The artists draw and paint for the audience in the middle of the chaotic camp who hold a range of expressive and introverted techniques of visual storytelling. We follow these people as they express their personal understanding of what occupies the mind of a person in a stateless transition. We watch the demolitions of hundreds of peoples homes showing the account for the devastation these people continue to face. (United Kingdom)
Art Connect is a feature length documentary that reveals the impact that art and creativity had in a group of 'at risk' teenagers from Laventille, the most marred by violence community in Trinidad and Tobago. The story is told by these children who had access to different forms of art to express themselves.
By talking, painting, singing, dancing and filming they will allow us to come into their world.
On the framework of the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 (the first on South America in over 35 years) there was, on the continent, a true exodus of hundreds of thousand of football fans, who, with or without tickets, crossed their borders to support their respective National Teams.
Who are those that are capable of moving through nations for such a sport even for the simple fact of being close to the place of action?
What´s the feeling that moves and encourgaes them?
What´s the deepness of this factos on their respective societies, and even more important, who are those that really govern their norm and rules?
Those are some of the questions that this movie contemplates, counting with the investigation of several social issues regarding football, expressed on narrative development and with interviews of several fans from around the world, while it follows the campaign of the South American teams on the competition, especially the Argentina´s National Team.
Argentina
Myanmar born, US-raised music student Jaden, makes his way through the crowded streets of Yangon, Myanmar to research his thesis on Burmese traditional music. His guide; beautiful and proud Burmese dancer Hnin Thuzar, accompanies him as he travels through the unique landscape of Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake in Shan State.
When he asks for her help locating his birth parents, their journey takes on another dimension. As he gets to know her, their cultural divide becomes more apparent, but it takes a tragic accident to make him realize he’s falling in love with her.
Directed by Christina Kyi, “Mudras Calling” is both a personal exploration of birth roots and a love story. Even as he is entranced by Hnin’s beauty, strength and sense of self, his world is thrown into turmoil. As he explores Myanmar, discovering the timeless landscapes and the deep rooted faith of its many tribes, he finds out unexpected truths about himself. While Jaden is provoked to question his own world view, Hnin fights for her life after a terrible accident. By saving her, he’s able to save himself.
Whether they can overcome their differences is an open question, but the ‘mudras’ of the title - hand gestures that call out to Buddha, seem to beckon him back to Myanmar. From the medicine man to the musicians, as the love story unfolds against life and death, we travel in our own way through the history of this long hidden country – Myanmar.
Myanmar
HOOK, directed by Steven Spielberg (based on an idea by Hart’s then 6 year old Son, Jake)
BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, directed by Francis Ford Coppola
MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, directed by Brian Henson
CONTACT, directed by Robert Zemeckis
Other writing/producing credits include: MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENTSEIN, TUCK EVERLASTING, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY. SAHARA, LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER – THE CRADLE OF LIFE, AUGUST RUSH, and EPIC.
Hart is Executive Producer and co-writer of the animated feature, EPIC, with children’s book illustrator and home town friend, SMU graduate, William Joyce, and director-animator Chris Wedge, who created ICE AGE and ROBOTS with Joyce, released in 2013.
TV projects include THE REPUBLIC OF PIRATES, AKA CROSSBONES, for NBC with Texas born writing partner, Amanda Welles, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. series projects, SIRENS OF TITAN, PLAYER PIANO, and 2BR02B, with his son, Jake Hart.
STEELSKIN is his new project in development at Fox for Actor/Director, Andy Serkis, and August Rush producer, Richard Lewis.
“Go with Gravity” is Hart’s primary mantra for the writing life. Never Grow Up! Never Give Up!
Symptoms tells the story of a trainee doctor, Sam, and his final practical examination. Set in the world - known well to most actors - of fake illness and playing a part, not all of the "patients" that Sam sees are who they seem.
Sam comes into contact with a variety of actors, with a wide range of abilities, from mockney Ben who wants to talk about "the thing in his pants" to inept Jenna who can't keep her fake wound stuck on. But then everything changes when he has to diagnose Amy. Hostile and intense, what is she hiding?
United Kingdom
Charlotte puts Rochester in the rear view as she runs away from her husband. She has never been on her own and doesn't know if she'll make it as her resources are stripped away. She meets diverse women who offer connection, insight, and laughter on the road to Florida and a possible new life.
United States
A farmer's fight for equal education in Northampton County, NC transforms him and his county in unimaginable ways. Chairman Jones tells the story of the director's father, James H. Jones, a self-educated farmer who disregards racism and lack of education and emerges as a trailblazer during the tense 1969 school desegregation crisis in Northampton County, leading the fight to end nearly a century of inequality in education. After freeing himself from Jim Crow sharecropping in the 1950's, he launches a campaign to free black children from Jim Crow education.
Jones places his own children on the front lines, brings blacks and whites together for dialogue, helps integration tip toe into Northampton, and transforms the educational landscape for everyone. His leadership as North Carolina’s first black school Board Chairman introduces a new era in education and has a marked effect on racial progress in the state.
Born on a former slave plantation in 1916, Jones died in 1984, the year that the Northampton County school system received accreditation for the first time in its history largely due to his vision and efforts. His story unfolds through his daughter Anna's conversations with those who lived during that time and witnessed his extraordinary courage and leadership.
United States
The African continent has always been a place that evokes a deep sense of wonder and fantasy. It is naturally diverse, with a vast array of people, cultures, and natural beauty. Being the home to ancient civilizations, it is considered the “birthplace of humanity” or “the motherland”. But could it also be the birthplace of style? Africans and their cultures are inspiring the aesthetic world today more than ever. From the runways of the world to the meccas of visual art, there is an undeniable presence of african influence and a growing number of african trendsetters. Bangaologia sets out to explore the raison d´être behind the recent growth of the african aesthetic in the world, including from the most unexpected places.
Bangaologia takes a voyage that spans from Angola to the US and Europe in journey to discover why this mysterious african “it factor” called “banga” has been inspiring so many in and out of Africa, and how it is bringing the world closer to the Motherland of style.
Ours has been called the age of loneliness. Immersed in our own echo chambers, our very health is being impacted by social isolation. Despite advances in technology, living conditions, education and healthcare, we seem to be unhappier than ever. At the same time, modern urban lifestyles are destroying our sense of community.
Why are we all so disconnected? Making a link between the various causes, this film asks what community wellbeing means to us and why it even matters. On a journey through the cities of North America, wellness expert Tamer Soliman learns that where we choose to live, what we choose to value, and with whom we choose to spend our time can have a profound impact on our health and happiness.
Meeting with not only experts but also ordinary people on the streets of Toronto, Vancouver and Los Angeles, Tamer discovers the truth in that old nursery rhyme: “The more we get together the happier we’ll be”.
(Cayman Islands)
On May 4, 2014, Norma Bastidas, a single mother and fearless survivor of human trafficking, sexual violence, abuse, and addiction, shattered the Guinness World Record for longest triathlon by running, biking, and swimming 3,762 miles (6,054 km) from Cancún, Mexico to Washington D.C. as her stand against human trafficking. Norma’s mission is to educate and empower, demonstrating to the world that one’s past does not dictate one’s future, and prove that everyday people are capable of making extraordinary strides in the fight against the problems facing the world today.
Be Relentless is the binational, bilingual, feature-length documentary that captured every grueling step of Norma’s record-breaking expedition across two countries. Through Norma’s persistence, Be Relentless proves that everyday people can make an extraordinary impact in seemingly unchallengeable issues.
Be Relentless will capture conversation about the realities of child trafficking, inspire the world to address this issue, prevent what happened to Norma from happening to others, and prove to survivors and the to world that one’s past doesn’t dictate one’s future.
United States
A Bridge Between Two Worlds relates how Muslim and Catholic farmers, on the island of Flores, Indonesia, overcome poverty and enhance their environment with the support of North American and European families. This astonishing chain of solidarity was initiated by Gilles Raymond, a Canadian volunteer from Québec who has forged deep bonds in Flores over the past 15 years. This is the beginning of a worldwide family, which distance cannot affect, a story that is punctuated by hard work, children’s smiles and ancestor worship. This engaging adventure builds a living bridge between our two hemispheres, at a time when foreign aid is too often being questioned.
Canada
Annette, a 1960's suburban housewife, comes face to face with her worst nightmare: the fear that her pretty (and youthful) maid, Mona, has seduced her husband, and may be plotting against her. Her fears are reinforced when their actions appear to be more and more suspicious. When decorating her home for a holiday party, she confides in her best friend, Shelley, who supports her suspicions and encourages Annette to act. At the party, Annette watches her husband give Mona a tin of cookies, and Mona flirtatiously laugh at his jokes. Finally pushed to the edge, Annette makes a decision from which there is no turning back. The result is the unraveling of the life she has created for herself, and the realization that not everything is as it seems.
United States
This documentary sheds light on gun culture in America focusing on urban and suburban neighborhoods. It breaks down & investigates the environment, results, and motives of our gun culture.
“The Culture” follows a variety of people with contrasting opinions over the issue of violence in our country and how to attack the problem with reasonable solutions. It chronicles street outreach workers, conservatives, and victims of gun violence. “The Culture” is the first documentary that truly gives unbiased look of guns in our country.
United States
Real Artists; a dark tale set in the near future, is based on Ken Liu’s short story of the same name. Sophia just scored every animator’s dream interview at world famous Semaphore Animation Studios. But when the Creative Director, Anne Palladon, reveals that she knows about Sophia’s fan-edit of Semaphore’s hit film Mythos, Sophia sees her dreams begin to slip away.
Was it Sophia’s rebel ethos and creative instincts that landed her the invitation? Or is everything not quite as it seems at Semaphore? To maintain her artistic integrity, it’s going to take all of Sophia’s instincts and nerve.
United States
Djata is a care-free 12-year-old growing up in a brutal dictatorship shut off from the outside world. When the government imprisons his father, Peter, and Djata and his mother Hannah are labeled traitors, the boy will not rest until he sees his father again.
Cocktails provided by Cayman Spirits Company
United Kingdom
In their remote home in the North Atlantic the Faroe Islanders have always eaten what nature could provide, proud to put local food on the table. The land yields little, so they have always relied on harvesting their seas.
Hunting whales and seabirds kept them alive for generations, and gave them the way of life they love; a life they would pass on to their children. But today they face a grave threat to this tradition.
It is not the controversy surrounding whaling that threatens the Faroese way of life; the danger is coming from the whales themselves.
The Faroese are among the first to feel the affects of our ever more polluted oceans. They have discovered that their beloved whales are toxic, contaminated by the outside world. What once secured their survival now endangers their children and the Faroe Islanders must make a choice between health and tradition.
Faroe Islands
Drawing from his rich life experience, Wes moved audiences with unforgettable performances in “Dances with Wolves,” “The Last of the Mohicans,” “Geronimo: An American Legend,” and “Heat,” as well as James Cameron’s “Avatar” and Paul Weitz’s “Being Flynn.” Breaking new ground, he brought fully-developed Native American characters to the screen, and then took his craft a step further highlighting the success of Native Americans in non-traditional roles.
In 2013, he was inducted in to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Hall of Great Western Performers. Throughout his 30-year career he’s won numerous awards, including several First Americans in the Arts Awards and the 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
Interestingly, acting was never a goal in Wes’ youth. Unlike many actors who dive into performing at an early age, he discovered acting later in life.
The eldest son of a ranch hand, Wes was born in 1947 in Nofire Hollow, in Northeastern Oklahoma. He spoke only his native Cherokee until he was 5, when he was enrolled in the Murrell Home to attend public school. He later attended the Chilocco Indian Boarding School in Northern Oklahoma, where he remained through high school graduation. Yet, unlike many fellow Native American students, he never forgot his language.
Wes joined the U.S. Army and while stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, stories from returning Vietnam War veterans set his blood on fire. With only 12 months of his six-year service left, Wes volunteered to go to Vietnam. He served one tour in South Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta, living his own future war stories. At one point his company was pinned down in the Mekong Delta – and nearly killed – by friendly fire.
After an honorable military discharge, Wes returned home with a fire in the belly, and became seriously involved with Native American politics. He joined the American Indian Movement (AIM) and participated in the Trail of Broken Treaties protest March in 1972, where hundreds of Native American activists marched on Washington. He was one of the protesters who briefly occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs Building there. In 1973, Wes participated in the occupation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, for which he was arrested.
Wes now sees his political activism as a form of post-Vietnam catharsis. “I began to purge the bad feelings within myself,” he says, adding that he joined the resisters because “I wanted to make myself a viable part of the machinery that affected my people.”
Recognizing his current path could lead to self-destruction, Wes changed course and channeled his feelings toward positive change. Shortly after Wounded Knee, Wes moved to the Tahlequah, Oklahoma, where he worked for the Cherokee Nation, and helped start the Cherokee Phoenix, a bilingual newspaper still in publication today. During that time Wes put his linguistic skills to work and began teaching the Cherokee language in the community. Later attending Northeastern University in Tahlequah, he made further attempts at positive influence in his work with his people.
After college, Wes shifted his attention to running his own horse ranch and became a professional horse trainer. It was during this era that he began acting at The American Indian Theatre Company in Tulsa in 1983, where he found both the adrenaline rush he craved and the cathartic release he needed. “When you’re able to release those feelings in an acting form, it’s healthier than leaving them inside,” he says of discovering acting.
Wes first took the professional stage in 1984 with “Black Elk Speaks” and has never looked back. As his success grew on stage, he expanded to productions for Nebraska Public Television in the summer of 1985. Not long after, he moved to Los Angeles, landing his first film role in “Powwow Highway” and making his TV debut in a small role in the ABC TV-movie “Longarm” in 1988.
In 1990, Wes portrayed a terrifyingly memorable Pawnee warrior in “Dances with Wolves.” Two years later he landed the role of Magua in Michael Mann’s “The Last of the Mohicans,” the performance that put him on the map.
Wes drew on his own combat training, anger and sense of enforced isolation for his riveting depiction of the vengeful Magua. He soon became known for his film roles portraying strong Native American characters as he strove to portray them with poignancy and authenticity.
Wes went on to play the title character in the Walter Hill-directed film “Geronimo: An American Legend” (1993) alongside veteran actors Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall, for which he won a Western Heritage Award. He also made memorable appearances in such films as “Heat” (1995) as Al Pacino’s partner, “Deep Rising” (1998) and “Mystery Men” (1999). In 2002, he brought legendary character Lt. Joe Leaphorn to life for a series of PBS movies produced by Robert Redford and based on Tony Hillerman’s books “Skinwalkers,” “Coyote Waits,” and “A Thief of Time.”
Wes’ other notable film credits include: “The Only Good Indian,” which he also produced, “The New World,” “Street Fighter,” “Seraphim Falls,” “Three Priests,” and such prestigious television movies as “Crazy Horse,” “Comanche Moon,” “Streets of Laredo,” “Broken Chain,” and “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” His television credits include “The Mentalist,” “Hell on Wheels,” and General Abner in “Kings.”
At home, Wes’ artistic talent extends well beyond acting. He’s a skilled stone carver, working primarily in soapstone and other soft stones. He’s also an accomplished musician. Playing bass and guitar he fronts the band Firecat of Discord with his wife, singer Maura Dhu, primarily performing original music. Firecat released their first self-titled CD in 1998, touring the U.S. in 2000. Their music was also featured in the short film Bonnie Looksaway’s “Iron Art Wagon,” which Wes directed.
Additionally, Wes wrote two children’s books, “The Adventures of Billy Bean” and “More Adventures of Billy Bean” for the Cherokee Bilingual/Cross Cultural Education Center. In 2006, Wes was honored with the Golden Boot Award.
Wes remains a passionate activist and academic. He’s taken a national leadership role in the promotion and preservation of indigenous languages, acting as the spokesperson for the Santa Fe-based Indigenous Language Institute, and working as a language consultant on several films, including “Avatar” and the PBS documentary “We Shall Remain.” He’s also active in encouraging the next generation of filmmakers and performers, providing mentorship and participating in apprenticeship programs.
Wes and Maura live in Santa Fe, N.M. They have one son, Kholan. Wes also has a son, Daniel, and a daughter, Leah, from a previous marriage.
...
A four thousand kilometre journey across outback Australia. Seven amateur adventurers. Two second-hand flying machines. What could possibly go wrong?
This is the tale of Aidan, Daryl and their fiancees’ dream to pull off a daring feat that few have attempted before – to fly two microlights, otherwise known as ‘motorbikes with wings,’ across the largest island on earth. Led by Aboriginal elders Carroll Karpany and Bart Sansbury, the adventurers navigate tough flying conditions and crocodile infested swamps as they journey deep into the spiritual heartland of Australia and connect with a culture thousands of years old. The ultimate Aussie adventure story!
Australia
Film Production Workshop by Lee Chambers: The Action Starts At Cut: A Humorous Look At The Film Industry”.
Described as an educational and inspiring two-hour interactive performance, the workshop is done in a stand-up format, and offers a hilarious look behind the scenes of working on films in the industry. Topics such as How to Break Into The Film Business, Producing and Directing Tips, Balancing the Business with the Art and Life on Set, War Stories and Movie Stars will be explored and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions.
“The Pineville Heist” is an action crime mystery that follows a high school teen who stumbles into the aftermath of a bank robbery gone wrong and finds himself locked inside his school trying to keep himself and his teacher alive as one of the psychotic robbers hunts them down. The film was released in 2016 and has been shown at over 30 film festivals worldwide.
“We are thrilled to have someone of Lee’s calibre agree to join us for CayFilm 2017. Aspiring filmmakers can sometimes have an unrealistic idea of what it’s really like to work on the set of a film but Lee’s workshop will definitely clear up any misconceptions. I would encourage anyone with an interest in the film industry to attend this workshop and get the real scoop,” said Festival Director Tony Mark.
Chambers graduated from the Leeds Metropolitan University Film Program in the United Kingdom and has worked on television shows for the BBC and feature films for Miramax. He has spent over a decade teaching producing and directing courses in Ontario, Canada.
LOGLINE
A young boy's journey to get the superpower that will stop his parents' fighting.
SYNOPSIS
Mick and Sandra’s arguments are starting to take their toll on little Nathan. A glimmer of hope reveals itself, the Spire monument of Dublin city – a source of unimaginable power, perhaps enough power to stop the fighting. A loud argument at home is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, forcing Nathan to take matters into his own hands. He dons his cape, summons his imaginary sidekick, and sets his sights on the Spire…
Ireland
A feature-length adventure documentary that brings to light the consequences of our global disposable lifestyle. We thought we could use plastic once and throw it away with negligible impact to humans and animals. That turns out to be untrue.
Producers Adam Leipzig (March of the Penguins) and Jo Ruxton (BBC Blue Planet) take you through the plastic journey from source to solution. Featuring legendary broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and world renowned oceanographer, Dr. Sylvia Earle. This film has potential to make great contributions to the way viewers begin to engage in behaviourial change in their own lives and families. For even greater impact, our campaign will support a core subset to become advocates for this issue - going beyond their own homes and motivating others in their workplaces, schools, and communities to create an ongoing ripple effect from the film.
A Plastic Ocean is an epic global adventure following a documentary filmmaker and a world record free-diver as they travel the earth discovering the shocking impact plastic is having on our oceans and the marine animals that live there. The film investigates how our addiction to plastic is impacting the food chain and how that is effecting every one of us through new and developing human health problems. The expedition leads the two adventurers to unusual scientific discoveries, heart-breaking truths and important solutions to one of the biggest problems confronting mankind.
During its four-year production period, A Plastic Ocean was filmed in 20 locations around the world in beautiful and chilling detail to document the global effects of plastic pollution–and introduce workable technology and policy solutions that can, if implemented in time, change things for the better.
Cayman Islands
FORCE BLUE is a new nonprofit 501(c)(3) initiative that seeks to unite the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation for the betterment of both. FORCE BLUE gives former combat divers and SOF veterans the chance to experience and explore one of the most critically endangered ecosystems on the planet and to adapt their training and teamwork to aid in its protection.
Help us. Help vets. Help the planet.
Joe goes up to Big Bear to tell his three buddies (Adam Brody, Tyler Labine and Zachary Knighton) that his wedding is off, and thus so is his bachelor party. So they do what any good friends would; they throw darts at his head until he spills the whole truth. When Joe admits that his fiancé is in love with some other Dude they insist that what he needs is to stay the course and party, like a bachelor. It’s the next day that things really take a turn when Joe finds that his friends have kidnapped the Dude and now he’s tied up in the basement.
Adam Brody, Tyler Labine and Zachary Knighton all grew mustaches for the film, some came in better than others!
United States
Shero is a story of an imperfect female superhero trying to save a very imperfect world.
A former super model, (named Elizabeth Jones), has been granted powers beyond those of mere mortals. However, the price tag for those powers have caused her to stop before she's barely started. The social media obsessed world we live in can be a cruel and sometimes ignorant place. Elizabeth Jones wants no part of it.
Watch as she is put to the test in a one-on-one interview with a high powered reporter. Elizabeth tries to explain the unexplainable. The interview turns to the worst and what happens at the end…
…SHERO…I warned everyone...
United States
Learn all the details of what really happens when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. From egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, this is an incredible look at their journey, as told by the QuadSquad kids.
Cayman Islands
FOOD, FASHION AND FILM DINNER AT BLUE BY ERIC RIPERT
This elegant four-course, wine-pairing experience will feature cuisine personally prepared and presented by Chef Eric Ripert, who, along with CayFilm celebrities and Hollywood industry professionals, will provide the ultimate epicurean adventure.
CI $325 per person. For reservations, please call (345) 815-6912.
Blue Air is a narrative short film about a young mother and her daughter who gain strength and inspiration from the great outdoors.
Written by Erin Derham and Paul Schattel
http://www.blueairfilm.com
The 25 minute documentary takes you on a breathtaking journey through space. By using pedagogic top-quality animations and spectacular solar imagery from NASA satellites it tells the full story of the northern lights from myth to science. The film is packed with interesting historical anecdotes and includes tips about how to take your own stunning aurora photos.
It includes some of the world’s best photography and time lapse sequences of the northern lights. The film also contains brand new - never seen before - graphics and animations specially made for this documentary. In particular how the particles form the Sun run along Earths magnetic field - colliding with atoms - exciting them to emit light.
Norway
Follow Alice Waters (b. April 28, 1944) through a year of seasonal shopping and cooking, and discover both the recipes and vision of an artist and an advocate. She and her now-famous restaurant Chez Panisse became a major force behind the way Americans eat and think about food, launching the explosion of local farmers’ markets and redesigned supermarket produce departments. Distressed by the food she saw in public schools, Waters started an organic garden with an integrated curriculum at the Martin Luther King Middle School near her house, an idea inspired by The Garden Project at the San Francisco county jail. The idea of an Edible Schoolyard has now spread across the U.S. – and inspired similar programs worldwide. She is an activist with a flawless palette who has taken her gift for food and turned it into consciousness about the environment and nutrition, and a device for social change. Originally broadcast March 2003. Directed by Doug Hamilton. A production of THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC’s American Masters for WNET.
Avital Zeisler is a self-defense expert and motivational speaker. This once professional dancer, who trained at the National Ballet School of Canada, overcame the trauma of an assault, leading her to re-define self-defense for herself, and other women. After studying self-defense in Israel, she began her career as a hand to hand combat instructor, specializing in Krav Maga, the self-defense system of the Israeli Defense Forces. In addition to her street self-defense training, Avital also has a strong foundation in the martial arts. This includes: Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Avital has had the privilege of working with military personnel, law enforcement and security specialists around the world. Avital’s work and teaching experience covers a wide range of specialized topics including: Close Quarter Civilian Protection, Violence Prevention Tactics, Security Operational Planning & Consulting, and Military Style Athletic Conditioning. In addition to her self-defense instruction, Avital is a certified ACE (American Council of Exercise) personal fitness trainer.
Avital brings a unique and authentic approach to self-defense when taught to women. Avital strongly endorses the concept that all individuals should have the knowledge to protect themselves. In this regard, she has developed her signature self defense training system known as The Soteria Method.™ Her system brings women a unique and exclusive method of self-defense, fitness and empowerment - as a guide towards living life to it’s fullest, while being armed with the knowledge to defend themselves mentally and physically against a violent threat or attack. The Soteria Method™ offers several types of programs including: Corporate Seminars, Public Workshops and Community and School Programs. Avital travels globally to bring her program to women everywhere.
Avital also trains and works with several actors for their roles on popular television shows such as The Blacklist (NBC), The Americans (FX Network), and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.(ABC).
So whether teaching a corporate seminar to executives, introducing a group of high school girls to self defense or sharing her knowledge on The Huffington Post, Avital strongly endorses the concept that women take charge of their safety; thus affording women the ability to live and protect their best life. She lives her life as a testament to her belief that trauma can be overcome in a positive and meaningful way.
Lifelong friends, Danny and Marcus, must confront their differences or allow it to finally drive a wedge in their relationship.
Fear of change and the unknown can cripple forward momentum. At the end of the day, hot-button issues debated in public forum affect day to day lives with real consequences
United States
Songs Of Redemption is a Jamaican documentary made in the prisons of Kingston.
Songs Of Redemption captures the moving story of redemption and rehabilitation of inmates of the General Penitentiary located in Kingston, Jamaica. The film features riveting interviews and powerful reggae music created, performed, and produced in a unique partnership by inmates and wardens.
Trinidad
I Go Back Home – Jimmy Scott tells the story of jazz legend Jimmy Scott, and disillusioned producer and composer Ralf Kemper who took on the journey to produce an album with the almost-forgotten icon.
Jimmy Scott, friend of Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and one of the last connections to the golden age of jazz, was described as “perhaps the most unjustly ignored American singer of the 20th century,” by the New York Times.
Personally discontented, Kemper becomes obsessed with the idea of bringing attention to his hero, but it takes a tragedy to put his thoughts into action.
By the time Kemper and Scott meet, Scott is 85 years-old and living in obscurity in Las Vegas. Reliant on his wife and reliant on a wheelchair, Kemper is shocked by Jimmy’s surprisingly bad health condition which puts his dream at risk before it even begins. While Ralf’s problems grow, Jimmy’s bloom more and more.
Ralf gathers some of the most important jazz musicians in the studio in tribute for Scott. Together with many of Scott’s old friends like Quincy Jones, Joe Pesci and James Moody, Kemper pursues his dream. He can’t give up. He spares no expense and reaches the limits of what can be done to capture Jimmy’s unique voice in a race against time.
United States
Join world-renowned chef José Andrés on an exploration of the most unknown – and some say, the most beautiful – island in the Caribbean. While most Americans know Haiti only through its disasters (earthquake, hurricane, poverty), José explores the UNDISCOVERED HAITI. As a chef and humanitarian, José is convinced we can change the world through the power of food, and understand a culture by exploring what, when and how its people eat.
José experiences the authentic traditions and rituals of Haiti, from making cassava bread to midnight gatherings with voodoo priests. He dives deep into Haiti’s natural beauty, taking you to ancient waterfalls and untouched coastlines. He hunts for land crabs and mythical mushrooms in its lush forests, and tastes local specialties on the bustling streets of Port-Au-Prince. We learn the history behind Haiti's incredible historic sites like the Citadel and tour a 150 year-old rum factory.
Friends such as former President Bill Clinton and Chef Mario Batali even join José along the way.
In the spirit of both adventure and exploration, UNDISCOVERED HAITI WITH JOSÉ ANDRÉS follows Jose into the heart of this mysterious island; through it’s unique cuisine we discover the history and culture – and see into the future – of a proud and rarely understood people.
Spain
The actors of Saint Petersburg theatre "Bitkom" were given a camera and one simple task: documenting their surroundings. How does an actor live? Who are they, people capable of controlling viewer’s emotions from a stage? And, if for a viewer, theatre begins with a coat hanger, where does it begin and where does it end for an actor?
The film characters are trying to formulate answers to seemingly simple questions. Attempting to take a look inside themselves, they raise the curtain in front of an audience, allowing a look at what is usually hidden from view. Rehearsals, corporate parties and concerts, movie shoots and music videos, families, children, common everyday joys and sorrows. They’re ordinary people, and yet, so unlike most of us: do they act in their everyday life, or do they live on stage?
Russia
Experience a century of food through the life of one man, James Beard (1903-1985). Dubbed the “Dean of American Cookery” by The New York Times, Beard was a Portland, Ore., native who loved and celebrated the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. He spoke of the importance of localism and sustainability long before those terms had entered the vernacular. At a time of “all things French,” Beard appreciated what America had to bring to the table, and was the first chef to go on television to teach not only women, but men, how to cook. A cookbook author, journalist, television celebrity and teacher, Beard helped to pioneer and expand the food media industry into the billion-dollar business it is today. Written and Directed by Elizabeth Federici. Produced by Elizabeth Federici and Kathleen Squires. A production of Federici Films LLC and THIRTEEN PRODUCTIONS LLC’s American Masters for WNET.
'At some point,' Rafael tells Arzu, 'people walk together ... and then their ways part ... each destined to follow the labyrinth of their own inner city ...'
Arzu, a young girl growing up in contemporary Azerbaijan, falls in love with Rafael, her piano teacher's son, a veteran of the Karabakh War. Twice her age and unable to escape from the ravages of war, Rafael is forced to live on the edge of a society that sees him as a 'cripple.' Arzu, desperate to escape from the same repressive society which confines women to a strict, narrow path, chooses Rafael over her family and friends - but threatened by Arzu's mother, and guided by the wisdom born out of his own brokenness, Rafael makes the supreme sacrifice of love ...
Azerbaijan
Local designers Isy Obi, Olivia B and Kenzie Rose will be bringing their unique styles and fashion flair to the red carpet during the 2017 CayFilm Cayman International Film Festival which takes place from 30 June to 3 July at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. The trio will also be hosting a Q&A session on Monday, 3 July for aspiring fashion designers and people who are interested in the industry. Fashion is one of the new elements of the Festival this year. The event will also focus on food as well as film.
“Film and fashion are two industries that are very interrelated. Apart from the catwalk, the red carpet is the next best place for seeing the latest fashion trends worn by the Who’s Who in the fashion and entertainment worlds,” said Festival Director Tony Mark. “We want to showcase both the artists and their designs at the Festival. The quality of their work speaks for itself and we hope that CayFilm will expose them to a new, international and local clientele.”
The Isy B brand was founded by Isy Obi, and embodies the ease, glamour and understated refinement of modern island style. It is inspired by a love of contemporary design forms, a passion for all beautiful things, and the rich cultural diversity and uniquely cosmopolitan lifestyle of the Cayman Islands. Obi won the Designer of the Year award at Phoenix Fashion Week in 2016, and says she lives her dream every day, translating her passion for life, and her love for fashion into designing vibrant collections that make women feel special.
Olivia B first stepped onto the scene as a designer in 2014 at the Fashion At Heart Red Dress event in Grand Cayman, and in 2015 debuted her very first collection at Allure Fashion Weekend which was met with overwhelming support. Her second ready-to-wear collection ‘Parallel’, hit the runway at Cayman Islands Fashion Week in April 2016, which was another success. Recently, Olivia was selected by COSME (Caribbean Overseas Small to Medium Enterprise funded by the EU) to attend the 8th Annual BVI Summer Sizzle as an emerging designer from the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) and showcased at Nolcha Shows New York Fashion Week as an upcoming designer to watch.
K.Rose Cayman Islands is a fashion design house based out of George Town, Grand Cayman, which was launched in the spring of 2015.Founder and head designer Kenzie Rose has been sewing and designing since childhood;Her current collection for this season is titled “Gemini”, and explores the two very different sides of her design esthetic in honor of her 30th birthday this year. On top of showing this collection at CayFilm 2017; she will be showing at BVI Summer Sizzle 2017, Tortola, British Virgin Islands in July. She also hopes to present a future showing of her designs to fundraise and bring awareness to burn treatment, and a future burn survivors network locally.
The Sereer people groups live in an ancient culture that was historically steeped in Animism, Voodoo and spirit worship. In the past two centuries modern Islam has taken a stronghold here. The people hold fast to the pillars of Islam. They pray five times a day, they fast during Ramadan, They give to the poor (though they are incredibly poor themselves). It seems they so desperately want to please God, but they don’t know God because they don’t know the truth about who Jesus is.
Short-term missionaries Alton and Barbara Lanier have made many trips to Senegal, each time bringing with them a team of other like-minded believers. Their goal is simple, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those among the Sereer who have never heard. They have invested themselves in the lives of the people; building real relationships and becoming like family to them.
Incredibly, in one village they have even been given permission by the chief’s eldest son to teach Christ to the children in the schools. “Perhaps they will be the generation who believes your message,” he said, though he himself professes Mohammed and does not believe in Christ. A door to these hearts, hungry for the gospel has been flung wide open for a season. But it is not clear how long this door will remain open.
United States
Being officially released at this May's 70th Festival de Cannes 2017 Short Film Corner, in "Darkroom" an overbearing father finds his teenage son has transformed the basement of their New York townhouse into an amateur darkroom. There the boy develops gruesome and voyeuristic images from his late-night crime scene photography.
The 2017 Academy Awards show opened with Justin Timberlake flanked by dancers busting #Do The Philip moves created in “Darkroom” father Phillip E. Walker’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling” official music video florist principal dancer performance.
www.DoThePhilip.com
United States
