November 3rd to the 13th, 2005 With 16 World Premieres and 17 North American Premieres the AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi is paving the way for a dynamic Los Angeles Film Festival. Now in its 19th year the Festival is known as one of the top-ten Film Festivals in the US. Known for its stellar presentation of programming and outstanding participation of filmmakers and cast, the Festival draws a large number of passionate film goers in Southern California and many international guest as well.AFI ...
This year's Flanders International Film Festival - Ghent is proud to announce David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen (History of Violence), François Ozon and Jeanne Moreau (Time To Leave), and Mike Leigh, one of contemporary Britain's most renowned directors, as expected guests. Leigh makes remarkable films, known for their levelheaded, unsensational portrayals of topics that would become four-hankie "message" melodramas in the hands of mainstream directors. This "slice-of-life" realism of Leigh ...
The day has come for celebrating the opening of the 48th International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, presenting the first two films selected for competition: "The Giant Buddhas" (Christian Frei, Switzerland) and "Element of Light" (Richard Reeves, USA). Numerous international guests are expected, including more than 100 filmmakers, whose productions will be presented during the festival.The following filmmakers are among those expected: Jenny Abel (USA) , Akram Agha (Syria), Jan va...
SAN SEBASTIAN -- ALFRED AND GRETA ARE WATCHING ...by Alex Deleon – Lasst DayThis being the centennial of the birth of two towering icons of world cinema, suspense maestro Alfred Hitchcock, and the mysterious lady from Sweden Greta ("I vunt to be alone"), Garbo, both born in 1905, the spirit and image of these two idols is much in evidence this year in Donostia-San Sebastian The official poster of the festival bears a full length photo of Hitch, the official press bag issued to all journalist...
The international jury, presided over by Claude Lelouch (France), including Felipe Cazals (Mexico), Chang Chen (Taiwan, China), Anna Galiena (Italy), Marcel Jean (Canada), Eberhard Junkersdorf (Germany) and Eva Zaoralova (Czech Republic), have awarded the following prizes:Gold Iris of Montreal – Grand Prize of the FestivalL’audition by Luc Picard (Canada)Silver Iris – Grand Prize of the JuryJosh's Trees by Peter Entell (Switzerland)Silver Iris – for Best DirectionHiroshi ISHIKAWA for Su-...
The Donostia-San Sebastian film festival on the incredibly picturesque North Spanish coast, ("NAZIOARTEKO ZINEMALDIA" in the exotic Basque language of the region), has opened heavily "front loaded" as the saying goes these days, which means that many of the big guns, films with high prize potential, have already been fired off in the first few days. The festival opener was, appropriately, "Obaba", one of the most eagerly awaited Spanish films of the year based on a Basque language best seller b...
53RD SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS WITH SEVERAL BANGSby Alex Deleon, San SebastianThe Donostia-San Sebastian film festival on the incredibly picturesque North Spanish coast, ("NAZIOARTEKO ZINEMALDIA" in the exotic Basque language of the region), has opened heavily "front loaded" as the saying goes these days, which means that many of the big guns, films with high prize potential, have already been fired off in the first few days. The festival opener was, appropriately, "Obaba", one of the m...
European Film Promotion brings a strong delegation to Pusan Celebrating the 10th edition of Asia’s leading Film Festival: Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF, 6 – 14 October 2005)With a delegation of 30 European actors, directors and producers from 13 different countries European Film Promotion (EFP) will be in South Korea in October to celebrate the 10th edition of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF, 6 – 14 October 2005). This diverse and talented group of young, up-and-comi...
The rehearsals are over. The inaugural edition of the New Montreal Montreal FilmFest is unspooling its first films to eager audiences. And the red carpet has been laid out to welcome its first guests... The opening of a new edition of any film festival is always filled with a mixture of hope, anticipation and anxiety. The launch of a brand new film festival, an event that wasn't even on the drawing board a year ago, quadruples these feelings. It would be dishonest to pretend that the NMFF is a f...
The Selection List for the European Film Awards 2005 has been revealed to EFA members for consideration. This was the first year in which the members in the 20 countries with the most EFA members voted one national film directly into the selection. The list was then completed by films chosen by the Committee (EFA Board & Experts). The result is an impressive list of 46 films which are recommended as candidates for a nomination.THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2005 ceremony will take place in Berlin, Dec...
3rd Festival of European Film SmilesMladá Boleslav (10.-17.9.2005)Festival of European Film Smiles was held for the very first time in 2003. It is a contest show of new film comedies from Czech as well as foreign production. The main purpose of the festival is to popularize European comic production that is still in spite of its quality and diversity not efficient in competing with American production. Other goal of our Festival is, in cooperation with Škoda Auto a.s. company (General Partner ...
Claude Lelouch heads jury of the New Montreal FilmFestCelebrated French filmmaker Claude Lelouch will head the international jury of the inaugural edition of the New Montreal FilmFest, September 18-25. The renowned director of A Man and a Woman and other hits will preside over a jury including Italian screen star Anna Galiena, Mexican director Felipe Cazals, Chinese film star Chang Chen, Quebec cineaste and animation expert Marcel Jean, German producer Eberhard Junkersdorf, and Eva Zaoralová, h...
The VIFF Turns its Focus to New American Indies and Eastern Europe The Vancouver International Film Festival today announced two areas of regional focus within the Festival’s program for its 24th annual edition, which will take place September 29 to October 14th at ten venues, including the VIFF’s own brand new Vancity Theatre in downtown Vancouver. American Independence focuses on the best of the new indie scene, while The New World presents a selection of compelling narratives and incisive...
Films showing out of Competition at the forthcoming venice festival Auguest 31-September 10Marco Muller seems to have put all his strength and efforts to open a classical venice film feast with prestigious marquee value, red carpet and critics favourites. Jaume BALAGUERÒ Fragile Spain 100’Calista Flockhart, Richard Roxburgh, Elena AndyaEmmanuelle BERCOT Backstage France 115’Emmanuelle Seigner, Noémie Lvovsky, Isild Le BescoPeter Ho-sun CHAN Ru guo ai (Perhaps Love) China/Hong Kong Jacky Ch...
Twenty-four films from eighteen countries will compete at the 53rd San Sebastián International Film Festival (Sept 15-24) for the Altadis-New Directors Award, sponsored by Altadis and carrying a cash prize of €90,000 (approx. US$95,000). Five of these movies will be screened in the Official Selection and the other nineteen in Zabaltegi-New Directors. ALTADIS-NEW DIRECTORS AWARDZABALTEGIAGUA CON SAL (SALTED WATER), Pedro Pérez Rosado, SpainIn this, his second film, the director of Cuentos de ...
The New York Film Festival, the Big Apple’s oldest and most prestigious film event, announced the 24 features for its 43rd edition, which will run from September 24 to October 9 at its home base of Lincoln Center.The Festival will open with GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, the directorial debut of actor-turned-director George Clooney, following its debut screenings at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. The film chronicles the story of legendary American broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, whose groundb...
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM FIGURES COMPETE FOR THE GOLDEN SHELLThe official programme of the Donostia-San Sebastián Festival, scheduled for 15-24 September next, features a series of outstanding names from the moviemaking world who sketch a cinematographic portrait of our contemporary reality. While some of them regularly participate it the Festival, others are competing for the first time. PreviewTIDELAND, Terry Gilliam, UK.Terry Gilliam, to whom the Festival dedicated a retrospective in ...
Luciana Film FestivalThe Winners 2005 - Animation SectionAnimation: Best short film Ex-Aequo- Les oreilles n'ont pas de paupières (Fra) - 500,00 euro- Little Things (UK) - 500,00 euro Special Mentions - Best tecnique: Sventlonos (Czech Republic) - Best sound: The Fish (Iran) Special Mention by LFF - Best subject: Viskningar (Whisperings) (Sweden) - Best art short film: The Fish (Iran) ...
ROBERT REDFORD was among the guests at the 40th Karlovy Vary IFFThe jubilee 40th Karlovy Vary IFF 2005 will welcome a world film personality of the highest order to its gala opening ceremonies: American actor, director, and producer ROBERT REDFORD. The artist, who has acted in or directed a number of movies considered today to be part of the golden fund of world cinematography, will be honored at Karlovy Vary’s gala opening ceremonies with a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution ...
Nine documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe that will premiere in the autumn of 2005 or in 2006 were presented by a documentary film panel yesterday. The panel was organized by the Institute of Documentary Film and the International Festival of Documentary Film in Jihlava and it heralds the establishing of a film market for Central and Eastern European documentaries right at the Jihlava festival. “We wanted to take documentary films out of the shadows of acted films, because we b...
Our consumer society floods us daily with advertising messages designed to make us buy goods and services manufactured or provided by companies. But are these messages trustworthy ? Last year, Ecocinema presented an insight into the inner workings of the corporate world with The Corporation by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbot. This year Ecofilms, as the international film festival on ecology held each year in Rhodes (Greece) is now known, educates us on how we are manipulated by advertising as it...
ZLÍN 2005 – INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTHFestival ConclusionThe cusp of May and June saw the International Film Festival for Children and Youth was held in Zlín for the 45th time. This year’s jubilee anniversary event saw 418 films entered and the fall of the record for the number of participating countries, which were 43 in total. 31 delegations drawn from 16 countries in the world came to Zlín to show and represent their films. 34 supporting events in Zlín and its ...
The Troia International Film Festival, which runs through this weekend in the picturesque coastal town of Setubal, Portugal, has a commitment to first time directors. One of its most well-attended sections includes a competition for First Works. In addition, this year’s American Independents competition boasts directorial debuts from a group of talented directors.First works from Europe dominate the section, which includes the local premieres of the films RED COLOURED, GREY TRUCK (Srdjan Kolje...
ZLÍN 2005 – INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTHMay 29 – June 4, 2005The 45th International Film Festival for Children and Youth, which will last until Saturday, June 4, was started in Zlín on Sunday, May 29, 2005.Every year, the Zlín film festival brings its viewers dozens of films from all over the world. The main pillars of the festival are international competitions of feature and animated films for children and youth. Within the framework of support for young filmmakers...
TROIA FILM FESTIVAL SETS AN AMBITIOUS SLATEThe 21st edition of the Troia International Film Festival (Festroia), Portugal’s oldest and most adventurous film event devoted to international and independent cinema, kicked off on May 28 with a wide-ranging program, with particular nods to European and American Independent films.The Festival is based in the picturesque coastal town of Setúbal, about 90 minutes south of Lisbon. Troia is actually the name of the expansive beaches in the vicinity, an...
