KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND from February 10th in Montreal

KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND, one of the great successes of 2011’s Norwegian cinema, will finally be making its way to Montreal. The film will be screening beginning February 10th at the AMC Forum theatre in Norwegian with English subtitles, and at the Cinéma Beaubien with French subtitles. The release is made possible through a collaboration with Film Movement.

This film by Norwegian filmmaker Marius Holst is based on the real-life story of a notorious reform school uprising in 1915 that forever altered the way juvenile delinquents are thought of and treated in Scandinavia.
Erling, a seventeen-year-old rumoured murderer, arrives at the Bastøy Boys Home correctional facility. He immediately clashes with the island facility's governor (Stellan Skarsgård), who believes manual labour, rigid discipline, and harsh punishments are the only methods that can turn the boys into honourable members of society. Refusing to accept the constant abuse, Erling slowly rouses the rest of the boys out of their resigned existence and encourages them to fight to lift up their spirits. When tragedy finally falls at the hand of the sadistic dorm master, Erling leads his comrades in a courageous and vicious rebellion that will bring them head-to-head with no less than the Norwegian Army.
KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND is both a personal film about a group of children changing their fate, as well as a universal story of the dangers of authoritarian regimes, isolated and unchecked by society at large.

An official selection at the Rotterdam, Seattle and Edinburgh International Film Festivals, winning a Best Breakthrough Performance Award for its young lead actor at the latter, KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND stars Berlin Silver Bear award-winner Stellan Skarsgård (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Melancholia, Dogville). KING OF DEVIL’S ISLAND won the Best Film, Best Supporting Actor and Best Score awards at the 2011 Amanda Awards (Norway’s film awards), and was nominated in 5 other categories. It received its Canadian Premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival this past summer, followed by screenings at the Halifax, Calgary and Edmonton film festivals.

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OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL in Montreal from September 30th

The last installment of Julien Temple’s trilogy of documentaries on British music of the ‘70s, OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL, will finally be screening in Quebec. The series of screenings will begin with its Quebec premiere at the Film POP Festival in Montreal on September 24th, followed by a screening at the Quebec City Film Festival on September 28th and a theatrical release at Cinéma Parallèle from September 30th. This is a first documentary release for Evokative Films.

OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL focuses on the band Dr. Feelgood, four men in cheap suits who crashed out of Canvey Island, UK, sandpapered the face of rock’n’roll and paved the way for punk rock. Featuring contributions from members of The Clash, Blondie and the Sex Pistols, OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL sets out to explore this unique time, place and social landscape, all of which were responsible for shaping the identity of the band and defined the strange cultural vacuum which existed before the coming of punk rock. Dr. Feelgood was composed of the lead and singer Lee Brilleaux, Wilko Johnson at the guitar, John B. Sparks (aka Sparko) at the bass and John Martin (aka The Big Figure) at the drums. The pub rock band was formed in 1971 and became popular for their high-energy live gigs as well as the albums Down by the Jetty (1974), Malpractice (1975) and Stupidity (1976), which topped the UK charts.

Julien Temple is a famed documentarist who has concentrated its oeuvre on rock music. He is most known for SEX PISTOLS: THE FILTH AND THE FURY and JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN, the two other films of the trilogy. Rather than making standard “rockumentaries”, Julien uses the music as a prism through which he examines the social and cultural conditions of the times. The films share his characteristic cinematic language, an irreverent and anarchic style of montage or archive and fictive footage, which he pioneered in THE GREAT ROCK & ROLL SWINDLE. Other rock documentaries by Temple include GLASTONBURY and ROLLING STONES: AT THE MAX. He is now working on a five-part documentary series on cities and music. The first two ones, CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION, set in Rio, and THIS IS LONDON are filming this year. The next ones will explore Tijuana, Havana and Berlin.

OIL CITY CONFIDENTIAL won the Best Documentary Award at the 2011 Kermode Awards, the Vision Award at the 2010 Mojo Best Film Awards and the Cult Award for Best International Film at the 2009 Torino Film Festival. It has screened around the world, including the London, Stockholm, Dubai, Sydney, Karlovy Vary and Oldenburg International film festivals. Its Canadian premiere was at this past edition of Toronto’s Canadian Music Week.

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DOWN TERRACE from November 12th in Toronto

After screenings at the Fantasia and Vancouver International Film Festivals, DOWN TERRACE will be opening at the Carlton Theatre in Toronto on November 12th. This is the first English-speaking film release for Evokative Films, having concentrated its releases on International, subtitled films over the last two years.

Father and son Bill and Karl have just been released from jail, but all is not well at Down Terrace. Patriarchs of a small crime family, their business is plagued with infighting: Karl has had more than he can take of his old man's philosophizing and preaching; Bill thinks Karl's dedication to the family is seriously compromised when he takes up with an estranged girlfriend who claims to be carrying his baby; they have to explain the profit drop to the bosses in London and figure out who’s the mole who turned them in. It’s time to clean house. Recrimination, betrayal, murder and a spot of redecorating are quick to follow. Always remember: you’re only as good as the people you know.
DOWN TERRACE breathes new life into the gangster genre by mixing-up family drama in the style of Mike Leigh, The Sopranos’ gangster reality and the body count of a splatter flick, caught with a fly-on-the-wall camera.

The film, shot over only 8 days in Brighton, is a real family affair. The characters Bill and Karl are real life father and son Bob and Robin Hill. Karl’s girlfriend Valda is Robin’s wife Kerry Peacock. Down Terrace is really their family home. This is the first feature film for Bristol-based Ben Wheatley, after writing and directing many animated and live-action short films, sketches and advertisings (some can be seen at mrandmrswheatley.blogspot.com) and work on Channel 4’s Modern Toss and the BBC’s Time Trumpet, Comedy Shuffle, The Wrong Door and Ideal. He just finished principal photography on his next feature film KILL LIST. Ben Wheatley wrote DOWN TERRACE with Robin Hill and allowed space for improvisation by the cast, including Julia Deakin (Spaced), David Schaal, Tony Way, Micheal Smiley and Mark Kempner.

DOWN TERRACE won the Next Wave Award for Best Film at Fantastic Fest, the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards, the Jury Prize for Best UK Feature at the Raindance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize Narrative Feature at the international Film Festival of Boston. The film played to acclaim at many film festivals around the world such as Rotterdam, Glasgow, Belfast, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Puchon, Perth, Melbourne and Espoo.

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DELIVER US FROM EVIL from September 7th and 10th in Montreal

After its Canadian Premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and its Quebec Premiere at the 2010 Fantasia International Film Festival, DELIVER US FROM EVIL (French title DÉLIVREZ-NOUS DU MAL, original Danish title FRI OS FRA DET ONDE) will finally start its Canadian tour of theatres from September 7th at the Quartier Latin Theatre with a French subtitled copy and from September 10th at the AMC Forum Theatre with an English subtitled copy.

Lars and Johannes are brothers with very little in common. Johannes is a high-powered lawyer with a beautiful wife and two children; Lars is a truck driver and a drunken brute who beats his girlfriend. Having returned to his hometown in the country, Johannes hopes for a less hectic, more genuine lifestyle. But trouble is underfoot when Lars runs over a woman with his truck. He sees only one way out: put the blame on Alain, a Bosnian refugee with impaired mental functions. But when Lars, the God-fearing husband of the victim, and his friends close in on the Bosnian, Johannes stands up for the man and shelters him. Undeterred, the violent, drunken horde makes its way to Johannes’ secluded house, where the family and Alain fear for their lives. When words no longer suffice to contain the madness, a siege begins, in which unchained anarchy dictates a scenario of terror… DELIVER US FROM EVIL is a piercing insight into human nature driven berserk.

Written and Directed by Ole Bornedal (NIGHTWATCH, I AM DINA, THE SUBSTITUTE, JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY), the film stars Lasse Rimmer (a famous Danish Stand-up comedian and TV personality), Lene Nystrøm (in her first film role and part of the pop band Aqua), Jens Andersen (ANJA & VIKTOR - FLAMING LOVE, POLLE FICTION), Pernille Vallentin (JUST LIKE HOME, NORDKRAFT) and Mogens Pedersen (in his first role).

The Danish social thriller was awarded the Best Motion Picture Award in the Noves Vision section of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, a Special Award of the Jury at the Fantasporto International Film Festival, Bodil Awards (from the Danish National Association of Film Critics) for Best Supporting Actor (Jens Andersen) and Best Supporting Actress (Pernille Vallentin), as well as the Best Supporting Actress Award (Pernille Vallentin) at the Copenhagen Robert Festival. Over the last year, DELIVER US FROM EVIL was also part of the programming of the Halifax Atlantic Film Festival, the Hamptons Film Festival, the Pusan International Film Festival, the Tallin Black Nights Film Festival, the Istanbul International Film Festival and the Danger After Dark section of the Philadelphia Film Festival, amongst many others.

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THE MISFORTUNATES in theatres across Canada from March 19th!

Evokative Films is very pleased to announce the theatrical release of Felix van Groeningen’s THE MISFORTUNATES (DE HELAASHEID DER DINGEN). The film will debut in Montreal on March 19th at the AMC Forum Theatre with a Flemish with English subtitles print and at the Cinéma Beaubien with a Flemish with French subtitles print. THE MISFORTUNATES will then go on to play in Toronto from April 9th at the Canada Square Theatre (venue may change), in Ottawa from April 30th at the Mayfair Theatre and in Vancouver from May 14th at the Cinemark Tinseltown Theatre. Other engagements throughout Canada will follow.

Gunther Strobbe is a 13-year-old boy who lives in his grandmother's house in a small Belgian town with his alcoholic father and three uncles. Life in the household is clearly dysfunctional, yet it's hard to condemn the Strobbes. Their hearts are in the right place – it's just that they can't seem to help turning everything around them into an unmitigated disaster. The Strobbes enter drinking contests, ride bicycles naked, teach vulgar songs to little girls and end up in hospital, then head right back to the bar the next day. Gunther is an observer in this broken home that reeks of cigarette smoke, spilled beer and sweat-stained clothes. He participates in his drunken uncles' shenanigans only to fit in, hiding his true passion for writing. The Strobbes will make you laugh your eyes out and cry out loud.

THE MISFORTUNATES was chosen to represent Belgium in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2010 Oscars. It was also 2009’s biggest box-office hit of Belgium. The film had its World Premiere in the Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival in 2009, where it got a special mention from the Art Cinema Jury. It then went on to play at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Hamptons Film Festival, where it got the Awards for Best Film, Best Script and Best Cinematography and the Festival du Nouveau Cinema in Montréal, amongst many others. It has also been selected to be part of the programming of the upcoming Outaouais Film Festival, where it will screen with French subtitles on March 13th and 15th.

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PARKING at the AMC Forum Theatre from November 6th!

After its acquisition at last year’s Asian Film Market in Pusan and an impressive tour of International film festivals, Evokative Films is very happy to finally offer the Taiwanese dramatic comedy PARKING. The film will be screening from November 6th at the AMC Forum theatre in its original version (Cantonese, Mandarin and Hokkien) with English subtitles, for a duration of 2 weeks. It will then go on to play in Toronto.

On Mother’s Day in Taipei, Chen-Mo makes a dinner date with his wife, hoping to improve their estranged relationship. While buying a cake on his way home, a car double-parks next to his, preventing his exit. For the entire night, Chen-Mo searches the owner of the car and encounters a succession of strange events and eccentric characters: an old couple who has lost their only son, living with their precocious granddaughter; a one-armed barbershop owner cooking fish-head soup; a mainland Chinese prostitute trying to escape her pimp’s cruel clutches; and a Hong-Kong tailor embroiled in debt and threatened by underground loan sharks. Combining the different flavours of drama, comedy, and noir film, PARKING interweaves stories to create a moving and darkly funny film, served up in a superb cinematography that will have you transfixed to the screen.

PARKING is the first fiction feature by Chung Mong-Hong, who also signed the scenario and cinematography. It stars Chang Chen, who could notably be seen in EROS, 2046 and HAPPY TOGETHER by Wong Kar-wai, as well as RED CLIFF I and II by John Woo and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON by Ang Lee. The film also features Lu-Mei Kwai (SECRET, THE MOST DISTANT COURSE), Leon Dai (BUTTONMAN, SILK), Chapman To (ISABELLA, INFERNAL AFFAIRS I and II), Jack Kao (SHINJUKU INCIDENT, THE SNIPER) and the popular model Peggy Tseng in her first screen role.

The film started its career with a selection in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. It distinguished itself at the Golden Horse Festival of Taipei with a Best Art Direction Award and a FIPRESCI Critics Award; at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival with the Best New Talent Award and the Audience Award; and at the !ftanbul International Independent Film Festival of Istanbul with the Most Inspired Film Director Award. The film travelled the world in 20 International film festivals, such as the festivals of Bangkok, Pusan, Stockholm and Thessaloniki. It could be seen in Canada at the Montreal World Film Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Ottawa Film Festival.

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BLACK Premiere at Toronto After Dark and on the big screen starting August 28th!

Evokative Films would like to highlight the Toronto Premiere of BLACK at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which will precede its theatrical release at the AMC Yonge & Dundas theatre from August 28th. The premiere will take place on August 15th at 8:15pm at the Bloor Cinema and will be hosted by Director Pierre Laffargue and Co-Producer Lauranne Bourrachot.

Black, a Senegalese bank-robber born and raised in France, is getting over a disastrous heist in which he lost nearly all of his men. He’s seriously thinking of going straight when his cousin Lamine calls him from Dakar: a briefcase full of contraband diamonds has just been deposited in the bank where he works. Thinking this will be an unbelievably easy coup, Black assembles a new gang and quickly flies to Africa. What they haven’t planned, however, is that they are far from being the only ones interested in that briefcase. The corrupt director of the bank, an arm dealer suffering from suppurating psoriasis, a gang of mercenaries from Chechnya and an Interpol agent are also set to get their hands on those diamonds.

After its World Premiere in the Fantastic Fest section of the SXSW Film Festival in Austin TX, this heist film filled with action, peppered with comedy, blaxploitation influences, African mysticism and paced to a funky soundtrack, seduced both the audience and critics. A screening at the Seattle International Film Festival followed in June. This month of July saw the Canadian Premiere of BLACK at the Fantasia International Film Festival followed by its theatrical release in Montreal. This month, BLACK will also be screening at London’s Film4 FrightFest. More Canadian festivals and limited theatrical releases will follow this fall.

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