News

Mihály Schwechtje’s Democracy Work In Progress wins €20,000 Eurimages co-production development award.

Fifteen projects from Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey were presented at the Transilvania Pitch Stop (Tps) at the Transilvania International Film Festival (Tiff) in Cluj-Napoca in Romania last week.

The €20,000 Eurimages co-production development award went to Hungarian filmmaker Mihály Schwechtje’s Democracy Work In Progress. The project had been developed at the Nipkow Programme in Berlin last year.

Turkish director Selman Nacar’s Between Two Dawns was awarded €25,000 in postproduction services from Chainsaw Europe. The project is being co-produced by Romania’s Oana Giurgiu of...

Films presented last year include Golden Bear wiunner Touch Me Not and Critics’ Week winner Diamantino.

This year’s Torino Film Lab (Tfl) will once again showcase 10 films developed within its programmes at the upcoming Meeting Event (23-24 November).

The projects, to be presented at the Coming Soon night, are all works in progress in their final stages of completion, half of which are still looking for a sales agent.

2018 has been an important year for many of the films previewed at last year’s Coming Soon event. Adina Pintilie Touch Me Not went on to win the Golden Bear at the Berlinale,...

The 46 projects include 25 feature and documentary works.

The Venice Gap-Financing Market has selected the projects for its 5th edition, to be held from August 31-September 2 during the Venice film festival.

Organised as part of the Venice Production Bridge, the three-day event will present 46 projects from around the world in the final stages of development and funding.

The titles include 25 feature fiction and documentary projects; 15 virtual reality works; and six projects developed during the workshop of Biennale College Cinema.

Fiction projects include Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To The Ends Of The Earth (working title), which shot in Uzbekistan in April and May,...

The 46 projects include 25 feature and documentary works.

The Venice Gap-Financing Market has selected the projects for its 5th edition, to be held from August 31-September 2 during the Venice film festival.

Organised as part of the Venice Production Bridge, the three-day even will present 46 projects from around the world in the final stages of development and funding.

The titles include 25 feature fiction and documentary projects; 15 virtual reality works; and six projects developed during the workshop of Biennale College Cinema.

Fiction projects include Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s To The Ends Of The Earth (working title), which shot in Uzbekistan in April and May,...

Mentors include Israel Film Fund executive director Katriel Schory and film director Thanos Anastopoulos.Scroll down for the nine projects

The TorinoFilmlab has revealed the nine projects that will take part in the 2016 edition of FrameWork, the initiative’s flagship lab for first and second feature film projects.

Amongst the first and second-time filmmakers is Iranian director Massoud Bakhshi, whose first feature A Respectable Family debuted in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2012, and Israeli director Tom Shoval, whose 2013 drama Youth was named best Israeli feature at the 2013 Jerusalem Film Festival.

This year’s mentors include Israel Film Fund executive director Katriel Schory, script consultants Franz Rodenkirchen, Marietta von Hausswolff von Baumgarten and Anita Voorham, film director Thanos Anastopoulos, cinematographer Marko Brdar, post-production expert Niko Remus, producer Didar Domehri, acting coach and casting director Tatiana Vialle, sound designer Peter Albrechtsen and film promotion consultant Joanna Solecka.

The first session will take place in Izola (Slovenia) from May 30 to...

Echoes of Autumn: Jurgiu’s Understated Debut Tender, Unmemorable

Inevitably, it’s difficult to consider the merits of Romanian director Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s directorial debut The Japanese Dog without first positioning it within the context of the current output of Jurgiu’s peers, many of whom belong and have flourished in the framework established by the New Romanian Wave. Simple, sort of tender, and not without a subtle blend of layered meaning, many will (and have) compared the film, mostly unfavorably, to the works of Yasujiro Ozu, wherein in delicate, incredibly fragile familial emotions interweave within the confines of simplistic narrative. Yet Jurgiu’s film feels much to sleight of hand and shirks from the responsibility of going beyond the superficiality of its sentiments.

Costache (Victor Rebengiuc) is a crusty curmudgeon, a man who mostly keeps to himself in his small village. Recently, it seems a major flood has...

The tenth anniversary South East European Film Festival (SEEfest) will screen The Japanese Dog for the event’s opening night in Los Angeles on April 30.

Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s drama explores the life of an old widower whose village is devastated after recent floods and is reunited with his estranged son. The film stars Romanian actor Victor Rebenguic.

The opening night gala will also present the festival’s first Lifetime Achievement and Legacy Awards to Rebenguic and George Chakiris.

Chakiris is a 1962 Oscar and Golden Globe Award winner for his role as Bernardo in West Side Story.

The festival’s line-up includes entries from across the region such as Bota, Cowboys, It Takes Two To Fence and Down The River are a few of the titles that will be exhibited during the festival.

The festival runs through May 7. For full details click here.

Obviously. Given how the last month's been going, you could probably throw down pretty good odds that sight unseen, any new top ten list will include "Boyhood," and likely in first place. And so it goes with Film Comment, who have unveiled their list of the year's finest films. All the usual suspects are here, but let's point out some surprises. The Cannes buzz title "Stranger By The Lake" comes in at number six, and James Gray's "The Immigrant" rounds out the top ten with some more late season love for his controlled period film. In the category of "Films Without Distribution," we didn't realize Abel Ferrara's "Pasolini" needed a home, so we hope someone gets on that quickly. Same goes for John McNaughton's fucking bonkers "The Harvest" starring Michael Shannon and Samantha Morton (our review) and Tudor Cristian Jurgiu's excellent "The Japanese Dog" (our review). Check out Film Comment's lists.

Produced with the participation of HBO Romania, "The Japanese Dog" features no scenes of violence, no bad language, not even the barest suggestion of sex or nudity, and the minimal events that unfurl over the span of 83 minutes might be the first act of a single episode in any cable network program. However, the debut feature film by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu is far from dull. A surprisingly expressive, layered drama, the filmmaking may be unshowy, but it's confident and compelling, allowing viewers to settle into its intimate story, told in gentle, hushed rhythms. The aesthetic may not be for everyone's taste, but Jurgiu's film is deeply refreshing cinema, using what little it has to evoke a complex portrait of a man coming to terms with the final stage of his life. Costache (Victor Rebengiuc) is an elderly man of few words and fierce independence. A flood recently ravaged the small town where he lives,...

The Palm Springs International Film Festival has increasingly become an important stop on the awards calendar for foreign language films. While the desert fest hands out an international critics prize, it’s more about the filmmakers getting a chance to rub shoulders with Academy members just before nominations ballots are due. The upcoming 26th annual fest is running January 2-12 and has announced the movies that will compete for the Fipresci prize in its Awards Buzz section. Fifty of the 83 official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar are on the list with the titles chosen believed by festival programmers to be the strongest entries in this year’s Academy Awards race. A special jury of international film critics will screen the films and hand out a Fipresci for an individual title as well as Best Actor and Best Actress. While the fest doesn’t always match the eventual Oscar winner,...

The organisers of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) will screen 50 of the 83 foreign-language Oscar submissions.

A jury of international film critics will be convened to bestow the Fipresci Award for best foreign language film of the year, as well as best actor and best actress in this category.

Further film programmes will be announced in the coming weeks. Psiff is set to run from January 2-12.

The Awards Buzz selections in alphabetical order of country are:

A Few Cubic Meters Of Love (Afghanistan), Jamshid Mahmoudi:

Wild Tales (Argentina), Damián Szifrón;

Charlie’s Country (Australia), Rolf de Heer;

The Dark Valley (Austria), Andreas Prochaska;

Nabat (Azerbaijan), Elchin Musaoglu;

Two Days, One Night (Belgium-France-Italy), Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne;

The Way He Looks (Brazil), Daniel Ribeiro;

Mommy (Canada), Xavier Dolan;

To Kill A Man (Chile), Alejandro Fernández Almendras;

The Nightingale (China), Philippe Muyl;

Mateo (Colombia), Maria Gamboa;

Cowboys (Croatia), Tomislav Mršić;

Behavior (Cuba), Director [link=nm...

A little bit of Bucharest will soon rise at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center where the Making Waves festival is going to hold its 9th edition. The latest crop of Romanian films kicks off December 4. U.S. audiences will have chance to catch the Romanian nomination for the Academy Award for Best Foreign-language Film, Tudor Cristian Jurgiu's contemplation upon family relationships, The Japanese Dog or Valentin Hotea´s Roxanne taking place twenty years after the Romanian revolution with central character Tavi Ionescu feeling a sudden bitterness over an old incident when somebody ratted on him to the Secret Police. The original catalyst comes in the form of a home inspection and interrogations for Tavi when an innocent letter to the radio Free Europe...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Every year Hollywood gets a curated batch of films from dozens of countries seeking an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. One film per nation is chosen to represent the best of its cinematic production during the previous year. Certainly the chosen film is not always the ideal candidate, but the reasoning behind the selection usually follows two patterns: there are countries that go with the best film even if this is not the most appealing choice and there are countries that go with the most ambitious, industry-friendly, and financially successful work. This year the astonishing number of submissions – a total of 83 – makes for an incredible list of films that range from those that sport festival pedigree of the highest caliber, unknown gems looking for an audience, expensive visual achievements, and obscure art house hopefuls.

This year more than most, there are a great number of films with serious possibilities. There is no unshakable front-runner, but there are numerous favorites. Yet, looking at last year’s 9 shortlisted films and eventual 5 nominees, nothing is written in stone. Critics and audience favorites like “ The Past” (Iran), “Gloria” (Chile), “Heli” (Mexico), and “Wadjda” (Saudi Arabia) were left out to include surprises like “The Missing Picture“ (Cambodia), “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker” (Bosnia & Herzegovina) or “The Notebook” (Hungary).

With Awards Season now in full swing and knowing that this is one of the most difficult races to follow, here is a comprehensive list that includes information for each of the 83 submissions. Below each poster you will find the title of the film linked to its page on IMDb Pro followed by the title in the original language; the director’s name also linked to his/her IMDb Page; the language the film is primarily in; the name of the U.S. distributor if there is one; the name of the film’s International Sales Agent (Isa) or Production Company (PC) linked to the film’s page on Cinando; and a link to the film’s trailer (most of them have English subtitles, others are only in the original language, and a few are videos related to the film because a trailer wasn't available). In addition, reviews and interviews with many of these filmmakers will be added regularly.

Before getting into the list, let’s take a look at some of the statistics and patterns among these 83 foreign language features.

Period Dramas/Biopics

Several countries selected films based on the lives of prominent local figures or great period pieces, both showcase the level of films being produced across the globe in terms of production value and scope. Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Venezuela’s “The Liberator,” Kyrgyzstan “Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains,” Bolivia’s “Forgotten,” Indonesia’s “Soekarno,” Greece’s “Little England,” Macedonia’s “To the Hilt,” Hong Kong’s “The Golden Era,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Bulgaria’s “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Serbia’s “ See You in Montevideo,” Slovakia’s “A Step Into the Dark” and New Zealand’s “The Dead Lands” are some of the most expensive films ever made in their respective territories. All of them are epic productions that highlight an important historical period using impressive cinematography, a great number of extras, intricate costumes, lavish locations, detailed production design, as well as great battle sequences in several of them. Other more traditional biopics/period pieces on the list include France’s “Saint Laurent,” The Netherlands “ Accused,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed” and the Czech Republic’s “Fair Play”

Masters and Festival Winners

Not surprisingly many of the films on the list come into this race after winning important awards at international festivals. Furthermore, a handful of them are from master filmmakers, masters in the making, or unique new voices. These films include Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, Nyff, AFI Fest) by the Dardenne Brothers, Canada’s “Mommy” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by prodigy Xavier Dolan, Chile’s “To Kill a Man” (Sundance, Rotterdam, Cartagena) by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Hungary's "White God" (Cannes) by Kornél Mundruczó, Norway’s “1001 Grams” (Tiff) by Bent Hamer, Poland’s “Ida”(Tiff, Sundance) by Pawel Pawlikowski, Russia’s “Leviathan” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff, AFI Fest) by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Sweden’s “Force Majeure” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Ruben Östlund, and Turkey’s “ Winter Sleep” (Cannes, Telluride, Tiff) by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. All of these films have played at renowned international festivals and most have earned important recognition there.

Out of the Box

Whether they are aware of their actual possibilities at a nomination or not, each year a few countries take the risk of sending a film that defies convention despite having more safe choices. But that is not say they are entirely out of the race, films like “The Missing Picture” and “Dogtooth” prove that sometimes there is room for daring and unique filmmaking. With “Rocks in My Pockets” Latvia is the only country to submit an animated film this year. The film is an inventive and colorful look at depression. Then there is the almost-silent and highly poetic Ecuadorian entry “Silence in Dreamland” and Singapore’s musically driven drama “Sayang Disayang.” However, the boldest selection has to be the Philippines’ “Norte, the End of History” by acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz, which runs over four hours and is inspired by Dostoyevsky Crime and Punishment.

Documentaries

Only two countries chose to go with non-fiction entries. One of them is Panama’s “Invasion,” which deals with the aftermath of the U.S. intervention in that country in 1989. This is the Central American nation’s first ever Oscar submission. The other documentary contending is Portugal’s “ What Now? Remind Me,“ a self-portrait by filmmaker Joaquim Pinto exploring his struggles living with HIV. One should note that Portugal is one of the few countries in Western Europe to have never obtained a nomination in the category despite entering films consecutively for several decades.

Lgbt

Films with stories that highlight sexual diversity occasionally make their way into this list. Last year the only Lgbt title submitted was “ Soongava: Dance of the Orchids,” which surprisingly came from Nepal and dealt with the relationship between two young women in the traditional Asian society. This time around two countries selected films with similar themes. Brazil’s festival darling “ The Way He Looks” – a sweet coming-of-age tale- was an audacious choice among the many other films the South American country produces every year. Then there is Switzerland’s “The Circle” about a pioneering gay publication during the 1940s/1950s in Zurich and the real life relationship between two of its prominent members.

Surprising Choices

As it usually happens, some countries go against what the industry expects and decide to send films that weren’t on most people’s radars. Bulgaria for example selected “Bulgarian Rhapsody” by veteran director Ivan Nitchev over Sundance’s “Viktoria” by young female director Maya Vitkova. Similarly, Ukraine overlooked Cannes favorite “The Tribe”- a powerful drama entirely in sign language - and decided to go with “The Guide” by Oles Sanin. Nevertheless, the most shocking decision came from China. Instead of selecting a Chinese-directed film like Berlin’s Golden Bear winner “Black Coal, Thin Ice” or Zhang Yimou’s “Coming Home,” the Chinese selection committee chose “The Nightingale” by French director Philippe Muyl. Despite having a European helmer the film is authentically Chinese in terms of language and story, but it was still an unexpected move from the traditionally patriotic country.

First Timers

The unprecedented number of entries is in part due to the addition of countries submitting for the first time. Besides aforementioned Panama, there are three other debutant nations in the mix. Kosovo- a tiny Balkan state often associated with the rampart war that afflicted the region a few decades ago - is finally showcasing its film production. Their entry titled “Three Windows and a Hanging” is said to be a high quality, affecting drama. Malta - a European island nation near Italy - is often used as astonishing location for big budget studio films. This year, however, “ Simshar,” a great immigration drama will represent the country. Lastly, Mauritania – a prominently Muslim nation in Sub-Saharan Africa – selected Abderrahmane Sissako’s “Timbuktu,”which played in competition at Cannes,as their inaugural submission. Although Sissako has had several successful films at international festivals, this is the first time his country decides to participate.

Female Directors

Out of the 83 films, 14 were directed by women. That’s 17% of all entries. What’s more interesting is the fact that some of these films come from countries that are often seen as traditionally patriarchal societies. 3 Latin American entries were created by female directors: Colombia’s “Mateo,” Costa Rica’s “Red Princesses” and the Dominican Republic’s “Cristo Rey.” 4 from Asia: Hong Kong’s “ The Golden Era,” India’s “Liar’s Dice,” Japan’s “The Light Shines Only There,” and Pakistan’s “Dukhtar.” 2 from the Middle East: Israel’s “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (Co-directed) and Palestine’s “Eyes of a Thief.” Lastly, 5 films from Europe: The Czech Republic’s “Fair Play,” Finland’s “Concrete Night,” Latvia’s “ Rocks in My Pockets,” Malta’s “Simshar” and the Netherlands’ “Accused.”

U.S. Distribution

Another interesting fact is the number of these films that already have U.S. distribution. Several of them have actually already opened theatrically here, and others are set to open early next year. Out 83 films, 24 already have U.S. distribution. That’s 29% of all films. Hopefully that number increases by the end of the season. The films are: Argentina’s “Wild Tales,” Austria’s “The Dark Valley,” Belgium’s “Two Days, One Night,” Brazil’s “The Way He Looks,” Canada’s “Mommy,” Chile’s “To Kill a Man,” France’s “Saint Laurent,” Germany’s “Beloved Sisters,” Hungary’s “White God,” Israel’s “ Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” Italy’s “Human Capital,” Latvia’s “Rocks in My Pockets,” Mauritania’s “Timbuktu,” Mexico’s “Cantinflas,” Norway’s “1001 Grams,” The Philippines “Norte, the End of History,” Poland’s “Ida,” Portugal's "What Now? Remind Me," Russia’s “Leviathan,” Spain’s “Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed,” Sweden’s “Force Majeure,” Switzerland’s “The Circle,” Turkey’s “Winter Sleep,” and Venezuela’s “ The Liberator.”

To see which distribution company has each of these films please refer to the list below.

Afghanistan

"A Few Cubic Meters of Love" (چند متر مکعب عشق)

Dir: Jamshid Mahmoudi

Language: Persian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Argentina

"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)

Dir: Damián Szifrón

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Film Factory Entertainment

Trailer

Austria

"The Dark Valley" (Das finstere Tal)

Dir: Andreas Prochaska

Language: German

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

Isa: Films Distribution

Trailer

Australia

"Charlie's Country"

Dir: Rolf de Heer

Language: Yolŋu Matha/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Visit Films

Trailer

Azerbaijan

"Nabat"

Dir: Elcin Musaoglu

Language: Azerbaijani

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Bangladesh

"Glow of the Firefly" (Jonakir Alo)

Dir: Khalid Mahmood Mithu

Language: Bengali

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Impress Telefilm

Trailer

Belgium

"Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit)

Dir: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne

Language: French/Arabic

U.S Distribution: Sundance Selects

Isa: Wild Bunch

Trailer

Bolivia

"Forgotten" (Olvidados)

Dir: Carlos Bolado

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Flor de Loto Pictures

Trailer

Bosnia & Herzegovina

"With Mom" (Sa mamom)

Dir: Faruk Loncarevic

Language: Bosnian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Scca/pro.ba

TraileR

Brazil

"The Way He Looks" (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)

Dir: Daniel Ribeiro

Language: Portuguese

U.S Distribution: Strand Releasing

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

Bulgaria

"Bulgarian Rhapsody" (българска рапсодия)

Dir: Ivan Nitchev

Language: Bulgarian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Cinepaz Eood

Trailer

Canada

"Mommy"

Dir: Xavier Dolan

Language: French/English

U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions

Isa: Seville International

Trailer

Chile

"To Kill a Man" (Matar a un Hombre)

Dir: Alejandro Fernández Almendras

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

Isa: Film Factory Entertainment

Trailer

China

"The Nightingale" (夜莺/Le promeneur d'oiseau)

Dir: Philippe Muyl

Language: Mandarin

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Kinology

Trailer

Colombia

"Mateo"

Dir: Maria Gamboa ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Alpha Violet

Trailer

Costa Rica

"Red Princesses" (Princesas Rojas)

Dir: Laura Astorga ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Latido Films Trailer

Croatia

"Cowboys" (Kauboji)

Dir: Tomislav Mrsic

Language: Croatian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Wide

Trailer

Cuba

"Behavior" (Conducta)

Dir: Ernesto Daranas

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Latido Films

Trailer

Czech Republic

"Fair Play"

Dir: Andrea Sedlácková Andrea Sedlácková

Language: Czech

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: IntraMovies

Trailer

Denmark

"Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde)

Dir: Nils Malmros

Language: Danish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Nordisk Film Production

Trailer

Dominican Republic

"Cristo Rey"

Dir: Leticia Tonos ♀

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: The Little Film Company

Trailer

Ecuador

"Silence in Dreamland" (El Silencio en la Tierra de los Sueños)

Dir: Tito Molina

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: La Facultad

Trailer

Egypt

"Factory Girl" (فتاة المصنع )

Dir: Mohamed Khan

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: DayDream Art Production

Trailer

Estonia

"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)

Dir: Zaza Urushadze

Language: Estonian/Russian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Cinemavault

Trailer

Ethiopia

"Difret"

Dir: Zeresenay Mehari

Language: Amharic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

Finland

"Concrete Night" (Betoniyö)

Dir: Pirjo Honkasalo ♀

Language: Finnish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Film Republic Trailer

France

"Saint Laurent"

Dir: Bertrand Bonello

Language: French

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Europacorp

Trailer

Georgia

"Corn Island" (სიმინდის კუნძული)

Dir: George Ovashvili

Language: Georgian/Abkhazian/Russian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Arizona Productions

Trailer

Germany

"Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern)

Dir: Dominik Graf

Language: German /French

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Global Screen

Trailer

Greece

"Little England" (Μικρά Αγγλία)

Dir: Pantelis Voulgaris

Language: Greek

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Black Orange

Trailer

Hong Kong

"The Golden Era" (黄金时代)

Dir: Ann Hui ♀

Language: Mandarin

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Edko Films

Trailer

Hungary

"White God" (Fehér isten)

Dir: Kornél Mundruczó

Language: Hungarian/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: The Match Factory

Trailer

Iceland

"Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti)

Dir: Baldvin Zophoníasson

Language: None Yet

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Films Boutique Trailer

India

"Liar's Dice" (लायर्स डाइस)

Dir: Geethu Mohandas ♀

Language: Hindi

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Jar Pictures Trailer

Indonesia

"Soekarno"

Dir: Hanung Bramantyo

Language: Indonesian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Mvp Pictures

Trailer

Iran

"Today" (امروز )

Dir: Reza Mirkarimi

Language: Persian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Dreamlab Films

Trailer

Iraq

"Mardan"

Dir: Batin Ghobadi

Language: Kurdish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Versatile Trailer

Ireland

"The Gift" (An Bronntanas)

Dir: Tom Collins

Language: Irish/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Rosg/De Facto Films

Trailer

Israel

"Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (Gett: Le Procès de Viviane Amsalem)

Dir: Ronit Elkabetz ♀ & Shlomi Elkabetz

Language: Hebrew/French/Arabic

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Films Distribution

Trailer

Italy

"Human Capital" (Il Capitale Umano)

Dir: Paolo Virzì

Language: Italian

U.S Distribution: Film Movement

PC: Indiana Production Company

Trailer

Japan

"The Light Shines Only There" (そこのみにて光輝く)

Dir: Mipo Oh ♀

Language: Japanese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Open Sesame

Trailer

Kosovo

"Three Windows and a Hanging" (Tri Dritare dhe një Varje)

Dir: Isa Qosja

Language: Albanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: CMb Productions

Trailer

Kyrgyzstan

"Kurmanjan Datka Queen of the Mountains" (Курманжан Датка)

Dir: Sadyk Sher-Niyaz

Language: Kirghiz

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Aitysh Film

Trailer

Latvia

"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)

Dir: Signe Baumane ♀

Language: Latvian

U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films

Isa: New Europe Film Sales

Trailer

Lebanon

"Ghadi" (غدي)

Dir: Amin Dora

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Fortissimo Films

Trailer

Lithuania

"The Gambler" (Lošėjas)

Dir: Ignas Jonynas

Language: Lithuanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Wide

Trailer

Luxembourg

"Never Die Young"

Dir: Pol Cruchten

Language: French

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: EastWest Distribution

Trailer

MacEdonia

"To the Hilt" (До балчак)

Dir: Stole Popov

Language: Macedonian/French/English/ Turkish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Triangle Film- Skopje

Trailer

Malta

"Simshar"

Dir: Rebecca Cremona ♀

Language: Maltese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Kukumajsa Productions

Trailer

Mauritania

"Timbuktu"

Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako

Language: French/Arabic/Bambara/English/Songhay/Tamasheq

U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group

Isa: Le Pacte

Trailer

Mexico

"Cantinflas"

Dir: Sebastian del Amo

Language: Spanish/English

U.S Distribution: Pantelion Films

Isa: 6 Sales

Trailer

Moldova

"The Unsaved" (La Limita de Jos a Cerului)

Dir: Igor Cobileanski

Language: Romanian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Insomnia World Sales Trailer

Montenegro

"The Boys from Marx and Engels Street" (Djecaci iz ulice Marksa i Engelsa)

Dir: Nikola Vukcevic

Language: Serbian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Artikulacija Production

Trailer

Morocco

"The Red Moon" (القمر الأحمر)

Dir: Hassan Benjelloun

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Bentaqerla

Trailer

Nepal

"Jhola" (झोला)

Dir: Yadav Kumar Bhattarai

Language: Nepali

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Media for Culture

Trailer

The Netherlands

"Accused" (Lucia de B.)

Dir: Paula van der Oest ♀

Language: Dutch

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Fortissimo Films

Trailer

New Zealand

"The Dead Lands"

Dir: Toa Fraser

Language: Maori

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Xyz Films

Trailer

Norway

"1001 Grams" (1001 Gram)

Dir: Bent Hamer

Language: Norwegian/French/ English

U.S Distribution: Kino Lorber

Isa: Les Films du Losange

Trailer

Pakistan

"Dukhtar" (دختر، بیٹی)

Dir: Afia Nathaniel ♀

Language: Urdu

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Zambeel Films

Trailer

Palestine

"Eyes of a Thief" (عيون الحراميه)

Dir: Najwa Najjar ♀

Language: Arabic

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Ustura Films Trailer

Panama

"Invasion" (Invasión)

Dir: Abner Benaim

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Apertura Films Trailer

Peru

"The Gospel of the Flesh" (El Evangelio de la Carne)

Dir: Eduardo Mendoza de Echave

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: La Soga Producciones

Trailer

The Philippines

"Norte, the End of History" (Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan)

Dir: Lav Diaz

Language: Tagalog/English

U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild

Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

Trailer

Poland

"Ida"

Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski

Language: Polish

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Portobello Film Sales

Trailer

Portugal

"What Now? Remind Me" (E Agora? Lembra-me)

Dir: Joaquim Pinto

Language: Portuguese

U.S Distribution: The Cinema Guild

PC: C.R.I.M Productions

Trailer

Romania

"The Japanese Dog" (Câinele Japonez)

Dir: Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

Language: Romanian/Japanese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

Trailer

Russia

"Leviathan" (Левиафан)

Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev

Language: Russian

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Pyramide International

Trailer

Serbia

"See You in Montevideo" (Montevideo, vidimo se!)

Dir: Dragan Bjelogrlic

Language: Serbian/Spanish/ English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Intermedia Network

Trailer

Singapore

"Sayang Disayang"

Dir: Sanif Olek

Language: Malay/Indonesian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: ReelJuice

Trailer

Slovakia

"A Step Into the Dark" (Krok do tmy)

Dir: Miloslav Luther

Language: Slovak

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Trigon Production Trailer

Slovenia

"Seduce Me" (Zapelji me)

Dir: Marko Santic

Language: Slovenian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Radio-Television Slovenia

Trailer

South Africa

"Elelwani"

Dir: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli

Language: Venda

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: EastWest FilmDistribution

Trailer

South Korea

"Haemoo" (해무)

Dir: Sung Bo Shim

Language: Korean

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Finecut

Trailer

Spain

"Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed" (Vivir es fácil con los ojos cerrados)

Dir: David Trueba

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Outsider Pictures

Isa: 6 Sales

Trailer

Sweden

"Force Majeure" (Turist)

Dir: Ruben Östlund

Language: Swedish/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)

Trailer

Switzerland

"The Circle" (Der Kreis)

Dir: Stefan Haupt

Language: Swiss German/ German/ French

U.S Distribution: Wolfe Video

Isa: Wide House

Trailer

Taiwan

"Ice Poison" (冰毒)

Dir: Midi Z.

Language: Burmese/Chinese

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Flash Forward Enterteinment

Trailer

Thailand

"The Teacher's Diary" (คิดถึงวิทยา)

Dir: Nithiwat Tharathorn

Language: Thai

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Gth

Trailer

Turkey

"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)

Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Language: Turkish/English

U.S Distribution: Adopt Films

Isa: Memento Films International

Trailer

Ukraine

"The Guide" (Поводир)

Dir: Oles Sanin

Language: Ukrainian/Russia/English

U.S Distribution: None Yet

PC: Pronto Film

Trailer

United Kingdom

"Little Happiness" (Uzun Yol)

Dir: Nihat Seven

Language: Turkish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: 7&7 Producers' Sales Services

Trailer

Uruguay

"Mr. Kaplan"

Dir: Álvaro Brechner

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Memento Films International

Trailer

Venezuela

"The Liberator" (Libertador)

Dir: Alberto Arvelo

Language: Spanish/English/ French

U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group

Isa: Mundial

Trailer...

x

A record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th Academy Awards. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants.

The 2014 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “A Few Cubic Meters of Love,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director;

Argentina, “Wild Tales,” Damián Szifrón, director;

Australia, “Charlie’s Country,” Rolf de Heer, director;

Austria, “The Dark Valley,” Andreas Prochaska, director;

Azerbaijan, “Nabat,” Elchin Musaoglu, director;

Bangladesh, “Glow of the Firefly,” Khalid Mahmood Mithu, director;

Belgium, “Two Days, One Night,” Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, directors;

Bolivia, “Forgotten,” Carlos Bolado, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “With Mom,” Faruk Lončarevič, director;

Brazil, “The Way He Looks,” Daniel Ribeiro, director;

Bulgaria, “Bulgarian Rhapsody,” Ivan Nitchev, director;

Canada, “Mommy,” Xavier Dolan, director;

Chile, “To Kill a Man,” Alejandro Fernández Almendras, director;

China, “The Nightingale,” Philippe Muyl, director;

Colombia, “Mateo,” María Gamboa, director;

Costa Rica, “Red Princesses,” Laura Astorga Carrera, director;

Croatia, “Cowboys,” Tomislav Mršić,...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Thursday the final submissions for the Foreign Language Film category for the 87th annual Academy Awards. A record 83 countries have entered a film for consideration, including Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama for the first time. Notable selections include Xavier Dolan's Canadian drama Mommy, a favorite at this year's Cannes, Sweden's Force Majeure, and the Russian retelling of the Book of Job, Leviathan, winner of the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. Nominations will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 15, ahead of the live telecast on ABC Sunday, Feb. 22, from Hollywood. Last...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the list of submissions for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. According to the Academy's press release, a record 83 countries have submitted films for consideration, including first-timers Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania, and Panama. Now, if only all those movies were made available for online viewing — or at least on DVD (outside of their respective countries). The 2015 Oscar nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 15, at 5:30 a.m. Pt in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 2015 Oscar ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 22, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. In the United States, the Oscarcast will be televised live by ABC; additionally, the Oscars will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. See below the full list of 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar submissions. Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love,...

The Academy has announced the complete list of 2015 Foreign Language Oscar contenders for the 2015 Oscar awards and again its a new record, topping last year's record 76 submissions, this year the list reaches 83 total submissions. Kosovo, Malta, Mauritania and Panama are first-time entrants. I've seen a few more on the list than I did last year and I actually have to assume with the buzz from those I've seen they may end up being major players. I'm particularly happy to see Xavier Dolan's Mommy in the field from Canada and it's great seeing the hilarious Wild Tales submitted by Argentina. The Russian submission of Leviathan (Leviafan) came, I think, as a bit of a surprise to everyone considering its subject matter, which could be looked at as critical of its native country. The Dardennes' Two Days, One Night has received a lot of acclaim everywhere it has played and we...

The Academy has received a record 83 submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film Oscar.

Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.

The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

The 2014 submissions are (in alphabetical order of country):

Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters Of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi

Argentina, Wild Tales, Damián Szifrón

Australia, Charlie’s Country, Rolf de Heer

Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska

Azerbaijan, Nabat, Elchin Musaoglu

Bangladesh, Glow Of The Firefly, Khalid Mahmood Mithu

Belgium, Two Days, One Night, Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

Bolivia, Forgotten, Carlos Bolado

Bosnia and Herzegovina, With Mom, Faruk Lončarevič

Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro

Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev

Canada, Mommy, Xavier Dolan

Chile, To Kill A...

Keeping track of the Foreign Language submissions for the Oscars each year is something I constantly forget to keep on top of, but I have just done a full update as we are now up to 56 total submissions, only 20 shy of last year's record-breaking 76 submissions with only eight days to go before the October 1 submission deadline. Notable new entries on the list include Belguim's submission of Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's festival favorite Two Days, One Night as well as Canada submitting Xavier Dolan's Mommy, which knocked the socks of Cannes audiences and did the same to me in Toronto this year (read my review here). It should also be noted France has submitted Bertrand Bonello's Saint Laurent instead of last year's buzzy title Blue is the Warmest Color, which missed the release date cut off date last year, making it eligible for this year's Oscars, but the...

Entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2015.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 76 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Italian entry The Great Beauty, directed by Paolo Sorrentino.

This year’s nominations must be submitted by Oct 1.

Nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 15, 2015.

The awards ceremony will be held on Feb 22, 2015 in the Dolby Theatre, Hollywood.

Afghanistan, A Few Cubic Meters of Love, Jamshid Mahmoudi

Austria, The Dark Valley, Andreas Prochaska

Bolivia, Olvidados, Carlos Bolado

Brazil, The Way He Looks, Daniel Ribeiro

Bulgaria, Bulgarian Rhapsody, Ivan Nitchev

Chile, To Kill a Man, Alejandro Fernández Almendras

Colombia, Mateo, Maria Gamboa

Croatia, Cowboys, Tomislav Mršić

Czech Republic, Fair Play, Andrea...

A re-energised Pula Film Festival, the biggest film festival in Croatia, will welcome top guests including Roger Michell, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, Gyorgi Palfi, Tudor Giurgiu and Mike Cahill.

Fridriksson [pictured] will serve on a jury and be the subject of a retrospective including his films Rock in Reykjavik, Children of Nature, Devil’s Island, Angels Of The Universe, and Falcons.

The Pula Pro Industry section will include masterclasses from PR expert Charles MacDonald, marketing veteran John Durie, sound expert Ray Gillon of G-Minor and Nik Powell of the UK’s National Film and Television School (Nfts).

The festival boasts a new artistic team of Mike Downey, Hrvoje Puksec and Tanja Milicic, who took over in April.

The Pula Cinematheque section, under special advistor Rajko Grlic, will focus on the year 1965.

One new strand at the festival will be Dizalica, aimed at cinephiles aged 16-21; selections include We Are The Best! and Bitch Hug. This is added...

The Transilvania International Film Festival’s (Tiff) main prize went this year to Spanish film-maker Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Stockholm as the week-long festival came to a close on June 8.

The second feature also picked up the Best Performance Award for leads Javier Pereira and Aura Garrido at the gala awards ceremony on Saturday evening (7).

Almost lost for words as he accepted the prize on the stage of Cluj’s National Theatre, an elated Sorogoyen (pictured) said that these were the film’s first international awards.

Stockholm previously earned best actress and new screenwriter honours in Malaga last year and a Goya this year for Pereira.

Tiff’s international jury including Chicago Film Festival director Michael Kutza, Nfts director Nik Powell and Hungarian film-maker Janos Szasz, presented their Best Directing Award to Poland’s Tomasz Wasilewski for his second feature Floating Skyscrapers and the Special Jury Award to Bulgaria’s Maya Vitkova for her debut Viktoria, which had its...

A gala open-air screening of Stephen Frears’ Philomena will tonight (May 30) launch the Transilvania International Film Festival (Tiff) which is expanding its industry dimension for its 13th edition.

This weekend will see the festival focusing its attention on the ¨Save The Big Screen¨ campaign, launched under the auspices of Romania Film Promotion, which aims to halt the disappearance of cinemas outside of the main centres of population and create a network of digital cinemas throughout the country.

A conference will be held on May 31 bringing together officials from the Ministry of Culture, local authorities, Romania Film, cinema managers, film-makers and foreign guests such as Marta Materska-Samek, from Poland’s Cinema Development Foundation Bard, Ivo Andrle of Czech exhibitor Aero Films, and Tina Hajon, Head of Exhibition at the Croatian Audiovisual Centre.

Debate will centre, for example, on the foreign guests’ experiences of accessing European funds for cinema renovation and digitisation programmes, as well as...

Romania was the big winner at Vilnius’ Kino Pavasaris (Cinema Spring) festival with Tudor Cristian Jurgiu’s feature debut Japanese Dog was named Best Film in the New Europe - New Names competition.

A Romanian producer present in Vilnius expressed the hope that this latest success - after winning veteran actor Viktor Rebengiuc a Gopo Award in Bucharest last month - would spur his national film fund Cnc on to showing more support for its filmmakers.

However, Romania’s filmmaking community is still waiting in vain for the Cnc to announce the results of its latest competition for funding of film projects.

Awards for Blind Dates, Ida

The competition jury of Japanese actress Kaori Momoi, Latvian film-maker Laila Pakalnina, and festival programmers Verena von Stackelberg, Ludmila Cvikova and Dimitris Kerkinos, gave their Best Director statuette to Levan Koguashvili’s Blind Dates.

The acting honours went to Igor Samobor, the new teacher in Rok Bicek’s Class Enemy, and...

Ritesh Batra’s romantic drama picks up Golden Pram.

The 11th Zagreb Film Festival (Oct 20-27), held in the Croatian capital, has concluded with Ritesh Barta’s The Lunchbox winning the main award

The heartwarming film, which stars Irrfan Khan and debuted at Cannes in May, won the Golden Pram for best feature film.

Khan plays a disillusioned government servant who starts a relationship with a housewife (Nimrat Kaur) through notes in a mis-delivered lunchbox.

In the competition of ten other first or second films by their directors, a special mention went to Croatia’s Nevio Marasovic for Vis-à-Vis, which is about a film director and his lead actor trying to bond on an isolated island.

The main jury was composed of film critic Leo Barraclough, Romanian producer Ada Solomon, and Serbian director Srdan Golubovic, whose Circles closed the festival.

German director Andy Wolff won the Golden Pram for best documentary for The Captain And His Pirate, while...

Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida scored a second top festival prize in one night, after success in London.

The international jury of the Warsaw Film Festival has awarded the City of Warsaw Grand Prix to Pawal Pawlikowski’s Ida, which won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival on the same night.

The black-and-white film set in the 1960s, which the international jury praised for “the superb combination of script, directing, cinematography, acting and music”, also received the prize of the Ecumenical Jury in Warsaw.

Speaking to ScreenDaily after the awards ceremony, producer Ewa Puszczynska of Lodz-based Opus Film said the film will be released on 90 screens in Poland this Friday (Oct 25) by distributor Solopan Spólka.

Fandango Portobello Sales is handling international distribution, and Music Box Films are planning the North American release for the second quarter of 2014. It debuted at Toronto last month.

Puszczynska was joined on stage to receive the Grand Prix by the non-professional...

Being a huge fan of Japanese cinema I can honestly say that I was really intrigued when I carefully looked through this year's festival and saw a film entitled The Japanese Dog. After a few minutes I finally realized that it's actually a Romanian picture, which got me even more excited due to the fact that I've probably never seen a film produced in that particular country.Tudor Cristian Jurgiu's debut feature stars Victor Rebengiuc, one of the most famous Romanian actors, as Costache, an old widower and flood victim living in one of the country's rural villages. Forced to stay temporarily in a replacement house Costache is a conscious prisoner of a rather insipid everyday routine that is suddenly disrupted because of some surprising news....

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Sixteen first or second directors will vie for the San Sebastian Film Festival’s (20-28 Sept) new directors award.

The films will compete for the $67,000 (€50,000) Kutxa-New Directors Award, granted by an international jury.

Represented countries include Spain, the Us, Israel, France, Turkey, Lithuania, Costa Rica, Greece, Mexico, China, Iceland, Ukraine, Holland and Belgium.

Films

El Arbol Magnetico (The Magnetic Tree) (Spain-Chile)

Dir Isabel Ayguavives

Ci Yan De Yan Guang (The Blinding Sunlight) (China)

Dir Yu Liu

Cainele Japonez (Japanese Dog) (Romania)

Dir Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

La Dune (France-Israel)

Dir Yossi Aviram

Las Horas Muertas (The Empty Hours) (Mexico-France-Spain)

Dir Aaron Fernandez

Hross I Oss (Of Horses and Men) (Iceland-Germany)

Dir Benedikt Erlingsson

Levaya Bazaharaim (Funeral at Noon) (Israel)

Dir Adam Sanderson

Losejas (The Gambler) (Lithuania-Latvia)

Dir Ignas Jonynas

Luton (Greece)

Dir Michalis Konstantatos

Mother of George (Us)

Dir Andrew Dosunmu

Por Las Plumas (All About the Feathers) (Costa Rica)

Neto Villalobos

Puppy Love (Belgium-Sweden-France-Luxembourg)

Dir Delphine Lehericey

[link...

Sixteen first or second directors will vie for the San Sebastian Film Festival’s (20-28 Sept) new directors award.

The films will compete for the €50,000 Kutxa-New Directors Award, granted by an international jury.

Represented countries include Spain, the Us, Israel, France, Turkey, Lithuania, Costa Rica, Greece, Mexico, China, Iceland, Ukraine, Holland and Belgium.

Films:

El Arbol Magnetico (The Magnetic Tree) (Spain-Chile)

Dir Isabel Ayguavives

Ci Yan De Yan Guang (The Blinding Sunlight) (China)

Dir Yu Liu

Cainele Japonez (Japanese Dog) (Romania)

Dir Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

La Dune (The Dune) (France-Israel)

Dir Yossi Aviram

Las Horas Muertas (The Empty Hours) (Mexico-France-Spain)

Dir Aaron Fernandez

Hross I Oss (Of Horses and Men) (Iceland-Germany)

Dir Benedikt Erlingsson

Levaya Bazaharaim (Funeral at Noon) (Israel)

Dir Adam Sanderson

Losejas (The Gambler) (Lithuania-Latvia)

Dir Ignas Jonynas

Luton (Greece)

Dir Michalis Konstantatos

Mother of George (Us)

Dir Andrew Dosunmu

Por Las Plumas (All About the Feathers) (Costa Rica)

Neto Villalobos

Puppy Love (Belgium-Sweden-France-Luxembourg)

Dir...

London – Berlin-based international sales house M-Appeal says another festival success for one of its titles vindicates its niche approach to nurturing Eastern European talent. Romanian director Tudor Cristian Jurgiu's debut, Japanese Dog, is due for its world premiere at the 61st edition of the San Sebastian festival in September. The film is produced by leading Romanian producer Tudor Guirgui's Libra Film Productions. Photos: 50 Never-Before-Seen Portraits From Cannes The competition placement, announced today by the Spanish festival, demonstrates the company's approach is working, M-Appeal CEO Maren Kroyman told The Hollywood Reporter. "I’ve already worked together with

read more...

The curtain came down on the 66th Cannes Film Festival 2013 yesterday. The festival and its two sidebars- International Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight-announced their awards. Here is a compilation of all the awards presented at the festival:

Awards for the main competition

Palme d’Or

Blue is the Warmest Colour (La Vie D’Adele Chapitre 1 & 2) by Abdellatif Kechiche

Grand Prix

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Director

Amat Escalante for Heli

Jury prize

Hirokazu Kore-eda for Like Father, Like Son

Best Screenplay

Jia Zhang-ke for A Touch of Sin

Best Actress

Berenice Bejo in The Past (Le Passe) by Asghar Farhadi

Best Actor

Bruce Dern in Nebraska by Alexander Payne

Camera d’Or (Best First Feature)

Ilo Ilo by Anthony Chen (presented in Directors’ Fortnight)

Palme d’Or Court Metrage (Short Film)

Safe by Moon Byoung-gon

Special Mention

Whale Valley (Hvalfjordur) by Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson...

In Competition

Feature Films

Palme d'Or – Blue is the Warmest Color, directed by Abdellatif Kechiche

Grand Prix – Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Jury Prize – Like Father, Like Son, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Best Director – Amat Escalante, Heli

Best Screenplay – Jia Zhangke, A Touch of Sin

Best Actress – Bérénice Bejo, The Past

Best Actor – Bruce Dern, Nebraska

Check out our Notebook coverage of The Past, Like Father Like Son, A Touch of Sin (x2), and Inside Llewyn Davis.

Short Films

Palme d'Or (Short Film) – Safe, directed by Moon Byoung-gon

Special Distinction – Whale Valley, directed by Gudmundur Arnar Gudmundsson; 37°4 S, directed by Adriano Valerio

Un Certain Regard

Prize of Un Certain Regard – The Missing Picture, directed by Rithy Panh

Jury Prize – Omar, directed by Hany Abu-Assad

Directing Prize – Alain Guiraudie, Stranger By the Lake

A Certain Talent Prize - The cast of La jaula de oro

Avenir Prize - Fruitvale Station,...

Needle directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh won the first prize

The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury headed by Jane Campion has announced the winners of 2013 edition. Indian actress Nandita Das was also on the jury.

The Cinéfondation Selection consisted of 18 student films, chosen out of nearly 1 550 entries coming from 277 film schools around the world.

First Prize:

Needle directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA

Second Prize:

Waiting For The Thaw (En attendant le dégel) directed by Sarah Hirtt

Insas, Belgium

Third Prize ex-aequo:

ÎN Acvariu (In the Fishbowl) directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu

Unatc, Romania

Joint Third Prize:

Pandy (Pandas) directed by Matúš VIZÁR

Famu, Czech Republic

The awarded films will receive €15,000 for the First Prize, €11,250 for the Second and €7,500 for the Third.

The First Prize winner is also guaranteed that his first feature film will be presented at the Festival de Cannes.

At Cannes today, the Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury announced the 2013 Cinéfondation Prizes in a ceremony held at the Buñuel Theater. The first prize went to Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, for her short film "Needle," which follows a young girl who is going to get her ears pierced. In addition to a €15,000 cash prize, Ghazvinizadeh is also promised the opportunity to show her first feature film at Cannes in the future. The second prize was awarded to "Waiting For The Thaw," directed by Sarah Hirtt, a student at Insas in Belgium. The third prize was shared between Tudor Cristian Jurgiu of Romania's Unatc and Matúš Vizár of Czech Republic's Famu for their respective films "In the Fishbowl" and "Pandas." Now in its 16th year, the Cinéfondation has continually devoted itself to supporting and championing filmmakers of the next generation. This year's...

The full list of films at this year's Cannes film festival

Opening night film: The Great Gatsby, dir Baz Luhrmann

Closing night film: Zulu, dir Jérôme Salle

In competition

Jury chair: Steven Spielberg

Only God Forgives, dir Nicolas Winding Refn

Inside Llewyn Davis, dir Ethan and Joel Coen

Borgman, dir Alex Can Warmerdam

La Grande Bellezza, dir Paulo Sorrentino

Behind the Candelabra, dir Steven Soderbergh

La Venus a la Fourrure, dir Roman Polanski

Nebraska, dir Alexander Payne

Jeune et Jolie, dir François Ozon

La Vie d'Adele, dir Abdellatif Kechiche

Wara No Tate, dir Takashi Miike

Soshite Chichi Ni Naru, dir Kore-Eda Hirokazu

Tian Zhu Ding, dir Jia Zhangke

Grisgris, dir Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

The Immigrant, dir James Gray

Heli, dir Amat Escalante

Le Passe, dir Asghar Farhadi

Michael Kohlhaas, dir Arnaud Despallieres

Un Chateau en Italie, dir Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi

Un Certain Regard

Jury chair: Thomas Vinterberg

The Bling Ring, dir Sofia Coppola

L'Inconnu Du La,...

This morning the official 2013 Cannes Film Festival line-up was announced from Paris, France. The committee saw 1,858 films submitted this year and while additional titles will continue to be announced, this morning we got the full Competition and Un Certain Regard lineup and it looks amazing so far. Among the films announced In Competition so far, many were expected including Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives, Steven Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra, Roman Polanski's Venus in Fur, Asghar Farhadi's The Past and Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis. Additionally James Gray's once titled Lowlife starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner will play, but under the name The Immigrant and Takashi Miike's cop thriller Wara No Tate (Straw Shield) has also made the competition list. However, the biggest "surprise" is the inclusion of Alexander Payne's black-and-white film Nebraska, which is sure to be a big attention getter,...