News

AMC Networks’ streaming service Sundance Now has acquired North American rights to “The Dreamers,” a series directed by Maysaloun Hamoud (“In Between”), a rising Hungarian-born Palestinian filmmaker.

The thought-provoking crime comedy series screened at Series Mania Forum 2019 and went on to play at several festivals, including Zurich.

“The Dreamers” was produced by Shlomi Elkabetz and Galit Cahlon (“In Between”) at the banner Deux Beaux Garcons, and was commissioned by the powerful Israeli cabler Hot, whose hit shows include “In Treatment,” “Euphoria” (2012) and “Losing Alice.”

Set against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Gaza Strip, “The Dreamers” tells the story of three young Palestinian students who travel to Tel Aviv in 2008 and try to establish a new and liberated Palestinian community for themselves. When the three friends, Warda (Maisa Abd Elhadi), Kayes (Riyad Sliman) and Salah (Aiman Daw), try to buy drugs and get high at the end of a long day,...

Apple TV+ has debuted a new trailer for the espionage thriller series ‘Tehran’.

The eight-episode series tells the thrilling story of a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places her and everyone around her in dire jeopardy.

Created by Moshe Zonder (“Fauda”), Dana Eden and Maor Kohn, and co-created and directed by Daniel Syrkin, the show stars Israeli actress Niv Sultan; Shaun Toub; Navid Negahban; Shervin Alenabi (“Baghdad in My Shadow”); Liraz Charhi (“A Late Quartet”); and Menashe Noy.

Also in trailers – Neon release uncut trailer for Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Possessor’

The series premieres globally on Appl TV+ September 25th.

The post Apple TV+ drop trailer for espionage thriller series ‘Tehran’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Apple is preparing to enter thriller territory with “Tehran,” one of Apple TV+’s first forays into the genre. The company released the trailer for the upcoming espionage series on Wednesday.

Per Apple, “Tehran” tells the thrilling story of a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places her and everyone around her in dire jeopardy. The series is created by Moshe Zonder (“Fauda”), Dana Eden and Maor Kohn, and co-created and directed by Daniel Syrkin. Zonder also serves as writer alongside co-creator Omri Shenhar. “Tehran” stars Niv Sultan, Shaun Toub; Navid Negahban, Shervin Alenabi (“Baghdad in My Shadow”), Liraz Charhi (“A Late Quartet”), and Menashe Noy.

Though the series’ new trailer doesn’t offer much in the way of new plot details, the various scenes of interrogations, hacking, and spurts of gritty violence suggest that whatever undercover mission is happening, it will indeed...

Apple TV+ is preparing to release one of its first thrillers with “Tehran,” a series that centers on an undercover Mossad agent. Set to premiere September 25 on the streaming service, the eight-episode series will debut with the first three episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday.

Per an official synopsis from Apple, the series revolves around a Mossad agent who goes deep undercover on a dangerous mission in Tehran that places her and everyone around her in dire jeopardy. The series stars young Israeli actress Niv Sultan; Shaun Toub; Navid Negahban; Shervin Alenabi (“Baghdad in My Shadow”); Liraz Charhi (“A Late Quartet”); and Menashe Noy.

Apple partnered with Cineflix Rights and Israeli network Kan 11 to co-produce “Tehran.” The series is created by Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden, and Maor Kohn, and directed by Daniel Syrkin. Omri Shenhar serves as writer alongside Zonder. The series is executive produced by Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden,...

Michal Aviad on Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in Adrian Lyne's Fatal Attraction and Demi Moore and Douglas in Barry Levinson's Disclosure: "Before writing and while writing and researching I looked for films that deal with sexual harassment." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Michal Aviad's Working Woman, co-written with Sharon Azulay Eyal and Michal Vinik, shot by Daniel Miller, stars Liron Ben-Shlush (Asaf Korman's Next to Her), Menashe Noy (Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz' Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem), and Oshri Cohen with Irit Sheleg (Rama Burshtein's Fill The Void), and is produced by Amir Harel (Eytan Fox's Walk On Water which starred Lior Ashkenazi) and Ayelet Kait.

Michal Aviad on Liron Ben-Shlush as Orna in Working Woman: "I want to know how does it feel to be inside the female protagonist and try to look at it from her point of view.

Shlomi Elkabetz has boarded ground-breaking project.

The first ever feature directed by Bedouin filmmakers - and giving a rare insight into Israel’s Bedouin community - was among the 10 projects unveiled at Jerusalem Film Festival’s Pitch Point industry event over the weekend.

Entitled Eed, the drama will be set and shot in the Bedouin city of Rahat in southern Israel, a city never before shown on the big screen in feature film format.

It revolves around the titular character of Eed, a 21-year-old aspiring theatre director whose artistic ambitions and desires for personal freedom are compromised when his family...

After naming Alfonso Cuarón the best-reviewed filmmaker of the 21st century and Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer the worst, Metacritic’s next list explores the 25 best movies directed by women. Unsurprisingly, Kathryn Bigelow takes both the #1 and #2 spots with “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Hurt Locker,” respectively.

Read MoreAlfonso Cuarón Is the Best Director of the 21st Century, According to Metacritic — See the Top 25

Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director with the latter, a painfully tense drama about the Iraq War. (Her latest, “Detroit,” just misses the list by a few points.) Ava DuVernay also shows up twice (with “Selma” and “13th”), as does Sarah Polley (“Away from Her” and “Stories We Tell”), while the likes of Sofia Coppola, Mia Hansen-Løve, and Maren Ade are represented as well. Here’s the data-driven review aggregator’s full list:

Read MoreUwe Boll Isn’t the...

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.

Full Lineup Announcements

– The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) and The India Center Foundation are launching India Kaleidoscope, an exciting new festival that will present film lovers with a chance to immerse themselves in the unique sights and sounds that make up the Indian regional, independent film landscape. These films, which delve into the most relevant and pressing topics facing India, are being made by today’s most progressive filmmakers working in regional languages such as Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, and Bengali. Their films are insightful, topical, and provocative, bringing to light the dynamism and the challenges that face modern India and her many diverse communities.

The inaugural festival, taking place December 8 – 11 at the Museum, will feature eight films, including seven new titles that will be making their U.

This fall semester I started taking an Italian language class two evenings a week with my daughter, and Thursday night I was looking to decompress after our first big quiz. (Scores haven’t been revealed yet, but I think we did just fine.) So I started rummaging through my shelves and came across the Warner Archives DVD of Francesco Maselli’s A Fine Pair (1968), an ostensibly breezy romantic caper comedy which reteams Rock Hudson and Claudia Cardinale, a pairing their public was presumably clamoring for after their previous outing together in Blindfold (1965), a Universal programmer written and directed by Phillip Dunne, the screenwriter of, among many other notable movies, How Green Was My Valley. I’ve had a mad crush on Claudia ever since I first saw her in Circus World (1964) with John Wayne when I was but a youngster, and I always welcome the chance to visit movies of...

Exclusive: Film captures lives of young Palestinians living in Tel Aviv.

Paris-based Alma Cinema has picked up sales on Palestinian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s debut feature In Between (Bar Bahar) ahead of its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 8-18) on Sept 11.

The film follows a group of young Palestinians, hailing from Arab towns and villages lying within Israeli borders, living in Tel Aviv.

At the heart of the story are party animals Leila and Salma whose hedonistic lifestyles are disrupted by the arrival of family friend Noor, a devout Muslim girl from the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.

Alma head of sales and acquisitions Sara May described the work as an unprecedented portrait of the challenges and contradictions facing young Palestinian women born and living in Israel.

“Maysaloun deals with the subject in a very subtle, entertaining way. It’s fun. I think it could be a real crowd-pleaser,” said May.[p...

Exclusive: Film captures lives of young Palestinians living in Tel Aviv.

Paris-based Alma Cinema has picked up sales on Palestinian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s debut feature Bar Bahar (In Between) ahead of its world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 8-18) on Sept 11.

The film follows a group of young Palestinians, hailing from Arab towns and villages lying within Israeli borders, living in Tel Aviv.

At the heart of the story are party animals Leila and Salma whose hedonistic lifestyles are disrupted by the arrival of family friend Noor, a devout Muslim girl from the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm.

Alma head of sales and acquisitions Sara May described the work as an unprecedented portrait of the challenges and contradictions facing young Palestinian women born and living in Israel.

“Maysaloun deals with the subject in a very subtle, entertaining way. It’s fun. I think it could be a real crowd-pleaser,” said May.[p...

Jff to pay tribute to Israeli actress and film-maker who died in April.

Jerusalem Film Festival (Jff, July 7-17) is to host a tribute to Israeli actress and film-maker Ronit Elkabetz.

Elkabetz was nominated seven times at Israel’s Oscars (Ophir Awards) for both acting and directing. She died in April this year following a battle with cancer.

The festival will screen her 2004 film To Take A Wife, in which she also starred. The film marked the first instalment in a trilogy written and directed by Elkabetz with her brother Shlomi Elkabetz. The final entry, 2014’s Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem, was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Opening film

Pedro Almodovar’s Cannes Competition title Julieta will open this year’s festival, with an open air screening at the outdoor Sultan’s Pool venue.

The film, which stars Emma Suarez and Adriana Ugarte as older and younger versions of the titular protagonist, has been selected...

With three galvanizing dramas to their credit, the Israeli brother-and-sister tandem of Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz (creators of Gett) have joined the Dardennes, Tavianis and Coens in an exclusive club of internationally acclaimed siblings. Their latest, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, which won critics’ and audience prizes at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Picture Award from the Israeli Film Academy, highlights the absurdity of Israel’s divorce law (which falls under the authority of Orthodox rabbis, and requires the spouse’s consent) through an extended court case. Sharply written and wonderfully acted, it is the final chapter in the filmmakers’ Viviane Amsalem trilogy and the first to receive distribution in the U.S.>> - Michael Fox...

With three galvanizing dramas to their credit, the Israeli brother-and-sister tandem of Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz (creators of Gett) have joined the Dardennes, Tavianis and Coens in an exclusive club of internationally acclaimed siblings. Their latest, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, which won critics’ and audience prizes at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Picture Award from the Israeli Film Academy, highlights the absurdity of Israel’s divorce law (which falls under the authority of Orthodox rabbis, and requires the spouse’s consent) through an extended court case. Sharply written and wonderfully acted, it is the final chapter in the filmmakers’ Viviane Amsalem trilogy and the first to receive distribution in the U.S.>> - Michael Fox...

Terrible news to report today. The great Israeli actress Ronit Elkabetz has passed away at only 51 years of age. 

Her last film proved to be her biggest hit (Gett: The Trial of Viviane Absalem) -- we interviewed her right here -- but that courtroom drama was far from her only gem. We first fell (and fell hard) for the intense raven haired beauty in the astounding Late Marriage (2001) where she played the older woman in a sexually intense love affair with a slightly younger man (Lior Ashkenazi) whose parents were eager to marry him off to a "proper" bride and end his long-standing bachelordom. She won the Ophir (Israel's Academy Award) for that film, one of three wins for her as Best Actress.

If you've never seen "Late Marriage," you really must.She also starred in Or (My Treasure) (2004), the international hit The Band's Visit (2007), and other films in both France and Israel.

Country’s film industry and former president Shimon Peres react with dismay at news that the multi-award-winner has died from cancer

Multi-award-winning Israeli actor-director Ronit Elkabetz has died aged 51 from cancer, it has been announced. The daughter of Moroccan immigrants, Elkabetz’s most successful film was also her most recent: Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, in which she starred as an orthodox Jewish woman attempting to obtain a religious divorce; she also co-directed and wrote it with her brother Shlomi. The film won numerous awards, and was nominated for the best foreign language film Golden Globe in 2015.

News of Elkabetz’s death was greeted with dismay across the Israeli film industry, with fellow director Amos Gitai saying: “It’s no wonder she captivated the world’s attention, she was loved by everyone ... she was simply spectacular.” Former president Shimon Peres said in a statement that Elkabetz was “an...

Country’s film industry and former president Shimon Peres react with dismay at news that the multi-award-winner has died from cancer

Multi-award-winning Israeli actor-director Ronit Elkabetz has died aged 51 from cancer, it has been announced. The daughter of Moroccan immigrants, Elkabetz’s most successful film was also her most recent: Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, in which she starred as an orthodox Jewish woman attempting to obtain a religious divorce; she also co-directed and wrote it with her brother Shlomi. The film won numerous awards, and was nominated for the best foreign language film Golden Globe in 2015.

News of Elkabetz’s death was greeted with dismay across the Israeli film industry, with fellow director Amos Gitai saying: “It’s no wonder she captivated the world’s attention, she was loved by everyone ... she was simply spectacular.” Former president Shimon Peres said in a statement that Elkabetz was “an...

The star and director of Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem has passed away following a prolonged battle with cancer.

Ronit Elkabetz, Israeli leading actress and director, has passed away at the age of 51, following a prolonged battle with cancer. She is survived by her husband and two three-year-old twins.

The daughter of a hairdresser and a postal employee, Elkabetz didn’t study acting, but broke into the profession in 1990 after an earlier career as a model.

In 1997 she moved to Paris to study acting with Ariane Mnouchkine, supporting herself as a waitress before she was invited to the famous Avignon Theatre Festival to do a one woman show on the life Martha Graham.

Her strong, powerful, outspoken personality and remarkable camera presence left an indelible mark from her very early films and TV performances. She threw herself into every part she assumed with a fierce, desperate commitment, that seemed to take possession of her whole...

The co-director, co-writer and star of Golden Globe nominee Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem, Ronit Elkabetz, passed away this morning following a battle with cancer. She was 51. Israel-born Elkabetz worked across both Israeli and French cinema, starring in such acclaimed films as André Techiné’s The Girl On The Train and Eran Kolirin’s The Band’s Visit for which she won a Best Actress Ophir Award from the Israeli Film Academy. Gett was the last part of a trilogy about…...

This is definitely the time of year when film critic types (I’m sure you know who I mean) spend an inordinate amount of time leading up to awards season—and it all leads up to awards season, don’t it?—compiling lists and trying to convince anyone who will listen that it was a shitty year at the movies for anyone who liked something other than what they saw and liked. And ‘tis the season, or at least ‘thas (?) been in the recent past, for that most beloved of academic parlor games, bemoaning the death of cinema, which, if the sackcloth-and-ashes-clad among us are to be believed, is an increasingly detached and irrelevant art form in the process of being smothered under the wet, steaming blanket of American blockbuster-it is. And it’s going all malnourished from the siphoning off of all the talent back to TV, which, as everyone knows,...

According to local filmmakers, the recent suppression of documentary Beyond The Fear is just one episode in a quickening erosion of artistic freedom in Israel.

As Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre began to roll on the opening night of the Jerusalem Film Festival in the picturesque Sultan’s Pool amphitheatre in early July, another screening was kicking off just metres above the spectators’ heads.

On a terrace overlooking the event, some 50 film-makers and producers had gathered for a protest screening of Maria Kravchenko and the late Herz Frank’s Beyond The Fear.

They included The Kindergarten Teacher director Nadav Lapid; Keren Yedaya, who won Cannes’ Camera d’Or for her debut work Or; Ra’anan Alexandrowicz, whose credits include the award-winning The Law In These Parts; and Shlomi Elkabetz, co-director of the Golden Globe-nominated Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem which premiered in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May 2014 and went on to win best film at...

Producer Shlomi Elkabetz is onboard for director Maysaloun Hamoud’s debut feature.

Israeli film-maker and producer Shlomi Elkabetz is set to produce Maysaloun Hamoud’s feature In Between, an unprecedented portrait of young Palestinian women living life to the full in Tel Aviv.

The film will revolve around two party animal Palestinian girls hailing from villages in Northern Israel – Leila and Salma — whose liberal lifestyles in Tel Aviv are disrupted by the arrival of Noor, a devout religious Muslim girl from the of Umm al-Fahm, an Arab town situated within Israeli borders.

In the backdrop, the film will explore the reality of being a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship.

“The way Leila and Salma are living is breaking all the taboos of traditional conservative Arab society,” explained Hamoud at a presentation of the project at the Pitch Point event at the Jerusalem Film Festival on Monday.

“They choose to leave traditional village life because they want to be free...

Beasts of Burden: Levi’s Slapstick Heist Film Runs Amuck

For his sophomore film, Israeli director Reshef Levi inserts Patrick Stewart alongside the likes of Sasson Gabai, Moni Moshonov, and Moshe Ivgy for a comedic bank heist in Hunting Elephants. While there’s mild amusement to be had amongst this group of sassy old codgers, the whole endeavor feels a bit forced. Snippets of characters directly addressing the camera frequently distract as Levi and co-writer Regey Levi cut across timespans in attempt to give the scenario added depth. Reinforcing stereotypes rather than playing with them, Levi’s broad scenario feels tonally akin to something like Last Vegas (2013) but entrenched in more archaic stagnation.

Daniel (Zvika Hadar) is a security guard at a bank. While explaining to his twelve year old son Jonathan (Gil Blank) how the new security system works, replete with all the proper codes needed to gain entry,...

Actress and filmmaker joined by four including Katell Quillévéré and Andréa Picard.

Israeli actress and filmmaker Ronit Elkabetz will preside over the jury of the 54th Semaine de la Critique in Cannes (May 14-22).

Elkabetz is something of a Critics’ Week regular having starred in Keren Yedaya’s 2004 feature Or and directed 2008 drama 7 Days (Shiva).

Her third film Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem, selected at the Directors’ Fortnight in 2014, was nominated for the Golden Globes 2015 in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Also on the jury are director Katell Quillévéré, DoP Peter Suschitzky, Toronto programmer Andréa Picard and journalist Boyd van Hoeij.

The jury will award three prizes: the Nespresso Grand Prize and the France 4 Visionary Award for feature films, the Sony CineAlta Discovery Prize for short films.

The 54th Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar has named Israeli actress and filmmaker Ronit Elkabetz as jury president. Elkabetz co-helmed this year’s Golden Globe nominee Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem with her brother Shlomi. It ran last year in Directors’ Fortnight. Elkabetz’s jury will include director Katell Quillévéré, cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, Toronto Film Fest programmer Andréa Picard and journalist Boyd van Hoeij. The panel will award the Nespresso Grand…...

The 54th Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar has named Israeli actress and filmmaker Ronit Elkabetz as jury president. Elkabetz co-helmed this year’s Golden Globe nominee Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem with her brother Shlomi. It ran last year in Directors’ Fortnight. Elkabetz’s jury will include director Katell Quillévéré, cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, Toronto Film Fest programmer Andréa Picard and journalist Boyd van Hoeij. The panel will award the Nespresso Grand…...

An actress/filmmaker who could easily call the impractical venue/annually gem-filled gift-giving Cannes sidebar a home away from home, Ronit Elkabetz, who has seen a pair of her films play in the section, will now serve as jury president for the Cannes’ Critics’ Week (May 14th to the 22nd). Filmmaker Katell Quillévéré (Love Like Poison), Peter Suschitzky (regular Cronenberg Dp and has The Tale of Tales coming out), Andréa Picard (the mastermind behind Tiff’s Wavelengths) and THR critic Boyd van Hoeij will share jury duties and hand out a trio of awards. Last year, it was It Follows and The Tribe that were the break out film of the section. Our Nicholas Bell recently remarked that Elkabetz “owns every frame” of Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem. Line-up will be released on April 20th.

Ronit Elkabetz, with her brother Shlomi Elkabetz, recently co-directed the 2015 Golden Globe nominee "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem," Israeli's official foreign Oscar submission which is still in theaters. She will award three prizes: the Nespresso Grand Prize and the France 4 Visionary Award for feature films, and the Sony CineAlta Discovery Prize for short films. Elkabetz broke out as an actress in "Or" by Keren Yedaya, which was selected at La Semaine de la Critique in 2004 and won the Caméra d’Or. In 2008 she came back to open La Semaine as the director of "7 Days," the second film in a trilogy rounded out by 2014 Directors' Fortnight entry "Gett." Read More: Cannes 2015 Poster Sends a Love Letter to Ingrid Bergman Cannes Critics' Week offers a lavish week of exposure for first and second-time filmmakers. Last year's entry "It Follows" is doing quite nicely at the box office right now. This year,...

The legal dissolution of a marriage has been dramatic fodder for serious films throughout the years, including Kramer Vs Kramer and The Sum Of Us. Oh, and even a few comedies like The War Of The Roses (but it’s very, very dark). Husband and wife are treated equally in the court (when the lawyers aren’t able to work things out) as the judge and jurors decide how the union will end. But what about other countries, other cultures? What occurs when one spouse apparently has all the power in the proceedings? Such is the conflict in this new film set in Israel, where a trio of rabbis decide one woman’s fate. And since there’s no claims of adultery or physical abuse, the divorce decree can only happen if the husband will consent. That’s the main obstacle and conflict in Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem.

Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes news with his sectarian speech to Congress, the better drama about Israeli society and military history can be found in two recently released films. Both movies are ideal candidates for being adapted into dramatic films in the States. Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz’s “Gett, The Trial of Vivian Amsalem,” offers a riveting portrayal of an Orthodox Jewish woman’s struggle to obtain a gett, a religious divorce required by Orthodox Jewry, from her clearly estranged husband. The drama features the disengaged couple returning time and time again over the years to appear in.

With three galvanizing dramas to their credit, the Israeli brother-and-sister tandem of Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz (creators of Gett) have joined the Dardennes, Tavianis and Coens in an exclusive club of internationally acclaimed siblings. Their latest, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, which won critics’ and audience prizes at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Picture Award from the Israeli Film Academy, highlights the absurdity of Israel’s divorce law (which falls under the authority of Orthodox rabbis, and requires the spouse’s consent) through an extended court case. Sharply written and wonderfully acted, it is the final chapter in the filmmakers’ Viviane Amsalem trilogy and the first to receive distribution in the U.S.>> - Michael Fox...

With three galvanizing dramas to their credit, the Israeli brother-and-sister tandem of Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz (creators of Gett) have joined the Dardennes, Tavianis and Coens in an exclusive club of internationally acclaimed siblings. Their latest, Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, which won critics’ and audience prizes at the Venice Film Festival and the Best Picture Award from the Israeli Film Academy, highlights the absurdity of Israel’s divorce law (which falls under the authority of Orthodox rabbis, and requires the spouse’s consent) through an extended court case. Sharply written and wonderfully acted, it is the final chapter in the filmmakers’ Viviane Amsalem trilogy and the first to receive distribution in the U.S.>> - Michael Fox...

Chicago – The title event of “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” is a prison sentence with no predictable day of release. The prisoner is Viviane (a fascinating Ronit Elkabetz), a soft-spoken middle-aged woman well beyond the point of a content unhappiness. She is trapped to a farce, as the divorce laws of Israel demand that a husband agree to the divorce before it can be finalized, with three rabbis and a lawyer each to discuss the event.

Viviane’s desire to start a new life away from her current husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian) becomes a hell on earth as he proves an unmovable object, a warden with no empathy who refuses to show up for many of the hearings (he doesn’t really have to unless it gets really bad, according to law). It takes him about a year and a half to finally appear first time, and even...

Pre-sales down 40% following shootings in the Danish capital less than two weeks ago.

Pre-sales for the 9th Copenhagen Jewish Film Festival are down 40% on last year in the wake of the shooting in the Danish capital on Feb 14, which left two people dead - including Danish director-producer Finn Nørgaard - and five police officers wounded.

“People are scared,” festival director Anne Boukris told Danish television TV2 News. “All the time people are asking me about security – after what happened in Copenhagen, they are anxious about what is going to happen next.”

The festival launches tonight and runs till March 21 with a programme comprising 24 international films with Jewish themes, held atthe Cinemateket at Copenhagen’s Film House.

“I am sure people are scared to come,” added Boukris.

The festival will open with Golden Globe-nominated Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem from Israeli directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, introduced by Danish member of Parliament Özlem Cekic.

Cjff will also...

Pre-sales down 40% following shootings in the Danish capital less than two weeks ago.

Pre-sales for the 9th Copenhagen Jewish Film Festival are down 40% on last year in the wake of the shooting in the Danish capital on Feb 14, which left two people dead - including Danish director-producer Finn Nørgaard - and five police officers wounded.

“People are scared,” festival director Anne Boukris told Danish television TV2 News. “All the time people are asking me about security – after what happened in Copenhagen, they are anxious about what is going to happen next.”

The festival launches tonight and runs till March 21 with a programme comprising 24 international films with Jewish themes, held atthe Cinemateket at Copenhagen’s Film House.

“I am sure people are scared to come,” added Boukris.

The festival will open with Golden Globe-nominated Gett, The Trial of Viviane Amsalem from Israeli directors Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz, introduced by Danish member of Parliament Özlem Cekic.

Cjff will also...

AFI Fest presented by Audi officially has announced its dates and call for entries. The American Film Institute's annual celebration of artistic excellence, AFI Fest brings Hollywood icons, emerging artists and audiences together to experience global cinema in the movie capital of the world. The film festival is the only one of its stature that is free to the public. The 29th edition of AFI Fest will take place in Hollywood, California from November 5 through 12, 2015.

AFI Fest will begin accepting submissions on Monday, March 2 for documentary, experimental, feature, narrative and short films at AFI.com/Afifest or through Withoutabox.com . The festival's early submission deadline for both short films (under 30 minutes) and feature films is Friday, May 1 and the final submission deadline is Friday, July 24. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI Fest as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the Academy Awards®. AFI Fest is the only festival in North America with a market partner, the American Film Market.

The 2014 festival hosted 121 films from around the world, including the world premieres of "American Sniper," "Selma" and "A Most Violent Year." A special Tribute honoring Sophia Loren's illustrious career was held at the Dolby Theatre with a special screening of the 50th anniversary of her Academy Award ®-nominated role in "Marriage Italian Style" (Dir. Vittorio De Sica, 1964). Conversations on the craft of acting, with Michael Keaton and Edward Norton, and cinematography, with Roger Deakins, rounded out the programming. Guests at the festival included Steve Carell, J.C. Chandor, Jessica Chastain, Damien Chazelle, Marion Cotillard, Ava DuVernay, Clint Eastwood, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oscar Isaac, Tommy Lee Jones, Julianne Moore, David Oyelowo, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Stewart, Hilary Swank, Tilda Swinton, Mark Wahlberg and Oprah Winfrey.

AFI Fest 2014 brought filmmakers from all over the world to present their films to the city's film lovers, including directors Bertrand Bonello ("Saint Laurent," - France); Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne ("Two Days, One Night"- Belgium); Xavier Dolan ("Mommy," -Canada); Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz ("Gett: the Trial of Vivianne Amsalem," -Israel); Abderrahmane Sissako (Oscar®-nominated "Timbuktu,"- Mauritania); Damián Szifrón (Oscar®-nominated "Wild Tales,"- Argentina); Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado ( Oscar®-nominated "The Salt of the Earth," -France); Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy ("The Tribe,"- Ukraine); and Andrey Zvyagintsev (Oscar®-nominated "Leviathan,"- Russia).

Filmmakers can e-mail programming@AFI.com or call 866.AFI.Fest for more information about the submissions process.

Jose here. In Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Israeli goddess Ronit Elkabetz returns to play a part she’s lived with for more than a decade. In 2004, Ronit and her brother Shlomi teamed up as writers and co-directors of a film trilogy that would concentrate on the experiences of a woman as seen through the roles society imposed on her. In the first installment, To Take a Wife, Viviane must deal with being trapped in a loveless marriage to her husband Elisha (Simon Abkarian), in 7 Days, Viviane must sit Shiva and come to terms with the fact that she is obligated to mourn despite not feeling pain. In Gett, which opened this weekend on the heels of its Golden Globe Foreign Film nomination (Oscar passed it by), Viviane is trying to gain her freedom from Elisha, but finds that practically impossible given that her husband hasn’t committed...

Directed by brother and sister team, Ronit & Shlomi Elkabetz, "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" is Israel's official submission to the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. 

What's more important than any prestigious award is that this groundbreaking film is currently causing Israel to question its current archaic law that only allows a woman to divorce if her husband approves. In an unprecedented move, a board of Israel's top Rabbis will convene over the coming month to screen "Gett" and give consideration to changing this law. An inspiring example of film changing society as we know it. 

SydneysBuzz was able to interview the directors about the film's astounding political impact in Israel:

Read SydneysBuzz recent interview with Ronit & Shlomi Elkabetz here.

Horse & Carriage: The Elkabetzs’ Kafkaesque Interpretation of So-Called Sacred Institution

The third film in a trilogy examining the relationship between a husband and wife comes full circle with Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, a viciously astute examination of Israel’s divorce procedures. Brother and sister directing duo Roni and Schlomi Elkabetz began their enterprise back in 2004 with To Take a Wife, which continued with 7 Days in 2007, though it isn’t necessary to have seen either of these features to appreciate what they’re doing here with this deliciously crafted drama that’s as infuriating as it is highly engrossing. If on paper it sounds like a tedious slog of a subject matter, put aside those assumptions because the Elkabetzs’ have made an invigorating, emotionally charged powder keg, a film that simultaneously harpoons the misogynistic practices of the rabbinical courts just as it gives powerful agency to its highly determined female protagonist.

Wrenching Israeli divorce drama Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem's strict focus on courtroom sparring constantly threatens the film's fine balance of gorgeously lensed, body-language-centric reaction shots and expertly paced interrogatory dialogue scenes. We don't get to see estranged couple Elisha (Ararat's Simon Abkarian) and Viviane (co-writer/-director Ronit Elkabetz) interact with each other, their loved ones, or their respective counselors beyond adversarial questions and recriminatory glances. But Gett never devolves into a trite shout-fest because its creators are more interested in the slow, painful wearing-away of Viviane's and Elisha's respective defenses than they are in either boosting her or belittling him. Elisha is, in this context, a hate...

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem Music Box Films Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: A- Director: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz Screenwriter: Sivan Lavy Cast: Ronit Elkabetz, Simon Abkarian, Menashe Noy, Sasson Gaba, Eli Gornstein Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 1/6/15 Opens: February 13, 2015 In the Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein’s musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevye, the principal character, notes that “without tradition, we’re as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.” Point well taken. Certain rituals and traditions cement families and bind citizens more closely to their countries. Think of the traditional fireworks on the Fourth of July, the birds [ Read More ]

The post Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalam Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

The Washington Jewish Film Festival (Wjff) celebrates its 25th year with 11 days of dynamic film programming – accompanied by cultural and educational events – exploring the best of international cinema through a distinctly Jewish lens. February 19 through March 1, audiences will be treated to more than 100 screenings and related events across the Washington area. Hosted by the Washington Dcjcc, this year’s milestone festival features world, East Coast and mid-Atlantic premieres, an exciting roster of filmmaker and cast appearances, and an exquisitely curated line-up of screenings, festivities and other programs including 12 Wjff retrospective film screenings curated by former festival directors in honor of the 25th year.

“For 25 years, this festival has celebrated international cinema in building the single largest Jewish cultural event in Washington,” said Ilya Tovbis, Washington Jewish Film Festival director. “With our most ambitious festival to date, the 25th Wjff will honor a quarter-century of exhibiting the full diversity of the Jewish experience.”

A full festival schedule can be found at www.wjff.org. Highlights are included below.

Among the programs scheduled to take the festival beyond the screen are the 5th Annual Community Education Day on Arab Citizens of Israel, a day of in-depth exploration of the daily lives and challenges of Israel’s Arab population through a keynote address by the president of Al-Qasemi College of Engineering and Science, a panel discussion among Middle East experts, and the D.C. premiere of the film, Dancing Arabs, with its filmmaker Eran Riklis (Sunday, February 22, from 1:30-5 p.m. at the Dcjcc); a state of the cinema address on Israeli documentary film (Tuesday, February 24, at 7 p.m. at the Dcjcc); a pre-festival workshop led by leading Washington and New York film critics for a small group of Washington students; a short film student competition; and the third iteration of Two Jews Walk into a Bar, a cinematic bar event (Sunday, February 8, at 5 p.m.)

Opening Night Film: "Magic Men"

Opening Night will feature "Magic Men," in which a 78-year-old Greek-born atheist (Makram Khouri, Ophir-winner for Best Actor) and his estranged Hasidic rapper son travel from Israel to Greece searching for the magician who saved the father’s life during World War II. Their Adriatic road trip erupts into constant bickering but also has moments of affection, humor, and good will, as father and son reconnect during their adventure. The film is the latest feature from the directors of "Mabul," "A Matter of Size," and "Strangers." Opening Night will be held Thursday, February 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, and The Opening Night Party with Director Guy Nattiv will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza immediately following the screening.

Centerpiece Evening: "Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem"

Wjff’s Centerpiece Evening will take place at the AFI Silver Theatre on Saturday, February 21, at 7 p.m. and feature an extended Q&A session with Theodore Bikel, the unstoppable performer whose career spans more than 150 screen roles (including an Oscar-nominated turn in The Defiant Ones) and countless stage and musical productions. In "Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem," portraits of two beloved icons—Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel—are woven together in an enchanting new documentary. The two men have much in common: wit, wisdom and talent, filled with deep humanity and Yiddishkeit. Theodore Bikel, now 90, Bikel has played Tevye the Milkman on stage more than 2,000 times, and has animated Aleichem's work through his two celebrated musical plays about the great Russian author. An additional screening will take place Monday, February 23, at 8:45 p.m. at the Washington Dcjcc.

Wjff Visionary Award: "Hester Street"

The Annual Wjff Visionary Award recognizes creativity and insight in presenting the full diversity of the Jewish experience through the moving image. The 2015 honorees are Carol Kane and Joan Micklin Silver. Carol Kane will be present at a screening of her Oscar-nominated performance in Silver’s humorous and poignant movie, "Hester Street," about a traditional Jewish woman (Carol Kane) who arrives with her son to America in the 1890s, only to discover that her cheating husband has assimilated and resents his wife’s old-fashioned ways. The Wjff Visionary Award will be presented Tuesday, February 24, at 7:15 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre.

Spotlight Evening: "East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem"

Israeli-Palestinian singer Mira Awad and songwriter Steve Earle will join legendary singer-songwriter David Broza for a 45-minute musical set and Q&A following a screening of "East Jerusalem, West Jerusalem" on Thursday, February 26, at 7 p.m. at Sidney Harman Hall of the Shakespeare Theater Company. In the film, Broza journeys to East Jerusalem to record his latest album with Israeli, Palestinian and American musicians.

Closing Night: "Mr. Kaplan"

The 25th Wjff will come to a close at the Dcjcc on March 1, at 7:30 p.m. with a screening of Uruguay’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, "Mr. Kaplan." In Uruguayan director Alvaro Brechner’s 2014 feature film, 76-year-old Jacob Kaplan, fed up with his community and his family’s lack of interest in its own heritage, becomes convinced that his German neighbor is a runaway Nazi and secretly takes on the role of a spy, but he is no match for the forces of age. This heartwarming comedy tells the truth of life that transcends time and ideology. The Closing Night Reception and Audience Award announcements follow the screening.

Additional Films of Note

Nominated for this year’s Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, the 2014 Israeli film "Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amsalem," will be screened Wednesday, February 25, at 8:45 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre. Director Ronit Elkabetz tells the story of Amsalem, who is seeking a Jewish divorce from her estranged husband, who repeatedly refuses over the course of several years, leaving Amsalem locked in a seemingly unending battle created by the rules of Orthodox marriage in Israel. The film is Israel’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award and was the Israeli Film Academy’s 2014 Best Film.

The Hebrew language "The Farewell Party" is a dark comedy about a group of friends at a Jerusalem retirement home who build a machine for self-euthanasia to help a terminally ill friend – and then requests start coming in from more and more fellow retirement home residents interested in such a service. To be screened Saturday, February 28 at 7 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre, and then again on Sunday, March 1, at 5:15 p.m. at the Dcjcc, the film won 2015 Ophir Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Actor.

"Next to Her," also in Hebrew with English subtitles, tells the arresting story of Chelli and her mentally disabled sister, whom she is raising by herself until required by a social worker to place her in a day-care center, only to then meet a man who leads to a relationship triangle between the three. The film was a critically acclaimed selection for the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It will be screened Monday, February 23 at 7:15 p.m. at AFI Silver Theatre; Thursday, February 26 at 8:30 p.m. at the Katzen Arts Center at American University; and Saturday, February 28 at 6:45 p.m. at the Jcc of Greater Washington in Rockville.

Silent Films with Live Original Music: "Breaking Home Ties" and "The Golem"

On Monday, February 23, Wjff will screen the first of two silent films with live original music accompaniment. At 6:30 p.m. at the Dcjcc, pianist Donald Sosin and violinist Joseph Morag will accompany the 1922 silent film, "Breaking Home Ties." Then on Thursday, February 26 at 7:15 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre, Grammy-nominated Gary Lucas will present a reprisal of one of his most beloved original scores, the 1920 German silent horror-fantasy-expressionist film "The Golem," the tale of a 16th-century rabbi who made a man out of clay to save the Jewish community of Prague from annihilation.

Films with Local Ties/Themes

"The Rosenwald Schools"

On Wednesday, February 25, at 6:30 p.m., local filmmaker and former Washington Film Festival Director Aviva Kempner will be present for the world premiere of her new documentary at the Avalon Theater. The film tells the incredible story of how businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald joined with African-American communities in the South to build schools for the black community during the early part of the 20th century.

"My Favorite Neoconservative"

Raised in the Washington suburbs, the film’s director, Yael Luttwak watched inside the Beltway bigwigs walk the halls of her childhood home; her father, Edward Luttwak, is a prominent conservative military strategist who was the architect of the air campaign of the first Iraq war. The documentary reveals the personalities behind the headlines and tells a father-daughter story with a sardonic political twist. The film will be screened Sunday, March 1, at 3:15 p.m. at the Dcjcc.

Ticket Information

Patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets online. In addition to $12 single tickets, Wjff will be offering full festival passes for $125 and All Access VIP Passes for $225. More information is available at www.wjff.org and by calling 1-888-718-4253.

About the Washington Jewish Film Festival

The Washington Jewish Film Festival (Wjff) is the centerpiece of the Washington Dcjcc’s comprehensive year-round film program. One of the largest and most respected Jewish film festivals in North America, Wjff is an international exhibition of cinema that celebrates the diversity of Jewish history, culture and experience through the moving image.

The Wjff serves over 15,000 people annually through 80+ screenings, nearly all of which are world, U.S. or regional premieres.

Follow the Washington Jewish Film Festival on Twitter ( @wjff ) for updates with the latest information about the festival and filmmakers who will participate in the Wjff Lounge. Join the conversation using #wjff2015 on social media.

About the Washington Dcjcc

The Washington Dcjcc works to preserve and strengthen Jewish identity, heritage, tradition and values through a wide variety of social, cultural, recreational and educational programs and services. The Dcjcc is committed to welcoming everyone in the community; membership and all activities are open to all. The Dcjcc is a partner agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and a designated agency of the United Way. Follow on Twitter ( @16thstreetj ), like on Facebook , and find more information online at www.washingtondcjcc.org .

The Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts at the Dcjcc, of which the Wjff and the year-round film series are a part, presents fresh, pertinent and provocative Jewish voices that address issues both contemporary and universal. The Center is supported by a grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Those who follow our content know that the Best Foreign Language Film race is one of the ones we follow closely, if not the closest. Tomorrow morning the five nominees for the Academy Award in this category will be announced bringing the months long journey to an end. The real climax will happen once the winner is announced in February, but for the five lucky finalists, a nomination is already a miraculous feat. It has been a long road in which many factors besides the quality of the films come into play.

The first few submissions were announced in mid-August and from that point on dozens of countries selected a film to participate. That’s the first cut. Each film had to compete against all the other eligible films released in their respective country that year. In some cases the competition might be slight, but in territories with a sizable film industry the selection process is not as clear-cut.

Once the submission deadline arrived, a total of 83 nations had submitted an entry - a record number. Several entries came from countries submitting for the first time. Out of those 83 films I personally managed to watch a little over 60 via festivals, screenings, and screeners. I was able to chat with about 30 of the films’ directors and learn about their personal stories and how differently they each approach the filmmaking process. Every year this is really a lesson on artistic diversity, industry development, and political and social sensitivities from across the globe. It’s truly amazing.

There were many great and memorable films among the entries I was able to watch and I hope all of them get distributions deals eventually. However, as with everything, we all have our favorites. The 12 films listed below are some of the best cinematic works I witness in the past year overall, not only among those in a foreign language. Several of them are among my ten favorite films of the year and others are included in my longer year-end list. “Timbuktu,” “Gett,” “White God,” and hopefully “Tangerines” will be among my 2015 favorites.

It has been a great year for World Cinema. Go out there and see these films. They are all incredible works of art each in its own right.

Read More: Carlos Aguilar's Top 60 Films of 2014

Read More: 83 Submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award

Argentina

"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)

Dir: Damián Szifrón

Language: Spanish

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Film Factory Entertainment

Trailer

Where to Watch? The film will screen at Sundance 2015 in the Spotlight section later this month. It will open theatrically on February 20, 2015. "Wild Tales" will also be the Miami International Film Festival's Opening Night Film on March 6, 2015.

Read More: Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Wild Tales"

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

Where to Watch? Currently playing in NYC (opened Dec. 24, 2014) and L.A. (Opened January 9, 2015)

Read More: The Dardenne Brothers on "Trow Days, One Night" and Marion Cotillard

Canada

"Mommy"

Dir: Xavier Dolan

Language: French/English

U.S Distribution: Roadside Attractions

Isa: Seville International

Trailer

Where to Watch? Opens Friday January 23, in L.A. and NYC

Estonia

"Tangerines" (Mandariinid)

Dir: Zaza Urushadze

Language: Estonian/Russian

U.S Distribution: None Yet

Isa: Cinemavault

Trailer

Where to Watch? The film doesn't a U.S. distribution deal yet. Hopefully the attention given by both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards will change that soon.

Hungary

"White God" (Fehér isten)

Dir: Kornél Mundruczó

Language: Hungarian/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: The Match Factory

Trailer

Where to Watch? As part of the Spotlight section the film will screen at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The theatrical release is scheduled for March 27, 2015.

Read More: Kornel Mundruczo on "White God"

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

Where to Watch? Opens in L.A. and NYC on February 13, 2015

Read More: Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz on "Gett, the Trial of Viviane Amalem"

Latvia

"Rocks in My Pockets" (Akmeņi manās kabatās)

Dir: Signe Baumane ♀

Language: Latvian

U.S Distribution: Zeitgeist Films

Isa: New Europe Film Sales

Trailer

Where to Watch? The film still has a few theatrical engagements around the country, which can be found on the distributor's site. It will also be released on DVD and digital platforms on January 29, 2015.

Read More: Sydney Levine's Feature Piece on "Rocks in My Pockets"

Mauritania

"Timbuktu"

Dir: Abderrahmane Sissako

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

U.S Distribution: Cohen Media Group

Isa: Le Pacte

Trailer

Where to Watch? Opens in NYC January 28, 2015 and in L.A. January 30, 2015

Poland

"Ida"

Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski

Language: Polish

U.S Distribution: Music Box Films

Isa: Portobello Film Sales

Trailer

Where to Watch? Available on Blu-ray/DVD and digital platforms. It's also available for instant streaming for Netflix subscribers.

Read More: Pawel Pawlikowski on "Ida"

Read More: Review - "Ida"

Russia

"Leviathan" (Левиафан)

Dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev

Language: Russian

U.S Distribution: Sony Pictures Classics

Isa: Pyramide International

Trailer

Where to Watch? Currently playing in NYC (Opened Dec. 25, 2014) and L.A. (Opened Dec. 31, 2014)

Read More: Andrey Zvyagintsev on "Leviathan"

Sweden

"Force Majeure" (Turist)

Dir: Ruben Östlund

Language: Swedish/English

U.S Distribution: Magnolia Pictures

Isa: Coproduction Office (Paris)

Trailer

Where to Watch? Still playing in select theaters around the country. It will be released on Blu-ray/DVD and digital platforms on February 10, 2015.

Read More: Ruben Östlund and Johannes Kuhnke on "Force Majeure"

Turkey

"Winter Sleep" (Kis uykusu)

Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Language: Turkish/English

U.S Distribution: Adopt Films

Isa: Memento Films International

Trailer

Where to Watch? Currently playing in NYC (Opened Dec. 19, 2014). The film opens in select theaters around the country on January 16, 2015 and in L.A. on January 23, 2015.

The 24th annual New York Jewish Film Festival opens tonight and runs through January 29. "Of the large number of films (out of 47 features and shorts) that broach the subject of assimilation, Russian director Alexey Fedorchenko’s Angels of Revolution provides a model for exploring the metamorphosis," writes Howard Feinstein for Filmmaker. His other must-sees are Maxime Giroux's Felix and Meira, Michael Verhoeven's Let's Go!, Daniel Burman's The Mystery of Happiness and Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz's Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem. We're gathering more reviews of more films as they appear. » - David Hudson...

The 24th annual New York Jewish Film Festival opens tonight and runs through January 29. "Of the large number of films (out of 47 features and shorts) that broach the subject of assimilation, Russian director Alexey Fedorchenko’s Angels of Revolution provides a model for exploring the metamorphosis," writes Howard Feinstein for Filmmaker. His other must-sees are Maxime Giroux's Felix and Meira, Michael Verhoeven's Let's Go!, Daniel Burman's The Mystery of Happiness and Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz's Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem. We're gathering more reviews of more films as they appear. » - David Hudson...

Watch Golden Globes 2015 online - Red Carpet arrivals and awards ceremony George Clooney will be present at the Golden Globes 2015 ceremony to pick up his Cecil B. DeMille Award. Will Tina Fey and Amy Poehler sink or swim – or both, alternately? Well, the Golden Globes 2015 ceremony will begin shortly. Would you like to watch it online? Here are a few possibilities. First of all, when it comes to the Golden Globes 2015 Red Carpet arrivals, depending on where you are in the world you can watch them right now on the NBC website or here or here or on the Golden Globes website itself. According to various online sources – and, in all honesty, I can't vouch for their accuracy – you can watch the Golden Globes 2015 live streaming online here. That's supposed to be the actual ceremony, which kicks off at 8 p.m. Et / 5 p.m. Pt. So, will Selma and Into the Woods really win,...

It's Golden Globes night. We'll start covering the red carpet arrivals in a half hour or so. If you missed our predictions those were here on the podcast.

 

A neat new tradition for the Golden Globes is this focus on their foreign film nominees -- they are the "Hollywood Foreign Press Association" after all. In this streamed event you can hear from Force Majeure's (Sweden) Ruben Ostlund, Gett: The Trial Of Viviane Amsalem's (Israel) Ronit Elkabetz &  Shlomi Elkabetz, Ida's (Poland/Denmark), Pawel Pawlikowski, Leviathan's (Russia) Andrey Zvyagintsev, and Tangerines (Estonia) Zaza Urushadze. Interestingly enough -- it's not common -- four of the five Globe nominees this year (all but Gett) are still in the running for an Oscar nomination in the correlative category. ...

Golden Globes 2015 winners here live: Julianne Moore in the running for 'Still Alice,' 'Maps to the Stars' (photo: Julianne Moore in 'Still Alice') The 2015 Golden Globes Winners will be posted here as they are announced on Sunday, January 11, 2015. Once again, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will be hosting the awards ceremony. (Scroll down for the full list of Golden Globes 2015 nominations.) Now, following a snafu on the Golden Globes' website, some have been betting on Ava DuVernay's Selma for Best Picture - Drama and Rob Marshall's Into the Woods for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical. Even though the tech company handling the site's graphics has taken full responsibility for the error, asserting that the 2015 "winners" were chosen randomly from the pool of Golden Globe nominees; they just weren't supposed to go live. Those with short memories – and that's most people and...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...