Chris Knipp
10-15-2014, 09:37 AM
A PUBLICITY RELEASE from the Mill Valley Film Festival, in its 37th year, shows some interesting new titles that were not part of the just-ended 52nd NYFF we covered on Filmleaf.
This is an edited version of the press release.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (October 14, 2014) - Presented annually by the California Film Institute (CFI) the 37th Mill Valley Film Festival came to a close Sunday night with a special screening of Wild, Jean-Marc Valleé’s adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Dern was also on hand for a Special Tribute: her MVFF Award for lifetime achievements was presented to her by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, Dern cited MVFF as being the first festival she ever attended, with Smooth Talk (1985). After 11 days filled with screenings of Oscar Contenders, World Premieres and Special Guests, the festival saw attendance soar to 61,000, the highest total in the festivals history.
After a successful start with Co-Opening Night Films The Homesman and Men, Women & Children with actress Hilary Swank and director Jason Reitman & actress Kaitlyn Dever representing their respective films, audiences enjoyed Spotlight presentations of Low Down with actress Elle Fanning in attendance and The Theory of Everything with actor Eddie Redmayne in attendance. Both Fanning and Redmayne received MVFF Awards for their career-defining performances. [There was a screening of Chuck Workman's] latest documentary Magician, a chronicle of the life and career of Orson Welles. In other big nights at the festival, director Mike Binder was in attendance for the Centerpiece presentation of his latest film Black and White, Director Wayne Wang was in attendance with subject Cecilia Chiang for a special screening of Soul of a Banquet and Billie Joe Armstrong and Leighton Meester were on hand with Writer/Director Frank Whaley for a special screening if his new film Like Sunday, Like Rain.
The festival was also pleased to showcase 10 of the films vying for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at this years Academy Awards. They include; Australia’s entry Charlie’s Country; Belgium’s entry Two Days, One Night; Canada’s entry Mommy; Croatia’s entry Cowboys; Germany’s entry Beloved Sisters; Israeli’s entry Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem; the Mauritania entry Timbuktu; Spain’s entry Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed; Sweden’s entry Force Majeure; and Taiwan’s entry Ice Poison.
Additional highlights and “Only-in-Mill-Valley” moments include:
At the MVFF’s special focus on films from Spain and Latin America, supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Spanish actress Natalia de Molina (Living is Easy With Eyes) charmed audiences so much that she got four proposals of marriage. The strong Spanish and Latino showings included guests Rodrigo Sorogoyen, presenting Stockholm, and Jorge Pérez Solano, with Perpetual Sadness (La Tirisia).
There was a World Premiere screening of Suzanne LaFetra and David Collier’s F-R-E-E. [doc about a dance program about at-risk teenagers in Oakland].
When lead actor Ahmed Ibrahim (aka Pino) was refused a US visa to attend the screening of Timbuktu - a film about the militant Islamic rebel insurgency in Mali - Senator Barbara Boxer, a long-time supporter of MVFF, stepped up: his visa was fast-tracked and he was taken off the 'restricted' list. An added screening late in the Festival, thanks to distributor Cohen Media, meant that musician-turned-actor Ibrahim was able to attend—and begin trying to get an American talent agent.
Meanwhile, Boxer’s daughter Nicole Boxer had her own ovations for her screenings of the documentary, How I Got Over, about a DC theatre program for homeless women.
Actress Kristin Davis was in attendance for the World Premiere of Gardeners of Eden, a look at the travesty of elephant poaching, which she executive produced. Following the screening an audience member was so inspired they pledged $10,000 to the foundation in Kenya working with the elephant rescue.
The Festival was delighted to welcome Metallica, locals and longtime friends of the festival, as Artists in Residence. Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo each selected a film to host at the festival. Kirk Hammett, a noted horror movie aficionado thrilled MVFF audience members with his selection, the unadulterated, schlock-filled, Z-movie euphoria, late-night screening of the 1971 favorite Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Prior to the screening Kirk was on hand to sign autographs and talk about his love for horror movies.James Hetfield brought a classic to the MVFF audience with his selection of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. Director Damien Chazelle and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich engaged the audience in a lively Q&A following MVFF’s sold out Whiplash screening. Metallica bassist turned producer Robert Trujillo presented a sneak peek at Jaco, which brings the story of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius to the big screen. A standing room only musical celebration followed the film, which featured a line-up with performances by the likes of MAERIC with Mary Pastorius, David Pastorius & Eric Young; Kirk Hammett & Robert Trujillo of Metallica and Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Rodrigo y Gabriela, who had been seen on screen in For Those About To Rock—The Story of Rodrigo y Gabriela the previous night.
Actors Wes Bentley and Jason Isaacs were on hand with director Saar Klein for the screenings of their film After The Fall.
Spiritual advisor and Eastern philosopher Ram Dass joined festival audiences via Skype to speak following a screening of Gay Dillingham’s Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary.
Gail and Diva Zappa, wife and daughter, respectively, of the late Frank Zappa, represented the family, along with friend, Massimo Bassoli, at Summer ’82: When Zappa Came to Sicily.
Beloved local bail bondsman and artist Jerry Ross Barrish was present for the World Premiere of William Farley’s Plastic Man: The Artful Life Of Jerry Ross Barrish, a documentary about his life as a bail bondsman, filmmaker and artist.
Former KQED Forum host Dave Iverson presented the World Premiere of his film Capturing Grace, a look at the Mark Morris Dance Group and their work with people living [with] Parkinson’s disease.
Along with Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman, subject Dr. Grace Dammann was on hand for the World Premiere of States of Grace, a look at Grace’s journey following a near-fatal collision on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The complete information and recaps from the festival are available at www.MVFF.com.
This is an edited version of the press release.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (October 14, 2014) - Presented annually by the California Film Institute (CFI) the 37th Mill Valley Film Festival came to a close Sunday night with a special screening of Wild, Jean-Marc Valleé’s adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir starring Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. Dern was also on hand for a Special Tribute: her MVFF Award for lifetime achievements was presented to her by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, Dern cited MVFF as being the first festival she ever attended, with Smooth Talk (1985). After 11 days filled with screenings of Oscar Contenders, World Premieres and Special Guests, the festival saw attendance soar to 61,000, the highest total in the festivals history.
After a successful start with Co-Opening Night Films The Homesman and Men, Women & Children with actress Hilary Swank and director Jason Reitman & actress Kaitlyn Dever representing their respective films, audiences enjoyed Spotlight presentations of Low Down with actress Elle Fanning in attendance and The Theory of Everything with actor Eddie Redmayne in attendance. Both Fanning and Redmayne received MVFF Awards for their career-defining performances. [There was a screening of Chuck Workman's] latest documentary Magician, a chronicle of the life and career of Orson Welles. In other big nights at the festival, director Mike Binder was in attendance for the Centerpiece presentation of his latest film Black and White, Director Wayne Wang was in attendance with subject Cecilia Chiang for a special screening of Soul of a Banquet and Billie Joe Armstrong and Leighton Meester were on hand with Writer/Director Frank Whaley for a special screening if his new film Like Sunday, Like Rain.
The festival was also pleased to showcase 10 of the films vying for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at this years Academy Awards. They include; Australia’s entry Charlie’s Country; Belgium’s entry Two Days, One Night; Canada’s entry Mommy; Croatia’s entry Cowboys; Germany’s entry Beloved Sisters; Israeli’s entry Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem; the Mauritania entry Timbuktu; Spain’s entry Living Is Easy With Eyes Closed; Sweden’s entry Force Majeure; and Taiwan’s entry Ice Poison.
Additional highlights and “Only-in-Mill-Valley” moments include:
At the MVFF’s special focus on films from Spain and Latin America, supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Spanish actress Natalia de Molina (Living is Easy With Eyes) charmed audiences so much that she got four proposals of marriage. The strong Spanish and Latino showings included guests Rodrigo Sorogoyen, presenting Stockholm, and Jorge Pérez Solano, with Perpetual Sadness (La Tirisia).
There was a World Premiere screening of Suzanne LaFetra and David Collier’s F-R-E-E. [doc about a dance program about at-risk teenagers in Oakland].
When lead actor Ahmed Ibrahim (aka Pino) was refused a US visa to attend the screening of Timbuktu - a film about the militant Islamic rebel insurgency in Mali - Senator Barbara Boxer, a long-time supporter of MVFF, stepped up: his visa was fast-tracked and he was taken off the 'restricted' list. An added screening late in the Festival, thanks to distributor Cohen Media, meant that musician-turned-actor Ibrahim was able to attend—and begin trying to get an American talent agent.
Meanwhile, Boxer’s daughter Nicole Boxer had her own ovations for her screenings of the documentary, How I Got Over, about a DC theatre program for homeless women.
Actress Kristin Davis was in attendance for the World Premiere of Gardeners of Eden, a look at the travesty of elephant poaching, which she executive produced. Following the screening an audience member was so inspired they pledged $10,000 to the foundation in Kenya working with the elephant rescue.
The Festival was delighted to welcome Metallica, locals and longtime friends of the festival, as Artists in Residence. Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Robert Trujillo each selected a film to host at the festival. Kirk Hammett, a noted horror movie aficionado thrilled MVFF audience members with his selection, the unadulterated, schlock-filled, Z-movie euphoria, late-night screening of the 1971 favorite Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Prior to the screening Kirk was on hand to sign autographs and talk about his love for horror movies.James Hetfield brought a classic to the MVFF audience with his selection of The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. Director Damien Chazelle and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich engaged the audience in a lively Q&A following MVFF’s sold out Whiplash screening. Metallica bassist turned producer Robert Trujillo presented a sneak peek at Jaco, which brings the story of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius to the big screen. A standing room only musical celebration followed the film, which featured a line-up with performances by the likes of MAERIC with Mary Pastorius, David Pastorius & Eric Young; Kirk Hammett & Robert Trujillo of Metallica and Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Rodrigo y Gabriela, who had been seen on screen in For Those About To Rock—The Story of Rodrigo y Gabriela the previous night.
Actors Wes Bentley and Jason Isaacs were on hand with director Saar Klein for the screenings of their film After The Fall.
Spiritual advisor and Eastern philosopher Ram Dass joined festival audiences via Skype to speak following a screening of Gay Dillingham’s Dying to Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary.
Gail and Diva Zappa, wife and daughter, respectively, of the late Frank Zappa, represented the family, along with friend, Massimo Bassoli, at Summer ’82: When Zappa Came to Sicily.
Beloved local bail bondsman and artist Jerry Ross Barrish was present for the World Premiere of William Farley’s Plastic Man: The Artful Life Of Jerry Ross Barrish, a documentary about his life as a bail bondsman, filmmaker and artist.
Former KQED Forum host Dave Iverson presented the World Premiere of his film Capturing Grace, a look at the Mark Morris Dance Group and their work with people living [with] Parkinson’s disease.
Along with Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman, subject Dr. Grace Dammann was on hand for the World Premiere of States of Grace, a look at Grace’s journey following a near-fatal collision on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The complete information and recaps from the festival are available at www.MVFF.com.