SNL -- MAR 9, 2013 -- HOST: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE with musical guest... JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
SNL -- MAR 9, 2013     

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

HOST And! MUSICAL GUEST

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

Justin Timberlake has the unusual honor of being both the host and the musical guest on SNL. Fans waited in the cold and snow for tickets. According to reports, the waiting hordes had some support from SNL and JT himself with soup and pizza.


How's that for deja vu.  Exact one month ago, Feb 9 not Mar 9, another Justin spawned exactly the same language except for FEB => MAR and BIEBER => TIMBERLAKE (and taking out "beliebers," since if there are Timber Lakers -- Basketball players with axes??? -- I'm not aware).

Last Month's BIEBER Post in QPORIT

(http://qporit.blogspot.com/2013/02/snl-feb-9-2013-host-justin-bieber-with.html)

 

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
SNL -- FEB 9, 2013     

JUSTIN BIEBER

HOST And! MUSICAL GUEST

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

Justin Bieber has the unusual honor of being both the host and the musical guest on SNL. Fans (Beliebers, or in French, LeBiebers) waited in the cold and snow for tickets. According to reports, the waiting hordes had some support from SNL and JB himself with soup and pizza.

Here's more information about Justin Timberlake:

Note: Justin has won 4 EMMY's, TWO for appearances on SNL!

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON WIKIPEDIA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Timberlake

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON IMDB

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005493/

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE ON AMAZON

RECAP 

COLD OPEN -- A not very interesting Elton John singing at the funeral of Hugo Chavez. 

Note -- for the real HC when he visited NY and the NYFF for a screening of Oliver Stone's "SOUTH OF THE BORDER"  see: http://qporit.blogspot.com/2009/09/oliver-stones-south-of-border.html

MONOLOGUE -- Justin joins the 5 Timer's club: Paul Simon, Steve Martin, Dan Ackroyd (Bartender, original cast), Chevy Chase, with Martin Short (waiter - making the Three Amigos), Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen and Tom Hanks.  Super-reunion!

A good-looking Bud Light commercial with JT

A nice commercial for Vikings -- but it's on a night with so much competition it can't even fit on a DVR.

DATING GAME SHOW -- with 2 wild and crazy guys -- Bachelor 1 --("O I'm gonna lose.")  --A fun sketch.

Lunk alarm - Part of this commercial is almost good enough to be part of a sketch. (The rest, not so much.)

SAUSAGE DEPOT -- vs. vegan-ville  ("You're gonna remember how good a salami is")

NUVA BLING -- Say goodbye to the same old birth control.

MUSIC -- Ladies and Gentlemen "Make some noise!"

So far, the theme of the night is not so much funny as just Fun!

WEEKEND UPDATE -- Good jokes. STEFAN - "writing for SMASH" -- Funnier than usual - Donald Duck having a  nightmare --

THE TALES OF SOBER CALIGULA -- Didn't work.

MAINE JUSTICE -- The New England Everglades...  This sketch is the best kind of completely crazy.

Ad - Revolution is returning March 25.

MOVIE PREVIEW -- Having it all...

CHAMPAGN (???) SHAMPAN ??? MOET & CHANDON ad by porn stars -- very funny sketch.


This was a good show with lots of energy and spirit!  The last sketch was the funniest.  Maine Justice was crazy.  With Adam Samberg & Jay-Z added to the alumni in the 5-Timers club, this was one massive reunion.

Read More

FIRST TIME FEST WINNERS

Closing night at the First Time Fest was a great party.  

Ellen Burstyn announced the Grand Prize Winner and Martin Scorsese presented Darren Aronofsky with a special award.  Speeches were short; the hosts were interesting and to-the-point; and there was good food and potent drinks.

Darren Aronofsky and Martin Scorsese
Chatting at theFIRST TIME FEST
Photo by Eric Roffman


See below -- after the list of winners -- for more about the festival.

See also:

OFFICIAL SITE: FIRST TIME FEST
www.firsttimefest.com

QPORIT: Preview: FIRST TIME FEST (with descriptions of the films)
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-first-time-fest-is-winner.html

QPORIT: PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AT THE FIRST TIME FEST
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2013/03/philip-seymour-hoffman-at-first-time.html


Here are the winners:

FIRST TIME FEST

CELEBRATING FIRST-TIME FILMMAKERS

Is Proud To Announce Its Grand Prize Winner Of Theatrical Distribution

 From Cinema Libre Studio Is Awarded To

SAL

Written And Directed By Diego Rougier (Chile/Argentina)

An inventive modern-day western with majestic sweep, great acting,

and a lot of surprises.
 

Fele Martinez and Javiera Contador
SAL
FIRST TIME FEST
Photo Courtesy Picardia Films

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Directing

AMÉLIE VAN ELMBT

(Headfirst / La Tete La Premiere)

For balancing a fairly tale quality with genuine believability, as its characters enter a forest, and confront a different world

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing

MAX WEISSBERG

(Summertime)

For a script showing clarity of vision, great storytelling talent, and sophistication, drawing inspiration from the work of Arthur Schnitzler

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting

NEAL BLEDSOE

(Junction)

For the ferocity of the performance, and playing an unsympathetic character who becomes more and more out of control in a believable way

& ALICE DE LENCQUESAING

(Headfirst / La Tete La Premiere)

A star is born. A natural, seemingly effortless performance that makes everything she does believable

Award winning actress Alice De Lencquesaing
and award winning director Amelie Van Elmbt
HEADFIRST / LA TETE LA PREMIERE
FIRST TIME FEST
Photo by Eric Roffman

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography

DAVID BRAVO

(Sal)

For beautiful cinematography with rich details, surprising touches,

and a sense of humor

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing

JONAH MARIN, JOHN YOUNG

(Zipper)

Fast-paced editing that captures, in a balanced way, a story about humanity in an age of greed. The editing works like The Zipper itself, connecting the ride with the story of Coney Island

FTF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Scoring

MARTIN BOSSA AND TOMÁS CARNELLI

(I Love You All / Los Quiero A Todos)

A score marked by its precision, use of silence, trust in the place of language,

 and by its exuberance

FIRST JOHN HUSTON AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMA To DARREN ARONOFSKY Presented By MARTIN SCORSESE

Closing Night Awards Hosted By Legendary Actress

ELLEN BURSTYN

Awards Presented By

ANTHONY RAPP

Competition Jury Members

FRED SCHNEIDER, GAY TALESE,

ANNE-KATRIN TITZE, CHRISTINE VACHON

& THE FTF AUDIENCE

Special Guests

TONY BENNETT & JACK HUSTON

HOSTED BY THE HISTORIC PLAYERS CLUB

With Food Provided by Chef Diane Dimeo

Champagne by Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte

After 4 days featuring 12 new films from around the world; 11 retrospective screenings with artists such as Sofia Coppola, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Todd Solondz and Hal Hartley; 9 Amazing panels featuring the brightest industry minds; and 8 special events including conversations with Michael Shannon and Harry Belafonte, the inaugural FIRST TIME FEST came to a close on Monday, March 4 with its Closing Night Awards Ceremony. 

Hosted by OscarÒ winning actress Ellen Burstyn (who won for Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” and was nominated for Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream”), and presented by Anthony Rapp, the Awards included the presentation of the Grand Prize: distribution from Cinema Libre Studio; as well as awards in 6 other categories - Outstanding Achievement in Directing, Writing, Acting, Cinematography, Edition, Scoring.  Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese presented the First John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky.

Tony Bennett with his daughter, Johanna Bennett, FTF co-founder
FIRST TIME FEST (FTF)
Photo by Eric Roffman

Among the many guests and participants attending the festival over the four days were Tony Bennett, Jack Huston, Harry Belafonte, Michael Shannon, Darren Aronofsky, Martin Scorsese, Ellen Burstyn, Sofia Coppola, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, Todd Solondz, Hal Hartley, Barbara Kopple, Melvin Van Peebles, Nancy Savoca, Ben Shenkman, Fred Schneider, Gay Talese, Anne-Katrin Titze, Christine Vachon, Mary Engle, William Luhr, Jenny Lumet, Frida Torresblanco, Patricia Kluge and our fantastic competition filmmakers, Benj Binks (Mongolian Bling), Seth Fisher (Blumenthal), Tony Glazer (Junction), Eliav Lilti (Urban Tale), Amy Nicholson (Zipper), Sophie O’Connor (Submerge), Diego Rougier (Sal) Luciano Quillic (I Love You All), Fredrik Stanton (Uprising), Amélie Van Elmbt (Headfirst), Max Weissberg (Summertime).

First Time Fest (FTF) – a celebration of first time filmmakers –is a new and unique film festival that took place in New York City from March 1 through 4, 2013. FTF is set to discover and present the next generation of great cinema artists. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists received high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players.  This year’s FTF industry jury included Fred Schneider, Gay Talese, Anne-Katrin Titze and Christine Vachon, together with the audience members.  The Grand Prize winner will be offered theatrical distribution for their film and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio.

Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award-Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY?, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER.

In addition to the Competition Films, FTF presented FIRST EXPOSURE, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers. They included 

THE VIRGIN SUICIDES (Sofia Coppola), 

WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (Todd Solondz),

BOTTLE ROCKET (Wes Anderson), 

HARLAN COUNTY, USA (Barbara Kopple),  

THE STORY OF A THREE-DAY PASS (Melvin Van Peebles), 

PI (Darren Aronofsky),  

THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston), 

POISON (Todd Haynes),  

JACK GOES BOATING (Philip Seymour Hoffman)  

THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH (Hal Hartley), and 

TRUE LOVE (Nancy Savoca).  

The Festival also included a 60^th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s THE LITTLE FUGITIVE and special presentations of DAYS OF GRACE (Everardo Gout), and the new documentary about The Police CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU by Andy Grieve.

First Time Fest also included a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers and industry professionals moderated filmmaking case studies and spotlighted some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.  The panels were  

Sell, Baby, Sell: Marketing Independent Films (Emily Russo, Scott Feinstein, Andrew Mer, Monica Brady); 

From Rock To Score: Contemporary Musicians Who Become Film Composers (Daniel Bensi and Will Bates);  

Show Me the Money Panel with John Hadity (Producer), Duncan Cork (CEO Slated), Mynette Louie (Producer) and moderator Steven Beer;  

Transmedia/Storytelling Panel with Susan Weaving (WME), Adam Goldman (The Outs), Nathan Coyle; 

Help Me Help You: Everyone Needs an Agent, Manager, Publicist, Lawyer and Personal Umbrella Handler! Panel with Ken Lee (Innovative), Scott Kaufman (Bohemia Group), Jan Rubinstein (Manager), Paul Zingone (IC Entertainment) and moderator Steven Beer; and 

A Critical Eye: Critics and their Role in Discovering New Filmmakers (Scott Foundas, Eric Kohn, Dana Stevens, Josh Rothkopf).

Sponsored by Morgan Stanley the Diversity in Cinema panel included Harry Belafonte, Frida Torresblanco, Jenny Lumet, and moderator Leslie Fields-Cruz. How has the participation of women and minorities in the film industry changed over time? There has been real progress in recent years, but has it been enough, and what can we expect in the years ahead?

Read More

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN AT THE FIRST TIME FEST

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN
Talks with audience members after a Q&A
at the FIRST TIME FEST
Photo by Eric Roffman

AMY RYAN
Co-star of JACK GOES BOATING
At a Q&A
at the FIRST TIME FEST
Photo by Eric Roffman
There was a terrific Q&A with Philip Seymour Hoffman and his co-star AMY RYAN at the FIRST TIME FEST after a screening of JACK GOES BOATING, the first film he directed.

FIRST TIME FEST is a new film festival which concludes today with a Filmmaker Forum and closing Awards Ceremony featuring Ellen Burstyn and Martin Scorsese.

For more information:

www.firsttimefest.com

See also our story:

THE FIRST TIME FEST IS A BIG WINNER
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-first-time-fest-is-winner.htm

Read More

THE FIRST TIME FEST IS A BIG WINNER

The very first…

FIRST TIME FEST

MARCH 1 – MARCH 4

2013

CELEBRATING FIRST-TIME FILMMAKERS

WITH A GRAND PRIZE OF THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION

HOSTED BY THE HISTORIC PLAYERS CLUB

With screenings at

Loews Village VII on Third Avenue

With an extraordinary collection of celebrity guests, a terrific looking lineup of new films, an important selection of classic films, and extremely interesting panels, the FIRST TIME FEST looks like a superb new film festival. Perhaps the best new fest in a long long time.

For event times and the complete program please see…

www.firsttimefest.com

12 NEW INTERNATIONAL FILMS IN COMPETITION

Voted On By Industry Professionals & FTF Audience

RETROSPECTIVE PROGRAM‘FIRST EXPOSURE’

PRESENTS 

DEBUT FILMS BY NOW PROMINENT DIRECTORS

PANELS AND DISCUSSIONS:

“How They Did It” &

“Stand Alone! Conversations with the Outstanding”

FIRST JOHN HUSTON PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMA TO DARREN ARONOFSKY

PRESENTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE

A SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF THE NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUT

THE POLICE

CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU

Darren Aronofsky, Harry Belafonte,  Neil Bledsoe, Ellen Burstyn, Sofia Coppola,  Scott Foundas, Hal Hartley, Foster Hirsch, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barbara Koppole, Jenny Lumet, Amy Ryan, Peter Saraf, Nancy Savoca, Todd Salondz, Martin Scorsese, Gay Talese, Christine Vachon, Melvin Van Peebles

and Many Others Expected to Attend & Participate

March 1-4, 2013

THE PLAYERS & LOEWS VILLAGE VII, NYC

First Time Fest (FTF) –  is a celebration of first time filmmakers – is a new and unique film festival taking place in New York City from March 1 through 4, 2013.

Just as Stanley Kubrick had KILLER'S KISS, Darren Aronofsky PI, and John Huston THE MALTESE FALCON as their first works (all of which will be screened during the festival), First Time Fest is set to discover and present the next generation of great cinema artists. The core of the festival is an exciting lineup of twelve international films — from Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Chile, Israel, Mongolia, and the United States, all debut films by promising and provocative directors.

Representing a hybrid between a traditional film festival and a highly motivated audience participation event, FTF will present a dozen Competition Films, which will be judged by a panel of industry luminaries and the FTF audience. All competition screenings will be followed “hot-seat” discussions between the jury and filmmakers, and all audience members will vote on the films as well. Together, the jury and audience will ultimately select a Grand Prize winner, who will be offered theatrical distribution for their film and full international sales representation from the renowned American film distributor, Cinema Libre Studio. It will truly be a contest of the best emerging filmmakers competing for the Ultimate Audience Award.

 First Time Fest is a four-day, multi-faceted event hosted in New York City’s Gramercy Park by the celebrated Players (16 Gramercy Park South), the club founded by Edwin Booth, Mark Twain and John Singer Sargent, the oldest and most exclusive arts organization of its kind whose membership includes the greatest stars of stage and screen. Each of First Time Fest’s twelve finalists will receive high-level industry mentorship and a one-year membership to The Players. The Players will be the location for all FTF panels and events as well as the Filmmaker and VIP Lounge.  First Time Fest’s screenings will be held at the Loews Village VII on Third Avenue (on 11^th St. & 3^rd Ave).

Johanna Bennett (daughter of Tony Bennett) and producer/documentarian Mandy Ward, co-founders of First Time Fest, said, “Along with the Players, we are thrilled to be inaugurating First Time Fest and finding and presenting the most exciting new filmmakers from around the globe. We hope to be seeing much more of their work in the years to come. It is a thrill to be present at the beginning of a career, and we expect to follow and support these filmmakers as they flourish and soar.”

In addition to the Competition Films, First Time Fest will present First Exposure, a series of first films from now prominent filmmakers.   Included among them are 

PI (Darren Aronofsky's [attending] first film),  

THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston’s debut), 

POISON (Todd Haynes’ first film which was produced by then first-time feature producer Christine Vachon [attending]), 

JACK GOES BOATING (Philip Seymour Hoffman’s [attending along with actress Amy Ryan] premier effort),  

THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH (Hal Hartley’s [attending] debut),  

TRUE LOVE (Nancy Savoca’s [attending] debut) and  

KILLER'S KISS (Stanley Kubrick’s first [with star Chris Chase attending]).

First Exposure will also include a 60^th Anniversary Tribute to Morris Engel’s THE LITTLE FUGITIVE, a cinema vérité classic from 1953 that was shot on Coney Island and has inspired countless filmmakers, from Jean-Luc Godard to the Coen brothers. The tribute will be moderated by renowned film historian Foster Hirsch and will include Morris Engel’s daughter, Mary Engel (Ruth Orkin: Frames Of Life).

First Time Fest will also include a series of panels called “How They Did It,” in which a diverse group of award-winning filmmakers will moderate filmmaking case studies and spotlight some of the most successful and accomplished masters of the industry.  Panels will include: 

Switch Hitters: Actors, Producers, Writers & Others Who Direct; 

Sell, Baby, Sell: Marketing Independent Films -- (Emily Russo, Scott Feinstein, Peter Saraf, Monica Brady); 

From Rock To Score: Contemporary Musicians Who Become Film Composers; (John Forte); 

Show Me the Money – (Steven Beer, Duncan Cork); 

Across The Border: International Filmmakers Come to America;

A Critical Eye: Critics and their Role in Discovering New Filmmakers – (Scott Foundas, John Anderson, Eric Kohn, Dana Stevens, Josh Rothkopf) 

Women and Diversity --(Jenny Lumet, Frida Torresblanco); 

NYTVF Fest Director Erin Day is moderating a panel on Transmedia Storytelling

There will also be several “Stand Alone! –Conversations with the Outstanding,” one-on-one interviews with notable cinema artists. Participants in these programs will be announced shortly.

Acclaimed actress Ellen Burstyn, who has worked with both Scorsese and Aronofsky will serve as the host of the FTF Closing Night Awards program.

As part of that festive evening, Martin Scorsese will add his illustrious presence and belief in the art of cinema to present the first John Huston Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema to Darren Aronofsky, the Brooklyn-born director of Black Swan, The Wrestler, The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, Pi, and the upcoming Noah. As a director, writer and producer, Aronofsky embodies the spirit of John Huston – one of America’s greatest filmmakers (THE MALTESE FALCON, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, THE DEAD) and carries on his legacy. Mr. Huston was an esteemed member of The Players (his membership in the Club was sponsored by his friend and colleague, Humphrey Bogart), and the Award will be presented in The Players ballroom at FTF’s Closing Night Awards Gala.

In addition, a special presentation of Andy Grieve and Lauren Lazin’s documentary about the band The Police, CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU, featuring Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers will be added to the Fest’s slate.

On an exciting party note, and in conjunction with FTF’s presentation of the Australian/Mongolian documentary MONGOLIAN BLING on Sunday night, First Time Fest and Hip Hop Saves Lives presents “Project Haiti,” an album release party for Zing Experience at Webster Hall. FTF is selling tickets to the screening, the party or a special combo pass for both.

Among the Fest’s sponsors is Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte. "The forward-thinking Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte draws its inspiration from the call of ‘faraway lands.’  One of the youngest and most fashionable Champagne brands, Nicolas Feuillatte has captured the world's imagination by sharing its passion for creativity and arts in a record 37 years, becoming the #1 Champagne in France. In its role as discoverer of talent, the brand will award its prestige cuvée Palmes d'Or to First Time Fest's winners to complement the celebration in style."

Other sponsors of the fest include Brooklyn Brewery, Moscot, Marquis Vodka and Technicolor Postworks.

First Time Fest Competition: THE FIRST TIME I ……….

First Time Fest is encouraging daring acts of social networking with a tweetable video competition!

Tweet videos showing the first time you experience something and win tickets to screenings, badges, and more! You can even win a chance to see Philip Seymour Hoffman and Darren Aronofsky! (See Details Below!)

First Time Fest - Cinema Libre Grand Prize

The winning film will be the recipient of a theatrical release by Cinema Libre Studio.  Distribution plans would include at least one major city (New York or Los Angeles) with the option for platform expansion as well as DVD, digital release and international sales representation.  Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers.  Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award-Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY?, and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best-selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com.

COMPETITION FILMS

BLUMENTHAL - New York Premiere. USA, 86 minutes. Written and directed by Seth Fisher. With Fisher, Brian Cox, Mark Blum, Laila Robins, Mei Melançon.

Can oversized egos and romance peacefully co-exist in modern-day New York? Manhattan neuroses gets a fresh, bracing new twist in Seth Fisher’s delightfully acerbic Blumenthal. The death of playwright Harold Blumenthal (Brian Cox) sets in motion a tangled web of family and relationship drama in a polished film distinguished by Zak Mulligan’s crystalline cinematography, a strong ensemble cast, and multi-talented Seth Fisher’s razor-sharp script.

HEADFIRST (LA TETE LA PREMIERE) - U.S. Premiere.  Belgium/France, 89 minutes. Written and directed by Amélie van Elmbt. With Alice de Lencquesaing, David Murgia, Jacques Doillon.

Two attractive teens meet while hitchhiking across Belgium. Deceptively simple and beautifully made, Amélie van Elmbt’s quietly and deeply observed coming-of-age road movie, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, will linger long after it is seen, thanks to its remarkable lead performances.  Rising star Alice de Lencquesaing (familiar from films by Olivier Assayas and Mia Hansen-Løve) won Best Actress at Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinema for this role, and David Murgia won the Belgian Magritte award for Most Promising Actor.

  

HORIZON SKY - World Premiere. Belarus, 133 mins. Written and directed by Dmitry Martin, Andrey Kureychik. With Leonid Pashkovsky, Tatyana Bovkalova, Viktor Rybchinsky, Anna Sirotina.

            An exciting discovery from an unlikely corner of the world, Horizon Sky is the first independent feature film from Belarus in a decade. Its theme — the generational battle between rebellion and oppression, played out in the arena of sex and rock music – is universal. Horizon Sky tells a keenly dramatized story about a young musician stricken with AIDS who battles discrimination and addiction.

I LOVE YOU ALL (LOS QUIERO A TODOS) - U.S. Premiere.  Argentina, 75 mins. Written, directed, and produced by Luciano Quillici. With Ramiro Aguero, Santiago Gobemori, Diego Jalfen, Valeria Louis, Leticia Mazur, Margarita Molfino, Alan Sabbagh.

            Imagine some combination of Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill and François Truffaut’s Day For Night, and you’ll have some idea of the exceptional nature of Luciano Quillici’s lyrical and contemplative I Love You All. A group of thirty-something friends reunite for a trip to the country where they mull over lost opportunities and their disaffection with the present, in this accomplished film that offers further proof that Argentina is one of the most exciting hotbeds in world cinema today.

  

JUNCTION - USA, 90 mins.  Written and directed by Tony Glazer. With Tom Pelphrey, Neal Bledsoe, Harris Doran, Summer Crockett Moore, Anthony Rapp, David Zayas, Michael O’Keefe

A group of junkies get more than they bargained for when they rob the house of a man who turns out to be a pedophile. Gritty urban drama? No… the intense action in Tony Glazer’s riveting drama, with a dynamite ensemble cast including Rent star Anthony Rapp and SMASH actor Neal Bledsoe, takes place in the idyllic upscale neighborhood of Verterra Hill, a community full of manicured lawns and sprawling colonials. Along the way, hard choices must be made, and the only certainty is that all decisions come with a price.

MONGOLIAN BLING - U.S. Premiere. Australia/Mongolia, 90 mins. Documentary, directed by Benj Binks.

In an ancient country undergoing a 21^st-century identity crisis, hip-hop music is at the center of a thriving music scene in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Beyond the customary bling of babes, cars, and jewels lie the remnants of a dying culture. Benj Binks’ lively documentary looks at the fascinating tension between Mongolia’s rich musical history and modern-day beats and rhymes.

SAL - New York Premiere.  Chile/Argentina, 112 mins. Written and directed by Diego Rougier. With Fele Martínez, Patricio Contreras, Sergio Hernández, Javiera Contador.

A Spanish film director obsessed with making a western in Chile travels south to find a story that will salvage his screenplay; a case of mistaken identity makes him a marked man. This gorgeous widescreen film pays loving homage to Sergio Leone while playfully subverting the western genre.  

SUBMERGE - World Premiere.  Australia, 90 mins. Directed by Sophie O’Connor. With Lily Hall, Christina Hallett, Kevin Dee, Georgia Bolton.

In Sophie O’Connor’s absorbing, sensual drama, an ambitious, beautiful and tightly wound history student – who is also an Olympics-bound swimmer – falls in love with the girlfriend of her thesis advisor. The protagonist is surprisingly drawn into a sexual underworld and is submerged in feelings that she doesn’t understand. Lily Hall’s performance powerfully captures the transformation in this memorable “Generation Y” love story.

  

SUMMERTIME - New York Premiere.USA, 90 mins. Written and directed by Max Weissberg. With Lethia Nall, Eric Garcia, Rob Hollander, H.R. Britton, James Eason, Jenny Grace, Olivia Horton, Michele Cesari.

Two actresses are unknowingly cast in the same role; and that is just the starting point for one of the most enchanting and witty romantic New York roundelays in recent memory. Talented debut writer/director Max Weissberg follows furtive attempts at friendship, love, and sex among eight people including Julia, an actress who lands the role of Anya, daughter of a Russian arms dealer and an unconventional director who thinks she must truly become Anya. This graceful, multilayered film knowingly examines the nature of performance in our “real” lives.

UPRISING – USA/Egypt, 85 mins. Documentary directed by Fredrik Stanton.

As timely as today’s headlines, with the added element of historical context and thoughtful analysis, Uprising is a vivid and much-needed documentary that captures the drama, chaos, and complexity of a revolution in the making. Produced by an extraordinary Academy Award-winning team including the executive producer of TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE and the editor of INSIDE JOB, Uprising looks at the inside story of the Egyptian revolution from the perspective of its principal leaders and organizers, including four Nobel Peace Prize nominees.

URBAN TALE - U.S. Premiere. Israel, 90 mins. Written and directed by Eliav Lilti. With Barak Friedman, Noa Friedman, Esti Yerushalmi, Zohar Shtrauss, Ohad Knoller, Michal Shtamler.

After the death of their mother, an incestuous brother and sister search for their father who abandoned them as infants. Eliav Lilti’s startling, audacious, and surprisingly polished micro-budget feature film could seem unbelievable — if it wasn’t based on a true story. A series of to-the-camera dialogues and explicit sex scenes, with a dry sense of humor and captivating performances, URBAN TALE heralds the emergence of an important new director, and perhaps a new direction for Israeli cinema.

ZIPPER - USA, 77 mins. Documentary directed by Amy Nicholson. 

The eternal showdown between old-fashioned urban tradition and modern commercial development is played out on an unlikely battlefield—the beloved Zipper ride at Coney Island—in Amy Nicholson’s thoroughly entertaining and engaging new documentary. In 2007, a real estate mogul and the Bloomberg administration begin rezoning the amusement park within an inch of its life. Nicholson paints an intriguing portrait of one of New York City's last cultural enclaves on the cusp of gentrification. 

For Festival Information - Visit The Festival Website at https://firsttimefest.com/

Tickets & Passes For First Time Fest:

Single Ticket Pricing – Screenings – $15.00 (Competition & First Exposure).

20% discount ($12.00) for Students and Members of the Museum of the Moving Image, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Forum, IFP, the Players, and Motion Picture Industry Unions & Guilds, including SAG, DGA, WGA, ICG, MPEG).

FTF Presents: Panels & Conversations – $12.00 (How They Did It, Stand Alone! and 60^th Anniversary Tribute to THE LITTLE FUGITIVE).

$10.00 for Students and Members of the Museum of the Moving Image, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Forum, IFP, the Players and Motion Picture Industry Unions & Guilds, including SAG, DGA, WGA, ICG, MPEG)

Passes

All-Access Pass – $500 (Galas, Screenings, FTF Presents Panels, Conversations, Tributes), Access to Filmmaker Lounge

25% ($350) Discount for Students and Members of the Museum of the Moving Image, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Forum, IFP, the Players and Motion Picture Industry Unions & Guilds, including SAG, DGA, WGA, ICG, MPEG), GiltGroup, Living Social, Groupon, Theatre Mania, etc.

Insiders Pass – $150 (All Screenings & Panels)

$100 for Students and Members of the Museum of the Moving Image, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Film Forum, IFP, the Players and Motion Picture Industry Unions & Guilds, including SAG, DGA, WGA, ICG, MPEG)

Gramercy Pass (Panels Only)  – $75 ($50 for discount groups)

Programmers Pass (Screenings Only)– $75 ($50 for discount groups)

Tickets can be purchased starting February 18^th online at: www.FirstTimeFest.com

Also at the Loews Box-Office and The Players headquarters during First Time Fest

First Time Fest Competition: THE FIRST TIME I ……….

First Time Fest is encouraging daring acts of social networking with a tweetable video competition!

Tweet videos showing the first time you experience something and win tickets to screenings, badges, and more! You can even win a chance to see Philip Seymour Hoffman and Darren Aronofsky!

Prizes will be awarded in these categories: Most Personal, Most Socially Daring, Most Original

Prizes will not be awarded for anything dangerous or harmful to others, so please don't show us the first time you break your arm.

Here's how it works:

1. Download the Vine app for free from the app store on your iphone or ipod.

2. Sign in with your twitter account

3. Make a 6 second video showing the first time you do something or telling the story of one of your firsts.

4. Share the video on Twitter and include @FirstTimeFest in the text and a hashtag of what the first is. So if it's the first time you are trying raw ginger you might include #MyFirstRawGingerExpereince in the tweet.

That's it! Each tweet automatically enters you in our contest. You can enter as many times as you like. Our panel of short video judges will evaluate the videos and announce the winners on February 21st.

You must be at least 18 years of age to enter this contest, contest is void where prohibited, no purchase necessary ;)  Prizes include tickets and badges, travel and accommodation are not provided.

Johanna Bennett and Mandy Ward are the co-founders of First Time Fest. As an accomplished philanthropist, actor and social entrepreneur, as well as the daughter of singer Tony Bennett, Johanna Bennett has immersed herself within the entertainment and artistic community her entire life. Mandy Ward has worked in the film industry for the past decade in varied capacities, namely as a film producer of several projects. Mitch Levine, CEO of The Film Festival Group, is producing the festival. Through his company, Mitch offers consulting services and expertise to film festivals, film commissions, distribution companies and filmmakers around the world, and was formerly the CEO and Executive Director of the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival. The Festival’s Director of Programming is David Schwartz, the Chief Curator of Museum of the Moving Image.

Visit The Festival Website at  

https://firsttimefest.com/

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