2nd Annual Kicking & Screening Soccer Film Festival, June 1-5

10 DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD CUP, THE 2ND ANNUAL KICKING & SCREENING SOCCER FILM FESTIVAL BRINGS GLOBAL SOCCER FILMS TO NEW YORK

Featuring 3 U.S. Premieres, Kicking & Screening’s 2nd edition boasts five feature films and six shorts from all over the globe. The festival will also be complemented by nightly panel discussions based on the film topics. Special guests will include Simon Kuper (Soccernomics) and Ethan Zohn (Survivor, Grassroot Soccer), among others.
The soccer film festival playing at New York City's Tribeca Cinemas next week, June 1-5, 2010



JUNE 1: The 12th Man

Feature: Fifteen Minutes that Shook the World — directed by David Kirby. This English film is a humorous slant on the most compelling Champions League final of all time: Liverpool’s miraculous comeback from a 3-0 halftime deficit to AC Milan in 2005.



First Short: Because There Are Things You Never Forget — directed by Lucas Figueroa (Italian with subtitles). Naples, 1950. Four friends play football on a deserted street when one accidentally kicks the ball into a mean old signora’s yard. They may never play with their treasured ball again, but they will get their revenge.



Second Short: Loucos de Futebol (Beyond Soccer) — directed by Halder Gomes (Portuguese with subtitles). This short examines the Brazilians’ passion for football that proves, contrary to what some might believe, the world’s most popular sport is much more then just 22 men chasing a ball on the pitch.




JUNE 2: War and Football

Feature: Last Yugoslavian Football Team

Directed by Vuk Janic. (Serbian and Croatian with subtitles) — This poignant dissection of Yugoslavia’s upheaval in the 1990s is seen through the former nation’s “Golden Generation” of players. Tensions climax in the qualifying rounds for the 2000 Euro Championships when wartime enemies Croatia and Yugoslavia face off against each other on the soccer field for the first time.



Short: Ana’s Playground

Directed by Eric Howell — A multiple award-winner on the film-festival circuit, this suspenseful cat-and-mouse game played between a young sniper and a soccer-playing girl will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.




JUNE 3: The Man in the Middle

Feature: El Arbitro (The Referee)

Directed by Justin Webster and Eriz Zapiriain; (Spanish with subtitles) — This film captures the unique and revealing perspective of a top referee—working a day job during the week—who is tasked with keeping control of a fiercely contested game between Barcelona and Espanyol.



Short: L’Arbitro (The Referee)

Directed by Paulo Zucca (Italian with subtitles) — An Italian referee demoted and exiled to the remote island of Sardinia finds out what it takes to handle a real match.



JUNE 4: The Power of the Game

Feature: Eine Andere Liga (Another League)

Directed by Buket Alakus (German with subtitles) — This powerful feature tells the story of a young football-loving Turkish woman in Germany who is diagnosed with breast cancer. With the news of her illness, all seems lost. Redemption is found through the game as she reconciles her life with her family, her confused feelings for a new coach, and her new self.




JUNE 5: To Africa, With Love

Feature: The Game of Their Lives

Directed by Daniel Gordon (English/Korean with subtitles) — A fascinating “behind-the-curtain” snapshot of the seven surviving members of the North Korean national team that upset Italy in the 1966 World Cup. With unprecedented access to North Korea and the players, this film relives one of football’s most magical moments and its aftermath.



Short: Africa 10

Directed by Jason Mercer. This is a sneak peak at an American feature set to be released this fall. From kids kicking a homemade ball in the street, to passionate fans, community activists, world leaders, aspiring young players and African soccer legends, this street-level view of Africa’s first World Cup depicts the rich—and at moments heartbreaking—story of life and football on the continent.




Tickets for NYC Kicking & Screening 2010 Festival

Tickets for K&S are on sale now. The cost is $14.00 per ticket for each event.

“Defender” packages, which include one full-festival pass, one Kicking & Screening t-shirt and acknowledgement on the K&S website are available for $65.


Tickets will be available only online at Ticket Turtle.


Additional information on the films and more K&S details can be found at:

Website: http://www.kickingandscreening.com/
Facebook: K&S Fan Page
Twitter: @KSFilmFest