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IFC FILMS PICKS UP GIA COPPOLA’S ‘MAINSTREAM’ STARRING ACADEMY AWARD® NOMINEE ANDREW GARFIELD AND MAYA HAWKE

 IFC Films announced today that they are acquiring North American rights to Gia Coppola’s sophomore feature MAINSTREAM, starring Academy Award® nominee and Tony Award® winner Andrew Garfield (HACKSAW RIDGE, UNDER THE SILVER LAKE), Maya Hawke (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, STRANGER THINGS), Nat Wolff (PALO ALTO, FAULT IN OUR STARS), Johnny Knoxville (JACKASS, BAD GRANDPA), Jason Schwartzman (RUSHMORE, DARJEELING LIMITED, and Alexa Demie (EUPHORIA, WAVES).  The film was co-written by Coppola and Tom Stuart and marks Coppola’s follow-up to her breakout feature PALO ALTO (2013). MAINSTREAM is produced by Fred Berger of Automatik, Lauren Bratman, Gia Coppola of American Zoetrope, Andrew Garfield, Jack Heller and Scott Veltri of Assemble Media, Siena Oberman of Artemis, Francisco Rebelo De Andrade, Enrico Saravia, Alan Terpins of Tugawood, and Zac Weinstein of Dynasty.  The film had its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival 2020 and was also selected for the Telluride Film Festival 202

DONNA Official Trailer & Poster

  DONNA; Stronger Than Pretty is a romantic tragedy, an unlove story, that spans three decades in the life of a gentle young woman, Donna, as she tries to live up to the traditions and expectations of her Italian roots and of the “American Dream”. That dream becomes a living nightmare and nearly breaks her until she finds the silent force of her inner voice and breaks free from a husband who refuses to be responsible to her, himself, their family, or even his own dreams.

BAD ATTITUDE: The Art of Spain Rodriguez Trailer

 Moving, thought-provoking, both personal and political, Bad Attitude: The Art of Spain Rodriguez explores the controversial art and life of the legendary underground cartoonist through the lens of his wife, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Susan Stern. From the propaganda comics of WWII, to the underground comics breakthrough in 1960s New York and San Francisco, to the graphic novels of today, Bad Attitude is an enthralling history of comics and a rousing call to art and activism. Featuring a roster of friends and family, Bad Attitude dives deep into Spain’s life with insight from comics luminaries R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Trina Robbins, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, and Ed Piskor, and features animation by Spain’s daughter, the New York-based artist, Nora Rodriguez.

Indie Spirit Nom & Obama top pick: BACURAU Available on Home Video

A few years from now... Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian sertão, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be 94. Days later, its inhabitants (among them Sônia Braga) notice that their village has literally vanished from online maps and a UFO-shaped drone is seen flying overhead. There are forces that want to expel them from their homes, and soon, in a genre-bending twist, a band of armed mercenaries led by Udo Kier arrive in town picking off the inhabitants one by one. A fierce confrontation takes place when the townspeople turn the tables on the villainous outsiders, banding together by any means necessary to protect and maintain their remote community. The mercenaries just may have met their match in the fed-up, resourceful denizens of little Bacurau.

THE COURIER starring Benedict Cumberbatch Official Trailer

 Directed by Dominic Cooke Written by Tom O'Connor Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley THE COURIER is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne  (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. At the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.

BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR - Premieres Everywhere You Rent Movies Feb 12

  Take a trip and break out of your shell with Barb and Star.  From the gals who brought you Bridesmaids (co-stars and co-writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo) comes BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR. Lifelong friends Barb and Star embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they decide to leave their small Midwestern town for the first time…ever. Romance, friendship and a villain’s evil plot…Hold onto your culottes, BARB & STAR debuts in your home on February 12th!

Jason Richard Miller on BLOODHOUND, SEQUENCE BREAK, HATCHET, and FROZEN

  Today I'm joined by Jason Richard Miller to discuss his latest film BLOODHOUND. Private investigator Abel Walker (Ackerman) along with his cameraman, Jim (Foy), are on the hunt for a missing woman. As they unravel the mystery of her disappearance, they become caught in a sick and violent game that will end in murder. To hear our conversation, press play on the embedded player below. Towards the end of the episode, Jason mentions his short film PROBED that I have enclosed below  PROBED from Jason Miller on Vimeo .

Trailer for SUPERNOVA Starring Colin Firth & Stanley Tucci

Sam (Academy Award winner Colin Firth) and Tusker (Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci), partners of twenty years, are traveling across England in their old camper van visiting friends, family and places from their past. Following a life-changing diagnosis, their time together has become more important than ever until secret plans test their love like never before.

Steve Oritt, Jim Geiger, and Greg Vernovage on ACCIDENTAL CLIMBER

Accidental Climber tells the story of Jim Geiger, a retired forest-worker, and amateur mountaineer from Sacramento, CA who at 68 years old, attempts to become the oldest American and first great grandfather to summit Mt. Everest. The film follows Jim as he embarks on a journey to transform from a weekend hiker to attempting one of the most extreme and physically demanding feats known to man. Driven by a desire to prove that age is just a number, Jim pushes his body to the limits, in a record-breaking quest to summit the world's tallest mountain. What ensued, however, was the worst disaster in mountaineering history, leaving sixteen climbers dead in a tragic avalanche and forever changing Jim's life. Accidental Climber is currently available on Amazon Prime. To hear my conversation with Steve Oritt (director), Jim Geiger (subject), and Greg Vernovage (expedition leader) press play on the embedded player below  

DIRTY GOD Review

  Directed by: Sacha Polak Starring: Vicky Knight Sometimes when I'm presented with the synopsis for a film I can't help but pull for it. An idea that, on its surface, so deeply resonates with me I want to immediately champion it. When I read the description of Sacha Polak's DIRTY GOD I knew I'd be completely on board as long as it wasn't an unmitigated cluster fuck.  To fully explain, I'll give you a brief description of the film and explain why this story offered the potential for such a personal connection. The film is about a young mother trying to find her way after being the victim of an acid attack by her ex-boyfriend. Polak cast a first-time actress who was in a house fire as a child that left her with scars on about 30% of her body.  That should be enough for anyone to want this film to succeed. Acting is a vulnerable business that's accompanied by cruel and often thoughtless criticism. On the personal side, I spent close to 8 weeks in a Phoenix bur