Thursday, May 19, 2016

The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival starts next week

2nd ANNUAL MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILM LINEUP
MAY 25th - 29th, 2016

Events include Four Gala Screenings
In Person Award Presentation to Iconic Director Joe Dante
Spotlight Screening of Acclaimed doc Beware The Slenderman


Los Angeles, CA - April 28, 2016: Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, set in the majestic setting of Mammoth Lakes, California, has announced its line-up of screenings and events for the festival's second edition. The five-day festival will take place over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, May 25 -29, 2016, and includes a tribute to legendary director Joe Dante, four Gala events, and narrative and documentary competition sections.

The festival will present 14 films in Narrative and Documentary Competition, as well as additional events and special screenings. Gala events include the Opening Night Screening and Party for Operation Avalanche, Centerpiece Sierra Spirit Award Presentation to iconic filmmaker Joe Dante, Spotlight Screening of acclaimed documentary Beware The Slenderman, a Gala Closing Night Screening for Sonita, and a closing night Awards Party.

Taking place five hours north of Los Angeles by car and thirty minutes south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival delivers an intimate and unique experience for festivalgoers, filmmakers, and industry guests, with the opportunity to experience screenings and events in a beautiful mountain setting. The festival presents a diverse selection from world premieres to film festival favorites, short film screenings, Q&As, and a Saturday morning Indie cartoon program for children over the five days. The festival will also include nightly gala events that celebrate the excitement and discovery of visionary filmmaking.

"Our excellent film programs this year will thrill audiences and build on our tremendous success from last year. We are a destination film festival for audiences who want to experience the best in cinema while surrounded by the awe-inspiring natural beauty of Mammoth Lakes," said Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Founder Shira Dubrovner. "I am particularly excited for our Centerpiece Gala, where we will present the first Sierra Spirit Award to legendary Hollywood director Joe Dante, and screen his classic film Innerspace".

"This is our strongest selection yet of exciting and innovative films from around the world. Our mission is to go beyond trends to bring inspired and timeless independent filmmaking undiluted-directly to our audiences," said Paul Sbrizzi, Director of Programming.

Festival passes and individual tickets are available now.

Ticket sales and additional festival information can be found at: www.MammothLakesFilmFestival.com

Discounted lodging through the festival's lodging partner Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa can be purchased with a 20% discount on by calling in or booking online at http://thesierranevadaresort.com/ CODE - Theater)

All screenings and special events will take place in Mammoth Lakes, at venues including the Edison Theatre, the Forest Service Visitor's Center Theater, the Minaret Cinemas, as well as the Mono Lake Visitor's Center.

Narrative and Competition films will be eligible for multiple awards: The winning Documentary Feature receives a RED Scarlet digital camera; Panavision will provide the winning Narrative Feature with a $10,000 USD camera grant for their next project and a two-day color correction session from Light Iron.

An Audience Award will be presented to feature films in both narrative and documentary categories. Jury Awards will also be presented to short films. The Jury will be comprised of select film industry members, including producer John Fiedler (Serial Mom), Writer/Producer John Wirth (Hell On Wheels), Emmy® Nominated Documentary Filmmaker John Scheinfeld (The U.S. vs. John Lennon), Producer Allison Amon (Queen Of Versailles), and Amanda Salazar, Vice President Of Film Acquisitions At Fandor.

CURRENT FILM SLATE BELOW:

OPENING NIGHT GALA SCREENING & PARTY

Operation Avalanche (USA) - Director: Matt Miller

In 1967, during the height of the Cold War, four undercover CIA agents sent to NASA to pose as a documentary film crew discover one of the biggest conspiracies in American history. Opening Night Party will include entertainment by Ouroboros Shadow Pictures, an innovative shadow picture company.

SPOTLIGHT GALA SCREENING

Beware The Slenderman (USA) - Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky, tells the story of a Boogeyman lurking on the internet and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. Ms. Taylor Brodsky will be present for Q&A.
*Also in documentary feature competition

CENTERPIECE GALA TRIBUTE & SCREENING - HONORING JOE DANTE

On Saturday evening we honor legendary director Joe Dante with our inaugural Sierra Spirit Award. The Sierra Spirit Award is given to an iconic and visionary filmmaker who inspires audiences, breaks boundaries, and has created visionary entertainment that has touched generations. Joe Dante's tremendous body of work exemplifies storytelling passion and skill. We are proud to present a screening of Mr. Dante's classic 1987 film Innerspace, followed by a conversation with Mr. Dante. Special guest appearance by actor Robert Picardo (Innerspace, Gremlins 2).

CLOSING NIGHT GALA SCREENING & AWARDS PARTY

Sonita (Iran) - Director: Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami

The inspiring story of Sonita Alizadeh, an 18-year-old Afghan refugee in Iran, who thinks of Michael Jackson and Rihanna as her spiritual parents and dreams of becoming a big-name rapper. Her family has a very different future planned for her: as a bride she's worth $9,000.
*Also in documentary feature competition

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
All The Colors Of The Night (Brazil) - Director: Pedro Severin

Iris wakes up in her spacious seafront apartment, discovers a body in the living room and enlists the help of other women, setting off a spiral of redemption in an atmospheric drama of dark imagery and questionable reality.

Baby Bump (Poland) - Director: Kuba Czekaj

11-year-old Mickey House is no longer a child. But who is he? He has no clue. He has no friends. He hates what's happening to his body. Reality and imagination blend together in a toxic mix. Growing up is not for kids.

Bodkin Ras (Netherlands) - Director: Kaweh Modiri

A young fugitive searches for a nonexistent home, in a small town called Forres, a Scottish town well-hidden between the Highlands and the North Sea. The characters in this town are all real people with traumas whose stories are incorporated into the film script, in which documentary and fiction are blended together.

Buddymoon (USA) - Director: Alex Simmons

Flula Borg (Pitch Perfect 2) stars in this buddy-flick comedy. Jilted groom David is convinced by his excitable best man, played by Flula, to continue with his planned honeymoon, a backcountry trek in the mountains of Oregon, in this comedic ode to friendship and the great outdoors.

Mad (USA) - Director: Robert Putka

A tragicomedy about a matriarch who passes the point of a nervous breakdown, her two daughters that don't give a damn, and the heat-seeking missiles of resentment they toss at each other.

Last Summer (Italy) - Director: Leonardo Guerra Seragnoli

On a luxury yacht off the coast of Italy, a young mother has four days to leave her son with a lasting memory of her before she loses custody of him for many years. Starring
Academy Award nominated actress, Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim, Babel).

On The Rocks (USA, World Premiere) - Directors: Ariel Gardner & Alex Kavutskiy

Dallas struggles to get ahead in life. As he is dealing with his father passing he must overcome the day to day obstacles that prevent him from making progress. When he thinks he has taken one step forward he soon will see that he took two steps back.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
Atlan (Iran) - Director: Moeen Karimoddini

Ali is a Turkman horse trainer. Horses are his life. His horse Ilhan has won him so many prizes. Ali is planning to use Ilhan's and his other horses' awards money to pay for his wedding. But not everything goes favourably in the course of events.

Beware The Slenderman (USA) - Director: Irene Taylor Brodsky

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky, tells the story of a Boogeyman lurking on the internet and two 12-year-old girls who would kill for him. Ms. Taylor Brodsky will be present for Q&A.
*Also Spotlight Gala Screening

Helmut Berger, Actor (Austria) - Director: Andreas Horvath

A relentless, yet intimate portrait of the legendary actor Helmut Berger who epitomized the exuberant jet set lifestyle of the 70s, and now reigns over a run down two-room apartment at the outskirts of his hometown Salzburg, Austria. The film exposes the brusqueness of his character for what it really is: a cry for attention, closeness and intimacy.

Learning To See (USA) - Director: Jake Oelman

Insect photographer Robert Oelman's transformational journey to find and document the Amazon's strangest creatures. His quest culminates with a New York City gallery show where he finally shares his striking and magical images with the general public.

Myrtle Beach (USA) - Directors: Michael Fuller & Neil Rough

Like a darker less whimsical Vernon Florida, Myrtle Beach profiles a charismatic cast of local eccentrics, survivors and lone wolves.

Sonita (Iran) - Director: Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami

The inspiring story of Sonita Alizadeh, an 18-year-old Afghan refugee in Iran, who thinks of Michael Jackson and Rihanna as her spiritual parents and dreams of becoming a big-name rapper. Her family has a very different future planned for her: as a bride she's worth $9,000.
*Also Closing Night Gala Screening

Under The Sun (Russia) - Director: Vitaly Mansky

Despite continuous interference by government handlers, director Vitaly Mansky managed to document life in Pyongyang, North Korea in this fascinating portrait of one girl and her parents as she prepares to join the Korean Children's Union on the 'Day Of The Shining Star' (Kim Jong-Il's birthday).

About Mammoth Lakes Film Festival

The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, held in the scenic and majestic setting of Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra of California, brings together world-class cinema, new filmmaking talent, industry veterans, and audiences from around the world to celebrate films amidst the inspiring natural beauty of Mammoth Lakes. Our intent is to unlock the creative mind of the public by providing unique movie-going experiences and also support emerging filmmakers with the opportunity to be inspired by our natural environment.

Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is proud to partner with sponsors who support the arts and emerging artists.

2016 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Sponsors include: Honda, RED Digital Cinema, Panavision, Light Iron, GoPro, Town of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, Paul and Kathleen Rudder, Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa (preferred lodging partner), Eberle Wines, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Blue Moon, and many others.

The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is under the umbrella of Mammoth Lakes Foundation-the nonprofit founded by Dave McCoy in 1989 (who also founded Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in 1953). Dave McCoy turns 101 years old this August and is excited to be a part of the 2nd annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival.

Additional Information about Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is available at www.MammothLakesFilmFestival.com

Connect with Mammoth Lakes Film Festival:

http://Twitter.com/ML_Film_Fest
http://facebook.com/MammothLakesFilmFestival

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