The Promised Band Screens at the 18th Annual Sarasota Film Festival
Female director looks at Israel/Palestine conflict through the eyes of women.
NEW YORK, NY, March 17, 2016 (Newswire.com) -
Contact: Darcy Totten
I agreed to do the film because I think it's a good way to bring this subject, the conflict-the Israeli-Palestinian conflict-another perspective that people haven't seen before.
Lina Qadri, Cast Member
512-577-3107 (cell)
darcy.totten@gmail.com
The Promised Band Screens at the 18th Annual Sarasota Film Festival
Straight from its world premiere, The Promised Band, directed by Jen Heck, which took the 2016 Cinequest Film Festival by storm, will screen Sunday, April 3rd and Monday April 4th at the Sarasota Film Festival. The film is shaking up the conversation about peace, borders and friendship in the Middle East and packing theaters along the way.
The Promised Band has received two awards to date after premiering in March; Best Documentary Feature (Cinequest), and The Canon-Atomos Documentary Filmmaker Award.
The 18th Annual Sarasota Film Festival takes place from April 1-10 at the Regal Hollywood 20 Theater located at 1993 Main Street, Sarasota, FL). Tickets to all films and events will be available for purchase Sunday, March 20, 2016. SFF Members may purchase tickets beginning on Thursday, March 17th.
The confirmed dates and times of the film are:
Sunday, April 3rd, 3:00 PM, T8
Monday, April 4th, 1:30 PM, T10
For more information or to speak with the director of the film, request a screening copy, or to arrange an interview with other cast or crew members, contact Darcy Totten 512-577-3107 or press@thepromised.band.
About the Film
The Promised Band is a film about what happens when two groups of women on opposite sides of the Israeli/Palestinian border decide to risk their lives for friendship. Facing fears of violence, social stigma and of course, a 26 foot wall, the women decide they need a cover story to hang out. Despite limited musical talent or experience, and with the help of an excited American friend, they decided to start a band. The often illegal border crossings that ensue are made more cumbersome by instruments, emotional baggage and a Rabbi’s rock star dreams. As the women connect over hummus and shared moments, the stakes between their countries come to have new meaning as their lives are changed in ways no one could have imagined.
The film follows a group of women in Israel and Palestine trying to engage in and maintain friendships across one of the most contested borders in the world. The intimacy and honesty that develops between them reveals unexpected shades of gray in a conflict often presented in black and white. In a place where friendship across borders is essentially criminalized, the film asks if peace is possible. For more information go to thepromisedband.com to view the trailer, read press coverage and find out more about the cast and crew.