The Inbox (Sep. 27-Oct. 3, 2014)

Every week, I get several press releases, screening invitations and other notifications from a handful of studio contacts. While I won’t be sharing any information regarding my screening invites, some of the press releases might be of interest to my readers, so I thought I’d start sharing them in toto with all of you. These could include new image galleries for various films or important updates to upcoming releases from various smaller studios and art house production companies.

Image Gallery: The Best of Me

Visit the Gallery Here

Press Release: Partnerships Launch to Encourage Young Female Directors

HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS UNITE WITH MEDIA COMPANIES AND ENTERTAINMENT ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG FEMALE DIRECTORS

Veteran Producers Christine Vachon, Lynette Howell, and Cassian Elwes Partner with Twitter, Vimeo, The Black List, Sundance Institute, Women In Film, and Indiegogo to Establish the Horizon Award and Launch Crowdfunding Campaign

LOS ANGELES, CA (September 30, 2014)–The disparity between the numbers of female to male directors is well established. According to a study published in 2012 by Women In Film and Sundance Institute, females made up only 9% of directors in the top 250 domestic highest grossing films of that year. In order to tackle this issue, acclaimed producers Christine Vachon, Lynette Howell and Cassian Elwes in partnership with Twitter, Vimeo, The Black List, Sundance Institute, Woman in Film and IndieGogo, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform, have established the Horizon Award: a competitive accolade intended to help young female directors break into the movie business.

Today, the Horizon award is launching a campaign on Indiegogo to help fund the award. The goal is to raise $15,000, of which the first $5,000 will be matched by Elwes. The money raised by the campaign will help cover travel, lodging, any other necessary expenditure in Park City, as well as the further development of the award in years to come.

Contribute to the Indiegogo campaign here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/horizon-award/x/4216615

The Horizon Award is open exclusively to women and will focus on students who are currently in college or recent graduates (within 6 months of graduation). The winner will have the chance to travel with an all-expense paid trip to the 2015 Sundance Film Festival under the mentorship of Vachon (BOYS DON’T CRY, KILL YOUR DARLINGS), Howell (BLUE VALENTINE, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES), and Elwes (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER) and other prominent power players (such as Michelle Satter of Sundance Institute and Cathy Schulman of Women In Film) in order to give them some insight into the film business and its inner workings. The producers hope this life-changing experience will help the lucky winner understand this competitive field and provide them with experience that will guide them in their future career.

“Our hope is that this initiative will help us identify talent early so we can help these young female filmmakers navigate the hurdles that currently exist in our business,” said Elwes.

“Women In Film believes that real life experiences and hands-on mentorship are foundational requirements to help women in media be active in overcoming gender disparity. We’re thrilled to be a partner in this terrific project that Cassian, Christine and Lynette have designed,” said Women In Film President Cathy Schulman.

The application process calls for candidates to submit a self-directed film that is two minutes or less to the Horizon Award’s website (www.horizonaward.org ). A blue ribbon panel of notable female directors (to be announced later) will then review each of the submitted films, with the winner to be chosen by Vachon, Howell, and Elwes. Applications begin immediately and will end November 30th. 2014.

It’s time to level the playing field for women in the movie industry and it starts here.

Press Release: Production Begins on “A Monster Calls”

A MONSTER CALLS BEGINS PRODUCTION

DIRECTED BY JUAN ANTONIO BAYONA, FILM SLATED FOR FALL 2016 RELEASE

VANCOUVER, BC and SANTA MONICA, CA, September 30, 2014 – Production has begun on A Monster Calls, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, Goya Award-winning director of the worldwide smash The Impossible. Participant Media and River Road Entertainment are financing the Apaches Entertainment production, in association with Telecinco Cinema and La Trini Films. The film, adapted by Patrick Ness from his award-winning children’s fantasy novel, will be released by Focus Features domestically; Universal Pictures International for its theatrical and home entertainment release in Spain; and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) International is handling foreign sales throughout the rest of the world. A Monster Calls is slated for a fall 2016 release.

A Monster Calls is a visually spectacular drama about 12-year-old Conor (newcomer Lewis MacDougall) who attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones, who stars in Focus’ fall release The Theory of Everything) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss and faith. The cast also includes Academy Award nominees Liam Neeson, who will star in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting monster of the title, and Sigourney Weaver, who will portray Conor’s maternal grandmother; Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), as Conor’s father; and Geraldine Chaplin, who is making her third movie with Mr. Bayona.

The new film is being produced by Belén Atienza, who was a producer on Mr. Bayona’s The Impossible, released by Lionsgate’s Summit label, and The Orphanage; and an executive producer on Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, which won three Academy Awards. Mr. Bayona won a Goya Award, Spain’s Oscars equivalent, for The Impossible, which grossed more than $180 million at the worldwide box office and which earned actress Naomi Watts an Academy Award nomination.

Mr. Ness wrote the novel based on an original idea by the late Siobhan Dowd. Published in almost 30 languages, the novel has won many prestigious prizes worldwide, including the distinguished Carnegie Medal and, for illustrator Jim Kay, the Kate Greenaway Medal.

A Monster Calls is being executive-produced by Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King; River Road’s Bill Pohlad and Mitch Horwits; Mr. Ness; and Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairman Patrick Wachsberger. Principal photography will take place in both Spain and England.

“A Monster Calls is a beloved and iconic book, and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to create a world of monsters and fantasy that does it justice,” said Mr. Bayona remarked, “I’m also delighted to rejoin much of my creative team from The Impossible, and I couldn’t ask for a more talented and prestigious cast, and a more supportive group of studio partners, to help bring this incredible project to the screen.”

The creative team on A Monster Calls also includes production designer Eugenio Caballero, an Academy Award winner for Pan’s Labyrinth who previously collaborated with the director on The Impossible; costume designer Steven Noble (The Theory of Everything); and cinematographer Óscar Faura, who shot both The Impossible and The Orphanage for Mr. Bayona.

Ms. Atienza added, “Juan Antonio’s interpretation will bring this story into his own territory. Once again, we are making a movie with both huge technical challenges and a very intimate story that requires great sensitivity.”

Press Release: Principal Photography Concludes on “The Sea of Trees”

“THE SEA OF TREES” CONCLUDES PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN JAPAN AND MASSACHUSETTS

Two-time Oscar® Nominee Gus Van Sant Directs Academy Award® Winner Best Actor Matthew McConaughey and Nominees Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts

Two-time Oscar nominated producer Gil Netter, Ken Kao, Kevin Halloran produce the original screenplay written by Chris Sparling

TOKYO, JAPAN (September 30, 2014) –Two-time Oscar nominated director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) has wrapped principal photography on THE SEA OF TREES, which filmed on location in Japan and Massachusetts, starring Oscar winner Mathew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, Mud, The Wolf of Wall Street), Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (Inception, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai) and two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts (The Impossible, 21 Grams, King Kong, Mulholland Drive). The cast also includes actors Katie Aselton (star of FX’s The League) and Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black).

Arthur Brennan (McConaughey) treks into Aokigahara, known as the The Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan’s Mount Fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. Having found the perfect place to die, Arthur encounters Takumi Nakamura (Watanabe), a Japanese man who has also lost his way. The two men begin a journey of reflection and survival, which affirms Arthur’s will to live and reconnects him to his love with his wife (Watts).

The producers of THE SEA OF TREES are Gil Netter, nominated for Oscars for Life of Pi and The Blind Side, Ken Kao (The Nice Guys, Silence, Rampart, Knight of Cups), Kevin Halloran (Million Dollar Arm, Parental Guidance, Water For Elephants). Also producing are F. Gary Gray, Brian Dobbins, Allen Fischer and Chris Sparling, based on the original screenplay written by Chris Sparling (Buried).

Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s international sales, production and financing company, BLOOM, launched and introduced THE SEA OF TREES to buyers in Cannes, and by the end of the festival had virtually sold out the world. Postproduction work is now underway in Los Angeles.

THE SEA OF TREES was filmed on location in the Kanto region of Japan, including Tokyo, Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures as well as within Aokigahara (aka The Sea of Trees) located at the foothills of Mt. Fuji in Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture.

Principal photography commenced in Massachusetts, late July on location in Purgatory Chasm, Ashland State Park, Blackstone State Park, Douglas State Park, F. Gilbert Hills State Park and the Worcester area: Clark University, Worcester Municipal Airport and One Exchange Place, where the film’s production office was also based. The City of Worcester’s Cultural Development Office, Worcester Police Department, Department of public works and Business Assistance provided local location support for the production.

Gus Van Sant’s creative team on THE SEA OF TREES includes editor Pietro Scalia who garnered Oscars JFK and Black Hawk Down and was Oscar nominated for Good Will Hunting and Gladiator, director of photography Kasper Tuxen (Beginners), Emmy nominated production designer Alex DiGerlando (Beasts of the Southern Wild, HBO’s True Detective), Oscar nominated costume designer Danny Glicker (Milk, Up In The Air) and makeup department head Felicity Bowring (The Bourne Legacy, The Social Network). The music supervisor for THE SEA OF TREES is KCRW’s twice Grammy nominated Chris Douridas known in the motion picture industry for his work on Grosse Point Blank, American Beauty, As Good As It Gets, Heat, One Hour Photo, Down With Love, The Girl Next Door, The Chumscrubber, Northern Exposure, Shrek 2, the Austin Powers series and upcoming, Ride.

Press Release: American Film Market Welcomes New Exhibitors for 2014

AMERICAN FILM MARKET SET TO WELCOME OVER 70 NEW EXHIBITORS TO 2014 EDITION

Market to receive more than 90 new buying companies as South Korea emerges with largest number of newcomers

Los Angeles, CA – October 01, 2014 – The American Film Market (AFM), taking place between the 5th and 12th November is set to welcome over 70 new exhibiting companies, with 90 new buyers also expected to descend upon Santa Monica next month as the market continues to grow year on year. The new buyers are coming in from 35 different countries, with over 80 nations now set to be represented by buyers at the market. South Korea is bringing in the most new buyers – with its 16 incoming buying companies topping the United States’ 14 fresh representatives.

Jonathan Wolf, Managing Director of the AFM commented, “The evolving marketplace is creating opportunities for new distributors and entrepreneurs in Asia and around the world. We look forward to welcoming this diverse group of first-time participants to Santa Monica.”

Led by the likes of Boxoo Entertainment Ltd., United Media, and Lumixmedia Inc., South Korea’s rising prominence at the AFM, alongside new representatives from China (China DBSTAR Co. Ltd., Le Vision Pictures, Ruby’s Culture Media Co. Ltd., Taihe Legend Film, and TG-Town [Beijing] Pictures Co., Ltd) and Hong Kong (Bravos Pictures Limited, China 3D Digital Distribution Ltd., and Sun Entertainment Culture Limited), highlights continued growth in the region and the importance placed on US-Asian crossover potential.

On the exhibition side, the strong numbers of new exhibitors are split between 16 countries, taking the total amount of nations represented by exhibiting companies to over 40. Companies participating for the first time include: the UK’s Metrodome International; China’s Tianjin North Film Group and, from the United States, Broad Green Pictures – which made significant acquisitions at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.

Press Release: “Ambition” Premieres October 24

AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER TOMEK BAGIŃSKI’S ‘AMBITION’, STARRING AIDAN GILLEN AND AISLING FRANCIOSI, TO PREMIERE IN BFI SCI-FI FILM SEASON OCTOBER 24TH

LONDON, October 2nd, 2014: Poland’s Platige Image announced today that Tomek Bagiński’s latest project, AMBITION, starring Aidan Gillen (GAME OF THRONES) and Aisling Franciosi (THE FALL), will have its international premiere in London on Friday 24th October 2014 as part of the BFI (British Film Institute) celebration of Sci-Fi film and television, Days of Fear and Wonder.

Shot on location in rugged Iceland, AMBITION, tells of a young apprentice (Franciosi) struggling to master nanotechnology on an alien world and prove herself to Gillen’s enigmatic master. Will her herculean goals remain tantalisingly out of reach, or will she fulfil them and in the process, change life as we know it?

Today’s trailer is accompanied by a sweeping digital campaign asking the public to reveal their ultimate ambitions. They are invited to head to @AmbitionTheFilm on Twitter and Instagram to join in and announce the extent of their ambitions using #MyAmbition. The very best suggestions will be showcased at the premiere.

Tomek Bagiński said: “This is a project, ultimately, about great ambition: the power of the human spirit and our collective will to exceed all perceived boundaries. As our heroes seek out and close in on the very key to life, it goes beyond mere cinematic tropes to deal with the bolder universal themes of facing the future, battling uncertainty and showing the determination that makes us great. But it’s not all that it seems!”

Rhidian Davis of the BFI added: “A perfect fit for our hugely ambitious Sci-Fi Season, Tomek Bagiński’s project is certainly one to keep a very close eye on, both in London and beyond.”

Press Release: Steve Martin Receives AFI Life Achievement Award

STEVE MARTIN TO RECEIVE 43RD AFI LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

America’s Highest Honor for a Career in Film to be Presented June 4, 2015

Tribute will Air on TNT in June 2015, and Encore on Turner Classic Movies

LOS ANGELES, CA, October 3, 2014 – Sir Howard Stringer, Chair of the American Film Institute’s Board of Trustees, announced today the Board’s decision to honor Steve Martin with the 43rd AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film. The award will be presented to Martin at a gala tribute in Los Angeles, CA on June 4, 2015. The 43rd AFI Life Achievement Award tribute special will return for its third year on TNT when it airs in June 2015, followed by encore presentations on sister network Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

“Steve Martin is an American original,” said Stringer. “From a wild and crazy stand-up comic to one who stands tall among the great figures in this American art form, he is a multi-layered creative force bound by neither convention nor caution. His work is defined by him alone, for he is the author – and a national treasure whose work has stuck with us like an arrow in the head. AFI is proud to present him with its 43rd Life Achievement Award.”

One of the most diversified performers and acclaimed artists of his generation, Steve Martin is an actor, comedian, author, playwright, screenwriter, producer and musician. Recipient of an Emmy®, four Grammy® Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor and an Honorary Oscar®, Martin first rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian and quickly established himself as a leading man with a body of work defined by his unique creative voice.

Martin began his career writing for THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR – and in 1969, won an Emmy® for his work. Through the 1970s, he appeared on a number of memorable TV shows – including iconic spots on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE – as well as comedy essays and albums. The big screen beckoned. Martin’s first film was a seven-minute short he wrote and starred in, THE ABSENT-MINDED WAITER. The film was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Short Film, Live Action in 1977. In 1979, he had a break-out role as the sweet and clueless “Navin Johnson” in THE JERK (which Martin also co-wrote). It was a perfect showcase for his distinct comedic sensibilities – earnest, innocent and absurd – and it launched him into the zeitgeist. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981) followed, and he went on to become a bankable big-screen star, with distinct roles in films such as DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID (1982), THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS (1983), THREE AMIGOS! (1986), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986) and DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988) – while also embodying an endearing everyman in ALL OF ME (1984), PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987), ROXANNE (1987) and FATHER OF THE BRIDE parts I and II (1991, 1995). He proved himself more than just a funnyman in bittersweet ensemble works including PARENTHOOD (1989), GRAND CANYON (1991), L.A. STORY (1991) and SHOPGIRL (2005) – a film which he wrote based on his own novella of the same name.

In addition to his beloved film credits and his successful writing career, Martin is also an accomplished musician. Martin recently premiered his new musical BRIGHT STAR, at the Old Globe Theater featuring original music by Martin and songwriter Edie Brickell, inspired by their Grammy® Award-winning collaboration “Love Has Come For You.”

About Steve Martin
Steve Martin was born in Waco, Texas but was raised mostly in Southern California. As a teenager, Martin sold guidebooks and performed magic tricks at Disneyland – honing his craft among seasoned performers at the Happiest Place On Earth. He studied philosophy at Long Beach State College but eventually transferred to the theater program at the University of California, Los Angeles – before leaving college altogether to become a comedy writer for THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR, winning an Emmy® Award in 1969.

In the 1970s, Martin performed stand-up comedy in local clubs, wrote for THE SONNY AND CHER COMEDY HOUR and appeared on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON and SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. In 1979, he brought his offbeat humor to his first starring role in a feature film with THE JERK, which he also co-wrote.

Among Martin’s additional credits are DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID (1982), ALL OF ME (1984), LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986), ¡THREE AMIGOS! (1986), ROXANNE (1987), DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS (1988), L.A. STORY (1991), FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1991), CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (2003), SHOPGIRL (2005) and THE PINK PANTHER (2006).

He has also released four comedy albums between 1977 and 1981, winning GRAMMY® Awards for “Let’s Get Small” and “A Wild and Crazy Guy.” He received a gold record for his hit comedy song “King Tut” and recently won another GRAMMY® – Best American Roots Song for “Love Has Come For You,” off his nominated album of the same name. An accomplished playwright and essayist, he wrote his first book – “Cruel Shoes” – in 1977.

About the AFI Life Achievement Award
The highest honor given for a career in film, the AFI Life Achievement Award was established by the AFI Board of Trustees in 1973. It is presented to a single honoree each year based on the following criteria as mandated through a resolution passed by the AFI Board of Trustees:

“The recipient should be one whose talent has in a fundamental way advanced the film art; whose accomplishment has been acknowledged by scholars, critics, professional peers and the general public; and whose work has stood the test of time.”

Most recently, the 42nd AFI Life Achievement Award tribute brought together the film community to honor Jane Fonda. AFI Life Achievement Award recipient Michael Douglas (2009) presented the award, while past honorees Robert De Niro (2003), Morgan Freeman (2011) and Meryl Streep (2004) paid tribute to Fonda and her diverse talent. Among Fonda’s family, friends and collaborators who shared stories about the honoree were Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Sally Field, Peter Fonda, Troy Garity, Eva Longoria and Lily Tomlin.

AFI Life Achievement Award Recipients
Steve Martin joins an esteemed group of individuals who have been chosen for this distinguished honor since its inception in 1973.

1973 John Ford
1974 James Cagney
1975 Orson Welles
1976 William Wyler
1977 Bette Davis
1978 Henry Fonda
1979 Alfred Hitchcock
1980 James Stewart
1981 Fred Astaire
1982 Frank Capra
1983 John Huston
1984 Lillian Gish
1985 Gene Kelly
1986 Billy Wilder
1987 Barbara Stanwyck
1988 Jack Lemmon
1989 Gregory Peck
1990 David Lean
1991 Kirk Douglas
1992 Sidney Poitier
1993 Elizabeth Taylor
1994 Jack Nicholson
1995 Steven Spielberg
1996 Clint Eastwood
1997 Martin Scorsese
1998 Robert Wise
1999 Dustin Hoffman
2000 Harrison Ford
2001 Barbra Streisand
2002 Tom Hanks
2003 Robert De Niro
2004 Meryl Streep
2005 George Lucas
2006 Sean Connery
2007 Al Pacino
2008 Warren Beatty
2009 Michael Douglas
2010 Mike Nichols
2011 Morgan Freeman
2012 Shirley MacLaine
2013 Mel Brooks
2014 Jane Fonda

About the American Film Institute
AFI is America’s promise to preserve the history of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers. AFI programs include the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and AFI Archive, which preserve film heritage for future generations; the AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor for a career in film; AFI Awards, honoring the most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year; AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies television events and movie reference lists, which have introduced and reintroduced classic American movies to millions of film lovers; year-round and special event exhibition through AFI FEST presented by Audi, AFI DOCS and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center; and educating the next generation of storytellers at the world-renowned AFI Conservatory.

Press Release: “Private Peaceful” Open October 31

BBC WORLDWIDE NORTH AMERICA OPENS PAT O’CONNOR’S PRIVATE PEACEFUL IN NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES ON OCTOBER 31, 2014

FILM ADAPTED FROM WAR HORSE AUTHOR MICHAEL MORPURGO’S NOVEL GOES NATIONWIDE LATER THIS YEAR

New York – October 3, 2014 – BBC Worldwide North America announces the New York and Los Angeles theatrical premiere of Private Peaceful, a feature film directed by Pat O’Connor (Dancing at Lughnasa, Sweet November). Adapted from the best-selling novel by former children’s laureate Michael Morpurgo (War Horse), the World War I film stars two of the UK’s most promising young actors, Jack O’Connell (Starred Up, Unbroken) and George Mackay (Pride, Defiance), and features Richard Griffiths’ (The Harry Potter series, The History Boys) final performance.

Set to open on October 31, 2014, at New York’s AMC Empire 25 and Los Angeles’ Laemmle’s Playhouse 7, Private Peaceful will expand to other markets nationwide in late 2014 and early 2015.

Jack O’Connell as Charlie Peaceful

Private Peaceful tells the story of two devoted brothers who struggle through a harsh childhood and adolescence in rural Devon, England, before enlisting in the military for the First World War. They experience the brutal realities of the trenches and the killing fields of Flanders, and are forced to make life-altering choices in order to remain loyal to each other through the dehumanizing reality of this unprecedented war.

Told from the viewpoint of Tommo Peaceful (George Mackay), a young child who looks up to his resourceful big brother Charlie (Jack O’Connell), Private Peaceful is also a powerful coming of age story about two brothers who fall in love with the same girl and must adapt to the evolving pressures of their feudal family life. When Charlie and Tommo enlist and join thousands of other unsuspecting young men in experiencing the horrors of trench warfare, they instinctively look out for each other – until a terrible incident reveals to them the heartless, brutal nature of war.

The release of Private Peaceful continues BBC Worldwide North America’s commitment to marking the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War with high-quality theatrical releases, allowing US audiences to reflect upon an event that changed world history. Earlier this summer, BBC Worldwide North America organized a series of free theatrical screenings in over 40 markets, featuring new and rare films about World War I.

Best known in the US for his best-selling novel War Horse, which became a phenomenal success on Broadway and an Oscar®-nominated film directed by Steven Spielberg, Morpurgo describes Private Peaceful as “my most powerful book.” He serves as executive producer on this film.

Press Release: Winnners Announced for 2014 San Diego Film Festival

2014 SAN DIEGO FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ALL COMPETITION AND AUDIENCE AWARD RECIPIENTS

Where the Road Runs Out wins Best Narrative Feature award; Waiting for Mamu wins Best Documentary

SAN DIEGO, CA (October 3, 2014) – The San Diego Film Festival, produced by the San Diego Film Foundation, announced today its full line up of 2014 Competition and Audience Award recipients. The 13th edition of the festival was held from September 24th through September 28th in San Diego, CA., with a special tribute night event “Variety’s Night of the Stars: A Tribute” that took place on September 25th. The complete festival line-up and awards list is available at www.sandiegofilmfestival.com

Please note the following 2014 Competition Award Winners:
Best Narrative Feature – Where the Road Runs Out
Best Documentary – Waiting for Mamu
Best International – Schimbare
Best Narrative Short – The Bravest and the Boldest
Best Animated Film – Dam Keeper
Kumeyaay Award – Sycuan: Our People. Our Culture. Our History.
U-T San Diego Award – Where the Road Runs Out
Chairman’s Award – The Hornet’s Nest

Also please note the following 2014 Audience Award Winners:
Best Gala Film – The Imitation Game
Best Feature – Cas & Dylan
Best Documentary – Waiting for Mamu
Best Short – Sure Thing
Best International – Noble
In addition, the 2014 tribute award winners included Alan Arkin (inaugural Gregory Peck Award), Beau Bridges (Cinema Vanguard Award), Michelle Monaghan (Excellence in Acting Award), Alison Pill (Virtuoso Award), Saginaw Grant (American Legacy Award), Eli Roth (Visionary Filmmaker Award) and John Hill (2014 Chris Brinker Award).

To keep up to date with the San Diego Film Festival, visit www.sdfilmfest.com, “Like” on Facebook (Facebook.com/SanDiegoFilmFestival), “Follow” on Twitter/SDFilmFestival, and join the conversation using the hashtag #SDFilmFest.