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Sundance-and-Emmy-Award-winning filmmaker Judy Irving (with her first film since the widely acclaimed and loved “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill”) follows a wayward California brown pelican from her “arrest” on the Golden Gate Bridge into care at a wildlife rehabilitation facility, and from there explores pelicans’ nesting grounds, Pacific coast migration, and survival challenges of these ancient birds, sometimes referred to as the flying dinosaurs. The film is about wildness, and asks the following questions: how close can we get to a wild animal without taming or harming it? Why do we need wildness in our lives, and how can we protect it? PELICAN DREAMS, stars “Gigi” (for Golden Gate) and Morro (a backyard pelican with an injured wing).
Al Capone – The quintessential self-made American man, ruthless killer, or both? To this day we are fascinated with this celebrity gangster. Americans love a bad boy; a tragic anti-hero. Al Capone is one of the originals, one of the most notorious bootleggers and gangsters of the twentieth century, believed to have personally murdered dozens of people and ordered the killing of hundreds of others. But that’s only one side of this complicated man. He was also a hugely popular public figure, dynamic and charismatic; he opened one of the nation’s first soup kitchens, and was a devoted patron and guardian of jazz, giving African American musicians opportunities that they would otherwise never have had. So what made him a crime boss instead of a powerful politician?
Bye Bye Blondie tells the tale of Gloria and Frances, who first met when they were both patients in the same psychiatric hospital back in the 1980s, and decided to run away together. At the time their love affair was defined by youthful intensity. Later, when Francis disappeared without a trace, Gloria mourned the loss with a heavy heart. Over 20 years later, Francis (Emmanuelle Béart) and Gloria (Béatrice Dalle) have both turned 40. They’ve taken very different paths in life, with nomadic Gloria spending most of her time in a dive bar, and Frances enjoying success as a popular Parisian TV personality. The wife of a closeted and successful novelist, Francis is locked in a mutually-beneficial marriage of convenience when she once again crosses paths with Gloria, and finds her comfortable world turned upside down.
Làn fhìrinn na sgeòil. The truth is in the story. When a young man, Angus, visits his dying Grandfather in hospital he cannot hold back his boyhood quest for the truth – the truth behind the death of his parents and the truth behind his Grandfather’s ancient, incredible, fearful stories. Stories from the whole swathe of Gaelic history of poisoned lovers, bloody revenge, water-horses and Spanish gold. His Grandfather hijacks Angus’ life for one last time leading him to one of Scotland’s most treacherous mountains, The Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Isle of Skye, and an ancient truth he never expected to find. Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle is the first Scottish Gaelic feature film.
When a terminally-ill art historian meets an engineer, it is love and lust at first sight. But their love is threatened by her looming illness. With her remaining days on earth numbered, she chooses to fan the flames of her obsession by taking her lover on a trip to Venice, where the artist’s work becomes the background for their physical passion and emotional discovery.
Romances end in blood and the frail hopes of individuals are torn apart in a vile karmic continuity of colonialism, civil war and occupation. After surviving Japanese colonization, Korea became the first war zone of the Cold War. The legacy of war remains today in this divided country. Three forlorn teenagers, Chank-guk, Jihum and Eunok are figures in the landscape of this story, which highlights the global implications of a very Korean reality. None of them is able to escape the withering pull of tragedy. All desperate pleas for love and redemption are returned stamped in red with “Address Unknown”.
Determined to restore her dying father’s reputation, Ana travels to the remote town of Rosales. Decades ago, he settled there and opened his first free clinic for cancer research. He launched an illustrious medical career – and fell in love. Ana plans to celebrate her father’s scientific and humanitarian achievements by transforming the old family mansion into a world-class museum. She will preserve his legacy, and also breathe new life into the forgotten Rosales. But the townspeople-now destitute and helpless-do not greet her warmly. Neither does the house.
Three young women gathered in a coffee bar in Bangkok tell and discuss three original ghost stories with each other. The first tale: In Bangkok, the young Jieb receives an ancient drum not listed in the order from the truck of Transportation Company owned by Mr. Anake. She calls her former Professor Arkom, who identifies the markings for good luck that she describes and tells the story of the orphan Paga. In 1917, the renowned music teacher Jangwah-Chuem and his wife Peng raise the beautiful Paga with their deformed son Gnod. Paga is a good and loving sister and daughter and becomes a great beautiful dancer. When Paga falls in love for the handsome Fond, the jealous Gnod and she vanish from their village. Jieb investigates the mystery of their disappearance and discloses the eerie truth with tragic consequences. The second tale: The gorgeous Pam receives a sample from her next-door neighbor of a love potion that makes the user irresistible to men…
After country music starlet Tess Stapleton’s album sales keep dropping, her label forces her to record a Christmas album with ex-teen heartthrob and pop-star, Derek Copeland, in an attempt to resurrect each’s career. Reluctantly, Tess agrees. At first, they appear to be polar opposites; clashing over song styles and irritated that they were forced together. However, to their combined surprise, as the album shapes up, they find themselves growing closer over their shared love of music. As they finish the album sparks begin to fly and love blooms just in time for Christmas.
In 1983, Oliver Nicholas, at thirteen, is well-poised to enter the precocious teenage world of first-sex, vodka and possible-love in New York City when he is traumatized by the stroke of his housekeeper (and only true maternal figure), a sixty-five-year-old Chilean woman named Aida. What was supposed to be an exhilarating and somewhat fearful rite of passage – diving into the exciting, fast-paced world of first experiences – quickly becomes skewed by an incomprehensible depression, and a house of interior horrors. Surrounded by women – his untraditional, Spanish, photographer mother (more interested in the role of confidante than mother) his sister, a comedic, door-slamming tormentor, marked by her parent’s divorce; and Aida, his silver-haired emotional focal point on the verge of death in Lenox Hill Hospital – Oliver struggles to maintain his role as “man of the house” and his sanity.
Michael Raynar is in love with his young wife and expecting his first child. His story should end with “happily ever after” but it doesn’t. Instead he runs into Kimmy Sardell. Despite his better judgment, they have a one-night stand that places him on a path of devastating consequences. When Michael’s pregnant wife disappears, the police put him through hell. Two years later he is still grieving his loss when he runs again into Kimmy. Since that night spent together, he lost a wife and child and Kimmy has a beautiful playful daughter, Eden. When Michael begins to notice things about Eden that remind him of his wife, he doesn’t have to dig deep to discover a deranged side of the woman he now loves. Eden’s life hangs by a thread, a thread Kimmy is ready and willing to cut.
Lana (17) is a girl from an average Zagreb family. She‘s getting ready to spend the night with her boyfriend Igor (25). On their way to the concert they decide to make love in a taxi owned by Igor‘s friend. This should‘ve been Lana‘s first time. Things went wrong when their intimate encounter got interrupted by the noises from another taxi. There was a robbery and attempted murder going on. Lana wanted to stop their love game, but Igor has forced her to continue. Lana ran away from him and met Irena (17) in a nightclub, a troubled girl who‘s been spending the night in search for drugs. A series of circumstances join Lana and Irena together while they wander the city.
Kent is ready to put his playboy past behind him and marry the girl he loves- but first, he has to prove he’s changed his ways for good.
Roméo and Juliette are two young actors. They fall in love at first sight, move in together and make a baby. A love story and the founding of a home like millions of others. Except that their little boy, Adam, behaves abnormally. The young parents try hard to persuade themselves that everything is okay but, with the passing of time, they cannot delude themselves anymore : their son has a problem. Their fears are unfortunately confirmed : Adam suffers from a malignant brain tumor. From now on, war is declared. A war against illness. A war against Death. A war against despair.
Three young people arrive from different parts of the country to go to college in Sao Paulo. On their first day there, a strange and intense attraction unites them. Together, they rent an apartment and begin living together, in close quarters. Sharing kisses and fond embraces. They exchange words of endearment with the naturalness of ordering a sandwich at a diner. They threaten to break up and the next moment they are all laughing together again. College days however soon come to an end and, with each having different paths to trail, separation is imminent. And consequently, their gestures, words and attitudes take on a new weight. Touching each other now takes on a new significance. Words of love are weighed down by consequences.
Isabelle, HR of a large cruise company, made the mistake of choosing her boss as a lover. Before embarking on the maiden voyage of the new flagship of the fleet, though, he decided to disembark from their relationship! Some women take their revenge by poison, firearm, or slander. Isabelle chooses Remy a flamboyant, unemployed ne’er-do-well who flunked out in life on land, but after all is said and done, might have better luck at sea… She recruits him as leader of her plot and on this Palace of the Seas, Remy will first prove to be the worst nightmare of the CEO and Richard, the Cruise Director…then, little by little, he will change his life and that of all those who cross his path…
Family film based on the much loved picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. ZOG is the story of a keen young dragon who wants to learn how to fly, roar, and breathe fire in his first years at Dragon School. He is desperate to impress his teacher and win a golden star, but he’s accident prone and each year he has to be helped by a kind young girl who patches up his bumps and bruises. Then in Year Four, he has to capture a princess – can the young girl help him with his trickiest challenge yet? A Christmas viewing treat for all the family from four-time Oscar-nominated producers Magic Light Pictures.
Paris, after the end of the Second World War: GI Jerry Mulligan stays in the City of Lights after falling in love with a mademoiselle at first sight. Being a stranger, Jerry gets to know pianist Adam Hochberg, who – unbeknown to Jerry – adores the same woman. The two of them have to work together for a ballett with said woman, who is promised to Henri Baurel. Henri also gets acquainted with Jerry and Adam.
Jacek loves heavy metal and his dog. He converts the country lanes outside his door into a racing track and bombs down them in his little car. When he and his girlfriend Dagmara take to the dancefloor, everyone runs for cover. He enjoys his existance as a cool misfit in an otherwise stuffy environment, and keeps his muscles toned working on a building site close to the Polish-German border where the world’s largest statue of Jesus is being constructed. But then his life is thrown badly off course by a terrible accident at work that completely disfigures him. Eagerly followed by the Polish media, Jacek becomes the first person in the country to receive a face transplant. He may be celebrated as a national hero and martyr, but he no longer recognises himself in the mirror. Meanwhile, the statue of Jesus grows taller and taller. Whilst events around Jacek come thick and fast, the film never loses sight of the bigger picture and instead brings things even more into focus.
A 7 year love story between Ryota Hayama and Koharu Uemura from their first date to eventual marriage. Ryota and Koharu are high school students. Ryota is indifferent to people and says very little. Koharu is not afraid of to speak her mind and she has a bright personality. Since a game of rice bag jump, they begin to date. They date at a fast-food restaurant, realize they love each other at a family restaurant and finally swear their love on a dining table with white rice.
Don’t Go in the Woods is sound advice, especially when there’s a killer on the loose. First-time director Vincent D’Onofrio (Full Metal Jacket, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”) explores love, greed and ruthlessness in this twisted musical/horror hybrid, telling the story of a young band who heads to the woods to get away from their everyday lives in order to focus on writing new songs. Hoping to walk away from the trip with new tunes that will score them their big break, they instead find themselves in the middle of a nightmare beyond comprehension.
This hateful world only allows handsome guys to date! ‘Below average guy’ and Chinese restaurant delivery guy Kang Dae-oh was born single and solo until now. He has a crush on college girl Ye-rin whom he fell in love with at first sight but is blocked by her spec and hasn’t been able to tell her his feelings yet.
Danny Foster doesn’t have much: an apartment as small as his paychecks, no family, and a struggling music career. Yet for him, “every day is a great day to be alive,” an attitude he gained from his mother’s unwavering optimism during her losing battle with cancer. It’s love at first sight when Danny meets Ariana, a wealthy girl from Greenwich, CT who tragically cannot hear the music she inspires him to write. Ariana, hearing impaired since childhood, is torn between hanging onto the shelter her controlling mother provides and fighting for a love that, if given the chance, might just change her life
Fourteen years after the events of the first film, a series of encounters between people in Britain reminds us that in these different times Love, actually exists.
The Bad Boy Squad, a variety of private detective agency, is composed of King (Ekin Cheng Yi-kin), Queen (Kristy Yeung), and Jack (Louis Koo Tin-lok), whose primary source of business is the reuniting of clientèle with their first flames, and when the trio of young operatives returns to Hong Kong from an assignment in Thailand and the Squad’s next three customers supply photographs of lost loves, the women in the pictures appear to be the same individual.
Tetsumu, an introverted youth, realizes he has a natural ability of communicating with elephants. This prompts him to leave for Chiang Mai in Thailand to become Japan’s first elephant trainer. Having found his place in the world, Tetsumu develops into a strong, confident young man. He returns to Japan with the dream of building a green “paradise” for his ivory-tusked friends. Meanwhile, he starts a career as an elephant trainer for touring shows. He meets Emi, a woman seven years his senior and falls in love.
In an ethereal, high-ceilinged room, women stand, waiting. Perhaps it’s Purgatory and they’re dead. In the room, two young women, one an actress and the other a psychologist, watch the last few days of their lives on a TV screen. Both are having affairs with married men, each has a long encounter with her lover’s wife, and both these scenes take place in a ladies’ room, one backstage at a play that’s about to preview, the other at an opera house during the first act. The relationships between each pair of younger and older women take surprising turns, and in the room with the TV, a sylph asks probing and challenging questions of the two young women as they watch.
Lonely son of a Canadian preacher man Michael builds the first professional wrestling company in faraway Finland. Young transsexual wrestler Jessica infiltrates into the company contesting Michael both physically and ideologically. Anger and frustration get to Michael who is now 40 years old still looking for companion. He is looking for love, but first must learn not to hate. As Michael finds true love online he redefines his values, and reinvents himself as a wrestler in love.
Since they were both five, Ryosuke has been stalked by Momoko – the ugliest girl in the village. Her love for Ryosuke is so boundless that she has her face surgically altered to suit his taste – but still he wants nothing to do with her. Ryosuke goes in for fleeting romance – for example, with the girlfriend of a gangster boss. But when he finds out about their affair, he has Ryosuke’s little finger hacked off. Magically, the finger falls into Momoko’s hands, and she uses it to clone Ryosuke, so she can finally have him (or almost him) for herself. And this is just the first five minutes of Lisa Takeba’s short-but-powerful feature debut. Just like in her previous short films, the director – who cut her teeth in the advertising world and as the writer of a video game – throws a lot of genres and techniques into the mix: from science fiction to gangster films, from hospital eroticism to animation. Hectic and absurd, but with its heart in the right place. © IFFR
Bright days ahead? Caroline has retired, at last. A new life lies before her: time to take care of her children, her husband, and, most of all, herself. However, she soon comes to realize that this new freedom is synonymous with boredom and idleness. Especially when she receives a membership to her neighborhood’s senior club as a birthday present… Reluctant at first, she nevertheless decides to take the plunge. Oddly enough, she meets great people there, starting with the young computer science teacher, who is far from insensitive to her charms. Caroline gradually takes control of her life again and lives a second youth: taking a new lover, living new experiences, breaking the rules, not doing what’s expected of her… Who said that retirement was the beginning of the end and not a new beginning?
Not only did Mary Tyler Moore “turn the world on with her smile,” as her show’s theme song declared, she also influenced a generation of women to become more independent and to pursue successful and fulfilling careers. Moore’s own 50-plus-year career has spanned award-winning films and Broadway shows, as well as two beloved television series that broke ground and continue to entertain viewers. This one-hour special includes highlights from a recent interview with Mary Tyler Moore, tributes from her co-stars and clips from iconic moments throughout her career. The program looks at her breakthrough role on The Dick Van Dyke Show, her iconic turn as TV’s first independent career woman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and her Academy Award-nominated work on Ordinary People.
London Paris New York is a film that captures the angst of the twenties, the most dramatic period of one’s life – when you have to find a career, you have your first significant relationship and most importantly form your identity in this world. This is story about Lalitha, a middle class south Indian girl from Chembur (an eastern suburb in Mumbai) who is on her way to New York to study politics with full scholarship, and Nikhil, a Punjabi, rich kid from Bandra (a posh western suburb of Mumbai) who is going to study Film Making in London on 100% dad’s money. They decide to hangout together one evening in London and find that they are completely drawn to each other even as their future lies on separate continents. The film follows their personal journey and their love story as they meet in London, Paris and New York for a night each over eight years. The film is in three chapters and each chapter is shot in a manner that mirrors the mental state of Nikhil and Lalitha.
Amanda and Jake are in love and want to start a new life in Los Angeles. Will they make the right decisions? The first 24 hours of their new life take them all around the city, bringing them more surprises and frustrations than expected.
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 marriage gracefully 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.
A young woman studying the habits of webcam chat users from the apparent safety of her apartment witnesses a brutal murder online and is quickly immersed in a nightmare in which she and her loved ones are targeted for the same grisly fate as the first victim.
For Heather music is everything. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Heather has always dreamed about getting into Juilliard and becoming a classical pianist. But all her dreams get shattered the day her mum dies. Left with nothing but a piano and debts, Heather’s only option is to move in with her estranged father and half-brother. When her application for a scholarship is rejected, Heather’s last hope to see her Big Dream come true is swept away. Until one day she meets Toby, a hip and handsome music store owner who opens up a whole new world to her – the world of DJ-ing and dance music. Heather is carried away by this enticing underground world, and her heart starts to beat again to the rhythm of a new life – and a new love. Heather eventually finds herself torn between two worlds of music and as her audition approaches, time comes for her to choose. And for the first time in her life she starts questioning what it is that she really desires.
NDP Leader Jack Layton was fluently bilingual, glib, sometimes flashy, full of energy and always media-friendly. He loved to entertain and uplift his co-workers with a strum on his guitar and spirit in his voice (which wasn’t particularly good but he sang with gusto). Growing up in a political family, Layton was a left-wing Toronto city councillor for 17 years and spent a year as head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He became leader of the federal New Democratic Party in 2003… The NDP became the Official Opposition for the first time in history. Going into the 2011 federal election… Written by (STAFF)
It follows the story of two lonely teachers, a male (Song) and a female (Ann). They were assigned at the same rural school in the Chiang Mai area, but a year apart. The girl being assigned first, attempted to write her thoughts in a diary, being stuck out in boonies. One day she has to be transferred to another school and left the diary. The male teacher came by as a substitute and saw the diary, thus, falling in love with the unacquainted writer. He also wrote his thoughts in it. The guy also left and the lady returned and saw that there are added articles in the diary. She also fell in love with him but now having a hard time looking for the boy. Will the two ever meet?
José Ferrer won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portayal of the swordsman-poet using his silver tongue to woo the woman he loves for another man. Cyrano de Bergerac is a play written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand. Although there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, the play is a fictionalization of his life that follows the broad outlines of it. The entire play is written in verse, in rhyming couplets of twelve syllables per line, very close to the Alexandrine format, but the verses sometimes lack a caesura. It is also meticulously researched, down to the names of the members of the Académie française and the dames précieuses glimpsed before the performance in the first scene. The play has been translated and performed many times, and is responsible for introducing the word “panache” into the English language.
September 1941. In a turn of events young lovebirds Kostya and Nastya find themselves on board of a barge that will evacuate people from sieged Leningrad. At night the barge gets into the storm. When it starts sinking, enemy planes – but not rescuers – are the first to arrive at the scene.