Guests
ISABELLA EKLÖF
Director-screenwriter Isabella Eklöf (b. 1978) arrives to Helsinki with her feature-length directorial debut Holiday (Denmark/The Netherlands 2018) which became the biggest Scandinavian sensation in the selection of Sundance film festival this January.
Originally from Sweden, Isabella has a BA in Film Directing from the University of Gothenburg in 2007. In 2011 she graduated from the Danish Film School’s Directing Program in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Isabella has directed 11 short films, several of which have been screened in the international film festival circuit. In 2012 she received Bisballeprisen, a prestigious Danish art prize, for the work on her graduation film “Notes From Underground”.
Having started out in the independent theatre scene in Stockholm, Sweden, Isabella also works with editing, screenwriting and translations to and from Swedish, English and Danish. She has published translations and a short story in Swedish.
Holiday screenings at Night Visions:
Wednesday, April 18, at 9.15 pm (venue: Korjaamo Elokuvasali)
Thursday, April 19, at 7.00 pm (venue: Korjaamo Elokuvasali)
Saturday, April 21, at 6.30 pm (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)
JEFF LIEBERMAN
Jeff Lieberman (b. 1947) arrives to Night Visions to present three of his classic genre features, Squirm (1976), Blue Sunshine (1977) and Remote Control (1988).
Jeff Lieberman’s forty-five year career in the motion picture and television industries extends over a wide variety of productions in television and feature films.
He has garnered numerous awards including the EMMY, CableACE, three Cine Golden Eagles, Chicago Film Festival Golden Hugo and Gold metals at the Atlanta Film Festival. His films were chosen to play at the London, Edinburgh and Tribeca Film Festivals among many others around the world.
After starting out producing and directing television commercials, Lieberman went on to write and direct his first film, The Ringer, an educational anti drug short subject for King Features Syndicate, which gained instant notoriety by winning top prizes at the Chicago and Atlanta film festivals as well as the Cine Golden Eagle.
In 1974 Lieberman joined Janus Films as President of Janus Productions and wrote, produced and directed the six part series ‘The Art of Film’ narrated by Rod Serling. Also at Janus he produced and directed the documentary ‘Museum’ which was aired on the PBS network.
Lieberman moved on to full length motion pictures, first co-writing the motion picture Blade starring John Marley and Morgan Freeman, and then his first feature writing and directing effort Squirm. Shot all on location in Port Wentworth Georgia, Squirm was distributed worldwide by American International Pictures and went on to become a cult classic, earning a permanent place in the ‘Golden Age of Horror.’
Lieberman followed this effort by writing and directing another cult classic, Blue Sunshine starring Zalman King and Robert Walden, then co-wrote and directed the back woods thriller Just Before Dawn starring Gregg Henry and George Kennedy. In 1987, Lieberman wrote and directed the Sci-Fi thriller Remote Control starring Kevin Dillon and Jennifer Tilly, then in the 90s, returned to television to produce and direct the feature length documentary But Seriously for the Showtime Networks in partnership with Castle Rock Entertainment. Rob Reiner served as Executive producer.
The success of this was followed by a second documentary, But Seriously 94, also for Showtime. In 1995, Lieberman wrote, produced and directed the highly acclaimed documentary Sonny Liston; the Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion for HBO which won three EMMY awards as well as the cableACE award. This effort was quickly followed by the documentary Clark Gable, Tall Dark and Handsome hosted by Liam Neeson for Turner Network Television (TNT) which received a cableACE nomination.
During this period, Lieberman also wrote the screenplay for the family feature film sequel Neverending Story Three starring Jason James Richter and Jack Black, distributed worldwide by Miramax Films. He also wrote the original screenplay Us, commissioned by Dustin Hoffman and Tri-Star Pictures as well as the screenplay Under the Skin for Rocky producer Robert Chartoff and Twentieth Century Fox.
In 2004 Lieberman wrote, produced and directed the cult horror/comedy hit Satan’s Little Helper starring Kathryn Winnick and Amanda Plummer.
In 2006, Lieberman created, wrote and directed the pilot for the television series Til Death Do Us Part, a half hour dramatic anthology series starring John Waters, then he served as Executive Producer on the thirteen episodes aired on the Court TV network. (Also titled Love you to Death outside the U.S.)
Lieberman is a member in good standing of both the Director’s Guild and Writer’s Guild of America, and has guest lectured at the graduate level film departments of NYU, UCLA SUNY Purchase and the School of Visual Arts. He graduated with a BA in film/TV from the School of Visual Arts.
Blue Sunshine screening at Night Visions:
Wednesday, April 18, at 9.15 pm (venue: Andorra)
Saturday, April 21, at 11.00 pm (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)
Remote Control screening at Night Visions:
Thursday, April 19, at 9.15 pm (venue: Andorra)
Squirm screening at Night Visions:
Saturday, April 21, at 8.45 pm (venue: Andorra)
MARCELO SCHAPCES
Marcelo Schapces (b. 1958) comes to Night Visions with his sophomore feature Necronomicon: The Book of Hell, the first ever feature film emerging from Latin America based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Marcelo Schapces, a native of Argentina born in Buenos Aires, is a director and producer, know for Juan y Eva (2011), Pájaros Volando (2010), Luca (2007) and Zonda, Folclore Argentino (2015) by Carlos Saura, among others. He designed and launched IncaaTV Channel in 2009, and has taught at the most prestigious film studio houses of Argentina. He has been the CEO of the production company Barakacine SRL for over fifteen years now.
Necronomicon screenings at Night Visions:
Wednesday, April 18, at 7.15 pm (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)
Friday, April 20, at 7.00 pm (venue: Korjaamo Elokuvasali)
Sunday, April 22, at 4.45 am (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)
ANTHONY SNEED
Anthony Sneed arrives to Helsinki to celebrate the European premiere of Frank Henenlotter’s documentary Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana, produced by Sneed, and the world premiere of the short film Suck, directed, written and edited by and starring Sneed.
Sneed is a director, visual artist + performer who lives + works in Brooklyn, New York. Born + raised in New Jersey, to a Cherokee mother + an Italian father, he is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He grew up spending time on the reservation where his uncle is currently serving as the tribe’s principal chief in Cherokee, North Carolina. Sneed moved to New York in 2004 to pursue a career in entertainment.
After working as a tour manager for the rock band, The Exit, which put him on the road with the likes of Muse, Against Me! + 311, Sneed auditioned for the lead in Frank Henenlotter’s 2008 film Bad Biology. Considered too overweight for the drug-addicted, sexually demanding role of Glenn “Batz” Batton, Sneed adopted a demanding diet + exercise regimen, losing an astounding 30lbs in 30 days. His determination left a huge impression on director Henenlotter who ended up giving him the lead role.
After the filming of Bad Biology, Sneed enrolled for formal actor training at the Atlantic Theater, later working under the tutelage of famed acting teacher JoAnna Beckson. After which he spent six years studying comedy at New York’s esteemed Upright Citizens Brigade + Magnet Theater, where he performed regularly on house teams in sketch + improv. During this time, he self-penned a one man show, The Buffalo, with sold out runs at the NYC Fringe Fest, Solocom + United Solo Fest. The Buffalo was hailed by NYtheatreNow as “a fascinating, gut-wrenching work”.
Also an exhibited visual artist in the pixel + minimalist genres, Anthony has had solo shows on both coasts and shown alongside such luminaries as Sol LeWit, Larry Bell, Shepard Fairey, FAILE & Judith Supine. His work has been featured in The San Francisco Chronicle, Amsterdam’s DePers, Gothamist + more.
Bad Biology catalyzed a working relationship between Sneed and director Frank Henenlotter. In 2012, Sneed wrote, acted in + produced a super 16mm feature length film called The Art Thieves, directed by Henenlotter and produced by Gabe Bartalos. The film was screened at the Whistler Film Festival + the Boston Underground Film Festival.
Sneed was recently accepted into the director program at the acclaimed American Film Institute in Los Angeles.
Suck screening at Night Visions:
Wednesday, April 18, at 9.15 pm (venue: Korjaamo Kulmasali, alongside the feature Vampire Clay)
Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana screenings at Night Visions:
Thursday, April 19, at 4.45 pm (venue: Korjaamo Kulmasali)
Friday, April 20, at 4.45 pm (venue: Korjaamo Kulmasali)
ASHLEY THORPE
Ashley Thorpe (b. 1972) comes to Helsinki to introduce Borley Rectory: The Most Haunted House in England, his feature length debut as a director and screenwriter.
After a number of years working for BBC Manchester & London and Athens doing illustration, Thorpe returned to my Devon roots in 2005 and focused all his energies upon creating a series of animated short films inspired by English mythology.
The subsequent short films Scayrecrow, The Screaming Skull and The Hairy Hands have screened internationally and won numerous accolades including Best UK Short Film nomination at Raindance 2009, the Media Innovation Award 2009 for Best Independent Film, Best Animation at Horror UK 2010 and Best Animated Short Film at A Night of Horrors, Sydney Australia 2010. In November 2010 the Director was also presented the Visionary Award at the Buried Alive Film Festival in Atlanta USA.
His first animated feature Borley Rectory has thus far been nominated Best Director, Best Score and Best Feature at the Dead of Night Festival and Best Director, Best International Horror and won Best Animated Feature and Special Contribution to Cinema at the Buffalo Dreams Festival.
His radio plays The Demon Huntsman and Dead Man’s Shoes for New York company Glass Eye Pix were performed live in New York and Colorado and were subsequently featured in the Wall Street Journal. In 2016 Ashley created the stunning opening credit sequence for Saturn award-winning anthology film Tales of Halloween by Epic Pictures.
Borley Rectory: The Most Haunted House in England screenings at Night Visions:
Thursday, April 19, at 7.00 pm (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)
Friday, April 20, at 5.00 pm (venue: Korjaamo Elokuvasali)
Saturday, April 21, at 4.30 pm (venue: Basso-sali / Dubrovnik)