1 2 3 DIRECTORS’ NOTES 3 It’s been a busy year for all of us at the Philadelphia Film Society. As This feels like a year of monumental shift in film and it has certainly you may know, the end of 2013 saw us reopen the PFS Roxy Theater. been one for us. If you read Andy’s note or have been seeing all our Offering films reflective of those we’d play in the Philadelphia Film marketing around town, you know that we are extremely proud Festival, from the experimental to documentary, independent to of the ongoing work we are doing at the PFS Roxy Theater and the prestige studio releases, I have been thrilled with the diversity of the growing number of year-round programs. But it’s also been a shift films we’ve programmed at the PFS Roxy this year. for the rest of the world. We’ve lost a lot of the greats, such as Lauren Bacall and Philip Seymour Hoffman. We will be honoring them In addition, we’ve utilized the PFS Roxy to launch dynamic programs, with some of our screenings in a robust “From the Vaults” section including our Spring Showcase and Children’s Film Festival, special this year. This collection of classics will also include some of the series including a Wes Anderson retrospective and spotlight on strongest selections from our ongoing David Lynch Retrospective. the 2013 Oscar-Nominated documentaries as well as our monthly Saturday Morning Specials, Sensory Friendly Screenings, Graveyard Meanwhile, some of the greats still living brought us new surprises. Shift and Filmadelphia at the Roxy screenings. The PFS Roxy has Jean-Luc Godard made his first 3D feature with Goodbye to been crucial to fulfilling PFS’ mission and extending the Philadelphia Language. Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu honed the craft of long Film Festival year-round by giving us a venue to bring some of the takes in our incredibly cinematic opening night film, Birdman. The best cinema around the world to Philadelphia. Now, I am proud Dardennes Brothers made their most commercial movie to date with to add the PFS Roxy as a Festival venue, joining the Ritz East, Ritz the ticking-clock drama, Two Days, One Night. It’s certainly a great Bourse, Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center and the Prince Music time to try something new! Theater, and giving us an additional presence in the Rittenhouse Square area of the city. 2014 was a challenge for the programming team with such a bevy of riches. How to choose? As you can imagine, we keep our standards It’s a fantastic year to bring the PFS Roxy on as a Festival partner, high for the quality of content in the festival and this year presented as our Festival programming team has delivered yet another stellar a unique challenge of editing down our overflowing roster of films. program. This year, programmers visited more festivals than ever I am incredibly proud of this year’s lineup because it has come before, checking out Cartagena, Clermont-Ferrand, Edinburgh and together beautifully. From the powerful Oscar contenders including more in addition to circuit regulars such as Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, St. Vincent and Imitation Game, to the brilliant award-winners such Tribeca, Cannes, LAFF, and Toronto, all to bring to Philly a diverse, as Winter Sleep and Mommy, to soon-to-be sleeper hits like The provocative and highly anticipated lineup. With the continued Duke of Burgundy and Girlhood, this year’s festival is highlighted support of the Wyncote Foundation, I’m thrilled to offer films in the by ambitious filmmakers, challenging our sensibilities with daring American Independents and Documentary Showcase categories for new work that stands out from the rest. We are peeking through the free. keyhole of the cinematic future, and it’s incredibly satisfying to bring this to Philadelphia. Likewise, we’ve added some special events this year. Our Opening Night Celebration will be bigger than ever, screening two films at There’s a lot to take in, but in the spirit of all the great innovative the Perelman Theater in the Kimmel Center followed by our opening work we have programmed, please take risks and step outside of night party upstairs. Likewise, our closing night event at Top of the your comfort zone as an audience member. Filmmakers this year Tower, with some of the best views in the city, will be equally festive. have transformed a simple ghost story into a beautiful work of art, In between, we’re hosting a reception in honor of filmmaker David a moving human rights documentary into a treatise on the nature Lynch, a Night Market in front of the PFS Roxy, and many events of perception, and a working class moral dispute into a nail-biting nightly at the Festival Lounge. All of these events will serve to race for survival. Nothing is what it seems, so I encourage you to read enhance the Festival experience even further. through all of the sections, choose carefully and take chances. Thank you to all of our amazing supporters, including our returning As a final note, thank you all. Your continued patronage is what Official Sponsors 6ABC, Comcast Xfinity, Philadelphia Magazine, and inspires us to find and present the hottest films that are making Southwest Airlines, as well as our new Official Sponsors 500 Walnut, headlines and shaping new ways to think about the world. Thank the Lincoln Motor Company and Sweat Fitness. I also want to thank you for opening your eyes and ears and letting us share with you this the PFS Board of Directors and our PFS Members for their continued magic we’ve been collecting all year long. support, as well as the incredibly hardworking PFS and Festival staff, and the hundreds of volunteers who give countless hours to make the Festival run smoothly. Finally, but just as important, I thank you for making this event possible. I encourage you to see as many MICHAEL LERMAN films as you can, and to share your experience with others. Become ARTISTIC DIRECTOR immersed in the full Festival experience. I look forward to seeing you at the movies. J. ANDREW GREENBLATT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 4 GETTING YOU TO THE SHOW SINCE 1921. A proud sponsor of the Philadelphia Film Festival Schedule service, find parts and shop online at PepBoys.com or call us at 1-800-PEP-BOYS. 5 IMPORTANT INFO Directors’ Notes 3 Programmer Bios 7 Our Sponsors 9 Keys to a Successful Festival 10 Ticket Information 11 Opening Night Festivities 13 Closing Night Celebration 13 Special Events 15 Film Awards 20 Community & Education Programs 23 Screening Schedule 24 Thank You 101 Film Index 106 THE PROGRAM Opening Night Film 29 Closing Night Film 31 Centerpieces 33 From the Vaults 40 Spotlights 44 Masters of Cinema 48 World Narratives 52 New French Films 62 Spanish Language Stories 68 Cinema Down Under 72 American Independents 76 Greater Filmadelphia 80 Documentary Showcase 84 CONTENTS Sight and Soundtrack 90 Animated Shorts Program 95 The Graveyard Shift 96 Welcome to the twenty-third Philadelphia Film Festival. See something you’ll never forget! Philadelphia Film Festival-PROOF.pdf 1 8/29/14 3:25 PM 6 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 7 PROGRAMMER BIOS 7 MICHAEL LERMAN J. ANDREW GREENBLATT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Born and raised in Philadelphia, Michael A Philadelphia native, J. Andrew Greenblatt is a veteran programmer of film festivals, assumed the position of Executive Director/ currently also curating for Fantastic Fest Chief Executive Officer of the Philadelphia and working as a Programming Associate Film Society in September 2008. He is for the Toronto International Film responsible for the annual budget and Festival. Previously, he was the Director of long-term financial plan while also acting Acquisitions for The Film Sales Company and has written for several as primary fundraiser and overseer of programming initiatives. Prior film publications including indieWIRE, Spout and Hammer to Nail. to PFS, Greenblatt began his career in the entertainment industry He also co-runs a production company called Tiger Industry Films with Film 101 Productions, an independent production company. Working both with Film 101 and independently, he has produced for which he produces, directs, writes, and edits. films including Explicit Ills, Café, Twelve, and Everything Must Go. TOM QUINN RYAN WERNER PROGRAMMER PROGRAMMER Tom Quinn is the co-president of Radius, Ryan Werner, recepient of The Hollywood The Weinstein Company’s new cross- Reporter’s “Next Gen Award” in 2006, platform film releasing label, developing is a freelance publicity and marketing content and distribution strategies that consultant. He was recently SVP of move beyond the on-demand model. Marketing at IFC Entertainment, where Before that he was at Magnolia for eight he oversaw all marketing and publicity years, where he was SVP. Quinn is also a programmer, having worked for the company’s theatrical and home video releases. Prior to IFC, for Atlanta, Woodstock, and Actionfest. Prior to joining Magnolia, he Werner was Head of Theatrical Distribution at Wellspring and Palm was at Samuel Goldwyn for seven years, eventually becoming VP of Pictures. He has also worked at Magnolia Pictures, Shooting Gallery, Acquisitions. Quinn’s first industry job was working in domestic film Sundance Channel, and IFP. Werner has also programmed at the publicity for Nancy Willen at Dennis Davidson Associates. Woodstock Film Festival. CHARLOTTE COOK DOUG JONES ASSOCIATE PROGRAMMER ASSOCIATE PROGRAMMER Charlotte is Director of Programming at Hot Doug Jones got his first job in film selling Docs, North America’s largest documentary popcorn behind the candy stand of a movie festival. She was previously Head of Film theater when he was 14.