18th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival Annouces 2013 Lineup & Opening Film, ‘Decoding Annie Parker’
The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) announced their 2013 lineup today which includes 26 world premiers and 8 U.S. premieres. The festival runs from April 4-11 and will kick off with the screening of “Decoding Annie Parker,” a film by Steven Bernstein. The film stars Maggie Grace, Academy Award-winner Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton (as Annie Parker), Rashida Jones and Aaron Paul.
“Decoding Annie Parker” is based on a true story and spans 15 years in the lives of two women, Anne Parker and geneticist, Mary Claire King. Parker’s life is devastated by a rare illness as those around her start to fall away when impacted by the complications of a ill-riddled life. Mary Claire King is a brilliant geneticist who believes there is a genetic link to the type of
cancer that afflicts people like Anne, but few share her view. Their lives are intertwined in this story about bravery amidst trials.
Take a look at the full lineup below:
FEATURES
As High as the Sky, USA- Directed by Nikki Braendlin
Cast: Caroline Fogarty, Bonnie McNeil, Laurel Porter, Dee Wallace, Jenny O’Hara
Margaret has always been a little… Particular. But since being dumped by her fiancée, her obsessive compulsive behaviors are in overdrive. The last thing she needs is company. Showing upon her doorstep unannounced, Margaret’s nomadic older sister Josephine, with ten-years-old, daughter Hannah in tow, initially an unwanted jolt to her carefully regulated life. But their playfulness eventually wins Margaret over and she begins to loosen her neurotic control on life. However, when Margaret discovers the real reason for her sister’s visit. She’s forced to confront the betrayed… and the long suppressed grief at the roof of her fastidious behaviors.
Breaking at the Edge, USA- Directed by Predrag Antonijevic
Cast: Rebecca Da Costa, Milo Ventimiglia, Andie MacDowell, Louis Gossett Jr., Johnathon Schaech
Breaking at the Edge tells the story of a young pregnant woman who has increasing difficulty determining whether she is losing her grip on reality or whether her pregnancy has enabled her to see into a spiritual world that could threaten the welfare of her baby.
Chez Upshaw, USA- Directed by Bruce Mason
Cast: Kevin Pollak, Illeana Douglas, Molly Sims, Shane Johnson, Greg Grunberg, George Coe
An endlessly bickering but truly devoted and quirky couple run a B&B that’s about to sink when along comes the opportunity of a lifetime… they turn it into a ‘check in, don’t check out’ last resort for assisted suicides.
Decoding Annie Parker, USA –Directed by Steven Bernstein
Cast: Maggie Grace, Helen Hunt, Samantha Morton, Rashida Jones, Aaron Paul
Based on a true story, the film follows two women on remarkable journeys over 15 years. These two women are separated by thousands of miles, by circumstance, background and education, and yet, as told in the film, their two lives gradually intertwine until a final, singular and life changing reckoning.
Full Circle, USA- Directed by Solvan Naim
Cast: Rob Morgan, Kevin Hale, Solvan Naim, Eden Maryshow, Celestine Rae
An action comedy about a Brooklyn pizza boy who seeks revenge on a local neurotic thug after his best friend is killed in a case of mistaken identity.
Harmony, United Kingdom- Directed by Dana Lustig
Cast: Jodie Whittaker, Dougray Scott, David Warner, Emilia Fox
HARMONY is an unsettling psychological journey set in London in the vein of The Butterfly Effect. Mia’s (Jodie Whittaker) life is turned upside down when she is forced to open a box of her dead mother’s effects.
Less Lost, USA- Directed by Chase Conner
Cast: Shane Fike, Brandon Alexander, Heather Dodson, Chase Conner, Adam Ives, William Morgan, Corey Krebs, James Trussel, Stephanie Mason-Teague
Less Lost is about a young, medically retired soldier and his struggles to reconnect with his wife and daughter.
Lonely Boy, USA- Directed by Dale Fabrigar
Cast: Alev Aydin, Natalie Distler, Melora Walters, Richard Riehle, Lynn Whitfield, Greg Vrotsos, Mackenzie Astin
The romantic misadventures of a schizophrenic bachelor.
Lost for Words, Hong Kong – Directed by Stanley J. Orzel
Cast: Will Yun Lee, Sean Faris, Grace Huang, Joman Chiang, Terence Yin
Amidst the sweeping cityscape of cosmopolitan Hong Kong, an ex-Marine falls in love with a ballerina from China. Against mounting cultural and religious pressure, the two star-crossed lovers risk it all in pursuit of true love.
Lost on Purpose, USA-Directed by Ian Nelms
Cast: Jane Kaczmarek, C. Thomas Howell, James Lafferty, Aaron Hill, Michelle Lang, Micheal Lawson, Tom Fudegi, Octavia Spencer
Our story takes place in the fertile, San Joaquin Valley. Fueled by gin and sheer determination, Elizabeth James (Ms. Liz) operates her third generation dairy farm outside the region’s domineering co-ops.
No God, No Master, USA – Directed by Terry Green
Cast: David Strathairn, Ray Wise, Sam Witwer, Alessandro Mario
When a series of package bombs show up on the doorsteps of prominent politicians and businessmen in the summer of 1919, U.S. Bureau of Investigation Agent William Flynn is called to the scene.
Pablo, Cuba- Directed by Yosmani Acosta Martinez
Cast: Javier Diaz Varona, Omar Franco Morejon, Francisco Aramis Delgado Cruz, Jorge Luis Lopez Gomez, Lianet Perez Elena, Maria Antonia Jimenez Becera
After the violent manipulation he has been the victim of, Pablo, an eleven-year-old boy, feels the need to choose.
Renoir, France – Directed by Gilles Bourdos
Cast: Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers
In his twilight years, celebrated impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir is tormented by the loss of his wife, the pains of his arthritic old age and the terrible news that his son Jean has been wounded in action. But when a young girl miraculously enters his world, the old painter is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy. Blazing with life, radiantly beautiful, Andrée will become his last model and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. Back at the family home to convalesce, Jean too falls under the spell of the new, redheaded star in the Renoir firmament. In their Mediterranean Eden – and in the face of his father’s fierce opposition – he falls in love with this wild, untamable spirit…and as he does so, within weak-willed, battle-shaken Jean, a filmmaker begins to grow.
Rushlights, USA- Directed by Antoni Stutz
Cast: Josh Henderson, Haley Webb, Aidan Quinn, Beau Bridges
A psychological coming of age thriller, revolves around Billy and Sarah, two delinquent teenage lovers from the suburbs of Los Angeles, traveling to a small southern town to falsely claim a dead friend’s inheritance.
Still Mine, Canada – Directed by Michael McGowan
Cast: James Cromwell, Genevieve Bujold, Campbell Scott
Based on true events and laced with wry humor, Still Mine is a heartfelt love story about fiercely independent farmer Craig Morrison (Academy Award® nominee James Cromwell) who comes up against the system when he sets out to build a more suitable house on their 2,000 acre farm for his wife (Academy Award® nominee Geneviève Bujold) whose health is starting to fade. Although Craig Morrison is using the same methods his father, a shipbuilder, taught him, times have changed. Craig quickly gets on the wrong side of an overzealous building inspector, who finds just about everything unacceptable, including the unstamped wood Craig has milled from his own trees. As Irene becomes increasingly ill – and amidst a series of stop-work orders – Craig races to finish the house. Hauled into court and facing jail, Craig takes a final stance against the system for individual freedom and independence.
Suburban Backlot, USA – Directed by Austin Boggs
Cast: Bryan Patrick Moore, Michael Martin, MC Wreckshin, Austin Boggs
Suburban Backlot is the story of the very independent cinema told through the eyes of two friends on the verge of entering the real world.
The Deception, USA- Directed by Jay Durrwachter
Cast: David Basse, Jerry G. Angulo, Garrett Wade, Corner Jarrett
Composed of two intertwining stories, one a gay coming-of-age story of a teenager nicknamed “Chip” and his first love; the second, that same character twenty years later. Now called Christopher and in the closet, he wants a life in politics, and is about to run for the Maryland Senate with the help of his fiancée’s family – one of the most politically connected in Washington. But when Chris’ first love resurfaces in his life, a man who reignites a passion in him, Chris’ carefully constructed world threatens to crumble around him. This edgy coming of age political thriller was the life dream of its writer and director Jay Durrwachter who died suddenly after the completion of the shooting of the film. The film is shot entirely in New Mexico.
The Kings of Summer, USA – Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Cast: Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie
Three unhappy teenage boys head into the wilderness with a plan to build a house and live off the land.
The Mystical Laws, Japan- Directed by Isamu Imakake
Cast: Takehito Koyasu, Shinichiro Miki, Satsuki Yukino, Ryoka Yuzuki, Daisuke Hirakawa
In the near future, a military and economic superpower of Asia is rocked by a coup. Tathagata Killer, a man from the military division has assumed the position of emperor and established the Godom Empire. The U.S. and the United Nations have now lost all power and are helpless against this new threat presented to the world.
The Shift, USA- Directed by Lee Cipolla
Cast: Leo Oliva, Casey Fitzgerald, Danny Glover
The Shift is the story of one 12-hour shift in the ER where a veteran nurse, who struggles with the haunting guilt of his brother’s drowning, is forced to train a new nurse. The veteran nurse, Kayle, and the new nurse, Amanda, are at odds throughout the story. Kayle believes in doing whatever is best for the patient, even if that means letting them rest in peace. Amanda believes you should fight for everyone until there is nothing left. While Kayle and Amanda take care of several patients that night, there is one patient, a young girl named Emily (Genesis Ochoa), who makes them question their beliefs. Emily is dying of cancer and has come to the ER due to another infection. The dichotomy of Emily’s bravery and her mother’s distress eats at the hearts of the two nurses. When Emily’s situation suddenly becomes more serious, Kayle and Amanda are forced to make impossible decisions.
Tilt, Bulgaria, Germany – Directed by Viktor Chouchkov
Cast: George Staykov, Yavor Baharoff, Radina Kardjilova
Political changes, corruption, and social suppression – can a young love survive in times of turmoil and chaos?
Twilight of the Gods, United Kingdom- Directed by Julian Doyle
Cast: Jud Charlton, Richard Franklin, Annie Walker
The composer Richard Wagner and the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche were good friends. But on the day of Wagner’s triumphal opening of his new opera house Nietzsche walked away from his friend and later threatened to kill him.
Villa, Itinerario de una Pasion (Villa, A Journal of Passion), Mexico- Directed by Juan Andrés Bueno, Maria de Lourdes Deschamps Briones
Cast: Teresa Ruiz, Joaquín Cosio, Dominika Paleta
Following the underhanded murder of Pancho Villa on the outskirts of Parral, Chihuahua, and the whole city mourned his death. The wake for the revolutionary hero was held by his closest collaborators. Standing out among the mourners were the four women with whom Villa was having intimate relationships at the time of his death. As expected, the tension between the women grows and intensifies, culminating in a dramatic surprise ending. An intimate and human portrait of the Centaur of the North.
Waves, Italy- Directed by Corrado Sassi
Cast: Luca Marinelli, Francesco di Leva, Kathrin Resetarits, Salvatore Sansone
The film is inspired by ‘the Ebb Tide’, a short novel written by R.L.Stevenson and L. Osbourne in 1894 and it’s an adventurous noir set nowadays in the Mediterranean Sea. The film is a tribute to the films noir of the 1950’s, shot with a low budget in a short time. It’s the story of three men who leave the Italian coast with a 60 feet long sailboat and head to the south-eastern Mediterranean Sea in search of a desert island where they believe they can find an old dealer to rob.
We Are the Mods, USA – Directed by E.E. Cassidy
Cast: Melia Renee, Mary Elise Hayden, Lance Drake, Najarra Townsend, Bo Barrett
Sadie’s art is her photography. Nico’s art is her life. Together they explore Britain’s mod culture of music, fashion, drugs, and vintage scooters in contemporary Los Angeles. Sadie observes the world through the lens of her 35mm camera, but everything changes when she meets Nico, the new “mod” girl who was born with a deformed foot. Nico doesn’t hide her disability, in face she loves the spotlight. Sadie is drawn into Nico’s world of 60’s aesthetics where Sadie learns about herself and who she really is.
DOCUMENTARIES
07-07-07 Amorita’s Unlucky Day, USA- Directed by Pierre Marcel
Follow the life of one of the most historic yachts in North America, hearing stories of all she has touched and all those that have cared for her in her 100+ years, right up until her fateful day on July 7, 2007, where she was run-down and sunk within seconds.
Ardeshir Mohasses: The Rebellious Artist, Iran, USA-Directed by Bahman Maghsoudlou
A look at the controversial Iranian caricaturist and his struggles with artistic freedom.
Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors, USA- Directed by Heather Elliott-Famularo
Featuring: Philip Markowicz, Rolf Hess, Aron Wajskol, William Leons, Clara Rona, Abraham Negrin
Bearing Witness: The Voices of Our Survivors shares the collective stories of six Holocaust survivors from Germany, Poland, Greece, Netherlands, and Hungary. They endured anti-Semitism, Kristallnacht, life in hiding, ghettos, camps, and death marches.
Comedy Warriors – Healing Through Humor, USA- Directed by John Wager
Cast: Robert Saget, BJ Novak, Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black
Five severely wounded Iraq/Afghanistan veterans were given the opportunity to explore their experiences through the healing power of humor. This film follows their journey as they work with professional comedy writers and A-List comedians Zach Galifianakis, Lewis Black, Bob Saget, and B.J. Novak, who help them write and perform their own personal stand-up comedy routines. This exciting venture gives them new comedic perspectives from which to view their injuries and their lives, and culminates in one big night performing at one of LA’s top comedy clubs.
Diner En Blanc: The World’s Biggest Diner Party, USA – Directed by Jennifer Ash
Established in 1988 as a one-hundred-person flash mob, Diner en Blanc has grown into 13,000 friends-of-friends who meet annually to take part in the world’s largest, most elegant dinner party. In a mere twelve minutes, participants position 4,000 tables, lay out miles of white linens, crystal, sterling and epicurean is a dazzling intersection of French food and fashion that demonstrates the power of human connection and collaboration. Despite its enormity, Diner en Blanc remains a mystery. An anonymous committee of ten, led by Frenchman Francois P. organizes seating and decides who is invited. To preserve instantaneousness, the dinner’s location changes every year and is secret until moments beforehand. Francois gave the filmmaker complete access to the evolution, orchestration and growing challenges of hosting the Diner en Blanc which now takes place throughout the world. The Diner en Blanc Last summer, 3,000 people stormed Lincoln Center. The wait list for the first NYC dinner numbered over 50,000.
Do Not Duplicate, USA- Directed by Jonathan Mann
Desperate to be remembered, an eccentric locksmith uses his craft and creativity to leave a lasting legacy in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Femme, USA
Directed by Emmanuel Itier
Cast: Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Jean Houston, Gloria Steinem, Marianne Williamson
Femme is a quest to look for the most important and influential women around the World, in our daily life, and through Religion, Spirituality, Science, History, Politics, Philosophy, and Entertainment. We will meet and interview various leaders in each field as well as the common women living in the many geographical areas that we will visit. These interviews will be intertwined with footage of sceneries and discoveries met during the inspirational voyage. “Femme” was filed in order to show how women around the world are transforming and healing our planet. It’s an invitation to elevate our school of thinking and change our code of acting with each other. We want to re-affirm the necessity for a strong female presence in all aspects of our lives and to help people understand there is a need to go beyond our differences. It’s about complementary and balance of energies, of spiritualities. It’s a message of Peace, Unity, and Connectivity.
God Loves Uganda, USA- Directed by Roger Ross Williams
Cast: Bishop Christopher Senyayo, Rev. Kapya Kaoma
