Mayor of Los Angeles Commends SEEfest
SEEfest Staff Writer | March 28, 2015, 11:37 AM
Dear friends and supporters, we are so proud to share with you the latest recognition given to the festival which we have built together with all of you. It comes from the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, in recognition of all those many years of hard work, great films, discoveries of new talent and scores of volunteers and supporters across diverse demographics of Los Angeles. Thank you Los Angeles, and thanks to all of you who helped us build SEEfest and carve out a place for the cinema of South East Europe in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles.
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Greg Irwin: Narrative Documentary Programmer
SEEfest Staff Writer | March 23, 2015, 8:35 AM
Gregory Irwin is a screenwriter and documentarian currently working with USC Shoah Foundation, an academic institute founded by Steven Spieberg, to assemble and distribute an archive of over 53,000 audiovisual testimonies of survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides.
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Film Selection is Almost Done
Vera Mijojlic | March 4, 2015, 5:10 PM
We are grateful to our programmers and large group of film professionals, aficionados and students who helped screen the films for 2015 festival. The work continues to finalize the features shortlist, and we are excited about the thematic variety and presence of many first-time directors.
SEEfest is proud to champion new talent and we invite you to discover new voices, new filmmakers.
Narrative documentary and shorts programs will account for 40 films this year. The shorts program was especially challenging, with hundreds of eligible entries. Many thanks go to the big group of volunteers who helped screen the shorts. We are especially excited about a strong section of animated short films. Don’t miss them!
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It’s Open Season For “Love Hunter”
SEEfest Staff Writer | March 3, 2015, 5:10 PM
Critically Acclaimed Indie Film To Have Limited Theatrical Release in the US and Canada, Opens in Los Angeles at Laemmle Music Hall Theater, March 13-19, 2015
“Love Hunter,” the musical/comedy/drama by Serbian born NY based filmmakers Nemanja Bala and Branislav “Brane” Bala, will embark on a North American tour beginning Valentine’s Day in Chicago.
The critically acclaimed film, starring Serbian rock star Milan Mumin, Jelena Stupljanin and Eleanor Hutchins, has screened at several international film festivals. The film opened theatrically in Chicago on February 14 at the Gene Siskel Film Center with additional dates on February 17 and18; Los Angeles, March 13-19 at Laemmle Music Hall Theater; San Francisco, March 5 at Roxie Theater; Washington D.C., March 5 at West End Cinema; and Toronto, March 14 at The Royal. Additional cities to be announced shortly.
“Love Hunter” first premiered in New York on November 14, 2014 and was a New York Times Critics’ Pick, naming it “one of the most refreshing New York independent films since Ramin Bahrani’s Man Push Cart.” Hollywood Reporter described the film as “highly enjoyable” and “a highlight” of the Warsaw International Film Festival.
The film chronicles a month in the life of singer/songwriter Milan Mumin, frontman of the seminal Serbian rock band ‘Love Hunters’ that gave a voice to a generation of young Serbians during the turbulent 1990s. Now, ten years later, we find Milan driving a taxi in New York City and cobbling together funds for a studio session to make his dream album – to be recorded and released in America. When his bass guitar player suddenly quits, he finds a talented but prickly replacement and romantic interest, in a free-spirited guitarist named Kim. Just as rehearsals start to pick up steam, Milan’s longtime Serbian girlfriend Lela arrives with very different plans for their future. She wants him to come home to Serbia where his reputation will let him be anything he wishes, but Milan is determined to make his recording in America, at any cost.
The film mirrors the real life of New York City-based Milan Mumin, Serbian musician, composer, singer, songwriter, performance artist, and cab driver. Milan gained recognition for his work in 1995, when his group ‘Love Hunters’ won the Band of the Year Award in Serbia. In 1997 and 2000, he was voted the country’s Person of the Year. He has released 10 albums with ‘Love Hunters’ and in 2009 released his first U.S. album ‘Asthma Sky,’ featuring his American band ‘The Undercover Maniacs.’ www.milanmumin.com
Filmed entirely in New York City, in between real cab rides with a documentary-like crew, “Love Hunter” was directed and written by brothers Nemanja and Branislav “Brane” Bala, and produced by Nemanja and Branislav “Brane” Bala with Fay Ann Lee and their fellow alumni from Columbia Film School, Bogdan George Apetri (director of photography) and Biljana Ilic.
Kino Lorber will release the film on VOD on March 17, and DVD/Netflix on April 15.
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/111320885
Press Kit and Photos: http://lovehunterfilm.com/
US • 2014 • 86 minutes • English/Serbian
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“Monument to Michael Jackson” Wins Eastern European Award in Santa Barbara
SEEfest Staff Writer | February 8, 2015, 6:39 PM
“Monument to Michael Jackson” wins Eastern European Award in Santa Barbara: Best Film in Eastern Bloc Competition – Features
(Santa Barbara, February 7, 2015) – Sleeper hit at this year’s Santa Barbara fest, Serbian director Darko Lungulov’s Monument to Michael Jackson was awarded today the top prize in the Eastern European (Eastern Bloc) competition. Festival’s executive director Roger Durling announced the winners earlier today at the Fess Parker hotel.
“It is a great honor to win the award at such an amazing film event,” said Lungulov who attended the festivities. “International filmmakers have a great opportunity in Santa Barbara to present their work to highly educated and sensitive audience. I was so fortunate to have the U.S. premiere of my film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.”
The jury of the 30th annual film fest in Santa Barbara included director and cinematographer Will Eubank, director Peter Chelsom, producer Chaz Ebert, actors Anthony and Arnette Zerbe, composer/lyricist Adam Guettel, actor James Read, SBIFF founder Phyllis de Picciotto, director/actor Perry Lang and producer Mimi deGruy.
Monument to Michael Jackson tells the story of a man who, in a desperate attempt to save his crumbling marriage and to bring life back into his community, plans to replace an old communist monument with a statue of the King of Pop.
Writer/director Darko Lungulov‘s previous film, Here & There won Tribeca’s Best N.Y. Narrative Award in ’09. It starred David Thornton, whose wife Cindy Lauper composed an original song, and also had a cameo in the movie.
Trailer Monument To Michael Jackson
Imdb page Monument To Michael Jackson
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The Final Round: Five Nominations for Best Foreign Language Film 2015
SEEfest Staff Writer | January 22, 2015, 1:34 PM
With three out of five films coming from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, the nominations underscore the growing relevance of our region’s filmmakers. The five nominees are: IDA (Poland), LEVIATHAN (Russia), TANGERINES (Estonia), and TIMBUKTU (Mauritania) and WILD TALES (Argentina).
IDA
LEVIATHAN
TANGERINES
TIMBUKTU
WILD TALES
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South East Europe and the Best Foreign Language Film 2015
Vera Mijojlic | January 15, 2015, 7:07 PM
Films from countries clustered in and around the region of South East Europe (SEE) represent 20 percent of all submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film! And if you add films from countries not from the same geographical region but which are thematically about it, such as the acclaimed Swedish entry last year (“Eat, sleep, die”), the SEE contingent is proportionally even bigger.
Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska (director of this year’s SEEfest sold-out gala premiere of SARAJEVO)
Bosnia Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Loncarevic
Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev
Croatia, Cowboys, Tomislav Mrsic
Estonia, Tangerines, Zaza Urushadze (story based in Georgia)
Georgia, Corn Island, Giorgi Ovashvili
Greece, Little England, Pantelis Voulgaris
Hungary, White God, KornÈl Mundruczo
Kosovo, Three windows and a hanging, Isa Qosja
Macedonia, To the Hilt, Stole Popov
Moldova, “The Unsaved,” Igor Cobileanski – Best Debut Film Award at SEEfest14!
Montenegro, The Boys from Marx and Engels Street, Nikola Vukcevic
Romania, The Japanese Dog, Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
Serbia, See You in Montevideo, Dragan Bjelogrlic
Slovenia, Seduce me, Marko Santic (SEEfest Grand Prix for Best Film)
Turkey, Winter Sleep, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
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9 Films on the Shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film
SEEfest Staff Writer | December 21, 2014, 5:35 PM
Four films from Eastern Europe make the shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film: TANGERINES (Estonia/Georgia), CORN ISLAND (Georgia), IDA (Poland) and LEVIATHAN (Russia). 4 out of 9 is a feast to celebrate. Congrats to all filmmakers, Zaza Urushadze, George Ovashvili, Pawel Pawlikowski and Andrey Zvyagintsev. Argentina, Mauritania, Netherlands, Sweden and Venezuela make the rest of the list. One conspicuous absence form the list: “Winter Sleep” by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey).
The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:
Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director
Estonia, “Tangerines,” Zaza Urushadze, director
Georgia, “Corn Island,” George Ovashvili, director
Mauritania, “Timbuktu,” Abderrahmane Sissako, director
Netherlands, “Accused,” Paula van der Oest, director
Poland, “Ida,” Paweł Pawlikowski, director
Russia, “Leviathan,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director
Sweden, “Force Majeure,” Ruben Östlund, director
Venezuela, “The Liberator,” Alberto Arvelo, director
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SEEfest Documentary Programmers Celebrate their Newest Film
Vera Mijojlic | December 7, 2014, 7:27 PM
It is with great pleasure that we announce that our friends, fellow SEEfest volunteers, Tina Mascara and Guido Santi are celebrating the theatrical release of their newest documentary, Monk with a Camera, a film about the life and journey of Nicholas Vreeland. It will be opening this coming Friday, December 12th at Laemmle Royal Theater. There will be Q&A with Nicholas Vreeland and the filmmakers at 2:55, 5:20 and 7:45.
MONK WITH A CAMERA chronicles the life and spiritual quest of Nicholas (Nicky) Vreeland, who for the past twenty-eight years, has been a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The son of a United StatesAmbassador, grandson of legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, and a photographer by trade, Nicky left his privileged life behind to follow his true calling. He moved to India, cutting his ties with society, photogr
aphy, and his pleasure-filled world, to live in a monastery with no running water or electricity. There he would spend the next 14 years studying to become a monk. Then in one of life’s beautiful twists, Nicky went back to the worldly pursuit of photography in order to help his fellow monks rebuild their mnastery, one of the most important of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. His journey from being a photographer to becoming a monk and, most recently, to being appointed as the abbot of the monastery he helped to rebuild, are the core of the story.
Guido and Tina were last year’s documentary programmers for the festival. Guido Santi started his career directing narrative short films for Italian television and working with director Ermanno Olmi’s group of young filmmakers, Ipotesi Cinema. After receiving his Master’s degree in Film at USC, he produced and directed TV specials and documentaries.
Tina Mascara started her career making narrative feature films, “Jacklight” and “Asphalt Stars”. In 2006, Tina co-founded Asphalt Stars Productions with Guido Santi and embarked on her first documentary film, the critically acclaimed and awards winning “Chris & Don: A Love Story” released by Zeitgeist Films in 2008.
See Nicholas Vreelands’ website here. http://nicholasvreeland.com
Nicholas Vreeland’s interview with NPR.
Follow the film:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monkwithacamera
Twitter: @monkwithacamera
Don’t miss this exciting film!
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Volunteer Spotlight: Julia Macnelly
SEEfest Staff Writer | November 16, 2014, 8:05 PM
Get to know Julia Macnelly, SEEfest 2014 Festival Coordinator and World Traveler.
Здрасти от България!
I’m writing to you from Tryavna, a very small and equally quaint town in the center of Bulgaria that is known for artisan crafts like wood carving, silver filigree, and icon painting. We also have cobblestone streets and a clocktower that sings an operatic rendition of a famous local poet’s verse every night at 10 pm, seriously. I’m living here for the year on a Fulbright grant, teaching English to the students in 8-12th grades at Petko Slaveikov uchilishte (school). The town is situated within the Balkan mountain range, so you can basically walk ten minutes in most directions for beautiful razxodki (hikes…did I mention this blog post is also a Bulgarian language lesson?)
I’ve made several trips around Southeastern Europe in the last few years, so in some ways it feels very familiar being here in the region—but mostly my life feels so completely different. I am learning the ways of the Bulgarian school system (lots and lots of bureaucratic busywork. Your signature is literally required at least 3 times per day for various things) and trying to communicate with my very welcoming colleagues in Bulgarian (I have so far heard that I either have a Czech, Polish, Croatian, Russian, Slovenian, or Romanian accent, but never an American one, so maybe I’m on my way?) I’m also starting a chapter of the BEST Foundation (Bulgarian English Speech Tournament, http://bestfoundation.bg/) at my school, which means I will be coaching students in performing prose, poetry, original work, and debates, all in English—obviously they’re brave souls!
I will be here through the end of the school year next June, which means, sadly, that I will have to miss SEEfest’s 10th anniversary. I had such a wonderful experience working with the festival for the first time this past May and can’t wait to rejoin the team when I’m back in the States. I have loved sharing my stories about Southeastern Europe with friends and family, and so I’m truly proud to be a part of this event which brings this slice of the world to an even wider audience. I hope this year is the best yet, and I look forward to keeping up with the festival from overseas.
– Julia
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