Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity – Director / Producer Catherine Gund and Choreographer Elizabeth Streb

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Elizabeth Streb and the STREB Extreme Action Company form a motley troupe of flyers and crashers. Propelled by Streb’s edict that “anything too safe is not action,” these daredevils challenge the assumptions of art, aging, injury, gender, and human possibility.  BORN TO FLY: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity traces the evolution of Elizabeth Streb’s movement philosophy as she pushes herself and her performers from the ground to the sky. Revealing the passions behind the dancers’ bruises and broken noses,  BORN TO FLY offers a breathtaking tale about the necessity of art, inspiring audiences hungry for a more tactile and fierce existence. Director / Producer Catherine Gund and Choreographer and extreme action architect Elizabeth Streb join us for a conversation on their remarkable projects, a brutally beautiful film and the exploration of what human movement is capable of achieving.

For news and updates on Born to Fly go to: borntoflymovie.com

Q & A’s this Friday, September 26th at the Laemmle NoHo 7 Theatre in North Hollywood with Director Catherine Gund and Choreographer Elizabeth Streb

BORN TO FLY: ELIZABETH STREB VS. GRAVITY filmmaker Catherine Gund and acclaimed choreographer / aerialist Elizabeth Streb will participate in Q&A’s at the NoHo after the 7:30 PM screening on Friday, September 26 and after the 1 PM screening on Saturday, September 27.

“Streb’s atheletes create the thinking person’s circus…You’ll see in the work of Streb and her courageous dancers a redemptive vision of human daring and ingenuity.” – Deborah Jowitt, Village Voice

“Streb’s rough-and-tumble dances are about velocity, physical stamina and her unwillingness to bow to gravity without a fight.” – William Harris, New York Times

“Born to Fly captures fully both the danger in the work and the exhilaration the dancers get from it…it’s seeing bodies move in ways you know they never have in human history.” – Robert Faires, The Austin Chronicle

Smiling Through the Apocalypse: Esquire in the Sixties, Director Tom Hayes

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Smiling Through The Apocalypse: Esquire in the Sixties is the story of maverick editor Harold Hayes, who, from 1963-1973, made  Esquire  magazine a galvanizing force in American culture, and the voice of a turbulent era that brought sweeping social and political changes to the nation.   He encouraged unprecedented journalistic freedom, nurturing the most talented artists and writers of the time including Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Nora Ephron, Peter Bogdanovich, Gore Vidal, Diane Arbus, Norman Mailer, and George Lois.  In this sea change, Hayes was the chief architect. Stressed by long lead times against a turbo charged culture, Hayes overcame hindrance through audacity and innovation, bringing together a unique group of writers in the golden age of magazine journalism. Forging its pop-cultural capital with provocative covers and journalism, Esquire became the social curator and reflection of the American zeitgeist. Director and son of Harold Hayes, Tom Hayes joins us to talk about his 5-year personal journey to better understand the impact and ingenuity of a father who became a driving force in the transformation of contemporary American culture.

For news and updates on Smiling Through the Apocalyse go to: smilingthroughtheapocalypse.com

“This film should not be missed, especially by those interested in the publishing world and its immense potential for intellectual sophistication” – Roxana Vosough, Mode Moderne Journal

“Skillfully edited and energetically paced, Smiling Through provides a memorable time capsule for those who miss the smart magazines that will never return.” – Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter

“The film mounts a compelling case on behalf of what was, perhaps, a sort of genius – a rare gift for identifying talent in others and nurturing it, even amplifying it” – Calum Marsh, Village Voice

20,000 Days on Earth, Co-directors directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard

20-000-days-on-earth-poster IIDrama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international cultural icon Nick Cave. The film is an intimate portrait of the artistic process, celebrating the transformative power of the creative spirit. 20,000 Days On Earth takes us deep into the heart of how myth, memory, love and loss, shape our lives, every single day. A line in Cave’s songwriting notebook calculating how many days he’d been alive inspired the film’s title. The film delves into Nick’s artistic processes, unpicking the stuff that makes him tick. Fusing drama and documentary to weave a cinematic day-in-the-life with unique verité observations of his full creative cycle. 20,000 Days on Earth premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary awards for for directing and editing. Co-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard talk to us about their category defying film that pushes the medium into new territory, exploring universal themes about artistry, and celebrating the transformative power of the creative spirit.

For news and updates on 20,000 Days on Earth go to: 20000daysonearth.com

Screenings of 20,000 Days on Earth go to: drafthousefilms.com/film

“Gorgeous and haunting…an unclassifiable and frequently spectacular documentary.” – Andrew O’hehir, Salon.com

“Simply astounding, razor sharp, dynamic.” – Rob Nelson, Variety

“Just spending an hour and a half or so inside the mind of Nick Cave would be fascinating enough. But the themes of time and lifetime, and the 20,000-day take on it, make this one a must-see.” – Michael Dunaway, Paste Magazine

Art and Craft, Co-Directors Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman

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Mark Landis has been called one of the most prolific art forgers in US history. His impressive body of work spans thirty years, covering a wide range of painting styles and periods that includes 15th Century Icons, Picasso, and even Walt Disney. And while the copies could fetch impressive sums on the open market, Landis isn’t in it for money. Posing as a philanthropic donor, a grieving executor of a family member’s will, and most recently as a Jesuit priest, Landis has given away hundreds of works over the years to a staggering list of institutions across the United States. But after duping Matthew Leininger, a tenacious registrar who ultimately discovers the decades-long ruse and sets out to expose his philanthropic escapades to the art world, Landis must confront his own legacy and a chorus of museum professionals clamoring for him to stop. Co-directors Sam Cullman, Jennifer Grausman join us to talk about the one of the most intriguing “artist” of the last 40 years.

For news and updates on Art and Craft go to: artandcraftfilm.com

“Perversely satisfying…The art world deserves him.”
- Stephen Holden, The New York Times

“Rich and fascinating… it’s got a crisp pace and a deadpan playfulness, telling a too-good-to-be-true story with humor and empathy.” – Jason Bailey, Flavorwire

“Captivating…one of the largest and most unique deceptions the art world has ever seen.”
- Justin Jones, The Daily Beast

“A crowd-pleasing character study that doubles as an art-world detective story” – Steve Dollar, Wall Street Journal

“Jaunty and engaging, an expertly crafted mystery.”
- Chris Barsanti, Pop Matters

“A layered study of mental illness, talent and the museum-industrial complex” – Leslie Felperin, The Guardian

IDA and Getting Real Conference, Executive Director Michael Lumpkin

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Independent film veteran and Executive Director of the International Documentary Association (IDA) Michael Lumpkin joins us to talk about the IDA sponsored Getting Real Conference and the supportive role IDA plays in the work of documentary filmmakers.

Unlike any other event on the documentary calendar, GETTING REAL is a unique gathering of filmmakers and industry professionals that will ignite what is desperately needed in the documentary community: a frank public conversation about the state of our industry that will lead to action and change. Produced by the International Documentary Association and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, GETTING REAL is an unprecedented 3-day national conference for documentary filmmakers that will take place in Los Angeles from September 30 – October 2, 2014.

Founded in 1982, the International Documentary Association (IDA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Our major program areas are: Advocacy, Filmmaker Services, Education, and Public Programs and Events. Through its programs, IDA provides resources, creates community, and defends rights and freedoms for documentary artists, activists, and journalists. As an advocate for filmmakers, IDA has been in the forefront important issues confronting our industry: Net Neutrality, Fair Use, and Lobbying for the Arts

Lumpkin is an experienced executive leader with over 20 years at the mlumpkin_photohelm of Frameline, an international media arts organization that presents the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, operates Frameline Distribution, and runs other important programs providing funding and training to filmmakers. Michael was also co-producer of the landmark documentary The Celluloid Closet.

I Am Eleven, Director Genevieve Bailey

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Do you remember when you were 11? Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey traveled the world for six years talking with 11-year-olds to compose this insightful, funny and moving documentary portrait of childhood. From an orphanage in India, to a single-parent household in inner-city Melbourne, to bathing with elephants in Thailand I Am Eleven explores the lives and thoughts of children from all around the world. It weaves together deeply personal and at times hilarious portraits of what it means to stand on the cusp between childhood and adolescence, that fleeting moment when childish naiveté has faded, yet teenaged self-consciousness has not yet taken hold. These young minds, still unguarded and remarkably honest, offer a powerful insight into the future of our world. Director Genevieve Bailey stops by Film School for an engaging conversation on her motivation and inspiration for making I Am Eleven, the universal truths of being 11-years old and her ongoing efforts to connect people of all ages to the experience of being an 11-year old.

For news and updates on I Am Eleven go to: iameleven.com and wheniwaseleven.com

“An inspiring and candid look at that magical moment between childhood and adolescence and a glimpse into the future.” – TODAY

“Charming and uplifting”– VARIETY

★★★★ “Entrancing documentary. Stunning.” – NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“… Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey gives a rare insight into a unique stage of humanity as she travels the world documenting the lives of a collection of eleven year olds. For such a young age their knowledge and wisdom combined with their mature ability to convey thoughts and feelings is utterly astounding.” –  ALTERNATIVE MEDIA GROUP OF AUSTRALIA

Friday, September 19, 2014 – Last Days in Vietnam, Director Rory Kennedy

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During the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as South Vietnamese resistance crumbles. The United States has only a skeleton crew of diplomats and military operatives still in the country. As Communist victory becomes inevitable and the U.S. readies to withdraw, some Americans begin to consider the certain imprisonment and possible death of their South Vietnamese allies, co-workers, and friends. Meanwhile, the prospect of an official evacuation of South Vietnamese becomes terminally delayed by Congressional gridlock and the inexplicably optimistic U.S. Ambassador. With the clock ticking and the city under fire, a number of heroic Americans take matters into their own hands, engaging in unsanctioned and often makeshift operations in a desperate effort to save as many South Vietnamese lives as possible. Director Rory Kennedy joins us to talk about the desperate attempt to rescue thousands of Vietnamese people and the consequences the operation had on them and the ones left behind.

For news and updates on Last Days in Vietnam go to: lastdaysinvietnam.com

Opening September 19 in Los Angeles

Filmmaker Rory Kennedy will appear in person at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday, September 19 for a Q&A after the 7:30pm show.

“Deftly woven…a concise and gripping film”
 – The New York Times

“A documentary triumph”
- Newsday

“Vital, illuminating, terrifying…” – Village Voice

“Astounding in its immediacy.” – Variety

“Stands as a singularly affecting accomplishment.” – The Hollywood Reporter

Also opening at Boston’s Landmark’s Kendall Square Cinema
and Philadelphia’s Landmark’s Ritz Bourse

Friday, September 19, 2014 – Keep on Keepin On, Director Al Hicks

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Shot over the course of five years by first time filmmaker Al Hicks, KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON depicts the remarkable story of 93-year-old jazz legend Clark Terry. A living monument to the Golden Era of Jazz, Terry — a mentor to Miles Davis — is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands.  In the 1960’s, he broke the color barrier as the first African-American staff musician at NBC — on “The Tonight Show.” Today, after a life spent working with and teaching the most totemic figures in jazz history, Terry continues to attract and cultivate budding talents.  KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON highlights his friendship with the preternaturally gifted Justin Kauflin, a blind, 23-year-old piano prodigy who suffers from debilitating stage fright. Not long after Kauflin is invited to compete in an elite Jazz competition, Terry’s health takes a turn for the worse. As the clock ticks, we see two friends confront the toughest challenges of their lives. Director Al Hicks joins us to talk about one of the true giants of jazz and his indomitable spirit.

For news and updates ragarding Keep On Keepin On go to: keeponkeepinon.com

Opening September 19 in Los Angeles

Arclight, Hollywood 15. 6360 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

Landmark Theater, 10850 West Pico at Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

Starts Friday, September 19 at The Landmark
Director Alan Hicks & Jazz Pianist Justin Kauflin In Person for Performances Fri – Sun, September 19 – 21 at Select Shows!

“The relationship between Terry and his mentee, Justin Kauflin, gives the movie a strong narrative spine and, more importantly, an emotional throughline unlike most other biographical docs I’ve seen.” – Dan Schindel, Movie Mezzanine

“The advice that Clark gave me musically has been able to transcend to the filmmaking process—that whole idea of trusting what you’re doing and just working really hard. He’s helped me find the possibility of a voice in another medium.” – Judy Gelman Meyer, Directors Talk

Friday, September 19, 2014 – The Frontier, Director Matt Rabinowitz

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Sean, a retired literature professor and civic activist, writes a letter to his estranged son, Tennessee, a ranch hand. Tennessee is uncertain how to respond, but knowing he should see his aging father, he decides to go home. Tennessee arrives just as Nina, Sean’s personal trainer fresh off a bad breakup, accepts Sean’s offer to move in and help him write his memoirs. The tension between father and son is ever-present. As Sean and Nina work, Tennessee avoids his overbearing father with fix-up projects around the house. One evening after Nina has gone out, Sean and Tennessee find themselves alone in the house for the first time. Anchored by a terrific performance by Max Gail, The Frontier is a moving story of family, communication, love and renewal. Director Matt Rabinowitz joins us for a freewheeling conversation about acting, directing, Kickstarter and carpooling with Max Gail.

For news and updates on The Frontier go to: thefrontierpicture.com

“An intimate family drama that subtly and delightfully subverts expectations… Refreshing and astute.” —   Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times 

“TENSE.” —   Michael Nordine, The Village Voice 

“REMARKABLE PERFORMANCES… it tackles big issues through small moments.” —  Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International

“The Frontier, directed by Matt Rabinowitz, embodies the mood, atmosphere and longing found in the best of the western… One of those films we watch on the edge of our seat.” —  John Fink, The Film Stage

“A solid debut… a touching father and son story. Veteran actor Max Gail delivers a strong performance in what is amazingly his first leading role in 30 years.” —  Will Oliver, Monday Morning Matinee

Memphis, Director Tim Sutton

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In MEMPHIS, a strange singer with ‘god given talent’ drifts through the mythic city of Memphis under its canopy of ancient oak trees, shattered windows, and burning spirituality. Surrounded by lovers, legends, hustlers, preachers, and a wolf pack of kids, the unstable performer avoids the recording studio and is driven to spend time in his own form of self-discovery. Shown in fragments, his journey drags him from love and happiness right to the edge of another dimension. Featuring an explosive performance and score from the singular recording artist-come-wizard, Willis Earl Beal, MEMPHIS is a film steeped in folklore, music, surrealism, and the abstract search for glory. A maverick artist with an idiosyncratic but rigorous vision for his music, performances, writing, and drawings, Willis Earl Beal’s evocative voice touches the outer edge of folk, soul, gospel, and R & B. In his words and gestures, Beal strives to follow in the footsteps of curious, adventuresome storytellers like Tom Waits, Nick Cave, and David Lynch, artists whose peculiar view of things renders even the most ordinary aspects of life strange and unnervingly emotional. Director Tim Sutton joins us for a conversation on the getting inside the mind and heart of this iconoclastic artist.

Q & A with Director Tim Sutton at Sundance Selects Theatre, Los Angeles this weekend!!

For news and updates on Memphis go to: http://www.memphis-film.com

On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/memphisthefilm  

On Twitter:  https://twitter.com/MEMPHIS_film

“It’s a marvel, a vision to feel and contemplate. A filmmaker of supreme talent and confidence.” – Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice / LA Weekly

“An ethereal, mesmerizing film.” – Davy Rothbart, GQ 

“AUDACIOUS. My favorite film at this year’s Sundance. I cannot prepare you for the intense experience you will have when watching this visionary film.” – Jesse Hawthorne Ficks, San Francisco Bay Guardian 

“With his loamy mosaic of drifting moods and troubled memories, Sutton offers a pictorial translation of the blues, a vision of an American classicism sheltered by the urban landscape’s mystical embrace.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker 

 OFFICIAL SELECTION: Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Bamcinemafest

Rocks in My Pocket, Director Signe Baumane

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Zeitgeist Films is proud to present the US Theatrical release of ROCKS IN MY POCKETS, the debut animated feature by Signe Baumane. ROCKS IN MY POCKETS had its World Premiere at the 2014 Karlovy Vary Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI Prize and was the first animated feature ever to take part in the Karlovy Vary International Competition. In the animated gem ROCKS IN MY POCKETS Latvian-born artist and filmmaker Signe Baumane tells five fantastical tales based on the courageous women in her family and their battles with madness. With boundless imagination and a twisted sense of humor, she has created daring stories of art, romance, marriage, nature, business, and Eastern European upheaval—all in the fight for her own sanity. Employing a unique, beautifully textured combination of papier-mâché stop-motion and classic hand-drawn animation (with inspiration from Jan Svankmajer and Bill Plympton), Director Baumane stops by to talk about her poignant and often hilarious tale of mystery, mental health, redemption and survival.

Q & A with Signe Baumane at the Laemelle Royal in Los Angeles Saturday,  September 13th and Sunday, September 14th.

For news and updates on Rocks in My Pockets go to: http://www.rocksinmypocketsmovie.com//

The film will open at the 
Laemmle Royal
 at 11523 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles on September 12th with a national release to follow.

“Boasting a narrative of extraordinary complexity and density, stuffed with irony, humor and tales-within-tales… a fascinating and very personal look at mental illness, as well as familial and societal dictates and dynamics.” –Alissa Simon, VARIETY

“With ‘Rocks In My Pockets,’ Signe Baumane presents a sharp, surprising and funny animated feature, plumbing the depths of depression via her family history. Guided by Ms. Baumane’s almost musically accented voice-over, this hand-drawn debut feature is based upon the mental struggles of her Latvian grandmother and other relatives. It’s told with remorseless psychological intelligence, wicked irony and an acerbic sense of humor.” – Nicholas Rapold, NEW YORK TIMES

“Signe Baumane examines her family members’ history with mental illness (as well as her own struggles) with humor, delicacy and eye-catching animation techniques… Her commitment and talent is overwhelming, and her production is about as “independent” as it gets. Because Baumane had total control over the movie, we’re treated to splendid and surreal images like these.”
– Whitney Matheson, USA TODAY

A Picture of You, Director J. P. Chan

A Picture of You posterKyle and Jen, estranged siblings, travel from New York City to rural Pennsylvania to pack up the home of their recently deceased mother. While there, they make a discovery that turns their world upside-down. A Picture of You is a serious movie about life that gets sideswiped in the supermarket parking lot by a funny movie about death. It’s a story about family, loss, secrets, letting go, and starting anew. Director J. P. Chan joins us to talk about his very entertaining film, the travails of funding an indie film and revelatory power of creativity.

Q & A with director J. P. Chan Saturday, September 13th and Sunday, September 14th at the Laemmele Playhouse 7 in Pasadena!

For news and updates on A Picture of You go to: apoyfilm.com

“Nimbly avoiding the excesses of melodrama and the recessiveness of mumblecore, Chan and his likably low-key cast navigate hairpin turns from drama to comedy to outright farce with an impressive sense of proportion.” – Los Angeles Times

“A curiously likable, entertainingly laid-back Asian-American take on all-too-familiar dysfunctional family tropes, this Kickstarter-enabled effort boldly mines farce along with sentiment.” – Variety

“Sensitive and understated, J.P. Chan’s A Picture of You balances humor and sentiment with an instinctive hand, skillfully unearthing honest, unexpected laughs amid intense grief.” – The Village Voice

“Chan and his cast, especially the truly great Mei, find the truth in the ridiculous enough for it to work on its own modest terms.” – RogerEbert.com

“Subverts cliché…there’s enormous warmth.” – The New York Times [A New York Times Critics’ Pick]

Friday, September 12, 2014 – The Green Prince, Director Nadav Shirman

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Set against the chaotic backdrop of recent events in the Middle East, Nadav Schirman’s THE GREEN PRINCE retraces the details of a highly unprecedented partnership that developed between sworn enemies. In the style of a tense psychological thriller, this extraordinary documentary recounts the true story of the son of a Hamas leader who emerged as one of Israel’s prized informants, and the Shin Bet agent who risked his career to protect him.  Based on Mosab Hassan Yousef’s bestselling memoir Son of Hamas, THE GREEN PRINCE exposes a complex world of terror, betrayal, and impossible choices. Through exclusive first-hand testimony, dramatic action sequences, and rare archival footage, decades of secrets come to light in this unflinching exploration of a profound spiritual transformation and the transcendent bonds of friendship. THE GREEN PRINCE will challenge much of what you know about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From the Academy Award® Winning Producers of MAN ON WIRE, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN and ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER. Director Shirman joins us for a fascinating conversation about a complex man and the incredible circumstances he came from.

For news and updates on The Green Prince go to: musicboxfilms.com/the-green-prince

The Green Prince opens in New York at the Lincoln Plaza and Los Angeles at the Landmark Theatre on September 12th.

FOUR STARS! “Terrific. As gripping as any high-concept Hollywood thriller.” – Xan Brooks, The Guardian

“Captivating and emotional. Full of twists and turns.” – Anthony Kaufman, Screen International

“Like a fusion of Omar and The Gatekeepers…strikes an emotional chord well beyond the world of covert operations.” – Nicolas Rapold, Film Comment

“A thriller-like documentary. Full of incredible twists. Emotional.” – Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“A crowd-pleaser. Beautifully humanistic. Extraordinarily satisfying.” – Anthony Kaufman, Indiewire

Second Opinion: Laetrile at Sloan-Kettering, Director Eric Merola

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The War On Cancer, launched in the early 1970s, set the stage for a massive influx of new ideas in fighting the disease of cancer. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, America’s leading cancer research center at the time, was assigned the task of testing an unconventional therapy called “Laetrile” in an effort to curb the public’s “false hope” in the alleged “quack” therapy. Ralph W. Moss PhD, a young and eager science writer, was hired by Sloan-Kettering’s public relations department in 1974 to help brief the American public on the center’s contribution to the War On Cancer. One of his first assignments was to write a biography about Dr. Kanematsu Sugiura, one of the Center’s oldest and leading research scientists as well as the original co-inventor of chemotherapy. While meeting with this iconic scientist to pen a biography on his 60-year career at Sloan-Kettering, Moss discovered that Sugiura had been studying  this “quack remedy” in laboratory mice, and with unexpectedly positive results. Director Eric Merola stops by Film School to talk about what happens when money, power and idealism converge.

Director Eric Merola will participate in Q&A’s after the 6 and 8 PM screenings on Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, and after the 4:05 and 6 PM screenings on Sunday, September 7 at the Laemmle Music Hall 3 in Los Angeles.

For news and updates on Second Opinion go to: secondopinionfilm.com/

“Though a documentary, it’s dramatic enough to be reminiscent of ‘The Insider’, the whistleblowing thriller about Big Tobacco.” – Graham Fuller, New York Daily NewsAugust 28, 2014

“Mr. Moss’s message is clear, shrewdly edited and peculiarly interesting.” – Anita Gates, New York TimesAugust 28, 2014

“See this film for a riveting account of the conflicts between corporate power and the public good.” – Counter Punch – August 29, 2014

“‘Nobody is going to pay $70,000 for a new cancer drug if they can buy Laetrile for 75 cents.” There you have it.”
—Reel Life with Jane – August 31, 2014

God Help the Girl , Director Stuart Murdoch

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In God Help the Girl, writer/director Stuart Murdoch creates a poignant coming-of-age story that doubles as a sublime indie-pop musical from one of indie pop’s biggest songwriters. The project began as a suite of songs, written while Murdoch was between records and tours as lead singer of Belle & Sebastian. He nurtured it for nearly a decade into a fully formed film, set in the bohemian fantasia of Glasgow’s West End, which is populated by mods, rockers, and emo kids who have no qualms about breaking into song and dance. Stuart aspired to tell the story of “a better summer, or at least a summer when something happened. It happened to a boy and a girl and a girl in a city roughly the same size and population of Glasgow. Stuart joins us for a conversation on the joys and challenges of creating art in different mediums, music and film.

For news and updates on God Help the Girl go to: us.godhelpthegirl.com/

“God Help the Girl” is a classic movie musical where people burst into songs of crystal purity whenever something is on their minds…a lively, playful, completely charming film” – Kenneth Turan, LA Times

“The whole phantasmagorical enterprise is so sweetly confident that it just about gets away with its entirely casual approach to believability.” – Catherine Bray, Time Out

“God Help The Girl is ultimately an affirmation of life and music: a quirky little how-to manual on surviving the worst of youth by learning how to contain it within a frame. “ – Noel Murray, The Dissolve

“God Help the Girl has a ramshackle charm and the naked sincerity of an earnest adolescent. It cuddles up; it wins you over.” – Xan Brooks, The Observer

“With bouncy pop tunes and a breezy tone, this Scottish musical sometimes feels so weightless that it seems to float right out of existence. At other times it’s startlingly dark and moving, touching on earthy emotions and important themes.” – Rich Cline, Contactmusic