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: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• Press Release: Dubai International Film Festival
• Press Release: Brigade Films 2012 Preview

Image Gallery: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Gallery

Press Release: Dubai International Film Festival

8th Dubai International Film Festival unveils 171 films from 56 nations, combining substance, star power, and industry offerings

• 46 world premieres, 25 international premieres and 78 Middle East premieres.
• Award-winning films and A-list talent from the Americas, Europe, Asia Africa and the Arab world.
• 89 films vie for prestigious Muhr Awards with total prize money of over US$600,000.

The Festival, which runs December 7 to 14, spans feature, documentary and short films, including numerous new premieres including 46 world premieres, 25 international premieres, 78 Middle East premieres and seven GCC premieres. The films, made in more than 32 languages from Cantonese to Catalan, populate DIFF’s three Arab, AsiaAfrica and Emirati competitions and its popular out-of-competition segments dedicated to children’s, Indian and world cinema among others.

The DIFF 2011 selection also headlines a robust showing of contemporary Arab cinema, with more than 70 biopics, comedies, dramas and love stories from the Arabian Peninsula, Levant and North Africa. More than half of these – 37 – are making their global debuts in Dubai; an additional nine are international premieres

The Dubai International Film Festival is presented by the Investment Corporation of Dubai and held in association with Dubai Studio City. Dubai Duty Free, Dubai Pearl, Emirates Airline and Madinat Jumeirah, home to the Dubai International Film Festival, are the principal sponsors of DIFF. The Festival is supported by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority. For more and updated information about DIFF, please visit www.dubaifilmfest.com

Press Release: Brigade Films 2012 Preview

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Directed by David Gelb
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: Magnolia Films
Release Date: March 9, 2012

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar.

For most of his life, Jiro has been mastering the art of making sushi, but even at his age he sees himself still striving for perfection, working from sunrise to well beyond sunset to taste every piece of fish; meticulously train his employees; and carefully mold and finesse the impeccable presentation of each sushi creation. At the heart of this story is Jiro’s relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu, the worthy heir to Jiro’s legacy, who is unable to live up to his full potential in his father’s shadow.

The feature film debut of director David Gelb, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI is a thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection, chronicling Jiro’s life as both an unparalleled success in the culinary world, and a loving yet complicated father.

*Winner of the 2011 AFI Audience and Jury Award.

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye

A film by Marie Losier
Genre: Documentary
Distributor: Adopt Films
Release Date: March 9, 2012

Genesis P-Orridge has been one of the most innovative and influential figures in music and fine art for the last 30 years. Celebrated by critics and art historians as a progenitor of “industrial music”, his innovations have transformed the character of rock and electronic music while his prodigious efforts to expand the boundaries of live performance have radically altered the way people experience sound in a concert setting.

Defying artistic boundaries, Genesis has re-defined his art as a challenge to the limits of biology. In 2000, Genesis began a series of surgeries in order to more closely resemble his love, Lady Jaye (née Jacqueline Breyer), who remained his other half and artistic partner for nearly 15 years. It was the ultimate act of devotion, and Genesis’s most risky, ambitious, and subversive performance to date: he became a she in a triumphant act of artistic self-expression.

This is a love story, and a portrait of two lives that illustrate the transformative powers of both love and art. In warm and intimate images captured handheld, Marie Losier crafts a labyrinthine mise-en-scene of interviews, home movies, and performance footage.

Natural Selection

Written and directed by: Robbie Pickering
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Rachael Harris, Matt O’Leary, Jon Gries, John Diehl
Distributor: Cinema Guild
Release Date: March 2012

Linda White, a barren Christian housewife, leads a sheltered existence in suburban Texas. Her world is turned upside-down when she discovers that her dying husband, Abe, has a 23-year old illegitimate son named Raymond living in Florida. Somewhere on the edge of guilt and loneliness, Linda grants Abe’s final wish and sets off on a quixotic journey to find Raymond and bring him back before her husband passes away. Along the way, Linda’s wonderfully bizarre relationship with Raymond will teach her more about herself than she ever imagined possible and force her to come to terms with her troubled past.

*Nominated for two 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards: Best Actress (Rachael Harris) and Best First Feature.

Your Sister’s Sister

Writer/Director: Lynn Shelton
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt and Mark Duplass
Distributor: IFC Films
Release Date: June 22nd

Following the success of her Sundance award-winning film HUMPDAY, Lynn Shelton weaves another compellingly human story in YOUR SISTER’S SISTER. Lost in an emotional funk one year after his brother’s death, Jack (Mark Duplass) takes his best friend Iris (Emily Blunt) up on her offer for a reflective week of solitude at her family’s remote island retreat. Upon arriving at the house, Jack discovers that Iris’ sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) had the same idea, and the two spend an awkward evening together. Iris shows up the next morning unannounced, setting in motion an emotionally twisted tale of sisters, brothers, and best friends. Shelton once again honestly explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships while gently poking fun at her characters’ predicaments.