Oscar Winners, Sundance Selections, and Premieres at the 2016 Mendocino Film Festival

By Kristin Suratt on Friday, April 15th, 2016 in Uncategorized.

April 15, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kira Wojack
Phone: (707) 937-0171
Email: marketing@mendocinofilmfestival.org
Images available upon request

Oscar Winners, Sundance Selections, and Premieres at the 2016 Mendocino Film Festival

Eleventh Annual Mendocino Film Festival Announces Program

MENDOCINO, CA – The Mendocino Film Festival has announced its 2016 schedule of films and events for May 27-29 (Cinema in the Vineyards) and June 2-5 (Festival Weekend). Coinciding with the arrival of the printed program books and the launch of the new website, the announcement marks a milestone for the Mendocino Film Festival, now in its second decade.

Featuring its most international and awarded line-up yet, the Eleventh Annual Mendocino Film Festival includes three Academy Award® nominees (two of which won), three Sundance Selections, three California Premieres, and a U.S. Premiere. In addition to screenings, the Festival has also announced celebrity guests, special events, and spotlight programs, including Cinema in the Vineyards, the Seabiscuit Legacy Film Series, and – new this year – a Bay Area Film Series.

Celebrity guests include: André Leon Talley of Vogue; renowned pianist Flavio Villani, here with the U.S. Premiere of Crossing Rachmaninoff; program hosts Scott Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter and Leslie Sbrocco of Check, Please! Bay Area; and, filmmakers, actors, and producers from a number of this year’s official selections. Industry insiders and loyal local fans alike will enjoy the program.

From a Johnny Cash-inspired Skunk Train to Wine and Filmmaker Dinners to a David Bowie Tribute with the Steven Bates Band, this year’s schedule blends award-winning films from around the world with spectacular events incorporating the best of Mendocino, from the North County to the South Coast. The Opening Night Celebration, for instance, draws inspiration from its theme of Mendocino, I Love You, as it highlights an array of local culinary celebrities, craft distillers, and wineries, as well as North Coast Brewing Company beer and craft cocktails made with Blue Angel Vodka.

As for Festival organizers, they look forward to welcoming filmmakers, special guests, and festival-goers to experience Mendocino and the Festival at its finest.

“This is an exciting year,” says Mendocino Film Festival Executive Director Michael Fox. “We are proud of what we have accomplished, and we’re just getting started. We can’t wait to present this year’s Festival – our best one yet!”

All told, the Eleventh Annual Mendocino Film Festival will feature 66 films at 54 screenings alongside events and festivities at eleven venues in five cities over the course of two weekends.

Some of the highlights of that program are:

• Wine and Filmmaker Dinners and the sequel to Somm at Cinema in the Vineyards.
• Mendocino, I Love You Opening Night Celebration and Chef Showcase for Mendocino Film Festival members and sponsors at the Hill House Inn in Mendocino Village.
• Q&As with filmmakers and special guests, such as Flavio Villani (Crossing Rachmaninoff), Andrew Rossi (First Monday in May), Antonino d’Ambrosio (We’re Still Here), and many others.
• A David Bowie tribute, followed by a live musical performance by the Steven Bates Band.
• Fashion film First Monday in May, followed by a live interview with André Leon Talley.
• A selection of music films, presented in partnership with the Mendocino Music Festival and North Coast Brewing Company, including Jaco, Crossing Rachmaninoff (U.S. Premiere), and Landfill Harmonic.
• A live tango demonstration at Our Last Tango.
• Ben Wood Projection Art on Mendocino buildings exploring Native American history.
• The Sunshine Makers (California Premiere), about “Orange Sunshine,” the most popular form of LSD in the Vietnam War era, which will feature a panel with Tim Scully, Jill Henry, and other locals featured in the film.
• Three films fresh from Sundance, including Newtown (California Premiere), First Girl I Loved, and Life, Animated.
• An Academy Award®-winning Short Films Program, featuring the 2016 Best Animated and Live Action Shorts (Bear Story and Stutterer, respectively).
• An acclaimed Children’s Program of delightful shorts from around the world suitable for children of all ages, drawn from the best of the New York International Children’s Film Festival.
• Mobile pet adoption in partnership with the Mendocino Coast Humane Society at the screening of the Internet Cat Video Festival.
• The Seabiscuit Legacy Film Series, celebrating remarkable stories of resilience, featuring the Johnny Cash film We’re Still Here and other screenings at Noyo Theatre, as well as special events on the Willits Skunk Train, at Mendocino County Museum, and at Ridgewood Ranch.
• The inaugural Bay Area Film Series, curated by Bay Area filmmaker and programmer Joshua Moore, who has also worked with the California Film Institute, San Francisco Film Society, and Jewish Film Institute.
• Special receptions, such as the Philo (May 27 and 29) and Willits (June 4) events.

The Eleventh Annual Mendocino Film Festival takes place May 27-29 and June 2-5, 2016. For more information, including this year’s complete program, visit www.MendocinoFilmFestival.org.

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ABOUT THE MENDOCINO FILM FESTIVAL: The Mendocino Film Festival has established a reputation for presenting award-winning international and independent films. Over the years, the Mendocino Film Festival has become renowned on the festival circuit, drawing filmmakers and attendees from around the world while maintaining its commitment to the local community. Featuring special events, filmmaker Q&As, and panels, the program offers the unique opportunity to meet filmmakers and film aficionados in an intimate setting while enjoying the striking natural beauty of Mendocino, which has inspired generations of artists.

For more information, please visit www.mendocinofilmfestival.org or contact Kira Wojack at marketing@mendocinofilmfestival.org or 707-937-0171.