News

The Global Film Initiative is a U.S.-based international arts organization specializing in the support of independent film from Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Founded in 2002 to promote cross-cultural understanding through the language of cinema, the Initiative awards numerous grants to deserving filmmakers from around the world each year, and supports a touring film series entitled Global Lens. Below is an exciting list of films, theater releases, DVD announcements, news, and how to watch the new lineup for Global Lens 2012.

Feature: Education and Your Public Library

As more and more libraries join the Global Public program, Laura Brewer discusses how public libraries aren't just for books anymore...

Indonesia's Garin Nugroho won acclaim around the world with his 2008 effort Opera Jawa - a film that fused elements of music, traditional dance and opera as part of a project commemorating the 250th birthday of Mozart. And Nugroho will return to Indonesian screens in June with Soegija, a film chronicling the turmoil at the end of the Dutch occupation of Indonesia.The first 'trailer' to arrive on the scene for this one was actually an extended, six minute promo but that has now been followed by a more typical two minute theatrical trailer. Take a look below....

I'm only just now catching up with this year's edition of De Filmkrant's best-known project, Slow Criticism 2012, for which editor Dana Linssen has invented a new game: "It is called The Other Side(s) of the World and includes a lot of cinephile Wanderlust and cybernetic travel schedules. With the kind assistance of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (that made the films available trough a preview stream) we have assembled a dossier with reviews of most of the premieres in the Bright Future section. Playing along were film critics from all over the world who embarked on a virtual journey to see a film that came from a country or film culture that was as far from their current location as possible. Or was it?"

Adrian Martin and Cristina Álvarez López launch this collection of journeys with an essay on the "intimate connection between cinephilia and travel," in which they...

Indonesia's Garin Nugroho won acclaim around the world with his 2008 effort Opera Jawa - a film that fused elements of music, traditional dance and opera as part of a project commemorating the 250th birthday of Mozart. And Nugroho will return to Indonesian screens in June with Soegija, a film chronicling the turmoil at the end of the Dutch occupation of Indonesia.Nugroho has set himself an epic sized story here and so it seems appropriate that the first trailer released for the film is a six minute long epic itself. As you would expect from a filmmaker of Nugroho's pedigree the production values are excellent and the whole thing just says quality. Take a look below....

Netflix has added an impressive list of new films to their InstantWatch feature again this week. Quite a number of them are great titles from various Asian countries that I'm glad to see made accessible to Us viewers. Some of them are modern classics that need no introduction to cineastes, but others are pleasant surprises.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man

One of my favorite movies of all time, Tetsuo is Japanese cyberpunk at its most definitive. The first feature film by the great Shinya Tsukamoto, Tetsuo is the highly allegorical—and illogical—story of a businessman whose body slowly morphs into machine against his will, after he accidentally runs over a metal fetishist. Perverse, daring and brimming with energy, Tetsuo is one of the coolest things Japanese cult cinema has to offer.

Watch it now

Tokyo!

An anthology series, Tokyo! stands out for being directed by three famous directors (Michel Gondry,...

The Global Film Initiative and Virgin America, the California-based airline, are partnering to release the Initiative’s critically acclaimed traveling film series—Global Lens—on Virgin America’s interactive, in-flight entertainment system, Red™. Films from the series are now available on demand on all Virgin America flights.

“Global Lens is a one-of-a-kind film series. Virgin America is a one-of-a-kind airline. Put the two together and you have an in-flight experience that has no comparison,” says Santhosh Daniel, Director of Programs at the Global Film Initiative. The Global Lens series is a collection of dynamic feature-length film from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East that can be seen in more than 35 cities across the United States and in Canada. On Virgin America, the Global Film Initiative brings this diverse and pioneering collection to new audiences via Red™—Virgin America’s touch-screen personal in-flight entertainment system. “Virgin America is committed...

As promised here is some more info on the “Hungry Ghost” segment of coming year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam. And although there are some nice titles playing in this segment, the coolest event might actually not be a film.

As part of “Hungry Ghost”, The Iffr plans to transform the old photography museum into a ghost house of sorts, with each room designed by a different Asian horror director. Described as “neither a carnival ride nor a static picture gallery” this looks to be fun because of the talent involved.

Who, you ask?

Well, people like Wisit Sasanatieng ("Tears of the Black Tiger”, “The Unseeable"), Amir Muhammad ("Susuk"), Lav Diaz ("Death in the Land of the Encantos") , Nguyen Vihn Son ("The Moon at the Bottom of the Well"), Garin Nugroho ("Opera Jawa") and Riri Riza ("Eliana, Eliana").

While most of these directors are not primarily known for horror, they...

With the full line-up for the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival officially announced, I can finally begin to effectively obsess. And with 312 films from 64 countries screening at TIFF08, including 249 feature-length films, 76 per cent of which are world, international or North American premieres, and 61 of which are feature directorial debuts … well, needless to say, there’s a lot to obsess about.

Never let it be said, however, that I am not methodical in my obsessions. I begin with a preliminary review of the Contemporary World Cinema sidebar, with special thanks to Bay Area filmbud Carole Rutherford whose raids on IMdb and Wikipedia got me motivated. I also shout out to my Evening Class cohort Michael Hawley, the Twitch and Row Three teams, Dave Hudson at The Greencine Daily, Darren Hughes at 1st Thursday, the crew around Girish Shambu’s water cooler, and Anthony Kaufman at indieWIRE for their welcome recommendations. This will...

A host of both Asian and Spanish-language films have been announced as part of the Toronto International Film Festival 08 lineup and they are scattered over all different parts of the program. Anime fans will be glad to hear Mamoru Oshii's The Sky Crawlers will be having it's North American premier in the Visions section. Plastic City, the joint Brazilian/China effort about the mafia and salvation will also be getting it's North American prem. One of the most interesting sounding film's on the list is Albert Serra's Birdsong (El Cant dels ocells) which is a reinterpretation of the biblical journey of the three wisemen and their search for the Messiah. It's shot with only natural lighting. Check out the whole list following!ww

Asian lineup

Kanchivaram Priyadarshan, India

World Premiere

Vengadam is a born optimist and weaver of saris, but his lowly status means he can never afford the fashions he creates.