First Annual International Film Festival North Hollywood Announces Full Festival Line-up
66 films from 14 countries, with 20 Premieres
International Film Festival North Hollywood (IFFNH) announces the full slate of films for the 2016 film festival, April 28 to May 1 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood, CA. Their honored industry guest, Michael Hausman (“Gangs of New York,” “The Firm,” “Brokeback Mountain”), will receive the Cinema Trailblazer Award for his contributions to film, and two films he produced will screen as retrospectives: 1985’s Best Picture winner, “Amadeus,” directed by Milos Forman, and the groundbreaking, low-budget, “Alambrista!” (1977), with director Robert M. Young (Dominic & Eugene) also in attendance.
The festival has drawn a diverse group of emerging independent filmmakers representing Sweden, Italy, Guinea, The Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Australia, The United States, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, China, Brazil, France, Japan and the Fiji Islands. Sixteen directors are women, many of them multi-threat combinations of writer-producer-actor-director. In addition, the work of eight first-time directors and 14 local filmmakers will be screened.
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This year, IFFNH is highlighting films about food, music, and dance, reflecting the creative spirit of North Hollywood.
Opening the festival on Thursday morning, April 28 at 11:00 AM is the West Coast Premiere of “A Farmer’s Road,” a new documentary about sustainable agriculture, featuring Top Chef winner Stephanie Izzard, celebrity chef & PBS host Rick Bayless and the Illinois-based owners of Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery. Also screening, the delightful animated short, “Moom,” from the team that made the Oscar-nominated film, “The Dam Keeper.” Sponsored by Whole Foods Market in Sherman Oaks with VIP Luncheon to follow.
There will be a Red Carpet event at 6:00 PM on Thursday, April 28 followed by the Opening Night Film, “Gazelle: The Love Issue,” at 8:30 PM. It’s a documentary portrait of Gazelle, internationally known in the underground club scene for his boldly conceived costumes and for creating GAZELLAND, a magazine featuring the artists, photographers and designers of the gay nightlife community of London, New York and Sao Paulo. With Michael Musto, Kenny Kenny, Amanda Lepore, and others. The directing debut of Fijian filmmaker Cesar Terranova.
“We’re not afraid to be bold and raw,” says Artistic Director Nicholas Goodman, who founded IFFNoHo with his wife, Executive Director Hortencia Goodman. “But we aim to avoid character and story tropes, especially with regard to the depiction of violence and the treatment of women on film.” That said, they are screening a pair of films, The Bigfoot Hunters and a special Midnight screening of The Cruel Tale of the Medicine Man that you could say go over the edge.
They have an exceptional line-up of shorts including “Vandal” and “The Last Journey of the Enigmatic Paul WR,” two films beginning their festival run with stops at Cannes and Tribeca, respectively. And they are happy to host the final festival appearance of Marcus Mizelle’s Los Angeles-based comedy, “Actor For Hire,” finishing its glorious run as our Closing Night Film.
World Premiere – The Cross of the Moment – Feature documentary about the climate crisis. You’ve heard the pundits and the demagogues, now, in this enlightening and important film, the scientists get their chance to speak. The first documentary feature from North Hollywood filmmaker Jacob Freydont-Attie. Sunday, May 1 at 1:15 PM.
Los Angeles Premiere – “Projections of America” – Feature documentary about the secret film unit of the US Army during World War II, run by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Robert Riskin, who produced some exquisite films about the promise of America. This film reveals much of this lost footage and explores Riskin’s colorful life in Hollywood. With special industry guest, Emmy winner and former President of the Writers Guild of America, Victoria Riskin, Robert Riskin’s daughter with actress and movie star Fay Wray. Saturday, April 30 at 4:00 PM.
The original 1933 classic restored print of “King Kong” (Starring Fay Wray) – Lovingly restored by Martin Scorsese’s nonprofit, The Film Foundation, the screening will begin with a Q&A with Fay Wray’s daughter, Victoria Riskin, who will read from her mother’s memoir and take questions. Not to be missed!
Special industry panel on “The Art of the Movie Trailer” – How are these “coming attractions” put together? Meet and learn from the best in the business, with AV/Squad President and former EVP of Creative Advertising for MGM Studios, Seth Gaven (“Furious 7,” “Star Trek Beyond,” “The Big Short,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), and Rec Room Founder and former VP of Creative Advertising at 20th Century Fox, Mike George (“Deadpool,” “Avatar,” “Creed,” “The Simpson’s Movie”). Sunday May 1 at 12 PM.
Go to the festival website for the full line up and to buy tickets www.iffnoho.com
SPONSORED BY
Whole Foods Market Sherman Oaks, Birns & Sawyer Hollywood, SquadUp, NoHo BID, NoHoArtsDistrict.com, VEDC, The Federal Bar, and Holiday Inn Express-NoHo
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NORTH HOLLYWOOD
The International Film Festival North Hollywood celebrates the art of filmmaking, helps support a community of artists and showcases North Hollywood as an entertainment and travel destination. IFFNoHo supports and nurtures emerging independent filmmakers and their stories from around the world not currently found in mainstream American cinema. Our goal is to collaborate with community partners to build social cohesiveness, philanthropy and volunteerism using film as the catalyst. The International Film Festival North Hollywood is a 501c(3) non-profit organization.
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