During the ten days of the Berlinale most Berlin dailies adorn their front pages with large color photos of celebrity posturings the night before. On Thursday, day number 7 of the fest, however, what was to be seen on all Berlin front pages were shots of men in hooded white spacesuits holding up dead swans fished out of the city lakes, or otherwise attempting to deal with the sudden arrival of the dreaded aviarian flu virus in the midst of the city. Of course, this does not mean that we can exp...
Despite the extra burden of responsibility of making a film in his native South Africa, filmmaker Gavin Hood has happily enjoyed riding the wave of film festivals to success. This has resulted in Hood’s film “Tsotsi” being nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film category at next month’s Academy Awards. The Oscars will held in Hollywood on March 5. Hood was recently on the South Coast to participate in the director’s panel at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Held ...
The 17th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival came to a successful close on Sunday, January 15, 2006. The Festival, which ran from January 5-16, 2006, screened 232 films from 71 countries, including 84 premieres and 49 of the 54 foreign entries for this year’s Academy Awards. Palm Springs’ increasingly popular Festival continues to expand its diverse programming of quality independent and foreign films, setting the stage for this year’s film festival circuit.“We were overwhe...
“I guess you don’t have to be boring to be an adult.” – ZOË BELLAmanda Micheli does a wonderful job comparing and contrasting careers of two female Hollywood stunt women in her film “Double Dare”. She brings the story so every one can relate to it, whether you involved in the entertainment industry or not. Zoë Bell of “Kill Bill” and “Xena: Warrior Princess” fame and Jeannie Epper, best known for Lynda Carter’s double in TVs “Wonder Woman”. Where is the film now? Afte...
Six aspiring screenwriters from across Canada have been chosen to participate in the first DiverseTV training program.Launched in September 2005 by VisionTV and the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI), this groundbreaking program offers visible minority and Aboriginal writers the chance to create a dramatic television series for national broadcast.The six successful applicants will take part in a rigorous training program that teaches the skills needed to bring a TV drama series to fruition...
The USA Film Festival 22nd Annual KidFilm® Festival, DallasJanuary 21-22, 2006The USA Film Festival’s 22nd annual KidFilm® Festival announces the schedule of events taking place Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 2006 at the Angelika Film Center, 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, Texas.SPECIAL PROGRAMSTribute to the Wonderful World of Rosemary WellsKidFilm pays tribute to one of contemporary children’s literature’s most beloved author/illustrators, Rosemary Wells. For nearly...
The International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations (FIAPF) has confirmed that the US film festival, AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, has applied for accreditation of the 2006 edition.The international film producers community that FIAPF represents has decided to recognise the 2006 edition of AFI FEST (November 2 – 12, 2006) celebrating its 20th Anniversary, as a festival with an international competition which specialises in narrative feature...
The Festivalists is a new Sydney-based non-profit organisation dedicated to the production of film festivals and touring programs. Founded partly in reaction to the void left by the closure of truly independent cinemas such as the Chauvel and the Valhalla, the organisation is dedicated to providing new opportunities for audiences to access Australian and world cinema.Their first project is Young at Heart – Sydney Seniors Film Festival. The event will run from April 2nd to 9th 2006 to coincide ...
A conversation with Selvaggia VeloFestival Director; ‘River to River’ Florence Indian Film FestivalWendy DentSV: How did it begin? In ’98 I organised an exhibition of Bollywood movie banners. Still Bollywood was not fashion in Europe. And so this was done, and then in ’99 we invited those same painters, artists, to have a live show during the Florentine summer. There are a lot of events during the summer here in Florence, the start of Fiorentina. And so those painters were coming and ...
Jorgen Leth interview by Wendy Dent Festival dei Popoli, Florence 7 December 2005WD: This festival was very unique in that it expanded my definitions of what documentary is and this is what stunned me about your films, is they were staged and it really broadened my idea of what documentary is but made me wonder where is the line, where is the definition? Once you start to have actors and you make a comment about society, but even drama is a comment on humanity so I am wondering what you feel abo...
When the Copenhagen International Film Festival unspools for the fourth time in the Danish capital it will be one month later than in previous years. In 2006 the festival rolls out the red carpet from 21 September - 1 October. “We are thrilled that our good collaboration with the city’s cinemas has given us the opportunity to shift our dates from next year,” says festival director Janne Giese. ”From the start it has been very important for us to move away from the holiday month and into ...
Brief Encounters: 11th Bristol International Short Film Festival(23-27th November 2005, Watershed Media Centre)According to The Guardian newspaper : "The UK’s most important film festival"Britain’s biggest short film festival, BRIEF ENCOUNTERS, celebrated the very best in short film-making last night (26th November) with the presentation of their ten prestigious awards at a packed ceremony at Bristol’s Watershed Media Centre.Last year’s double award winners – Sam Hearn and Richard Penf...
Brief Encounters: 11th Bristol International Short Film Festival(23-27th November 2005, Watershed Media Centre)According to The Guardian newspaper : "The UK’s most important film festival"Britain’s biggest short film festival, BRIEF ENCOUNTERS, celebrated the very best in short film-making last night (26th November) with the presentation of their ten prestigious awards at a packed ceremony at Bristol’s Watershed Media Centre.Last year’s double award winners – Sam Hearn and Richard Penf...
2005 Guangzhou International Documentary Film FestivalDecember 6-10,2005TThe 2005 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC 2005) will be held from 6th to 10th in December of this year in Guangzhou, China.Its goals are:1. To hold thematic and inspiring seminars for documentary films.2. To award documentary filmmakers for their excellent work. 3. To build a channel of communication between documentary investors, producers and distributors.4 To promote Chinese documentary films and ...
RICHARD PENA ON HIS WORK III Do you think that the continued expansion of film festivals is indication of the growing cinematic interest by the audience?I wish it were that. I don’t know. It is probably an indication of more people looking for ways of having jobs that are more glamorous. I am not sure how much it helps films. The vast majority of the festivals have no impact on the films at all. In the best possible of all worlds it is a nice cultural activity, but they do not really affec...
Organizers Deliver on Promise of Bigger, Better Second Dubai International Film Festival: DIFF team announces 6 world premieres Seven days, 98 films from 46 countries and a galaxy of the film elite from the Arab world, Asia, Europe and the Americas – the building blocks of the second Dubai International Film Festival generated much excitement today when Festival organizers unveiled the entire 2005 line-up for the first time at DIFF epicenter Madinat Jumeirah. Building rapidly on the success of...
The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI), in association with Telefilm Canada, has chosen five filmmaking teams for the 2005-2006 NSI Features First Program – a training initiative for filmmakers ready to develop their first or second feature. The teams include participants from Toronto, Yellowknife, Saskatoon and Winnipeg. The selected participants are:Bang Bang Baby (Toronto, ON) Larissa Giroux, Producer; Jeffrey St. Jules, Writer/DirectorChroma (Winnipeg, MB) Timo Puolitaipale, Produc...
By awarding 400.000 Euros to European Film Promotion s initiative Film Sales Support (FSS) for 2006, the European Commission s Media Programme has highlighted the significance of promoting and marketing European films outside of Europe. Entering its third year in January, FSS supports European sales agents and producers in their endeavour to market and propel cultural diversity of European cinema on selected international film festivals in Latin America, East Asia, Canada and the US. The generou...
"Lifetime Achievement Award" recipient David Cronenberg cut the 'ribbon' - a strip of celluloid - at the Stockholm Film Festival kick off November 17. "Are you sure you want to give me those scissors--that's kind of dangerous", he quipped to fest director Git Scheynius, and introduced the opening film: A History of Violence. He joked as he cut that he was going to do some fast editing of his latest feature, the one he is most proud of, the one he admits to "selling out" on because of its huge bu...
EUROPEAN FILM PROMOTION BI-COASTAL SCREENINGSEuropean Film Promotion (EFP), the trans-European organization that represents the interests of European film promotion agencies in 30 countries, concluded a bi-coast promotion effort to bring an exciting group of new European filmmakers to the attention of US distributors, programmers and the press.EFP began its efforts earlier this month with a special program entitled NEW FACES OF EUROPEAN CINEMA, presented in conjunction with the AFI Fest in Los A...
The Fort Lauderdale Film Festival concluded its 20th edition this past Sunday, with the announcement of its awards. The Festival, which has the distinction of being the longest in the world, running almost 40 days, had a year like none other; having survived a Category 3 Hurricane and a week of no electricity, phone service or internet connection.The Festival, which featured over 200 films, premiered on October 14 with the premiere of THE MATADOR, starring Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear. Closin...
RICHARD PENA ON HIS WORK and Interview for Filmfestivals.com by Claus Muller Are there specific criteria the New York Film Festival selection committee applies?You know In the end I think that this is not science, it [this work] really is art, so that basically our criteria are personal and probably pretty arbitrary You start of with saying why do I like that film and everybody brings their own criteria to it. Some people like the film, because they feel the film talks something import...
The 9th edition of Cinéma du Québec will be held in Paris from November 23rd until the 29th. The event is being presented by l’ARP (Civil Society of Authors – Directors – Producers), in collaboration with SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles of Québec) and the Délégation Générale du Québec in Paris. Québec cinema is now enjoying unprecedented success with the domestic box office. Québec films captured 15% of the domestic box office market in 2004 and ar...
16TH WASHINGTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVALDecember 1 - 1140 films • 9 countries • 5 venues • 10 daysThe 16th Washington Jewish Film Festival: An Exhibition of International Cinema presents 40 features, documentaries and shorts from 9 countries, in five venues, during the December 1 – 11, ten-day Festival. The Festival is presented by the Washington DCJCC's Morris Cafritz Center for the Arts and co-sponsored by the Embassy of Israel and Washington Jewish Week; and supported in part by a grant ...
RESFEST The best shorts, animation, music videos, motion graphics and features.Coming to Montreal November 25 – 27 at Ex-Centris RESFEST is coming to Montreal! The global film & video extravaganza, RESFEST 2005 is traveling to 35 cities on six continents for its ninth annual international tour and, for the first time, will be presented in Montreal. The RESFEST Montreal team, which includes Victor Shiffman (Transform Media), Yanick Letourneau (Périphéria productions), programmer Danny Lennon ...
