notes, view the trailer
Official Film site: www.conanobriencantstop.com
About Cineplex Entertainment
Cineplex Inc. ("Cineplex") is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 129 theatres with 1,343 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the exclusive provider of UltraAVX™ and the largest exhibitor of digital, 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players, Colossus, Coliseum, SilverCity, Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. Cineplex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "CGX". For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.
About Front Row Centre Events (FRC)
Brought to you by Cineplex Entertainment, Front Row Centre Events bring world class entertainment to your local Cineplex Entertainment theatre and other participating locations! Presented in high-definition with digital surround sound, guests can experience the best in original one-night only and series-based programming. With the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series, Broadway productions, live broadcasts direct from the stage of London’s National Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet performances, classic films, concerts, live sporting events and documentaries, Front Row Centre Events put you in the centre of the action on the big screen!
- 30 -
Media Contact: Virginia Kelly, V Kelly & Assoc
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
Kyle Moffatt, Director, Communications, Cineplex Entertainment
416-323-6728, kyle.moffatt@cineplex.com
In 2010, after a much-publicized departure from hosting NBC’s Tonight Show, ex-late night host Conan O’Brien hit the road on a 32-city tour with a music and comedy show, ending his 22-year relationship with the network. The “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television” tour was O’Brien’s answer to a contractual stipulation that banned his appearance on television, radio and the Internet for six months following his last show.
Filmmaker Rodman Flender’s resulting documentary, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, is an intimate portrait of an artist trained in improvisation, captured at the most improvisational time of his career. It offers a window into the private writers room and rehearsal halls as O’Brien’s “half-assed show” (the star’s own words) is almost instantly assembled and mounted to an adoring fan base.
At times angry but mostly hilarious, O’Brien works out his feelings about the very-public separation. Throughout the documentary, O’Brien uses comedy and rockabilly music, engaging in bits with on-stage guests such as Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Jim Carrey. He also, performs a duet with Jack White and sweats out manic Elvis Presley covers with his band and back-up singers. The audience will see a comic who does not stop performing, singing, pushing his staff and himself.
Did Conan O’Brien hit the road to give something back to his loyal fans, or did he travel across the continent, stopping at cities large (New York, Las Vegas) and remote (Enoch, Alberta) to fill a void within himself? Find out July 7th as Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop will be presented at select Cineplex theatres.
Beginning June 17th tickets can be purchased at participating theatre box offices, through the Cineplex Mobile Apps and online at www.cineplex.com or the Cineplex mobile site m.cineplex.com. Cineplex Entertainment presents Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at the following theatres:
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Langley
Colossus Langley Cinemas, 20090 91A Avenue
Nanaimo
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo, 213-4750 Rutherford Road
Richmond
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas, 14211 Entertainment Way
Vancouver
Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver, 900 Burrard Street
Vernon
Galaxy Cinemas Vernon, 2306 Highway 6
Victoria
SilverCity Victoria Cinemas, 3130 Tillicum Road
ALBERTA
Calgary
Cineplex Odeon Crowfoot Crossing Cinemas, 91 Crowfoot Terrace NW
Scotiabank Theatre Chinook, 6455 Macleod Trail SW
Edmonton
Cineplex Odeon South Edmonton Cinemas, 1525-99th Street NW
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton, 8882-170 Street
MANITOBA
Winnipeg
SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas, 817 St. James Street
SASKATCHEWAN
Moose Jaw
Galaxy Cinemas Moose Jaw, 1235 Main Street N
Regina
Galaxy Cinemas Regina, 420 McCarthy Boulevard N
Saskatoon
Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon, 347 2nd Avenue
ONTARIO
Barrie
Galaxy Cinemas Barrie, 72 Commerce Park Drive
Brantford
Galaxy Cinemas Brantford, 300 King George Road
Burlington
SilverCity Burlington Cinemas, 1250 Brant Street
Cambridge
Galaxy Cinemas Cambridge, 355 Hespeler Road
Guelph
Galaxy Cinemas Guelph, 485 Woodlawn Road W
Hamilton
SilverCity Hamilton Mountain Cinemas, 795 Paramount Drive
Kingston
Cineplex Odeon Gardiners Road Cinemas, 626 Gardiners Road
London
SilverCity London Cinemas, 1680 Richmond Street
Mississauga
SilverCity Mississauga Cinemas, 3055 Vega Boulevard
Newmarket
SilverCity Newmarket Cinemas and XSCAPE Entertainment Centre, 18151 Yonge Street
Niagara Falls
Cineplex Odeon Niagara Square Cinemas, 7555 Montrose Road
Oshawa
Cineplex Odeon Oshawa Cinemas, 1351 Grandview Street N
Ottawa
Coliseum Ottawa Cinemas, 3090 Carling Avenue
SilverCity Gloucester Cinemas, 2385 City Park Drive
Owen Sound
Galaxy Cinemas Owen Sound, 1020 10th Street
Peterborough
Galaxy Cinemas Peterborough, 320 Water Street
Richmond Hill
SilverCity Richmond Hill Cinemas, 8725 Yonge Street
Sault Ste. Marie
Galaxy Cinemas Sault Ste. Marie, 293 Bay Street
Sudbury
SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas, 355 Barrydowne Road
Thunder Bay
SilverCity Thunder Bay Cinemas, 850 North May Street
Toronto
Cineplex Odeon Queensway Cinemas, 1025 The Queensway
Coliseum Scarborough Cinemas, 300 Borough Drive
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, 259 Richmond Street W
SilverCity Fairview Mall Cinemas, 1800 Sheppard Avenue E
Waterloo
Galaxy Cinemas Waterloo, 550 King Street N
Windsor
Cineplex Odeon Devonshire Mall Cinemas, 3100 Howard Avenue
QUEBEC
Kirkland
Coliseum Kirkland Cinemas, 3200 rue Jean Yves
Montreal
Cineplex Odeon Cavendish Mall Cinemas, 5800 boul. Cavendish
Scotiabank Theatre Montreal, 977 rue Ste-Catherine O
Ste.Foy
Cineplex Odeon Ste. Foy Cinemas, 1200 boul. Duplessis
PRESS SCREENINGS
TORONTO (Tues, June 21 & Wed, June 29, 10am, Cineplex Odeon Varsity and VIP Cinemas)
VANCOUVER (Wed, June 15, 10:30am, Vancity Theatre)
CALGARY (Tues, June 28, 10am, Scotiabank Theatre Chinook)
EDMONTON (Tues, June 28, 10am, Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton)
WPG (Wed, June 29, 10am, SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas)
Running time: 89 minutes
Download hi-res images, press notes, view the trailer
Official Film site: www.conanobriencantstop.com
About Cineplex Entertainment
Cineplex Inc. ("Cineplex") is the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 129 theatres with 1,343 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the exclusive provider of UltraAVX™ and the largest exhibitor of digital, 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players, Colossus, Coliseum, SilverCity, Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. Cineplex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "CGX". For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.
About Front Row Centre Events (FRC)
Brought to you by Cineplex Entertainment, Front Row Centre Events bring world class entertainment to your local Cineplex Entertainment theatre and other participating locations! Presented in high-definition with digital surround sound, guests can experience the best in original one-night only and series-based programming. With the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series, Broadway productions, live broadcasts direct from the stage of London’s National Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet performances, classic films, concerts, live sporting events and documentaries, Front Row Centre Events put you in the centre of the action on the big screen!
- 30 -
Media Contact: Virginia Kelly, V Kelly & Assoc
416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
Kyle Moffatt, Director, Communications, Cineplex Entertainment
416-323-6728, kyle.moffatt@cineplex.com
COSMONAUT Opens THE ROYAL on March 18th
24/02/11 15:53 Filed in: Cosmonaut
NOW IT'S 1963, AND 15 YEAR-OLD LUCIANA IS ON HER OWN SORT OF SPACE RACE.
As capitalist America and communist Russia compete for ideological pre-eminence through conquest of the heavens, Luciana grows up an Italian female communist, struggling to affirm her identity amidst a bourgeois family, chauvinism, and... oh god.... teenage lust.
The Soviet Union's technological victory with Sputnik 1 launched an incredible propaganda victory, whereupon the Italian daily L'Unita ran the headline "Socialist technology defies the force of gravity".
Director Susanna Nicciarelli creates an ironic short circuit by juxtaposing this public phenomenon on the amplified, convoluted teenage experience.
Comedic, but with grounding drama, Nicchiarelli calls it "the story of an adolescence set against the backdrop of a cultural war between two alternative societies, made up of myths that have disappeared today."
THE ROYAL - Showtimes
Friday March 18 @ 7:00 PM
Friday March 18 @ 9:00 PM
Saturday March 19 @ 4:30 PM
Saturday March 19 @ 7:00 PM
Saturday March 19 @9:00 PM
Sunday March 20 @ 3:30 PM
Sunday March 20 @9:15 PM
Wednesday March 23@ 7:00 PM
Thursday March 24 @ 7:00 PM
I WISH I KNEW - Press Release (Toronto)
09/11/10 11:47 Filed in: I Wish I Knew
A film by Jia Zhang-Ke
Opens in Toronto on Thursday, November 11, 2010 at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Critically acclaimed Chinese director Jia Zhang-Ke (24 City, Still Life, The World) turns to the history and people of Shanghai in his newest film I Wish I Knew, a poetic tribute to Shanghai that looks back at the city’s many pasts with both wistful nostalgia and tragic clarity.
Shanghai, a fast-changing metropolis, a port city where people come and go. Shanghai has hosted all kinds of people – revolutionaries, capitalists, politicians, soldiers, artists, and gangsters. Shanghai has also hosted revolutions, assassinations, love stories. After the Chinese Communists' victory in 1949, thousands of Shanghaiers left for Hong Kong and Taiwan. To leave meant being separated from home for thirty years; to stay meant suffering through the Cultural Revolution and China's other political disasters.
Like his last film, 2008's 24 City, Jia Zhang-Ke’s I Wish I Knew (Hai Shang Chuan Qi), which screened at 2010 Cannes in Un Certain Regard, and TIFF 2010, is a documentary/fiction hybrid about modern-day China. Where 24 City took a personal focus on the citizens of a Chinese town affected by the construction of a high-rise condominium, I Wish I Knew takes a broader view, examining the history of Shanghai as viewed from the present. Eighteen people from Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong recall their lives in Shanghai. Their personal experiences, like eighteen chapters of a novel, tell stories of Shanghai lives from the 1930s to 2010.
Jia Zhang-Ke said “I came to Shanghai with my movie camera and traced the footsteps of Shanghaiers who left this city for Taiwan and Hong Kong. Shanghai is closely tied to the lives of almost every important historic figure in the modern history of China. And events of national significance in the life of the city also destined Shanghaiers for lives of painful, life-long separation. When I sat face-to-face with characters in my film, and listened to them talk every so calmly about the hair raising events in their pasts, I suddenly realized what it was that I captured with my camera: a dream of freedom twinkling in their eyes. This moved me to tears”
Running time: 119 minutes
To download images, press notes and to a trailer http://www.filmswelike.com/films/iwish/
Media Contact: V Kelly & Associates, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca
Opens in Toronto on Thursday, November 11, 2010 at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Shanghai, a fast-changing metropolis, a port city where people come and go. Shanghai has hosted all kinds of people – revolutionaries, capitalists, politicians, soldiers, artists, and gangsters. Shanghai has also hosted revolutions, assassinations, love stories. After the Chinese Communists' victory in 1949, thousands of Shanghaiers left for Hong Kong and Taiwan. To leave meant being separated from home for thirty years; to stay meant suffering through the Cultural Revolution and China's other political disasters.
Like his last film, 2008's 24 City, Jia Zhang-Ke’s I Wish I Knew (Hai Shang Chuan Qi), which screened at 2010 Cannes in Un Certain Regard, and TIFF 2010, is a documentary/fiction hybrid about modern-day China. Where 24 City took a personal focus on the citizens of a Chinese town affected by the construction of a high-rise condominium, I Wish I Knew takes a broader view, examining the history of Shanghai as viewed from the present. Eighteen people from Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong recall their lives in Shanghai. Their personal experiences, like eighteen chapters of a novel, tell stories of Shanghai lives from the 1930s to 2010.
Jia Zhang-Ke said “I came to Shanghai with my movie camera and traced the footsteps of Shanghaiers who left this city for Taiwan and Hong Kong. Shanghai is closely tied to the lives of almost every important historic figure in the modern history of China. And events of national significance in the life of the city also destined Shanghaiers for lives of painful, life-long separation. When I sat face-to-face with characters in my film, and listened to them talk every so calmly about the hair raising events in their pasts, I suddenly realized what it was that I captured with my camera: a dream of freedom twinkling in their eyes. This moved me to tears”
Running time: 119 minutes
To download images, press notes and to a trailer http://www.filmswelike.com/films/iwish/
Media Contact: V Kelly & Associates, 416-466-9799, info@vkpr.ca