Penelope Cruz in BROKEN EMBRACES (Spain)  European cinema has always had a strong presence at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. This year is no exception as FLIFF showcases a strong collection of films from a mix of emerging and established European film talents.   Most of the European films are situated in the World Cinema section, which is not exclusively but overwhelmingly dominated by European titles. AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK, UK direct...

The star-studded eight member international panel under the baton of celebrated Greco-French director Constantine Costa-Gavras was reduced to a Sextet when ace Danish director, Susan Bier, and top drawer French actress, Sandrine Bonnaire, both announced their enforced withdrawal from jury duty due to inescapable commitments elsewhere. In Bier's case it was a sudden need to visit the location of the next movie she’s shooting, while Bonnaire submitted her regrets due to "personal family re...

The star-studded international competition judgment panel under the baton of celebrated Greco-French director Constantine Costa-Gavras was reduced to a Sextet when Danish ace director, Susan Bier, and top drawer French actress, Sandrine Bonnaire, both announced their enforced withdrawal from jury duty due to inescapable commitments elsewhere. In Bier's case it was a sudden need to visit the location of the next movie she’s shooting, while Bonnaire submitted her regrets due to "personal family ...

Sandrine Bonnaire, Bernd Eichinger and Stephen Frears on BiopicsThey show the life stories of historical or contemporary personalities and have recently grown more and more successful: Biopics. Why are they so popular? Is it perhaps because audiences prefer the real, complex characters featured in Biopics to the more simple, fictional ones created for feature films? Is it because they enable audiences to establish an emotional bond with the story and its characters – or is it simply the larger...

Sandrine Bonnaire, Bernd Eichinger and Stephen Frears on BiopicsThey show the life stories of historical or contemporary personalities and have recently grown more and more successful: Biopics. Why are they so popular? Is it perhaps because audiences prefer the real, complex characters featured in Biopics to the more simple, fictional ones created for feature films? Is it because they enable audiences to establish an emotional bond with the story and its characters – or is it simply the larger...

Although the main purpose of the press conferences that take place next to the Noga Hilton in the Quinzaine des Realisators tent is so that the general public can ask questions to the directors, Sandrine Bonnaire wasn't the one who did most of the talking Thursday after the first showing fo her film "Elle S'appelle Sabine." The film is a documentary concerning autism in which Bonnaire follows around and paints a portrait of the life of her sister, who has autism.  The film i...

WONG Kar Wai, President Chinese director Monica BELLUCCI - Italian actress Helena BONHAM CARTER - English actress Lucrecia MARTEL - Argentinean director ZHANG Ziyi - Chinese actress Samuel L. JACKSON - American actor Patrice LECONTE - French director Tim ROTH - English director, actor Elia SULEIMAN - Palestinian director Cinéfondation and short films Jury Andreï KONCHALOVSKY, President Russian director Sandrine BONNAIRE - French actress Daniel BRÜHL - German actor Souleymane CISSE - Mali...