FLEFF

Hey everyone, for my blog this week I thought it might be cool to show you all the films for the FLEFF Festival this weekend! There are a tone of very well made films from all over the worked and if you can you should try and make it to some! The one that I am looking forward to the most is a prison film called "15 to Life Kenneth's Story". 

100,000

100,000 stray dogs live on the island of Puerto Rico. When 80 were dropped off a bridge, outrage ensued; w/director Juan Agustin Marquez

The Amazing Catfish

A young woman connects with the family of an older woman who she meets in a hospital. Pathos and humor ensue; w Cinema Tropical's Carlos Gutierrez.

Backyard

The effects of fracking on the lives of five people, who live in five different states; w/filmmaker Deia Schlosberg.

Bad Hair

A young man, living in a Caracus tenement, decides to straighten his curly hair, causing his mother to panic; w/Cinema Tropical's Carlos Gutiérrez.

Big Men

Global capitalism and the unrelenting quest for oil in the poorest places on earth.

Brazilian Short Films

A program of cutting edge Brazilian short films, programmed by Kino Lorber's Rodrigo Brandao.

Brunello Cucinelli: A New Philosophy of Clothes

What can a contemporary, profit-driven, luxury, Italian fashion brand learn from the luminaries of European philosophy? w/filmmaker David LaRocca.

Concerning Violence

The writings of Frantz Fanon as narration to newly uncovered archival footage of 1960s and 70s anti colonial struggles.

Constance Cook: A Woman Ahead of Her Time

Biopic of the Republican Assemblywoman who led the fight to decriminalize abortion in New York State in 1970; w/filmmaker Sue Perlgut.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology: The Sagebrush Sea

w/ members of production team.

Cotton

Chinese independent film about cotton production in Xinjiang Province; w dGenerate film's Karin Chien.

The Crowd

The life of a man and woman bound together in a large, impersonal metropolis--their hopes and struggles; w/live music by Cloud Chamber Orchestra.

15 to Life: Kenneth's Story

In 2000, 14 year Kenneth Young was sentenced to life without parole for his part in four armed robberies, guaranteeing that he would die in prison.

Finding Fela

A big-hearted film about the musical creator of Afrobeat and his revolutionary politics, by Academy Award winning director Alex Gibney.

Floating

The difficult life of an internal Chinese migrant, who makes his living as a busker on streets and in subways; w/Karin Chien from dGenerate Films

The Gas Weapon - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIER

An examination of Ukraine and the rest of Europe's dependance on natural gas from Russia, and the political and economic consequences.

Gueros

A witty and charming dramedy about the 1999 Mexico City student demonstrations and Bob Dylan's tears.

Hollywood Habitats

A panel of invited guests: filmmakers, distributors, and other friends of the fest. Moderated by Steve Ginsberg.

Hurt: An Award Winning Short Play

A disgruntled Balkan-born adjunct professor who lost his job is at the end of his rope. Can he be saved by two women? w/playwright and cast talkback

Inhabit

Sumptuous film, tracks a journey across the US, which explored the ecological design concept of permaculture; w/the filmmaker & special guests.

Just Eat It

Award winning film about food waste, guaranteed to shock and awe. Sponsored by Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division.

L Word Mississippi: Hate the Sin

Difficulties faced by gay women in the deep south; w/fimmaker Lauren Lazin.

The Last Colony

Puerto Rico became a U.S. colony after an 1898 invasion, and it remains one to this day. What should its status be? w/filmmaker Juan Agustín Márquez.

Miners Shot Down

South African police used live ammunition to brutally suppress a miners strike killing 34 and injuring many more.

Naturalist Outreach Films

Scientifically accurate engaging, and beautiful shorts to inspire young scientists to understand nature;w/ Dr. Linda Rayor, Carol Jennings, & students

Source - PREMIER

Three performers explore human and animal movement in the lush waterscapes of Six Mile Creek to reveal the intricate ecology of Ithaca's water source.

Sunday Ball

An annual favela soccer championship takes place in the shadow of 2014 World Cup's Maracana Stadium, marked by precise play and infectious enthusiasm

The Torrent

Greta Garbo's American silent film debut in a role that launched her storied career; w/live music performed by Fe Nunn and friends.

Tupac Resurrection

Academy Award winning biopic of the legendary 1990s rapper Tupac Shakur; w/filmmaker Lauren Lazin.

Upstate Filmmakers Showcase

A selection of films from upstate New York's finest filmmakers.

Orange is the New Black

"Orange is the New Black" is a Netflix original series based on Piper Kerman's memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.  The show follows Piper Chapman, who is sent to prison for carrying drug money for her ex-girlfriend many years ago.  Piper acknowledges her fault and tries to keep an open, positive mind in the facility.  But by the end of season 1, the injustice and severity of the prison causes Piper to snap, leaving the audience with an excellent cliff hanger.

The show's initial success has set high standards for the upcoming season.  It's anticipated that season 2 will have even more drama and will introduce new characters.  Lori Petty was added to the cast, although there are no details on her role.  In fact, OITNB has barely released any details about the second season.  According to Jason Biggs (Larry Bloom), this season will be "better than the first."

The show presents the audience with a multitude of different cultures, lifestyles, and women. Each character comes with a unique and realistic backstory, and being in a prison allows the audience to see the characters in their rawest form.  Creator Jenji Kohan truly outdid himself with this series.  I personally can't wait for season 2 to finally be released.

The Green Mile

It is never a bad thing when SPIKE is showing an absolute classic on a Friday night. The Green Mile combines some sci-fi elements with Frank Darabont's great ability to tell prison stories. Darabont of course made his imprint on the film world with another prison movie, The Shawshank Redemption. Although The Green Mile takes place in a similar setting, the two movies couldn't be more different. Shawshank tells us a story of how different inmates get themselves through the extremely tough times they face while in prison. Whether the troubles between them and the guards, each other, or just the obvious trails of solitary confinement. And the story finally ends with an elaborate escape by the films main character that you aren't completely expecting. Although The Green Mile touches on many of the same prison struggles, there are other elements that come into play that separate it from Shawshank.

The one scene that only sticks out to me when watching this movie is the scene where Michael Clark Duncan's character seems to transfer little bees from his mouth to the mouth of one of the troubled guards. This is the sic-fi element that I spoke about earlier that really makes this a unique film. We learn that John Coffey (Duncan) actually has all sorts of amazing powers. He has the power to heal others as well as the scene I talked about earlier. Coffey actually purposely attacks the guard so he will in fact attack another prisoner who we find out is actually responsible for the murder that Coffey has been sentenced for. His healing powers come into play a few times in what is a remarkable twist to what appears to be just a typical prison movie in the beginning.

The Green Mile was nominated for four academy awards and somehow didn't win a single win. Michael Clark Duncan was nominated for best supporting actor and despite a performance of a lifetime didn't win the award. The final scene of the movie where we see John Coffey finally being executed on the electric chair somehow makes us actually feel sympathy for someone that supposedly was a rapist and a murderer. That is one constant that Darabont brings over from Shawshank. That sympathy for prisoners that have committed some awful crimes, and yet the audience feels like they don't deserve to be punished like they have.

The Green Mile was an instant classic and a must see for all movie lovers.

NEW WALKING DEAD!

It was the beginning of a great season. Shane is dead, and all of the characters survived the winter. Life was good Sunday night when I was watching my favorite show, the only thing bothering me was Dale's death (as I also spent last week re-watching season 2), and Laurie is still alive.

This episode had a lot in it that I loved. Lot's of zombie killing, everyone's badass-ness increased by 20 points because of Carl being able to pop zombies in the head like a boss, and lots of automatic weapons. The change of setting (to a prison) was a nice change of setting, and something not a lot of people consider for the zombie apocalypse. I like the way the story is going this season, last season had a lot of dialogue and drama and not enough zombie killing.

On that note, there was also a lot I didn't like. First off, they skipped ahead at least 6 months. They ended the season in the Fall, with everyone stuck on the side of the road worrying about another zombie attack, personally I think that is still an awesome place to leave off for the current season. But no. They skip the rest of Fall and the Winter and now it's Spring. Maybe I'm the only one bothered by the fact that everyone looks different, they have new equipment, and Laurie's belly is bulging out, but that's just me. I was also bothered by the ending of it. At the end Hershel gets bit in the leg by a zombie. There first reaction is to start hacking at his leg with an axe. My first thought: OK guys, anyone else gets bit, and your first reaction is to shoot them in the head, but obviously Hershel is an exception. I love Hershel just as much as anyone else (actually I don't think many people like him but I think he's a nice guy and a decent actor), but if he survives the next episode I might just throw my TV out of my dorm window.

The Corn Field

I know that the topic of law and order in SL is kind of a taboo but since there is a prison in Second Life with a one way teleport terminal, one should expect ,that there is a legal system that is separated from the legislative and executive systems; And since we know this is not the case I wonder if Linden Lab can maintain a stable social and economical environment that would encourage major "foreign" investments in Second Life.