NOTE FROM LB: As we’ve said many time here at TVWriter™, the Writers Guild of America West and Writers Guild of America East do much, much more for their members than lead them into battle with agents.
The combined Writers Guild of America sets minimum wages, administrates health and pension plans for its members (plans in which employers shoulder the heavy part of the financial load – thanks to the Guild), gives awards, throws parties, conducts seminars, holds hands, and has free screenings of contemporary films each month. Here’s what’s happening, screening-wise, in August:
From the WGAW’s Lips to Our Ears
via TVWriter™ News Service
Welcome to the Guild Screenings! Please feel free to visit your theater early, to schmooze and banter with your fellow scribes.
t’s a fun mix of studio titles (FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW and WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE?), must-see indies (THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON, THEM THAT FOLLOW and BLINDED BY THE LIGHT), great docs (AQUARELA, ONE CHILD NATION and FIDDLER: MIRACLE OF MIRACLES) and family films (DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD) for August. Plenty of reasons to escape the heat at your Guild Theater.
But here are a few more — we’ve got an exciting line-up of special Q&A events, starting with writer/director Andrea Berloff joining us to discuss her new film, THE KITCHEN, on Friday, August 2nd. On August 9th, co-writer JC Lee & co-writer/director Julius Onah will take the stage following their riveting new drama, LUCE. Then, on Sunday, August 11th, we welcome writer/director Paul Downs Colaizzo to talk about his delightful new film, BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON. On August 25th, don’t miss co-writers Sara Bernstein & Gregory Bernstein and co-writer/director Gavin Hood when they discuss their new real-life espionage thriller OFFICIAL SECRETS.
As always, members may bring TWO GUESTS to all regular screenings, except where noted. Seating is first come, first serve. We ask that members frequent the food and drink offerings from Homeboy Industries before the film. On weekends, we serve popcorn, beverages, salads, sandwiches, and fresh pastries. Only popcorn and water are allowed inside the theater, and patrons may not bring in outside food. Free parking is available on garage levels 4 and up. We’ll see you at the movies!
Friday, August 2
7:30
THE KITCHEN
When their gangster husbands wind up in prison in the 1970s, their wives (Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss) take over their organization and become Hell’s Kitchen’s most powerful mobsters.
Q&A with Andrea Berloff immediately following this screening.
Written and Directed by Andrea Berloff
Based on the Vertigo Comic Book series Created by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle for DC
Produced by Michael De Luca, Marcus Viscidi
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d’Arcy James, Margo Martindale, Common, Bill Camp
Rated R, 102 minutes, Print Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Saturday, August 3
11:00
AQUARELA
AQUARELA takes audiences on a deeply cinematic journey through the transformative beauty and raw power of water. Filmed at a rare 96 frames-per-second, the film is a visceral wake-up call that humans are no match for the sheer force and capricious will of Earth’s most precious element. From the precarious frozen waters of Russia’s Lake Baikal to Miami in the throes of Hurricane Irma to Venezuela’s mighty Angels Falls, water is AQUARELA’s main character, with director Victor Kossakovsky capturing her many personalities in startling visual detail.
Written by Victor Kossakovsky, Aimara Reques
Produced by Aimara Reques, Heino Deckert, Sigrid Dyekjær
Directed by Victor Kossakovsky
This feature is a visual Documentary.
Rated PG, 89 minutes, Print Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Saturday, August 3
2:00
ONE CHILD NATION
After becoming a mother, award winning documentarian, Jialing Zhang, uncovers the untold history of China’s one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment. Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Film.
Produced by Christoph Jörg, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn
Directed and Produced by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
Featuring: Jialing Zhang
This Documentary film is in English and Mandarin with subtitles.
Rated R, 85 minutes, Print Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Saturday, August 3
5:00
AFTER THE WEDDING
Seeking funds for her orphanage in India, Isabelle (Michelle Williams) travels to New York to meet Theresa (Julianne Moore), a wealthy benefactor. An invitation to attend a wedding ignites a series of events in which the past collides with the present as mysteries unravel.
Written for the Screen and Directed by Bart Freundlich
Based on the film “Efter Brylluppet” Story by Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen; Screenplay by Anders Thomas Jensen
Produced by Joel B. Michaels, Julianne Moore, Bart Freundlich, Silvio Muraglia, Harry Finkel
Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup, Abby Quinn
Rated PG-13, 110 minutes, Print Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Saturday, August 3
8:00
FREAKS
In this genre-bending psychological sci-fi thriller, a bold girl discovers a bizarre, threatening, and mysterious new world beyond her front door after she escapes her father’s protective and paranoid control.
Written by Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein
Produced by Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein, Jordan Barber, Mitchell Waxman
Directed by Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Bruce Dern, Grace Park, Amanda Crew, Lexy Kolker
Rated R, 104 minutes, Print Courtesy of Well Go USA
Friday, August 9
7:30
LUCE
A married couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth) is forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son (Kevin Harrison Jr.), adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher (Octavia Spencer) threatens his status as an all-star student.
Q&A with JC Lee & Julius Onah immediately following this screening.
Screenplay by JC Lee & Julius Onah
Based on the Play “Luce” by JC Lee
Produced by John Baker, Julius Onah
Directed by Julius Onah
Cast: Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Norbert Leo Butz, Tim Roth
Rated R, 109 minutes, Print Courtesy of Neon
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Sunday, August 11
11:00
DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD
Dora, a teenage explorer, leads her friends on an adventure to save her parents and solve the mystery behind a lost city of gold.
Screenplay by Nicholas Stoller and Matthew Robinson
Story by Tom Wheeler and Nicholas Stoller
Based on the Television Series “Dora the Explorer” by Chris Gifford & Valerie Walsh & Eric Weiner
Produced by Kristin Burr
Directed by James Bobin
Cast: Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, Adriana Barraza, Temuera Morrison, Jeff Wahlberg, Nicholas Coombe, Madeleine Madden, Danny Trejo
FAMILY MATINEE: Members may bring up to 3 guests (ages 3 and up) to this screening.
Rated PG, 102 minutes, Print Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Sunday, August 11
1:30 & 8:00
FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW
Lawman Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and outcast Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) form an unlikely alliance when a cyber-genetically enhanced villain (Idris Elba) threatens the future of humanity.
Screenplay by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce
Story by Chris Morgan
Produced by Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia
Directed by David Leitch
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Cliff Curtis, Helen Mirren
Rated PG-13, 134 minutes, Print Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Sunday, August 11
5:00
BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON
In this warm-hearted comedy, a hard-partying woman receives a startling wake-up call when a visit to the doctor reveals how unhealthy she is. Motivated to lose weight, she soon takes up running to help her prepare for her ultimate goal of competing in the New York City Marathon.
Q&A with Paul Downs Colaizzo immediately following this screening.
Written and Directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo
Produced by Matthew Plouffe, Tobey Maguire, Margot Hand
Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock
Rated R, 103 minutes, Print Courtesy of Amazon Studios
Sunday, August 18
11:00
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN
The story of Denny Swift, a Formula One race car driver who understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate everyday life, as told by his best friend, a dog who wants to be reincarnated into a human.
Screenplay by Mark Bomback
Based on the Novel by Garth Stein
Produced by Neal H. Moritz, Patrick Dempsey, Tania Landau
Directed by Simon Curtis
Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Martin Donovan
Voice: Kevin Costner
Rated PG, 104 minutes, Print Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
Sunday, August 18
2:00
SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK
The shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large in the small town of Mill Valley for generations. It’s in a mansion that young Sarah Bellows turns her tortured life and horrible secrets into a series of scary stories. These terrifying tales soon have a way of becoming all too real for a group of unsuspecting teens who stumble upon Sarah’s spooky home. Based on the children’s book series of the same name by Alvin Schwartz.
Screenplay by Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman
Screen Story by Guillermo Del Toro and Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan
Based on the Series by Alvin Schwartz
Produced by Guillermo Del Toro, Sean Daniel, Jason Brown, J. Miles Dale, Elizabeth Grave
Directed by André Øvredal
Cast: Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Austin Abrams, Kathleen Pollard
Rated PG-13, 111 minutes, Print Courtesy of CBS Films and Lionsgate
Sunday, August 18
5:00
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT
In 1993 New York City, dysfunctional co-dependent sisters discover that the mother they thought had died when they were young is alive and starring on a popular daytime soap opera.
Written by Hannah Pearl Utt and Jen Tullock
Produced by Mallory Schwartz, Josh Hetzler, James Brown
Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt
Cast: Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, Hannah Pearl Utt, Jen Tullock, Mike Colter, Alec Baldwin
Not Yet Rated, 98 minutes, Print Courtesy of 1091 Media
Sunday, August 18
8:00
THEM THAT FOLLOW
Set deep in the wilds of Appalachia, where believers handle death-dealing snakes to prove themselves before God, Them That Follow tells the story of a pastor’s daughter who holds a secret that threatens to tear her community apart.
Written and Directed by Britt Poulton & Dan Madison Savage
Produced by Bradley Gallo, Michael A. Helfant, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Danielle Robinson
Cast: Olivia Colman, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, Thomas Mann, Lewis Pullman
Rated R, 98 minutes, Print Courtesy of 1091 Media
Friday, August 23
8:00
GOOD BOYS
While carrying accidentally stolen drugs and being hunted by teenage girls, three sixth grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.
Written by Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky
Produced by Lee Eisenberg, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, James Weaver
Directed by Gene Stupnitsky
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Molly Gordon, Lil Rel Howery, Will Forte
Rated R, 89 minutes, Print Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Sunday, August 25
11:00
THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2
The flightless birds and scheming green pigs take their beef to the next level.
Screenplay by Peter Ackerman and Eyel Podell & Jonathan E. Stewart
Based on Rovio Entertainment’s Angry Birds video game series
Produced by John Cohen
Directed by Thurop Van Orman
Voice Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage
FAMILY MATINEE: Members may bring up to 3 guests (ages 3 and up) to this screening.
Rated PG, 96 minutes, Print Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Sunday, August 25
2:00
THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON
After running away from a residential nursing home to pursue his dream of becoming a pro wrestler, a man who has Down syndrome befriends an outlaw (Shia Lebouf) who becomes his coach and ally.
Written and Directed by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz
Produced by Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger, Christopher Lemole, Tim Zajaros, Lije Sarki, David Thies
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Zack Gottsagen, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church
Rated PG-13, 93 minutes, Print Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Sunday, August 25
5:00
OFFICIAL SECRETS
The true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Q&A with Sara Bernstein & Gregory Bernstein and Gavin Hood immediately following this screening.
Written by Sara Bernstein & Gregory Berstein and Gavin Hood
Based on the Book “The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War” by Marcia and Thomas Mitchell
Produced by Ged Doherty, Sarada McDermott
Directed by Gavin Hood
Cast: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Adam Bakri, Matthew Goode, John Heffernan, Ralph Fiennes, Indira Varma, Rhys Ifans, Conleth Hill, Tamsin Greig, Kenneth Cranham, Myanna Buring, Katherine Kelly, Shaun Dooley, Jeremy Northam
Rated R, 112 minutes, Print Courtesy of IFC Films
Sunday, August 25
8:00
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
In 1987, during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Screenplay by Sarfraz Manzoor, Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges
Based on the Book “Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N’ Roll” by Sarfraz Manzoor
Produced by Jane Barclay, Jamal Daniel
Produced and Directed by Gurinder Chadha
Cast: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Ganatra, Nell Williams, Aaron Phagura, Hayley Atwell, Dean-Charles Chapman
Rated PG-13, 117 minutes, Print Courtesy of New Line Cinema
Saturday, August 31
11:00
FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES
The origin story behind one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, Fiddler on The Roof, and its creative roots in early 1960s New York, when “tradition” was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.
Produced and Written by, Valerie Thomas [remove comma]
Produded, Written and Directed by Max Lewkowicz
Featuring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Austin Pendleton, Fran Lebowitz, Itzhak Perlman, Harold Prince, Michael Bernardi, Sheldon Harnick, Calvin Trillin
This feature is a Documentary
Rated PG-13, 92 minutes, Print Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Saturday, August 31
2:00
COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD
In 1961, Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia while en route to ceasefire negotiations between noncombatant UN forces and troops from the breakaway state of Katanga. What started as conspiracy theories have evolved into a growing consensus that Hammarskjöld and 15 other people were shot down, inciting the UN to reopen the case on the suspicion of assassination.
Written and Directed by Mads Brügger
Produced by Peter Engel, Bjarte Mørner Tveit, Andreas Rocksén
Featuring: Mads Brügger, Göran Björkdahl, Dag Hammarskjöld
This Documentary film is in English and French with subtitles.
Not Rated, 128 minutes, Print Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Saturday, August 31
5:00
WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE?
A loving mom (Cate Blanchett) becomes compelled to reconnect with her creative passions after years of sacrificing herself for her family. Her leap of faith takes her on an epic adventure that jump-starts her life and leads to her triumphant rediscovery.
Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Holly Gent & Vince Palmo
Based on the Novel Written by Maria Semple
Produced by Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Ginger Sledge
Directed by Richard Linklater
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Emma Nelson, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Zoe Chao, Laurence Fishburne
Rated PG-13, 104 minutes, Print Courtesy of Annapurna Films and UA Releasing
Saturday, August 31
8:00
READY OR NOT
Grace couldn’t be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family’s luxurious estate. There’s just one catch — she must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her with guns, crossbows and other weapons in this ghoulish comedy/thriller.
Written by Guy Busick & R. Christopher Murphy
Produced by Tripp Vinson, James Vanderbilt, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer
Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett
Cast: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell
Rated R, 95 minutes, Print Courtesy of Fox Searchlight