Organizers of the upcoming Berlinale continue to plan for a physical festival under strict safety measures, but with the EFM already moved online due to rising Covid-19 cases, this year looks set to be another gloomy gathering, not only for Germany’s dispirited film sector, but also for Berlin businesses bracing for more lost revenue.
Local cinema operators and distributors have welcomed the move, but the condensed event and ongoing Omicron scare is likely to keep attendance on the low side.
“This is such an important signal for the entire culture and film industry,” says Christian Bräuer, chairman of independent cinema association Ag Kino – Gilde and managing director of Berlin’s Yorck-Kino group. “Of course, as social venues, we are aware of our responsibility. Especially in the pandemic, however, the special value of cultural life and experience is evident.”
While city life has markedly improved since last year, when it...
Local cinema operators and distributors have welcomed the move, but the condensed event and ongoing Omicron scare is likely to keep attendance on the low side.
“This is such an important signal for the entire culture and film industry,” says Christian Bräuer, chairman of independent cinema association Ag Kino – Gilde and managing director of Berlin’s Yorck-Kino group. “Of course, as social venues, we are aware of our responsibility. Especially in the pandemic, however, the special value of cultural life and experience is evident.”
While city life has markedly improved since last year, when it...
- 2/9/2022
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
German sales company Pluto Film is under new ownership following its sale by founders and former CEOs Heino Deckert and Torsten Frehse to Daniela and Benjamin Cölle.
Deckert and Frehse, who established the Berlin-based shingle in 2015, are stepping down to focus on the activities of their respective companies, the Leipzig-based production shingle Maja.de and Berlin film distributor Neue Visionen.
The new husband and wife team will head Pluto Film as co-CEOs, with Daniela Cölle also serving as head of acquisitions. Cölle has worked at the company since its launch, initially as festival manager.
“We are very thankful to Torsten and Heino for trusting in us as new owners and CEOs,” she said. “We believe in engaging global cinema by emerging talents, both arthouse and cross-over. We are devoted to bringing quality feature films to the international market and worldwide audiences.”
Benjamin Cölle previously worked as a creative producer and...
Deckert and Frehse, who established the Berlin-based shingle in 2015, are stepping down to focus on the activities of their respective companies, the Leipzig-based production shingle Maja.de and Berlin film distributor Neue Visionen.
The new husband and wife team will head Pluto Film as co-CEOs, with Daniela Cölle also serving as head of acquisitions. Cölle has worked at the company since its launch, initially as festival manager.
“We are very thankful to Torsten and Heino for trusting in us as new owners and CEOs,” she said. “We believe in engaging global cinema by emerging talents, both arthouse and cross-over. We are devoted to bringing quality feature films to the international market and worldwide audiences.”
Benjamin Cölle previously worked as a creative producer and...
- 1/26/2022
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Serbian director Srdjan Dragojevic, best known for Thessaloniki awarded “Pretty Village, Pretty Flame” and Berlin prize-winner “The Parade,” is at the Locarno Film Festival with dark comedy “Heavens Above,” which is in the International Competition lineup. He speaks to Variety about the film, which has Pluto Film attached as its sales agency, and looks ahead to financing his adaptation of Julian Barnes’ novel “Porcupine.”
“Heavens Above” centers on Stojan, played by Goran Navojec, a simple-minded yet kindhearted man. When a freak accident puts a glowing halo above his head, he quickly becomes an object of veneration. His strong-willed wife Nada (played by Ksenia Marinkovic) isn’t amused by the attention her husband is attracting, so when a TV preacher suggests that sinful behavior will remove Stojan’s sainthood, Nada encourages him to commit as many bad deeds as possible.
“Heavens Above” follows Stojan’s family and an assortment of odd-ball characters across three decades,...
“Heavens Above” centers on Stojan, played by Goran Navojec, a simple-minded yet kindhearted man. When a freak accident puts a glowing halo above his head, he quickly becomes an object of veneration. His strong-willed wife Nada (played by Ksenia Marinkovic) isn’t amused by the attention her husband is attracting, so when a TV preacher suggests that sinful behavior will remove Stojan’s sainthood, Nada encourages him to commit as many bad deeds as possible.
“Heavens Above” follows Stojan’s family and an assortment of odd-ball characters across three decades,...
- 8/9/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Year after year a site par excellence for the most innovative premieres—in that respect an antithesis to the ensuing fall circuit—the Locarno Film Festival returns triumphant next month. Their 2021 lineup, per usual, mixes iconic names with complete unknowns and, admittedly, a head-scratcher or two. Abel Ferrara’s much-anticipated Zeros and Ones, sure. Gaspar Noé’s Vortex—makes sense. A new film from The Wild Boys director Bertrand Mandico? Great! But Shawn Levy and a Jennifer Hudson Aretha Franklin biopic?
However, new festival head Giona A. Nazzaro sees it as part of a steady influx, telling Variety “A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time. That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.” By that metric it’s more inclusive than almost any other major competition on the European circuit.
However, new festival head Giona A. Nazzaro sees it as part of a steady influx, telling Variety “A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time. That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.” By that metric it’s more inclusive than almost any other major competition on the European circuit.
- 7/1/2021
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
With Cannes right around the corner, two more prominent European film festivals announced their official lineups for 2021 this week. The 2021 Locarno Film Festival (the 74th edition of the event) is taking place August 4-14 and will feature the world premiere of Abel Ferrara’s “Zeroes and Ones,” plus the Melissa Leo-Frank Grillo starring thriller “Ida Red” from director John Swab. Perhaps the most prominent U.S. title in the Locarno lineup is “Respect,” the Jennifer Hudson-starring Aretha Franklin biopic that has already caught the eye of Oscar pundits here in the states. The film will screen out of competition, as will Ryan Reynolds’ long-delayed Disney-Fox tentpole “Free Guy.”
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time,” Nazzaro told Variety in a statement. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.
“A festival can be quite highbrow and also entertaining at the same time,” Nazzaro told Variety in a statement. “That is why for this year’s lineup we have selected several comedies and also some genre movies, as well as straightforward auteur films.
- 7/1/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Industry professionals get first look at new work.
Works in progress from Brazil, Poland, Mexico, Greece and Russia have won awards for the best pitches at the second edition of European Work in Progress during Film Festival Cologne.
The five winners were chosen on Tuesday (15) by an international jury consisting of Locarno Film Festival’s new artistic director Lili Hinstin, Zdf Enterprises’ director of acquisitions for feature films Margrit Stärk, Albanian producer Sabina Kodra, whose Erafilm was behind Robert Budina’s A Shelter Among The Clouds), and Yohann Comte, co-founder of French sales company Charades.
The awards were presented at...
Works in progress from Brazil, Poland, Mexico, Greece and Russia have won awards for the best pitches at the second edition of European Work in Progress during Film Festival Cologne.
The five winners were chosen on Tuesday (15) by an international jury consisting of Locarno Film Festival’s new artistic director Lili Hinstin, Zdf Enterprises’ director of acquisitions for feature films Margrit Stärk, Albanian producer Sabina Kodra, whose Erafilm was behind Robert Budina’s A Shelter Among The Clouds), and Yohann Comte, co-founder of French sales company Charades.
The awards were presented at...
- 10/16/2019
- by 158¦Martin Blaney¦40¦
- ScreenDaily
Producer-director Andrey Silvestrov’s The Ice Hole was named the winner of the first Screen International Best Pitch Award at the Moscow Business Square (Mbs).
The €400,000 comedy by Silvestrov’s new company Cooperation Propub is based on characters who are typical to the modern world: an artist, an oligarch, the Russian president and an alcoholic.
The ironic and tragic view of modern Russia also received an award sponsored by the Russian company Cosmosfilm.
In addition, the Finnish post-production house Post Control offered production services as a prize to Elizaveta Stishova’s Suleiman Mountain by Trikita Entertainment, which is being developed as part of the B’Est training programme.
The Mgap entertainment legal practice donated a prize of legal advice to the documentary project Baubxy about the Bauhaus and Vkhutemas movements by Sergei Shanovich.
Valeriy Polienko’s 1990s-set drama Kosa was selected by the Russian crowdfunding platform Planeta.ru to receive professional advice on its production.
The award-winning...
The €400,000 comedy by Silvestrov’s new company Cooperation Propub is based on characters who are typical to the modern world: an artist, an oligarch, the Russian president and an alcoholic.
The ironic and tragic view of modern Russia also received an award sponsored by the Russian company Cosmosfilm.
In addition, the Finnish post-production house Post Control offered production services as a prize to Elizaveta Stishova’s Suleiman Mountain by Trikita Entertainment, which is being developed as part of the B’Est training programme.
The Mgap entertainment legal practice donated a prize of legal advice to the documentary project Baubxy about the Bauhaus and Vkhutemas movements by Sergei Shanovich.
Valeriy Polienko’s 1990s-set drama Kosa was selected by the Russian crowdfunding platform Planeta.ru to receive professional advice on its production.
The award-winning...
- 6/24/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Thierry Frémaux to provide live commentary on restored films by Louis Lumière.
Cannes Film Festival general delegate Thierry Frémaux is to present a screening of Lumière! - and will provide live commentary himself - at the 6th Odessa International Film Festival (July 10-18).
The selection of 98 restored films, directed by movie pioneer Louis Lumière and his cameramen, will be screened internationally for the first time following its Cannes premiere.
It forms part of the line-up of the festival, which also announced the 12 films in the international competition and six features (and 18 shorts) in the national competition.
Two Ukrainian films will participate in both competitions.
Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko said there had been a trend this year for submissions by female directors.
“During this year’s selection we have noticed an interesting trend: 30% of the entries submitted to the International Competition were from female directors,” said Tigipko.
“As a result, four out of the 12 films selected are directed...
Cannes Film Festival general delegate Thierry Frémaux is to present a screening of Lumière! - and will provide live commentary himself - at the 6th Odessa International Film Festival (July 10-18).
The selection of 98 restored films, directed by movie pioneer Louis Lumière and his cameramen, will be screened internationally for the first time following its Cannes premiere.
It forms part of the line-up of the festival, which also announced the 12 films in the international competition and six features (and 18 shorts) in the national competition.
Two Ukrainian films will participate in both competitions.
Oiff president Viktoriya Tigipko said there had been a trend this year for submissions by female directors.
“During this year’s selection we have noticed an interesting trend: 30% of the entries submitted to the International Competition were from female directors,” said Tigipko.
“As a result, four out of the 12 films selected are directed...
- 6/18/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: London-based company have brought the first four features of their ten film $30m slate to Cannes.
Mike Downey and Sam Taylor’s Film and Music Entertainment (F&Me) are in Cannes with the first four completed features of their 2014 slate.
The ten film $30m slate is led by Julien Temple’s Rio 50 Degrees, broadcasts today [May 18] on the BBC, and is sold in Cannes by Metro International Entertainment. Produced by Downey and Taylor, the film will broadcase on Arte after its German theatrical release in June.
Downey commented: “The F&Me team have been working on the picture up until Friday afternoon to fine tune it for the Sunday broadcast, and the workd is a testament to the brilliant editing of Caroline Richards.
“The film has great chances of an international theatrical and festival life prior to settling down into ancillaries prior to the Olympic games.”
F&Me has also just delivered Ben Hopkins’ Welcome to Karastan to Stealth...
Mike Downey and Sam Taylor’s Film and Music Entertainment (F&Me) are in Cannes with the first four completed features of their 2014 slate.
The ten film $30m slate is led by Julien Temple’s Rio 50 Degrees, broadcasts today [May 18] on the BBC, and is sold in Cannes by Metro International Entertainment. Produced by Downey and Taylor, the film will broadcase on Arte after its German theatrical release in June.
Downey commented: “The F&Me team have been working on the picture up until Friday afternoon to fine tune it for the Sunday broadcast, and the workd is a testament to the brilliant editing of Caroline Richards.
“The film has great chances of an international theatrical and festival life prior to settling down into ancillaries prior to the Olympic games.”
F&Me has also just delivered Ben Hopkins’ Welcome to Karastan to Stealth...
- 5/19/2014
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
UK’s Tristan Goligher and Germany’s Henning Kamm among upcoming European producers set to be showcased at Cannes.Scroll down for the full list
European Film Promotion (Efp) has selected 24 emerging young European producers for the 15th edition of its Producers on the Move networking initiative, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival from May 17-19.
The 2014 selection includes the The Bureau Film Company’s Tristan Goligher, who is currently in production on Andrew Haigh’s new feature 45 Years, starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay and sold internationally by The Match Factory.
Also on the list is Hamberg-based Henning Kamm, who had two co-productions at this year’s Berlinale – Karim Ainouz’s Praia do Futuro and Kutlug Ataman’s The Lamb - and is now working on new films by Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Robelin and Lili Horvath.
Georgian producer-director Tinatin Kajrishvili has also been selected. Kajrishvili’s feature debut Brides had its premiere...
European Film Promotion (Efp) has selected 24 emerging young European producers for the 15th edition of its Producers on the Move networking initiative, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival from May 17-19.
The 2014 selection includes the The Bureau Film Company’s Tristan Goligher, who is currently in production on Andrew Haigh’s new feature 45 Years, starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay and sold internationally by The Match Factory.
Also on the list is Hamberg-based Henning Kamm, who had two co-productions at this year’s Berlinale – Karim Ainouz’s Praia do Futuro and Kutlug Ataman’s The Lamb - and is now working on new films by Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Robelin and Lili Horvath.
Georgian producer-director Tinatin Kajrishvili has also been selected. Kajrishvili’s feature debut Brides had its premiere...
- 4/23/2014
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The President is one of a record eight features on 2014 production slate from Film & Music Entertainment.
Mike Downey & Sam Taylor’s London-based Film & Music Entertainment is launching a record eight features in 2014, representing total production budgets of $21m. This comes after six features totalling $12m in 2013.
Bac Films has come on board to handle international sales and serve as French co-producer for one of those eight, Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s The President, which is casting now for a February start of shoot in Georgia. As with their recent Georgian shoot for Ben Hopkins’ Epic, F&Me are partnering in Georgia with Vladimer Katcharava’s 20 Steps Productions as well as the Caucasian Film Service. Germany’s Herzog and Brümmer co-produces the $1.95m project.
Also in February, sequel documentary Streetkids United II – The Girls from Rio will start its shoot in Brazil, with a budget of $995,000 and directed by Mara Mourao. The Brazilian co-producer is Walkiria Barbosa of Total...
Mike Downey & Sam Taylor’s London-based Film & Music Entertainment is launching a record eight features in 2014, representing total production budgets of $21m. This comes after six features totalling $12m in 2013.
Bac Films has come on board to handle international sales and serve as French co-producer for one of those eight, Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s The President, which is casting now for a February start of shoot in Georgia. As with their recent Georgian shoot for Ben Hopkins’ Epic, F&Me are partnering in Georgia with Vladimer Katcharava’s 20 Steps Productions as well as the Caucasian Film Service. Germany’s Herzog and Brümmer co-produces the $1.95m project.
Also in February, sequel documentary Streetkids United II – The Girls from Rio will start its shoot in Brazil, with a budget of $995,000 and directed by Mara Mourao. The Brazilian co-producer is Walkiria Barbosa of Total...
- 12/4/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Mike Downey and Sam Taylor’s F&Me is reuniting with Srdjan Dragojevic’s Delirium to produce Dragojevic’s From Zero To Hero.
This follows their work together on his hit The Parade and forthcoming The Porcupine, which will shoot in March 2014.
From Zero To Hero is about a group of sales reps at an ex-Yugoslav holiday timeshare company.
From Zero To Hero, financed out of Serbia, Montenegro and the UK, will start shooting at the Otrant Resort in Ulcinj, Montenegro in two weeks. Backers include Sbb (Serbian Broadband), Film Centre of Serbia, The Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, and Rts – Serbian National Television.
“It’s a Balkan Glengarry Glen Ross for contemporary Europe…The sales floor of this timeshare firm will stop at nothing to get a buck, an extra point of commission or stitch up their fellow sales ‘team’ members,” said the film’s UK co-producer Mike Downey of F&Me.
The cast will...
This follows their work together on his hit The Parade and forthcoming The Porcupine, which will shoot in March 2014.
From Zero To Hero is about a group of sales reps at an ex-Yugoslav holiday timeshare company.
From Zero To Hero, financed out of Serbia, Montenegro and the UK, will start shooting at the Otrant Resort in Ulcinj, Montenegro in two weeks. Backers include Sbb (Serbian Broadband), Film Centre of Serbia, The Ministry of Culture of Montenegro, and Rts – Serbian National Television.
“It’s a Balkan Glengarry Glen Ross for contemporary Europe…The sales floor of this timeshare firm will stop at nothing to get a buck, an extra point of commission or stitch up their fellow sales ‘team’ members,” said the film’s UK co-producer Mike Downey of F&Me.
The cast will...
- 9/7/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Poland and Ukrainian funds also join the new production from the director of The Parade.
Stealth Media World Sales has boarded Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Porcupine, produced by F&Me and Delirium.
For production details visit
The Porcupine
Stealth will be discussing the project with buyers in Toronto and at the American Film Market.
The adaptation of Julian Barnes’ 1992 novel will shoot in the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Macedonia in February 2014, with post production and music composition taking place in Poland.
In addition to Stealth coming on board for sales, additional finance has come from the Polish Film Institute via Andrzej Jakimowski’s ZaiR company; and from the Ukrainian State Film Agency via Olga Zhurzhenko’s Ukr Kino.
Karl Markovics and Rade Serbedzija lead the cast and the latest addition is German actress Franziska Petri.
“With the support of the Polish Film Institute (Pisf) and Ukrainian fund, we are now in a position to greenlight the film...
Stealth Media World Sales has boarded Srdjan Dragojevic’s The Porcupine, produced by F&Me and Delirium.
For production details visit
The Porcupine
Stealth will be discussing the project with buyers in Toronto and at the American Film Market.
The adaptation of Julian Barnes’ 1992 novel will shoot in the Ukraine, Bulgaria and Macedonia in February 2014, with post production and music composition taking place in Poland.
In addition to Stealth coming on board for sales, additional finance has come from the Polish Film Institute via Andrzej Jakimowski’s ZaiR company; and from the Ukrainian State Film Agency via Olga Zhurzhenko’s Ukr Kino.
Karl Markovics and Rade Serbedzija lead the cast and the latest addition is German actress Franziska Petri.
“With the support of the Polish Film Institute (Pisf) and Ukrainian fund, we are now in a position to greenlight the film...
- 8/28/2013
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
Russian director Alexander Velidinsky’s The Geographer Drank His Globe Away was the big winner at the 4th Odessa International Film Festival (Oiff).
The tragi-comedy picked up the Grand Prix Golden Duke, voted for by the festival audience, and the International Jury’s Golden Duke for Best Film
The $4m production, which had screened to an enthusiastic capacity audience of over 1,200 in Odessa’s Festival Palace on Thursday evening, is being handled internationally by fledgling Russian sales outfit Antipode Film Sales & Distribution and will be released theatrically in Russia on 400 prints on November 7.
Last month, Velidinsky’s film won the Grand Prix and three other awards at the Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi.
The prize for Best Acting went to the female leads Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s In Bloom, which won the main prize at Voices in Vologda two weeks ago. The Odessa...
The tragi-comedy picked up the Grand Prix Golden Duke, voted for by the festival audience, and the International Jury’s Golden Duke for Best Film
The $4m production, which had screened to an enthusiastic capacity audience of over 1,200 in Odessa’s Festival Palace on Thursday evening, is being handled internationally by fledgling Russian sales outfit Antipode Film Sales & Distribution and will be released theatrically in Russia on 400 prints on November 7.
Last month, Velidinsky’s film won the Grand Prix and three other awards at the Kinotavr Open Russian Film Festival in Sochi.
The prize for Best Acting went to the female leads Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria of Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Gross’s In Bloom, which won the main prize at Voices in Vologda two weeks ago. The Odessa...
- 7/22/2013
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
Ukrainian films will come under the spotlight at the 4th edition of the Odessa Film Festival, which runs July 12-20.
A total of 19 new Ukrainian projects, at various stages of production, will be presented during the festival in partnership with the Ukrainian State Film Agency including Kira Muratova’s Eternal Homecoming and the first Ukranian 3D horror movie Synevir.
10 Ukrainian projects will compete for a cash prize of $3,250 (€2,500) as part of the Oiff pitching session. These will include Stepne, the debut feature of Marina Vroda who won the Short Film Palme d’Or in Cannes, and crime comedy Pawnshop directed by Lubomyr Levitskiy.
Meanwhile as part of the Work-in-Progress section, clips from nine Ukrainian films or co-productions at the post production stage will be presented.
Pitching Session Projects
The Porcupine
UK, Serbia, Bulgaria, Roumania, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Ukraine
Director: Srdjan Dragojevic
Battle For Sevastopol
Ukraine, Russia
Director: Sergey Mokritskiy
Volcano
Germany, France, Ukraine...
A total of 19 new Ukrainian projects, at various stages of production, will be presented during the festival in partnership with the Ukrainian State Film Agency including Kira Muratova’s Eternal Homecoming and the first Ukranian 3D horror movie Synevir.
10 Ukrainian projects will compete for a cash prize of $3,250 (€2,500) as part of the Oiff pitching session. These will include Stepne, the debut feature of Marina Vroda who won the Short Film Palme d’Or in Cannes, and crime comedy Pawnshop directed by Lubomyr Levitskiy.
Meanwhile as part of the Work-in-Progress section, clips from nine Ukrainian films or co-productions at the post production stage will be presented.
Pitching Session Projects
The Porcupine
UK, Serbia, Bulgaria, Roumania, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Ukraine
Director: Srdjan Dragojevic
Battle For Sevastopol
Ukraine, Russia
Director: Sergey Mokritskiy
Volcano
Germany, France, Ukraine...
- 6/26/2013
- by sarah.cooper@screendaily.com (Sarah Cooper)
- ScreenDaily
"A visually playful biopic on Mexico's Ed Wood." -Variety
The accolades continue to roll in as Global Lens 2013 puts a spotlight on The Fantastic Wrld of Juan Orol, which recently played at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
The story: Move over Ed Wood! Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz, whose career spanned nearly sixty films. In a glorious black-and-white flashback mingling movie-tainted memories of his Galician childhood, forced exile to Cuba and arrival in Mexico. The intrepid "Juanito" pursues failed careers as baseball player, boxer, bullfighter and gangster before landing in the movies-where failure kind of works for him. As Orol, Roberto Sosa exudes droll underdog charm, anchoring a fast-moving comedy and a homage to a golden age of cinema.
"A clever camp homage to Orol, this film playfully explores the filmmaker's cult legacy, including visuals that deftly evoke the vintage stock of bygone eras, and the budget aesthetic of its subject." -AFI Silver
Through Global Lens, fans are invited to bring this film to local theaters or community centers. Preview this and the rest of the Global Lens 2013 lineup now on Festival Scope and email bookings [at] globalfilm.org.
Other Global Lens 2013 films now available for booking:
About 111 Girls (Darbare 111 Dokhtar), dir. Nahid Ghobadi and Bijan Bijan Zamanpira, Iraq, 2012, 79 minutes
An Iranian state official, his driver and a young guide race across a troubled but magnificent landscape to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Beijing FlICKERS (You-zhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, China, 2012, 96 minutes
A young man left behind by Beijing's fabulous new wealth experiences moments of euphoria amid despair as he roams the city with other misfit dreamers in this darkly funny, gorgeously gritty portrait of disaffected youth. Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Busan.
Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2010, 100 minutes
Three Cairene women from different backgrounds warily unite to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives-and become a citywide plague-but their unconventional response provokes a dogged police hunt. Official Selection, 2011 New Directors/New Films; Official Selection, 2011 Seattle Iff; Muhr Arab Feature Best Actress and Best Actor, 2010 Dubai Iff.
The Fantastic World Of Juan Orol (El FANÁSTICO Mundo De Juan Orol) , dir. Sebastían del Amo, Mexico, 2012, 90 minutes
Move over Ed Wood! The story of Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to life, the movies and a self-made man of showbiz. Best First Feature Film, 2012 Guadalajara Iff.
Life Kills Me (La Vida Me Mata), dir. Sebastían Silva, Chile, 2007, 92 minutes
Death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, absurd and poignant at once, in celebrated director Sebastián Silva's debut film about the unlikely friendship between a grieving, young cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. Best First Feature Film, 2008 International Latino Ff; Best Chilean Film of 2007, Chilean Art Critics Circle.
Modest Reception (Paziraie Sadeh), dir. Mani Haghighi, Iran, 2012, 100 minutes
Two sibling-sophisticates from Tehran travel the mountainous northern countryside, maniacally pushing bags of money on locals-a hilarious and alarming exercise that unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power and corruption. Netpac Prize, 2012 Berlin Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Chicago Iff.
The Parade (Parada), dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia, 2011, 115 minutes
In exchange for some wedding-planning expertise, a macho Serbian crime boss recruits a ragtag group of Balkan war-buddies to provide protection for a Pride march in this rollicking yet poignant comedy inspired by real events. Panorama Audience Award, 2012 Berlin Iff; Fipresci Serbia Award for Best Serbian Film 2011.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, dir. Suman Ghosh, India, 2012, 65 minutes
An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to get the streetlights turned off after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Southwest (Sudoeste) dir. Eduardo Nunes, Brazil, 2011, 128 minutes
A young woman gives birth on her deathbed to a child who, spirited away to a remote lakeside village, lives her lifetime in a single day, in this hauntingly dreamlike tale of incommensurable life. Special Jury Prize, Fipresci Best Latin American Film and Best Photography, 2011 Rio Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Iff Rotterdam.
Student, dir. Darezhan Omirbayev, Kazakhstan, 2012, 90 minutes
A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan's growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of eat-or-be-eaten in this broodingly contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Ff; Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Venice If.
The Global Lens film series is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Films from the series are screened in more than fifty cities nationwide, are featured exclusively on Virgin America airlines, and include top festival picks and official submissions to the Oscars. All proceeds received from Global Lens are reinvested in the Global Film Initiative's Granting Program, and other philanthropic programs of the Initiative.
About The Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to create global understanding, empathy and connectivity through film. Since its establishment, the Initiative has supported hundreds of filmmakers with grants and networking opportunities, and has presented its signature film series, Global Lens, in the U.S. and select international locations via a diverse network of artistic, educational, cultural and diplomatic partners. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, readers are invited to http://globalfilm.org/programs.htm
Change the Way You See the World.
The Global Film Initiative is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All proceeds from the Global Lens film series support international filmmaker grants, educational programming and resources, touring film exhibitions and other philanthropic initiatives and programs sponsored by the Global Film Initiative.
The accolades continue to roll in as Global Lens 2013 puts a spotlight on The Fantastic Wrld of Juan Orol, which recently played at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.
The story: Move over Ed Wood! Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this irresistible love letter to a self-made man of showbiz, whose career spanned nearly sixty films. In a glorious black-and-white flashback mingling movie-tainted memories of his Galician childhood, forced exile to Cuba and arrival in Mexico. The intrepid "Juanito" pursues failed careers as baseball player, boxer, bullfighter and gangster before landing in the movies-where failure kind of works for him. As Orol, Roberto Sosa exudes droll underdog charm, anchoring a fast-moving comedy and a homage to a golden age of cinema.
"A clever camp homage to Orol, this film playfully explores the filmmaker's cult legacy, including visuals that deftly evoke the vintage stock of bygone eras, and the budget aesthetic of its subject." -AFI Silver
Through Global Lens, fans are invited to bring this film to local theaters or community centers. Preview this and the rest of the Global Lens 2013 lineup now on Festival Scope and email bookings [at] globalfilm.org.
Other Global Lens 2013 films now available for booking:
About 111 Girls (Darbare 111 Dokhtar), dir. Nahid Ghobadi and Bijan Bijan Zamanpira, Iraq, 2012, 79 minutes
An Iranian state official, his driver and a young guide race across a troubled but magnificent landscape to stop 111 young Kurdish women from committing suicide in protest against conditions that have left them spinsters. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Beijing FlICKERS (You-zhong), dir. Zhang Yuan, China, 2012, 96 minutes
A young man left behind by Beijing's fabulous new wealth experiences moments of euphoria amid despair as he roams the city with other misfit dreamers in this darkly funny, gorgeously gritty portrait of disaffected youth. Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Busan.
Cairo 678, dir. Mohamed Diab, Egypt, 2010, 100 minutes
Three Cairene women from different backgrounds warily unite to combat the sexual harassment that has impacted each of their lives-and become a citywide plague-but their unconventional response provokes a dogged police hunt. Official Selection, 2011 New Directors/New Films; Official Selection, 2011 Seattle Iff; Muhr Arab Feature Best Actress and Best Actor, 2010 Dubai Iff.
The Fantastic World Of Juan Orol (El FANÁSTICO Mundo De Juan Orol) , dir. Sebastían del Amo, Mexico, 2012, 90 minutes
Move over Ed Wood! The story of Mexico's half-forgotten B-movie master, "involuntary surrealist" Juan Orol, receives a pitch-perfect tribute in this deft, irresistible love letter to life, the movies and a self-made man of showbiz. Best First Feature Film, 2012 Guadalajara Iff.
Life Kills Me (La Vida Me Mata), dir. Sebastían Silva, Chile, 2007, 92 minutes
Death come wrapped in a mutual embrace, absurd and poignant at once, in celebrated director Sebastián Silva's debut film about the unlikely friendship between a grieving, young cinematographer and a morbidly obsessed drifter. Best First Feature Film, 2008 International Latino Ff; Best Chilean Film of 2007, Chilean Art Critics Circle.
Modest Reception (Paziraie Sadeh), dir. Mani Haghighi, Iran, 2012, 100 minutes
Two sibling-sophisticates from Tehran travel the mountainous northern countryside, maniacally pushing bags of money on locals-a hilarious and alarming exercise that unfurls with unexpected force amid subtle themes of power and corruption. Netpac Prize, 2012 Berlin Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Chicago Iff.
The Parade (Parada), dir. Srdjan Dragojevic, Serbia, 2011, 115 minutes
In exchange for some wedding-planning expertise, a macho Serbian crime boss recruits a ragtag group of Balkan war-buddies to provide protection for a Pride march in this rollicking yet poignant comedy inspired by real events. Panorama Audience Award, 2012 Berlin Iff; Fipresci Serbia Award for Best Serbian Film 2011.
Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights, dir. Suman Ghosh, India, 2012, 65 minutes
An 80-year-old Kolkata retiree is determined to get the streetlights turned off after sunrise, but finding someone to take him seriously proves a battle against an indifferent bureaucracy and a complacent status quo. Official Selection, 2012 Busan Iff.
Southwest (Sudoeste) dir. Eduardo Nunes, Brazil, 2011, 128 minutes
A young woman gives birth on her deathbed to a child who, spirited away to a remote lakeside village, lives her lifetime in a single day, in this hauntingly dreamlike tale of incommensurable life. Special Jury Prize, Fipresci Best Latin American Film and Best Photography, 2011 Rio Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Iff Rotterdam.
Student, dir. Darezhan Omirbayev, Kazakhstan, 2012, 90 minutes
A solitary philosophy student commits a calculated violent crime against the backdrop of Kazakhstan's growing inequality, institutional corruption and a ruthless ethic of eat-or-be-eaten in this broodingly contemporary adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Un Certain Regard, 2012 Cannes Ff; Official Selection, 2012 Toronto Iff; Official Selection, 2012 Venice If.
The Global Lens film series is an annual, curated program of narrative feature films from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Films from the series are screened in more than fifty cities nationwide, are featured exclusively on Virgin America airlines, and include top festival picks and official submissions to the Oscars. All proceeds received from Global Lens are reinvested in the Global Film Initiative's Granting Program, and other philanthropic programs of the Initiative.
About The Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative was founded in 2002 to create global understanding, empathy and connectivity through film. Since its establishment, the Initiative has supported hundreds of filmmakers with grants and networking opportunities, and has presented its signature film series, Global Lens, in the U.S. and select international locations via a diverse network of artistic, educational, cultural and diplomatic partners. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, readers are invited to http://globalfilm.org/programs.htm
Change the Way You See the World.
The Global Film Initiative is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. All proceeds from the Global Lens film series support international filmmaker grants, educational programming and resources, touring film exhibitions and other philanthropic initiatives and programs sponsored by the Global Film Initiative.
- 3/22/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The 11th Pune International Film Festival (January 10-17, 2013) has announced its slate for 2013. These films will be screened under nine sections: International Competition, Marathi Competition, Student Competition (live action and animation), Global Cinema, Country Focus, Retrospective, Tribute, Indian Cinema and Regional Cinema.
Israeli film Hayuta and Berl by Amir Manor will open the festival on 10th January. See the schedule here.
Feature films at the festival contend for the Best Film, Best Director and Government of Maharashtra “Sant Tukaram” Best International Marathi Film Award. The Marathi films in competition will vie for the Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography Awards. The Student Competition will also have a Special Award and a cash prize.
Eighty contemporary films from more than 50 countries will be screened under the Global Cinema section. Hungary and South Korea will be the Countries in Focus with the screening of six and seven films, respectively.
Israeli film Hayuta and Berl by Amir Manor will open the festival on 10th January. See the schedule here.
Feature films at the festival contend for the Best Film, Best Director and Government of Maharashtra “Sant Tukaram” Best International Marathi Film Award. The Marathi films in competition will vie for the Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography Awards. The Student Competition will also have a Special Award and a cash prize.
Eighty contemporary films from more than 50 countries will be screened under the Global Cinema section. Hungary and South Korea will be the Countries in Focus with the screening of six and seven films, respectively.
- 1/9/2013
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The 17th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk) has announced its lineup. The festival will run from 7th to 14th December, 2012 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
Some of the highlights of the lineup are festival favourites of the year Amour, Chitrangada, Samhita, The Sapphires, Drapchi, Miss Lovely, Me and You, Celluloid Man, and Baandhon.
Fourteen films will screen in the Competition section while seven contemporary films will be screened in “Indian Cinema Now” section.
Complete list of films:
Competition Films
Fourteen feature films from Asia, Africa and Latin America will compete for the coveted “Suvarna Chakoram” (Golden Crow Pheasant) and other awards.
Always Brando by Ridha Behi (Tunisia)
Inheritors of the Earth by T V Chandran (India)
A Terminal Trust by by Masayuki Suo (Japan)
Shutter by Joy Mathew (India)
Today by Alain Gomis (Senegal-France)
The Repentant by Merzak Allouache (Algeria)
Sta. Niña by Manny Palo (Philippines)
Present Tense...
- 11/2/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
London - Peter Fonda will head the jury of the 23rd Stockholm Film Festival, organizers said Monday. Fonda, who became famous for co-writing and starring in Easy Rider, was named president of the jury that will be tasked with handing out the event's Bronze Horse awards. The jury includes director Antonio Campo, of New York-based Borderline Films, whose sophomore film Simon Killer will screen in the festival's American Independent section. Other jury members are Serbian filmmaker Srdjan Dragojevic, who has won a Bronze Horse twice and whose The Parade will air in the Open Zone section, and Swedish producer
read more...
read more...
- 10/29/2012
- by Stuart Kemp
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Srdjan Dragojevic's The Parade Srdjan Dragojevic's black comedy Parada / The Parade has become the biggest box-office hit "in the former Yugoslavia in years," according to an Associated Press report. The film has sold more than 500,000 tickets and has been "equally acclaimed in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia," where it's supposed to have been seen by more people than James Cameron's Avatar. In Dragojevic's Belgrade-set film, a Serbian anti-gay former gangster/war veteran (Nikola Kojo) recruits former fighters from other ethnic/national factions to protect a local gay couple (Milos Samolov, Goran Jevtic) attempting to organize a gay pride parade. As per The Guardian, at Belgrade's 2010 Gay Pride Parade, 5,000 police officers had to guard 1,000 marchers pelted by rocks and fire bombs. (Scenes shot at that parade are featured in the film.) On the surface, The Parade seems to have very little in common with Angelina Jolie's In the Land of Blood and Honey.
- 3/22/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The Berlin International Film Festival, also called the Berlinale, is one of the world’s leading film festivals and most reputable media events. 2012 marks the first year Sound On Sight was present to attend. Merle has been posting her recaps while the rest of us have been paying close attention to the films receiving the most buzz.
Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide. Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, but only a select twenty compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears. This year the Italian film Caesar Must Die took home the Berlin International Film Festival’s top honour as best film. The film is set in Rome’s high-security Rebibbia prison and centres on the rehearsal, staging, and performing of Shakespeare’s...
Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978. With 274,000 tickets sold and 487,000 admissions it is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide. Up to 400 films are shown in several sections, but only a select twenty compete for the awards called the Golden and Silver Bears. This year the Italian film Caesar Must Die took home the Berlin International Film Festival’s top honour as best film. The film is set in Rome’s high-security Rebibbia prison and centres on the rehearsal, staging, and performing of Shakespeare’s...
- 2/20/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Berlinale is, on the whole, a quieter festival than your really “big” outings — Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, even Nyff or Venice — but my interest is nevertheless piqued by this year’s winners, a list which comes to us from IndieWIRE. The top prize, that being the Golden Bear, went to Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (pictured above) for Caesar Must Die, their “documentary about criminals performing Shakespeare.” Adopt Films will be giving that a United States release later this year; reviews make me think it’s worth some of this early hype, thankfully.
Otherwise Bence Fliegauf‘s Just the Wind was bestowed with a Silver Bear for the Grand Jury Prize, while Barbara brought home a Silver Bear, Best Director for Christian Petzold. As with the main victors, the rest of the selections are far more devoid of “names” (and could more easily be considered esoteric) than any of the winners you...
Otherwise Bence Fliegauf‘s Just the Wind was bestowed with a Silver Bear for the Grand Jury Prize, while Barbara brought home a Silver Bear, Best Director for Christian Petzold. As with the main victors, the rest of the selections are far more devoid of “names” (and could more easily be considered esoteric) than any of the winners you...
- 2/19/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die has won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlinale. The other awards, presented by Mike Leigh and his International Jury (Anton Corbijn, Asghar Farhadi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jake Gyllenhaal, François Ozon, Boualem Sansal and Barbara Sukowa):
The first Silver Bear, the Jury Grand Prix, goes to Bence Fliegauf's Just the Wind. (Last year, this prize went to a Hungarian as well, to Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse.)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara.
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for her performance in War Witch.
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Følsgaard for A Royal Affair.
The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution goes to Director of Photography Lutz Reitemeier for his work on White Deer Plain.
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair.
The Alfred Bauer Award...
The first Silver Bear, the Jury Grand Prix, goes to Bence Fliegauf's Just the Wind. (Last year, this prize went to a Hungarian as well, to Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse.)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara.
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for her performance in War Witch.
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Følsgaard for A Royal Affair.
The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution goes to Director of Photography Lutz Reitemeier for his work on White Deer Plain.
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair.
The Alfred Bauer Award...
- 2/18/2012
- MUBI
Following up the initial announcement of titles, the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival revealed it will open with the period drama Les Adieux à la reine (Farewell My Queen) today. From director Benoît Jacquot, the drama stars Inglourious Basterds lead Diane Kruger, as well as Léa Seydoux who broke-out in Midnight in Paris and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol this year. Based on, Chantal Thomas’ novel we have the first stills of the film (from Lumiere via The Playlist) that follows the “first few days of the French Revolution from the perspective of the servants at Versailles.”
Kruger, who plays Marie Antoinette here, has only appeared in one big film following her post-Basterds role with Unknown, but I look forward to her future work, especially with this film. I thought Seydoux was great as an action villain in Ghotocol and excited to see her career rise. Check out the stills below,...
Kruger, who plays Marie Antoinette here, has only appeared in one big film following her post-Basterds role with Unknown, but I look forward to her future work, especially with this film. I thought Seydoux was great as an action villain in Ghotocol and excited to see her career rise. Check out the stills below,...
- 1/4/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival to be held from February 9-19, 2012 announced the list of films to be screened in Panorama section. The lineup includes renowned names such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Volker Schlöndorff, Cao Hamburger, Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Teona Strugar Mitevska.
No Indian film has yet found a place in Berlinale Panorama 2012. Last year Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf, Kaushik Mukherjee’s Gandu and Phil Cox’s The Bengali Detective were presented in this section.
Feature films to date:
10+10 by Hou Hsiao-hsien,Taiwan
Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaïdi, France
Die Wand (The Wall) by Julian Roman Pölsler, Austria/Germany
Dollhouse by Kirsten Sheridan, Ireland
Elles by Malgoska Szumowska, France/Poland/Germany
Fon Tok Kuen Fah (Headshot) by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France
From Seoul To Varanasi by Kyuhwan Jeon, Republic of Korea
Hot boy noi loan – cau chuyen ve thang cuoi, co gai diem va con vit...
No Indian film has yet found a place in Berlinale Panorama 2012. Last year Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf, Kaushik Mukherjee’s Gandu and Phil Cox’s The Bengali Detective were presented in this section.
Feature films to date:
10+10 by Hou Hsiao-hsien,Taiwan
Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaïdi, France
Die Wand (The Wall) by Julian Roman Pölsler, Austria/Germany
Dollhouse by Kirsten Sheridan, Ireland
Elles by Malgoska Szumowska, France/Poland/Germany
Fon Tok Kuen Fah (Headshot) by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Thailand/France
From Seoul To Varanasi by Kyuhwan Jeon, Republic of Korea
Hot boy noi loan – cau chuyen ve thang cuoi, co gai diem va con vit...
- 1/4/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Berlinale's announced today that 20 films are now lined up for its Panorama program. All in all, around 50 titles will make up the main program, Panorama Special and Panorama Dokumente.
10+10 by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wang Toon, Wu Nien-Jen, Sylvia Chang, Chen Guo-Fu, Wei Te-Sheng, Chung Meng-Hung, Chang Tso-Chi, Arvin Chen, Yang Ya-Che and others, Taiwan — see a full report from the Taipei Film Commission: "Funded by the Golden Horse Film Festival and the Republic of China Centenary Foundation, 10+10 [is] a movie comprised of 20 short films by 10 renowned and 10 emerging Taiwanese filmmakers."
Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaïdi, France
With Fehd Benchemsi, Fouad Labiad, Mouhcine Malzi, Imane Elmechrafi, Faouzi Bensaïdi
Die Wand (The Wall) by Julian Roman Pölsler, Austria/Germany
With Martina Gedeck — Synopsis from The Match Factory: "(1.) The wall is a highly unusual exploration of solitude and survival. (2.) It is the story of a woman who is separated from the...
10+10 by Hou Hsiao-hsien, Wang Toon, Wu Nien-Jen, Sylvia Chang, Chen Guo-Fu, Wei Te-Sheng, Chung Meng-Hung, Chang Tso-Chi, Arvin Chen, Yang Ya-Che and others, Taiwan — see a full report from the Taipei Film Commission: "Funded by the Golden Horse Film Festival and the Republic of China Centenary Foundation, 10+10 [is] a movie comprised of 20 short films by 10 renowned and 10 emerging Taiwanese filmmakers."
Death For Sale by Faouzi Bensaïdi, France
With Fehd Benchemsi, Fouad Labiad, Mouhcine Malzi, Imane Elmechrafi, Faouzi Bensaïdi
Die Wand (The Wall) by Julian Roman Pölsler, Austria/Germany
With Martina Gedeck — Synopsis from The Match Factory: "(1.) The wall is a highly unusual exploration of solitude and survival. (2.) It is the story of a woman who is separated from the...
- 1/4/2012
- MUBI
The Berlin International Film Festival has announced the first 20 titles of its Panorama Program. Alongside directors like Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Volker Schlöndorff, Cao Hamburger, Pen-ek Ratanaruang and Teona Strugar Mitevska, this year’s feature films include new works by Ira Sachs, Cheryl Dunye, Kirsten Sheridan and Srdjan Dragojevic as well as by new filmmakers such as Umut Dag from Austria, Helena Klotz from France, Faouzi Bensiada from Morocco and Ngoc Dang Vu from Vietnam. The Panorama section, which contains the Main Programme, Panorama Special and Panorama Dokumente series, will screen some 50 films in all. The 62nd Berlin International Film Festival runs February 9-19. Full press release and announced titles below. Berlinale 2012: First Films in the Panorama Programme After scouting extensively for films all around the world as well as viewing a major portion of the films sent to Berlin, a good third of the Panorama’s feature...
- 1/3/2012
- Indiewire
From Albania to Vietnam, 65 countries are hoping that their film entries will get picked to fill one of the five slots for Best Foreign Language Film for the 82nd annual Academy Awards.
Five slots, 65 countries, the competition is fierce! Our friends from Variety gave us this list, is your country of choice one of the 65 hopefuls?
I'm happy that my home country, the Philippines, has a fighting chance with the dramedy "Ded na si Lolo" ("Grandpa is Dead"). Take a look at the complete list.
Albania
Alive!
(Artan Minarolli)
Synopsis: A carefree Albanian student gets drawn into an ancient blood feud when he returns home for a funeral, only to find himself a wanted man.
Awards: Belgrade Film Festival B2B development grant
Sales: Wildart Film
Argentina
El secreto de sus ojos
(Juan Jose Campanella)
Synopsis: An ambitious, complex work that combines two generation-spanning love stories, a noirish thriller, some...
Five slots, 65 countries, the competition is fierce! Our friends from Variety gave us this list, is your country of choice one of the 65 hopefuls?
I'm happy that my home country, the Philippines, has a fighting chance with the dramedy "Ded na si Lolo" ("Grandpa is Dead"). Take a look at the complete list.
Albania
Alive!
(Artan Minarolli)
Synopsis: A carefree Albanian student gets drawn into an ancient blood feud when he returns home for a funeral, only to find himself a wanted man.
Awards: Belgrade Film Festival B2B development grant
Sales: Wildart Film
Argentina
El secreto de sus ojos
(Juan Jose Campanella)
Synopsis: An ambitious, complex work that combines two generation-spanning love stories, a noirish thriller, some...
- 11/7/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences unveiled the long list of 65 countries vying for a Best Foreign Language nomination Oscar.
Variety says that a shortlist of nine semi-finalists will be unveiled in January, with the complete nominees to be announced Feb. 2 along with the contenders in the other categories.
The Academy Awards will be presented March 7 at the Kodak Theater.
And now, from Albania to Vietnam, see the complete list right now (I.m proud that my home country of the Philippines has an entry!!!):
Albania, "Alive!," Artan Minarolli, director
Argentina, "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Juan Jose Campanella, director
Armenia, "Autumn of the Magician," Rouben Kevorkov and Vaheh Kevorkov, directors
Australia, "Samson & Delilah," Warwick Thornton, director
Austria, "For a Moment Freedom," Arash T. Riahi, director
Bangladesh, "Beyond the Circle," Golam Rabbany Biplob, director
Belgium, "The Misfortunates," Felix van Groeningen, director
Bolivia, "Zona Sur," Juan Carlos Valdivia, director
Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
Variety says that a shortlist of nine semi-finalists will be unveiled in January, with the complete nominees to be announced Feb. 2 along with the contenders in the other categories.
The Academy Awards will be presented March 7 at the Kodak Theater.
And now, from Albania to Vietnam, see the complete list right now (I.m proud that my home country of the Philippines has an entry!!!):
Albania, "Alive!," Artan Minarolli, director
Argentina, "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Juan Jose Campanella, director
Armenia, "Autumn of the Magician," Rouben Kevorkov and Vaheh Kevorkov, directors
Australia, "Samson & Delilah," Warwick Thornton, director
Austria, "For a Moment Freedom," Arash T. Riahi, director
Bangladesh, "Beyond the Circle," Golam Rabbany Biplob, director
Belgium, "The Misfortunates," Felix van Groeningen, director
Bolivia, "Zona Sur," Juan Carlos Valdivia, director
Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
- 10/16/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Jacques Audiard's French film "A Prophet," Michael Haneke's German film "The White Ribbon" and Korea's "Mother" -- three films that have figured prominently on this year's festival circuit -- are among the 65 films being considered for the foreign-language film Oscar.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list Thursday of the 65 countries that have submitted films for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.
Nominations will be announced on Feb. 2, and the awards ceremony will be held March 7.
The 2009 submissions follow (click the links on select countries for full stories):
Albania, "Alive!," Artan Minarolli, director;
Argentina, "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Juan Jose Campanella
Armenia, "Autumn of the Magician," Rouben Kevorkov and Vaheh Kevorkov
Australia, "Samson & Delilah," Warwick Thornton
Austria, "For a Moment Freedom," Arash T. Riahi
Bangladesh, "Beyond the Circle," Golam Rabbany Biplob
Belgium, "The Misfortunates," Felix van Groeningen
Bolivia, "Zona Sur," Juan Carlos Valdivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released its list Thursday of the 65 countries that have submitted films for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.
Nominations will be announced on Feb. 2, and the awards ceremony will be held March 7.
The 2009 submissions follow (click the links on select countries for full stories):
Albania, "Alive!," Artan Minarolli, director;
Argentina, "El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Juan Jose Campanella
Armenia, "Autumn of the Magician," Rouben Kevorkov and Vaheh Kevorkov
Australia, "Samson & Delilah," Warwick Thornton
Austria, "For a Moment Freedom," Arash T. Riahi
Bangladesh, "Beyond the Circle," Golam Rabbany Biplob
Belgium, "The Misfortunates," Felix van Groeningen
Bolivia, "Zona Sur," Juan Carlos Valdivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina,...
- 10/15/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The October 1st deadline for all countries wanting into the Academy Award's foreign-language film category has come and gone. According to IndieWIRE [1], The United Kingdom, which has predominantly submitted Welsh films over the years (if submitting at all), has surprisingly chosen the documentary Afghan Star as its 2009 submission for the Academy Awards. The last time the country received a nomination in this category was in 1999, when Paul Morrison's Welsh and Yiddish Solomon and Gaenor lost out to Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother. Synopsis After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop Idol has come to Afghanistan. Millions are watching the TV series 'Afghan Star' and voting for their favorite singers by mobile phone. For many this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk all to become the nation's favorite singer. But will they...
- 10/8/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Film review: 'Pretty Villages ...'
A hit at festivals in Montreal, Los Angeles and Palm Springs and a big success in its native Yugoslavia, "Pretty Villages, Pretty Flames" is a challenging but entertaining war film that presents both the Serbian and Muslim characters as victims of idealism and cultural hatreds that cause atrocities and countless tragedies.
In the running for an Academy Award nomination, the $2 million production is a spectacle in the tradition of Kusturica, Fellini and Peckinpah. From the bloody clashes in Bosnia-Herzegovina to the camaraderie of soldiers trapped by their former countrymen, the film (in Serbian and English) is a powerful emotional and sensory experience worthy of wider exposure.
One of the best antiwar films to appear in many seasons, with a terrific ensemble cast of male actors and one notable American female, "Pretty Villages" has impressive battle scenes and a long, tense showdown in a tunnel.
Based on a 1992 true story, the screenplay is co-written by director Srdjan Dragojevic and journalist Vanja Bulic, who reported many times on the war. Dragojevic reunites with many actors from his 1992 film, "We Are Not Angels".
Dragan Bjelogric ("Black Bomber") is excellent as the Bosnian Serb lead, a man shocked by the viciousness of modern warfare. His boyhood friend, a Muslim (Nikola Pejakovic), is now his sworn enemy, and they fatefully cross paths in a difficult standoff when a half-dozen Serb soldiers are cornered with no hope of escape.
An American journalist (Lisa Moncure) with a video camera goes through the ordeal as well, with the lack of food and water driving the trapped ones to extraordinary lengths just to stay alive and sane. Scenes of Bjelogric's character in a hospital later, where he seeks revenge on a nearby Muslim patient, are intercut with flashbacks from the characters' lives.
A tour de force of men in peril reminiscent of Wajda's "Kanal" and a surreal but brutal combat film in the fashion of "Apocalypse Now", Dragojevic's unsettling vision provides no easy answers. The result is both rivetingly visceral and effortlessly thought-provoking.
Led by Bjelogric and Nikola Kojo, the performances are robustly on target. Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic, Dragan Maksimovic and Zoran Cvijanovic are standouts among the rugged fighters. Moncure is strong in the comic, tragic and political dimensions of her emblematic role.
Filmed where the real events occurred, "Pretty Villages, Pretty Flames" has first-rate production values, from Dusan Joksimovic's memorable imagery to Mile Jeremic's meaty production design.
PRETTY VILLAGES, PRETTY FLAMES
Cobra Film
In association with MCRS and RTS
Director Srdjan Dragojevic
Producers Goran Bjelogrlic, Dragon Bjelogrlic, Nikola Kojo
Executive producer Milko Josifov
Writers Vanja Bulic, Srdjan Dragojevic,
Nikola Pejakovic
Director of photography Dusan Joksimovic
Editor Petar Markovic
Music Laza Ristovski
Production designer Mile Jeremic
Costume designer Tanja Dragojevic
Color/stereo
Cast:
Milan Dragan Bjelogric
Velja Nikola Kojo
Gvozden Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic
Petar Dragan Maksimovic
Brzi Zoran Cvijanovic
Halil Nikola Pejakovic
Lisa Linel Lisa Moncure
Running time -- 133 minutes
No MPAA rating...
In the running for an Academy Award nomination, the $2 million production is a spectacle in the tradition of Kusturica, Fellini and Peckinpah. From the bloody clashes in Bosnia-Herzegovina to the camaraderie of soldiers trapped by their former countrymen, the film (in Serbian and English) is a powerful emotional and sensory experience worthy of wider exposure.
One of the best antiwar films to appear in many seasons, with a terrific ensemble cast of male actors and one notable American female, "Pretty Villages" has impressive battle scenes and a long, tense showdown in a tunnel.
Based on a 1992 true story, the screenplay is co-written by director Srdjan Dragojevic and journalist Vanja Bulic, who reported many times on the war. Dragojevic reunites with many actors from his 1992 film, "We Are Not Angels".
Dragan Bjelogric ("Black Bomber") is excellent as the Bosnian Serb lead, a man shocked by the viciousness of modern warfare. His boyhood friend, a Muslim (Nikola Pejakovic), is now his sworn enemy, and they fatefully cross paths in a difficult standoff when a half-dozen Serb soldiers are cornered with no hope of escape.
An American journalist (Lisa Moncure) with a video camera goes through the ordeal as well, with the lack of food and water driving the trapped ones to extraordinary lengths just to stay alive and sane. Scenes of Bjelogric's character in a hospital later, where he seeks revenge on a nearby Muslim patient, are intercut with flashbacks from the characters' lives.
A tour de force of men in peril reminiscent of Wajda's "Kanal" and a surreal but brutal combat film in the fashion of "Apocalypse Now", Dragojevic's unsettling vision provides no easy answers. The result is both rivetingly visceral and effortlessly thought-provoking.
Led by Bjelogric and Nikola Kojo, the performances are robustly on target. Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic, Dragan Maksimovic and Zoran Cvijanovic are standouts among the rugged fighters. Moncure is strong in the comic, tragic and political dimensions of her emblematic role.
Filmed where the real events occurred, "Pretty Villages, Pretty Flames" has first-rate production values, from Dusan Joksimovic's memorable imagery to Mile Jeremic's meaty production design.
PRETTY VILLAGES, PRETTY FLAMES
Cobra Film
In association with MCRS and RTS
Director Srdjan Dragojevic
Producers Goran Bjelogrlic, Dragon Bjelogrlic, Nikola Kojo
Executive producer Milko Josifov
Writers Vanja Bulic, Srdjan Dragojevic,
Nikola Pejakovic
Director of photography Dusan Joksimovic
Editor Petar Markovic
Music Laza Ristovski
Production designer Mile Jeremic
Costume designer Tanja Dragojevic
Color/stereo
Cast:
Milan Dragan Bjelogric
Velja Nikola Kojo
Gvozden Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic
Petar Dragan Maksimovic
Brzi Zoran Cvijanovic
Halil Nikola Pejakovic
Lisa Linel Lisa Moncure
Running time -- 133 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/31/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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