“Tales From the Organ Trade” World Tour

I am happy to announce that “Tales From the Organ Trade”, winner of Best Sign of the Times, Documentary Edge Film Festival, New Zealand, produced by me, Ric Bienstock and Felix Golubev and narrated by David Cronenberg, has been invited for screenings in many prestigious film festivals. Director Ric Bienstock will attend some of these events. For a list of upcoming festivals, please see below. As the film gets invited to various cities, we will keep you posted. Hopefully, many of you will have the chance to attend one or more of these festivals and see this important film.

“Tales From The Organ Trade” is a gritty and unflinching descent into the shadowy world of black-market organ trafficking: the street-level brokers, the rogue surgeons, the impoverished men and women who are willing to sacrifice a slice of their own bodies for a quick payday, and the desperate patients who face the agonizing choice of obeying the law or saving their lives. From Manila to Istanbul, from Colorado to Kosovo, from Toronto to Tel Aviv, the film explores every facet of organ trafficking, reigniting controversial issues that many thought were settled long ago.

Thousands of people die waiting for a kidney. Tens of thousands who have kidneys to sell are prevented by various legislations and condemned to a life of poverty and prostitution. Still others go underground and sell their kidneys without any guarantee of payment or proper aftercare. People are dying and the system is in shambles.

For the first time ever, this film showcases an anatomy of a single black market operation. We gained unprecedented access to all the players. “Tales From the Organ Trade” is not to be missed.

Upcoming Festivals (September)

Fantastic Fest, Austin, Texas (screening dates are September 20th and 23rd. Please check website for screening time and tickets.)
http://fantasticfest.com/

Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. In years past we have presented the world premieres of THERE WILL BE BLOOD, APOCALYPTO, CITY OF EMBER, ZOMBIELAND, and GENTLEMEN BRONCOS, while our guest roster has included such talent as Mel Gibson, Bill Murray, Dolph Lundgren, Jemaine Clement, Paul Rudd, Bill Pullman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kevin Smith, Jon Favreau, George Romero, Darren Aronofsky and Mike Judge. We also feature world, national and regional premieres of new, up-and-coming genre films.

* “Tales From The Organ Trade” was recently mentioned by Entertainment Weekly in a report on Fantastic Fest: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/13/fantastic-fest-a-field-in-england/

Film North, Huntsville International Film Festival, Ontario, Canada (screening date is Sept 21st at 10AM. Please check website for tickets.)
http://www.filmnorth.net/

Film North, Huntsville international Film festival is Muskoka’s first and only international film festival. It was founded in 2010 and is going into its fourth year. Our mandate is to provide a user-friendly environment for emerging Canadian and international filmmakers to exhibit, promote, entertain and inform the audience. The annual event provides a rare opportunity for the audience and industry members to experience a program of carefully selected Canadian and international films and celebrity led panels. Festival goers can also participate in opening and closing night receptions, dinners, and celebrate at the awards gala and after party.

Calgary International Film Festival (screening dates are Sept 22 at 10PM, and Sept 24th at 5:15PM. Please check website for tickets.) – Director Ric Bienstock will be attending this festival for a Q&A after the film screenings.
http://www.calgaryfilm.com/

The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is a 11-day celebration of visual arts and cinema, screening over 200 multi-genre films from around the world and highlighted by a series of gala events, awards ceremonies, and special presentations. Since 1999, CIFF has become one of the largest film festivals in Canada and a premiere cultural event in Calgary’s social calendar. Demonstrating unparalleled diversity and accessibility as an arts medium, CIFF is integral to the cultural fabric of the city, delivering measurable impact, connectivity, and cultural relevance.

Zurich Film Festival, Zurich, Switzerland (festival dates are Sept 26 – Oct 6. Please check website for screening time, dates and tickets.)
http://zff.com/en/home/

The ZFF has developed rapidly in the few years since its foundation and now attracts more than 58,000 visitors, making it a firm fixture in the international festival calendar. The festival focuses on the presentation and promotion of new director talent from around the world. Only first, second or third directing works are eligible to enter the four competition categories. Tales From The Organ Trade will be presented in the “Border Lines” (non-competitive) category. The Border Lines series is dedicated to films with themes that revolve around the concept of „Conflict“. It is arranged under the auspices of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders. The purpose of creating Border Lines is to dedicate a section of 3-5 feature and documentary films that focus on humanitarian principles and people in crisis with the aim of drawing audience attention to subject matters that bring humanitarian issues and crisis to the forefront.

Raindance, London, UK (screening date is September 29th at 3PM. Please check website for tickets.)
http://www.raindance.org/

Raindance Film Festival is Europe’s leading independent film festival. Listed by Variety as one of the world’s top 50 ‘unmissable film festivals’, Raindance aims to nurture, support and promote independent films and filmmakers from the UK and around the world. Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed. Over the last few years our international Jury has included Lemmy, Charles Saatchi, Armando Iannucci and Tom Waits.

Upcoming Festivals (October)

Kansas International Film Festival, Overland Park, Kansas (screening date is Oct 5th. Please check website for screening time and tickets.)
http://www.kansasfilm.com/

The Kansas International Film Festival (KIFF) stands alone as a movie purist’s delight, focusing on documentary, narrative, and animated independent films. Founded in 2001 as a non-profit organization, KIFF attracts local, regional, and national work, recognizing visiting filmmakers and screen personalities, and increasing public awareness of independent and classic cinema as a cultural, economic, and educational asset. Named one of the top 25 festivals worth their entry fee by Movie Maker Magazine, KIFF culminates in the presentation of several awards, including an Audience Award in each category based on audience votes.

Orlando Film Festival, Orlando, Florida (screening date is October 17th at 11:45AM. Please check website for tickets.)
http://orlandofilmfest.com/

The Orlando Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Orlando, Florida. It has become one of the premier film festivals for independent filmmakers to showcase their work. Heading into its 5th year, the Orlando Film Festival attracts over 2,000 entries from filmmakers in more than 30 countries.

Margaret Mead Film Festival, New York City (screening date is Oct 18th at 7PM. Please check website for tickets.) – Director Ric Bienstock will be attending this festival for a Q&A after the film screenings.
http://www.amnh.org/explore/margaret-mead-film-festival

The Margaret Mead Film Festival encompasses a broad spectrum of work, from indigenous community media to experimental nonfiction. The Festival is distinguished by its outstanding selection of titles, which tackle diverse and challenging subjects, representing a range of issues and perspectives, and by the forums for dialogue with filmmakers, invited speakers, and film protagonists.

Click here to see my recent article “Jesus tomb finds dramatic support” on The Times of Israel