FREE SAMPLES director Jay Gammill will participate in Q&A after the 7:40 screening Saturday night at the NoHo.
Kenny Turan in Cannes on Asghar Farhadi’s new film THE PAST
One of the best films we played last year was the Iranian domestic drama A SEPARATION. It was devastating in its depiction of a marriage in crisis and fascinating as a look into Iranian society far more nuanced and up close that what we get in the news media.
That’s why it’s exciting to hear that the director’s follow-up film is being screened at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. This weekend the L.A. Times’ Kenneth Turan published a piece about Asghar Farhadi and THE PAST. Read it here and know that you’ll very likely see the film at your local Laemmle theater later this year.
FREE THE MIND Q&A’s May 17-19
John Osborne, National Director, faculty, and teacher trainer for Project Welcome Home Troops, who is featured in the film, FREE THE MIND, will participate in Q&A’s after the 7:30 PM screenings Friday-Sunday, May 17-19, at the Music Hall 3 and after the 11 AM screenings Saturday, May 18 at the Playhouse 7 and Sunday, May 19 at the Monicas.
WHITE FROG cast/crew Q&A Saturday night at the Playhouse
The WHITE FROG cast and crew will participate in a Q&A after the 7:50 screening at the Playhouse on Saturday, May 11.
Homeboy Industries Homeboys do Q&A’s
Homies from Homeboy Industries will participate in Q&A’s after all G-DOG screenings Saturday and Sunday morning, May 11 and 12, at the Claremont, Monica and Playhouse.
THE FRUIT HUNTERS Q and A with Bull Pullman May 13 at the Monica
Bill Pullman and Hollywood Orchard host the premiere screening of THE FRUIT HUNTERS, directed by Yung Chang (Up The Yangtze), May 13 at the Monica. The screening begins at 7:30 PM. Pullman, a rare fruit aficionado and founder of Hollywood Orchard, will join three other subjects who are featured in the film for a post-screening Q&A moderated by entertainment reporter Zorianna Kit.
Filmmaker Magazine interview with the director of FREE THE MIND
The fascinating new documentary FREE THE MIND brings together two groups of people whose numbers are increasing — children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and military veterans diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder — and explores the possibility that at least some of these people from both groups can be greatly helped by meditation. Danish filmmaker Phie Ambo: “I was very impressed with the courage and openness that the veterans showed by signing up for the breathing program but even more surprised to see how they transformed themselves over the week long intervention.”
We open the film May 17 at the Music Hall and the next day at the Playhouse, Monica and Claremont.
Bob Laemmle recommends QUEEN TO PLAY
Occasionally — about once or twice a year — Laemmle Theatres owner Bob Laemmle likes to put a personal stamp of approval on one of the many movies we show. Here is his latest:
I would like to offer a recommendation for the French film QUEEN TO PLAY. When I first saw this film two years ago, both my wife and I found it to be a deeply enjoyable film. It has taken two years for the film to finally reach our screens due to the fact that the initial distributor went bankrupt. QUEEN TO PLAY stars Sandrine Bonnaire, who first became a star at age 18 in Agnès Varda’s 1985 film VAGABOND. Her co-star is Kevin Kline in a superb French-speaking performance. It is all that you could hope a French film would offer you. It is as well a heartwarming female-empowerment story. It will not have a large advertising budget so if you see and enjoy this film please pass along your recommendations to your friends.
http://youtu.be/Ek0VgLzZpjU
For more information on QUEEN TO PLAY, visit the film’s page, here.