The annual celebration of high concept/low budget cinema starts in 10 days with over 40 films from around the world proving that when it comes to making a good movie big imaginations are more important than fat wallets.The Festival takes place April 14-16 at the Red Vic 1727 Haight St - SFApril 17 - Parkway Theater1834 Park Blvd (near Lake Meritt)- OaklandInfo on this year's films, screening info and and tickets at: http://www.hilofilmfestival.com Hi-lights of the 2005 hilo film festival: From o...
Environmental Films Showcase Sunday, 4-3After a morning presentation by acclaimed Producer Director John Daly (Platoon, Salvador) The Sacramento Film Festival and UC Davis Environmental Health studies present an afternoon of Environmental Visions, Sunday, April 3rd at the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom. This amazing program begins at 1:15pm with - Environmental Visions at Home – a documentary program showcasing four compelling stories about Northern California, its environmental challenges and t...
WorldFest-Houston Film Festival Announces our 38th Unspooling! "Fiercely Independent""What's Cooking?!" at 2005 WORLDFEST-HOUSTON - 38 Years of Independent Films - DATES: April 22 through May 1, 2005 - LOCATION: AMC Meyer Park 16 Theatres - The HQ Renaissance Hotel - ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC Each year WorldFest creates another delectable menu of film-fare from around the world for our local audiences! The 38th annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival will offer an ap...
Cinequest 15 Starts Up in San Jose (March 2-March 13)The Cinequest San Jose Film Festival launched on Wednesday, March 2, with a rollicking opening night at the opulently restored California Theatre, a 1927 movie palace in downtown San Jose. Festival goers clapped along to “California Here I Come” as Bill Taylor played the Mighty Wurlitzer organ until it disappeared beneath the stage of the historic 1,100-seat house. “Now this is cool, absolutely cool,” said Halfdan Hussey, Cinequest Co-...
PAUL HAGGIS TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL MAURICE KANBAR AWARD AT48th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALApril 21–May 5, 2005)Writer/Director/Producer to be Honored for Excellence in ScreenwritingThe San Francisco Film Society announced today that Academy Award nominee Paul Haggis will be the recipient of the inaugural Maurice Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting at the 48th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21-May 5, 2005). The award will be presented to Haggis at Film Soc...
With most of the United States in the grip of a devastatingly cold winter, more than a few eyes (and hearts) turn to Florida, the sunshine state, which is having an intensely active “high season”. As much as the sun and the beach are major attractions, this is also the kick-off to the Florida film festival season.Two of Florida’s most interesting film events are happening this week. The Sarasota Film Festival, now in its seventh year, opened this past weekend, with an ambitious slate of pr...
JOAN ALLEN TO RECEIVE PETER J. OWENS AWARD AT 48th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALActor to be Saluted for Brilliance, Independence and IntegrityThe San Francisco Film Society announced today that Joan Allen will be the recipient of the Peter J. Owens Award to be presented at the 48th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21-May 5, 2005). The Owens Award, named after local cultural benefactor and longtime Film Society board member Peter J. Owens, honors an actor whose work ex...
The Regal Entertainment Group7th Annual Sarasota Film FestivalJanuary 28 – February 6, 2005It’s time to leave the daily hum-drum of life and enter the world of flickering lights, fantasy dreams, tall tales, romance, reel life, fabulous parties, rock ‘n roll, educational journeys and so much more as the 7th Annual SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL gets underway. The 10-day event will take place in the Gulf Coast resort city of Sarasota, Florida January 28 thru February 6, 2005. The Regal Entertainme...
2005 Sundance Film Festival Announces ProgramThe Sundance Institute has announced the slate of films for the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. New this year will be the inaugural World Cinema Competition, which brings more of an international focus on this once only US independent film Festival. The 2005 Sundance Film Festival will take place January 20–30, 2005, in Park City, Utah, USA. This Film Festival is the premier showcase for American independent film, is an important new platform for i...
First San Francisco Bay Area Festival: 28 January-13 February 2005Three Cities, Seventeen Days, Fifty Events.Rare Tornatore Work Starring Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu One of Fifteen Premieres; David O. Russell's Huckabees Infomercial Debuts; Films from Twelve Countries.After sold-out events in Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C., the International Buddhist Film Festival (IBFF) will present its first San Francisco Bay Area festival January 28, 2005 through February 13, 2005. Over fi...
The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), announced today the full schedule of films for the 22nd annual Festival to be held February 4-13, 2005.118 Films—87 Features and 31 Shorts—from 47 Countries Highlight 2005 FestivalIncluding 7 World Premieres, 15 International, North American& U.S. Premieres, and 33 East Coast PremieresUnveiled today for the 2005 program were 118 films from 47 countries, including 7 World Premieres, 15 International, North Am...
In a remarkably crowded end-of-year film season, New York film audiences are buzzing about the excitement being created by European films, which have been on abundant display in theaters across town. In short, New York loves European cinema.Of course, this is no new story. The films of pioneers Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Francois Truffaut and Luis Bunuel first took root with New York film critics and film buffs. The Festival’s major film festivals always feature a strong contingent of f...
Film & TV Composer JAMES L.VENABLEEXPLAINS HOW TO CULT OF ANIMATION AND MOVIE MUSIC FANSAT THE APPLE STORE IN LOS ANGELES"The Composer", who Film Score Monthly calls "One of Ten Composers on the Rise," explained his craft to his cult of animation (Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack) and movie fans (Kevin Smith films: Jersey Girl, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back).James L. Venable is taking his VJ/DJ/Electronica performance to Apple Stores across the nation promoting his debut release Holding Space (Screa...
MEL GIBSON’S “PASSION” WINS ITS FIRST FILM FESTIVAL AWARDThe 5th Annual Christian WYSIWYG Film Festival honored Mel Gibson’s "The Passion of The Christ" with the "Film of The Year" award for 2004.The award follows the recent recognition for producer of the year given at the Hollywood Awards to Mel GibsonHolly McClure, the executive producer for the behind the scenes special, "TheMaking of The Passion of The Christ”, commented, “In what will surely be a season of multiple awards and r...
Across three continents, "MONDOVINO" weaves together the family succession sagas of billionaire Napa Valley power brokers, the rivalry of two aristocratic Florentine dynasties and the efforts of three generations of a Burgundian family fighting to preserve their few acres of land. But are all these struggles secondary to the exploits of a gleefully mischievious pirate from Bordeaux who spreads the gospel of modernity from Italy to New York to Argentina?Wine has been a symbol of Western civiliza...
The Mill Valley Film Festival wrapped up here this week and as in years past the films themselves were the focus. Outside of New York, the Bay Area is one of the top markets for independent and foreign films, in part because the populace is diverse and highly educated. The Mill Valley festival draws more filmmakers and producers than celebrity-struck fans, which is just fine for the people showing the films -- they'd rather see word of mouth race through the industry, so they can get distributio...
San Diego Asian Film Festival Rides The Wave of Success In 5th YearSan Diego Asian Film Festival now in it’s 5th year will commence this October 21st, 2004, opening with the independent feature film from Hawaii, THE RIDE. The Festival runs form October 21st to October 24th, with most films screening at the Mann Hazard Center 7 Theaters in Mission Valley. THE RIDE was a hit at the Hawaii International Film Festival were an estimated 15,000 festival attendee’s watch outdoors at Waikiki Beach...
Detroit Docs International Film Festival Is Celebrating Year 3! from November 11-14, 2004 Highlights include this year: Screening over 100 documentaries from all over the world including the U.S., Canada, Scotland, Australia, Germany, Israel, United Kingdom, Poland, and Japan Introducing three new venues; Wayne State University, Detroit Institute of Arts & the Museum of New Art Welcoming 30+ filmmakers and visitors from out of town to attend the festival with their works Festival kicks off with ...
MOUNT SHASTA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OFFERS EXCITING GETAWAY WEEKEND FOR FILM BUFFS AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTSNorthern California and Southern Oregon movie buffs can look forward to viewing 20 wonderful films from eight countries along with an opportunity to enjoy spectacular outdoor adventures during the inaugural Mount Shasta International Film Festival. The festival, helmed by Founder/Director Jeffrey Winters, unspools the weekend of October 8th-10th at Coming Attractions Theatre in downtown...
An Australian comedy short film The Ball that recently screened on Network Ten as part of the “Just for Laughs” comedy series has been nominated by the United Nations for a Media Peace prize.The short stars veteran actor Max Gillies (“Gillies Report”) as a cricket loving Prime Minister Howard and comedienne Gabby Millgate (“Babe Pig in the City”, “Muriel’s Wedding”) as a soccer loving boat person who washes ashore in Australia. The nomination is reportedly the first time a shor...
George Lucas is to be given a special tribute award at this year’s Deauville Film Festival. Mr Lucas will be present to receive an award honouring his work at a ceremony on Saturday September 11th. George Lucas’ first film, THX 1138, is to be granted a special gala screening at Deauville, in order to commemorate its newly-restored release on DVD. This screening and a press conference will also take place on September 11th.Director George Lucas’s widely influential first film, th...
PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVALENDS ITS TENTH YEAR WITH AWARDS AND CELEBRATIONSThe Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival ended its tenth year by announcing the winners of its Jury Competition and Audience Awards at its Closing Night Ceremonies: Jury Competition:Best Feature Film – BROTHER TO BROTHER, directed by Rodney Evans; this film has now won major awards at the top leading gay and lesbian film festivals in the country: New Festival (New York)...
HypeFest: A unique film festival that links independent ideas with commercial creativity.Drama, intrigue, comedy and cocktails. All this and more abounds at HypeFest,a high-energy film & video festival slated to showcase creativity in film, commercials and music videos from a diversity of filmmakers and storytellers.Providing a bridge between content creators and the independent and commercial communities, HypeFest offers a platform for filmmakers to promote their work to the commercial industry...
"ROOMMATE FROM HELL" WINS FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS IN SAN FRANCISCO, HOUSTON(Horror Comedy will next Screen July 24 at Comic-Con in San Diego)July 14, 2004 – Santa Monica, Calif. - "Roommate From Hell," a horror/comedy short film directed by Allan Piper, was recently named the winner of the Audience Choice award for Best Short Film at the San Francisco Independent Horror Film Festival, and was called a "Must See" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. The soundtrack, composed by Claire Harding, won t...
Outfest to Screen Highlighted Winners During Largest Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalOutfest 2004 Los Angeles is one of the largest lesbian and gay film festivals. With a year round screening program and many support projects throughout the year. This seasons Outfest will run from July 8th to July 19th with in the city of Los Angeles. Premieres, parties, sing-a-long screening and a host of filmmakers will be a part of one of the best G & L Festivals in the industry.To be able to screen top award-w...
