News

Dukhtar, Margarita With A Straw and Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain among outstanding schedule of independent South Asian films to be screened as part of 17th annual Laff.

Organizers have announced the full roster of films and special events for this year’s London Asian Film Festival (Laff) – Europe’s oldest showcase for South Asian cinema.

The Festival takes place across London from 19 March to 28 March and features a string of exciting and acclaimed independent feature films, master classes, special screenings, debates and the Festival’s celebrated short films competition.

This year’s Festival highlights include critically acclaimed films such as Margarita With A Straw, Bhopal – A Prayer for Rain, Dukhtar, Rang Rasiya, The World Before Her and Haider.

The 17th edition London Asian Film Festival is once again organized by Tongues on Fire, which has built an unparalleled reputation for promoting independent cinema as well as providing a showcase for female filmmakers.

The 3rd Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff) will open on October 30 with Rajat Kapoor’s critically acclaimed film, Ankhon Dekhi. The four-day festival will showcase feature films, documentaries, short films and animation films. Besides, Diff will also host Masterclasses, panel discussions and Harun Farocki Retrospective.

Feature films to be screened at the festival include Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court, Hansal Mehta’s Citylights, Geetu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice, Avinash Arun’s Killa, Khyentse Norbu’s Vara: A Blessing, Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi’s Zinda Bhaag, Hany Abu-Assad’s Omar, Gabriela Pichler’s Eat Sleep Die, Byamba Sakhya’s Remote Control, Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze’s Papusza and Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive.

The animation section will screen films by Shilpa Ranade, Gitanjali Rao and Nina Sabnani, among others.

Q’s Nabarun, a documentary about famous Bengali writer Nabarun Bhattacharya who passed away in July, will have its...

The nominations for 14th New York Indian Film Festival Awards have been announced! The festival is widely recognized as the oldest, most prestigious Indian film festival in the United States, showcasing some of the greatest talents working in the diaspora. Nyiff boasts five days of premiere screenings of feature, documentary & short films, industry panels, special events, retrospectives, red carpet galas,and an award ceremony to round out the festival. Celebrating its 14th year, Nyiff will run May 5 to 10 at a variety of prestigious New York City venues, including the Skirball Center for Performing Arts, where the opening and closing films are set to take place. Nyiff is dedicated to showcasing, promoting and building an awareness of Independent, art house, alternate and diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent. Their mission is to encourage filmmakers to tell their stories, to educate North America about them and their talent and...

A Still from Liar’s Dice

The 14th New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced nominations today in various categories of awards. The festival will be held from May 5 to 10 and will screen 23 narrative features and 11 documentaries.

In the Best Feature Film category; Astu, Fandry, Goynar Baksho, Liar’s Dice and Ugly will vie for the award while Anurag Kashyap, Aparna Sen, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Gajendra Ahire and Nagraj Manjule will compete for the Best Director award.

Full List of nominations:

Best Short

Bar Stools Blouse The Corner Table Give Into the Night Nightlife

Best Documentary

An American in Madras Gulabi Gang Rangbhoomi The Auction House The Unseen Sequence

Best Screenplay

Apur Panchali As The River Flows Shesher Kobita Virgin Talkies Zinda Bhaag

Best Actor

Mohan Agashe, Astu Naseeruddin Shah, The Coffin Maker Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Liar’s Dice Rahul Bhat, Ugly Roshan Seth, Brahmin Bulls

Best Actress

Anjali Patil, With You,...

This coming week the oldest and largest Indian film festival in North America will inundate the cultural fabric of New York City with award-winning, cutting-edge and entertaining films from the Indian subcontinent.

The New York Indian Film Festival, now in its fourteenth edition, is set to screen more than 40 films—features, short narratives and documentaries—from at least four South Asian countries. Organized by the Indo-American Arts Council, the week-long festival will mark the New York premiere screening of director-producer Anurag Kashyap’s widely admired thriller Ugly. It will be the second time for Kashyap at the festival, whose film Gangs of Wasseypur was the closing night film two years ago.

This time the closing film is acclaimed Bengali auteur Aparna Sen’s Goynar Baksho (The Jewelry Box), a film based on a novel of the same name. The centerpiece film is Malayalam director Geethu Mohandas’ Liar’s Dice – which...

The New York Indian Film Festival (Nyiff) announced the full lineup last night for their 14th year of celebrating independent, art house, alternate, and Diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent (May 5 – 10) at the SoHo Tiffin Junction. Dedicated to bringing these films to a New York audience, the festival will feature 34 screenings (23 narrative, 11 documentary) –all seen for the first time in New York City.

The festival highlights various cinemas of India’s different regions – Marathi, Bengali and two films from the Northeast. In addition the festival covers cinemas from the neighboring South Asian countries – four films by Pakistani filmmakers, two from Sri Lanka – a feature and a documentary, and one from Nepal.

The festival’s Marathi films include Postcard and multiple-award winning films Astu and Fandry. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Fandry received rave reviews in India, winning the grand jury prize at the Mumbai Film Festival in October...

New Delhi, Jan 13: Veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah will mark his presence at the UAE premiere of Pakistani film "Zinda Bhaag" in Dubai Wednesday. He plays a pivotal role of a gangster in the movie.

At the premiere, the 63-year-old is likely to be accompanied by the film's lead actress Amna Ilyas, "Zinda Bhaag" co-director Farjad Nabi told Ians.

The film, which had its Gulf premiere at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2013, is releasing in the country Thursday.

"Its invite-only red carpet premiere will be held at Vox Cinemas, Deira City," Front Row Filmed Entertainment's Jean Mathew, who is working on the movie's.

Best Foreign Language Film Oscar 2014 submissions (photo: Ziyi Zhang in ‘The Grandmaster’) (See previous post: Best Foreign Language Film Oscar: ‘The Past,’ ‘Wadjda,’ Andrzej Wajda Among Omissions) In case you missed it, here’s the full list of submissions (in alphabetical order, per country) for the 2014 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. The list of contenders was originally announced on October 7, 2013. Of note: Saudi Arabia and Moldova were first-timers; Montenegro was a first-timer as an independent country. Afghanistan, Wajma — An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram, director; Albania, Agon, Robert Budina, director; Argentina, The German Doctor, Lucía Puenzo, director; Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt, director; Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler, director; Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev, director; Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanovic, director; Brazil, Neighboring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho,...

Karachi, Dec. 21: Pakistani film, 'Zinda Bhaag', the first Oscar entry for over 50 years from the country, has not got shortlisted for best foreign language Oscar, organizers have announced.

The movie was a comedy-thriller about three young men who try to escape the drudgery of their daily lives through unconventional means, Dawn reported.

Films that were left out also included Saudi Arabia's 'Wadjda' by Haifaa al-Mansour, the movie was helmed by Saudi Arabia's first female filmmaker and was filmed entirely in the Gulf state. It won best Arabic feature award at the Dubai Film Festival last year and picked up an award in Cannes in March. (Ani)...

Mumbai, Dec 20: Seasoned Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah says "we are too happy with ourselves" but the future belongs to Saarc nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka in terms of good cinema.

Naseer, who has been part of Pakistani director Shoaib Mansoor and director duo Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi's "Khuda Kay Liye" and "Zinda Bhaag", respectively, says the political relations between the two neighbouring nations may not be ideal, but the commoners on the other side of the border are "curious about us (Indians)" and "look at us with admiration".

"I have been visiting Pakistan quite frequently since I.

Panaji, Nov 22: The makers of Pakistani comedy thriller 'Zinda Bhaag' are hoping to release it in India, Canada and the UAE.

The film, in which Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of a gangster, was released in Pakistan in September and in the Us in October, Friday's issue of Screen At Film Bazaar said.

The movie is screening at the Film Bazaar at the International Film Festival of India here.

It has been directed by award-winning documentary film makers Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi.

Ians...

Abu Dhabi, Nov 17: All of 23, Amna Ilyas is tall, dusky and oozes the confidence that it takes to catwalk on the ramps of the nascent yet booming scene of Pakistan's fashion industry. Having tasted filmdom with "Zinda Bhaag", she is now hopeful of clinching more movie offers. From India? Why not?

"I am thinking of quitting modelling and focussing on acting," Amna told Ians in an interview during the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

"A lot of films are being made in Pakistan right now and we are very happy about that. They are not big budget films, but small ones, which are nice. I currently have two scripts," said the actress, who.

D aawat Naama is one of the twenty-three films selected for the co- production market of Film Bazaar 2013. We spoke to the director Sabiha Sumar:

Sabiha Sumar

Tell us about your project. What language will it be in?

Daawat Naama is a mix of intrigue and family drama with song, dance, humour and a dash of tragedy. It is a coming of age story of two clans from opposite sides of the border who want to take their relationship to the next level but are encumbered by disturbing secrets. On one track we have our protagonist Rubs and her family. Rubs knows it’s no use trying to talk her husband Ashfaq out of inviting Abhinav Garewal to their daughter’s wedding to advance his political career by gaining useful contacts across the border. On the other track we have the Garewals, headed by Abhinav, who wants nothing to...

Kolkata, Nov 14: Basking in the success of her film "Zinda Bhaag", Pakistani filmmaker Meenu Gaur Thursday said roping in Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah was a "conscious decision" as he is quite popular in her homeland.

Naseer plays an important role in "Zinda Bhaag", the first Pakistani movie to be sent for the Oscars in the last 50 years.

Gaur, who co-directed the movie with Farjad Nabi, said the move has paid off because Naseer graciously accepted to train the amateur cast of the film.

Naseer's workshop helped polish the skills of the amateurs for the "very realistic" film.

"We requested him (to.

Kolkata, Nov 14: Conceding that it's difficult for independent filmmakers to make movies, Pakistani filmmaker Meenu Gaur Thursday said that the spotlight is again falling on the nation's film industry, thanks to the new breed of independent filmmakers who are churning out "realistic" cinema.

Gaur is here with her film "Zinda Bhaag" which will be shown at the ongoing 19th Kolkata International Film Festival (Kiff). The screening is scheduled for Nov 16.

"The Pakistani film industry has all but collapsed in the 1990s...frankly there aren't that many films that are being made," said Gaur, who has co-directed "Zindaa Bhaag".

The Nfdc Film Bazaar has announced “Market Recommendations” for 2013. Market Recommendations showcase select films looking for gap finance, distribution partners and world sales.

Film Bazaar 2013 will be held from 20 – 24 Nov, at Marriott Resort, Goa, alongside Iffi (International Film Festival of India – 20 – 30 Nov). Read Work-in-Progress Lab projects 2013

Below are the “Film Bazaar Recommends” films for this year:

Attihannu Mattu Kanaja

(Fig Fruit and The Wasps)

Director – M S PrakashBabu

Chaurya

(Theft)

Director – Sameer Patil

Chikka Putta

(Small Things, Big Things)

Director – Saumyananda Sahi

Coffee Bloom

Director – Manu Warrier

It’s not about the Cycle

Director – Achyutanand Dwivedi

Jai Ho – A Film On A.R. Rahman

Director – Umesh Aggarwal

Jayjaykar

(Triumph of Life)

Director – Shantanu Ganesh Rode

Kutchi Vahan Pani Wala

(From Gulf to Gulf to Gulf)

Director – Shaina Anand, Ashok Sukumaran

Lajwanti

(The Honor Keeper)

Director – Pushpender Singh

M Cream

Director – Agneya Singh

Margarita, With A Straw

Director – Shonali Bose

Mrs. Scooter...

Abu Dhabi, Oct 29: A shared culture and matching sensibility make India a promising destination for screening films from across the border, say Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, co-directors of highlly acclaimed Pakistani film "Zinda Bhaag".

Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah-starrer "Zinda Bhaag" is the first Pakistani movie to be sent for the Oscars in the last 50 years.

In 2008, Shoaib Mansoor's "Khuda Kay Liye" was released commercially in India, making it the first Pakistani film to release across the border after 43 years. It was followed by Mehreen Jabbar's "Ramchand Pakistani". In 2011, Indian audiences were treated to Mansoor's.

Abu Dhabi, Oct 27: Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah starrer Pakistani film "Zinda Bhaag", first movie from the nation sent for Oscar consideration in last 50 years, did excellent among viewers when screened at the ongoing Abu Dhabi Film Festival and showing the strong cultural bonding between the two nations.

The viewers enjoyed the film so much that they laughed, hooted and whistled while watching the immigration drama Saturday evening. Veteran actor Naseer's performance was much appreciated.

The fact that "Zinda Bhaag" comes from Pakistan, where filmmaking took a beating in the 1990s, and that it is contending.

In a talk at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Hyde Park Entertainment CEO Ashok Amritraj talks about growing global opportunities and also laments the lack of talent nurturing at Us studios and agencies.

Hyde Park Entertainment CEO Ashok Amritraj predicts there could be big growth in Middle Eastern cinema in the next decade.

In a talk at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the founder, CEO and Chairman of Hyde Park Entertainment said he was impressed by the potential of the young industry in the Middle East. “The enthusiasm and love and passion for the film industry is here…The next decade will be a very interesting one. Companies like Image Nation who encourage the talent — that is so critical in building the whole film area… The culture is so ready, the kids are very, very talented. You’ve got a real chance in the next decade.”

He had some advice to young people who want to break...

In a talk at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Hyde Park Entertainment CEO Ashok Amritraj talks about growing global opportunities and also laments the lack of talent nurturing at Us studios and agencies.

Hyde Park Entertainment CEO Ashok Amritraj predicts there could be big growth in Middle Eastern cinema in the next decade.

In a talk at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the founder, CEO and Chairman of Hyde Park Entertainment said he was impressed by the potential of the young industry in the Middle East. “The enthusiasm and love and passion for the film industry is here…The next decade will be a very interesting one. Companies like Image Nation who encourage the talent — that is so critical in building the whole film area… The culture is so ready, the kids are very, very talented. You’ve got a real chance in the next decade.”

He had some advice to young people who want to break...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its shortlist for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar — totaling a not-so-short 76 submitted films.

The number, up from 71 films last year, sets a new record for the category and includes frontrunners such as Asghar Farhadi’s The Past from Iran, Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt from Denmark, and Wong Kar-Wai’s The Grandmaster from Hong Kong. Abdellatif Kechiche’s festival favorite lesbian drama Blue Is the Warmest Color from France, however, failed to make the cut-off date for eligibility, while India controversially submitted Gyan Correa’s The Good Road over Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox.

The Academy officially announced today that a record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 2014 Oscars. Among those submitting, Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants and this is the first time Montenegro has submitted a film as an independent country. Based solely on name recognition alone I'd say Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt (Denmark) and Asghar Farhadi's The Past (Iran) will be looked at as front-runners. However, I haven't only seen a few of the titles on this list, another of which is Mexico's entry, Heli from Amat Escalante. I have heard good things about Borgman (Netherlands) and it will be interesting to see how Haifaa al-Mansour's Wadjda is treated as it is a story unto itself, not to mention it seems to be receiving high marks from those that have seen it. I'm personally hoping to catch it soon...

A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the foreign language film category for the 86th Academy Awards.

Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants while Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

Earlier this year the Academy changed its rule allowing all voting members to vote on the shortlist.

The nominations will be announced on January 16 2014 and the Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 2 2014 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram

Albania, Agon, Robert Budina

Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo

Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt

Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović

Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov

Cambodia...

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has released the list of the 76 countries and their submissions officially competing for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar.

Amongst the high profile entries this year are Australia's "The Rocket," Denmark's "The Hunt," France's "Renoir," Wong Kar-wai's "The Grandmaster," Iran's "The Past," and Saudi Arabia's "Wadjda".

The nominations will be announced on January 16th 2014 ahead of the ceremony on March 2nd. Here is the complete list:

Afghanistan, "Wajma – An Afghan Love Story," Barmak Akram

Albania, "Agon," Robert Budina

Argentina, "The German Doctor," Lucía Puenzo

Australia, "The Rocket," Kim Mordaunt

Austria, "The Wall," Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, "Steppe Man," Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, "Television," Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, "The Broken Circle Breakdown," Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, "An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker," Danis Tanovic

Brazil, "Neighboring Sounds," Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, "The Color of the Chameleon," Emil Hristov

Cambodia, "The Missing Picture,...

A record 76 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 86th Academy Awards®.

Moldova and Saudi Arabia are first-time entrants; Montenegro is submitting for the first time as an independent country.

The 2013 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “Wajma – An Afghan Love Story,” Barmak Akram, director;

Albania, “Agon,” Robert Budina, director;

Argentina, “The German Doctor,” Lucía Puenzo, director;

Australia, “The Rocket,” Kim Mordaunt, director;

Austria, “The Wall,” Julian Pölsler, director;

Azerbaijan, “Steppe Man,” Shamil Aliyev, director;

Bangladesh, “Television,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director;

Belgium, “The Broken Circle Breakdown,” Felix van Groeningen, director;

Bosnia and Herzegovina, “An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker,” Danis Tanovic, director;

Brazil, “Neighboring Sounds,” Kleber Mendonça Filho, director;

Bulgaria, “The Color of the Chameleon,” Emil Hristov, director;

Cambodia, “The Missing Picture,” Rithy Panh, director;

Canada, “Gabrielle,” Louise Archambault, director;

Chad, “GriGris,” Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, director;

Chile, “Gloria,” Sebastián Lelio, director;

China, “Back to 1942,” Feng Xiaogang,...

All entries for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Academy Awards 2014.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.

An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.

Submissions

Afghanistan, Wajma: An Afghan Love Story, Barmak Akram

Albania, Agon, Robert Budina

Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo

Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt

Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler

Azerbaijan, Steppe Man, Shamil Aliyev

Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović

Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov

Cambodia...

In line with SydneysBuzz’s focus on the international film business we have put together the most complete list on the 67 national submissions to compete for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. This list showcases films that have been the centerpieces of the most renowned festivals and that represent the best in the cinematic landscape from across the globe. Last year, at this point in the race the clear favorite was Palm d'Or winner Amour, which went on to win the award with no significant competition and scoring 4 other nominations including Best Picture, an outstanding feat for a foreign film about love at the end of life, by Michael Haneke.

This time around the story could have repeated almost identically with the most recent winner of Cannes’ biggest prize Blue is the Warmest Color. However, the film became one more victim of the Academy's rules, which rendered it unqualified to compete because of the late release date in France. With Blue out of the race the award is fair game for virtually anyone on the list, although there are certainly some favorites.

Saudi Arabia's first ever submission, the charming Wadjda might turn into beginners luck and score the Kingdom, in which movie theaters are banned, a nomination or even a win. Iran's audacious decision to submit the French-language The Past caused uproar among conservatives, but might certainly score the nation another nomination after their win in 2012 with the masterful A Separation. Other strong contenders are Denmark's The Hunt starring Mads Mikkelsen, and which would continue the countries streak of 3 consecutive nominations winning in 2011 with In A Better World, as well as Canada's Gabrielle about the romantic relationship of a handicapped couple, and Hong Kong’s The Grandmaster by famous director Wong Kar-wai.

Italy’s The Great Beauty, Australia’s The Rocket, Romania’s Child’s Pose, and Chile’s Gloria are among other titles that might score a nomination given their success and prominence during their festivals rounds. Some countries decided to take a chance and send audacious choices as their representation to the Academy, so is the case Mexico, a country that chose the more violent and artistically daring Cannes winner Heli, over the hit comedy Instructions Not Included, or Greece’s Boy Eating The Bird’s Food, which includes grotesque imagery that might not sit well with academy members.

The African continent is minimally represented with only 3 entries, South Africa’s Four Corners, and the Arabic-language works God’s Horses from Morocco, and Winter of Discontent from Egypt. Algeria, which has submitted regularly and even scored several nominations, is absent in this occasion. Another big omission is China who did not submit an entry but whose language is represented by Taiwan and the above-mentioned Hong Kong; equally strange is France’s decision to enter Renoir over tons of other films that could have substituted Abdellatif Kechiche.

Less surprising is Russia’s decision to submit a blockbuster-style production with a very nationalistic message in lieu of a more intimate film. On the other hand, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Switzerland decided to go with a documentary, a choice that has never been very fruitful in this category. Lastly, Israel and Palestine both entered strong candidate with Bethlehem and Omar respectively, adding with that to the great year the region has seen in the cinematic realm.

The rest of the films are a mixture of obscure titles with not much exposure outside their homelands, and a others with great premise but equally unknown quality. Thankfully for SydneysBuzz readers, the list below compiles all 67 Foreign Submissions and includes links to more information and a link to the trailer of every single one of them. For the most part the clips are subtitled; the ones that are not will at least give the reader a sense of what the film is about. As the Awards Season develops, we will have updates on predicted nominees and other developments in the race for the Best Foreign Language Film.

Argentina

The German Doctor (Wakolda)

Dir: Lucia Puenzo

Language: Spanish, German, Hebrew

U.S Release: Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard

Trailer

Australia

The Rocket

Dir: Kim Mordaunt

Language: Lao

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin 2013: Best First Feature Film ,Tribeca 2013: World Narrative Competition

Trailer

Austria

The Wall

Dir: Julian Polsler

Language: German

U.S Release: Released by Music Box Films on May 31st, 2013

Festivals: Sitges Ff 2012 Oficial Fantastic, Mumbai Ff 2012 Int'l Competition

Trailer

Bangladesh

Television

Dir: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Language: Bengali

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Dubai Diff 2012 (Muhr AsiaAfrica Feature Special Mention)

Trailer

Belgium

The Broken Circle Breakdown

Dir: Felix van Groeningen

Language: Flemish

U.S Release: Tribeca Film Will Release the Film on November 1st, 2013

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Panorama

Trailer

Bosnia And Herzegovina

An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker

Dir: Danis Tanović

Language: Bosnian, Romani

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 Competition, Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

Trailer

Brazil

Neighboring Sounds

Dir: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Language: Portuguese, Mandarin

U.S Release: Released by Cinema Guild, Now Available on Netflix streaming

Festivals:Mar Del Plata Ff 2012 Competencia Int'l, Bafici (Buenos Aires) 2013 Panorama

Trailer

Bulgaria

The Color of the Chameleon

Dir: Emil Hristov

Language: Bulgarian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery, Thessaloniki Iff 2012 Int'l Competition

Trailer

Cambodia

The Missing Picture

Dir: Rithy Panh

Language: French

U.S Release: Acquired by Strand Releasing for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 - Un Certain Regard Prix, San Sebastian 2013 Pearls

Trailer

Canada

Gabrielle

Dir: Louise Archambault

Language: French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto- Tiff 2013, Locarno International Film Festival 2013

Trailer

Chile

Gloria

Dir: Sebastian Lelio

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Acquired by Roadside Attractions for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013

Trailer

Colombia

La Playa DC

Dir: Juan Andrés Arango

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Released by Artmattan Productions on July 19th, 2013

Festivals:Official Selection Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard, Chicago Iff 2012 New Directors Competition

Trailer

Croatia

Halima's Path

Dir: Arsen Anton Ostojić

Language: Bosnian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Tallinn Black Nights Iff 2012 - EurAsia (Special Jury Prize)

Trailer

Czech Republic

Burning Bush

Dir: Agnieszka Holland

Language: Czech

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013

Trailer

Denmark

The Hunt

Dir: Thomas Vinterberg

Language: Danish

U.S Release: Released by Magnolia Pictures on July 12th

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012, AFI Fest

Trailer

Dominican Republic

Who's the Boss?

Dir: Ronni Castillo

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

Trailer

Egypt

Winter of Discontent

Dir: Ibrahim el-Batout

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013

Trailer

Estonia

Free Range

Dir: Veiko Õunpuu

Language: Estonian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2012

Trailer

Finland

The Disciple

Dir: Ulrika Bengts

Language: Finnish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals:Helsinki International Film Festival, Montréal World Film Festival

Trailer

France

Renoir

Dir: Gilles Bourdos

Language: French

U.S Release: Released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on March 29th, 2013

Festivals: Cannes 2012 Un Certain Regard

Trailer

Georgia

In Bloom

Dir: Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß

Language: Georgian

U.S Release: Acquired by Big World Pictures for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Cicae award Berlinale Forum 2013

Trailer

Germany

Two Lives

Dir: Georg Maas

Language: German

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013, Busan 2013

Trailer

Greece

Boy Eating The Bird's Food

Dir: Ektoras Lygizos

Language: Greek

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Discovery

Trailer

Hong Kong

The Grandmaster

Dir: Wong Kar-wai

Language: Cantonese, Mandarin

U.S Release: Released by The Weinstein Company on August 23rd, 2013

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013, Cannes 2013

Trailer

Hungary

The Notebook

Dir: Janosz Szasz

Language: Hungarian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

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Iceland

Of Horses and Men

Dir: Benedikt Erlingsson

Language: Icelandic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Sundance 2013

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India

The Good Road

Dir: Gyan Correa

Language: Gujarati

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: London Indian Film Festival in 2013

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Iran

The Past

Dir: Asghar Farhadi

Language: French, Persian

U.S Release: Sony Pictures Classics will release the film on December 20th, 2013

Festivals:Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Actress, Toronto - Tiff 2013

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Israel

Bethlehem

Dir: Yuval Adler

Language: Hebrew

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery, Cannes 2013 , Berlin Efm 2013

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Italy

The Great Beauty

Dir: Paolo Sorrentino

Language: Italian

U.S Release: Acquired by Janus Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Berlin Efm 2013,

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Japan

The Great Passage

Dir: Yuya Ishii

Language: Japanese

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Fantasia Ff 2013 Official Selection, Cannes 2013

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Kazakhstan

The Old Man

Dir: Ermek Tursunov

Language: Russian, Kazakh

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Latvia

Mother, I Love You

Dir: Janis Nords

Language: Latvian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Los Angeles Film Festival 2013

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Lebanon

Ghadi

Dir: Amin Dora

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Lithuania

Conversations on Serious Topics

Dir: Giedrė Beinoriūtė

Language: Lithuanian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013

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Luxembourg

Blind Spot

Dir: Christophe Wagner

Language: Luxembourgish, French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012

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Mexico

Heli

Dir: Amat Escalante

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition-Won Best Director, San Sebastian 2013 Horizontes Latinos,

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Montenegro

Bad Destiny

Dir: Draško Đurović

Language: Serbo-Croatian

U.S Release: Acquired by Princ Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Toronto- Tiff 2013, Busan 2013

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Morocco

God's Horses

Dir: Nabil Ayouch

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Bif London Film Festival 2012

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Nepal

Soongava: Dance of the Orchids

Dir: Subarna Thapa

Language: Nepalese

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Berlin Efm 2013

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The Netherlands

Borgman

Dir: Alex van Warmerdam

Language: Dutch

U.S Release: Acquired by Drafthouse Films for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Competition, Busan 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013

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New Zealand

White Lies

Dir: Dana Rotberg

Language: Maori

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Norway

I Am Yours

Dir: Iram Haq

Language: Norwegian, Urdu

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto-tiff 2013

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Pakistan

Zinda Bhaag

Dir: Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi

Language: Udu, Punjabi

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Palestine

Omar

Dir: Hany Abu-Assad

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Un Certain Regard, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Peru

The Cleaner

Dir: Adrian Saba

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Palm Springs Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival

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Philippines

Transit

Dir: Hannah Espia

Language: Filipino, Tagalog, Hebrew

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cinemalaya Film Festival 2013

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Poland

Walesa

Dir: Andrzej Wajda

Language: Polish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2013, Venice- Biennale 2013

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Portugal

Lines of Wellington

Dir: Valeria Sarmiento

Language: Portuguese, English, French

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Venice - Biennale 2012 Competition, Toronto - Tiff 2012

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Romania

Child's Pose

Dir: Calin Peter Netzer

Language: Romanian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlinale - Efm 2013 - Competition (Golden Bear for the Best Film), Toronto - Tiff 2013 Contemporary World Cinema

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Russia

Stalingrad

Dir: Fedor Bondarchuk

Language: Russian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: N/A

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Saudi Arabia

Wadjda

Dir: Haifaa al-Mansour

Language: Arabic

U.S Release: Released by Sony Pictures Classics on September 13th, 2013

Festivals: Cannes 2012, Venice International Film Festival 2012, Los Angeles Film Festival, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Serbia

Circles

Dir: Srdan Golubovic

Language: Serbian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlinale - Efm 2013 Forum, Cannes 2013

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Singapore

Ilo Ilo

Dir: Anthony Chen

Language: Mandarin, Hokkien, English, Tagalog

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013 Directors Fortnight, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Discovery

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Slovakia

My Dog Killer

Dir: Mira Fornay

Language: Slovak

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Berlin Efm 2013, Cannes 2013, Busan 2013

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Slovenia

Class Enemy

Dir: Rok Biček

Language: Slovene

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto-tiff 2013

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Spain

15 Years and One Day

Dir: Gracia Querejeta

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: San Sebastian 2013 Made in Spain, Berlin Efm 2013

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South Africa

Four Corners

Dir: Ian Gabriel

Language: Afrikaans, Tsotsitaal

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals:N/A

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South Korea

Juvenile Offender

Dir: Kang Yi-kwan

Language: Korean

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Contemporary World Cinema,

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Sweden

Eat Sleep Die

Dir: Gabriela Pichler

Language: Swedish, Croatian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Venice International Film Festival 2012, Toronto - Tiff 2012

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Switzerland

More Than Honey

Dir: Markus Imhoof

Language: German, Mandarin

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto - Tiff 2012 Tiff Docs, Cannes 2013, Berlin Efm 2013

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Taiwan

Soul

Dir: Mong-Hong Chung

Language: Mandarin

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Toronto - Tiff 2013 Vanguard

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Thailand

Countdown

Dir: Nattawut Poonpiriya

Language: Thai

U.S Release: Acquired by Birch Tree Entertainment for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Cannes 2013, Far East Film Festival 2013

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Turkey

The Butterfly's Dream

Dir: Yılmaz Erdoğan

Language: Turkish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Istanbul Film Festival, Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival

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Ukraine

Paradjanov

Dir: Serge Avedikian and Olena Fetisova

Language: Russian

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Toronto 2013

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United Kingdom

Metro Manila

Dir: Sean Elllis

Language: Filipino, Tagalog

U.S Release: Acquired by Paladin/108 Media for U.S Distribution

Festivals: Sundance 2013 World Dramatic, Berlin Efm 2012, Cannes 2012, Afm 2012, Berlin Efm 2013

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Venezuela

Breach in the Silence

Dir: Luis and Andrés Rodríguez

Language: Spanish

U.S Release: Tba

Festivals: Ventana Sur 2012, Festival de Mar del Plata "Panorama Latinomaericano"

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New entries from Argentina, Denmark, Lebanon, Lithuania and Peru.

Submissions for the Best Foreign-Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards are coming in and will continue until October, when the full list of eligible submissions will be revealed.

Last year, a record 71 countries submitted features and the eventual winner was Austrian entry Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.

An initial nine finalists will be shortlisted, which will be whittled down to five nominees that will be announced on Jan 16, 2014.

Submissions

* = new additions

* Argentina, Wakolda, Lucía Puenzo

Australia, The Rocket, Kim Mordaunt

Austria, The Wall, Julian Pölsler

Bangladesh, Television, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Belgium, The Broken Circle Breakdown, Felix van Groeningen

Bosnia and Herzegovina, An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker, Danis Tanović

Brazil, Neighbouring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Bulgaria, The Colour of the Chameleon, Emil Hristov

Canada, Gabrielle, Louise Archambault

Chile, Gloria, Sebastián Lelio

Colombia, La Playa DC, Juan Andrés Arango

Croatia, Halima’s Path...

India has selected Gyan Correa’s The Good Road as its entry for the best foreign-language film category of the Academy Awards, while Bangladesh has submitted Mostofa S. Farooki’s Television.

The Indian selection came as a surprise as Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox had appeared to be a frontrunner in recent months. Warmly received at this year’s Cannes and Telluride film festivals, Batra’s Mumbai-set love story has been sold widely by sales agent The Match Factory and has a Us distributor, Sony Pictures Classics, on board.

Produced by the National Film Development Corp (Nfdc), the Gujarati-language The Good Road tells the story of three sets of people travelling through the Kachchh region of Gujarat. The cast includes Sonali Kulkarni and Ajay Gehi, while technical talent includes Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty and DoP Amitabha Singh.

The film was selected by a committee appointed by the Film Federation of India (Ffi), which was headed by Bengali...

Karachi, Sep 14: 'Zinda Bhaag' has been chosen as the first Pakistani film submission, in over 5 decades, for Oscar consideration in the 'Foreign Language Film Award' category at the 86th Academy Awards.

The Lahore-set comedy, starring Bollywood legend Naseeruddin Shah, has already won 4 awards in 3 different categories at the Mosaic Misaff festival held in Toronto, the Dawn reported.

The flick was selected for the Oscars by means of a ballot, conducted by the members of Pakistani Academy Selection Committee.

Other films that were put under consideration during the voting process included 'Chambeli', 'Josh'.

New Delhi, Aug 9: Mazhar Zaidi and Farjad Nabi are journalists-turned-filmmakers from Pakistan. When they came together to make "Zinda Bhaag" on a burning issue in Pakistan, they had to seek help from across the border, as the Lahore-based film industry is in tatters and there was no technical help they could fall back on.

"It was a challenge to go for a feature film in Pakistan..