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Tag Archives: NYCIFF

Oscar Watch: Winter, The Most Important Film of 2015 You Must See

12 May 20157 April 2016
Official Winter poster.
Official Winter poster.

There are very few films that come into existence that becomes one of the most important films you need to see in your lifetime.  “Winter” from Heidi Greensmith is one of those movies that should be on your list of things to see before you die.

This film premiered as the finale at the New York City International Film Festival.  It was adequately placed at the end of the festival because it would have blown all of the other feature films out of the water.

Tommy Flanagan (“Gladiator” and “Sons of Anarchy”) stars in this heart-wrenching tale of a man who has lost his way.  The film begins with a drunken man that could easily be mistaken as a homeless man.  He’s not homeless, he has a home.  It’s his son, who deferred a fellowship with Columbia University for two years, who tries to bring his father out from underneath this gloom that has consumed him.




At first, you may think this film is about an alcoholic father who is abusing his kids and has lost the rights to see his youngest son (who is in foster care).  No.  That is another mistaken assumption.

This story is about a family who lost a wife and a mother to a very violent crime.  It’s the story of a man who is broken and blaming himself for his wife’s death.  As a result, he falls into an abyss of mental illness.  This artist is trying to get his kid back, and his eldest son is just waiting for his dad to return to normal.  He sacrifices so much trying to help his father get back on his feet again.

Heidi Greensmith and Tommy Flanagan win for "Winter."
Heidi Greensmith and Tommy Flanagan win for “Winter.”

The amazing thing about this story is that it teaches you not to judge a book by its cover.  This man’s mental illness came about because of grief and regret.  His son put it perfectly.  His dad was not crazy.  His heart was just broken.

It is in this man’s healing that he returns to painting again, but in a whole new light.  He’s a different man working out his demons and creates complete and utter genius.  His eldest son saw this from the beginning.  He saw the man his father truly was.  To him, this story is not about an abusive alcoholic father that has fucked everything up for their family.  This story is truly about a man that had a broken heart and lost all sense of himself the day his wife died.  He just needed time (and help) to find a way out of that grief.

I believe this quote from Lisa See’s “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” adequately describes the journey this man takes out of sorrow.

Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you find peace.

This incredible tale makes you re-evaluate how you look at life and at people who are going through a difficult time in their life.  On the surface, we instantly stereotype them as drunks, alcoholics, abusive/neglectful parents, homeless, mentally ill, etc.  All of those labels are incorrect.  This man is an artist who is waiting for his next inspiration.  He’s waiting to discover his own genius that is inside of himself.

Sometimes it takes a life-changing event to discover the genius within.  That is the journey this artist was on.

Tommy Flanagan’s role was phenomenal.  The way his various emotions were captured on his face…it is a moment of beauty and brilliance.  This role opens your eyes to see how incredible of an actor he is.  I would say, one of the best in the business after seeing him in this film.  He brought his A+ game to this film and his performance is Oscarworthy.

In the story, the eldest son tried his best to keep the family together and help his father at the same time.  He is the real hero of the story.  The way he saw who his father was deep down inside, most children are not that perceptive.  They would have cowered in fear, be mortally wounded with each derogatory word yelled at them.  Not this kid.  He was just waiting for the genius he saw within his father to emerge.  What he was willing to sacrifice for his father to discover that, shows just how much he loved him.

Heidi Greensmith, Director of "Winter."
Heidi Greensmith, Director of “Winter.”

Heidi Greensmith has brought this thought-provoking tale to the screen.  Most importantly, you need to note that she is a female director.  There are very few in the business.  She’s also a mother and a wife and despite her other duties, she was able to make something this brilliant.

The film picked up an award for Best Drama Film at NYCIFF.  Tommy Flanagan picked up the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.  Heidi Greensmith picked up the Best International Director award.

Congratulations to everyone from “Winter.”  This film was brilliance.




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NYCIFF 2015 Award Winners

11 May 201511 May 2015

The New York City International Film Festival hosted their Sixth Annual Awards on Thursday night, where they also announced that “Family on Board” and “Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan” would be submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for an Academy Award consideration.

Closing out the festival was the film “Winter” by Heidi Greensmith, featuring Tommy Flanagan.

Here is the list of a few of the winners from NYCIFF’s website.  It is not the complete list.

You will find a special thank you video from William Shatner posted on their site.  Shatner won multiple awards for his film “Chaos on the Bridge.”  Sebastian Roché also picked up the Matthew Cowles Award for acting.

THE NYCIFF 2015 AWARD WINNERS

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

THE SINKING OF SOZOPOL – BULGARIA

*****

Cast and crew of Phantom Halo.
Cast and crew of Phantom Halo.

BEST USA FEATURE FILM

PHANTOM HALO

*****

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

TOMMY FLANAGAN FOR WINTER – UK

*****

BEST DRAMA FILM

Heidi Greensmith and Tommy Flanagan win for "Winter."
Heidi Greensmith and Tommy Flanagan win for “Winter.”

WINTER – UK*****

BEST  INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORHEIDI GREENSMITH

*****

BEST USA DIRECTOR

ANTONIA BOGDANOVICH

******

BEST INTERNATIONAL  NARRATIVE SHORT FILM

IT’S ME – LEBANON

*****

BEST INTERNATIONAL ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

ASSIL AND JAD   By  BANE FAKIH –  LEBANON

*****

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM – USA

Gino Cafarelli and George Pogatsia of "Family on Board."
Gino Cafarelli and George Pogatsia of “Family on Board.”

FAMILY ON BOARD

*****

BEST DIRECTOR IN A NARRATIVE SHORT

GEORGE POGATSIA – FAMILY ON BOARD

*****

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A SHORT NARRATIVE FILM

GEORGE POGATSIA – FAMILY ON BOARD

Wallis Murphy-Munn wins for Best Actress.
Wallis Murphy-Munn wins for Best International Actress.

*****BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A SHORT FILM

WALLIS MURPHY-MUNN – SANDBOY – USA / IRELAND

*****

BEST USA ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A SHORT FILM

ELISABETH JAMISON – FALLING TO PIECES – USA

*****

BEST DOCUMENTARY  SHORT

Malan Breton wins for his film "Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan."
Malan Breton wins for his film “Malan Breton: A Journey to Taiwan.”

A JOURNEY TO TAIWAN – USA/TAIWAN by MALAN BRETON

*****

BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED SHORT

MYRIAM OBIN – ÉLOÏSE, LITTLE DREAMER – QUEBEC / CANADA

*****

 BEST USA ANIMATED SHORT

YVONNE GRZENKOWICZ – ARCHAEOLOGY – USA

*****

BEST TV PILOT

TOPSY MCGEE – USA

*****

BEST MUSICAL VIDEO

STELLA – UK

Congratulations to all of the winners.  Many of these films are heading to the Cannes Film Festival.

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NYCIFF Short: Family On Board

4 May 20159 May 2015
Official poster for Family on Board
Official poster for Family on Board

Opening up the NYCIFF gala on Thursday night was a heartbreaking film short from George Pogatsia called “Family on Board,” a story of a man who attempts to help save his neighbor who is being abducted after a burglary in their home.  What could be seen as being a heroic moment, he gets the book thrown at him by the justice system as he is portrayed as a violent vigilante and is sentenced to five years in prison.

Being a family man, he is forced to leave his wife and two children.  Because of the honorable circumstances surrounding the events of that night, the judge allows him to have a month with his family to get his affairs in order before he is ordered to report to prison.

The events that follow on that morning he reports to prison are the few short minutes that will leave you heartbroken.

Here is the official trailer for the film:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOCOjkLUqos]

Mr. Pogatsia was kind enough to do a short email interview for PerfectionistWannabe.com.

1. What was the inspiration behind the story? Was it based on a true story?

I read a story a while back about a man in Texas who called 911 about 2 guys burglarizing his neighbor’s home. He ended up shooting and killing both. He never recieved any jail time. It made me think, what if this happened in New York City? Also, I was living in downtown Manhattan on 9/11. The towers falling actually woke me from bed and I had a friend who was scheduled to report to prison downtown on 9/11 … I threw those stories into a pot, I sprinkled in my imagination and mixed it up. I came out with Family on Board.

2. While we take a look at the conflict between hero vs. vigilante, the main part of this story is about a man who has to leave his family. We see an outstanding citizen who was trying to do the right thing, but the court has decided differently and he has to leave his family. The irony of this story is that even though he was turning himself in, you have to wonder just what would have happened if he was asked to turn himself in on 9/12/2001 rather than 9/11/2001. He wasn’t just leaving his family for 5 years. He was saying goodbye to them forever. He was able to get those last moments with them that morning, something not too many people were able to do. Why did you choose to write the story this way?

On 9/12 Mike Petito would have reported to prison to serve out his jail sentence. I chose to tell the story this way because I enjoy having the audience participate. I like developing characters they can relate to and care about. I try get them invested in their lives then have them theorize on what happened in the end. Did he leave forever? I hope to provoke thought and discussion. Almost like thinking about an old love and what may have become of them.

3. Will this eventually be turned into a full feature film?

I’m developing a feature version of Family on Board. Tony Sirico (“The Sopranos”) is a big supporter of the project, his role will be considerably larger in the feature. Oscar winner John Avildsen (“Rocky”) wants to direct.

If you get a chance to see this film, I highly suggest seeing it. I contemplated leaving when I realized the day…9/11/01. I didn’t know how far he would take the actual events occurring in that moment.  9/11/01 was a real nightmare that many of us had to live through and haven’t quite healed from.  But luckily, the story quickly changed to post-9/11 and I was glued to my seat in those next couple of minutes.  It left you questioning just what happened to Mike Petito that day.

I would love to see this as a full feature film, especially with the same cast of characters.  It’s a story that will keep you wondering long after you’ve stepped out of the theater.

NYCIFF will host their Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

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Highlights from NYCIFF

4 May 20159 May 2015

NYCIFFNew York – The New York City International Film Festival is in New York until May 7, 2015.

During its opening night gala, with actors and directors out on the red carpet for the launch of the festival, the two main features were a film short called “Family on Board” directed by George Pogatsia and the feature film “Phantom Halo” directed by Antonia Bogdanovich.

On the second night of the festival, William Shatner graced himself on the red carpet to showcase his new documentary “Chaos on the Bridge,” the chaotic tale of what it took to bring “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to a television screen.

Fashion designer Malan Breton was also in attendance both nights.  He’s at NYCIFF to present his new film “A Journey to Taiwan.”

Family On Board

Tony Sirico (“Sopranos”) stars in “Family on Board.”  He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.  Matthew Cowles, who also stars, received the award posthumously.

George Pogatsia not only directed, but also starred in this sad tale about a misjudged hero. He was in attendance at the gala on Thursday night.

Here is a clip from the film:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/xOCOjkLUqos]

The film leaves you with a lot of questions about more than just what happened.  It makes you question whether it’s right for a hero the court has deemed as a vigilante to end up in prison just for saving someone’s life.  It’s also about a hero staying true to who he is no matter what the circumstances are.

This short film is a must see.

Phantom Halo

Cast and crew of Phantom Halo.
Cast and crew of Phantom Halo.

Phantom Halo stars Sebastian Roché (“The Originals,” “Supernatural,” “Once Upon a Time”), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Love Actually,” “The Maze Runner”) and Rebecca Romijn (“X-Men”).

Sebastian attended the gala with his wife Alicia Hannah.  Clare Grant (who also stars), Antonia Bogdanovich (co-writer, director) and Anne Heffron (co-writer) also attended.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/XHRFzHJiEsw]

Here are a few takes from the Q&A:

  • The story is very reflective of the co-writers childhoods and upbringing.
  • There is a reference to a ‘pound of flesh,’ but don’t mistake it for a “Merchant of Venice” reference, even though Shakespeare quotes appear throughout the movie, it is purely Anne Heffron’s take on people calling her Asian daughter ‘Chinese,’ when she’s actually Korean.
  • Heffron is a master of writing male lines.
  • At the end, Roché and the panel discussed what acting means in an independent film.  You’re not doing it for the money in an indie film.  You are doing it for the pure passion of what you love, so you bring your A-game to every scene.  It’s about the passion of the art.
  • Gbenga Akinnagbe is not African (like his name would suggest).  He is an American, born in Washington, DC. He spent some time living in Mexico.  He was not originally cast in the role of Roman.  There was another actor cast, but he did not work out.
  • Roman uses an English accent (like Roché does), but this was a fluke.  Roman was not originally a British character.  It came about after they were messing around on set.
  • Even though Thomas Brodie-Sangster speaks in an American accent, it was very important to Bogdanovich that they cast a British actor.

Chaos On The Bridge

William Shatner arrives on the red carpet.
William Shatner arrives on the red carpet.

William Shatner’s newest documentary is “Chaos on the Bridge.”  A movie about the chaos that went into bringing “Star Trek: The Next Generation” to life and into the homes of every American.

If you are a Star Trek fan or even a TNG fan, this is a must see.  It will give you a whole brand new perspective of what it meant to create TNG…the chaos that went into it is just unbelievable.  Not only is it visually stimulating, but it is absolutely hilarious as well.

Shatner was in attendance both on the red carpet and after the feature to do a Q&A.

Here’s a glimpse at his new film:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/t4UAInrMiT4]

Shatner’s next project includes taking a little road trip on his new motorcycle and filming it.  NOTE: This isn’t just any kind of motorcycle.  You really need to see it.

 

Malan Breton

Fashion Designer Malan Breton.
Fashion Designer Malan Breton.

Fashion designer Malan Breton was in attendance for both the opening night gala and Shatner’s film on Friday night.  The designer was at NYCIFF to showcase his new film “Malan Breton a Journey to Taiwan.”

He showcased many of his beautiful designs prior to the film, which was shown prior to the gala on Thursday night.

As you can see in the pictures here (from William Shatner’s night), he wears one of his designs.

Here’s a glimpse of his moment at NYCIFF:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/3TfMFw63IEQ]

Other glimpses from NYCIFF

Here are a few pictures from the first two days at NYCIFF.

Alicia Hannah
Alicia Hannah
Fashion Designer Malan Breton.
Fashion Designer Malan Breton.
Sebastian Roche and Alicia Hannah.
Sebastian Roche and Alicia Hannah.
Sebastian Roche and Michelle Kenneth (Diary of a Perfectionist Wannabe).
Sebastian Roche and Michelle Kenneth (Perfectionist Wannabe “PW”).
William Shatner presented his film "Chaos on the Bridge" at NYCIFF.
William Shatner presented his film “Chaos on the Bridge” at NYCIFF.
Sebastian Roche with his wife Alicia Hannah.
Sebastian Roche with his wife Alicia Hannah.
PW dress by Ralph Lauren, J Crew cardigan, Blue by Betsey Johnson shoes.
PW dress by Ralph Lauren, J Crew cardigan, Blue by Betsey Johnson shoes.
PW on the red carpet.
PW on the red carpet.
Tony Sirico receives a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tony Sirico receives a Lifetime Achievement Award.
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