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After winning the Silver Lion for Best Director with Miss Violence (2013), Greek filmmaker Alexandros Avranas returns to the Lido in the Orizzonti section with his latest work. This time, the focus is on a Russian family exiled to Sweden, where one might assume the biggest challenges would be adapting to the language, food, culture, and peculiar pop music. However, their true ordeal is only beginning. Known for his sharp exploration of human psychology intertwined with social issues, Avranas once again puts the family unit to the test. In his fifth feature, Quiet Life, parents Sergei and Natalia face the devastating aftermath of their asylum application being denied, which shakes their family to its core—especially when their youngest daughter, Katia, collapses into a mysterious coma.…...

The Un Certain Regard section in Venice, recent winners of the Horizons (Orizzonti) section include Gábor Reisz’s Explanation for Everything, Houman Seyyedi’s World War III and Valentyn Vasyanovych’s Atlantis. Some of the standouts in the selection of nineteen films include Alexandros Avranas‘ Quiet Life – a fascinating portrait about asylum-seekers who fled to Sweden and some crazy syndrome that see their children fall into a coma-type called Resignation Syndrome or Apathy, explained as a self-protection against a feeling of fear. Avranas won the Silver Lion for Best Director for Miss Violence in 2013 and this latest oeuvre is produced by Films du Worso’s Sylvie Pialat.…...

The Paris sales outfit is also handling Pablo Berger’s ‘Robot Dreams’ in Official Selection.

Paris-based sales powerhouse Elle Driver has added Greek director Alexandros Avranas’ Apathy, now in pre-production, to its line-up heading into Cannes.

Apathy is a drama exploring the real-life phenomenon of ‘resignation syndrome’, a catatonic state that has affected around 700 refugee children in Sweden, sparking a wave of concern among doctors and politicians. Told from the perspective of a family, Apathy follows the parents as they struggle in their daily lives and gives a voice to the children. The multi-territory co-production is produced by France’s...

The Paris sales outfit is also handling Pablo Berger’s ‘Robot Dreams’ in Official Selection.

Paris-based sales powerhouse Elle Driver has added Greek director Alexandros Avranas’ Apathy, now in pre-production, to its line-up heading into Cannes.

Apathy is a drama exploring the real-life phenomenon of ‘resignation syndrome’, a catatonic state that has affected around 700 refugee children in Sweden, sparking a wave of concern among doctors and politicians. Told from the perspective of a family, Apathy follows the parents as they struggle in their daily lives and gives a voice to the children. The multi-territory co-production is produced by France’s...

Project based on novel about Russia infiltrating Swedish politics.

Sweden’s Jens Jonsson will direct The Doctrine, a political thriller series adapted from Magnus Montelius’ novel Eight Months.

Jonsson has credits including series Young Wallander and Blinded, and films Easy Money III and Sundance award-winner The King Of Ping Pong.

The novel, published in 2019, presented a then-far-fetched idea that Sweden would join NATO; given world events, the premise is now eerily contemporary.

Erik Magnusson of Anagram Sweden produces.

Backers are TV4/Cmore, Anagram, Film i Väst, Aurora Studios and Beside Productions. With investment from Finnish Impact Film Fund and support from Nordic Film&tv Fund.

Estonia received a splashy introduction to the limelight in 2019, when it played host to Christopher Nolan’s time-bending sci-fi drama “Tenet.” The biggest production to shoot in the Baltic nation to date, Warner Bros.’ 200 million blockbuster landed Estonia squarely on the map for international film and television productions.

Though the coronavirus pandemic arrived not long after principal photography wrapped, the industry hasn’t skipped a beat since, with both domestic and international production — drawn by a cash rebate of up to 30 —continuing apace. This year, says Estonian Film Institute CEO Edith Sepp, there are no signs of slowing down.

“The Estonian cash rebate has been booming more than ever in the first half of this year,” she says. “In the whole of 2021, we had seven projects using the cash rebate scheme, but by January this year, we already had eight projects lined up for the rebate and the year had barely started.

Slate is led by Roman Vasyanov’s ‘The Dorm’, which has secured a world sales agent.

Russian production outfit MetraFilms is showcasing multiple projects at the EFM, led by Roman Vasyanov’s The Dorm, on which New Europe Film Sales has boarded world sales.

The Dorm marks the directorial debut of Vasyanov, who is best known as David Ayer’s cinematographer on End Of Watch, Fury, Suicide Squad and Bright.

Vasyanov’s debut, which he also co-wrote, is an adaptation of Alexei Ivanov’s novel Dorm To Blood. Set in the Soviet Union of 1984, it follows five students whose friendship...

All have projects at the Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink industry strand.

With the CineLink industry programme in full swing at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Screen profiles five producers from the region with an international outlook.

Jelena Angelovski (Serbia/Montenegro)

Serbian-born actress and producer Angelovski began to make her mark internationally when she produced Tamara Drakulić’s feature debut Wind through her Belgrade-based Monkey Production in 2016. It played at various international festivals including Torino and Goteborg.

Angelovski followed it up with two freelance projects: Ivan Salatić’s 2018 Venice Critics Week entry You Have the Night. made through Podgorica-based Meander Film,...

Cold Communist Files: Avranas Paints Unorthodox Procedural into Mincing Eurotrash

A late addition to the Greek Weird Wave thanks to his 2013 sophomore title Miss Violence, Alexandros Avranas gets a chance at high profile international attention with his latest feature, Dark Crimes, based on a 2008 article by David Grann in the New Yorker adapted for the screen by Belgian writer/director Jeremy Brock. Notably, the property once belonged to Roman Polanski and was set to star Christoph Waltz. A major international coproduction shot within the beautifully preserved confines of Krakow, the project was perhaps always destined to be illogically filmed…...

It's not too surprising to see Jim Carey step into darker material. It's said that comedians have a dark streak and Carey's has always lingered on the surface; more so than most.

Dark Crimes stars Carey as Tadek, a detective investigating the grizzly death of a salesman, who turns to an author and his novel, a novel which features a similar crime, for answers. Along with Carey, the movie also stars Marton Csokas and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

The movie is adapted from a David Grann story which appeared in The New Yorker a decade ago, and is directed by Greek director Alexandros Avranas who first caught my attention a number of years ago with Miss Violence (...

Films from Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano, Alexandros Avranas and Diego Lerman added to competition line-up.

Further competition titles for the 2017 San Sebastian Film Festival (22-30 September) have been announced, including The Disaster Artist.

Written, directed and starring James Franco, the project tells the story of Tommy Wiseau’s infamous cult film The Room. It will also appear at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Other titles competing for the Golden Shell include Diego Lerman’s A Sort Of Family (Una Especie De Familia); Love Me Not from Alexandros Avranas; Barbara Albert’s Mademoiselle Paradis; and The Lion Sleeps Tonight from Nobuhiro Suwa.

Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano’s C’est La Vie!, Ivana Mladenovic’s Soldiers. Story From Ferentari and Matt Porterfield’s Sollers Point have also been announced.

Alexandros Avranas won the best director Silver Lion at Venice for Miss Violence in 2013. Diego Lerman’s Suddenly won the Silver Leopard at the Locarno Festival in 2002.

Nakache...

Robin Bell Jan 13, 2017

Jim Carrey proved his acting range in the late 90s and 2000s. We salute the likes of The Truman Show, The Cable Guy and Man On The Moon.

You know you're a fan of something when that fandom is put to the test. Did you stick with Community when Dan Harmon wasn't writing it? During the barren 90s did you cling onto the hope that Doctor Who would return and be fantastic? Those moments when your patience and perseverance are tested are what make the privilege of being a fan important.

See related James Cameron and his unmade films James Cameron's Avatar: five years on Avatar 2: Sigourney Weaver explains delays

Though I have to admit, in recent years, admitting to being a Jim Carrey fan has been more difficult than it used to be. Long gone are the youthful days when hits such as Ace Ventura,...

Love Me Not

Director: Alexandros Avranas

Writer: Alexandros Avranas, Kostas Peroulis

Greek Weird Wave addition Alexandros Avranas got our attention for his 2013 sophomore film Miss Violence, which won the Silver Lion at Venice.

Continue reading...

The festival has revealed its line-up of Polish films and co-productions.

True Crimes, Alexandros Avranas’ crime thriller starring Jim Carrey and Charlotte Gainsbourg, will have its world premiere as a special screening at the upcoming Warsaw Film Festival (Oct 7-16).

The Us-Pol-uk co-production marks the English language debut of Greek director Avranas, whose previous feature Miss Violence won a Silver lion for best director at Venice Film Festival in 2013.

Based on a 2008 article in The New Yorker, the story follows a murder case that is reopened after a newly-published novel sheds light on the previously unsolved crime.

The 32nd edition of the Warsaw Film Festival has revealed the line-up of Polish films that will screen across its various strands.

True Crimes plays as a special screening. Also having its world premiere in that category is the Mex-Pol anthology film Tales Of Mexico (El Habitation), which features eight different stories from various directors, all of which...

Exclusive: Company to launch Christian Volckman’s English-language thriller The Room set to star Olga Kurylenko and show first images for Jorge Michel Grau’s 7:19 Am.

Elle Driver has taken world rights on Christian Volckman’s English-language, fantasy thriller The Room, about a couple who discover a secret chamber in their old house which has the power to materialise anything they want.

Olga Kurylenko (Quantum Of Solace) is set to co-star as one-half of the couple who discover the room in their old upstate New Hampshire house. Entranced, they dream up increasingly lavish requests. When they ask for a child the game turns sinister.

It is in pre-production and the role of the husband is currently being cast.

The feature marks a live action debut for French animation director and artist Volckman who won best film at the Annecy International Animation Film in 2006 for the dystopian sci-fi drama Renaissance, about a world...

Exclusive: Company to launch Christian Volckman’s English-language thriller The Room set to star Olga Kurylenko and show first images for Jorge Michel Grau’s 7:19 Am.

Elle Driver has taken world rights on Christian Volckman’s English-language, fantasy thriller The Room, about a couple who discover a secret chamber in their old house which has the power to materialise anything they want.

Olga Kurylenko (Quantum Of Solace) is set to co-star as one-half of the couple who discover the room in their old upstate New Hampshire house. Entranced, they dream up increasingly lavish requests. When they ask for a child the game turns sinister.

It is in pre-production and the role of the husband is currently being cast.

The feature marks a live action debut for French animation director and artist Volckman who won best film at the Annecy International Animation Film in 2006 for the dystopian sci-fi drama Renaissance, about a world...

2015 was a successful year regarding the quantity and quality of foreign productions shot in Poland. At the beginning of the year, Anne Fontaine (“Coco Before Chanel,” “Perfect Mothers”) filmed a French-Polish co-production “Agnus Dei” in Warmia, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival. The film features Polish and French actresses among others Lou de Laage, Agata Kulesza, Agata Buzek and Joanna Kulig.

In the spring, the crew of a Polish-German-French-Belgian co-production about the life of Maria Sklodowska-Curie (dir. Marie Noelle) spent 20 days on the set in among others Lodz, Leba and Krakow. The cast is international, and the film is made in French. The Polish Nobelist is portrayed by Karolina Gruszka (“Oxygen”).

The summer brought about increased activity of German producers. A Zdf TV show, “Ein Sommer in…” was filmed in two resort towns in the north-eastern Poland – Mikolajki and Mragowo. Ard and Tvp collaborated on the set of "Polizeiruf 110" ("Police Call 110"), which was filmed in July and August among others in a Polish border-town – Swiecko. Also in July began the shooting of a new part of detective TV series "Der Usedom-Krimi" filmed on both the Polish and German side of the Usedom island.

However, a true influx of foreign productions took place in the autumn. American-Polish thriller “Chronology” was filmed in Poznan. The cast includes William Baldwin (TV series "Gossip Girl," "Adrift in Manhattan") and Danny Trejo (“Machete,” “From Dusk till Dawn”).

The Goetz Palace in Brzesk, in Malopolska hosted filmmakers from India who for six days were shooting “Fitoor,” an Indian adaptation of Dickens's “Great Expectations.” The crew consisted of over 40 Indians and almost 80 Poles. Another crew from India – this time from the so-called Kollywood in the south of the country – spent twenty days on the set in various Polish locations (among others Zakopane, Walbrzych, Krakow, Leba). The film titled “24” features Surya, a Tamil superstar, in the main role.

The autumn months were also very intensive in Lodz with three simultaneous big film sets. Andrzej Wajda (“The Promised Land,” “Walesa. Man of Hope”) worked on his new film “Powidoki”; Opus Film, the producer of “Ida”, organized for an Israeli partner eleven-day shoot to a film set in 1970s – “Past Life,” directed by Avi Nesher; and American director Martha Coolidge (“The Prince and Me,” TV shows “Sex and the City,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Weeds”) filmed her project “Music, War and Love,” whose producer is among others Fred Roos known from such films as “Apocalypse Now,” “The Godfather” or “Lost in Translation.” The picture features Adelaide Clemens (“The Great Gatsby”), Connie Nielsen (“Gladiator”), Toby Sebastian (“Game of Thrones”) and Stellan Skarsgård (“Nymphomaniac”).

The end of the year was also very successful for Malopolska and Krakow. Two movies were filmed in the region – an American-British biography of Martin Luther commissioned by PBS with Padraic Delaney (“The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” “The Tudors”) in the main role; and a feature titled “True Crimes” starring two-time winner of a Golden Globe – Jim Carrey (“The Truman Show,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Mask”) as the protagonist. The crew spent 32 days on the set in Krakow. The picture was directed by Greek Alexandros Avranas (“Miss Violence”), written by Jeremy Brock (“Brideshead Revisited,” “The Last King of Scotland”), and produced by Brett Ratner (“X-Men 3: the Last Stand,” TV series “Rush Hour”). Accompanying Jim Carrey were Charlotte Gainsbourg (“Nymphomaniac,” “Antichrist”); Marton Csokas (“The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”) and Polish actors Agata Kulesza (“Ida”) and Robert Wieckiewicz (“Walesa. Man of Hope”).

The first information about productions planned for 2016 has already been released. In January, Krakow will host the crew of French black comedy “Grand Froid,” Gérard Pautonnier's debut featuring Jean-Pierre Bacri (“The Taste of Others,” “Let It Rain”), Olivier Gourmet (“Rosetta,” “The Son”) and Arthur Dupond (“Bus Palladium”). The project won the first edition of the Krakow International Film Fund.

True Crimes

Director: Alexandros Avranas

Writer: Jeremy Brock

One of the most exciting directorial debuts out of 2013 was Alexandros Avranas‘ Miss Violence, a domestic drama lumped into the growing Greek Weird Wave movement. Initially, Avranas announced another Greek language project with returning cast members of his first film, but instead he’s inherited this Us-Polish co-production, True Crimes, concerning the murder investigation of a slain businessman and based on a 2008 New Yorker article by David Grann. A couple years ago, this was a property announced for Roman Polanski and set to star Christoph Waltz—however, Polanski’s weathered several delays in his other developing project, The Dreyfuss Affair, explaining why it’s navigated elsewhere. We’re curious to see what Avranas does with the thriller, considering it stars Jim Carrey, whose serious minded efforts can be hit or miss. Supporting cast mates like Gainsbourg, Kaurismaki regular Kati Outinen, and character...

After winning an award for Best Cinematography in the World Cinema competition at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Ariel Kleiman’s directorial debut Partisan was snapped up by Well Go USA Entertainment and released theatrically in October. The limited theatrical didn’t seem to attract much attention, though Kleiman’s film is exactly the kind of offbeat mixture of violence and social commentary which will secure greater appreciation through a slow burn trickle as time goes on. Featuring a stellar, imperious performance from French actor Vincent Cassel, you can add this to his list of under-the-radar starring turns (Sheitan; Our Day Will Come) worthy of greater renown.

Sure to draw superficial comparisons to other famed pre-teen assassin films like The Professional (1994) or Hanna (2011), Australian helmer Kleiman’s directorial debut instead feels like what you’d imagine Yorgos Lanthimos’ version of The Village (2004) would feel like. Headlined by none other than Cassel...

See Full Gallery Here

Throughout his long and respected career, Jim Carrey has dabbled in numerous genres, though the likes of Dumb and Dumber, Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty have seen him become something of a household name in comedy. That’s not to say the actor hasn’t dipped his toe in the dark side of cinema before, with both Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and, to a lesser extent, The Number 23 showcasing the breadth of Carrey’s acting range.

Now, thanks to upcoming Polish thriller True Crimes, we’re about to see the actor flex his dramatic muscles once more. Currently filming in the country’s capital Krakow, the feature is being helmed by Alexandros Avranas (Miss Violence, Without), lifting inspiration from David Grann’s New Yorker article that exposed a forgotten piece of Poland’s criminal history.

First published in 2008, it documents the ways in...

Jim Carrey is taking a turn into dark territory with his next feature, the famed comedian currently in Krakow shooting Alexandros (Miss Violence) Avranas' thriller True Crimes. Based on a David Grann article from the New Yorker in 2008 the story follows a murder investigation following clues in a book about an earlier and eerily similar crime. With the rest of the principal cast made up of high end Polish stars - Agata Kulesza, Maja Ostaszewska and Robert Wieckiewiscz costar - the first stills from the shoot have turned up in the Polish press. We've got the Carrey-centric ones below but for a more comprehensive selection we recommend heading over to Filmstart, from whence these came....

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

“Tracking Shot” is a top of month featurette here on Ioncinema.com that looks at the projects that are moments away from lensing. This November, we’ve got a fivesome of projects that we feel are worth signaling out, but before we put the focus on those, the previous month was a rather fruitful one for mostly indiewood film productions. Films that we’ll be seeing in 2016 and which are for the most part still filming include: Mark Williams‘ workplace drama The Headhunter’s Calling (with Alison Brie, Gretchen Mol, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina), Philippe Falardeau‘s bio boxing drama The Bleeder (with Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss), Taron Lexton’s coming-of-ager In Search of Fellini (with Ksenia Solo, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Maria Bello), Kevin Tent‘s Black List scripted rom-com (with Domhnall Gleeson, Christina Applegate, Thomas Haden Church, Nina Dobrev), Sophie Brooks‘ NYC set Euro-fizzled comedy,...

Exclusive: Principal photography on thriller True Crimes, starring Jim Carrey, will begin in Poland’s Krakow on Nov 7.

Speaking to ScreenDaily, the film’s UK screenwriter Jeremy Brock explained that his screenplay was inspired after reading David Grann’s New Yorker article True Crimes - A Post-Modern Murder Mystery, which centres on a Polish murder investigation turning to clues found in a novelist’s book that bear a bizarre resemblance to the case.

Brock, whose screenwriting credits include Mrs Brown, The Last King Of Scotland and Brideshead Revisited, spent a week in Poland in 2008 “just getting my bearings”.

“I spent the intervening time to find my inspiration for what has become an original screenplay,” he recalled, noting that, in his 30 years as a screenwriter from his beginnings as a co-writer of the BBC TV series Casualty in 1985, “I haven’t worked so long and persistently on one project as I have done on this one”.

“Through working...

Pledge Allegiance: Kleiman’s Intriguing Debut a Fascist Allegory

Sure to draw superficial comparisons to other famed pre-teen assassin films like The Professional (1994) or Hanna (2011), Australian helmer Ariel Kleiman’s directorial debut Partisan instead feels like what you’d imagine Yorgos Lanthimos’ version of The Village (2004) would feel like. Headlined by none other than Vincent Cassel and a cast of Euro accents speaking English, Kleiman and screenwriter Sarah Cyngler concoct a film that’s oddly obscure and perfectly menacing, with an unwillingness to explain itself, recalling titles by Lucile Hadzihalilovic, wherein groups of children are possibly being utilized for insidious means by the adult community. An allegory concerning the oppressiveness of Fascism, Kleiman’s film is also a coming-of-age-tale, spiked heavily with cold-blooded murder.

Opening with an ambient score that recalls Vangelis (utilized once more as a book end to the film), we observe Gregori (Vincent Cassel) in the midst...

Jim Carrey is in early talks to star in the indie thriller “True Crimes,” which is based on a 2008 New Yorker article by David Grann, multiple individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap. Alexandros Avranas (“Miss Violence”) will direct the movie, which follows a murder investigation that turns to clues found in an author’s book about an eerily similar crime. Brett Ratner and John Cheng are producing with David Gerson (“Skiptrace”), while “Ida” producer Ewa Puszczynska will serve as co-producer. Carrey’s Jc 23 producing partner Michael Aguilar is also expected to be involved in some capacity. Also Read: Jim Carrey,...

This year’s European Film Awards are officially out of the gates with a not so lean 50 film submissions to select from. The 27th edition collects titles that date back to last year’s Venice and Toronto Int. Film Festivals moving into Sundance-Rotterdam-Berlin and finally Cannes of ’14. Among the 31 European countries represented, we’ve got likes of the Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan leading the huge pack of contenders including Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin and Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida. Here’s the complete list of 50!:

Alienation

ОТЧУЖДЕНИЕ (Otchujdenie)

Bulgaria

Directed By: Milko Lazarov

Written By: Milko Lazarov, Kitodar Todorov & Georgi Tenev

Produced By: Veselka Kiryakova

Amour Fou

Austria/Luxembourg/Germany

Written & Directed By: Jessica Hausner

Produced By: Martin Gschlacht, Antonin Svoboda, Bruno Wagner, Bady Minck, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu & Philippe Bober

Beautiful Youth

Hermosa Juventud

Spain/France

Directed By: Jaime Rosales

Written By: Jaime Rosales & Enric Rufas

Produced By: Jaime Rosales,...

More than 30 European countries represented in the line-up.Scroll down for list in full

The 50 films recommended for a nomination for the European Film Awards (EFAs) have been unveiled.

The European Film Academy and Efa Productions revealed the titles at a press conference in Riga, Latvia where this year’s 27th EFAs will take place on Dec 13.

A total of 31 European countries are represented. In the 20 countries with the most Efa members, these members have voted one national film directly into the selection list.

To complete the list, a selection committee consisting of Efa Board Members and invited experts have included further films. Those experts include Screen International chief film critic and reviews editor Mark Adams (UK), Marit Kapla (Sweden), Stefan Kitanov (Bulgaria), Paz Lázaro (Spain), Christophe Leparc (France) and Elma Tataragic (Bosnia & Herzegovina).

In the coming weeks, more than 3,000 members of the European Film Academy will vote for the nominations in the categories European Film, Director...

Apparent normalcy shattered by a sudden death becomes the starting point for one to decipher the malign force that controls the lives of the members of a Greek family. Concealing crucial information about the family mechanics, director Alexandros Avranas uses a calculated pace to explore manipulation, authority, and compliance. In his film, evil doesn’t have a single face, but instead becomes a shared responsibility. Cautiously revealing its secrets with utmost precision, “Miss Violence” is a brilliantly perverse work that is sure to shock and leave a lasting, unsettling, impression. The film has received numerous awards in its homeland, as well as in Stockholm, Venice, Montreal, and most recently at the Los Angeles Greek Film festival.

Avranas talked to us from Greece and shared the stories behind the making of this marvelously intriguing film.

Carlos Aguilar: This is such an impressively unsettling and successfully cryptic story, what’s its genesis?

Alexandros Avranas: It’s based on a real story that happened in Germany in 2011. I heard it from a friend in Berlin, and then I did some research and I found out even more things. Then I wrote the script and, of course, some elements are not taken directly from that story, but the concept is based on true events.

Aguilar: You chose to start the film with a very shocking opening sequence, and then we spend the rest of the film looking for the reasons behind that event. Why did you decide to start the film in that way?

Alexandros Avranas: Firs of all, what happens in that opening sequence is the first thing I heard about the story. I was very shocked and touched. I decided to open the film in this manner so that audiences can something to encourage them to explore this family and this situation. It was very risky to start with something so shocking and powerful because it would have made it very easy for the film to turn out flat the rest of the time. When you start with the crescendo it is not easy to keep that going the whole time. But I think the reasons behind it were right, and that’s why it worked here.

Aguilar: There is a lot of concealment in your film. We don’t know the names of these people or who plays what role within the family. Did you want the audience to know as little as possible for a large portion of the film?

Alexandros Avranas: There is a big difference between European and American cinema. Sometime we start from a point in which you don’t know anything and you don’t understand anything. If they don’t know anything, you can create a specific way for the viewer to think about the film. From there they can start understanding or try to find out what’s going on. At the beginning you don’t fully understand the family mechanics and their relationships to each other. It’s so complicated but at the same time is really easy. This encourages the viewer to develop a particular way of thinking about this film.

Aguilar: One of the strongest characters here is the father played by Themis Panou. He spearheads the film and really plays a big role on how the other characters interact with each other. How difficult was it to write and then cast this character?

Alexandros Avranas: When I was casting this role I knew I wanted someone that was elusive. Before winning the Hellenic Academy Award for this role, Themis was not a very well known actor. He would often act in supporting roles. I tried to use this feeling or quality of never being the protagonist to enhance the character. Since he had never been the protagonist, it would be interesting for him to be the protagonist, or the lead, in this family. It was almost like a game. For me, this wasn’t the most difficult role to write or cast because the whole thing is based that part of his personal story. The character himself has a lot of things to work with. He is hiding behind his actions. Other roles in the film were more difficult to develop.

Aguilar: Family remains normal in the face of the horrific things that happen around them. Where does this strange and unfitting normalcy come from?

Alexandros Avranas: Family is the first society we are part of. The way we exist or act within our family is the same way we relate to the larger outside society. Family shapes your point of view on things. Therefore, these people believe that all these things that happen in their family are normal and they thing that they happen out of love. They believe they are showing love to each other because they don’t really know what love is.

Aguilar: The father is the one in charge and who should be blame for all the terrible crimes committed. However, no one ever really challenges his authority. Are they all to blame for what goes on in the family?

Alexandros Avranas: He started it, but the mother is also someone else that could be blamed for it. She knows what’s happening and she has never spoken out about it. Eventually, she decides to do something against it, but it’s too late. In the real story she never when against him or spoke out about it. She went to prison for 15 years because she never said, “Yes he did it.” On the other hand, even if she had said that, she would have still gone to prison because she knew. In the film there is the same motive and situation. The mother knows but never speaks out. I also think the film questions when does the victim stops being the victim and starts being a perpetrator? This is something the viewer must answer for himself. What are the boundaries or limits between a victim and a perpetrator? Eleni (Eleni Roussinou)is a victim of course, but she also becomes the perpetrator for the younger sister. It is very complicated.

Aguilar: What was your approach to working with the young actors? How much did they know about the matter at hand?

Alexandros Avranas: For this film we rehearse a lot. With the main actors we rehearsed for almost a year, and for the young children I took a long time to cast them, probably around six months. When I found them, I spoke to them as if they were young adults and not children. I told them the truth, everything about the script. Their parents were also very supportive. It was not so difficult to get what I wanted because when I cast somebody it means I believe they have something in them that related to the character and I’m trying to get it out. They don’t really have to act, they have to be themselves and I place them in the correct situations for the film.

Aguilar: What inspired you to make the film when you heard the original story? Was it the secret and how shocking it was? Or was it the story behind the story?

Alexandros Avranas: Making the film meant taking a very big risk because the subject is very sensitive, and I didn’t want to make the film to simply shock people. If you compare the film with the real story, the film is very soft. It is nothing compared to what really happened. It was very difficult for me and for the actors because it is not a happy story at all. For me the most interesting part was to explore what happened in this small society, as well as the symbolism behind is as a reflection of our current society. Since we don’t live in a time when the enemy was very clear in the form of wars or dictatorships, this is my way to criticize our society, not only Greek society, but all of Europe. The crisis is not only Greek, is European. The moral crisis is everywhere. It was very important for me to get across the political meaning behind the film: a leader in a society and why people don’t do anything against him. Why do people in this society still trust him to be a leader?

Aguilar: Would you say your film fits within what’s been deemed “the Greek weird wave”, alongside films like “Dogtooth” or Attenberg”?

Alexandros Avranas: As a Greek director I’m very happy that Greek cinema is very strong right now, but I don’t believe there is a wave. No one really talks about it like the French Nouvelle Vague or Dogma. Those were groups of people that shared similar philosophical or aesthetic beliefs. We don’t even know each other. Lanthimos and Tsangari are friends, but I don’t know them. I’ve said hello to Lanthimos before but I’ve never met Tsangari. This is why we can’t call it a “wave,” because we don’t have anything in common. Maybe the one thing we do have in common is that we are young people that want to make films and speak out about what’s going on. That’s the only commonality I can see.

Aguilar: Perhaps one of the most powerful images in your film is when see the family standing around the dead body, why would you say that’s the most symbolic image in your film?

Alexandros Avranas: That image - which is on the film’s poster - is very symbolic because, just like the film, the poster doesn’t lie but it doesn’t tell you the whole truth. When you see the poster you get the feeling of the film because you cans see that something happened but you don’t know what exactly happened. There was a murdered, but you don’t know who has been murdered. You see the truth, but you must find out many other things. I think this is how society and politics work as well. We sort of know where they start but we don’t know exactly how they work. I think in a sense the film reflects how political systems function in our time. We don’t know everything.

Aguilar: Why “Miss Violence”?

Alexandros Avranas: It was very difficult to find the right title. The film is not only about abuse, or family, or about politics. Every title I had in mind made the film sound very closed, and I think the film is very open in many levels. The title is sort of a play on words. “Miss Violence” could be taken from the sentence “I miss violence,” someone is missing violence. But it also has to do with the fact that in the story the protagonist is the father, a male, but the film is really about the women. “Miss Violence” could refer to a female. It is not about women who perpetrate the violence, but those who are the victims of violence.

Aguilar: How has the film been received outside of Greece? Is it too difficult for people to take in?

Alexandros Avranas: I was in Toronto, New York, and many other European countries and I witnessed how controversial the film is. Half of the viewers loved the film, and the other half doesn’t want to believe these things happen. They prefer to close their eyes to things like these. Society works like this in regards to many other matters. This is why some things are taboo. We know about them but we prefer not to talk about them. But for the most part I’ve always felt it has been very well received. It is a heavy film, and it was very heavy for us to make, but it’s an honest film. It tells the truth.

Early predictions have emerged for most Academy Award categories. As the studios reveal their hopeful offers to be released in the final months of the year, the speculation increases. But despite all the information available on the centerpiece awards, other more obscure races remain a complete mystery at this point. Among these, the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is almost certainly the most complex to prognosticate. The lengthy process that precedes the announcement of the final nominees makes for a competition that begins months in advance in nations around the globe.Having the opportunity to submit only one film, each country must carry out its own selection process. Once these decisions have been made, their chosen works will compete to make it to the nine-film shortlist, and eventually into the final five slots. Although this procedure allows for a certain degree of democracy, it also excludes all those other films that were left behind in their homelands. This, in turn, gives us a narrow view of what is being produced abroad.

Therefore, after lots of research and arduous educated guessing to put it together, the list below offers a more insightful look at this race before the actual individual selections are announced. For the sake of time, the amount of films is limited to five per country, but in some cases the choices are scarcer and less films are listed. While trying to speculate is always an uncertain endeavor, the factors taken into account to determine which are some of this year’s most important films in each country and their prospects of being chosen as their representative at the Academy Awards, were varied. Festival exposure, release date, the country’s previous submissions, and even the thematic elements of a few of them were considered to create this piece.

Clearly nothing is definitive at this point, but at the very least, this compilation will provide a sense of what the film industries in these territories are putting out and sharing with the world.

Read More: Oscars 2015 : Best Foreign Language Film Contenders - The Americas

Here is the first part of the list on Europe (Albania -Lithuania)

Albania

Last year the Balkan state had one of its strongest contenders in recent history, Robert Budina’s “Agon,” a powerful drama dealing with the ethnic identity of the region. This time around, there are three films that qualify to be selected. The front-runner is “ Amsterdam Express, ” which has the highest international profile of the three being a co-production between Albania, U.K The Netherlands and Germany. The film explores the sociopolitical situation of the country through the eyes of an Albanian man who immigrates to Dutch territory illegally. Following along are two other dramas, “The Last Wish” (Amaneti) and “Ada.” Having three clearly viable options, it is almost certain that Albania will compete once again this year.

1. "Amsterdam Express" PC: F&Me

2. "The Last Wish" (Amaneti) PC: Media Vision

3. "Ada" PC: Concordia Pictures

Armenia

Having submitted only four times as an independent nation, it is difficult to predict whether Armenia will decide to participate this year. However, they do have a few films that could represent them at the Academy Awards. Even though the country’s film industry is still precarious and struggling, they have their own annual awards and consistently complete feature length works. Since many of them don’t fulfill the quality standards of major festivals, few of their offers ever get passed their border. The most feasible candidate this year is “Tevanik,” a film about the Karabakh war that screened at the Cannes film market and that has also screened theatrically in its home country. Another possible selection is dark comedy “The Romanticists,” which won the Best Screenplay award at the Hayak National Cinema Awards and had some international exposure. Drama “From Two Worlds as a Keepsake, ” could also be a good candidate as it premiered last year at the World Film Festival in Montreal. Less likely are comedy “The Heart in the House ,” a Russian co-production, and Hayak Best Film nominee “Caucho,” which might be a bit too avant-garde to be chosen.

1. "Tevanik" PC: Fish Eye Art

2. "The Romanticists" (Rromantiknery) PC: Aysor-Plus Film Productions

3. "From Two Worlds as a Keepsake" (Yerku ashkharhic i hishatak) PC: National Film Centr of Armenia

4. "The Heart in the House" (Domik v serdtse) PC: Berg Sound

5. "Caucho"

Austria

Since Austrian productions are heavily influenced by the German film industry and often intertwined with it, it is no surprise that the major winner at the German Film Awards was the co-production “The Dark Valley.” But given that the director Andreas Prochaska is Austrian, as well as most of the creative control and resources, the Germans couldn’t claim it as their own. This, and the fact that Sam Riley is in it, make it an ideal, high profile candidate to be Austria’s Oscar submission. Nominated for five awards in the past Austrian Film Awards, “October November” is also a descent candidate. A close third followed is “The Last Dance” the latest film by Houchang Allahyari, whose film “I Love Vienna” represented the country a couple decades ago. Then we have “ Soldier Jane,” which also nominated for Best Film at the National Awards. Lastly, “The Silent Mountain, “ an epic period piece about World War I is not entirely far fetched. Other films that have had positive receptions at festivals such as “Macondo,” or “Amour Fou” will be released closer to the end of the year.

1. "The Dark Valley" (Das Fisntere Tal) Isa: Films Distribution

2. "October November" (Oktober November) Isa: The Match Factory

3. "The Last Dance" (Der letzte Tanz) PC: Allahyari Filmproduktion

4. "Soldier Jane" (Soldate Jeannette) Isa: Premium Films

5. "The Silent Mountain" ( Der Stille Berg) Isa: Premiere Entertainment Group

Azerbaijan

It's always great to see a country like Azerbaijan submitting a film and making an attempt at getting exposure for their filmmakers and industry. Their films rarely make it to the world stage of glamorous festivals, thus they remain mostly obscure and inaccessible outside their homeland. Nevertheless, this year an Azerbaijani film, “Nabat,” could change that as it will screen at the Venice Film festival. This war film has already screened in the country at least at a special event, it is difficult to know if it will qualify this time around. If it does, it is their best bet. Should they decide to save it for next year, the country has another option of mild prestige. “Chameleon,” a small drama set in a remote village, screened last year at Locarno and that alone could help its chances. Lastly, there is “Down by the River,” which was part of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival selection. It will almost certainly be released until past the deadline, but might be a strong contender in the future. Two other dramas, one of epic proportions and a biopic could get in the mix but there is hardly any information available besides the fact that they have been screened in the capital city of Baku.

1. "Nabat" Isa: Dreamlab Films

2. "Chameleon" (Buqälämun) PC: Arizona Productions

3. "Down the River" (Axinla ashagi) PC: Azerbaijanfilm

Belarus

The small ex-Soviet state has been mostly producing documentaries for local viewing. Their output of material that can be successful abroad is minimal, and even when they have been presented with a great opportunity to participate at the Academy Awards, they simply don’t. This was the case of Sergey Loznitsa's “In the Fog” a couple years back, which could have represented them but was not entered. In fact, they have only participated on two occasions, the last one being in 1996. Although it is unlikely they will show interest, the country has a couple of promising choices. Belarus’ best bet would be the international coproduction “ The Role,” a solemn period piece that was nominated for five Nika Awards (the Russian Oscars) and actually won for Best Screenplay. Highly improbable, but given their small number of contenders, the country could also choose to send “BaBu,” an Azerbaijani coproduction about the kidnapping of a businessman’s daughter.

1. "The Role" (Rol) Isa: Reflexion Films

2. "BaBu"

Belgium

With the return to Cannes of the country’s most iconic filmmakers, the Dardenne Brothers, Belgium has an easy decision to make. Starring Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard, “Two Days, One Night” looks like the obvious favorite. Nevertheless, the Dardennes have been overlooked before, as it was the case two years ago when the Belgians decided to send “Bullhead” over the duo’s “The Kid with a Bike.” The only real threat could be “Marina” by Stijn Coninx, who was nominated for an Oscar in this category back in 1992 with “Daens.“ His latest work is a period piece about Rocco Granata’s life, an Italian singer who lived in Belgium in his youth. A more audacious decision, but not entirely impossible, would be to select the beautifully nightmarish “The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears,” which has had noticeable international presence. Two other titles, “ The Verdict” and “The Treatment” have been well received at home but since they are facing works by revered filmmakers, their chances are slight.

1. "Two Days, One Night" (Deux jours, une nuit) Isa: Wild Bunch

2. "Marina" Isa: Media Luna New Films

3. "The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears" (L'étrange couleur des larmes de ton corps) Isa: Bac Films International

4. "The Verdict" (Het Vonnis) Isa: Media Luna New Films

5. "The Treatment" (De Behandeling) Isa: Be for Films

Bosnia & Herzegovina

The last film by the poster child for Bosnian cinema, Danis Tanovic, managed to make it to the 9-film shortlist last December. This year, the country doesn’t have such a prominent candidate. Based on release date, festival exposure, and language, their safest selection would be the family drama “ With Mom.” Another title that could qualify is “Krivina,” which is technically a 2012 film, but did not premier in Bosnia until late last year. If eligible, it would definitively be a great runner-up. In third place is the incredibly small local film “ Krajina: Life or Death,” and it’s in that position simply because it meets all the minimum requirements to qualify - language included. The last two films mentioned here are longer shots not due to lack of quality, but because of their production details. One, “Bridges of Sarajevo,” is an anthology film created by over a dozen filmmakers from around the world. Even though one of the filmmakers is Bosnian and all sections are in a language other than English, it will be hard to consider it an actual Bosnian film. The other, “For Those Who Can Tell No Tales,” is a Bosnian production directed by Jasmila Zbanic, but the dialogue seems to be mostly in English, which would make it ineligible.

1. "With Mom" (Sa Mamom) PC: Scca/Pro.BA

2. "Krivina" Isa: Princ Films

3. "Krajina: Life and Death" (Ja sam iz Krajine, zemlje kestena) PC: Depo Production

4. "Bridges of Sarajevo" (Les Ponts de Sarajevo) Isa: Indie Sales

5."For Those Who Can Tell No Tales" (Za one koji ne mogu da govore) PC: Mpm

Bulgaria

In recent years the country has decided to send films that have won or have been nominated for their local film awards. This year the winner of the top award for Best Film was “Alienation,” seemingly making it the favorite to be submitted. This might actually not be the case. Premiering at Sundance earlier this year, “Viktoria,” an epic drama about a peculiar mother-daughter relationship, might actually be the frontrunner. The film has been rightfully hailed as the most important Bulgarian film of 2014 as it has been praised at several international festivals. The only concern was its release date, but that has been put to rest since the filmmakers have announced a one-week theatrical run of the film in Sofia this September. This might imply they are seriously considering the possibility of being chosen. Other less likely options are “Roseville,” another Best Film nominee at the local film awards, “Rat Poison,” which won Best Screenplay at those same awards, and the comedy “ Living Legends.” “The Judgement,” another important Bulgarian film that opened the Sofia International Film Festival in March, won’t opened theatrically until after the deadline.

1. "Viktoria" PC: Viktoria Films

2. "Alienation" PC: Red Carpet/ Bnt

3."Roseville" Isa: Wide

4. "Rat Poison" PC: Bulfilm Nfc

5. "Living Legends" PC: Euro Dialogue Productions

Croatia

Dominating last year’s Pula Film Festival with seven Golden Arena awards and presented at other international festivals, the drama “ A Stranger” is by far the most qualified choice. Bobo Jelcic’s film follows a man who returns to his hometown only to attend a funeral, but is forced to deal with several other issues from his past while there. Closely following is complex family drama “Hush…,” which also won several awards at the same festival. Other films that could come into play include “Vis-à-Vis,” a story about a film director and on his actor trying to write a screenplay, crime thriller “Not All About the Money, ”and the comedy “Handymen” by Dalibor Matanic, whose film “Fine Dead Girls” represented Croatia in 2002. It is important to note that three other relevant Croatian films, “The Bridge at the of the World,” "Number 55” and “The Reaper,” will probably be released in the next few months and will be in the running next year.

1. "A Stranger"(Obrana i zastita) Isa: Rendez-vous Pictures

2. "Hush..." (Šuti) PC: Kinorama

3. "Vis-a-Vis" PC: Copycat Production House

4. "Not All About the Money" (Nije sve u lovi) PC: Interfilm

5. "Handymen" (Majstori) PC: Hrvatska Radiotelevizija

Cyprus

As one of the few countries in Europe that has never submitted a film, it is likely they will continue on that path once again. Yet, if they decide otherwise, there is a film that could represent them. Crime drama “Stratos” directed by Cyprus-born Yannis Economides and produced with support from the Cyprus Ministry of Education and Culture could actually be the island nation’s lucky charm. Another Cypriot production, the romantic comedy “ Committed,” would be listed here as a possibility if it wasn’t for the fact that it is entirely in English.

1. "Stratos" (To Mikro Psari) Isa: The Match Factory

Czech Republic

Last year was rough for the Czechs. The ambitious historical courtroom drama “Burning Bush” by acclaimed filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, was disqualified as their submission because it was originally conceived as a TV miniseries. They were forced to select another film “The Don Juans,” which that didn’t do much them. This time around things are looking up with a wide array of films to choose from. Playing at Karlovy Vary recently and opening theatrically just in time to qualify is “Fair Play,” a sports drama about a sprinter attempting to make it to the Olympic Games in 1980. Then there is “Clownwise, ” a quirky dramedy that was nominated for Best Film and won Best Supporting actor at the local Czech Lion Awards. In the third spot is “Hany,” a film conformed of a single continuous shot depicting the madness occurring during a night out in the city. “The Way Out, ” a drama that screened in the Acid sidebar at Cannes, could also be picked based on that notable international exposure. Lastly, “Delight,” another Czech Lion Best Film nominee, could be the surprise selection, but it will probably prove to be a tad too abstract for voters.

1. "Fair Play" Isa: Intramovies

2. "Clownwise" (Klauni) Isa: Latido

3. "Hany" PC: Barletta

4. "The Way Out" (Cesta Ven) Isa: Premium Films

5. "Delight" (Rozkos) PC: Cineart TV Prague

Denmark

These days Denmark is a powerhouse in this category. After almost tasting glory once again with Vinterberg’s “The Hunt, ” the Danish will return to seek their third consecutive nomination. In order to continue their great streak, they need to choose wisely. “Someone in Love,” about a musician in crisis, has garnered praise from critics internationally, and will seem like the obvious choice. On the other hand, there is the mystery flick “ The Keeper of Lost Causes,” which opened in Denmark late last yearand was nominated for 4 Bodil Awards. Then there is “Sorrow and Joy” another powerful drama from Nils Malmros, whose film “Barbara” represented Denmark in 1992. Unique coming-of-age tale ”Speed Walking” could also be a contender. On the final slot there is the romantic drama “The Miracle,” a film that did well at the Montreal World Film Festival, unlikely but not impossible. Whichever it is, it will certainly be something to watch out for throughout the race.

1. "Someone You Love" (En du elsker) Isa: TrustNordisk

2. "The Keeper of Lost Causes" (Kvinden i buret) Isa: TrustNordisk

3. "Sorrow and Joy" (Sorg og glæde) PC: Nordisk Film Production

4. "Speed Walking" (Kapgang) PC: Nordisk Film Production

5. "The Miracle" (Miraklet) PC: Film i Vast

Estonia

This Baltic country’s film industry has increasingly become more consistent at delivering interesting films. Winning awards across festivals, their absolute frontrunner is “Tangerines, ” a Georgian coproduction about a Estonian man caught up in the middle of a war. Its biggest competition is the black and white historical film “In the Crosswind,” “which is a viable choice given that it deals with a painful episode in the region's history: the mass deportation of Baltic people to Siberia by Russia. Though it looks beautifully done, its particular visual aesthetic might seem to unconventional to some voters. It is still really possible they decide to send it regardless. Finally there is “ Kertu” a romantic drama about an unlikely relationship.

1. "Tangerines" (Mandariinid) Isa: Cinemavault

2. "In the Crosswind" (Risttuules) PC: Allfilm

3. "Kertu, Love is Blind" (Kertu) Isa: Paul Thiltges Distribution Sarl

Finland

Despite the countries long filmmaking tradition, the Finnish have only been nominated once for Aki Kaurismäki's “The Man Without a Past” in 2002. Fortunately for them, they have several great eligible films that will make for a difficult decision. Black and white philosophical drama “ Concrete Night” from Pirjo Honkasalo earned 6 Jussi Awards, given by Finland’s film professionals. Such overwhelming recognition will make it hard to ignore despite the serious competition. The film also had a great festival run. Right behind it are two films by prolific Dome Karukoski, who has represented his country at the Oscar previously. The first one is “The Grump,” a comedy based on the character created by Tuomas Kyro. It will screen at Tiff and will open locally just in time to qualify. Karukoski’s other film “Heart of a Lion,” tells a more serious story about a Neo-Nazi who reconsiders his views after falling in love. Either one of them could be picked as a way to honor the consistently great work this filmmaker puts out. Yet another interesting possibility is “Korso,” about a young man with big basketball dreams. The film was partially produced by the same company that created last year’s Oscar nominated short “Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?” There are several other plausible films, but from all those, the one that seems to have the best prospects is the historical comedy “August Fools.”

1. "Concrete Night" (Betoniyö) Isa: Film Republic

2. "The Grump" (Mielensäpahoittaja) Isa: The Yellow Affair

3. "Heart of a Lion" (Leijonasydän) Isa: The Yellow Affair

4. "Korso" PC: Bufo/Tuffi Films

5. "August Fools" (Mieletön elokuu) Isa: Insomnia World Sales

France

Narrowing down France’s possible selection to five titles is by far one of the must uncertain and difficult tasks. The French film industry releases a vast number of films every year in a variety of genres and sizes. This gives them endless possibilities. Yet, there are some indicators that provide insight to what they might end up choosing. First off, the Cesar Awards. This year’s big winner was Guillaume Gallienne's “Me, Myself and Mum, ” which is a delightfully funny film that shines with originality. It was released last November and could definitely be their selected entry. On the other hand, they could choose to honor legendary filmmaker Alain Resnais- who past away earlier this year - by submitting his last film “Life of Riley.” The film received mixed reactions, but won the Fipresci Prize and the Alfred Bauer Award in Berlin. If they want to go with some fresh young talent, there is Cannes Directors' Fortnight Winner “Love at First Sight, ” the debut feature by Thomas Cailley. Another award winner that qualifies is Katell Quillévéré’s “Suzanne” about a woman that loses it all for the love a deviant man. Last but not least, Mathieu Amalric’s latest directorial effort “The Blue Room” could be a surprise player given the actor’s prestige and talent both in front and behind the camera. It is still up in the air.

1. "Me, Myself and Mum" (Les Garçons et Guillaume, à table!) Isa: Gaumont

2. "Life of Riley" (Aimer, boire et chanter) PC: F Comme Film

3. "Love at First Sight" (Les Conbattants) PC: Nord-Ouest Productions

4. "Suzanne" Isa: Films Distribution

5. "The Blue Room" (La Chambre Bleue) Isa: Alfama Films

Georgia

Impressively on the rise, the Georgian film industry keeps on delivering great works that often make waves across international festivals. Last year’s submission “In Bloom,” was a great success and managed to get U.S. distribution for a small theatrical release. On this occasion, they have three films that have done well internationally. Out of the batch, the most successful has been Levan Koguashvili’s “Blind Dates, ” a charming story of a unique quest for love. A second strong competitor is “Brides,” a drama that screened both at the Berlinale and Tribeca this year. Then, just fresh from winning at Karlovy Vary, there is “Corn Island,” a poetic vision of life from the perspective of rural Georgia. It appears like all three titles will release at home in time to qualify. If that’s the case, Georgia has a tough decision to make

1. "Blind Dates" (Shemtkhveviti paemnebi) Isa: Films Boutique

2. "Brides" (Patardzlebi) Isa: Rezo

3. "Corn Island" (Simindis kundzuli) PC: Arizona Productions

Germany

After releasing a 15-film shortlist, Germany’s prospects look clearer. There are several titles on the list that won’t merit a nomination, but the prominent film that remain will make for a competitive final selection. Winning two prizes in Berlin, “Stations of the Cross,” a look at fundamentalist Catholicism, sounds like a front-runner. However, its subject matter might play against it. Feo Aladag’s latest film “Inbetween Worlds,” about a German soldier in Afghanistan, seems to be a powerful drama on the vein of Susanne Bier’s “In a Better World.” On the third slot is “West,” a moving film about a woman and her son escaping socialist East Germany to discover the other side also has its darkness. Then there is “Beloved Sisters,” a costume drama that seems like a safer choice. It might be too familiar to be selected, but not at all improbable. Lastly, “Home from Home,” which won several national awards. It'ss possible, but its narrative style and extensive running time (225 min.) might make it a much more harder sell.

1. "Stations of the Cross" (Kreuzweg) Isa: Beta Cinema

2. "Inbetween Worlds" (Zwischen Welten) Isa: The Match Factory

3. "West" (Westen) Isa: Picture Tree International

4. "Beloved Sisters" (Die geliebten Schwestern) PC: Bavaria Film

5. "Home from Home - Chronicle of a Vision" (Die andere Heimat - Chronik einer Sehnsucht) Isa: Arri Worldsales

Greece

Even though it not an absolute rule, the Greeks tend to select the Hellenic Awards Best Film winner as their submission. Taking that into account, the clear favorite and almost certain choice is “Little England,” a period piece that won big locally. It’s biggest flaw; however, is the lack of international exposure. If for some reason they wanted to make a bold move and reward an impressive festival run, then Alexandros Avranas’s marvelously perverse “Miss Violence” would be ideal. Another great festival darling is Elina Psikou‘s feature debut “The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas,” a sardonic exploration on fame and identity. On the fourth spot, there is “ The Enemy Within,” a tense crime drama about a family in the aftermath of a home invasion. The film was also honored at the Hellenic Awards. Finally, “Standing Aside, Watching,” about corruption, sexism, and intimidation in a small village, could also be a great entry. Un Certain Regard film “Xenia” by Panos H. Koutras, won’t open in Greece until October, but will be a possible option next year.

1. "Little England" (Mikra Anglia) PC: Black Orange

2."Miss Violence" Isa: Elle Driver

3."The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas" (I Aionia Epistrofi tou Antoni Paraskeva) Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

4."The Enemy Within" (O Ehthros Mou) Isa: Patra Spanou

5. "Standing Aside, Watching" (Na kathesai kai na koitas) Isa: Patra Spanou

Hungary

Hungary’s last submission “The Notebook” managed to make it into the highly competitive 9-film shortlist. This year they have even brighter hopes with a slate of titles that have done very well around the world. Un Certain Regard winner “White God” is undoubtedly the one to beat. It is a rare occasion for the country to win such a high profile prize, thus making it almost impossible to ignore. Nevertheless, if that is not enough to convince the selection committee, “Free Fall” the latest film György Pálfi - whose films “ Hukkie” and “Taxidermia” have represented Hungary in the past - would be the next best choice. It also won several awards recently at Karlovy Vary, which could be of help. Less likely is Virág Zomborácz‘s “Afterlife” another drama that screened at the renowned Czech festival. Other possible titles include Lgbt romantic drama “Land of Storms, “ which screened in Berlin, and dark “ “Heavenly Shift,” which descent international presence.

1. "White God" (Fehér isten) Isa: The Match Factory

2. "Free Fall" (Szabadesés) PC: Jiff Project

3. "Afterlife" (Utóélet) Isa: Hungarian National Film Fund

4. "Land of Storms" (Viharsarok) Isa: M-Appeal World Sales

5. "Heavenly Shift" (Isteni müszak) Isa: Hungarian National Film Fund

Iceland

This small Scandinavian nation seems to have a very easy decision to make. The film “Life in a Fishbowl” has been dubbed by local critics as “the best Icelandic” film ever made” and it has also been an absolute box-office hit in its homeland. The multi-narrative film is by far the most likely to be submitted. However, its closest competitor is Ragnar Bragason‘s “ Metalhead,” a drama about a girl coping with her brother’s death. It was released late last year and won several Edda Awards. With far less possibilities given the two frontrunners is the dramedy “Paris of the North, ” which screened at Karlovy Vary, and comedy “ The Grandad,” which lacks exposure and buzz.

1. "Life in a Fishbowl" (Vonarstræti) Isa: Films Boutique

2. "Metalhead" (Málmhaus) Isa: Picture Tree International

3. "Paris of the North" (París Norðursins) PC: Arizona Productions

4. "The Grandad" (Afinn) PC: Thorsson Productions

Ireland

Since most of country’s releases are in English rather than in the Irish language, most years the country doesn’t have any candidates for this category. Ireland has only submitted to films for consideration as foreign language films. It is unlikely they’ll enter the race this year, but if it manages to be released in time, Irish director Johnny O'Reilly‘s Russian-language film “Moscow Never Sleeps” could be their selected candidate. The film was produced with the help of the Irish Film Funs, a fact that could help claim it as an Irish production. Another film in the Irish language, “An Bronntanas” (The Gift), would be a great choice, but it seems to be originally envisioned for TV as a five part miniseries. It’s hard to know if it will manage to qualify.

1. "Moscow Never Sleeps" (Москва никогда не спит) PC: Snapshot Films

Italy

Returning as current champion, Italy - which is the most successful nation ever in this category – has two main contenders and a couple other minor players. At the top of the list is “Human Capital,” which beat out “The Great Beauty” at the local David di Donatello Awards. Added to that, the film has won almost every award at home and several others abroad. It would be shocking to see the film be ignored. The biggest threat to its flawless run is Cannes Competition film “The Wonders.” It received mixed reviews but the Cannes pedigree could play a big role. Local success “The Mafia Only Kills in Summer” is less likely to have a chance. However, it also received tons of praise at home, so it shouldn’t be entirely disqualified. “Misunderstood,” by Asia Argento, played in the Un Certain Regard section but faces tough competition. Rounding up these five possibilities is “Those Happy Years, ” a personal film by Daniele Luchetti, which received very positive reviews internationally.

1. "Human Capital" (Il capitale umano) PC: Indiana Production Company

2. "The Wonders" (Le meraviglie) Isa: The Match Factory

3. "The Mafia Only Kills in Summer" (La mafia uccide solo d'estate) Isa: Rai Com

4. "Misunderstood" (Incompresa) Isa: Other Angle Pictures

5. "Those Happy Years" (Anni felici) Isa: Celluloid Dreams/Nightmares

Kosovo

The surprise submission could come from the recently independent, war-torn Balkan state. They have a promising feature film by Isa Qosja's “Three Windows and a Hanging,” which has been called “the best film from Kosovo to date.” Dealing with the forced silence and shame rape victims experience in a small village ruled by patriarchal norms, the film seems to be a perfect candidate to be their first submission. It recently premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, so its biggest challenge would be qualifying based on its unknown release date at home.

1. "Three Windows and a Hanging"

Latvia

Unfortunately for Latvia, their possibilities are extremely limited this year. There are only two films that seem as possible candidates. One is the slasher horror film “The Man in the Orange Jacket.” It sports a great production value and might be an interesting offer, but it is hard to see it get far in the race. Nonetheless, it is still their best chance. The other film "Escaping Riga" is a documentary on historical figures Sergei Eisenstein and Sir Isaiah Berlin. Given its subject matter it wouldn’t be surprising if they chose to with this. Hopefully next year their output gives them more to pick from.

1. "The Man in the Orange Jacket" (M.O.Zh.) Isa: Wide

2. "Escaping Riga" PC: Mistrus Media

Lithuania

Opposite to its Baltic neighbor mentioned above, Lithuania has several notable films that could represent them. After winning the top prizes at the Lithuanian Silver Crane’ awards, “The Gambler” became the clear favorite. However, it is important to mention that despite having narrative features to choose from, Lithuania decided to send a small documentary to represent them last year. This curious fact could play in favor of “ Cenotaphs,” a doc focusing on the search for the remains of dead soldiers from World War II. The film won Best Documentary and was nominated in other categories at the local awards. Then there are three other Silver Crane nominated films. Coming-of-age flick “ Non-Present Time,” family drama “Santa,” and crime thriller “Name in the Dark.” The winner of several of these awards, “The Excursionist” was released too early last year to be considered this time around. Local financial success “Redirected” is mostly in English, thus ineligible.

1. "The Gambler" (Losejas) Isa: Wide

2. "Cenotaph" (Kenotafas) PC: Studio Uljana Kim

3. "Non-Present Time" (Nesamasis laikas) PC: Just a Moment

4. "Santa" PC: Artbox

5. "Name in the Dark" (Vardas tamsoje) PC: Fralita Films...

The Sarajevo Film Festival has unveiled the line-up for its 20th edition which runs August 15-23.

The 20th Sarajevo Film Festival (Aug 15-23) has announced its official selection. Among nine films in the feature competition, there are three world premieres, including the new film by Kosovo veteran Isa Qosja, Three Windows And A Hanging. Qosja won the Special Jury Award at Sff with Kukumi in 2005.

Two other world premieres in competition are first feature films: Georgian director Lasha Tskvitinidze’s I Am Beso, and Song Of My Mother by Turkey’s Erol Mintas.

The list of debuts in the competition is completed with Berlinale titles Brides by Georgia’s Tinatin Kajrishvili, Land Of Storms by Hungary’s Ádám Császi, and Macondo by Sudabeh Mortezai from Austria.

Cure - The Life Of Another, the new film by Andrea Staka who won Heart of Sarajevo for best film in 2006 with Das Fräulein, will have its...

Exclusive: Writer-director to re-team with Miss Violence actors.

Miss Violence writer-director Alexandros Avranas is to re-team with producer Faliro House Productions and actors Eleni Roussinou and Christos Loulis on his next film.

“I am writing a new Greek-language script which will be ready in the coming months,” the director told Screen at the Jerusalem Film Festival. “I want to shoot next summer.

“It’s about a middle-class Greek couple who want to live an easy life, ‘The American Dream’, but they end up carrying out a murder for money in order to sustain their lifestyle,” he continued. “It’s about moral values.”

The as-yet untitled drama-thriller, based on a true story that took place in London, has already attracted interest from sales companies in the UK, Europe and the Us.

The 36-year-old writer-director, repped by Wme and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, said his next film after the thriller would likely be an English-language film.

Well-received drama Miss Violence...

Exclusive: Writer-director to re-team with Miss Violence actors.

Miss Violence writer-director Alexandros Avranas is to re-team with producer Faliro House Productions and actors Eleni Roussinou and Christos Loulis on his next film.

“I am writing a new Greek-language script which will be ready in the coming months,” the director told Screen at the Jerusalem Film Festival. “I want to shoot next summer.

“It’s about a middle-class Greek couple who want to live an easy life, ‘The American Dream’, but they end up carrying out a murder for money in order to sustain their lifestyle,” he continued. “It’s about moral values.”

The as-yet untitled drama-thriller, based on a true story that took place in London, has already attracted interest from sales companies in the UK, Europe and the Us.

The 36-year-old writer-director, repped by Wme and Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, said his next film after the thriller would likely be an English-language film.

Well-received drama Miss Violence...

What’s new, what’s hot, and what you may have missed, now available to stream.

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

The Lego Movie: you’ve seen this all before — it’s Toy Story meets The Matrix — just not done in Legos [my review] [at iTunes UK] The Lunchbox: a charming, bittersweet, utterly chaste love affair forged over food and cemented by kindred spirits [my review] [at iTunes UK] 112 Weddings: startling and welcome breath of reality for an institution overladen by fantasy in our culture: happily ever after is hard! [my review] [at iTunes UK] Visitors: a weirdly beautiful film, eerie in its complicated simplicity, and open to seven billion interpretations, all of them valid [my review] [at iTunes UK] The Zero Theorem: Terry Gilliam’s latest is chock full of glorious Gillam style and a fun performance from Christoph Waltz, but little else [at iTunes UK]

streaming now, before it’s on dvd

The Lego Movie: you’ve seen this all before — it’s Toy Story meets...

★☆☆☆☆"We don't have secrets in this family," Themis Panou's repulsive pater familias - who bears an uncanny resemblance to Donald Pleasance - states in Alexandros Avranas' Miss Violence (2013), the baffling winner of several awards at last year's 70th Venice Film Festival. However, when it comes to families in this kind of drama, nothing could be further from the truth. It's Angeliki's (Chloe Bolota) eleventh birthday party and her family gathers to eat cake in their antiseptic, middle-class apartment. The eldest daughter has news that she's pregnant - which she whispers to her mother - and food is put on the table. However, Angeliki mounts the balcony railing while no one is looking and plunges to her death.

Deeply unnerving, yet it borders on a salacious exploitation of the everyday horrors it means to condemn. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

In a sterile gray apartment in an unnamed Greek city, a family is celebrating a child’s birthday. After the cake for newly 11-year-old Angeliki (Chloe Bolota), the girl, still in her pretty white party dress, calmly walks out onto the balcony, climbs over the railing, and jumps to her death on the concrete many floors below. What would prompt a child to do such a thing? What would cause her family to react by hardly reacting at all? Screenwriter (with Kostas Peroulis) and director Alexandros Avranas only parsimoniously doles out information about those Angeliki has left behind, and in a way that leads our imaginations nowhere but in horrific directions. Why...

Peter Bradshaw and Catherine Shoard join Xan Brooks to review this week's big cinema releases. This week weepy, creepy young adult drama The Fault in Our Stars does cancer for the Twilight generation; the Greek new school eats itself as Alexandros Avranas presents Miss Violence; and Frankie Valli's Jersey Boys warble their way to infamy via Clint Eastwood's bizarre biopic

Find video less than stellar? Listen to the audio-only version of this week's show Continue reading...

There are those films that make for an uncomfortable viewing experience, and it would be difficult to describe Alexandros Avranas’ sophomore feature by any other choice of words.

Despite an uncomfortable viewing experience it is a thought provoking piece of filmmaking that stands out as one of the films of the year. HeyUGuys recently spoke with Avranas who took us under the skin of a film whose subject and style of storytelling is universal.

Why a career in filmmaking? Was there that one inspirational moment?

I studied sculpture, and so I was a part of the art scene for a long time. On a personal level it is very important for me to make art and to make films, because I want to say something political; to say something about the society that I live in. So from my perspective this is the only reason for art and cinema to exist,...

There are those films that make for an uncomfortable viewing experience, and it would be difficult to describe Alexandros Avranas’ sophomore feature by any other choice of words.

Despite an uncomfortable viewing experience it is a thought provoking piece of filmmaking that stands out as one of the films of the year. HeyUGuys recently spoke with Avranas who took us under the skin of a film whose subject and style of storytelling is universal.

Why a career in filmmaking? Was there that one inspirational moment?

I studied sculpture, and so I was a part of the art scene for a long time. On a personal level it is very important for me to make art and to make films, because I want to say something political; to say something about the society that I live in. So from my perspective this is the only reason for art and cinema to exist,...

Marion Vernoux’s Bright Days Ahead (Les Baux Jours) offers us a meditation on the turning points of life in the shape of a typical melodic French drama. The director’s interruption of the introductory montage of Caroline (Fanny Ardant) cut up by the bold white font of the cast credits with sharp angles, and the ominous score, opens the film with a sense of biting tension. It gives the impression that the comedy could be swept aside as darker undertones swirl beneath the surface, creating dangerous undercurrents that threaten to pull the film’s leading protagonist beneath the surface, and therein our latest experience of a light-hearted French drama.

But Vernoux knows how to offset pathos with comedy, and this approach is an effective prelude for Caroline, whose journey will be one, as is the tendency in this kind of story to learn that her life is not to be dismissed,...

Marion Vernoux’s Bright Days Ahead (Les Baux Jours) offers us a meditation on the turning points of life in the shape of a typical melodic French drama. The director’s interruption of the introductory montage of Caroline (Fanny Ardant) cut up by the bold white font of the cast credits with sharp angles, and the ominous score, opens the film with a sense of biting tension. It gives the impression that the comedy could be swept aside as darker undertones swirl beneath the surface, creating dangerous undercurrents that threaten to pull the film’s leading protagonist beneath the surface, and therein our latest experience of a light-hearted French drama.

But Vernoux knows how to offset pathos with comedy, and this approach is an effective prelude for Caroline, whose journey will be one, as is the tendency in this kind of story to learn that her life is not to be dismissed,...

Emerging with diverse artistic visions, Greek filmmakers have managed to mold the chaotic and uncertain situation of their county into cinematic statements ranging from the utterly realist to the most audacious. This weekend several of these unique perspectives were screened at the 8th Edition of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival with a program that included documentary features, shorts, and some of the most daring narratives to come out of the Hellenic nation recently. More prolific than ever, Greek Cinema voices the experiences of those affected by the economic crisis, those trying to make amends between tradition and fast-paced modernity, and above all it is fertile ground for exploration and reinvention.

Miss Violence

Dir. Alexandros Avranas

Any film that opens with a girl committing suicide on her 11th birthday announces itself as something out of the ordinary. Alexandros Avranas’ “ Miss Violence” can easily be considered a new addition to the unofficially named Greek Weird Wave movement. Its closest reference is the Oscar-nominated “Dogtooth”. Much like Lanthimos film, “Miss Violence” focuses on a family in which a controlling patriarch ruthlessly decides over its members’ lives. While “Dogtooth” deals with a distorted perception of reality created by the monstrous father, Avranas’ film is darker, more puzzling, and at times unbearably unnerving. Conformed by a mother, two daughters, and two grandchildren, the family mechanics are never easily presented. Dozens of theories can be at play in the viewer’s mind as one tries to decipher what is the evil truth behind it all. A shattering must-see, “Miss Violence” is a twisted tale of submission and perversion cleverly concealed by apparent righteousness. Full review coming soon.

Standing Aside, Watching

Dir. Giorgos Servetas

When an educated and self-sufficient woman, Antigone (Marina Symeou), decides to return to her small town, she soon realizes that things haven’t improved much from what she remembers. After finding a job as a teacher and reconnecting with her old friend Eleni ( Marianthi Pantelopoulou), Antogone finds a younger boyfriend who makes things in the sleepy community more exciting. Sadly for this independent woman, that relationship will unearth the viciousness of the town’s bully. Reveling in their archaic ideologies, people here uphold male chauvinist values that condone violence against women. Those protected by the corrupt local authorities enjoy impunity. Furthermore, the film points at indifference as the source of injustice. Outspoken about the outrageous gender inequality that still exists, this effective thriller is infuriating and poignant until its culminating sequence. Servetas film is an extraordinarily brave and important statement not only for Greece, but anywhere where women still need to struggle for the most elemental respect.

The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas

Dir. Elina Psikou

Delusions of grandeur take on a new form when famed talk-show host Antonis Paraskeva ( Christos Stergioglou) decides to orchestrate his own kidnapping as a publicity stunt. Hidden in a remote hotel out of service for the winter, he spends his days reading what the media says about his disappearance and endlessly practicing a recipe for molecular pasta all in hopes of a triumphal return. Subtly comedic and occasional unsettling, Psikou’s film makes blunt observations about a man’s obsession with his own image and status. Aware that his antics to turn himself into a legendary figure are failing, Antonis’ arrogance will drive him to carry out increasingly more deranged tactics in order to recover his position and keep his fans interested. Embellished by a couple magical realist episodes, “The Eternal Return” peculiarly depicts the cult of celebrity and instant glorification, which is something that rings true now more than ever.

The Enemy Within

Dir. Yorgos Tsemberopoulos

While watching Tsemberopoulos film, another thematically similar work quickly comes to mind: "To Kill a Man" by Chilean director Alejandro Fernández Almendras. Both stories are concerned with events that drive normal family men to kill with the purpose of avenging their loved ones. While the South American director focuses on what leads to the act itself, in the suspenseful Greek tale the filmmaker decides to go further and deal with the consequences of getting even. A performance brimming with tremendous vulnerability and heartbreaking powerlessness by Manolis Mavromatakis as Kostas, the father, is at the center of this provocative feature. As the family begins to fall apart, Kostas hateful thirst for retribution is transformed into a strange form of forgiveness towards those who ravaged his life. "The Enemy Within" is intense, intelligent, and forces its characters to make decisions that place them in the grayer side of morality.

To The Wolf

Dir. Aran Hughes & Christina Koutsospyrou

Bleak and meditative, this hyperrealist story evolves around two impoverished families in a precarious Greek muntain town. Set in the midst of the financial crisis, To The Wolf examines the daily struggles of an elderly couple and their son Giorgos (Giorgos Katsaros), who is goatherd unable to sell any of his animals and can’t find any other way to make a living. Desperation quickly sets in followed by a dark feeling of despair. This families are in debt, they don’t know where their next meal with come from, and they are completely disenchanted with a government that has forgotten them. Extremely minimalist visually and employing non-professional actors, the film exists ambiguously between documentary and fiction. It includes explicit social commentary about the terrible living conditions people in rural communities have been forced to endure, as well as the dismal disparities between them and their urban counterparts, of whom they are only aware via their ramshackle television.

Committed

Dir. Stelana Kliris

This English-language road trip romantic comedy set in Cyprus is an entertaining work that relies heavily on its two protagonists’ ability to be engaging. Driving around the island to clear his head after a fight with his girlfriend, George ( Orestes Sophocleous Orestes Sophocleous), an engineer of Greek origin who studied in England, runs across a bride (Melia Kreiling), wedding dress and all, who is walking alone on a deserted road running away from something or someone. He offers her a ride and what ensues are a series of conversations about love, the boredom of conventions, and of course, fear of commitment. Even if the performances appear overdone and rather generic at times, there is still a lighthearted chemistry between the two actors that makes the journey simplistic, but enjoyable. It would come as no surprise if the concept is adapted and remade with an American cast. This is the type of story that Hollywood craves, especially with the added bonus of a somewhat intriguing twist.

Exclusive: Tony Glasscoe joins as head of DVD sales, Ella Field promoted.

UK distributor has appointed former Paramount Pictures senior account manager Tony Glasscoe as head of DVD sales.

Metrodome managing director Jezz Vernon said: “We are enormously excited to welcome Tony to Metrodome, with his vast experience and unrivalled contacts we’re confident he will be an outstanding member of the team.”

Glasscoe began his career in the rental industry working for Universal Pictures, progressing to handling retail for Universal Columbia Alliance and NBC Universal as an account manager.

The company has also promoted Ella Field to acquisitions manager after she joined the company last year from Mercury Media.

Giles Edwards, head of acquisitions, said: “Since joining Metrodome in early 2013, Ella has proven to be an invaluable asset the department. Canny, charismatic, smart and resourceful, she’s demonstrated time and again that she’s fully equipped for the challenges the new role lays out for her...

Two veterans and a newcomer shared the top honours at the Hellenic Film Academy (Hfa) awards.Scroll down for full list of winners

Pantelis Voulgaris’ Little England (Mikra Anglia) won best film while Yiorgos Tsemberopoulos’ The Enemy Within (O ehthros mou) won best director at the fifth edition of the awards on Monday evening.

Newcomer Elina Psikou was named best first time director for The Eternal Return of Antonis Paraskevas (I aionia epistrofi tou Antoni Paraskeva).

Little England was produced by Katerina Helioti and Yiannis Iakovidis for Mikra Anglia Productions in co-production with among others Black Orange and Ote TV.

Set on the island of Andros in the 1930s and 1940s, the film is based on the bestselling novel by Voulgaris’ wife, Ioanna Karistiani. It centres how the community copes while the men of the island spend long absences on ships around the world.

The €1.5m budget was entirely financed by Andros shipowner Spyros Polemis and is...

Most art movements reach a point when the work slowly begins to break away. That breaking point is reached in Alexandros Avranas's Miss Violence, the latest export from the formally ambitious talent factory of contemporary Greek cinema. Recalling this movement's ur-film, Yorgos Lanthimos's Dogtooth, in its depiction of a bracingly bizarre family, Miss Violence honors the thoroughly creepy work of Avranas's countrymen, but in his turn of the screw, Avranas marshals the abstract qualities of art cinema to comment upon concrete horror. It screens in the Museum of the Moving Image's Panorama Europe festival, a sizable offering of adventurous European cinema.

From the ominous start, it's clear that something is rotten in Greece. At her family-only birthday pa...

Exclusive: Metrodome haul includes rom-com We’ll Never Have Paris from Simon Helberg, star of The Big Bang Theory.

Metrodome has finalised deals on five films for distribution in UK and Ireland, including a deal with K5 for Simon Helberg’s directorial debut We’ll Never Have Paris.

Helberg, who plays Howard Wolowitz in Us sitcom The Big Bang Theory, wrote, co-directed with Jocelyn Towne and stars in the rom-com, based on the co-directors’ real life romantic history.

The film follows a neurotic young man rattled by a sudden declaration of love from an attractive co-worker moments before he is about to propose to his girlfriend.

Zachary Quinto, Alfred Molina, Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter and Maggie Grace co-star.

The deal was negotiated between Metrodome head of acquisitions Giles Edwards and Carl Clifton for K5 International with a release planned for late 2014.

Helberg comented on the deal: “After over 200 years of slightly underwhelming independence, I am proud...

The Lobster

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Writer(s): Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou (both featured in pic above)

Producer(s): Lanthimos, Element Pictures’ Lee Magiday & Ed Guiney, Scarlet Films’ Ceci Dempsey

Exec Producers: Element Pictures’ Andrew Lowe

Co-Producers: Haut et Court, Faliro House and Lemming Films

U.S. Distributor: Rights Available

Cast: Jason Clarke, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Olivia Colman, Ariane Labed and Angeliki Papoulia

One of the most exciting filmmakers to emerge on the global film scene over the past five years has been Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek director, whose last two films, Dogtooth (2009) and Alps (2011) were incredibly strange, original, and undoubtedly haunting in their depictions of worlds severely off kilter (his influence can already be seen in other emerging filmmakers from his native country with 2013’s Miss Violence from Alexandros Avranas bearing a striking resemblance to the bizarre drama of Lanthimos. Several months back, funding was announced from several...

Exclusive: Us, European and South American deals for Metrodome production.

Salt has sold British horror film The Borderlands to a number of key territories, including the Us (Grindstone); Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Benelux (Pandastorm); the Middle East (Front Row); and in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia (Euro Films).

Metrodome will release in the UK on April 4.

Written and directed by Elliot Goldner, Frightfest premiere The Borderlands follows a team of Vatican investigators sent to the British West Country to investigate reports of paranormal activity at a remote church.

Ben Wheatley collaborator Robin Hill (Kill List, Down Terrace) stars in the horror, which is the first film from Metrodome’s production slate.

Deals were negotiated by Salt’s head of international James Norrie.

Metrodome’s upcoming theatrical slate includes Lukas Moodysson’s We Are The Best!, Venice entry Miss Violence, Gerard Johnson’s Hyena and Stuart Murdoch’s Sundance title God Help The Girl.

Bronze Horse for best film goes to The Selfish Giant. More wins for Fruitvale Station, Miss Violence and Screen Star of Tomorrow George MacKay.Scroll down for full list of winners

UK film The Selfish Giant has picked up the Bronze Horse for best film at the 24th Stockholm Film Festival (Nov 6-17).

It marks the second consecutive year a film by a female director has won the top prize at Stockholm, after Cate Shortland’s Lore picked up the award last year.

The film, about two young friends who gather scrap metal for cash, was described by the jury as “a uniquely complete film. Shattering, to the point, poetic, believable, delicate, humorous. The sensitive interaction between the two main actors has resulted in the most touching portrayal of friendship we’ve seen in film. Only someone hard-hearted could fail to love this film.”

The Selfish Giant, which debuted at Cannes, is represented...

Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave to open festival; director Peter Greenaway to receive Visionary Award.Scroll down for full line-up

Steve McQueen’s historic drama 12 Years a Slave is to open the Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 6-17) and is nominated in the Stockholm Xxiv Competition.

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the drama about free black man kidnapped from his family and sold into slavery in the 1850s debuted at Telluride and has received positive reactions throughout its festival tour of Toronto, New York and London among others.

It will be released in Sweden on Dec 20 by Ab Svensk Filmindustri.

Screenwriter John Ridley, who will be present during the festival, is nominated for the Aluminum Horse in the category Best Script.

McQueen’s Hunger won Best Directorial Debut at Stockholm in 2008.

Line-up

The 24th Siff includes more than 180 films from more than 50 countries.

As previously announced, the spotlight of this year’s festival is freedom but Chinese artist...

Few countries deliver as many consistently twisted tales as Greece. I assume there is populous entertainment in the country as well but in film festival circles, if it's not weird, it doesn't make the cut. The Greek new wave has been making waves over the last few years and Alexandros Avranas is the most recent director to deliver what is easily most cruel and twisted movie I've seen this year.

Miss Violence opens with a party. The birthday girl, 11 year old Angeliki, calmly walks over to the balcony, steps over the railing and very purposefully jumps over. Her death comes as a shock to the family and to authorities who feel the need to investigate Angeliki's home life after all, a perfectly healthy, seemingly happy pre-teen doesn't simply commit suicide for no apparent reason an [Continued ...]...