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AFIFest 2020 – Coming to You

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Each year, AFIFest Presented by Audi is one of the highlights of my cinematic adventures. AFIFest has a personality different from other major festivals. It doesn’t rely on world premieres (although they have some); it is a program of some of the best films that have already played in places like Cannes, Berlin, or Toronto. It is often where I get to have an early look at some of the prestige films that will be in theaters for awards season. It is also a showcase for foreign films as well as for bright new cinematic lights who are being discovered.

Due to the pandemic, this year’s festival is virtual, which means I won’t be commuting to Hollywood each day (yay!). It also means that you don’t have to be in Hollywood either. AFIFest is available on line for everyone within the US. Most tickets are $8. Some events are free. Tickets, however, are limited, so you should find the films that interest you and pre-book. To see what films are available and book your tickets, go to https://fest.afi.com.

The film I’m looking forward is Wolfwalkers from Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart (part of their “Irish folklore trilogy” with Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea). But I’m also intrigued by films like Nine Days, in which unborn souls try to convince a gatekeeper that they deserve to be given a chance at life; Jumbo, in which a woman falls in love with a carnival ride; Uncle Frank, the latest from Alan Bell; and I Carry You With Me, Heidi Ewing’s (Jesus Camp and Boys of Baraka) first narrative film.

Among the plusses of film festivals are the Q&A sessions with filmmakers following the films. Although it won’t be audience participation, many of the films will still have a time with the filmmakers in conversation with film critics or others.

There are also programs of short films. A new addition this year is the Meet the Press Film Festival, which is a partnership with NBC News. This is a showcase of short documentaries on some of the pressing issues we are facing. Each of the Meet the Press FF programs will be moderated by an NBC journalist.

Among the free events are a series of tributes honoring Kirby Dick, Mira Nair, Rita Moreno, and Sofia Coppola. Also free is the AFI Conservatory Showcase, with 15 short films from recent graduates from AFI’s program.

2020 has had more than its share of downside. But for people who rarely get a chance to take part in things like AFIFest, this is your year!

Virtual Cinema – Watching New Indie Films at Home

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Independent and foreign films can often be hard to find unless you live in a big city or college town that has an art house. But with theaters closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lots of new indie films that are available for streaming.

Distributers and art houses have teamed up to release independent films that were slated to be in theaters. Instead of having to track down where you can see such smaller films, now they will come to your computer. The films rent for $10-12. The rental fee goes to help the local cinema that has been closed for the pandemic.

My local art house is the Laemmle chain, which currently has 32 titles to choose from. But there is probably a theater near you that you can go to their website and find a list of films either available now or coming soon. (In fact, the Laemmle page people who aren’t in the area from using their site to rent the films. There is a place to help you locate a closer theater for you to help support.)

C’mon. You know you’ve seen just about everything that interests you on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Why don’t you expand your horizon? Take in some of those quirky films! Visit another country without leaving your house! Become an indie film aficionado! Now is your chance.

L.A. Latino International Film Festival: Online and Free

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I really enjoy film festivals. They give me a chance to see films that are very different from the mainstream. They give voice to filmmakers we may have never heard of, but who have important things to say. But most people don’t have much chance to see the films in many film festivals. But this year, because of the COVID-19 isolation, everyone has a chance to see some of these films without traveling, standing in line, or even buying a ticket.

Academy Award®-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, founder of the Latino Film Institute, just announced that the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) will be doing a virtual edition for 2020 – LALIFF Connect – which will be held from May 5 – 31st.  In addition, there will be a 2019 Retrospective that will include feature films, short films, episodics, masterclasses and musical performances — all will be available through LALIFF’s website for free with additional titles to be announced. 

Disney brings ONWARD home early

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BURBANK, Calif. (March 20, 2020) –The Walt Disney Studios announced today that Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” will be available to buy digitally and on Movies Anywhere beginning today at 5:00PM PST/ 8:00PM EST and on Disney+ on April 3 in the U.S.

The film premiered in theaters on March 6 and earned rave reviews from audiences, including a 95% Verified Audience Score on RottenTomatoes. With cinemas currently impacted by closures due to the global health crisis, Disney will offer the film ahead of schedule to purchase on digital platforms in the U.S. beginning today at 5:00PM PST /8:00PM EST for $19.99.

“While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” said Dan Scanlon (Director, “Onward”) and Kori Rae (Producer, “Onward”).

In “Onward,” teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad, embarking on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley’s epic van Guinevere. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) realizes her sons are missing, she teams up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion, former warrior – aka The Manticore (voice of Octavia Spencer) – and heads off to find them. Perilous curses aside, this one magical day could mean more than any of them ever dreamed.

This follows recent moves by Universal to bring in-theatre titles such as Invisible Man, The Hunt and the upcoming Trolls: World Tour to on demand services early as a result of the current pandemic. Warner Bros. has also opted to bring The Way Back to on demand early from theatres and titles Birds of Prey and Just Mercy as well.

What makes this move particularly interesting is that Disney has decided to use Disney+ in their arsenal, as opposed to mere VOD as an outlet. While other studios have options in terms of on demand streaming, Disney already has a significant claim to the home market thanks to their streaming sites.

ScreenFish’s Response to COVID-19

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Hey everyone,

We, at ScreenFish, hope that you’re doing well in the midst of what may be the craziest time in  recent world history. Only a month ago, words like self-isolation, social distancing or ‘flattening the curve’ just weren’t a part of our every day vernacular, yet here we are. The last few weeks have quickly become a time of anxiety, depression and even loneliness. 

We, at ScreenFish, want you to know that we’re praying for you and want to do what we can to help bring us together at a moment when our tendency would be to come apart. Let’s face it, what has always brought us together has been our experiences at the movies or, more specifically, stories themselves. Even though we know now all of you may agree with us, we here believe that God speaks through stories, which is why we’re so passionate about them, but we also care about you as well.

No matter what the situation may be, know that you matter.

As a result, we want to continue to care for our readers/listeners during a time when the world really needs each other. Our team has been talking about ways to keep the lines of communication open between you all and ourselves and we’re taking this opportunity to retool what we do for the next little bit.

For example, Julie has done a phenomenal job in recent weeks keeping up with our podcast while I was away and her 3rd episode will air on Friday about the Invisible Man (which, ironically, comes to VOD the same day now). However, hopefully starting the next week, our podcast will retool for a bit as we talk with some of our podcast friends about ‘Comfort Films’, those films that we look towards to bring us up in hard times. Over the next 3-4 weeks, we’ll also be giving away iTunes copies of films to help cheer you up during the isolation. But, believe me, we’re also talking about a number of different possibilities that may help build some community, be it ‘watch parties’ or discussion times together (if possible).

So, stay tuned. And, more importantly, know that our team is praying for you all in the midst of this difficult time and we’re excited to continue the conversation.