Meet the AMD Next Wave!

The Next Wave Spotlight!

AMD has a long history of working with young creative filmmakers such as Robert Rodriguez to provide tools and equipment that make the creative process easier. With the AMD "Next Wave" spotlight, we have chosen 8 films by young, up-and-coming filmmakers. These are filmmakers who are beginning their careers and may well become the next wave of talent shaping the industry in the decades to come. These eight films will be judged by the Next Wave jury, the winning film will be awarded a $1000 cash prize as well as Dell/AMD editing hardware. All eight of the "Next Wave" films will be have filmmakers and/or performers in attendance at Fantastic Fest.

Next Wave films/filmmakers:
GADI HAREL & MARCEL SARMIENTO (Directors), USA, Deadgirl
JAVIER ALBARRAN (Actor/ Miscellaneous Crew), Spain, Doctor Infierno
NORIHIRO KOIZUMI (Director), Japan, Gachi Boy: Wrestling with a Memory
REYNALD BERTRAND (Director), France, La Crème (Creme)
ERIC SHAPIRO (Director), USA, Rule of Three
J.L. VARA (Director), USA, South of Heaven
YOSHIHIRO NISHIMURA (Director), Japan, Tokyo Gore Police
JAMES KOYA JONES (Director), USA, The Wreck


Meet the Filmmakers and their films:

Gadi Harel (Deadgirl)
Prior to DEADGIRL, Gadi Harel wrote and directing the post-modern noir short, NIGHTS LIKE THESE. Before that, he apprenticed for a private eye, penned episodic work for the Learning Channel, and reported for the New York Observer.

Marcel Sarmiento (Deadgirl)
Prior to Deadgirl, Marcel Sarmiento wrote and directed HEAVY PETTING, a comedy starring Malin Akerman and Kevin Sussman. Marcel also participated in the new director's program for 20th Century Fox's Searchlab, where he completed IT'S BETTER TO BE WANTED FOR MURDER THAN NOT TO BE WANTED AT ALL featuring Zooey Deschanel and Marco Leonardi.

Deadgirl
Exploring an abandoned sanatorium while ditching school, two high school burnouts discover a girl strapped to a gurney in a secluded chamber. Debut directors Gadi Harel and Marcel Sarmiento craft a new breed of teen angst drama set against a backdrop of humor black enough to make John Hughes retreat to a fetal state.

Javier Albarran (Dr. Infierno)
Born and raised in the Barrio del Pilar, along with the other principals of Doctor Infierno and Melanoma Flims, Javier Albarrán is one of many “human swiss army knives” that helped sustain the 8 year project. Beyond the credited work (live sound, sound editing, one and a half “acting” appereances and featured song in soundtrack), Javier has been always a helping hand when needed, accomplishing one of the first fundamentals of independent movie making: always be ready to volunteer.

Dr. Infierno
A demented gynecologist discovers a cure for all the world’s illnesses and uses it as leverage to become sole dictator of the earth. Jam-packed with monsters, kung fu, battling robots and deviant sexual practices, DR. INFIERNO doesn’t let budget get in the way of executing a mountain of crazy ideas.

Norihiro Koizumi (Gachi Boy: Wrestling with a Memory)
A young, talented director who is quickly making his mark in the Japanese filmmaking scene, Norihiro Koizumi’s first encounter with shooting a film was adapting a Japanese classic novel for a high school project. During his college years, he immersed himself in the art, and directed numerous independent films. Upon graduating from college in 2003, Koizumi became a full-fledged film director, and at the tender age of 25, he directed his first major feature-length film, “Midnight Sun.” “Midnight Sun” was not only critically-acclaimed, but became a commercial hit, grossing over 1 billion yen at the Japanese boxoffice. His latest film, “GACHI BOY: WRESTLING WITH A MEMORY,” which was released domestically in March 2008, won the grand prix at the Udine Far East Film Festival.

Gachi Boy: Wrestling with a Memory
After a car accident renders Igarashi free of his short term memory, he abandons his dreams to become a lawyer in favor of becoming a masked wrestler

Reynald Bertrand (La Crème)

Reynald Bertrand played in a rock group before suddenly giving up music and dedicating himself to films. Starting in 1991, he attended the classes of Jean Douchet at the University of Paris VII and made several short films that he wrote, filmed and edited himself. In 1994, he met Rémy Belvaux, the writer/director of "Man Bites Dog", and for ten years afterwards edited the commercials that Rémy directed. Since then Reynald has edited other features, including "OSS 117" by Michel Hazanavicius and "Babies" by Thomas Balmes and Alain Chabat

La Crème
On their way home from a high school football game, five girls accidentally hit a parked car and decide to flee from the scene. As the driver of the damaged SUV begins one terrifying assault after another, the five girls will lose their innocence and possibly their lives in this brutal and shocking thrill ride.

Eric Shapiro (Rule of Three)
Before conceiving, co-producing, and directing Rule of Three, he wrote the acclaimed novels It's Only Temporary, Days of Allison, and Strawberry Man, among many other works of fiction and nonfiction. Rule of Three not only marks Eric's directorial debut, but his first creative collaboration with his wife, Rhoda Jordan.

Rule of Three
Set in one night in a seedy hotel, cult Novelist Eric Shapiro’s debut feature intertwines two stories of sexual encounters gone horribly awry.

J.L. Vara ( South of Heaven)
Born in La Grange, Georgia and raised in Weatherford, Texas. He attended the American Film Institute where he graduated with a MA in Directing. Since graduation he completed a documentary, started a t-shirt company, and finished his first feature, SOUTH OF HEAVEN.

South of Heaven
Two brothers on the wrong side of everyone must face an endless array of torture, terrors and indignities in this darkly comic and visually striking noir.

Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police)
Mr. Nishimura is one of Japan’s most creative and extreme special effects creators. He makes his long awaited feature directorial debut with Fever Dream’s TOKYO GORE POLICE, based on his award-winning 1995 short film ANATOMNIA EXTINCTION, Born 1967, Nishimura began by making models for independent films when he was in junior high school as he self-studied photography, lighting, art, special-effects makeup, and special-effects modeling. In 1995, Nishimura’s independently produced film, GENKAI JINKOU KEISU (Limit Population Factor) received the Special Judge’s Award at the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival. Soon Nishimura was put in charge of the special-effects modeling and makeup for many films such as SUICIDE CLUB (2002 / D: Shion Sono) and MEATBALL MACHINE (2005 / D: Yudai Yamaguchi). His most recent effects work includes L CHANGE THE WORLD, DETROIT METAL CITY, BE A MAN! SAMURAI SCHOOL, WELCOME TO THE QUIET ROOM and MACHINE GIRL.

Tokyo Gore Police
The privatized Tokyo police force led by Audition‘s Eihi Shiina is authorized to execute judgment on the spot. They are threatened, however, by a breed of “engineers,” genetically modified super-villains who grow mutant weapons from their injuries and amputations.

James Koya Jones (The Wreck)
Co-owner of IKM Productions along with his business and producing partner Patrick Moses. When Jim and Patrick created the company he was primarily producing and directing commercials and corporate image pieces for clients such as McDonalds, Proctor and Gamble, Allure, Oceana, etc. He also worked as cinematographer for various national agencies and television programs. Later, Jim moved into filming a variety of television shows and feature films. Jim and Patrick currently have a new television series in production and they are working on two new features. Aside from features, Jim continues to enjoy directing and shooting commercials and in 2007 he created a new branch of IKM Productions to provide support services for local film makers. Jim lives in New York City.

The Wreck
A very pregnant woman and her husband are trapped in the woods in a demolished sedan and her water has just broken. They are in a really bad situation and it gets a LOT worse.