2011 SCOTTSDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - ACTORS
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ANTON YELCHIN – LIKE CRAZY
Appeared on Opening Night - Friday, September 30 at 8:00 PM.
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Anton Yelchin is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising young stars. With his highly acclaimed performances in Charlie Bartlett, The Beaver, Star Trek and a slew of starring roles in major film roles this year Yelchin is quickly becoming a household name. Yelchin was last seen on the big screen starring in the Disney/Dreamworks thriller Fright Night. The film is a remake of the 1985 comedy-horror picture about a teenager who discovers his neighbors are vampires. In the film, Yelchin stars as ‘Charley Brewster’ opposite Colin Farrell and Toni Collette. Yelchin was recently seen in The Beaver. Entertainment Weekly praised Yelchin’s exceptional acting ability in its review for the film. “A great live-wire performance from the consistently wonderful Anton Yelchin.” - Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly. Yelchin will next be seen in Odd Thomas. In the film Yelchin will play the title character of ‘Odd Thomas,’ a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities that encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark and threatening forces. In the film Yelchin will star alongside Willem Dafoe, Addison Timlin and Patton Oswalt. Yelchin also appeared in Star Trek as Pavel Chekov with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. Yelchin’s other film credits include Alpha Dog opposite Bruce Willis and Emile Hirsch, Hearts In Atlantis, which he received a Young Artist Award for “Best Performance in a Feature Film-Leading Young Actor,” Fierce People with Donald Sutherland, House Of D with Robin Williams and You And I. Yelchin also received the “Explosive Talent Award” at the 2002 Giffoni Film Festival in Italy. Yelchin has appeared on some of television’s most critically acclaimed dramas. He starred opposite Hank Azaria on the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME series “Huff” for two seasons. He also had guest-starring roles on “Criminal Minds” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” Yelchin currently resides in Los Angeles.
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FELICITY JONES – LIKE CRAZY
Appeared on Opening Night - Friday, September 30 at 8:00 PM.
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| Felicity Jones will next be seen starring in LIKE CRAZY, a feature starring Jennifer Lawrence and Anton Yelchin, directed by Drake Doremus and based on his and Ben York Jones' script. LIKE CRAZY debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival to universal critical acclaim, earning the film the grand jury prize for US dramatic film and Jones a special jury award for acting. She reunites with Doremus for his follow-up, a currently untitled film she is shooting in New York with Guy Pearce and Amy Ryan. Jones also recently completed several additional projects including HYSTERIA with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy and Rupert Everett; THIS BEAUTIFUL FANTASTIC, directed by Joel Hopkins and written by Simon Aboud; and CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING, directed by Donald Rice based on Julia Strachey's 1932 novella, with Mackenzie Crook, Elizabeth McGovern and Luke Treadaway. Additional film credits include the following: THE CHALET GIRL, a romantic comedy with Ed Westwick, Bill Nighy and Brooke Shields; Julie Taymor's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST, also starring Dame Helen Mirren, Ben Whishaw and Alfred Molina; ALBATROSS, directed by Niall MacCormick and co-starring Julia Ormond; CEMETARY JUNCTION, a comedy written and directed by the award-winning partnership of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, alongside a stellar cast including Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson and Matthew Goode; CHERI, directed by Stephen Frears, co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates and Rupert Friend; BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, directed by Julian Jarrold, opposite Matthew Goode, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell; and FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL, with Daniel Craig, Harry Eden, rapper Eve, Keeley Hawes and Olivia Williams. Jones's television credits are also extensive. She played the sister of Anne Frank, Margot, in the critically acclaimed BBC adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Other television credits include Channel Four's "Cape Wrath" opposite David Morrisey; Jane Austen's "Northhanger Abbey," directed by Jon Jones playing the character of Catherine Morland; BBC's hit BBC sci-fi series "Doctor Who" alongside David Tennant; "Servants," directed by Tim Whitby and Hettie Macdonald; "Weirdsister College," directed by Alex Kirby and Stefan Pleszczynski; and the children's drama "The Worst Witch." |
JORJE JELLINEK, Actor – A USEFUL LIFE
Appeared Monday, October 3 at 2:45 PM and Tuesday, October 4 at 2:55 PM
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 Jorge Jellinek was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and studied cinema, journalism and anthropology. Señor Jellinek has been a film critic and journalist for over twenty five years, contributing to such newspapers as El País, Ultimas Noticias and Tiempos del Mundo; to magazines like Cinemateca Revista; and to radio programs, as well. He has participated as a jurist at many film festivals, including Mar del Plata, Bafici, Valdivia, Rio de Janeiro, Gramado and Ceará. Jorje is a member of Fipresci (the International Federation of Film Critics) and was vice-president of the Uruguayan Critic’s Association. He directs Piriapolis de Película Film Festival, the Jewish Film Festival and the Latin Film Festival of Punta del Este. Jorje debuted as an actor in A USEFUL LIFE, for which he received the Best Actor Prize at Bafici 2011, and he also participated in Javier Rebollo’s new Spanish film, El Muerto y Ser Feliz. |
2011 SCOTTSDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS
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JOHAN BRISINGER, Director - AMONG US
Appeared Saturday, October 1 at 1:15 PM
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 Johan was born 1965 in Stockholm, Sweden. As a child, Johan spent a great deal of time in Cambridge, picking up an interest in the English language and fascination with moving pictures. He discovered black/white photography and began making elaborate home movies while still in grade school. In 1989 Johan earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from the School of Cinema-Television at the USC, Los Angeles and began directing commercials and music videos soon after graduation. Johan's international advertising career has resulted in numerous awards from both the Scandinavian and global markets. His short film Passing Hearts, which Johan wrote and directed in 2004, was honored with several prestigious awards at film festivals over the world, including the audience award in Berlin, best cinematography and audience award in Aspen, special jury and audience award in New York, and best live action in Chicago. Passing Hearts with its impressive official selection makes it one of Sweden's most-honored short films in the past decade. In 2006 Johan made his feature film debut
as a writer and director with the poignant drama Suddenly (Underbara Älskade). The film, which was both critically and commercially successful, won the Peoples Choice Award at Swedish Guldbagge Awards and the audience award at Nordic Film Days in Lübeck. In 2010 Johan wrote and directed his second feature film AMONG US (Änglavakt) – an emotionally gripping story about faith, hope and love - starring Michael Nyqvist (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Izabella Scorupco (Goldeneye), French star Tchéky Karyo (Nikita, The Patriot), Ewa Fröling and Donald Sumpter. Johan lives in Stockholm, is married and has two children and tries to play as much tennis as possible. |
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MIKAEL FLODELL, Producer – AMONG US
Appeared Saturday, October 1 at 1:15 PM
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 Born in Obera, Argentina and raised and educated in Stockholm, Mr. Flodell lived in Los Angeles for a long period where he worked as a producer for TV commercials, music videos and documentaries. When he moved back to Stockholm in 1996 he co-founded Modfilm & Co, a leading production company in the Scandinavian advertising market. In 2000, Mr. Flodell established Flodellfilm, a production company for commercials and in 2004 he founded the production company Drama Svecia together with Johan Brisinger in order to focus on features and short films, such as the award-winning Passing
Hearts (2004), When Elvis Came to Visit (2006), Suddenly (2006) and Good Advice (2008). |
SANDRA SOLARES, Producer – ACORAZADO
Appeared Saturday, October 1 at 4:10 PM and Sunday, October 2 at 9:00 AM
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 Sandra Solares majored in journalism before diving fully into the production scene in México. She has extensive experience as an Executive Producer and Line Producer working in more than 40 feature films, including Salvando al Soldado Pérez by Beto Gómez, Km 31 by Rigoberto Castañeda, La Ley de Herodes, El Infierno by Luis Estrada, Y Tu Mamá También by Alfonso Cuarón, and Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas by Antonio Serrano. As a founding member of Jaibol Films, she co-produced Erick Zonca’s Julia starring Tilda Swinton, with Les Production Bagheera and The 7th Floor, as well as Alex Rivera’s Sleep Dealer with Anthony Bregman / This Is That productions & Likely Story. In 2010, she was Line Producer for Dean Wright’s Cristiada starring Andy García, Eva Longoria and Peter O’Toole for Newland Films. Sandra Solares produced Álvaro Curiel’s ACORAZADO with Juan Uruchurtufor Jaibol Films. |
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FEATURED GUESTS AND BIOGRAPHIES... 
John Sayles likes to be known as a storyteller. AMIGO is his 17th film, all of which he has written, and most of which he has edited. Fiction is his forté, and he has published several novels and collections of short stories. His book “Thinking in Pictures,” about the making of Matewan, (where 12 West Virginia coal-mining men were slain in 1920) is taught in film classes and has never been out of print. His new novel, “A Moment in the Sun,” set substantially in the Philippines circa 1900, was published by McSweeney’s in May 2011 and is already into its second printing. Sayles supports his directing career as a “writer for hire” in Hollywood. Though his work is often un-credited, he recently wrote, and was credited for, Spiderwick Chronicles. Currently he is immersed in an eclectic slew of projects, from KGB assassins, the Tasmanian penal colony, the Rosenberg spy case, the plot to bring water to Los Angeles, to the great singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon. He directed three music videos for Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA, I'm on Fire, and Glory Days. John Sayles is one of the godfathers – or grandfathers – of the US Independent Film movement. Mr Sayles lives with his producing partner of many years, Maggie Renzi, in upstate New York.