CineFest, returning to Philadelphia April 7-14, 2011, has announced a handful of highlights from this year’s film program, including Incendies, Bhopali and The Interrupters. From the official press release:
Oscar season is over, but The Philadelphia Cinema Alliance is bubbling over with silver screen excitement with the return of CineFest, running this year from Thursday, April 7 to Thursday, April 14.
Boasting over 60 feature films – including U.S. and World premieres, and featuring the very best of Sundance, SXSW and the Cannes Film Festival – CineFest will feature festival goer’s favorites: Danger After Dark, World Focus, American Indies, The Documentary Tradition and of course, the spotlight on Philadelphia’s Finest – Festival of Independents. This year’s venues will include the Ritz East One and Two, the Painted Bride and the legendary Trocadero.
CineFest highlights include: Incendies, the French-Canadian foreign-language Oscar nominee from director Denis Villeneuve; Two Gates of Sleep, a Cannes entry about two guys’ metaphysical slog through Mississippi; Bhopali, an industrial-disaster documentary that won both the documentary prize and the audience award at Slamdance; Steve James’ The Interrupters, about a Chicago group trying to stanch the violence in its city’s streets; The Troll Hunter, a Norwegian horror thriller; and Square Grouper, a South-by-Southwest selection about pot smugglers in 1970s Miami.
Closing out the 8-day festival is the Philadelphia premiere of Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock’s new film, POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, which won great reviews at Sundance. Spurlock will be on hand for the screening of the documentary to speak in-depth about product placement in the media.
“We’re taking this festival back to its grass roots,” says CineFest Artistic Director Josh Goldbloom. ”It’s our love for film, our love for this city, and our eagerness to share the passion for cinema, that’s been fueling us all. We’re building this into a landmark festival, through teamwork and celebration. I’m incredibly honored to be able to present this year’s CineFest. “
In addition to great programming, this year’s CineFest ventures beyond the confines of typical screening venues and heads outdoors.
On Saturday, April 9, in front of The Ritz Five, the festival will celebrate all day and evening with the first ever free CineFest Street Fair, complete with filmmaker interviews, musicians, special guest MC’s, comedians, food, vendors, and more. The next day, Sunday, April 10, festival goers will head to The Piazza at Schmidt’s for an all day martial arts mini-fest, celebrating the greatest action star you’ve probably never heard of, Tony Jaa! Screening all 3 of his ONG BAK films, and featuring martial arts demonstrations all day, CineFest will be turning the entire Piazza into a giant marketplace.
At the helm of CineFest is Goldbloom, hailing from the Philadelphia Underground Film Festival. TLA Entertainment Group President and CineFest creator Ray Murray programs the world-cinema slate, with Managing Director Steven Saturn, Development Director Thom Cardwell and film booker Jennifer Arndt-Johns rounding out the team. TLA partners Claire Brown Kohler, and Eric Moore serve as production directors.
For more information on CineFest, visit www.phillycinema.org or call 267-765-9800; and follow the festival on Twitter: @CinefestPhilly and Facebook: www.facebook.com/phillycinefest
