For AFI online dailies By LANE KNEEDLER, AFI FEST Senior Programmer   "I liked the idea that I could use this as a medium for making a (sort of) narrative video, and at the same time it is a document of a very particular online culture. I mean here I am having "sex" and this guy is talking about how his computer is "lagging" -- I think that's hilarious but it's not like, as a society, we weren't having disconnected sex before Second Life." Valerie Brewer d...

This publication was the first to identify in several articles a new type of destination tourism, the niche of “Film Festival Tourism” and provided examples while specifying the criteria making it a profitable venture. The topic was integrated into the annual conference arranged by the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations agency, held this September in Busan, Korea, location of the Pusan International Film Festival.The role of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) and   the ...

This publication was the first to identify in several articles a new type of destination tourism, the niche of “Film Festival Tourism” and provided examples while specifying the criteria making it a profitable venture. The topic was integrated into the annual conference arranged by the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations agency, held this September in Busan, Korea, location of the Pusan International Film Festival.The role of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) and the po...

The complex, competitive and ultimately loving relationship between fathers and their sons has been the potent theme of a number of films at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Perhaps it is only my own personal taste (after all, in a sea of over 350 films, one chooses to take the journeys that most resonate with one's own sensibilities), but the theme came up again and again in a group of very different films.The struggle for reconciliation between a demanding father and his reacti...

There are very few words in our contemporary culture that are as charged as the word "jihad". It has been used as a kind of talisman for conjuring up the fears of Western society for the resurgence of political, economic and ideological influence of the Muslim world. Indian-born Muslim director Parvez Sharma uses the word in the title of his debut documentary film in its more literal Arabic meaning. Rather than simply being equated with "holy war", Sharma unfolds a story of its literal meaning.....

 Friday, July 27--------In this 30th anniversary of the "1967 summer of love", one can wax nostalgic for the (naive) idealism of one's youth and the self-help movements of yore that focused on the internal transformation of the me-me-me. Among the most celebrated of these was EST, the philosophical treatise of transformational guru Werner Erhard, which exemplified the touchy-feely aesthetic of those wonder years. Now a new film appropriately titled TRANSFORMATION, revisits the li...

The continued expansion of film festivals and their financial support by public authorities is well known. There are clear economic and political benefits derived from investing in cultural events since more visitors come to the venue of the festival and support the local economy through expenditures on lodging, meals, local products and other leisure activities. Further, support for the arts is an appealing political activity since there are no controversies involved and provides prestige for t...

The continued expansion of film festivals and their financial support by public authorities is well known. There are clear economic and political benefits derived from investing in cultural events since more visitors come to the venue of the festival and support the local economy through expenditures on lodging, meals, local products and other leisure activities. Further, support for the arts is an appealing political activity since there are no controversies involved and provides prestige for ...

The continued expansion of film festivals and their financial support by public authorities is well known. There are clear economic and political benefits derived from investing in cultural events since more visitors come to the venue of the festival and support the local economy through expenditures on lodging, meals, local products and other leisure activities. Further, support for the arts is an appealing political activity since there are no controversies involved and provides prestige for ...

7 lsland International Film Festival opens with film “ Weapons of Mass Deception” 7 lsland International Film Festival starting from January 26, 2006, Republic day of India was open with a recorded message from Hon Abul Kalam, the president of India and & smt. Kiran Bedi. Veteran actor Shri A.K.Hangal was present and delivered a speech about importance of non violence & shared his experiences during freedom movement of India. Mr. Hangal was given a warm apologue for recent announcement of...

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN – MAKING A MOLEHILL OUT OF A MOUNTAIN The outraged attack by some people on Brokeback Mountain for being a ‘gay Western’ is based on blind ignorance, reducing a complex relationship mountain to a gay molehill. Not surprising, since most of the bigots haven’t even seen the film. Andrew L. Urban puts them straight (as it were).In Australia, famous Fred Nile, leader of the narrow minded, is agitating for some way of blocking screenings of Brokeback Mountain because he’s...