Film Society of Lincoln Center Announces HBO Directors Dialogue Series

The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced today Ang Lee has been added to the roster of its 2012 NYFF HBO Directors Dialogues participants. FSLC also announced the selections for the 16^th edition of NYFF's Views From the Avant-Garde, the popular yearly touchstone for experimental film around the world as well as the presentation of filmmaker awards from the Kazuko Trust for the first time. In addition, NYFF announced the selections for this year's short film programs.
 
Joining the lineup of the popular HBO Directors Dialogues at the New York Film Festival will be Academy-Award winner Ang Lee, the director of NYFF's Opening Night Gala presentation LIFE OF PI. The Directors Dialogues pair a director with a journalist as they discuss the filmmaker's career, views on their own approach to making movies as well as the current state of the art of filmmaking. Previously announced were Abbas Kiarostami (LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE), David Chase (NOT FADE AWAY) and Robert Zemeckis (FLIGHT). Lee will be joined by Todd McCarthy (NYFF Selection Committee member and Chief Film Critic, The Hollywood Reporter) in conversation on Saturday, September 29 at 2:30PM.
 
The selections for the New York Film Festival's Shorts Programs were also announced with films from Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland and USA represented among the 12 films. The eclectic group of films includes a controversial look at high school shootings (Milad Alami's NOTHING CAN TOUCH ME), the "making of" soft-porn auteur Russ Meyer (Todd Rosken's UP THE VALLEY AND BEYOND), Gérard Depardieu as a travelling salesman (Constance Meyer's FRANK-ETIENNE TOWARD BEAUTITUDE) and a young boy believing his grandfather is actually a zombie (David Moreno's ZOMBIE).
 
 
The 16th edition of Views from the Avant-Garde (October 5-8) once again will offer a robust slate of programming at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center including free-to-the-public screenings in its Amphitheater, as it presents four nights of singular work from the frontiers of innovative moving-image making curated by Mark McElhatten and Gavin Smith and sponsored by Film Armada.
 
The opening day of Views will kick off with a Special Presentation of Phil Solomon's "EMPIRE" in a free public presentation with reception in the Elinor Bunin Film Center Amphitheater. The four-day event will conclude with a special day devoted to Avant-Garde master Peter Kubleka, including the U.S. Premiere of Martina Kudlácek;s four hour documentary FRAGMENTS OF KUBELKA and the special multiple projector piece MONUMENT FILM, a World Premiere presented by Peter Kubelka himself.
 
Other World Premieres will include Michael Robinson's breakthrough near feature CIRCLE IN THE SAND, Laida Lertxundi's THE ROOM CALLED HEAVEN. Nathaniel Dorsky's APRIL. In addition Jerome Hiler's ultra rare film works are being presented in original prints in newly edited versions shown for the first time anywhere.
 
Another World Premiere presentation will be filmmaker, installation artist, producer and cinematographer Jeff Preiss's STOP. The film is a unique family document, a quiet tour de force, of fleeting lyrical moments accumulating into a heartfelt chronicle of identity and gender transition. Known for his work as a director, and as a cinematographer for Bruce Weber (BROKEN NOSES, LET'S GET LOST), Rosa von Praunheim and others, Preiss has made music videos for R.E.M., Mariah Carey and shown his installation work in many major international museums. After its presentation at Views, STOP will be installed in the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art as part of the upcoming exhibition "Blues for Smoke".
 
The presentation of David Gatten's THE EXTRAVAGANT SHADOWS will also be making its World Premiere. The 3-hour piece is Gatten's longest work to date and Gatten is currently the subject of a mid-career 14-film exhibition tour TEXTS OF LIGHT originating from the Wexner Center of The Arts. Known for his philosophical and playful 16mm films working with innovative processes of image making, and touching on history, perception, and the art of reading, Gatten has created his first digital magnum opus with THE EXTRAVAGANT SHADOWS.
 
 
Views From the Avant-Garde will also announce the inaugural presentation of two $5000 scholarships to Views filmmakers from the Kazuko Trust as part of this year's event. The filmmakers chosen by Views curators Mark McElhatten and Gavin Smith as well as consulting curator/panelists will be announced in the upcoming weeks. This year's other panelists for this exciting new award include Nellie Killian film programmer at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music and founding director of Migrating Forms and Chris Stults, associate curator in the Film/Video department at the Wexner Center for the Arts. 
 
Said Nora Coblence, executor of the estate of noted jewelry designer, Kazuko Oshima, "When the time came to decide where Kazuko's funds should go, the Film Society of Lincoln Center seemed like the ideal choice. She loved film with a passion, always supported the Film Society, and was quite avant-garde in so many of her multi-artistic endeavors." 
 
 
Additional highlights include a retrospective presentation of Ferdinand Khittl's rarely seen THE PARALLEL ROAD, as well as tributes to the late Chris Marker (the first NYFF showing of SANS SOLEIL) and Raul Ruiz (the presentation of the fabled but rarely screened THE BLIND OWL).
 
In addition Views is proud to once again include stellar new work by Deborah Stratman, Janie Geiser, Erin Espele, April Simmons, Mike Gibisser, Ben Russell, Shambhavi Kaul. Dani Leventhal, Fern Silva Ernie Gehr, James Benning, and many others.
  
Also for the first time this year, web-based film distributor Film Armada has come onboard as a sponsor for Views From the Avant-Garde. Film Armada takes an editorial approach to web-based independent film distribution, focused on building a profitable channel for vanguard cinema.
 
 
Other Views presentations of special note:
 
Luther Price a notorious and perennial favorite at Views from the Avant-Garde will be featured with his first one-person show, A LUTHER PRICE BESTIARY.  Each film screened is a unique art object carefully sculpted, treated, and collaged. Price was included in the 2012 Whitney Biennial where Roberta Smith of the New Times praised his work as one of the outstanding highlights of the exhibition.
  
The first NYFF showings of Turner prize nominee Luke Fowler, internationally known artist Camille Henrot, and the installation artist and filmmaker, cinematographer, Peter Bo Rappmund.
  
The presentation of Peggy Ahwesh's new restoration super 8 to 16mm blow-ups of her infamous and widely celebratEd MartinA'S PLAYHOUSE along with rare screenings of then new restorations of the work of Joe Gibbons. Both artists will be present at the screenings.
 
 
The 17-day New York Film Festival highlights the best in world cinema, featuring top films from celebrated filmmakers as well as fresh new talent. The selection committee, chaired by Peña also includes: Melissa Anderson, Contributor, Village Voice; Scott Foundas, Associate Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center; Todd McCarthy, Chief Film Critic, The Hollywood Reporter; and Amy Taubin, Contributing Editor, Film Comment and Sight and Sound.
 
The New York Film Festival is generously sponsored by Royal Bank of Canada, American Airlines, The New York Times, Stella Artois, illy, HBO, Trump International Hotel and Tower, WABC, WNET, the National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts.
 
General Public tickets will be available September 9th. There will be an advance ticketing opportunity for Film Society of Lincoln Center Patrons and Members prior to that date. For more information visit www.Filmlinc.com/NYFF or call 212 875 5601.