NEW YORK (November 6, 2013) – Today Filmmaker Magazine announced the slate for its latest “25 New Faces of Independent Film” national tour, which is this year being sponsored by Sony Creative Software and ARRI.

Following already completed standalone local events at the Northwest Film Center in Portland, OR, and the IFC Center in New York City, the tour is moving into gear with a traveling road show which will spotlight Filmmaker’s annual “25 New Faces” list and the work of three of the alumni selected for 2013. Touring with their short films will be writer/directors Scott Blake (Surveyor), Anahita Ghazvinizadeh (Needle) and Mohammad Gorjestani (Refuge), accompanied by Filmmaker’s Managing Editor, Nick Dawson. Over the course of one week in November, the four will be traveling to and giving Q&As at venues in: Madison, WI; Cleveland, OH; Iowa City, IA; Kansas City, KS; Columbia, MO; and Nashville, TN. The Kansas City screening is in partnership with Gathr’s Preview Series, and Surveyor, Needle and Refuge will also be playing at theaters in the following cities: Portland, OR; Eugene, OR; Bellingham, WA; Bloomfield, MI; Dormont, PA; Arlington, MA; Providence, RI; Columbus, IN; Little Rock, AR; New Orleans, LA; Tallahassee, FL; and St. Petersberg, FL.

Since its inception in 1998, Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” has been the industry’s most anticipated list. With its reputation for spotting the next great talent, it is a road map for the film business and audiences. Each year Filmmaker editors scour the industry for the best and brightest writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, actors, and composers to discover 25 emerging artists destined to become tomorrow’s stars. 25 New Faces alumni include Lance Acord (Marie Antoinette), Craig Brewer (Footloose), Neil Burger (Limitless), Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), Lena Dunham (Girls), Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre), Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March), Miranda July (The Future), Matthew Libatique (Black Swan), Rooney Mara (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs), Ellen Page (Inception), Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity), Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire), Dee Rees (Pariah), Peter Sarsgaard (An Education), Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) and many more.

The 25 New Faces Of Independent Film Tour Calendar:

Saturday, November 16, 2013
UW-Madison Cinematheque, Madison, WI
3pm

Sunday November 17, 2013
Cleveland Cinematheque, Cleveland, OH
8pm

Monday November 18, 2013
FilmScene, Iowa City, IA
7pm

Tuesday November 19, 2013
Glenwood Arts Theater, Kansas City, KS
7:30pm

Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Ragtag Cinema, Columbia, MO
5:30pm

Thursday, November 21, 2013
The Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN
7:00 pm

About The Films and Filmmakers

Surveyor

Scott Blake / USA, 2012 / 25 mins
1848. In the last days of the Mexican-American War, a government agent surveyor attempts to return home after surveying land on the Western frontier. His journey becomes a nightmarish trek through an American gothic landscape.

Scott Blake earned a BA in English Literature from the University of Washington in 2010. Last summer, he completed his 25-minute short film Surveyor, an anti-western set during the last days of the Mexican-American War. His screenplay To the Detonation, an urban insurgency thriller, is a narrative short semi-finalist at the 2013 Vail Film Festival and Vegas CineFest.

http://filmmakermagazine.com/people/scott-blake/

Needle

Anahita Ghazvinizadeh / USA, 2013 / 21 mins
Young Lilly is going to get her ears pierced. A quarrel between her parents overwhelms the situation and directs it differently.

Anahita Ghazvinizadeh (b. 1989, Tehran, Iran) is a filmmaker and writer. She got her BFA in cinema from Tehran University of Art and her MFA in studio arts from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Anahita has studied with Abbas Kiarostami and is influenced by his cinematic style. Being inspired by the rich culture of children’s cinema in Iran, she started to work on a trilogy of short films with children as the main characters. When the Kid was a Kid (2011) and Needle (2013) are the first two finished pieces of series. Anahita is also the co-writer of the acclaimed feature film, Mourning (2011). Childhood and parenthood, family theater, and exploring notions of growth and gender identity are the main themes of her work.

http://filmmakermagazine.com/people/anahita-ghazvinizadeh/

Refuge

Mohammad Gorjestani / USA, 2013 / 23 mins
Set in 2020, a brewing cyberwar between the US and Iran puts Sonia, a young Iranian refugee, at risk of deportation. Her only escape may come at a greater price than she’s willing to pay.

Mohammad Gorjestani is an Iranian American filmmaker, creative director, and entrepreneur based in San Jose, California. His short film Sayeh premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and went on to screen at 50 festivals worldwide. He was a recipient of the 2012 KRF Filmmaking Grant from the San Francisco Film Society and a finalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab for his feature film in development, Somehow These Days will be Missed. Gorjestani is the co-founder and creative director of Volio, a funded consumer media startup.

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/people/mohammad-gorjestani/

About Filmmaker Magazine

Under the guidance of founder and editor-in-chief, Scott Macaulay, Filmmaker Magazine has grown into the foremost magazine in the independent film community. Published by IFP – the Independent Filmmaker Project, Filmmaker is the go-to publication for writers, directors, producers, film industry representatives, and others working in independent film. Founded by working independent filmmakers and published quarterly, Filmmaker has a unique, authoritative voice, providing the highest quality coverage on the technical, business, and craft of independent film. Learn more at: www.filmmakermagazine.com

About IFP

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) is the premier organization for independent filmmakers, championing the future of storytelling in the digital age by fostering a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community. IFP guides filmmakers in the art, technology, and business of independent storytelling through its annual programming and with the introduction of the state-of-the-art Made in NY Media Center by IFP, a new incubator space developed with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, where storytellers from multiple disciplines, industries, and platforms create, collaborate, and connect.

IFP has supported over 7,000 films and offered resources to more than 20,000 filmmakers over its 34-year history, developing 350 new feature and documentary films each year. IFP represents a growing network of 10,000 storytellers in New York City and around the world.

In addition to its workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorships, and Filmmaker Magazine, IFP’s annual programs include The Gotham Independent Film AwardsTM, Independent Film WeekTM, EnvisionTM, and the Independent Filmmaker LabsTM.

Founded in 1979, IFP is the largest and oldest not-for-profit dedicated to independent film. For more information and to become a member, visit www.ifp.org.

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Press Contact: Jody Arlington, [email protected], 202.316.4316