Bermuda International Film Festival Line-Up

The Bermuda International Film Festival [BIFF] announces its line-up of narrative feature and documentary feature films screening at the festival from March 10 to 17.

All films will screen at Earl Cameron Theatre, City Hall, with the exception of Bentley’s Will, which will screen in the Tradewinds Auditorium at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

A spokesperson said, “Three films nominated for Academy Awards, including the European Film of the Year for 2018, highlight the film programme, which also includes prize-winning films from the Cannes, Sundance and Toronto film festivals as well as an award winner from Sunday’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts [BAFTA] awards.

“Tickets for all films, plus the festival’s master classes and parties, are on sale now at Biff.ptix.bm.

The narrative feature films selected for screening:

“Cold War: Winner, Best Film, European Film Awards, and nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and Best Foreign Language Film, BAFTAs, this visually stunning film, sumptuously shot in luminous black and white, tells the story of an epic romance set against the backdrop of Europe after WWII. Rated ‘R’ [US]. Tuesday March 12, 845pm.

“Ladies in Black: This stylish, charming and romantic film by director Bruce Beresford [Driving Miss Daisy] is set in Sydney Australia in 1959 as shy schoolgirl Lisa is awakened to a world of possibilities when she takes a summer job on the high fashion floor of a department store and is taken under the wings of the ‘ladies in black’. Rated ‘PG’ [US]. Wednesday March 13, 845pm.

“Non-Fiction: Actress Juliette Binoche reunites with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas for this witty, fast-paced, slyly seductive and unmistakably French tale of sex, lies and literature set amidst the Bohemian intelligentsia of the Paris publishing world. Rated ‘R’ [US]. Thursday March 14, 630pm.

Trailer for Non Fiction:

“Shoplifters: Winner of the Palme D’Or for Best Film at the Cannes Film Festival and nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders are united by fierce loyalty, a penchant for petty theft and playful grifting. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous, below-the-radar existence and test their quietly radical belief that it is love—not blood—that defines a family. Rated ‘R’ [US]. Friday March 15, 845pm.

“Stan & Ollie: Steve Coogan [nominated, Best Leading Actor, 2019 BAFTAs] and John C. Reilly star as Laurel & Hardy, one of the world’s great comedy teams, who set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages, they are aware that they may be approaching their swan song, trying to rediscover just how much they mean to each other. Rated ‘PG’ [US]. Nominated, Best British Film, 2019 BAFTAs. Closing Gala Film, Sunday March 17, 8pm.

“Bentley’s Will: Screening as part of An Evening with Lana Young, a special event to celebrate the film and television career of the Bermudian actress, the film tells the story of an estranged mother [Young] and son [Phillip Andre Botello], who over the course of a day begin the slow process of healing while searching for their missing dog. International premiere. Sunday March 10, 6pm.

The documentary feature line-up:

“Studio 54: Highly-entertaining documentary about the rise and fall of legendary nightclub Studio 54. It was an instant success and a cash cow, but it soon imploded in financial scandal. Former co-owner Ian Schrager tells the whole, unvarnished story for the first time. Rated ‘15’ [UK]. Tuesday March 12, 630pm.

“Three Identical Strangers: This Sundance award-winning documentary tells the story of triplets who find each other after being raised by different families. Following an initial celebration, the film turns into a thriller with colossal implications as an extraordinary and disturbing secret is unearthed. Rated ‘PG-13’ [US]. Wednesday March 13, 630pm.

Trailer for Three Identical Strangers:

“Crime + Punishment: This powerful and important Sundance award-winning documentary tells the story of black and Latino whistleblower police officers who risk everything when they decide to expose racially discriminatory policing practices, systemic retaliation and corruption in the NYPD. Rated ‘14A’ [Ontario]. Thursday March 14, 845pm.

“The Corporate Coup d’État: Donald Trump and right-wing populist movements around the world are the logical result of a creeping, corporate coup d’état that has taken over established political parties, both “liberal” and “conservative”. This investigative and persuasive documentary tells the story of how the coup happened and shows its disastrous effects on society’s most vulnerable citizens. Q and A with producer Peter Raymont. Friday March 15, 3pm.

“Free Solo: A portrait of the free soloist climber Alex Honnold, as he prepares to achieve his lifelong dream: climbing the face of the world’s most famous rock … the 3,000ft El Capitan in Yosemite National Park … without a rope. Winner, People’s Choice Award [Documentary], Toronto International Film Festival; Winner, Best Documentary, 2019 BAFTAs, and nominated for Best Documentary Feature Academy Award. Rated ‘PG-13’ [US]. Friday March 15, 630pm.

“Sharkwater Extinction: Filmmaker Rob Stewart [Sharkwater, Revolution] exposes the massive illegal shark fin industry and the political corruption behind it — a conspiracy that is leading to the extinction of sharks. Shot in West Africa, Spain, Panama, Costa Rica, France, and the United States, the film dives into the often-violent underworld of the pirate fishing trade to expose a multi-billion-dollar industry. Rated ‘14A’ [Ontario]. Saturday March 16, 2pm.

Trailer for Sharkwater Extinction:

“Bill Murray Stories: The stories of comedy icon Bill Murray showing up in the most unexpected places and spending time with complete strangers are legend. Warm-hearted and soul-enriching, the film is one man’s laugh-out-loud journey to find meaning in Murray’s many unexpected adventures with everyday people. Rated ‘PG’ [Ontario]. Saturday March 16, 4pm.

“A Story of Mezcal: Local filmmakers Antoine Hunt and Juliz Ritchie explore the centuries old process of making mezcal, wrapped in the beauty of the rugged wilds of Mexico unknown. Experiencing mezcal’s essence, viewers enter its many worlds and wander its many paths. The destination is everywhere, and the journey is intoxicating. Q and A with filmmakers. Saturday March 16, 6pm.

“Mr. SOUL!: Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Ellis Haizlip. Hip, smart, and charismatic, he was the host and executive producer of SOUL!, the first “black Tonight Show”. Narrated by Blair Underwood, Mr. SOUL! invites us behind the scenes of this groundbreaking phenomenon, from its initial conception to its final broadcast, including the very public battle to keep it on the air despite a shifting political landscape. Co-Winner, Best Music Documentary, 2018 International Documentary Association Awards. Rated ‘14A’ [Ontario]. Saturday March 16, 845pm.

“Pick of the Litter: Cameras follow a litter of puppies — Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet, and Phil — from the moment they’re born through an intense two-year odyssey as they train to become dogs whose ultimate responsibility is to protect their blind partners from harm. Winner, eight festival awards, including six as audience choice. Rated ‘PG’ [Ontario]. Sunday March 17, 2pm.

“All films will screen at Earl Cameron Theatre, City Hall, with the exception of Bentley’s Will, which will screen in the Tradewinds Auditorium at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.”

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