A film that we first screened at the 2011 installment of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival, has been picked up for online distribution by Vyer Flms (the company that did the same with another film we highlighted here on S&A - The Invader - last year) It's a Ghanaian film titled The Destiny Of Lesser Animals, written and directed by Deron Albright. The film, originally conceived as an homage to Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 masterpiece police procedural Stray Dog, tells the tale of a Ghanaian police officer, desperate to return to the USA, years after he was deported, who loses his newly-acquired counterfeit passport and visa, and launches an extensive...
- 3/6/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The Filmmakers Also Talk Bringing The Production To Ghana In “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” director Deron Albright and writer/lead actor Yao B. Nunoo paint an unhappy picture of life on the coast of West African nation Ghana. Boniface Koomsin (Nunoo) is a police inspector in the Cape Coast region, but is trying his best to break free and return to the bright lights, big city of New York, where he spent time as a young man. But following his deportation back to Ghana after 9/11, he finds it much harder to return to the States and desperate, saves his…...
- 6/24/2011
- The Playlist
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Directed by: Deron Albright
Written by: Yao B. Nunoo
Starring: Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi and Sandy Arkhurst
Aaron Bowen’s cinematography and actor Yao B. Nunoo’s dramatic change in hairstyle immediately render in the audience the feeling of watching a dreamer lost. The film’s writer and star soulfully portrays Boniface, a member of Ghana’s police force who seeks to (but is denied the opportunity to) return to an America about which he’s fantasized since his youthful voyage there a decade earlier. As a result, this is a man compelled by circumstance to use his connections in law enforcement to acquire a fraudulent visa to his land of opportunity.
Within a minute, however, Boniface’s bag is stolen from him, its theft transforming the officer into a committed force for whom the lines...
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Directed by: Deron Albright
Written by: Yao B. Nunoo
Starring: Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi and Sandy Arkhurst
Aaron Bowen’s cinematography and actor Yao B. Nunoo’s dramatic change in hairstyle immediately render in the audience the feeling of watching a dreamer lost. The film’s writer and star soulfully portrays Boniface, a member of Ghana’s police force who seeks to (but is denied the opportunity to) return to an America about which he’s fantasized since his youthful voyage there a decade earlier. As a result, this is a man compelled by circumstance to use his connections in law enforcement to acquire a fraudulent visa to his land of opportunity.
Within a minute, however, Boniface’s bag is stolen from him, its theft transforming the officer into a committed force for whom the lines...
- 6/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Directed by: Deron Albright
Written by: Yao B. Nunoo
Starring: Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi and Sandy Arkhurst
Aaron Bowen’s cinematography and actor Yao B. Nunoo’s dramatic change in hairstyle immediately render in the audience the feeling of watching a dreamer lost. The film’s writer and star soulfully portrays Boniface, a member of Ghana’s police force who seeks to (but is denied the opportunity to) return to an America about which he’s fantasized since his youthful voyage there a decade earlier. As a result, this is a man compelled by circumstance to use his connections in law enforcement to acquire a fraudulent visa to his land of opportunity.
Within a minute, however, Boniface’s bag is stolen from him, its theft transforming the officer into a committed force for whom the lines...
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Directed by: Deron Albright
Written by: Yao B. Nunoo
Starring: Yao B. Nunoo, Fred Amugi, Abena Takyi and Sandy Arkhurst
Aaron Bowen’s cinematography and actor Yao B. Nunoo’s dramatic change in hairstyle immediately render in the audience the feeling of watching a dreamer lost. The film’s writer and star soulfully portrays Boniface, a member of Ghana’s police force who seeks to (but is denied the opportunity to) return to an America about which he’s fantasized since his youthful voyage there a decade earlier. As a result, this is a man compelled by circumstance to use his connections in law enforcement to acquire a fraudulent visa to his land of opportunity.
Within a minute, however, Boniface’s bag is stolen from him, its theft transforming the officer into a committed force for whom the lines...
- 6/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Playing in the International Showcase at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, Deron Albright’s Ghana-set policier “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” centers on a detective desperate to escape to America. When his counterfeit passport is stolen, however, he descends into the underworld that he’s supposed to police. Here, first-time director Deron Albright writes about how a professor from Philadelphia ended up in West Africa helming his first feature film and the inspiration for its intriguing title.
By Deron Albright (director-producer of “The Destiny of Lesser Animals”)
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Deron Albright
Ten years ago, I never would have dreamt that our film “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” (“Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra”) would be possible. I had just finished two scripts — one, a slice-of-life story set in Las Vegas about the reunion of an adopted daughter and her birth mother; the other, a historical drama...
By Deron Albright (director-producer of “The Destiny of Lesser Animals”)
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Deron Albright
Ten years ago, I never would have dreamt that our film “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” (“Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra”) would be possible. I had just finished two scripts — one, a slice-of-life story set in Las Vegas about the reunion of an adopted daughter and her birth mother; the other, a historical drama...
- 6/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Playing in the International Showcase at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, Deron Albright’s Ghana-set policier “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” centers on a detective desperate to escape to America. When his counterfeit passport is stolen, however, he descends into the underworld that he’s supposed to police. Here, first-time director Deron Albright writes about how a professor from Philadelphia ended up in West Africa helming his first feature film and the inspiration for its intriguing title.
By Deron Albright (director-producer of “The Destiny of Lesser Animals”)
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Deron Albright
Ten years ago, I never would have dreamt that our film “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” (“Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra”) would be possible. I had just finished two scripts — one, a slice-of-life story set in Las Vegas about the reunion of an adopted daughter and her birth mother; the other, a historical drama...
By Deron Albright (director-producer of “The Destiny of Lesser Animals”)
(from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival)
Deron Albright
Ten years ago, I never would have dreamt that our film “The Destiny of Lesser Animals” (“Sibo ne kra, Dabo ne kra”) would be possible. I had just finished two scripts — one, a slice-of-life story set in Las Vegas about the reunion of an adopted daughter and her birth mother; the other, a historical drama...
- 6/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
First, a quick reminder that entries on several films playing here or there have been updated through today: Film Socialisme, Agrarian Utopia, Road to Nowhere and The Tree of Life. Alright, on with the weekend...
"Jj Abrams imitates to flatter with Super 8, an homage to the seminal science fiction films of Steven Spielberg that succumbs to empty nostalgic pandering," argues Nick Schager in Slant. "As with his Star Trek, Abrams's latest puts a modern spin on classical material, though here reinvention isn't the goal so much as slavish duplication embellished with muscular CG effects. It's akin to returning to a cinematic womb of Spielbergian father-son issues, suburban households under extraterrestrial strain, and teen romance, friendship, and maturation via out-of-this-world circumstances. The effect of such a modus operandi is initial coziness quickly giving way to disheartening familiarity, with Abrams's own preoccupations (if he had any to begin with) becoming subsumed beneath the root themes,...
"Jj Abrams imitates to flatter with Super 8, an homage to the seminal science fiction films of Steven Spielberg that succumbs to empty nostalgic pandering," argues Nick Schager in Slant. "As with his Star Trek, Abrams's latest puts a modern spin on classical material, though here reinvention isn't the goal so much as slavish duplication embellished with muscular CG effects. It's akin to returning to a cinematic womb of Spielbergian father-son issues, suburban households under extraterrestrial strain, and teen romance, friendship, and maturation via out-of-this-world circumstances. The effect of such a modus operandi is initial coziness quickly giving way to disheartening familiarity, with Abrams's own preoccupations (if he had any to begin with) becoming subsumed beneath the root themes,...
- 6/12/2011
- MUBI
The Los Angeles Film Festival has announced the world premiere of Richard Linklater's Bernie as the opening night film for the 2011 festival.
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
The film will kick off the festival on June 16 at Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 at L.A. Live. It is written by Skip Hollandsworth and director Linklater and stars Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.
The film follows a beloved mortician (Black) from a small Texas town, even winning over the town's richest, meanest widow (MacLaine). Even after Bernie commits a horrible crime, people still will not utter a bad word against him.
"We're thrilled to be opening the Festival with the world premiere of this delicious black comedy - a treat from one of the most original and exciting voices in independent film, Richard Linklater," said Festival director Rebecca Yeldham. "With its fabulous all-star cast, Bernie is a perfect stage setter for the incredible line-up of...
- 5/30/2011
- by alyssa@mediavine.com (Alyssa Caverley)
- Reel Movie News
Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
- 5/3/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
- 5/3/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Film Independent Announces First Round Of Us & International
Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,
Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -
Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...
Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,
Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -
Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...
- 5/3/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It screens today, the last weekend of the New Directors/New Films Festival, here in New York City. So, if you’re available, you should check it out, 6:30Pm at Lincoln Center. It may be your only opportunity to see the film, as it’s without stateside distribution, and you may not get another chance for a long while. Click Here for tickets.
I reviewed the film after I saw at a preview press screening a couple of weeks ago. Here are my thoughts again if you didn’t read them the first time:
A decade or so after being deported from the United States, Ghanaian police inspector Boniface Koomsin (played by Yao B. Nunoo), desperate to return, pays his way towards obtaining a fake passport, only to have it immediately stolen. In an attempt to recover it, he enlists the help of the local police department on the pretense of a stolen pistol.
I reviewed the film after I saw at a preview press screening a couple of weeks ago. Here are my thoughts again if you didn’t read them the first time:
A decade or so after being deported from the United States, Ghanaian police inspector Boniface Koomsin (played by Yao B. Nunoo), desperate to return, pays his way towards obtaining a fake passport, only to have it immediately stolen. In an attempt to recover it, he enlists the help of the local police department on the pretense of a stolen pistol.
- 4/2/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
A decade or so after being deported from the United States, Ghanaian police inspector Boniface Koomsin (played by Yao B. Nunoo), desperate to return, pays his way towards obtaining a fake passport, only to have it immediately stolen. In an attempt to recover it, he enlists the help of the local police department on the pretense of a stolen pistol.
Upon further discussion, both men believe that their cases are connected, and, together, they follow several leads, eventually finding their common suspect, but only after he commits even more crimes, including murder. This further complicates matters, raising the stakes significantly higher, as Boniface embarks on a dangerous crime-laden journey to recover the one thing that can help him realize his dream – to leave a checkered past behind and return to the USA.
What most struck me about the film, which was directed by a white American, is how devoid it...
Upon further discussion, both men believe that their cases are connected, and, together, they follow several leads, eventually finding their common suspect, but only after he commits even more crimes, including murder. This further complicates matters, raising the stakes significantly higher, as Boniface embarks on a dangerous crime-laden journey to recover the one thing that can help him realize his dream – to leave a checkered past behind and return to the USA.
What most struck me about the film, which was directed by a white American, is how devoid it...
- 3/24/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Have you picked up your tickets yet?
It’s that time of the year, when the early film festivals debut/premiere some of the films that we’ll be talking about later on in the year.
Sundance, Berlin, Pan African, Fespaco, and South By Southwest Film Festivals are done! And this week, the 40th installment of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival here in New York City, begins!
Press screenings for the festival end today, and I saw around 10 films. I’ve already reviewed 4 or so of them, with another 5 or 6 reviews coming, today and tomorrow. I’ll also include a brief write-up of what to expect at the festival, films you should see, those that you could skip, etc… so stay tuned for that.
The lineup of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival follows below, and those of you who live in New York, or who are...
It’s that time of the year, when the early film festivals debut/premiere some of the films that we’ll be talking about later on in the year.
Sundance, Berlin, Pan African, Fespaco, and South By Southwest Film Festivals are done! And this week, the 40th installment of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival here in New York City, begins!
Press screenings for the festival end today, and I saw around 10 films. I’ve already reviewed 4 or so of them, with another 5 or 6 reviews coming, today and tomorrow. I’ll also include a brief write-up of what to expect at the festival, films you should see, those that you could skip, etc… so stay tuned for that.
The lineup of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival follows below, and those of you who live in New York, or who are...
- 3/21/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Celebrating its 40th year of spotlighting the world’s best up-and-coming feature filmmakers, the Museum of Modern Art and Film Society of Lincoln Center’s prestigious New Directors/New Films series has chosen Portland-based experimental filmmaker Matt McCormick‘s Some Days Are Better Than Others to screen.
McCormick is hardly a “new” director. He’s been making short films and music videos since 1999. However, Some Days Are Better Than Others is his first feature-length project. The movie follows the lives of several quirky Portland residents who all experience the good times of their lives slipping quickly into memory, while their more painful moments are so difficult to let go of.
Starring in the film is Carrie Brownstein, the former guitarist and singer for the band Sleater-Kinney and current star of the hit IFC cable TV series Portlandia. Brownstein previously appeared in Miranda July’s short film Getting Stronger Every Day...
McCormick is hardly a “new” director. He’s been making short films and music videos since 1999. However, Some Days Are Better Than Others is his first feature-length project. The movie follows the lives of several quirky Portland residents who all experience the good times of their lives slipping quickly into memory, while their more painful moments are so difficult to let go of.
Starring in the film is Carrie Brownstein, the former guitarist and singer for the band Sleater-Kinney and current star of the hit IFC cable TV series Portlandia. Brownstein previously appeared in Miranda July’s short film Getting Stronger Every Day...
- 2/17/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center Announce Feature Film Lineup for the 40th Annual New Directors/New Films March 23 . April 3
J.C. Chandor.s .Margin Call. is the Opening Night presentation with Maryam Keshavarz.s Award-winning .Circumstance. the Closing Night selection
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the full lineup today for the 40th edition of New Directors/New Films (March 23 . April 3). Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, the film festival will screen 28 feature films (24 narrative, 4 documentary) representing 22 countries.
The opening night feature is J.C. Chandor.s Margin Call. Screening on Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00Pm at MoMA, Chandor’s feature film directing debut is a timely and terrifying dramatic expose that tackles twenty-four hours on an investment bank trading floor; a day that brings layer upon layer of human and...
J.C. Chandor.s .Margin Call. is the Opening Night presentation with Maryam Keshavarz.s Award-winning .Circumstance. the Closing Night selection
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center announced the full lineup today for the 40th edition of New Directors/New Films (March 23 . April 3). Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, the film festival will screen 28 feature films (24 narrative, 4 documentary) representing 22 countries.
The opening night feature is J.C. Chandor.s Margin Call. Screening on Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00Pm at MoMA, Chandor’s feature film directing debut is a timely and terrifying dramatic expose that tackles twenty-four hours on an investment bank trading floor; a day that brings layer upon layer of human and...
- 2/17/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As promised, I said I would highlight noteworthy films announced today, as part of the upcoming 2011 installment of the prestigious New Directors/New Films Film Festival…
As noted in my initial post listing all the titles, Pariah and The Black Power Mixtape are on the schedule, however, we’ve talked about both films enough times on this site, I won’t rehash with new profiles. A simple search of the site will give you all the info you need, if you missed previous posts.
Of those not already written about… first is a Ghanaian film titled The Destiny Of Lesser Animals, written and directed by Deron Albright.
The film, originally conceived as an homage to Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 masterpiece police procedural Stray Dog, tells the tale of a Ghanaian police officer, desperate to return to the USA, years after he was deported, who loses his newly-acquired counterfeit passport and visa,...
As noted in my initial post listing all the titles, Pariah and The Black Power Mixtape are on the schedule, however, we’ve talked about both films enough times on this site, I won’t rehash with new profiles. A simple search of the site will give you all the info you need, if you missed previous posts.
Of those not already written about… first is a Ghanaian film titled The Destiny Of Lesser Animals, written and directed by Deron Albright.
The film, originally conceived as an homage to Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 masterpiece police procedural Stray Dog, tells the tale of a Ghanaian police officer, desperate to return to the USA, years after he was deported, who loses his newly-acquired counterfeit passport and visa,...
- 2/16/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
NYC’s New Directors/New Films Festival Unveils Lineup (“Pariah,” “Black Power Mixtape”) Make The Cut
Ahhh yes, it’s that time of the year, when the early film festivals debut/premiere some of the films that we’ll be talking about later on in the year.
Sundance is done; the Berlin and Pan African Film Festivals are currently underway; the South By Southwest Film Festival takes over Austin, TX in less than a month! And a few days after it ends, the 40th installment of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival here in New York City, begins!
Can’t you just feel the excitement in the air? I can!
And I feel even better knowing that I was granted press credentials by the festival organizers, meaning I’ll be seeing as many of these films for Free, with reviews to follow on this site, afterward, as usual.
The lineup of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival was just unveiled, and those of you who live in New York,...
Sundance is done; the Berlin and Pan African Film Festivals are currently underway; the South By Southwest Film Festival takes over Austin, TX in less than a month! And a few days after it ends, the 40th installment of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival here in New York City, begins!
Can’t you just feel the excitement in the air? I can!
And I feel even better knowing that I was granted press credentials by the festival organizers, meaning I’ll be seeing as many of these films for Free, with reviews to follow on this site, afterward, as usual.
The lineup of the New Directors/New Films Film Festival was just unveiled, and those of you who live in New York,...
- 2/16/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
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