"Covid-19 The Virus Of Fear" - An Italian Movie Regarding The Lesson Learned From The Pandemic (screengrab)
"Will we be able to learn anything from all this?" The movie trailer of "Covid-19 The Virus of Fear" closes with this question, while a dying man is attached to a respirator.
Produced by Consulcesi, a company specialized in healthcare education, this movie is part of a broader education project on Covid-19 aimed primarily at medical doctors and healthcare professionals, included in a full series of continuing education in medicine (CME) courses.
A careful fact gathering of what happened, which dismantles the fake news on Covid-19 through correct scientific information, will also be available to the public on mainstream platforms. Therefore, a project that engages the public not to forget the near past and to learn from mistakes.
The movie was brought forth on the idea of Massimo Tortorella, Consulcesi' s Chairman who explains its genesis and purpose: "Covid-19 has changed digital education in the professional field. This initiative aims to overcome the traditional learning model through the concept of 'learning by doing' guaranteed by interactivity and technology. Healthcare professionals can update their knowledge-base not by reading slides but through a movie and testing their skills with decision-making articulations marked by algorithms that generate virtual interactions with patients."
The result is an 80 minutes-long film written by Manuela Jael Procaccia and directed by Christian Marazziti. Starting from the experience of Italy and China, among the first contaminated countries, the film retells the sensations that have affected everyone on a global level: the fear of the unknown, which leads to discriminatory behaviors and which feeds hypochondria and psychosis.
Consulcesi: “Covid-19 The Virus of Fear” An Italian Movie Regarding The Lesson Learned From The Pandemic
This project sees prestigious collaborations, including those of the virologist Massimo Andreoni, Director of Infectious Diseases department at Tor Vergata University; Giorgio Nardone psychotherapist of Strategic Therapy Center; Giuseppe Ippolito, Scientific Director of Lazzaro Spallanzani and Ranieri Guerra, Deputy Director-General of WHO. Just the latter, highlights that: "The EU has finally started to behave as such and the major international agencies have joined forces. Vaccines, diagnostics, drugs, namely borderless science can become the global public healthcare systems. We need the contribution of everyone, governments, individuals, communities: It will take time, but we cannot allow that the effort, the tears and the blood shed to have been in vain."
The film presentation took place under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Healthcare. "Coronavirus has taught us that continuing education in medicine and clear information to citizens are the solid basis for a head start," commented the Minister.
Heidi is just a girl from the Alps in an alternative Switzerland that has fallen under fascist rule. Little does she know that her yearning for personal freedom will be the spark that ignites a revolution. (PRNewsfoto/Mad Heidi)
The team behind the world's first Swissploitation movie today announced that cult US screenwriter, actor, director and producer Trent Haaga has joined Mad Heidi's scriptwriting team. The award-winning Haaga has been involved in over 100 films in a long and sometimes controversial career.
Mad Heidi is being produced by Iron Sky producer Tero Kaukomaa and Amateur Teen's and Paradise War's Valentin Greutert, and it will be directed by the highly talented, up-and-coming Swiss director Johannes Hartmann.
The little girl from the Alps is back…with a vengeance
Mad Heidi is an action-adventure-comedy-horror parody of the much-loved children's storybook character Heidi. Now all grown up, Heidi is just a girl from the Alps in an alternative Switzerland that has fallen under fascist rule. Little does she know that her yearning for personal freedom will be the spark that ignites a revolution. From fondue torture to death by chocolate, Mad Heidi is a true Swissploitation film. Think Kill Bill meets The Sound of Music.
Trent Haaga said, "I've always been a huge fan of old-school exploitation films - from spaghetti westerns, kung-fu movies, the counterculture movies of the late 60s, and the timeless alternate reality of the Iron Sky films. I see Mad Heidi as a love letter to all of the above, and I was thrilled to be offered the chance to play in the world that Tero, Valentin, and Johannes have created. Mad Heidi holds a dark funhouse mirror up to the world through the lens of a Switzerland that never was. It's a futuristic fairy tale heavily inspired by a classic and much-loved novel. Who wouldn't want to be involved in something like that? I'm also a huge fan of the way these guys put their films together - eschewing traditional financing models, embracing new forms of distribution, and valuing input from the fans during production. As far as I'm concerned, it's the future of independent filmmaking, and I'm delighted to be making this journey with this team."
Haaga has a long and successful track record with credits including writing many feature films, from Lloyd Kaufman's legendary Troma's The Toxic Avenger Part 4, Courteney Cox's directorial debut, Talhotblond, to the controversial 2008 Toronto International Film Festival hit, DEADGIRL.
Tero Kaukomaa said, "It's great to have someone of Trent's undoubted talents on board. He always delivers and is a perfect fit for the amazing new film we are producing for our fans. I can assure you people will not be disappointed. In fact, we are sure they're gonna love it. We know our fans have been waiting, and the good news for them is that things are starting to move quickly. So, watch this space as there's plenty more news to come."
Trent Haaga is an award-winning screenwriter, director, producer, and actor who has been involved in over 100 films in his 20-year career. Trent has written many feature films, from Troma's The Toxic Avenger Part 4 to Courteney Cox's directorial debut, Talhotblond, to the controversial 2008 Toronto International Film Festival hit, DEADGIRL. He is also the screenwriter of the AAA video game The Evil Within 2 from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Trent is a two-time SXSW Audience Award-winner with his films Cheap Thrills and 68 Kill. He lives in Los Angeles.
In 1997, film producer and entrepreneur Tero Kaukomaa established Blind Spot Pictures. Since then he has produced, or co-produced, over 20 feature films including "Dancer in the Dark'' by Lars von Trier, Golden Globe nominee "Everlasting Moments'' by Jan Troel,l and "Iron Sky''. In 2012, he released Timo Vuorensola's "Iron Sky'', an € 8 million Finnish – German – Australian co-production. The film was heavily crowd-sourced and crowd-funded by a world-wide community of fans. In 2014, Tero founded Iron Sky Universe together with Timo Vuorensola to continue the Iron Sky Saga. In 2019, the €19 million sequel to Iron Sky, "Iron Sky The Coming Race" was launched. A USD 30 million Chinese film, "The Ark – an Iron Sky'', is currently in post-production. Also in 2019, Tero founded SwissploitationFilms GmbH with Valentin Greutert and Johannes Hartmann to produce and distribute Mad Heidi, the world's first Swissploitation film. In 2020, he founded Son of a Pitch Oy (Ltd) together with Timo Vuorensolato to offer their expertise in crowd engagement and pitching to other filmmakers. Tero believes in quality and the power of marketing, and he wants to use creative new ways to bring fresh content to the market. He is a member of ACE and the European Film Academy. He divides his time between Helsinki, Finland and Zürich, Switzerland.
Valentin Greutert started working in the film business in 2000 after graduating with a Masters in Economics and Business Administration. In 2004, he founded his first production company, HesseGreutert Film, in Zurich, Switzerland. Since 2015, he has headed his new outlet, A Film Company. Greutert has produced many feature films and documentaries, among them pearls like "Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae" and "Amateur Teens". In 2019, his biggest production to date was released. "Paradise War", based on a true story and represented by TrustNordisk, was shot on three continents with 76 days spent shooting, most of them deep in the jungles of Borneo. The film was a major success in Switzerland. Since 2008, Greutert has been a member of the international producer club ACE. He is also part of the European and Swiss Film Academies, as well as member of the documentary and fiction commission of the Federal Office of Culture in Berne. Building on his background in economics, Greutert also designed and now distributes KOSMA, a professional software to control film production finances (www.kosma.io).
Active as director and producer since 2007, Johannes Hartmann founded Decoy Films GmbH in 2009 together with two partners. Since then, he has been responsible for the realisation of many commercials, music videos and service productions. His debut short film "Halbschlaf" was selected by Switzerland's leading genre film festival, the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival, and numerous other international film festivals, and has won several awards. This was followed by other short films and documentaries, which were selected at film festivals worldwide. With his concept for Mad Heidi, the world's first Swissploitation film, Johannes Hartmann approached the producers Tero Kaukomaa and Valentin Greutert, with whom he founded Swissploitation Films in autumn 2019. Mad Heidi is Hartmann's directorial debut as a director of a feature-length fiction film.
Feature Film "Social Distance" Completes Production from Quarantine (image via socialdistancemovie.com)
While the rest of Hollywood is making plans to safely start making movies again in the wake of a pandemic, Koa Aloha Media has wrapped production of a feature film produced at a distance.
This thriller is a one-of-a-kind production – It was filmed entirely while filmmakers and actors were in their own isolation, during the quarantine period from April to June.
The story of "Social Distance" is this:
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, a group of six individuals find the weight of isolation pushing them to the brink of insanity as they find themselves consumed with the pressure of work and the threat of sickness. The group is attempting to salvage a cruise line's reputation after the company is blamed for bringing the coronavirus into the United States on one of its cruise ships. Each must battle the destructive demons of isolation, addiction, conspiracies, and jealousy.
The movie is written and directed by B. Luciano Barsuglia. It stars Vernon Wells (The Road Warrior,Commando), Jed Rowen (The Ghastly Love of Johnny X), Rachel Riley (Enigma), Kasey Brown (Green Room) and has a strong supporting class.
Gil Oldman Jr. (Vernon Wells) sets his public relations team straight as they try to save the reputation of Dreamscape Cruise Lines in "Social Distance".
"We believe this is the first time anything like this has been done," states Barsuglia. "The movie was directed entirely through video conferences, and the actors had to become filmmakers to shoot each of their own scenes."
Stork Winters (Jed Rowen) seeks answers from Ken Fogler (Jason Kartalian) and Henry Crandall (Justin P. Warren) in "Social Distance".
Barsuglia also reveals that post-production has been happening throughout the process as well, and the movie "Social Distance" is almost ready for the public. But is the world ready? The movie mirrors many of the themes and difficulties people have been experiencing during these trying months.
"1 Angry Black Man" tells the story of Mike Anderson, a senior at a New England liberal arts college. After an erroneous arrest for a crime he did not commit, Mike’s story transitions to an existential conversation about gender dynamics, racism, and class, as well as an empirical study of the works of four iconic Black intellectuals.
Soulidifly Productions, a film company with a mission to produce meaningful, uplifting stories that are entertaining and beautifully told, has partnered with Freestyle Digital Media to release 1 Angry Black Man, available to audiences everywhere on DVD and on-demand starting June 5, 2020.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to amplify our film distribution in video-on-demand formats," said BK Fulton, founding CEO of Soulidifly Productions. "We look forward to one day soon returning our films to theaters as well. Transformative films like this one need to be seen by all, especially with what is going on in the world right now. Major city streets are on fire after the tragic death of George Floyd on national TV. 1 Angry Black Man explores the racial, gender and political tensions that lead to anger and protests. It's like the plot of the film was pulled out of today's headlines."
Written and directed by Menelek Lumumba and co-produced by Soulidifly Productions and Align Pictures, 1 Angry Black Man tells the story of Mike Anderson, a senior at a New England liberal arts college. After an erroneous arrest for a crime he did not commit, Mike's story transitions to an existential conversation about gender dynamics, racism, and class, as well as an empirical study of the works of four iconic Black intellectuals. As he heads to his African-American literature class, Mike continues to grapple with his unconscionable arrest. Mike's emotions threaten to boil over during a class discussion covering several prolific authors and activists, from James Baldwin to Zora Neale Hurston.
The film features Miguel A. Núñez, Jr. ("Life"), Amanda Jane Stern ("Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County"), Tim Moriarty ("Manifest"), Ramon Nuñez ("New Amsterdam," "Bull"), Daphne Danielle (upcoming "God The Worm") and introduces Keith Stone as Mike.
The Trailer:
About Soulidifly Productions:
Founded in 2017, Soulidifly tells the stories of multiethnic, multigenerational people across various segments of life, experiences and eras. https://www.soulidifly.com/
About Freestyle Digital Media:
The digital distribution unit of Entertainment Studios, Freestyle Digital Media is a premiere multi-platform distributor with direct partnerships across all major cable, digital and streaming platforms.
The Society For The Promotion Of Japanese Animation Announces First Ever Anime Expo Lite - A Free Virtual Japanese Pop Culture Event
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is thrilled to unveil its plans to offer Japanese pop culture fans from around the world an opportunity to experience all things anime from wherever they are with Anime Expo Lite.
This FREE two-day livestream event will begin on July 3, proclaimed Anime Expo Day by the City of Los Angeles in 2015, and continue through July 4.
Anime Expo Lite will feature content from industry partners such as Bushiroad, Crunchyroll, Pony Canyon, VIZ, and more! (More exclusive content will be announced in the coming weeks.)
SPJA has also revealed the key art that was planned as the program guide cover for the since cancelled Anime Expo 2020, which now features the Anime Expo Lite logo instead. The AX mascot characters Ai and Xeno are pictured with the cast of The World End With You.
"We are excited to be able to parlay the traditional Anime Expo into a virtual experience. Since 2017, AX has been livestreaming select panels as well as from the convention floor, so it is a natural transition for us to produce a virtual event. As everything in 2020 is different, we see a unique opportunity to be able to share our passion for Japanese pop culture not only with those that would have attended AX but now with any anime fan no matter where they live," said Ray Chiang, CEO of The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, AX's organizer. "With our Anime Expo Lite line-up, we know fans will find plenty of events and special guests to entertain and keep them engaged."
Fans can expect to see:
Special Guests, including artist/character designer Yoshitaka Amano
For 29 years, AX has been the preeminent event featuring the newest anime films, television series, fashion, video games, manga, dance, music concerts, exhibitors and exclusive convention merchandise, all combined to deliver unforgettable experiences to fans of anime and Japanese pop culture. AX will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center July 2-5, 2021. For more information regarding Anime Expo please visit anime-expo.org.
About SPJA:
SPJA is a non-profit organization dedicated to popularize and educate the American public about Japanese entertainment and pop culture, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans.
Anime Expo (AX) brings together fans and industry from Japan, the US, and all over the world for the largest celebration of Japanese pop culture in North America. Taking place every year since 1992, Anime Expo features the best in Japanese entertainment, music, fashion, and video games.
Author Suzanne Collins (Photo Credit: Todd Plitt for Scholastic)
Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, has released a new interview with Suzanne Collins, author of the worldwide bestselling Hunger Games series.
On the eve of the publication of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, on sale now, author Suzanne Collins spoke to David Levithan, VP, Publisher and Editorial Director at Scholastic, and one of her editors, about the making of the book.
The Interview:
David Levithan: I'll start with the two questions I'm sure most readers will want to ask: Did you always plan to return to Panem after the trilogy with a book set sixty-four years earlier? And if not, what made you return to the story in this way?
Suzanne Collins: Here's how it works now. I have two worlds, the Underland (the world of The Underland Chronicles series) and Panem (the world of The Hunger Games). I use both of them to explore elements of just war theory. When I find a related topic that I want to examine, then I look for the place it best fits. The state of nature debate of the Enlightenment period naturally lent itself to a story centered on Coriolanus Snow.
Focusing on the 10th Hunger Games also gave me the opportunity to tell Lucy Gray's story. In the first chapter of The Hunger Games, I make reference to a fourth District 12 victor. Katniss doesn't seem to know anything about the person worth mentioning. While her story isn't well-known, Lucy Gray lives on in a significant way through her music, helping to bring down Snow in the trilogy. Imagine his reaction when Katniss starts singing "Deep in the Meadow" to Rue in the arena. Beyond that, Lucy Gray's legacy is that she introduced entertainment to the Hunger Games. David Levithan:I have to ask—when you wrote that reference in the first book, did you have any sense of who that fourth victor might be? Suzanne Collins:Yes, but she's evolved a lot since then. David Levithan:What was it like to rewind the world you'd built by sixty-four years? What were some of the touchstones you used to understand what this version of Panem would be? Suzanne Collins: I really enjoyed going back in time to an earlier version of Panem and visiting the reconstruction period that followed the Dark Days. I thought a lot about the period after the Civil War here in the United States and also the post–World War II era in Europe. People trying to rebuild, to live their daily lives in the midst of the rubble. The challenges of food shortages, damaged infrastructure, confusion over how to proceed in peacetime. The relief that the war has ended coupled with the bitterness toward the wartime enemy. The need to place blame. David Levithan:What about the early Hunger Games? Suzanne Collins:Even as the victor in the war, the Capitol wouldn't have had the time or resources for anything elaborate. They had to rebuild their city and the industries in the districts, so the arena really is an old sports arena. They just threw in the kids and the weapons and turned on the cameras. The 10th Hunger Games is where it all blows wide open, both figuratively and literally. David Levithan:What was it like to have to dial back a character you created in his late maturity and then to rethink him as an eighteen-year-old? Suzanne Collins:Well, I thought about Wordsworth's line, "The Child is father of the Man." The groundwork for the aging President Snow of the trilogy was laid in childhood. Then there's Locke, who's all over this book, with his theory of tabula rasa, or blank slate, in which we're all products of our experiences. Snow's authoritarian convictions grew out of the experiences of his childhood, as did his complicated relationships with mockingjays, food, the Hunger Games, District 12, District 13, and women. So, you rewind and plant the seeds.
But given all that, you still need to leave room for Snow's personality. Is he a product of nature or nurture? Everyone of his generation experienced trauma, loss, and deprivation. And yet Sejanus, Tigris, Lucy Gray, and Lysistrata turned out very differently.
For whatever reason, Snow has a very controlling personality. Then he experiences one of the most out-of-control emotions, falling in love. It turns out to be a bad combination.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book cover
About The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games.
About Suzanne CollinsandThe Hunger Games:
Bestselling author Suzanne Collins first made her mark in children's literature with the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles fantasy series for middle grade readers.
She continued to explore the effects of war and violence on those coming of age with The Hunger Games Trilogy. The Hunger Games (2008) was an instant bestseller, appealing to both teen readers and adults. It was called "addictive" by Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly, and "brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced" by John Green in the New York Times Book Review. The book appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 260 consecutive weeks (more than five consecutive years), and there are more than 100 million copies of all three books in the trilogy─The Hunger Games, Catching Fire (2009), and Mockingjay (2010)─in print and digital formats worldwide.
Foreign publishing rights for The Hunger Games Trilogy have been sold in 54 languages to 52 territories to date.
In 2012 Lionsgate launched the first of four films based on the novels, starring Jennifer Lawrence. To date, the franchise has earned nearly $3 billion at the worldwide box office.
In 2010 Suzanne Collins was named to the TIME 100 list as well as the Entertainment Weekly Entertainers of the Year list; in 2011 Fast Company named her to their 100 Most Creative People in Business; and in 2016 she was presented the 2016 Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community for exemplifying the unique power of young people's literature to change lives and to create lifelong book lovers. It was the first time the Guild presented its annual award to a YA author.
The Atlantic called Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, "the most important female character in recent pop culture history," and TIME Magazine named Katniss to its list of "The 100 Most influential People Who Never Lived."
On The Hunger Games trilogy, The New York Times Book Review wrote, "At its best the trilogy channels the political passion of 1984, the memorable violence of A Clockwork Orange, the imaginative ambience of The Chronicles of Narnia and the detailed inventiveness of Harry Potter."
Director of "Synthetic Love", Vasyl Moskalenko, Creates Super-Hero Short-Movie in Covid-19 Lockdown on One Dollar Budget (screengrab)
Ukrainian film-director Vasyl Moskalenko has filmed a superhero movie, Apple-Man, in his own 150 square feet bedroom, with only two people on set and on a one dollar budget, during Covid-19 lockdown, The voiceover for Apple-Man was also provided by Marvel VO actor, Stefan Ashton Frank.
The main idea of the project is to demonstrate that it's possible to stay creative even when spending lockdown in a single room and also that it`s still important to stay safe during this time.
The Director played all twelve characters in the movie, while the other person on set was the Director of Photography, Volodymyr Kratinov. Almost all props and costumes were comprised of items Vasyl found in his own kitchen.
The voiceover for Apple-Man was completed by Stefan Ashton Frank, who worked on the VO for Need for Speed and the Call of Duty videogame series (along with Jason Statham and Gary Oldman). In Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Ashton Frank voiced the characters of Groot and Green Goblin.
Right now Vasyl Moskalenko has a plan to do a 90-minute feature film version of Apple-Man and is seeking a producer and co-investor.
"I spent one dollar to make a short movie," the director said. "Now I have a plan to make a 90-minute feature film version of Apple-Man. I want to add more SGI, action and hire American actors and actresses for VO of the super-hero characters, such as Apple-girl and Captain Cabbage."
The Apple-man trailer received more than 300 000 views within the few hours on one of the Instagram pages that reposted it.
"We have had amazing feedback about the project from people all over the world," says Vasyl. "This support makes me think Apple-Man has good potential. I want to release the movie on digital VOD platform, such as Netflix or Amazon next."
Vasyl Moskalenko is the director of the movie, "Synthetic Love", which received 20 festival awards in USA, Canada and Great Britain. He also directed numerous TV-shows in Ukraine in 2012-2018.
Besides Apple-Man, he is currently working on a horror movie, "The Chernobyl Fallout". The project was presented at the European Film Market during the Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale), in 2020.
Thought-Provoking Short Film by Falls Encourages Appreciation for Life's Precious Moments During Pandemic and Beyond
In this time of uncertainty, Falls, an integrated marketing, advertising and digital agency, released "Looking back on COVID-19," a short film that depicts the life-changing experiences during this pandemic. Produced in-house by the firm's creative team, the piece portrays the unexpected and rawness, and the vulnerability and humility of this moment in time. It paints a picture of what will be only distant memories when life returns to "normal."
"After some reflection, our team wanted to express a different perspective…to produce something that looked ahead, but by doing so — looked back," said Rob Falls, president and CEO of Falls. "We thought about someday — all of this will all be over. And time will pass. And, of course, we will remember the suffering, the personal losses and the separation from each other. However, we hope we will all remember what we learned from the togetherness, the ways in which we coped, and the selfless actions and sacrifices made to help others."
Thought-Provoking Short Film by Falls Encourages Appreciation for Life's Precious Moments During Pandemic and Beyond
In the opening scene, an all-too-common view of empty downtown streets, usually bustling — and quieted only by the stunning silence of social distancing — comes into view. "What will you remember?" the narrator asks. He goes on to recount the ways we have persevered together and kept others safe while staying apart; the ways we have passed the time; the ways we have become teachers and tech experts; the ways we have learned to appreciate those who are essential to our lives; and the ways we've come to accept our new normal.
Echoing the sentiments shared by the narrator at the conclusion of the film, Falls reflected, "When we look back, we hope we will learn, and never forget. Learn what is truly important to each of us…and remember."
"The Trayvon Hoax" Film is now on YouTube for Free (PRNewsfoto/HIghway 61 Entertainment)
The best-selling film, The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America, is now available to watch on YouTube for free for a limited time. Director and producer Joel Gilbert describes this free offer as a "stay at home bonus" for those locked down due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The Trayvon Hoax was first screened to the public at The National Press Club in Washington DC last September, and is also a book of the same name, available on DVD, Paperback and eBook on Amazon.com
By examining Trayvon's 750-page cell phone records, Gilbert alleges that the key witness for the prosecution of George Zimmerman, Rachel Jeantel, was a fraud. He asserts that it was a different girl who was on the phone with Trayvon just before he was shot. She was the 16-year-old whose recorded phone conversation with family attorney Benjamin Crump ignited the public, swayed President Obama, and provoked the nation's media to demand Zimmerman's arrest.
Gilbert's painstaking research takes him through the high schools of Miami, into the back alleys of Little Haiti, and finally to Florida State University where he finds Trayvon's real girlfriend, the real phone witness, Diamond Eugene. Gilbert confirms his revelations with forensic handwriting analysis and DNA testing. After obtaining unredacted court documents and reading Diamond Eugene's vast social media archives, Gilbert reconstructs the true story of Trayvon Martin's troubled teenage life and tragic death.
In the process, Gilbert exposes in detail the most consequential hoax in recent American judicial history. The Trayvon Hoax was ground zero for the downward spiral of race relations in America. This incredible film and book have the potential to correct American history and bring America back together again.
George Zimmerman was inspired to launch a lawsuit based on the research in his documentary that is making its way through the Florida courts.
James Stewart and Wendell Corey in Rear Window (1954) (Paramount Studios)
As a film scholar, I am constantly being asked if I am enjoying the lockdown because it has given me more time to watch films. My answer is not simple. Yes, it is good to catch up on some films I missed at the cinema, or finally get around to rewatching Berlin Alexanderplatz. But, for someone like me, who finds social isolation very difficult, watching movies alone can be a painful reminder of what a communal activity cinema-going usually is, as this research from Essex University has found. So I have started to watch films that reassure me that I am not the only one feeling lonely and going stir crazy. Here, then, are five great films about being stuck indoors or in forced isolation. Some of these may not be for the faint-hearted, but they are all well worth watching.
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
Rear Window may be the definitive lockdown movie. The story is simple: Jimmy Stewart’s adventure-seeking photographer finds himself trapped in his apartment with a broken leg. He begins to semi-innocently spy on his neighbours until he becomes convinced that one of them may have murdered their wife.
The film is both a mischievous examination of the voyeur in us all, and a cautionary tale about the devil making work for idle hands. It is also a testament to the power of imagination. We might not be able to have meals, complete with champagne, delivered to us by Grace Kelly, but we can make up stories about what that strange man across the street is up to. It will help pass the time. And you know he’s doing the same about you.
The Exterminating Angel (Luis Buñuel, 1962)
Buñuel’s surrealist masterpiece remains cinema’s definitive portrait of societal breakdown, and 90% of it takes place in one room. Following a lavish dinner party at one of their houses, a large group of aristocrats find themselves inexplicably unable to leave the drawing room. The longer they remain there together the more the thin veneer of civilisation cracks.
First the servants leave and the guests are reduced to using antique vases as toilets. Soon the food and water run out and precious medication is stolen. The elderly and frail start to die. Some respond by indulging their hedonistic desires, some resort to prayer and calls for sacrifice, others kill themselves in despair. This might sound unbearably bleak, but Buñuel plays it all for the most mordant kind of comedy. Six decades have not blunted the fangs on this one.
This is Not a Film (Jafar Panahi, 2011)
In late 2010, Jafar Panahi, one of Iran’s greatest filmmakers, was sentenced by his government to six years in prison and a 20-year ban on making films for allegedly conspiring to produce “propaganda against the Islamic Republic”. Awaiting the final verdict under house arrest, Panahi did what any good dissident would do: he made a film.
Shot on an iPhone and a digital camcorder, This is Not a Film shows Panahi going about his daily routine, speaking to his lawyers, acting out scenes from a film he expects to never make, talking about his previous work, and interacting with a few neighbours and workmen. The result is a powerful riposte to state censorship and a sly work of meta-cinema typical of its maker. But the film also has an incredible urgency about it. It is as if Panahi had to make the film simply to stay sane. A timely reminder that you don’t need expensive equipment or money to make great art, and that sometimes the best work comes out of crisis and restraint.
Housebound (Gerard Johnstone, 2014)
It is easy to see why Peter Jackson went out of his way to champion this low-budget effort by first-time writer-director Gerard Johnstone (the famed New Zealand director called it “bloody brilliant”). Like Jackson’s own early films, Housebound shoots for a difficult balance of irreverent comedy, suspense, and splatter, and somehow pulls it off.
The story revolves around a 20-something tearaway named Kylie who placed under house arrest in her childhood home, which her mother casually insists is haunted. At first Kylie thinks her mother is just dotty, but when she is also confronted by mysteriously opening doors, disappearing objects and noises in the night, she begins to wonder. Essential viewing for people with old, noisy houses. Extra points for the probation officer who reveals himself to be an amateur ghost hunter, and the very plucky female protagonist whose response to encountering a creepy doll is to smash its face in.
Crowhurst (Simon Rumley, 2017)
Independent British filmmaker Simon Rumley’s retelling of Donald Crowhurst’s disastrous attempt to sail solo and non-stop around the world in 1968, which ended in his disappearance and probable suicide, offers a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking. A good deal of the movie consists of Crowhurst (played by the excellent Justin Salinger) alone on a very small trimaran. Rumley, however, puts the viewer squarely inside Crowhurst’s head as his loneliness, isolation and fear of failure slowly cause him to crack.
This is not a movie for everyone. It is intense to say the least, and the more unhinged Crowhurst gets, the more self-consciously raw the filmmaking becomes. The fact that it was championed by Nicolas Roeg, the late, great maestro of mind-bending British cinema, will be the ultimate recommendation for those looking for something more adventurous. This list is hardly exhaustive. There are many more films about isolation to watch while in isolation: from Persona to Safe, from Repulsion to Right at Your Door. I just wanted to guide people to a few lesser-known films alongside a pair of classics that worth revisiting now more than ever. Stay safe and happy viewing.
Plans are in process for extended year-round programming, including a larger film festival in the fall, the EarthxGlobal Gala andthe world premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope For Earth, directed by Sibylle Szaggars Redford with a special narration – spoken word by Robert Redford.
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival (screengrab)
The decision was shared in light of the rapidly developing news of COVID-19 and EarthxFilm's desire to put public safety first.
EarthxFilm Co-Founder and President Michael Cain said, "This decision came after careful consideration and consultation with our team, partners, and city officials. We look forward to offering the audiences of Dallas another wonderful EarthxFilm slate of movies, XR experiences, educational opportunities and panels both online in April and in-person throughout the year in Dallas, and across the country and with international partners."
On April 22, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, EarthxFilm will also announce the films and filmmakers selected by this year's juries who will receive $20,000 in prize money.
EarthxFilm Artistic Director David Holbrooke added, "We are immensely proud of the outstanding programming we assembled for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. We think it's important to recognize the incredible work these filmmakers have achieved and will move ahead with our juried prizes to award the cash winnings that help make a difference for the filmmakers, many of whom are still telling their stories at this challenging time."
EarthxFilm Executive Producer, Paul Levatino says, "We are thrilled that the Good Pitch Local Texas, co-produced with Doc Society, will be rescheduled to coincide with our Fall Festival. The EarthxGlobalGala, which honors environmental heroes with the EarthxGlobal Impact Awards and features entertainers Skip Martin of Kool & The Gang, Bastards Of Soul and Compton Kidz Club, will also be rescheduled for fall."
"Leading to our fall festival, EarthXR will continue our commitment to year-round programming through international partnerships, including a green series with Guanajuato International Film Festival, Overview Collective + Garage Stories' series, and curation for the April online ARTS x SDGSs Festival, which brings together UN and non-profit leaders," says Tiffany Kieran, Director of XR Programming and Partnerships.
"We are also excited about our year-round immersive experiential location, opening in Dallas, Texas in 2020. It will feature the US debut of Wild Immersion endorsed by Jane Goodall - the first virtual wildlife reserve in the US to connect, educate, and protect our environment," said Kieran.
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival (screengrab)
EarthxFilm Education is extending the #Planet911challenge youth film competition in collaboration with CreativeVisions and Instagram. The new deadline is April 8, and winning films will be screened online April 22 and in a theatre at one of the EarthX Half-Earth Day Events in October.
Melanie Yonks, Director of Education and Outreach says, "We are working in collaboration with Planet911, Rock Your World, teachers and youth organizations to let them know about our online K-12 STEAM curriculum and to develop additional virtual and interactive opportunities for youth while they are in quarantine."
"Trammell Crow and I started this film festival because we saw how the world was being challenged environmentally. That hasn't changed and we remain committed as ever to this cause," concluded Cain. "We support the storytellers who have the power to change the world."
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About EarthxFilm:
EarthxFilm, co-founded by Trammell S. Crow and Michael Cain was launched in 2017 at the annual EarthX event to showcase the films and emerging media that explore environmental science, conservation, and climate change. In its mission to turn awareness into action through art and interactive media, the nonprofit partners and develops experiences with top environmental, film, and entertainment organizations across the globe.
EarthxFilm presents year-round programs culminating in a 10-day festival yearly.
About EarthXR:
EarthXR, a subdivision of EarthxFilm, is dedicated to immersive and interactive storytelling designed to engage and inspire environmental awareness and action through emerging technology.
At the EarthX events, it has hosted the world's largest lineup of eco-interactive programming, presenting scores of virtual, augmented and mixed reality experiences.
About EarthX:
EarthX convenes the world's largest environmental expo, conference and film festival, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Founded in 2011 by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness and impact through conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions.
In 2019, the event drew over 177,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental business leaders, 700 exhibitors, 450 speakers, 63 films and 49 Eco-virtual reality experiences.
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