Film and Festivals Blog

The Wrestle in Venice

2008-09-06T22:51:00.003+01:00

I am back in Venice, sketching festival moments again, but this time directly onto copper plates for etching.
Well I just reached the press conference for The Wrestler, jumping from one boat to the next to reach the Lido en tempo.
I had to stand at the conference but sometimes having this profile makes a good view for the sketch. I took the copper plate out of the bag and started to etch what I felt would be the winning plate. Mickey Rourke and Darren Aronofsky were holding the stage here, the angle was the 15 year comeback for Mickey, it was good. He suggested that it's only by realising our struggles that we manage them, and learn to hold up after. Today they announced the film won the Golden Lion for best film. It was a moment of magic, and a true performance.
Nesta
- producing limited edition signature prints of the festival, Golden Lion best film The Wrestler and Lifetime Achievement award Ermanno Olbi.

CANNES PALME D’OR WINNER TO OPEN NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

2008-07-18T18:30:00.000+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

The winner of this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s most prestigious award, the Palme d’Or, will open the 46^th edition of the New York Film Festival (NYFF), one of the most important film showcases in North America.

The Class (Entres Les Murs), a gritty but very human story of the dysfunctional French education system, won the top prize at Cannes for its director Laurent Cantet. Three of Cantet's four features have played in programs at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which presents NYFF, including Human Resources at the 2000 New Directors/New Films series, Time Out at the 2001 New York Film Festival and Heading South at the annual Rendez-vous with French Cinema program at the Walter Reade Theater, the Society’s flagship cinema.

The Class is is the fourth Palme d'Or film to open the fest, following Lars Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark (2000), Mike Leigh’s Secrets And Lies (1996) and Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994). The Class, about high school teachers and students at an interracial inner city school, marked the first time that a French film had taken the Palme d’Or honor since 1987’s Under The Sun of Satan.

Arthouse powerhouse Sony Pictures Classics, a “classics division” of Sony Pictures, picked up the rights to the film after Cannes. The Class has been praised for its neo-documentary feel and the intensity of the acting and script. Although it snagged Cannes’ top honor, the film was not immediately picked up at the Festival, but took many weeks for a deal to be secured with Sony Pictures Classics (at far less than the Cannes asking price). “The film is great and deserve to be seen”, one veteran American distributor shared with me. “But it is a tough film to market to an audience…..the key will be how to interest American audiences in a tough film that is not a classic French love story.”

The New York Film Festival has also announced two special showcases to run parallel to the main programming event. In The Realm of Nashima will feature an exhaustive survey of the work of one of Japan’s most controversial directors. Views from the Avant Garde, an ambitious program that checks the pulse of contemporary video and media arts, will offer a 30^th anniversary presentation of French director Guy Debord’s underground classic We Spin Around the Night Consumed by the Fire. The New York Film Festival opens on September 26 and runs until October 12. For more information on the Festival and other Film Society programs, log on to their website: www.filmlinc.com

Asia House presents the first "Asia House Festival of Asian Film

2008-07-18T16:03:00.001+01:00

Asia House launches the inaugural "Asia House Festival of Asian Film" in
August. Dedicated to Asian film, it will premiere films from Singapore,
South Korea, Iran, Indonesia and China. Organised and hosted by Asia
House in partnership with Curzon Cinemas, "The Asia House Festival of
Asian Film" celebrates the best in Asian cinema, showcasing films that
have been critically acclaimed at recent film festivals and providing
the first and possibly only opportunity to see these films in the UK. 


The Festival runs from 22 - 28 August at the Renoir Cinema, London. The
programme features some of the finest recent films from Asia. The
Opening Night film, 881, is the spectacular number 1 Singapore hit
musical of 2007 directed by Royston Tan. Seven Days is a Korean thriller
starring Yunjin Kim, star of TV's global hit, Lost. Night Bus from Iran
is a suspenseful anti-war film set during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and
was winner of the 2007 Grand Jury Prize at the Asia Pacific Screen
Awards. The Photograph from Indonesia premiered at the Pusan Film
Festival and comes from a new generation of Indonesian film-makers
exploring social issues affecting their society. After the global
success of Chinese epics such as House of Flying Daggers, our Closing
Night film, Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, is the latest
historical blockbuster starring Andy Lau, Sammo Hung and Maggie Q.


Asia House is the leading UK pan-Asian organisation working to prepare
the people, corporations and institutions of the UK for a future in
which Asia will be the dominant player. Curzon Cinemas is the leading
cinema group presenting the best in independent and alternative cinema.


http://www.asiahouse.org

FINDING SLOVENIAN CINEMA ON THE INTERNATIONAL FILM MAP

2008-07-14T12:00:00.002+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

What most American do not know about the country of Slovenia could easily fill the mileage that separates the two countries. Well, with the idea that film can be an informative and illuminating guide to other cultures, New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Slovenian Film Fund will be presenting a program of classic and contemporary Slovenian films from July 16 to 22. So ladies and gents, it’s time to brush up on your Slovene savvy.

Let’s start with some basics: Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia is a country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana. At various points in Slovenia's history, the country has been part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia following World War I and the Socialist Republic of Slovenia after 1945, before gaining full independence in 1991. Slovenia is the only former communist state to be at the same time a member of the European Union, the Eurozone, the Council of Europe and NATO. Through its long and often troubled history, the Slovene people have retained their own distinct cultural identity.

In terms of film, Slovene cinema has a more than century-long tradition with such notable historical film auteurs as Karol Grossmann, Janko Ravnik, Ferdo Delak, France Štiglic, Mirko Grobler, Igor Pretnar, France Kosmač, Jože Pogačnik, Matjaž Klopčič, Jane Kavčič, Jože Gale, Boštjan Hladnik and Karpo Godina. In the past decade and a half, since becoming its one sovereign nation, there has been a generation of film artists who have been referred to as the “renaissance of Slovenian cinema”, including such contemporary film directors Janez Burger, Jan Cvitkovič, Damjan Kozole, Janez Lapajne and Maja Weiss. In all, there have been over 150 Slovene feature films, plus a few hundred documentaries and short films, currently producing between four and six feature films each year.

Film genres have been a mix of domestic comedies, social realist dramas and poetic meditations. As with many films produced in the post World War II era, Slovenian films were often more warmly embraced outside the country than inside it. A case in point is the 1957 film Valley of Peace, for which African-American John Kitzmiller received the Best Actor prize at the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. The same new openness that characterized films from Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the 1960s were evidenced in Slovenia as well, with such international hits as Dance in the Rain and Paper Planes. The post-Communist period was rocky, but the creation of the Slovenian Film Fund in 1994 has been essential in fostering new talents and promoting Slovenian cinema internationally at film festivals, film markets and other events.

Bringing the Slovene sensibility to New York film audiences, At the Crossroads: Slovenian Cinema will showcase more than a dozen classic and contemporary films that chart Slovenian cinema’s continued evolution as a distinct member of the world cinema club. Screenings will be held at the Walter Reade Theater, the flagship for the Film Society of Lincoln Center, with director Marko Nabersnik and author/film scholar Joseph Valencic on hand to introduce screenings throughout the series.

Classic films to savor in the series include: Dance In The Rain (1961, Bostjan Hladnik), a modernist classic about a painter who looks back at his thwarted personal and artistic choices; Paper Planes (1967, Matjaz Klopcic), one of the films that defined the 1960s aesthetic of quietly observed characters and modern sexual relationships between a photographer and a ballet dancer; Raft of the Medusa (1980, Karpo Godina), a surrealistic-tinged debut by cinematographer Godina about two young school teachers who encounter an avant-garde troupe of artists; Valley of Peace (1956, France Stiglic), a World War II-set film about a downed American flyer who is rescued by a group of Slovenian children, which won African-American actor John Kitzmiller a Best Actor prize at the Cannes Film Festival; and Vesna (1953, Frantisek Cap), a gentle college comedy that remains one of the best loved of all Slovenian film.

More contemporary Slovenian cinema ripe for discovery include: Beneath Her Window (2003, Metod Pevec), an offbeat romantic comedy about a dance instructor who becomes involved with a married man; Guardian of the Frontier (2002, Maja Weiss), a feminist tale about a trio of student on summer break that screened at the 2003 New Directors/New Films series; Idle Running (1999, Janez Burger), a quirky low-budget tale of a slacker student and his friends and romances, which screened at New Directors/New Films in 2000; Outsider (1996, Andrej Kosak), the local box office hit about a young man’s growing involvement with a local contingent of punk rockers; Rooster’s Breakfast (2007, Marko Nabersnik), a contemporary box office hit that skillfully mixes coming-of-age, thriller and musical genres; Spare Parts (2003, Damjan Kozole), a searing look at the human trafficking between the new and old Europe; Sweet Dreams (2001, Saso Podgorsek), an adaptation of a popular local bestseller about a young boy’s cultural clash with modernity in 1970s Yugoslavia; and When I Close My Eyes (1993, Franci Slak), a unsettling psychological thriller of family secrets and betrayal that develops into a devastating portrait of a society ruled by suspicion and power games.

For more information on the films in the series, log on to the Film Society’s website: http://www.filmlinc.com/. Once you have experienced the rare screenings of these films from a culture so far and yet so close, you will be able to find Slovenia on the international film map……

First Look At the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

2008-07-10T17:03:00.000+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

Although it does not start for almost two more months, the first press releases from the Toronto International Film Festival (http://www.tiff08.ca/) are already stirring up anticipation for what has become one of the top film festival events in the world. Overlapping with the closing days of the Venice Film Festival and immediately following the boutique Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, the Canadian juggernaut is viewed by many industry insiders as the official start of the fall film season and the first chapter in what has become an extended “awards season”.

The independent and international film industries, which have been battered these past few months with downbeat economic realities and troubling closures of several major American and European distribution companies, are looking to Toronto to provide a ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy forecast. Whether Toronto can provide that shot of adrenaline that the industry desperately needs is still unclear, but the first announcements of films to screen at the prestigious showcase are already generating considerable industry buzz and speculation.

Two highly anticipated European films were announced a few days ago in the first of several programming announcements that will be sequentially released over the next month. Good, a UK/German co-production by Brazilian director Vicente Amorim, will have its world premiere at the event. Viggo Mortensen stars as John Halder, a literature professor in the 1930s who writes a novel advocating compassionate euthanasia. His interest in “mercy killing” is quite personal….he has a neurotic wife, two demanding children and a mother suffering from senile dementia. When the book is unexpectedly enlisted by powerful political figures in support of government propaganda, Halder encounters a troubling moral dilemma with personal consequences. The film, director Amorim’s follow up to his 2003 The Middle Of The World, also stars Jason Isaacs, Jodie Whittaker, Mark Strong and Gemma Jones. It was produced by London-based production company Good Films and German shingle Miromar Entertainment. For more information and to view a trailer, visit the film’s official website: http://www.goodthefilm.com/

Toronto serves as the North American festival premiere for the celebrated Italian film Il Divo, directed by Paolo Sorrentino. The Italian/French co-production won the Jury Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is a biopic of the controversial Italian prime minister Giulio Andreotti, who was elected to the office seven times over a 40 year political career. In many ways, he held the fate of Italy in his hands for over half a century until the disconcerting accusations of involvement with the Mafia caused his political downfall. The film has been praised as an insightful, intensely political film that delves into the hidden character of one of the most powerful figures in the history of Italian politics. The film was produced by Rome-based Indigo Films in collaboration with Studio Canal and arte France Cinéma. The project received subsidy support from Il Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Centre National de la Cinématographie, Eurimages and the Film Commission Torino-Piemonte. For more information and to view a trailer of the film, visit the official film website at http://www.luckyred.it/ildivo

Other films already announced for the event include: Disgrace, an Australian/South African drama directed by Steve Jacobs and starring John Malkovich; Miracle at St. Anna, a world premiere presentation by iconic American director Spike Lee; Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, an American indie film set in New York’s rock-n-roll scene directed by Peter Sollett; and the Iraq War drama The Hurt Locker by American director Kathryn Bigelow, with an all-star cast that Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse, Jeremy Renner and Christian Camargo.

The Festival previously announced that it will open with the World Premiere of Passchendaele, written, directed and produced by celebrated Canadian filmmaker Paul Gross. The 33rd Toronto International Film Festival runs September 4 to 13, 2008.

SPIKE LEE HONORED AT SILVERDOCS

2008-06-30T20:51:00.001+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

SILVERDOCS, the prestigious documentary film festival taking place this week, is, by and large, a non-glam event, with most attendees simply hard-working documentarians, most working without massive media spotlight. However, each year, the event brings some Hollywood-style stardust to the proceedings. In the past two years, the Festival has honored Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese, specifically for their documentary work. Last night, it was Spike Lee's turn, as the iconoclastic director was honored with the Guggenheim Symposium for his non-fiction output. The Symposium is named in honor of the late documentary pioneer Charles Guggenheim, who has become a kind of patron saint of the event.
Lee is arguably the most provocative filmmaker of his generation, a visual artist who paints on a wide social canvas and has not been reluctant to include political and social content, even in his genre films. Few directors have examined race, class and other divisive forces in America with both honesty and a signature aesthetic that blends music and imagery to brilliant effect.

Aside from his influential narrative work (including DO THE RIGHT THING, JUNGLE FEVER, MALCOLM X and THE 25TH HOUR), Lee has mixed it up throughout his career with non-fiction films of note. The first was 4 LITTLE GIRLS (1997), a shocking examination of the racist bombing of a Birmingham, Alabama church in 1963 that was one of the catalysts of the civil rights movement. The film offered a profile of the three young girls who were killed on that day and those who were left behind to grieve for them. The film was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Documentary and won the honor with the Broadcast Film Critics, Online Film Critics and Image awards.

In 2002, Lee released a 20 minute film provocation entitled WE WUZ ROBBED, a scathing examination of the 2000 Presidential election, focusing on the state of Florida, where corruption and government malfeasance led to the first Supreme Court-appointed presidential ascension. The film also pointed out how poor and rural blacks were prevented from casting their votes because of ambiguous laws, making it clear that the "one person, one vote" ideal in America has not yet been reached.

Last year, Lee focused his attention on another cataclysm, this one a natural phenomenon with the name Hurricane Katrina. In his epic 4-hour WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS, the director produced a sprawling, exhaustive and furious chronicle of the hurricane itself and its aftermath. The film won three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award and the Human Rights and Horizon awards at the Venice Film Festival.

While attracted to topics of great import, Lee has also distinguished himself in other documentary genres. He tried his hand at capturing the energy of live performance in THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY (2000), a chronicle of the concert tour of some of today's most high profile black comedians. His next project was a fascinating profile of footballer-turned-actor Jim Brown in the engaging JIM BROWN: ALL AMERICAN (2002).
Lee continues to mix documentary work with his fiction films. He is currently serving as the Executive Producer of EVOLUTION OF A CRIMINAL, a documentary film by Darius Monroe about the aftermath of his life of crime, that will be released later this year. Other projects on the hopper include documentary projects on basketball star Michael Jordan and the Los Angeles riots of the late 1990s, which divided a city and the nation.

Before a capacity crowd at the AFI Silver Center, clips from the above documentary films during an on-stage conversation with the always fascinating Lee and Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy.

SILVERDOCS 2008 Award Winners

2008-06-30T20:24:00.001+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

Monday, June 23-----SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by over 650 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes.
With a generally perceived strong program on tap this year, the decisions of the juries were particularly difficult ones to come to. With such a mix of subjects, themes and filmmaking styles, the real winner were SILVERDOCS audiences and the documentary field itself, which now is as varied in tone and content as its feature film cousin. Arguably, some of the best writing, editing, cinematography and direction are to be found in documentary films this year.

This year's SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a US Feature went to THE GARDEN directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy. The film documents a 14-acre oasis rising out of the ashes of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The director will receive $10,000 cash and $5,000 in film stock from Kodak. The Sterling Feature Jury praised the film for “its tenacity in storytelling in the face of injustice, and the filmmaker's singular vision in bringing a gripping, dramatic, and important story to the public eye.” Honorable Mention went to TROUBLE THE WATER by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The film weaves together first person footage and the filmmakers’ own chronicle of loss and survival following the cataclysmic events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Festival made a commitment this year to honor international documentary production with SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a World Feature. The winner this year was THE ENGLISH SURGEON directed by Geoffrey Smith, which tells the story of British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who performs surgery in the Ukraine with the crudest tools. The director will receive $10,000 cash and $5,000 in film stock from Kodak. The jury acclaimed the film as “the most poignant and inspiring film we saw - a film that profiles two human beings who dare to step outside the system to do something extraordinary, and becomes a delicate, deep, and respectful exploration of life, death friendship and hope." Honorable mention went to THE RED RACE directed by Chao Gan, which chronicles Chinese passion for gymnastics against the backdrop of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

The SILVERDOCS Music Documentary Award presented by Gibson Guitars went to THROW DOWN YOUR HEART directed by Sascha Paladino. The film is the inspiring story of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck's enthralling journey through Africa to uncover the roots of the Banjo and to play with native musicians. The fitting prize in the category was a Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, valued at $3,700. Honoring the best in cinematography, the SILVERDOCS Cinematic Vision Award went to THE ORDER OF MYTHS directed by Margaret Brown. The film explores the oldest and still segregated Mardi Gras in the U.S. The filmmaker will receive $2,500 cash.

The SILVERDOCS WITNESS Award in honor of Joey R. B. Lozano was given to Festival favorite PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL by Gina Reticker. The film is an inspiring story about the thousands of Liberian women who peacefully ended the civil war that claimed over 250,000 lives. Through non-violent protests and organizational acumen, the film demonstrates the power of women and the potential for conflict resolution in one of the world’s most troubled corners. The award is given to the strongest documentary about human rights violations or social justice issues. The filmmaker will receive $5,000 cash.

The American Film Market/SILVERDOCS Award for a film that shows exceptional market promise went to KASSIM THE DREAM by Kief Davidson, which chronicles the career of Kassim Ouma, a former Ugandan child soldier who defected to the U.S. and became a world champion boxer. The filmmaker will be presented passes to the American Film Market this fall, airfare, five nights hotel and pre-arranged meetings with potential partners ($5,000 value).

The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East have named writer-director Anna Broinowski as the winner of the first-ever WGA Documentary Screenplay Award for her film FORBIDDEN LIE$, which investigates accusations that author Norma Khouri fabricated her biographical tale of a Muslim friend who was murdered for dating a Christian. The award carries with it a prize of $2,500 and the winner will be granted one-year free membership in the WGAW or WGAE Nonfiction Writers Caucus.

The award winners will receive special encore screenings today as part of the final day of SILVERDOCS. The Festival is also bring back “by popular demand” such audience favorites as FOOTBALL UNDER COVER, STRANDED: I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS, ALL TOGETHER NOW, UNDER OUR SKIN and MAN ON WIRE.

The Festival has its last official event this evening at the Newseum, the first U.S. museum devoted to the history of print and electronic journalism, will the rare screening of ROBERT KENNEDY REMEMBERED by documentary pioneer Charles Guggenheim. Made for the August, 1968 Democratic National Convention just two months after Kennedy’s tragic assassination, the film conveys the essence of the man and the myth. The film will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring AFI founding director George Stevens Jr., journalist and former Kennedy press secretary Frank Mankiewicz, filmmaker Grace Guggenheim and film critic Ann Hornaday.

A fitting ending to a great week of inspiring and provocative films in a Presidential campaign season that already is historic and life-changing. Hats off to Patricia Finneran, Sky Sitney, Jody Arlington and the entire SILVERDOCS team for producing a quality event that will continue to resonate for us in the days and weeks ahead.

Sandy Mandelberger, SILVERDOCS Dailies Editor

Winners 24th ISFF Hamburg

2008-06-17T15:18:00.001+01:00

AWARD WINNERS 2008

A week packed with 300 short films ended on
Monday June 9th in Hamburg. The 24th
International Short Film Festival screened 214 of
almost 4.000 submitted short films in the
competitive categories and a further 100 films in
non-competitive special programmes. Overall more
than 30.000 euros of prize-money were poured out.
Apart from a large number of accreditated guests
and a high number of interesting films it were
especially the many filmmakers and guests from
Israel who came for the special programme "Yoffi!
Yalla Bye!" that shaped this year's festival.
Due to the wave of summer heat almost 1.000
people gathered together at our open air event A
Wall is a Screen. See you next June again!

For the list of winners click here:
http://festival.shortfilm.com/index.php?id=preise08&L=1

CALL FOR ENTRIES - BIG BANG FILM FESTIVAL - OCTOBER 1 - 5

2008-06-17T15:13:00.000+01:00

The call for submissions is now open for the 2008 Big Bang Film Festival (BBFF).
BBFF is a celebration of exciting and inventive films in the Action, Adventure,
Suspense and Asian Action Cinema genres. BBFF also welcomes documentary submissions
featuring extreme sports and athletic events, activities and competitions which have
contributed some of the most entertaining video of death defying speed, skill and
daring. Each year Big Bang Film Festival showcases amazing films, some classics,
some classics in the making. Every submission is posted on the BBFF Submissions
Page so that all of our filmmakers can link to their listing.
We are now calling for submissions. Visit our website for more information on the
festival, our submission process, special events, and opportunities to join our
team!
Big Bang Film Festival
Philadelphia, PA
October 1-5 2008
Action, Adventure, Suspense and Asian Action Cinema.
contact@bigbangfilmfestival.com
www.BigBangFilmFestival.com
www.myspace.com/bigbangfilmfestival

Doc/Fest awarded £175,000 by UK Film Council

2008-06-17T14:04:00.000+01:00

Sheffield Doc/Fest has today been awarded £175,000 by the UK Film Council (UKFC) to
help consolidate its position as a festival of national significance.

Already established as one of the best documentary festivals in the world, the
funding from the UK Film Council will help Doc/Fest to widen its reach to a diverse
public audience, particularly young people. The money, which will span over three
years, will be used to make films available on the internet, present major
masterclasses via the Digital Screen Network and help develop the organisation's
infrastructure.

Doc/Fest was one of only seven festivals that received funding from the UKFC Film
Festivals Fund, which seeks to give an increased number of people the opportunity to
enjoy more films, learn about film and meet filmmakers, as well as raise the profile
of British film at home and abroad.

Steve Hewlett, Chair of the Sheffield Doc/Fest Executive Board says: "This is great
news and welcome recognition of Sheffield Doc/Fest's status as a major UK festival.
We are indebted to the UK Film Council. It has shown considerable confidence in
Sheffield and I am certain that Festival Director Heather Croall and the Doc/Fest
team will repay that confidence with interest".

John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Film Council says: "People love
film and festivals give people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to
immerse themselves in a huge array of exciting and powerful films. This funding
will provide a huge step up for festivals that have major plans to reach out to
thousands more people and raise their profile significantly."

Sally Joynson, Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire, said: "This is absolutely
wonderful news for Doc/Fest, Sheffield and Yorkshire. Doc/Fest is now one of the top
three documentary festivals in the world and in recognition of that thoroughly
deserves this funding from the UK Film Council. Screen Yorkshire will continue to
support and work with Doc/Fest to ensure further success. I'd like to congratulate
Heather and her team."

Thrilling Toronto Cinema – Jun 12 Update

2008-06-13T16:31:00.002+01:00

Greetings Cinemaniacs!In this latest update on Toronto’s thrilling cinematic scene:
1. WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, NOW ON, RUNS UNTIL SUN, JUN 15!
2. FINAL CALL FOR FILM ENTRIES TO TORONTO AFTER DARK 2008!
3. OTHER UPCOMING THRILLING SCREENINGS & EVENTS!

1. WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, NOW ON, RUNS UNTIL SUN, JUN 15!

The Worldwide Short Film Festival, the most prestigious event of its kind in North America is now on! The fest has a number of spotlights on thrilling new films from around the world, co-presented by our very own Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Genre fans should especially check out the following exciting showcases:

TONIGHT, THU, JUN 12, 7.15PM, 9.30 PM: GENIUS PARTY & GENIUS PARTY BEYOND – eye-popping new animated shorts from the same Japanese Animators Who Brought You the Animatrix and the upcoming BATMAN: THE DARK NIGHT animated film!

FRI, JUN 13, 9.30 PM, SUN, JUN 15, 9.15 PM: SCI-FI - OUT THERE – stunning new international sci-fi & fantasy shorts!

FRI, JUN 13, 11.59 PM, SAT, JUN 14, 11.59 PM: MINDNIGHT MANIA: CREEPY & FREAKY – terrifying and freaky new shorts from around the world – programmed by Toronto After Dark’s International Programmer, Todd Brown of Twitch Film fame!

All screenings above at the Cumberland Theatre, 159 Cumberland St. Tickets available at the door, but you can also order in advance. Complete details, including film descriptions and advance tix, at the festival website:http://www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com/

Filmmakers should check out the amazing lineup of workshops and seminars available at the Festival Symposium and marketplace, running at the same time at the festival. Complete details on the festival symposium here:http://www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com/symposium/symposium.html

2. FINAL CALL FOR FILM ENTRIES TO TORONTO AFTER DARK 2008! Calling All Filmmakers! This is your LAST chance to enter your horror, sci-fi, fantasy, animation, action or cult short film or feature to Toronto After Dark Film Festival 2008, one of the most critically acclaimed international genre events. Our Final Submission Deadline is NEXT FRIDAY, JUNE 20! Complete entry details, including fast and easy online submission here:http://torontoafterdark.com/2008/film-submission-details/
You can submit fast online at our website, or if you prefer to use the withoutabox system, here’s the link to our submission page:http://www.withoutabox.com/login/5334

3. OTHER THRILLING SCREENINGS & EVENTS!Here’s a listing of some other upcoming thrilling cinematic events in Toronto to add your schedule. Complete details at the links below:

JUN 18 – ALIEN & ALIENS – 35 MM PRINTS, BLOOR CINEMA!http://bloorcinema.com/

JUN 19 – RUE MORGUE PRESENTS NEW PAKISTANI HORROR FILM "HELL’S GROUND", BLOOR CINEMA!http://www.rue-morgue.com/cinemacabre.php

JUN 19 – BRUCE LEE IN ENTER THE DRAGON – 35MM PRINT, FOX CINEMA!http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=16398881924

JUN 21 – SHOCK & AWE – ONE TIME ONLY ALL-NITE EVENT! - ORIGINAL GRINDHOUSE MOVIES ALL ON FILM PRINTS - FOX THEATRE - ADVANCE TIX NOW ON SALE!http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8995994963

JUN 24 – 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY – 35 MM PRINT, FOX THEATRE!http://www.foxtheatre.ca/

JUN 27 – ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, WITH LIVE PERFORMANCES, BLOOR CINEMA!http://bloorcinema.com/

JUL 11 – ILSA, TIGRESS OF SIBERIA! – REVUE CINEMAhttp://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18123787125

AUG 22-24 – RUE MORGUE FESTIVAL OF FEAR & SCI-FI FAN EXPO - TORONTO METRO CONVENTION CENTREhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8197883387 http://www.hobbystar.com/fanexpo2008/index.html

OCT 17-24 – TORONTO AFTER DARK FILM FESTIVAL – 8 NIGHTS OF NEW HORROR, SCI-FI, FANTASY, ACTION & CULT MOVIES!http://www.torontoafterdark.com/

4. MORE NEXT WEEK!
Stay tuned for more exciting cinematic event announcements & giveaways coming next week!

Until then, see you after dark!

~ Adam Lopez, Director Toronto After Dark Film Festival

Chico - on the Croisette!

2008-05-18T17:09:00.003+01:00

He says welcome to Celebrity no no land as I drew him after we'd been at the Martinez, where Joe Cocker sang to us live.

from Nesta,
here sketching in Cannes 2008
www.art4film.com

The MAKING OF PLUS ONE

2008-05-18T17:09:00.002+01:00

At Cannes there are two teams making movies. The first the 24 hour film challenge, where a number of short film makers grab footage over this weekend to compete for the best 24 hour short shot in Cannes. The second, a feature film directed by Mary McGuckian "The Making of PLus One". Yesterday I sketched the cast, Jennifer Tilly and Michael Eklund shooting their boat scene, capturing flash moments of them climbing onto the top deck screaming for more champagne, laughing and asking where's Clooney!!!! It was the perfect picture of a moment here where what you reach for is not only champagne but the stars! The sketch sees them Ms Tilly balanced on the shoulders of Mr Eklund. They both asked how I knew what they were doing as I had not seen the action above on deck! I said it's the power of my imagination! I could read between the lines...they loved the cartoon moment.
from Nesta, here sketching in Cannes
www.art4film.com

Cannes

2008-05-15T11:09:00.004+01:00

I’ve arrived in Cannes Yesterday. Didn’t manage to watch any films yet, but I met the crew of Encast.tv. This British group of filmmakers are producing daily videocasts to keep everyone CANNED. Please check their website. http://www.encast.tv/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcNPh7EnAdI&eurl=http://www.entcast.tv/get-canned

Spotlight On Polish Cinema

2008-05-14T00:31:00.000+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

Poland has had an active film industry since the beginning of the 20th century and continues to be one of the most active players on the Eastern European film scene. Having produced such acknowledged film masters as Roman Polanski, Andrzej Wajda, Agnieszka Holland, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Jan Lenica, Lech Majewski and Jerzy Skolimowski, the Polish film scene has flourished, even under the strict demands of 40 years of Communist rule. As the economic dynamo of the “new Europe” and host country to the world-renowned Lodz International Film School, a new generation of filmmakers is now emerging.

American audiences have an opportunity to discover these new talents-in-the-making at the New York Polish Film Festival, which runs from May 9 to 13 at the Anthology Film Archives, one of New York’s most committed film showcases. For the fourth time, the Festival is presenting a fascinating program featuring some of the most interesting, exciting and diverse feature, short and documentary films from Poland.

One of the Festival’s highlights occurred on Sunday evening, with the premiere at the prestigious Museum of Modern Art of Katyn, the Oscar-nominated film by film master Andrzej Wajda. The film is a recreation of one of the most shocking incidents of World War II, when Soviet soldiers slaughtered thousands of Polish officers and citizens in the forests of Katyn. A story that could not be told during the Communist regime, Wajda brings all the drama of the incident and its aftermath in an impressive sweep of historical importance. The special screening was introduced by Dr. Annette Insdorf, Director of Undergraduate Film Studies at Columbia University and a noted writer and film critic who has written several books on films that chronicle the Holocaust.

Among the festival's films are: Savior's Square by Krzysztof Krauze and Joanna Kos- Krauze, which won Best Picture honors at the Gdynia Film Festival; Immensity of Justice by Wieslaw Saniewski; Jasminium by Jan Jakub Kolski; Extras by Michal Kwiecinski; Tricks by Andrzej Jakimowski, which won the Best Film prize at the Miami Film Festival; Time To Die by Dorota Kedzierzawska; Tomorrow We Are Going To The Movies, which won the Best Debut film prize at the Gdynia Film Festival; Preserve by Lukasz Palkowski; and Summer Love by Piotr Uklanski, a Polish Western (imagine that) that had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. A short film or documentary accompanies each feature.

Most of the Festival’s are award-winners in Poland and abroad but have never been seen in the United States. Leading Polish directors, actors and young filmmakers are participating in the festival, using the opportunity to present their work with audiences and to perhaps find American distributor interest. New York is home to a large Polish community so there is a strong core audience interested in films that explore Polish history and contemporary culture.
The producer of the festival is Hanka Hartowicz Productions FILMART, which has introduced Polish films to the American public at special programs at various institutions, including the first American retrospective of the films of Jerzy Skolimowski at the Anthology Film Archives last December. .

The New York Polish Film Festival is co-organized by the Association of Polish Filmmakers, with support from the Polish Film Institute, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York, and the Kosciusko Foundation. Plans are in place to do a touring program of the films, giving national audiences a chance to discover these blazing new talents. For more information on the Festival, visit their website: www.nypff.com

Edinburgh International Film Festival programme announced

2008-05-09T11:47:00.003+01:00

Following the announcement at a press conference at Filmhouse in Edinburgh on May 7, Artistic Director Hannah McGill launched the final programme details for the 62nd edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) to a gathering of film journalists and filmmakers at the Century Club in London's West End. This year the Festival, which runs in its new slot of 18 – 29 June, will host fifteen World premieres including the Opening Night Gala, John Maybury’s THE EDGE OF LOVE starring Keira Knightley (ATONEMENT) and Sienna Miller (FACTORY GIRL). The Closing Night Gala will be the World premiere of FAINTHEART, a comedy by Vito Rocco starring Eddie Marsan (HAPPY-GO-LUCKY) Jessica Hynes (formerly Stevenson, co-creator of SPACED) and Ewan Bremner (HALLAM FOE). Both Opening and Closing Night Galas are British films by British filmmakers with British casts, many of whom are expected to attend the Festival. The EIFF also looks forward to welcoming back its two Patrons, Sir Sean Connery and Tilda Swinton, who will both attend the Festival this year.

The Festival will showcase one hundred and forty two feature-length films from twenty nine countries, including one hundred and thirteen new features of which fifteen are World premieres, fourteen are International premieres, six are European premieres and seventy two are UK premieres. Highlights include: the new Pixar title WALL·E screening as the Family Gala; Shane Meadows’ SOMERS TOWN and Duane Hopkins’ BETTER THINGS both in the British Gala section; Brad Anderson’s TRANSSIBERIAN and Isabel Coixet’s ELEGY both screening in the Gala section; a special preview of Terence Davies’ OF TIME AND CITY and the previously announced documentaries ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Werner Herzog, James Marsh’s MAN ON WIRE and Errol Morris’ STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.

Galas will include the World premiere of Mark Doherty’s A FILM WITH ME IN IT, José Padilha’s ELITE SQUAD (TROPA D’ELITE), Ira Sachs’ MARRIED LIFE, Bharat Nalluiri’s MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY and Jonathan Levine’s THE WACKNESS.

British Galas competing for the UK Film Council-sponsored Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature include Oliver Blackburn’s DONKEY PUNCH which will have its UK premiere, and the World premieres of Charles Martin Smith’s STONE OF DESTINY, Kenny Glenaan’s SUMMER, Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s HELEN and Matthew Thompson’s DUMMY. UK titles will also compete for Best Performance in a British Film, sponsored by Premier Property Group (PPG). All films in the Gala and British Gala sections, as well as the Opening and Closing Galas, are eligible for the Standard Life Audience Award.

Artistic Director Hannah McGill added: "We have a terrifically exciting programme this year, which is the happy result of a very enthusiastic response from distributors and filmmakers. From powerful artistic and political statements to works of pure, escapist entertainment, I think this is a Festival that reflects an active, vibrant world film culture - and suits the diverse and daring tastes of our audience. I want to thank all the programmers who worked with me on putting this programme together, and I look forward to sharing it with audiences in June."

This year the Festival’s programme will be putting the spotlight on cinematography and will include a number of films particularly outstanding in this field. This is reflected by the In Person events, where guests taking part in onstage talks will include world renowned award-winning cinematographers Brian Tufano (TRAINSPOTTING) and Roger Deakins (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) who will be interviewed by Seamus McGarvey (ATONEMENT). Directors Shane Meadows (THIS IS ENGLAND) and Errol Morris (THE FOG OF WAR), legendary special effects master Ray Harryhausen (CLASH OF THE TITANS) and actor Brian Cox (THE BOURNE SUPREMACY) will also be participating in the In Person events. The Festival will also include a number of films where acclaimed cinematographers take the director’s chair: BEFORE THE RAINS by Santosh Sivan (THE TERRORIST) in the Gala section and the World premiere of WARSAW DARK by Christopher Doyle (HERO) in the Rosebud section.

FUJIAN BLUE by Robin Weng, GOD MAN DOG by Singing Chen and EDEN directed by Declan Rocks are some of the films which will also be presented in Rosebud, the showcase of films by first and second time directors which embody the spirit of the EIFF’s commitment to uncover new talent and maintain its reputation as a festival of discovery.

The new Under The Radar strand, promises to awaken the spirit of cult cinema, with two World premieres: Martin Radich’s CRACK WILLOW and Robert Beaucage’s SPIKE. Other World premieres include Bernard Rose’s THE KREUTZER SONATA in Directors’ Showcase, Steven Sheil’s MUM & DAD screening in the late-night section Night Moves, and Gideon Koppel’s documentary sleep furiously. TROUBLE SLEEPING, a feature from Edinburgh’s Theatre Workshop, and THE NEW TEN COMMANDMENTS, a series of short films marking the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights directed by an impressive lineup of filmmakers including Irvine Welsh, Mark Cousins and Tilda Swinton, will both play as Special Events.

The world-renowned Mirrorball section will showcase the finest music films and promos from around the globe and has five feature documentaries including BANANAZ, shot over seven years following the real people - Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn - behind the band Gorillaz. The Black Box strand represents cutting edge experimental filmmaking, including SEVEN INTELLECTUALS IN BAMBOO FOREST, a beautiful five part film by celebrated artist Yang Fadong.

The Festival will also celebrate the life and work of Shirley Clarke and Jeanne Moreau, in the previously announced Retrospectives. Highlights include screenings of Clarke’s A COOL WORLD and a rare showing of Orson Welles’ IMMORTAL STORY (UNE HISTOIRE IMMORTELLE). Legendary stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen’s presence at the EIFF will be celebrated by a special screening of JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS.

2008 sees the return of FILM FESTIVAL UNDER THE STARS, the outdoor cinema experience set over two nights on the Mound, next to the National Gallery of Scotland. Open to the public as a free event, the EIFF is proud to welcome back a series of iconic films: Steven Spielberg’s ET: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and Robert Zemeckis’ BACK TO THE FUTURE which had their UK Premieres at the EIFF in 1982 and 1985 respectively; and Baz Luhrmann’s STRICTLY BALLROOM, which was the Opening Night Gala in 1992. Also screening will be the inherently Scottish favourite LOCAL HERO by Bill Forsyth.

Animation is one of this year’s key themes and will feature heavily in the programme. A diverse collection of animated features including Pixar’s much anticipated WALL·E, the sweetly creepy FEAR(S) OF THE DARK (PEUR(S) DU NOIR) by comic book legend Charles Burns, the cartoon-noir IDIOTS AND ANGELS by Bill Plympton and an eclectic line-up of animated shorts. EIFF recognises the importance of nurturing talent, and provides opportunities to those who wish to learn from professionals skilled in their craft by hosting a series of workshops designed to educate and inspire budding animators.

In addition to the documentary and animation shorts at the Festival, EIFF continues to showcase the best of Scottish, UK and international shorts in a series of programmes which include Daniel Mulloy’s SON featuring Natalie Press, and actor Chiwetel Ejiofor’s directorial debut SLAPPER with Iain Glen. From Scotland, Matt Palmer’s THE ISLAND was shot on the titular island in the Firth of Forth, while the international section showcases, among others, films from Mexico, Oscar® nominated Icelander Runar Runarsson’s return to the EIFF with LITTLE BIRDS, and SICK SEX from Justin Nowell, wryly portraying a man trying to persuade his ill girlfriend to have sex.

In association with Skillset, EIFF will host its second set of Trailblazers: new film talent selected from the EIFF programme and the graduating students of the twelve UK Skillset Screen Academies. The Trailblazers initiative demonstrates EIFF’s intention to identify new talent, providing a platform on which to present their work to an international audience, whilst offering an environment for them to interact and network with established industry professionals. After their selection as names to watch, last year’s Trailblazers collectively went on to win numerous awards and nominations. The line up last year included BAFTA nominee and BIFA winner Sam Riley (CONTROL), BIFA winner Toby Kebbell (CONTROL) and BIFA nominee Matthew Beard (AND WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER?). Another of 2007’s Trailblazers, producer Rachel Connors, returns to the Festival this year with two films BANANAZ and FAINTHEART.

The full EIFF programme is now available in print or online at www.edfilmfest.org.uk

Box office for will open at noon on Friday 9 May, tickets available either online at www.edfilmfest.org.uk or from the credit card hotline: 0131 623 8030

SCI-FI-LONDON

2008-05-09T00:09:00.004+01:00

SCI-FI-LONDON is over for another year and as all the staff and volunteers recover from the five days of fantastic films and little sleep, here's a look back at what was probably the best festival to date.

The usually plush foyer of the Apollo West End was transformed into a bullet-riddled Dead Space, courtesy of the festival's generous sponsor, EA Games. The entrance to the cinema was guarded by an unlikely alliance of Stormtroopers and Jedi Knights from the 99th Imperial Garrison, with people flocking to have their pictures taken with Darth Vader, his troops and a scantily-clad slave girl.

The opening night began with a gathering of British sci-fi literati for the prestigious Arthur C Clarke Awards. Rather than a maudlin affair following the author's passing earlier this year it was more a celebration of his greatness and his contribution to the world of both science fiction and real science. After a brief introduction from Tom Hunter, and Angie Edwards' touching, and inspiring, eulogy for the Award's patron, the Award was given to Richard Morgan for his novel Black Man.

While many chose to party, the opening night film, Marc Caro's DANTE 01, played to a sell-out audience. Click here to see video of the evening's events.

Thursday is the traditionally quiet night of the festival but with the shorts programme and three other great films (LA ANTENA, NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED and DAI NIPPONJIN) there were plenty of people coming out to see what was on offer.

The festival also had a surprise late entry when one of the festival's regular patrons happened to catch a 35mm print of THE DARK KNIGHT trailer that was thrown into the crowd attending the SPEED RACER premiere by someone dressed as The Joker. What made it all the more interesting was it had been etched on by "The Joker".

The end of the working week and what better way to escape the drudgery than with a sci-fi or fantasy film, and SFL had just the solution, with the slightly disturbing time-travel film SUSPENSION and the funny, and little bit scary animation DRAGONHUNTERS. The Stranger Than Fiction documentary strand took on heroic proportions with the world premiere of YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD HERO, which was supported by THE LAST LINE, a short film about Star Wars fans, attended by the film's director Suzanne Kai. The programme was rounded off by the British mockumentary, LEGION OF FIRE: CROYDON BRANCH and the short film SPLIT CITY. For hardcore fantasy fans, the UK premiere of one of the most expensive Russian films to date, WOLFHOUND proved a great draw. Epic in scale (and running time) it showed that Russia is a force to be reckoned with in the world of genre films.

With London becoming increasingly a 24-hour city, SCI-FI-LONDON made its contribution to this non-stop culture with its Saturday programme. The Festival is keen on encouraging local-grown talent to make uniquely British sci-fi. Our 48 Hour Film Challenge proved there is plenty of people with fresh ideas, and our sci-fi film school on Saturday morning was a chance for people to learn more from industry professionals in areas such as script development, producing, effects make-up and sound design. There was also a demonstration from sponsors MovieStorm of their 3D machinima software. MovieStorm are launching a sci-fi filmmaking competition, in conjunction with SCI-FI-LONDON, on May 8. If you want to take part, visit moviestorm.com for full details, download the free software and let your imagination run wild. The competition closes September 8, but don't leave it to the last minute.

Continuing with its support of British filmmaking the festival held a free test-screening of in-production film BABELDOM by Paul Bush. The previous film we supported in this way, CAPTAIN EAGER AND THE MARK OF VOTH, had its world premiere at last year's festival and has just finished a three week run at the ICA London, ahead of a limited national release.

The rest of the day was packed solid with films that were all well-attended, which is encouraging to see that there is an audience for small, independent sci-fi films that don't rely on big Hollywood budgets and marketing clout.

Unlike many other festivals, SCI-FI-LONDON doesn't get grants and relies solely on the generosity of its sponsors and the paying public. While this allows the festival to remain independent and show the films it wants to show, it does mean they can't invite the filmmakers as their guests, but each year they are fortunate to have filmmakers come and support their films at their own expense. This year the festival was lucky enough to have the brothers Matthew and Sean Kohnen come with their hilarious, and sometimes profound, zombie movie WASTING AWAY; a zombie flick from the zombie's point of view. Not only did they do very entertaining Q&As at both of the screenings, accompanied by one of the stars of the film, the lovely Julianna Robinson, but they also shared their Hollywood and low-budget filmmaking savvy with those attending the Saturday morning film school.

Of course, for most people SCI-FI-LONDON is about the now legendary all-nighters. As a diverse audience of almost 500 genre fans gather together for an intense eight hours of movies. Anime fans always make up the bulk of the audience, but the MST3K screenings always sell out first, especially with a unique screening of the John Travolta stinker BATTLEFIELD EARTH getting the treatment it deserves courtesy of rifftrax.com. As usual there were goodie bags with DVDs and the exclusive All-nighter Survivor badge and, of course, Red Bull and Purbecks ice-cream. While it is the films that attract the crowds it is the volunteers, who stay up all night without any films to watch, that make it a success - and not forgetting the anonymous projectionist without whom none of it would be possible.

Come Sunday morning, as the shifts changed, like the Warner Bros' coyote and sheep dog cartoons, the stunned and bewildered all-nighters headed home and an equally diverse new crowd moved in. Grungie filmmakers, coming to see their 48 Hour Film Challenge efforts projected on the big screen (and find out if they had won), mixed with children in fancy dress who were going to see THE WIZARD OF OZ. Both crowds were filled with eager anticipation, but the small ones got their faces painted.

This, the first SFL 48 Hour Challenge, was an experiment. The organisers did not know how many people would enter and what the output would be, but it proved to be a resounding success. With 137 teams initially signing up, 87 turning up on the day (the coldest weekend of the year) and 68 teams returning completed films within the time limit. There was a screening of 45 of the films the previous week, with the remainder being shown along with the final ten shortlisted movies. Generally the quality was very high, with imaginative uses of the props and supplied lines of dialogue, with the final ten being world-class shorts to match films shot over a much longer period and with more preparation - films that would easily fit into any festival shorts programme. Sitting through the screening it became pretty clear to most people which film was going to win, even before it was announced. And the results were (in reverse order):

Special Mention: Water's Edge by Quarkz
MovieStorm Award: Graph of Light
Third place: GLIB by The Next Wednesdays
Second place: Until Further Notice by Bretton
Winner: Factory Farmed by Rebel Alliance.

The winning film was a stunningly enigmatic piece with beautiful cinematography and subtle acting. It, along with the other winners, will be shown on the SciFi Channel's website www.scifi.co.uk very soon. The winning entry can be seen now on the Dutch SciFi Channel's YouTube page. All the films will be shown on sci-fi-london.tv in the very near future.

The winning team walked away with a Canon HV30 HDV camera (courtesy of Canon UK), Final Cut and Final Draft software (courtesy of movieScope magazine), VisionLab Studio software (courtesy of Fxhome). Other prizes included Archos players, software from Pinnacle and Film & Festivals magazine subscriptions.

The Challenge was a huge success and one that will be done again next year, only bigger and better.

A now well-established festival favourite is the SFL Pub Quiz. A chance to proudly show off how geeky you are, drink lots of free beer (courtesy of Baltika) and win stuff. The competition was tough this year with some truly testing questions interspersed with Festival Director Louis Savy, reading from the narcissistic autobiography of 2001 actor Gary Lockwood. For some it was hilarious, while others were comparing it with Vogon poetry. The winning team walked away with a bag of swag that included one of the ten Xbox 360s, with games (courtesy of EA) that were given away over the festival. In fact, throughout the festival, not including the all-nighter goody bags, the festival gave away Archos players, hundreds of DVDs, works of art, books, T-shirts and games, all thanks to their generous sponsors. So not only do you get to see great films but get something to take home as well.

This year there was another great closing night film in CHEMICAL WEDDING. This was the world premiere and although it was a much lower-key event than those usually held at the nearby Leicester Square, it was filled with people who wanted to see the film and not by people who wanted to be seen. Guests included the director and co-writer Julian Doyle, co-writer, rock legend and Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson and the film's star Simon Callow, playing a character as far removed from his portrayals of Charles Dickens as one could imagine. After the screening the three aforementioned guests held a lengthy Q&A with the audience, and another lucky person won an Xbox 360, this time signed by Bruce Dickinson.

And so ended another fantastic festival. And we can't wait to come back next year even bigger and better.

A full video report will be going online soon if you want to see what you missed out on. Or visit www.flickr.com/groups/sci-fi-london for photos.

Strong European Showing At 2008 Tribeca Film Festival Awards

2008-05-06T20:35:00.001+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

Following a packed 10-day marathon of film screenings, industry events, seminar panels and chic parties, the Tribeca Film Festival ended this past weekend with the announcement of the winners of the juried awards in several categories. The World Competition winners were chosen from 12 narrative and 12 documentary features from 18 countries. Two awards were also given to honor New York films, which were chosen from seven narrative and nine documentary features. Awards were also given for the best narrative, best documentary and student visionary films in the Shorts competition.

European films figured strongly in the winners circle. The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature was given to LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Lat den rätte komma in) by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson. Novelist John Ajvide Linquit adapted his best-seller to tell the beautifully touching tale of the first romance of 12-year-old Oskar and the girl next door, Eli….who also happens to be a vampire. The jury commented that the film was exceptional “for its mesmerizing exploration of loneliness and alienation through a masterful reexamination of the vampire myth.” Director Tomas Alfredson receives a cash prize of $25,000 plus the art award "Maternal Nocture: Clearing Storm” created by Stephen Hannock. The film has a North American distribution in place, with Magnet Releasing, the specialty arm of Magnolia Pictures.

Winner of the Best New Narrative Filmmaker prize is Turkish director Huseyin Karabey for the film MY MARLON AND BRANDO. The film, a co-production with The Netherlands and the UK, is a cross-cultural love story between a Turkish actress living in Istanbul and a Kurdish actor living in Iraq. The story is set on the eve of the American invasion and spins a unique take on the “Romeo And Juliet” legend with contemporary references. The jury praised the film for “its skillful blending of documentary style with a classic love story.” The film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The director receives a cash prize of $25,000, sponsored by American Express, and the art award “Bonfire,” created by Ross Bleckner.

Best Actor honors were shared by Thomas Turgose and Piotr Jagiello, the teenage protagonists of the UK drama SOMERS TOWN, directed by Shane Meadows. Turgose plays a lad from the British Midlands who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Jagiello, who plays a Polish refugee living with his construction worker father in a working class neighborhood of London. The jury was impressed with the twin actors’ “extraordinary and exhilarating rendering fo a friendship found”. The prize, sponsored by Delta Air Lines, gives each winner a business elite ticket voucher for anywhere Delta travels.

Eileen Walsh, a haunting Irish actress, won Best Actress honors for “her exquisite rendering of a lonely wife aching to be seen and heard” in director Declan Recks’ EDEN. The film takes a frank look at the slow disintegration of a marriage during the week a couple celebrates their 10th anniversary. Adapted from Eugene O’Brien’s award-winning play, the film’s use of closeups and intimate editing only enhances its emotional impact. The actress receives two business elite ticket vouchers for anywhere Delta travels.

Winning a $25,000 cash prize as Best New Documentary Filmmaker is Spanish director Carlos Carcas for the film OLD MAN BEBO. The film, which had its world premiere at the Malaga Film Festival in Spain, tells the story of Bebo Valedes, the greatest living Cuban musician who was one of the inventors of the mambo, who turns 90 this year. The joyful portrait film mixes archival footage with contemporary interviews and performance segments to offer a celebration of the man and his music. Director Carlos Carcas receives $25,000 cash, sponsored by American Express, and the art award “Maquette for Primary Compass,” created by Don Gummer.

The sole non-European filmmaker in the winners circle is American director Gini Reticker for her moving documentary film PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL. Winning the Best Documentary Feature prize for “its moving portrait of the women of Liberia, who show us how community, motherly love and perseverance can change the fate of a society.” The film, which had its world premiere at the Festival, wins for director Gini Reticker a cash award of $25,000 and the art award “Liza Minnelli,” created by Timothy White.

The Tribeca Film Festival has long demonstrated its support for local film talents. When it began, it hosted a separate “Made In New York” competition category. That has since been dropped, but the Festival still makes a point of honoring New York filmmaking talents through its New York Loves Film Award. This year’s documentary winners was ZONED IN, a documentary by Daniela Zanzotto that traces the remarkable journey of a Bronx high schooler to an Ivy League university, with trenchant comments on the role of race and class in the American education system. Director Zanzotto receives a cash prize of $5000, sponsored by New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture and Television Development, and the art award “Table Odeon,” created by Donna Ferrato.

Winner of the Best New York Feature was THE CALLER, directed by Richard Ledes. Acting veterans Frank Langella and Elliot Gould star, respectively, as an energy business executive, who is assisted by a private investigator in his effort to expose his corporation's corrupt practices. The jury hailed the film’s “superb use of its New York locations – from the sleek mid-town high-rises to the desolate Brooklyn Bridge piers – to create a chilling and finally stirring suspense movie; an unusual thriller whose mysterious plot finally exposes the mysteries of the heart.” The filmmakers receive a cash award of $5,000, sponsored by The City of New York Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, and the art award “Nude on Guitar” created by Ralph Gibson. Prize winning short films included BEST BOY (Steph Green), MANDATORY SERVICE (Jessica Habie) and ELEPHANT GARDEN (Jessica Habie).

The Cadillac Award was given to the documentary WAR CHILD, directed by C. Karim Chrobog. The American film, which had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, was voted on by Festival audiences. WAR CHILD tells the story of hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a veteran of the 20-year civil war in southern Sudan . First-time filmmaker Chrobog follows Jal as he returns to Sudan for the first time in 18 years to reunite with his family, including the father who summoned him to war and then abandoned him. Now in his 20s, Jal is using his music to raise awareness about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan and the plight of child soldiers throughout the world. The director receives a cash prize of $25,000 and the art award “Peripheral Drift Illusion” created by Ryan McGinness.

The Festival, in presenting over 120 films from 40 countries around the world, gave its loyal audiences the chance to check the pulse of world cinema and to be introduced to the amazing stories of both real and fictional people from many different cultures. It is often said that New York is the center of the world (perhaps an overinflated statement) but for the past 10 days, the world was certainly on display in all its glory and complications for New York audiences to savor, absorb and learn from. Aside from all the glitz and the industry buzz, that could ultimately be the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival’s most important legacy.

Moves08 Festival of Movement on Screen

2008-05-06T20:13:00.002+01:00

Specialist festivals of screen based dance and movement are hard to come by, and can often struggle to attract non-specialist audiences. Moves, however, has managed to carve out a distinctive niche for itself within the circuit in a relatively short time frame by straddling a matrix of convergence points. Inclusive billing as a festival of movement on screen has allowed director Pascale Moyes to combine content from an eclectic field of moving image sub-genres, including short film, animation, screendance and digital arts practice. Now in its fourth year, and its second as stand-alone event, the festival has proliferated rapidly, enlarging its geographical spread beyond its Manchester base to encompass locations throughout the North West, and expanding its range of screening options beyond the traditional, indoor, sit-down models to include podcasts; installations and a public screen touring programme.

The festival also has a strong ‘hands-on’ component, this year hosting a week-long filmmaking lab and new media workshop, with a three day conference dovetailing with the festival theme of the interaction of sound and image. Links were also formalised with the Clermont -Ferrand Short Film Festival, presenting a programme of work including Laurent Achard’s award-winning Fear, Little Hunter (2004). Here, a distanced camera position, fixed throughout on an exterior view of a house and adjoining garden, presents a minimum of visual information, concerning the movements of a young boy, a dog, and a woman we assume to be his mother, while ambient sound is manipulated to represent the characters’ emotional experience, building and breaking with disquieting force. In addition, the work of contemporary British-based artists was strongly represented, with the focus of a discussion forum, curated by South East Dance, shifting between Rachel Davies’ large-scale interweaving of image, music and personal testimony in The Assembly (2007); Simon Ellis’ experimentation with a two-second time-frame in work created for iPod viewing, and Andy Wood’s improvisatory-based camera practice. Elsewhere, Claudia Kappenberg’s graphically striking Moebius installation was projected as a triptych, viewable from a Manchester street corner, and former DJ Alex Reuben remixed a compilation from his often music-inspired back catalogue, with shorter works, including the elegantly minimal Que Pasa (2001), interspersed with excerpts from his road movie Routes (2007).

Moves08 succeeded in pulling off a tricky combination, providing a programme of screenings and events relevant to a range of special interest groups, while offering across the board access to an imaginatively forward-looking platform of cross-genre work.

Moves08 Festival of Movement on Screen
22nd - 26th April
RNCM, Manchester; Duke’s, Lancaster and big screen touring programme throughout the north of England

Chirstinn Whyte recently completed a PhD at Middlesex University, researching choreographic practice for screen. http://www.shiftwork.org.uk

WALLFLOWER PRESS LAUNCHES NEW PUBLICATIONS AT TRIBECA FF

2008-05-02T17:26:00.002+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

One of the fab parties this week at the Tribeca Film Festival was the Tuesday evening bash at BAR 13, hosted by Wallflower Press, the largest publisher of film books and magazines in the United Kingdom. Yoram Allon, Editorial Director and Publisher, was in Gotham with his wife Nicky Allon and editor Ian Haydn Smith as part of the company’s North American launch of the INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE, the authoritative Yearbook of International Cinema, and FILM AND FESTIVALS MAGAZINE, a quarterly publication covering the world of film festivals.

Wallflower Press arranged with the Tribeca Film Festival to distribute close to 1000 copies of the INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE to Festival Industry Delegates as part of their “welcome bags” (which mainly consisted of thin brochures and gimmicky trinkets). WALLFLOWER PRESS also distributed the April edition of FILM AND FESTIVALS MAGAZINE, which contains a preview article on the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL, as well as wrap and preview coverage of festivals in the first half of 2008 and various feature stories on films, festivals and how-to information for independent filmmakers.

“The Tribeca Film Festival is a perfect venue for us to reach both American and international industry professionals, filmmakers and media”, said Allon said during the packed-to-the-rafters soiree. “Since taking over the publication of the INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE from Variety, our goal is to make it the definitive resource on world cinema. FILM AND FESTIVALS is poised to become a significant media presence with the coverage of international film festivals, world cinema and the personalities who make up our business.”

The Tuesday night fete, held in the James Bond-like Upper Lounge at BAR 13 and on the roof deck was co-hosted by International Media Resources, a New York-based public relations, marketing and editorial services company, and Columbia University Press, the trade publisher and distributor that represents Wallflower Press titles in North America. “This was a great opportunity to meet and greet Tribeca attendees and the New York film and media community”, Allon added. “We see this presence in New York as the first step in a year-long campaign to let both the North American industry and film buffs know about the books that we publish and the new media initiatives that we are launching.”

Wallflower Press is a London-based independent publishing house specializing in cinema and the moving image. The company publishes over 30 new titles each year and has recently moved into the magazine business with FILM AND FESTIVALS MAGAZINE and other publications. The company will be soon announcing various new media content creation and distribution initiatives for the coming year. For more information, consult the company website: www.wallflowerpress.co.uk

The INTERNATIONAL FILM GUIDE, first published in 1963, is the world’s most authoritative and trusted yearbook of world cinema. The 2008 edition is a 450-page resource that covers the cinema output of over 100 countries. Special features in this double edition include: coverage of five ‘Directors of the Year’ (Fatih Akin, Suzanne Bier, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass and Jia Zhangke), a detailed country focus on Germany, industry analysis on documentary and the growth of DVD production and a comprehensive listing and description of all major international and smaller local film festivals from all over the world. This may have been Wallflower Press’ first clinch with the Tribeca Film Festival, but positive buzz surrounding the publications and the fab party makes it pretty certain it is not the last. Stay tuned.

ENCOUNTERS WITH BRITISH CINEMA AT TRIBECA FF

2008-04-29T15:40:00.001+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

One of the great pleasures of attending a film festival is the serendipity that often occurs when one sees one film after another, finding thematic connections or differences between them that delight the soul and stimulate the mind. I had just such an occurrence the other day, seeing two British films back to back. It just happened that the films were screening after one another, but it made me realize how much I love and appreciate both the high and the low in British cinema.

I’ve been a fan of films from the British Isles since I first discovered the beauteous renderings of David Lean and the “kitchen sink” dramas of the angry young men of the 1950s and 1960s. The two films I saw represented both this high (proper Brits behaving badly) and low (working class blokes trying to make their way in the world). I must also confess a weakness for British films that are set in the waning days of the British Empire in India. I find the subject, the drama, the comment on class warfare, utterly involving.

The first film on that cloudy Sunday is a worthy addition to that sub-genre. BEFORE THE RAINS, directed by Indian director Santosh Sivan (THE TERRORIST) presents a a sumptuous story of love, betrayal and loyalty in the lush jungles of southern India in the late 1930s, when the Indian independence movement led by Ghandi was beginning to take force. In this beautifully shot film, an English spice baron, played with appropriate class privilege mixed with angst by Linus Roche, is the very model of an English ex-patriot, with a wife and young son in tow. But Linus has a secret….a love affair he has been conducting with his female servant. When the local community becomes aware of the married servant’s disgrace, the hunt is on to find the man who has violated her. Roche’s chief aid, a young Indian who sees himself as more British than Indian, conceals the secret and then is implicated. His loyalties are tested until the very last frame. The impossibly handsome Indian actor Rahul Bose gives a startling performance as a man torn between modernism and tradition, a metaphor for his entire country. The film, a US-UK co-production presented by Merchant-Ivory Films (the trendsetters in high end British cinema) will next month in the US via specialty distributor Roadside Attractions.

Truly on the other end of the scale, yet also about the clash of cultures, is SOMERS TOWN, the latest film from UK filmmaker Shane Meadows (THIS IS ENGLAND). In this charming dramedy, the relationship between two boys represents the melting-pot of the new England., Tomo is a lad from the Midlands who comes to London to find a better life. Marek is a Polish immigrant who lives with his construction worker father. Each, in his own way, is escaping a past of poverty and dislocation, looking to their new surroundings to offer them both economic and spiritual sustenance. That they are both walled off from the riches of the modern “British dream” is part of what unites the unlikely duo. In the same vein as the films of Ken Loach, England is both the land of ambitious dreams and bitter disappointments.

The Brits are well represented in the Tribeca Film Festival program. Mike Figgis, one of the few British directors who also has found success in Hollywood (LEAVING LAS VEGAS), is presenting the World Premiere of LOVE LIVE LONG, a film set in Istanbul during the famous high-speed race known as the Gumball Rally. With this setting as backdrop, Figgis has crafted a raw and intimate fillm that epxoses the affects of an unexpected sexual encounter and the high stakes of the race on two strangers. Figgis also was one of several directors to be featured in Tribeca Talks, a series of conversations with leading filmmakers. On Monday at the Directors Guild Theater, Figgis talked about straddling the two worlds of Hollywood and independent cinema, where he is considered something of a film maverick. He is one of the few major directors to have worked in the digital format, bringing eloquence and beauty to TIMECODE (2000), with multiple screens and recurring imagery. He is one of the founding patrons of the online film community Shooting People and crated a stablilizer for digital cameras known as the “Fig Rig”. A world-class director, writer and composer, Mike Figgis’ work is in constant evolution and his digital works challenges the way we experience film stories.

Other important British films screening this week: BOY A, the celebrated debut of director John Crowley, centers on a former juvenile offender who is released from prison after 14 years. The film follows hs reentry into society with the help of his counselor. Newcomer Andrew Garfield was nominated for a BAFTA Award for his stunning performance as the hesitant 24 year old who must catch up with his peers while keeping his past a secret. In THE COTTAGE, director Paul Andrew Williams spins a nifty kidnapping plot that goes horribly awry. The director, known for his previous film LONDON TO BRIGHTON, here offers a gory horror-comedy about two brothers and their potty-mouthed hostage who stumble into the wrong farmhouse.

Britain has a long tradition of documentaries and three new ones are premiering at Tribeca. BAGHDAD HIGH by Ivan O’Mahoney and Laura Winter, centers on four high schoolers (a Kurd, a Christian, a Shiite and a Sunni) who are given cameras to document their last year in high school in war-torn Baghdad. The film offers a rare first-hand account of what it’s like to grow up where sectarian violence rages right outside the classroom window. In Nathan Rissman’s I AM BECAUSE WE ARE, superstar performer Madonna (who also wrote and co-produced) turns the lens on the tragic stories of millions of Malawi children offered by AIDS. The films offers both a call to action and a revelatory personal journey that is a testament to survival, change and hope. And in MAN ON WIRE, one of the hits at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, director James Marsh chronicles the 1974 incident when New York gasped as French daredevil Phillippe Petit walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. This stunning portrait of an artist of reckless daring and impish charm is also a chronicle of the once might World Trade Center towers, which now hold another place in history as the beginning of the current tensions between the West and the East.

New from moves08

2008-04-25T16:45:00.002+01:00

Night Practice combines the structure of meticulous training with simple magicalwonder.The seven dancers from Coventry’s Kombat Breakers hang out on a floodlit football pitch at night. There is no coach to be seen and the film explores the undirected energy that comes from being able to do whatever you want. Shot on a pitch in the middle of the night in Coventry, Night Practice combines the structure of meticulous training with simple magical wonder.

Screenings: 26 April 2008, 18:00, RNCM Manchester & Dukes Lancaster

More information: http://www.movementonscreen.org.uk/dayschedule08.asp?selected=1&prog=76573&day=5

CINEMA FRANCAIS AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

2008-04-25T15:43:00.003+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

New York City has had a love affair with French film for more than 75 years. From the silent film era to today’s Gallic gems, French films are consistently the highest audience attractions and the non-English cinema most represented in the Big Apple. The Tribeca Film Festival, which began its first day of screenings today, adds to this “Francophile” tendency with the premiere of several films a la francais.

Five dramatic features dot the Festival’s various film strands. In the World Narrative Feature Competition, there is the enigmatic 57,000 Kilometers Between Us by debut director Delphine Kreuter. In this provocative yet charming take on digital communication, the follows a teen caught between her stepdad (who records the family's supposedly perfect life online), her real father (now a transsexual), and the refuge of her online life as she searches for meaningful connections. The film, which has been a modest box office hit in its native France, is produced by Les Films du Poisson and is up for a prize in the Tribeca Film Festival competition.

Two French films are being showcased in Feature Narrative non-competitive section. The most celebrated is The Secret of The Grain, the surprise winner for Best Film and Best Director at this year’s Cesar Awards (the French Oscar). Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, the film is a remarkable depiction of a family of North African immigrants in a decaying port town in southern France. The film features a terrific ensemble cast who become as endearing as members of one’s own family. The film also won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at the Venice Film Festival and it young actress Hafsia Herzi has been singled out for her performance, winning a Cesar, Lumiere and Marcello Mastroianni Prize for her performance. Despite huge acclaim, the film was only recently been picked up for US distribution by IFC Films, which plans a very short theatrical release for the film later this summer.

Charly is a new coming-of-age drama from director Isild Le Besco. The film tells the tale of two teenagers, 14-year-old Nicolas, a young man tramping towards the sea, and Charly, a tough girl who takes him into her mobile home, where an unusual domestic arrangement evolves. The film, produced by television network Arte, had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and makes its North American premiere at Tribeca later this week.

In the Encounter section of the Festival, a strand devoted to more experimental work, the documentary film Everywhere At Once is a definite stand-out. This poetic exercise brings together renowned photographer Peter Lindbergh, experimental filmmaker Holly Fisher and actress Jeanne Moreau, to weave a tapestry of images shaping one woman's deepest sense of selfhood. The film has its World Premiere at the Festival on Sunday.

The Tribeca Film Festival has become a major showcase for the short form, introducing audiences to the first works of wonderfully gifted film artists. Three short films will be shown: 20,000 Phantoms by Jean-Gabriel Periot, an expressionistic documentary on the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima; The Milky Way, a short family drama by Luc Moullet; The Second Life Of The Sugar Bowl, an eye-opening domestic tale by Didier Canaux; and Supply And Demand, a satire on the life of a medical examiner, directed by Frédéric Farrucci.

And we’ve saved the best for last…..the Festival will offer a rare screening of a restored “lost” silent classic, Two Timid Souls (1929) from farceur René Clair. The restored film, which was the highlight of last fall’s Pordenone Silent Film Festival, is a near-forgotten gem which displays all the elegance, wit, and visual inventiveness that are hallmarks of its director. The film was restored by the Cinémathèque Française and will feature the world premiere of a new musical score played at the screenings by the New York University Chamber Orchestra. A true movie and music event to be savored…..

Lift Off For 7th Tribeca Film Festival

2008-04-24T10:06:00.002+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger

On the same day that the Cannes Film Festival announced its official program, the Tribeca Film Festival lifts off this evening in its most ambitious to date. The Festival, which is presenting its seventh edition, has become a major New York cultural event and has increasingly flexed its muscles as an industry destination as well.

Modeling itself on such long-standing events as Cannes, Venice and Toronto, the Tribeca Film Festival has avoided the “boutique” approach of such established New York festival events as the New York Film Festival and New Directors/New Films, in creating a “five ring circus” atmosphere, loaded with World and US Premieres, public events and chic industry parties. Definitely more populist than its uptown festival colleagues, the Festival offers a mix of esoteric cinema from around the world with more popular genres (specifically, family and sports films) and a series of free and outdoor events meant to appeal to average filmgoers, rather than just the arthouse elite.

That strategy has succeeded in attracting major financial sponsors, including American Express, Apple, Cadillac and Delta Airlines, making it one of the best endowed financially of the North American film confabs. Perhaps it was this multi-million dollar commitment of funding, along with criticism of previous high ticket prices, that motivated the Festival to lower its ticket price to $15 for evening and weekend screenings and $8 for daytime screenings. With Americans, and New Yorkers, counting their pennies these days, cash outlays for exorbitant “Festival passes” could be hurting. But audiences have definitely embraced the event and record attendance is expected again this year.

One of the ironies of the development of the Festival is that it began as almost a kind of “public service” event, designed to reinvigorate the neighborhood of TriBeCa (that’s triangle below Canal Street for you yokels) after the attacks of 9/11. Local residents, including Robert de Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal, created the Festival as a way of bringing people and income to businesses hard hit after the 2001 attacks. However, these days, the Tribeca Film Festival is no longer exclusively a downtown event. The Festival is centering its Hospitality Lounge and Press Center in Greenwich Village, with film theaters across Manhattan now participating in the ambitious program. Of course, this opens up the event to all Manhattanites, who are remarkably provincial in their way about not venturing outside their core neighborhoods. In effect, the Festival has now become a multi-site, neighborhood-diverse event with only tenuous connections to its original downtown roots.

It has also become a destination for distributors, sales agents, festival programmers and other media professionals. Since the Festival now boasts an impressive array of World and International Premieres, those looking for the next “big thing” either from the American independent world or the international film scene swarm to the event. While quality is sometimes compromised for premiere status, the Festival definitely does deliver a strong program for all kinds of tastes and a proving ground for how the films will play to a sophisticated, urban audience. Coming just a few weeks before the Cannes extravaganza, the Festival offers sales agents and distributors the start of a discussion that could very easily end up on the Croisette in a few weeks with a signed contract.

But industry talk aside, the Tribeca Film Festival is mainly a public event, designed to showcase new and interesting filmmakers, as well as throw show Hollywood dazzle to the masses. New York and its film aficionados definitely deserved a gargantuan smorgasbord of an event, instead of an elegant (and even snobby) wine tasting. In that sense, the Festival is very much like the city that it celebrates: oversized, diverse, multi-ethnic, maddening and even a little chaotic. So, log on to the Festival’s website: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/ and jump into the pool at the deep end.

RETURNING TO ROMANIAN ROOTS

2008-04-23T12:51:00.001+01:00

By Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

In the world of cinema, there is always a “new wave” occurring in a country or region or even genre. No question, in 2007/2008, that new wave is centered in the country of Romania, which has flexed its muscles on the international stage with a series of lauded films. At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, the Romanian abortion drama 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS by Cristian Mingui was the surprise winner of the Palme d’Or, the Festival’s highest honor. Another Romanian film 12:08 OF BUCHAREST by Corneliu Porumboiu also won a prize at Cannes and has since become an international arthouse cult favorite. Earlier in the year, the naturalistic THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU by Cristi Puiu showed on many film critics “top ten” lists.

For those who think that this Romanian renaissance is some kind of new phenomenon, the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York (which sponsors both the New York Film Festival in the Fall and the recently concluded New Directors/New Films series) is presenting a survey of Romanian cinema of the 1960s through the 1980s, a dark period before the fall of the Ceausescu dictatorship, when Romania was one of the most closed societies in the world. For “Shining Through A Long, Dark Night: Romanian Cinema, Then And Now”, which runs from April 16 to 27 at the Walter Reade Theater, the series presents 18 films, most of which have never been seen in North America before.

Probably the best known film in the series is FOREST OF THE HANGED, directed by Liviu Ciulei, who won the Best Director Prize at Cannes in 1965. Set during World War I, as the Romanian and Austro-Hungarian armies battle for control of Transylvania, the film tells the story of a young Romanian lieutenant who becomes a conscientious objector in the midst of battle. The film mixes epic-scale battle scenes with bold surrealistic touches in a stunningly shot panorama of black and white Cinemascope.

Also from 1965, when Eastern European was experiencing cultural thaws in neighboring Czechoslovakia and Hungary as well, is the non-linear narrative SUNDAY AT SIX by debut director Lucian Pintilie. The film, set in the late 1940s, when the Communist Party was consolidating its power, presents an unlikely romance between two Communist revolutionaries who find their mutual affection at odds with their party orthodoxy. This clash between the personal and the institution is one of the themes explored in many of these films, which were financed and controlled by the state film machine.

Films from the 1980s, including Iosif Demian’s A GIRL IN TEARS (1980), which uses both professional and non-professional actors to retrace an unsolved murder of a young woman and Dan Pita’s THE CONTEST (1982), which mixes harsh realism with allegory, use cinematic symbols of discontent or unease to offer a “between the lines” criticism of the Communist regime and the passive acceptance of totalitarianism that marked this generation of Romanian citizens.

The newest film in the series is THE PAPER WILL BE BLUE (2006) from director Radu Muntean. This is the one major Romanian New Wave film that has yet to land an American distribution deal. The film takes place during the final hours of the Romanian Revolution in 1989, when the dictator Ceausescu and his wife were unceremoniously shot in full public view. An idealistic private in the national militia decides to desert his patrol in order to join the anti-government forces that have taken control of the national television station. A kind of surrealism takes over, where nobody is quite sure who is on what side and whether they are shooting at the right people. This mix of dark humor and bloody chaos has many parallels beyond Romania, and could, with a change of environment and language, be a portrait of Baghdad in our own times.

The main protagonists of the so-called Romanian New Wave have made it clear that this designation is simply an invention of the media and a simplistic way for film critics to categorize a new crop of films. But there is no doubt that the Romanians, who have had to suppress their behavior for decades under the Nazis and then under the Communist regime, are letting their freak fly, and taking international cinema into exciting, if uncharted waters. It promises to be an exciting ride.

For more information on this and other Film Society of Lincoln Center programs, log on to: http://www.filmlinc.com/

MOVES08 SCREENINGS AND FORUMS

2008-04-21T16:41:00.004+01:00

special events including the Dance For Camera Nights at moves08

www.movementonscreen.org.uk/dayschedule08.asp?selected=1&event=76565&day=3

Screenings start from tomorrow at the RNCM off Oxford Road (Manchester). Films will be playing every day at 6.30pm and 8pm, including some extra-screeningsover the week-end.

www.movementonscreen.org.uk/dayschedule08.asp?day=5

48th Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth

2008-04-21T15:32:00.001+01:00

In its 48th edition, the Zlín International Film Festival for Children and Youth brings a number of novelties. The major one rests with moving to brand new screening venues located in the Golden Apple Cinema – a multiplex and a shopping precinct located in the very centre of Zlín. The precinct’s name refers to the original name of Zlín as well as to the new look of the spectator price (inspired by an apple slice), designed by Daniel Piršč.

The festival itself now has eight days. Its constant growth is well represented in the rising number of participants and films. For this year, organizers expect more than 400 films and around 60,000 spectators to turn up. They are going to witness the launching of a new section focused more on university students who have comprised larger and larger share of festival spectators ever since Zlín became a vibrant university town. In the previous years, only films for youth were able to catch the more mature part of festival goers. Now, everybody interested in controversial topics, themes of boundary crossing and transition between youth and adulthood will certainly find their favourites in the new section of Night Horizons.

For more information visit www.zlinfest.cz/index.php

UK Director Mike Leigh To Be Honored At San Francisco FF

2008-03-25T14:13:00.001Z

By Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

Acclaimed UK director Mike Leigh will be honored with inaugural Founder's Directing Award at the 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (24 April-8 May). The Founder's Award will be presented to Leigh at the Film Society Awards Night, the annual benefit gala, on Thursday, 1 May at the Westin St. Francis Hotel.

The Founder's Directing Award is presented each year to one of the masters of world cinema and is given in memory of Irving M. Levin, who founded the San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas, in 1957.

Mike Leigh will also participate at a public screening event on 30 April at the historic Castro Theater. The special event will include an onstage interview, a clips reel of his career highlights and a showing of TOPSY-TURVY (1999), kaleidoscopic and visually entrancing backstage comedy/drama portraying the tumultuous world of 19th-century theatrical impresarios Gilbert and Sullivan.

Leigh's history with SFFS stretches back to 1986 when SFIFF held the first US retrospective of the director’s gritty and unsparing, often bitingly funny work. That program presented Leigh’s lesser known works, including short films and television films produced for the BBC in the 1970s and early 1980s. Leigh triumphantly returned to SFIFF in 1989 with HIGH HOPES, the alternately hilarious and moving story of a working-class couple living in a tiny London flat.

Leigh is one of the UK and Europe’s most well-respected and loved directors. His film NAKED (1993) won him the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival that year. SECRETS AND LIES (1996) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, as well as an unprecedented five Oscar nominations. In 2004, his film VERA DRAKE was a major international hit that perfectly blended his interest in class-conscious drama and social realism. He is also known as an “actors’ director”, having helped make household names of such discoveries as Tim Roth and Gary Oldman, while further propelling the careers of Jim Broadbent, Jane Horrocks, David Thewlis, Alison Steadman and others. Newcomer Sally Hawkins was honored last month at the Berlinale for her performance in his newest film HAPPY GO LUCKY.

"Mike Leigh is an extraordinary director who has forged a singular path in world cinema over a long and brilliant career," said Graham Leggat, executive director of the San Francisco Film Society. "We are delighted to welcome him back to the International on the heels of his well-deserved success with his latest comedy HAPPY GO LUCKY at this year's Berlinale."

For 22 years the San Francisco International Film Festival has honored a master of world cinema with its Founder's Directing Award. Previous European auteur recipients include: Werner Herzog, Germany; Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia/USA; Francesco Rosi, Italy; Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal; Marcel Carné, France; Jirí Menzel, Czechoslovakia; Robert Bresson, France; and Michael Powell, England.

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-03-13T14:23:00.004Z

Day 5

My stay in Thessaloniki was coming to an end. This was my last full day, and night, of watching films and meeting with their makers. After a morning of sitting in front of my laptop trying to catch up on the work I should be doing if I wasn't here – namely designing the next issue of our magazine to make sure it makes its print deadline. But with the sun shining outside and films beckoning not a lot of it was getting done, and the rest of my day's schedule was looking pretty full.

The first film of the day was something a nostalgia trip for me, taking me right back to my youth. HAIR: LET THE SUN SHINE IN, directed by Pola Rappaport, is a look at the revival of the great 60s' musical Hair. With a mixture of archive footage from the original show, auditions for the current revived productions and interviews with the show's creators, cast and producers it gave a great insight into the impact Hair had on a generation. The film also looked at events of the era that were the driving force behind the musical's creation and why they are still relevant in today's political climate. And there was the songs some of which have become classics, such as The Age of Aquarius and Let the Sun Shine In (which featured at the end of 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN) and, of course, the theme song. While the film may have its widest appeal to aging hippies it should be equally interesting to a new generation who missed out on the optimism of that era.

After that burst of cinematic sunshine it was a bit of a disappointed to see the skies covered in clouds and rain falling. So I scuttled off to the luxurious Electra Palace Hotel for one of the Just Talking events that are held every afternoon. A group of selected filmmakers get together with other delegates and members of the press for a semi-informal discussion. There is no fixed topic, as such, it is whatever arises out of the talk. Today's conversation turned to distribution and how difficult it is for independent documentarians to get their films seen outside of the festival circuit. Of course, the Internet was mentioned but no one seemed to have any clear ideas on how best to utilise despite places like www.indiepixfilms.com having an excellent model. After the event there was a chance for a bit more informal talking and networking over drinks and snacks.

There was just enough time after this to run across the square to the Olympion for the next screening – another double bill. This was held in the small upstairs cinema, which, unfortunately, doesn't have a very good digital projector, as I discovered from previous screenings. The first film was a 14 minute UK film called CITY OF CRANES, a mood piece on the solitude of crane operators who inhabit London's skyline. Made up of four three-minute stories, that originally showed on Channel 4's Three Minute Wonders, it was the shortest film in the festival, which, surprisingly, didn't have a dedicated shorts programme. This delicate, meditative film was followed by one of the slickest films I saw during the whole festival.

SEND A BULLET (MANDA BALA) by Jason Kohn looks at the state of Brazil's largest and wealthiest cities, Sao Paolo through four interconnecting stories. That of a frog farmer whose business is linked with a corrupt politician who has been stealing government funds destined for the poorest areas of the country; the prosecutors who are powerless to do stop the corruption; a criminal from the slums who robs banks and kidnaps the rich to get money to help the people in the slums; a young woman who was kidnapped and had her ears cut off to ensure the ransom was paid; a plastic surgeon who has developed a new way of reconstructing ears of kidnap victims and is making a fortune; and a young entrepreneur who talks about all the security measures he takes to ensure his safety. Although it doesn't paint a pretty picture of Brazil it was beautifully shot, looking more like a Hollywood movie than anything else – a sort of MAN ON FIRE Lite (it won Grand Jury Prize (Documentary) Best Cinematography at Sundance 2007).

After the film, having a bit of time to kill before the Arto Halonen gala (an award and screening of his film SHADOW OF THE HOLY BOOK), I went off for a coffee with some other filmmakers who had been watching the film - Samantha Zarzosa (CITY OF CRANES), Sarah Singh (THE SKY BELOW) and Necati Sönmez (TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF) – and the general opinion was they felt that SEND A BULLET glorified the subjects, but I thought it was because it was shot on film and was well lit it gave it a superficial sheen that made it more watchable without really glossing over the issues. For safety reasons it might not have been as hard hitting as it could have been, but it did say in the opening credits "this film cannot be shown in Brazil", so the hard hitting might gone towards the filmmaker from some of the subjects in the film.

As our discussions continued we realised we'd missed the start of the film so we carried on talking until Samantha and Necati had to go to other events. Sarah suggested we go up to the old city to find somewhere to get something to eat and enjoy the views over the city and the harbour, so we grabbed a taxi and found a taverna with live music. A nice way to end my last day in Thessaloniki, for this festival, and with still so many good films to see and the glorious sunny weather it was going to be hard to leave.

All in all, it was another great festival from the organisers. They put together a varied selection of films and I managed to pretty much stay within my "positive and uplifting" remit. There were plenty of opportunities to meet with filmmakers without any feelings of an "us and them" that can sometimes with members of the press. In fact I was wondering if there were any other members of the press there at all, because mostly I only met with filmmakers on a social level. And the filmmakers I spoke to all enjoyed the atmosphere of informality to meet and discuss their craft, as well as having plenty of structured events to make it interesting and informative. And all that topped off with the wonderful Greek hospitality.

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-03-11T10:02:00.006Z

Day 4

Today is a public holiday for Ash Monday, it is also the day that the official celebration of the festival’s 10th anniversary with a party. Big tables were laid out with popular delicacies (dolmados, taramasalata, bread, beans, halva and plenty of ouzo) and a local band. It was all very informal and just another excuse for getting together to eat and dance. But it was soon time to move out of the spring sunshine and return to the dark of salons and the business at hand – watching films.

My quest to watch only positive, uplifting films took a bit of dip during the first screening of the day, a Turkish film called TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OF by Necati Sönmez. It was a look at the death penalty in Turkey over a sixty year period where over 700 people were executed. It combined images of abandoned prisons, with the remembrances of people who witnessed the hangings and the words of the condemned taken from letters. The film handled the subject humanely but not film you leave feeling good.

The second half of the double bill was a rather intriguing film in that it started out with one intention and changed as events unfolded during the filming. FAIRYTALE OF KATHMANDU by Irish filmmaker Neasa Ni Chianáin was originally going to be a portrait of homosexual Gaelic poet Cathal O Searcaigh, whom the filmmaker admired, following him Nepal where he sponsors some of the local youth with their schooling. As the film unfolds it becomes very clear that his intentions towards these innocent local teenage boys is less than honourable, despite the fact that he declares he is trying to protect their innocence. However, the filmmaker’s admiration for the poet initially clouds her judgment but she eventually confronts her subject. The outcome, for the boys at least, is positive.

Forgoing the temptation to enjoy the warm weather I went back to the hotel to catch up on my work, which included updating this blog, until the next film session, another double-bill, started.

TERRITORIES by Canadian Mary-Ellen Davis follows photographer Larry Towell as he works around his Canadian home, on the Mexican border and in Palestine and the Gaza strip. Towell is the only Canadian member of the legendary Magnum Photo Agency. Although he photographs in conflict zones, and particularly those with border issues, his photographs are more concerned with capturing the positive aspects of humanity amongst the suffering and destruction. Unfortunately the technical quality of the screening was very poor, whether it was because the movie was shot on miniDV and couldn’t withstand the blowing up to the big screen or for some other reason, it was all very pixelated, particularly Towell’s photos, which is ironic as he still shoots on film using a battered old Leica. Despite that, it was still an intriguing look at a photographer in the field.

When introducing the second film, SHAKE THE DEVIL OFF, its maker Peter Entell denied he was actually the director because he arrived in New Orleans after Katrina without any specific story in mind and captured the unfolding events of “The Church” using its power to undermine a strong community ravaged by the storm. The archdiocese has decided to close down the parish of St Augustine in the poor black area and absorb it into the surrounding affluent white area. The church has been in the area since the time of slavery and is regarded by many as the birthplace of modern music. Although the charismatic Father LeDoux accepts his fate after he tries his best to prevent the closure the local parishioners aren’t as willing to accept the word of the white hierarchy that is trying to crush the spirit of the community. Watching the joyless sermon of the incoming priest compared to that of LeDoux’s really showed that the local people feel the spirit. And it is accompanied by some fantastic music that bridges jazz, soul and gospel that is performed from the heart without resorting to forced emotions that often get put into church music. Although the community won its battle, the coda told a different story, where the power of “The Church” got its own way in the end. Both sad and uplifting at the same time, which is what the music of the area has always been.

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-03-10T18:08:00.003Z

Day 3

There is real sense that nothing shuts around here and people never sleep. After a late night screening I returned to my hotel, which overlooks the main street, and at two in the morning there was still lots of activity with restaurants and newsstands still doing business. Come morning it’s a different story, but as someone who is not particularly good at mornings this seems all very natural and civilised.

Today I had an early start, with a press conference at midday for a local film called A HOLE IN THE WATER, about the proposal to build a ring road around Thessaloniki that runs under the harbour. With no public consultation and rumours of corruption there is growing opposition to the plan.

Then it was off to see a film about the partition of India and Pakistan, called THE SKY BELOW, by New York based Indian Sarah Singh. This is her first film, which she made single-handedly travelling throughout Pakistan, North India and Kashmir talking with people who were affected by Partition and the human cost to the division of the subcontinent. Unfortunately the film suffered from bad projection, but it was still a moving account of one of the great catastrophes of our time. Of course, with the sixtieth anniversary last year the BBC held a season of programmes and documentaries, so documentaries about the event were still fresh in my mind, but for most of the people attending the screening this was a shocking unknown chapter in history, which led to a lengthy Q&A afterwards.

From here I had to run down four flights of stairs to the main Olympion cinema for my next screening, which was a double bill. There are quite a few of those here, mainly due to the short running time of many of the films, which seem to be around 60 minutes. The first was a Polish film, IN SEARCH OF A LEGEND, about a group of young Polish sailors going from Greenland to Vancouver through the North West Passage. It started of with a fantastic animated sequence outlining the history of sailing that route through the Arctic waters, which was followed by some superb aerial photography, but after that it was fairly average. Not wanting to take anything away from their achievement but they did it in the warmest part of the year, rarely under sail and using all the latest electronic navigation equipment. There was never any real sense of danger that makes for interesting viewing. But this wasn’t the film I wanted to see.

I had been recommended THE WHISPERING OF THE TREES by Tom Lemke as a positive and uplifting film, which was my remit, It is about the indigenous people of southern Chile that take their name from a tree that grows in the area. This tells of a family that is trying to retain their heritage in the face of a fast encroaching civilisation. The film follows the family as the go into the forest to collect a special kind of pine nut that not only supplies them with food for the year but also some cash from the sale of the nuts they don’t need. It was great to see a family that wanted to keep its simple culture and lifestyle despite the temptations of materialism. There were a lot of parallels with the Paskowitz family in SURFWISE.

After the screening I went back to the hotel intending to work but bumped into Sarah Singh, whose film I had seen earlier so we headed off to a seafront café so I could interview her about her film. We ended up talking for hours about India and world politics and travelling and ended up continuing the conversation over dinner at small restaurant in the agora (the market). A huge spread of fresh fish, grilled vegetables, salad and bread – more than we could really eat. We left there just in time to catch the final film on my schedule for the day: FLOW: For Love OF Water.

The film came across as being a television show without going into any great depth or covering any real new ground. Of course, if it was aimed at a general American audience their awareness of these matters about the poor state of water supplies in countries places like Asia and Africa can be limited, at best, so on that score it was informative and also showed some of the positive things that are happening to ensure people are getting fresh drinking water. It also showed how multinational corporations are taking over the control of water supplies and either pricing it out of the reaches of those who need pure water the most, or simply cutting off the supply all together. It also concentrated on the ridiculous state of the bottled water industry, which in most cases is selling people tap water at inflated prices. It did get a bit repetitive at times and while it was trying to stress the fact that the world is heading towards a time when there will be a huge shortage of clean water for drinking and domestic use it did not talk about the importance of water conservation. It was a good starting point but for such an important issue it needed to go further and do it more boldly.

And again, heading back to the hotel the town was alive with activity, but it was carnival after all.

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-03-09T23:57:00.006Z

Day 2

One of the hardest things to do at a film festival is to decide what to see and make a workable schedule. Hours can be spent pouring over the catalogue and programme trying to figure out which films will be worth watching and whether or not they clash with something else, which they invariably do. Documentary festivals are a new adventure for me, with my only real contact with the form being on television. After a quick browse through what was on offer here I made a decision that I would only go and see films that were positive, inspiring and uplifting. I didn’t really want to go and films about death, destruction, injustice and other problems facing the world and individuals. I don’t need to go and sit in a dark room, especially with the glorious Greek spring weather beckoning, to be told that the world is fucked up and going to hell in a handcart. Maybe those burdened by catholic guilt and/or a limited range of experiences need to be reminded that the world is in a mess, although guilt is not going to fix it. Sure these films can raise awareness for the world’s downtrodden but how much does it help with the relief of their suffering when there are huge obstacles such as greedy and immoral corporations and corrupt, self-serving political machines to battle? How many people marched in the streets of London (before it was made illegal) to protest against the invasion of Iraq? And there are still troops there, thousands of people are still dying and there is no solution in site. And who is winning? Well, Shell and BP have made record profits, so someone is.

So with that in mind, the first film I saw was SURFWISE by Doug Pray. What a delight this film was. This is about someone who wanted freedom and simply took it. “Doc” Paskowitz is a legend amongst the surfing community. He was a doctor who was going places. He had lots of money, social and civic standing but was just plain miserable with his life because all he really wanted to do was go surfing, so he just gave it all up – including his wife and daughters and did what his heart desired (something I could easily relate to having made a similar choice, but much younger so without the responsibilities). He remarried, had seven children and travelled the coast of North America in a camper van. The kids didn’t go to school, they only had enough money to survive but they were free, happy and healthy. Although the film does look at some of the negative aspects of the lifestyle such as rampant sibling rivalry, a strong patriarchal rule and the children’s dissatisfaction with the eventual outcome of their earlier lives when they tried to integrate into ‘normal’ society without having had a formal education. The fact is the children were all reasonably successful in the paths they chose, whether it was music, business or surfing. The reunion at the end of the movie was particularly emotional. Although it was the first film I saw I get a feeling this will be my favourite film of the festival.

One thing they do really well at Thessaloniki, apart from feed you all the time, is run parallel cultural events. This time there is a photography exhibition with two separate, yet connected, shows at the Museum of Photography. It is an obvious choice to have photography as the medium has been recording and documenting the human condition long before movies came along. Tonight was the opening of the exhibitions. One is called One Second of Silence by Sotiris Danezis, which is a collection of photos from war zones around the world, which don't show the horror of war but the silent moments between the gunfire. The other is Rebuilding Afghanistan, which shows the positive things the Canadian government is doing to help that war torn land. Of course there were lots of speeches but the images definitely spoke a lot louder.

There is a strong musical strand to this festival, so being a lover of music it was obvious to go and see some of those on offer. PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE by Steven Sebring was my first choice, not in order of importance but in terms of when it was screening, which was late at night. I wouldn’t say I was a huge fan of Smith but have always liked her music and punk ethic, so the film was an interesting look at her life and work. The film was shot over a ten-year period at tours around the world, and with her family. Of course, being about punk icon who is also a poet and artist, the film was shot and edited with those sensibilities in mind, with the bulk of it being black and white. As a portrait of an artist it captures her perfectly while managing to soften those familiar hard edges. It features some of her more familiar songs such as Gloria. Although it doesn’t have the song Pissing in the River it does have a very funny verbal pissing contest. For fans of Smith, or her era, this is a must see.

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-03-08T10:47:00.006Z

Day 1

It’s amazing how one seemingly small event can have domino effect repercussions. My carefully scheduled journey to the airport was thrown out when the first train did not arrive. Luckily I did build in a bit of leeway but it did mean I arrived at the airport check-in just on the official cut-off time. By the time I’d been through the ridiculously stringent security checks of being treated like a criminal, and taking the long, long walk to the departure gate I made it to the plane just in time for the door to be closed behind. Thank goodness for online check-in. Anyway, I was on the plane and on my way back to Thessaloniki for another film festival, this time their Images of the 21st Century Documentary Festival, celebrating its tenth anniversary.

With so many years of organising Festivals, combined with Mediterranean hospitality there is always a warm welcome to meet you. A short drive to the hotel in the company of US filmmaker Jeffrey Morgan and Alice Hurwitz, the subject of his film LILLIE AND LEANDER: A LEGACY OF VIOLENCE. Alice outline the film for me, telling me how she wanted to do a little bit of family history only to discover that her ancestors were involved in the systematic killing of negroes in retaliation for murder and rape of her great aunt that went far beyond the vigilante killing of the accused.

After checking in with the delegate and press offices and renewing acquaintances I went back to the hotel for 40 winks before the opening night ceremony and film.

Speeches are very much the order of the day here, with introductions from the festival directors, the mayor and filmmaker Lydia Carras whose film MY LIFE AND TIMES – MICHAEL CACOYANNIS was to follow. Possibly Greece’s best internationally known director, for his Oscar®-winning ZORBA THE GREEK, this was a fascinating look at the whole canon of his films with insights from his long-time collaborators including composer Mikis Theodorakis and cinematographer Walter Lassally, as well as a look at some of the great actors, such as Irene Papas, who have become synonymous with Greek cinema. The film got rapturous applause at the end from an audience that fully appreciated the man’s contribution to Greek culture, not to mention the way Ms Carras revealed the story.

What I found slightly unusual was watching a documentary in a cinema. I usually associated fictional films with theatres and docs with TV, but I’m sure by the end of my stay at the festival that conditioning will be overcome.

Click here for the full festival programme

BERLIN- World-spanning young cinema

2008-02-14T19:12:00.000Z

ward Winners of the Berlinale Shorts
The members of the International Short Film Jury

Marc Barbé (France)
Ada Solomon (Romania)
Laura Tonke (Germany)

award the following prizes:

The Golden Bear to
O zi buna de plaja
by Bogdan Mustata (Romania)

The film raises questions about its issues rather than bring resolution to them. It does so in a very precise and unpredictable way. We feel that it is one of the most precious things when a film stays with you and keeps unravelling long after the final credits have ended.

The Silver Bear to
Udedh bun
by Siddharth Sinha (India)

The Silver Bear goes to Udedh bun for its modern narration. A sharp focus that relies on a harmony between images and sound rather than words. We are also sensitive to the new erotica brought to the traditional figure of the desired woman in the history of cinema.

Prix UIP to
Frankie
by Darren Thornton (Ireland)

A simple and powerful approach. The straight forward point of view of a working class teenager on love, responsibility and fatherhood. We also want to re-encourage the director in developing his project of short films for young makers.

DAAD Short Film Prize
B teme
by Olga Popova (Russian Federation)

We feel this film achieves a physical and sensual intimacy with its subjects without ever violating the secret of this intimacy. We wish to encourage the director’s talent as a filmmaker.

And two Special Mentions to

A special mention for directing goes to a film for its precise and sensitive direction on a topic which otherwise would have felt politically correct. Superfície by Rui Xavier.

A special mention for a very contemporary gesture in animation in a wonderful nasty sense of humour goes to RGB XYZ by David OReilly.

GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2008- NEWS

2008-02-05T13:25:00.001Z

Legendary American filmmaker John Sayles has confirmed his attendance as the star guest of the 2008 Glasgow Film Festival. A two time Oscar nominee, Sayles is the undisputed king of American independent cinema with an inspirational thirty year career that includes such landmark films as The Return Of The Secaucus Seven (1980), Matewan (1987), City Of Hope (1991), Passion Fish (1992), Lone Star (1996) and Sunshine State (2002).
Sayles will attend the Festival with his partner and producer Maggie Renzi.

He will introduce his latest film Honeydripper and participate in a master class with Festival Co-Director Allan Hunter in which he will discuss his lengthy career as a director and as a screenwriter on such diverse films as Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), Breaking In (1989), directed by Bill Forsyth, and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) which will also receive a UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival.

Set in the Alabama of the early 1950s, Honeydripper offers a classic illustration of Sayles skills as a master storyteller, his ability to evoke a specific time and place and his enduring fascination with community. Danny Glover stars as Tyrone " Pine Top" Purvis, the proprietor of a juke joint that has seen better days. His customers are slipping away to a more glamorous rival, his wife resents the sweet stench of failure and bankruptcy is just a heartbeat away. He stakes his future on an appearance from blues star Guitar Sam, a surefire crowd-pleaser guaranteed to set the joint jumping. If only Tyrone can entice him to town for one Saturday night all his problems will be solved. Featuring a terrific ensemble cast that includes Charles S Dutton, Mary Steenburgen, Stacy Keach and Gary Clark Jr, Honeydripper is told with sly humour and a love of the blues guaranteed to set toes tapping and hips swaying.

Born in Schenectady, New York in 1950, John Sayles is a true American renaissance man. A writer, director, actor and producer, he has also written a number of novels including Pride Of The Bimbos (1975), Union Dues (1977) and Los Gusanos (1991). He first made his mark in the film world writing genre scripts for Roger Corman that were noted for their wit and inventiveness. Sayles used his earnings as a scriptwriter to finance his directorial debut The Return Of The Secaucus Seven (1980). Shot in 25 days on a budget of just $40,000, the film tells of a reunion of 1960s college radicals and illustrates the extreme social and political changes that befell a generation of Americans. It inspired The Big Chill (1983) and paved the way for a wave of American independent filmmakers who wanted to work outside the compromises inherent in the Hollywood studio system.
Sayles has remained a true independent, earning Oscar nominations for Passion Fish (1992) and Lone Star (1996) and creating a body of work unrivalled in its scope and desire to address the social and political complexities of contemporary American life.

Honeydripper receives it official UK premiere at the 2008 Glasgow Film Festival, screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Saturday February 16th at 8pm and repeated at CIneworld on Sunday February 17th at 6.15pm.

The master-class will be on Sunday 16 February at 4.15pm at the GFT.

The Spiderwick Chronicles screens at Cineworld on Sunday February 17th at 1pm. The John Sayles masterclass takes place at the Glasgow Film Theatre on Sunday February 17th at 4.15pm.

Tickets are available on www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk or by calling the box office on 0141 332 6535.

GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2008

2008-02-05T13:15:00.000Z

The 4th Glasgow Film Festival will run from February 14th to 24th, the Festival will screen more than 100 films over eleven days with a star-studded line-up of UK premieres that include new films featuring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Ryan Gosling, Romola Garai, Danny Glover and Monica Bellucci.

The Festival opens on Thursday February 14th with a gala UK premiere of Woody Allen's dark comedy Cassandra's Dream co-starring Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as debt-ridden Cockney brothers confronted with an offer they cannot refuse. An outstanding British cast includes Tom Wilkinson, Phil Davis, Jim Carter, Sally Hawkins and rising star Hayley Atwell.

The Festival closes on Sunday February 24th with the UK premiere of Lars And The Real Girl featuring a knockout performance from Ryan Gosling as a lonely young man who finds himself the perfect girlfriend. The fact that he met her on the internet leaves some people anxious on his behalf. The fact that she is a doll causes all kinds of hilarity and heartache in this inventive charmer.

more information : http://www.glasgowfilmfestival.org.uk

SUNDANCE

2008-01-29T15:56:00.000Z

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS

Sunday, January 27

FROZEN RIVER, a film about a struggling single mother in upstate New York who teams with a Mohawk woman to smuggle people across the Canadian border, has won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. The film, a debut feature from writer/director Courtney Hunt, is adapted it from her own 2004 short of the same name. The film was one of a handful to actually be picked up by a major distributor during the Festival......having found a home with arthouse distributor Sony Pictures Classics in a deal reported at less than $1 Million (a steal). In an interesting twist, FROZEN RIVER becomes the third film in a row to win the top Sundance prize to deal with the subject of immigration (the other two films in the troika: PADRE NUESTRO last year and QUINCENERA the year before).

FROZEN RIVER (www.frozenriver.com) takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Here, the lure of fast money from illegal smuggling presents a daily challenge to single moms who would otherwise be earning minimum wage. Two women- one white, one Mohawk, both single mothers faced with desperate circumstances- are drawn into the world of border smuggling across the frozen water of the St. Lawrence River. Melissa Leo (21 GRAMS, THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA) and Misty Upham (EDGE OF AMERICA, DREAMKEEPER) star as the two women, with Oscar nominee Michael O'Keefe (THE GREAT SANTINI) playing the New York State Trooper who ultimately brings the two to justice.

With its Sundance win, the film will certainly be making the rounds of the international film festival circuit and will open in theaters by the end of the year. Sony Pictures Classics is a pro in extending the life of films that can be described as "small" and "specialized". However, it remains to be seen if the film will be a breakthrough. It is well known in the industry that a Sundance win is no guarantee of mainstream boxoffice success. The past two year's winners, which have comparable immigration themes, hardly made a ripple. PADRE NUESTRO, which was released by IFC Films in May, made less than $100,000 in the US. QUINCENERA, which was released by Sony Pictures Classics, fared better, but did not crack the $2 Million mark. However, considering the low budgets of all three films, breaking even with a modest profit is certainly possible. Pickups of Sundance winners is more of a "prestige buy" for a distributor anyway.

TROUBLE THE WATER

As in past years, the documentaries at Sundance captured much of the critical and industry attention. Although several high profile Sundance docs from last year were also rather anemic at the box office, (including the superb, important and Oscar nominated NO END IN SIGHT), documentaries still are among the best "bangs for the buck", because of their modest budgets and their built-in thematic interests that can benefit from viral marketing rather than traditional media ad buys. The Documentary Grand Jury Prize is very much in this historic investigation tradition. TROUBLE THE WATER (www.troublethewaterfilm.com) , about the survival of a New Orleans couple through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The film, produced and directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (who served as supervising producers on Michael Moore's BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and FAHRENHEIT 9/11), utilizes footage shot by one of its subjects, Kimberly Rivers Roberts. Roberts traveled to the festival with her husband Scott and gave birth to a daughter, Skyy, in Salt Lake City on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. TROUBLE THE WATER makes unapologetically clear that Hurricane Katrina rages on as an unnatural disaster of governmental and journalistic neglect.

THE WACKNESS

THE WACKNESS, a satire starring Ben Kingsley as a psychiatrist who trades therapy for marijuana, won the Audience Award for favorite U.S. drama as chosen by balloting among Sundance movie-goers. The film is set in 1990s New York City during the mayoral reign of current Presidential candidate Rudolph Guiliani. Hilarity ensues when a troubled teenage drug dealer meets up with a drug-addled psychiatrist, then falls for the doctor's daughter.. The coming-of-age dramedy had been expected to be picked up for distribution, but so far has not. Perhaps this high profile win will bring more buyers to the table. The crowd-pleaser will certainly be making the Festival rounds in the coming months.

KING OF PONG

The international component of the Festival has certainly been primed for a higher profile in the past few years, with competition sections for World Cinema Drama and Documentaries added to the Festival's roster less than 3 years ago. What this has done has made canny filmmakers and sales agents wait for Sundance to premiere their films, when in the past they would have waited for festivals like Venice, Berlin, Toronto or Cannes to have their first public and industry showings. The World and International Premiere status of most of the international films in competition is just another illustration of how Sundance has become vital for both American and international exposure. KING OF PING PONG, a quirky coming-of-age story from Swedish filmmaker Jens Jonsson, earned both the Jury and Cinematography prizes in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The film, about about two at-odds brothers who uncover their family history over spring break, was produced by BOB Film Sweden, has been a boxoffice sleeper in its native country and screened at Sundance as an International Premiere.

MAN ON WIRE, by British director James Marsh, won CAPTAIN ABU RAEDthe World Cinema Jury and Audience Awards in the documentary category. The film is an entertaining look at the French aerial artist Phillipe Petit's daring (and illegal) 1974 wire-walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center. His prosecution in the US court reflected the absurdities and blindness of the US judicial system, while also prophetically anticipating the iconic status of the Twin Towers as a symbol of US power and vulnerability. The film was produced by the UK Film Council and had its world premiere at the Festival.

CAPTAIN ABU RAED, the first feature film produced in over 50 years in Jordan, won the World Cinema Audience Award. In this heartbreaking story, an old airport janitor who has always yearned of seeing the world but has never been able to afford to travel. One day a group of children in his poor neighborhood assume he is a pilot and beg him to share stories of the world outside of Amman, Jordan. Through imaginary tales a friendship forms and he finds the grim realities of the children's home life. He takes it upon himself to make a difference.

FIELDS OF FUEL, a cautionary wake-up call from activist -filmmaker Josh Tickell about the repercussions of America's dependence on foreign oil, earned the US Audience Award for Documentaries. The film, which has taken over 10 years to produce, tells the story of biodiesel, an alternative fuel for diesel engines. Made from vegetable oil, it is non-toxic, has low carbon dioxide emissions and can ultimately replace all liquid fuels used in the United States, thus freeing America's dependence on oil needed for gasoline. With oil selling for over $100 a barrel on world markets, this film is both timely and necessary.

William H. Macy hosted the awards ceremony Saturday night, opening with an off-color monologue that incorporated the titles of many films at the fest, from DOWNLOADING NANCY to FLOW: FOR LOVE OF WATER. This year, Sundance hosted a diverse group of professionals for the various juries. The U.S. dramatic jury, which included Marcia Gay Harden, Diego Luna and Sandra Oh, presented a Special Jury Prize for work by an ensemble cast to CHOKE, an adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk's novel, which featured award-worthy performances by Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. Other jury members included: Documentary Competition: Michelle Byrd, Heidi Ewing, Eugene Jarecki, Steven Okazaki and Annie Sundberg; World Dramatic Competition: Shunji Iwai (Japan), Lucrecia Martel (Argentina) and Jan Schütte (Germany); World Documentary Competition: Amir Bar-Lev (US), Leena Pasanen (Finland/Denmark) and Ilda Santiago (Brazil); American and International Shorts: Jon Bloom, Melonie Diaz and Jason Reitman; and The Alfred P. Sloan Prize: Alan Alda, Michael Polish, Evan Schwartz, Benedict Schwegler and John Underkoffler.

Other 2008 Sundance Film Festival Awards incuded:
Directing, U.S. drama: Lance Hammer, BALLAST
Directing, U.S. documentary: Nanette Burstein, AMERICAN TEEN
Cinematography, U.S. drama: Lol Crawley, BALLAST'
Editing, U.S. documentary: Joe Bini, `ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED
Special jury prize for singularity of vision, U.S. drama: Chusy Haney-Jardine, ANYWHERE, USA
Special jury prize, world cinema dramatic competition: BLUE EYELIDS (Ernesto Contreras)
Special jury prize, world cinema documentary competition: GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO (Lisa F. Jackson)
For a complete list of winners, film clips and footage from the Awards Ceremony, visit the Sundance Film Festival site: http://www.sundance.org
Sandy Mandelberger, North American Editor

BERLIN- NEWS

2008-01-29T14:53:00.000Z

Berlinale 2008: Seven young German and French film fans will award the independentprize “Dialogue en perspective”
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4251.html

Berlinale Camera for Karlheinz Böhm and Otto SanderSince 1986, the Berlin International Film Festival has presented the BerlinaleCamera to film personalities or institutions to which it feels particularly indebtedand wishes to express its thanks with this award.

http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4246.html

Special Berlinale Series to Mark the 40th Anniversary of Berlin’s Vietnam Congress: “War at Home” – The Vietnam War in U.S. Cinema
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4143.html

Film and video experiments, exhibitions and performances: Forum expanded continues to probe the boundaries of cinema

http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4133.html

Berlinale Co-Production Market: “Books at Berlinale” – Film Rights for Ten International Book Titles
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4187.html

The Special Screenings of the 38th Forum: extraordinary documents, cinematic excavations, and intoxicating film
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4177.html

Berlinale 2008: Prize for Best First Feature Award
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4209.html

Stories Written by Life & Success Stories from Former Campus Talents - Berlinale Talent Campus #6, February 9 – 14, 2008
http://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_4201.html

10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival

2008-01-24T22:29:00.000Z

Images of the 21st Century
March 7 – 16, 2008

The 10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival – Images of the 21st Century celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Organized by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, the 10th TDF will present roughly 200 documentaries in the event’s flagship OLYMPION and PAVLOS ZANNAS theatres at the festival headquarters in Aristotelous Square, as well as the JOHN CASSAVETES, STAVROS TORNES, FRIDA LIAPPA and TONIA MARKETAKI theatres located at the Thessaloniki harbour, within walking distance from the Festival headquarters and the International Doc Market.

The main sections of the event are:

• Views of the World: dealing with subjects of social interest.
• Portraits-Human Journeys: the human being as the focus of the narrative.
• Stories to Tell: brief stories of human interest that stand out both for the nature of their subject and the way it has been dealt with.
• Recordings of Memory: Events and people who played a significant role in shaping contemporary life; the testimonies of a living history.
• Habitat: environmental issues and their social context.
• Music: late night screenings of musical documentaries.
• Greek Panorama: a selection from the latest local documentary productions.
• Focus On Asia: the Asian documentaries section was added to the festival program last year as a way to introduce and promote documentaries from Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, China and other Asian countries to European audiences.
• Human Rights: films that shed light and raise questions on vital human rights issues such as freedom of speech and the right to different political and religious convictions.

10TH TDF PREMIERES

Among the approximately 200 films that constitute this year’s program, the 10th TDF is proud to present the following premieres:

Culture 68, directed by Simon Brook (USA/UK).
Renowned documentarian Simon Brooks is commemorating the incendiary May 1968 events, 30 years after their revolutionary role in history. The film recounts stories from people such as theatre director Peter Brooks (Simon’s father), Milos Forman, William Klein, Dennis Hopper, Vaclav Havel and many others (World premiere).

Love and Sex in China, directed by Annamaria Gallone (Italy).
Yang Li Na, a young Chinese woman going through a marital crisis, wanders through the streets of Beijing questioning not only the evolution and problems of her own relationship, but those of her rapidly-changing country (World premiere).

To Live - Save Ours Saemankum directed by Kang-gil Lee (Korea).
This is the story of the sea people of Gyehwa Island in Korea and the controversial Saemankum Reclamation Project, implemented for the purposes of augmentation of agricultural areas and extension of industrial estates. The documentary tracks the changes brought by the project, affecting the ones whose livelihood comes from working in the sea (International Premiere).

The Potter from Binis, directed by Cosmin Tiglar (Romania).
Ionica Stepan is 80 years old and part of the seventh generation of pottery craftsmen in Binis, a Romanian village from the Banat region. Stepan is the last craftsman of a tradition that is almost disappearing in the 21st century (International Premiere).

Citizen Nawai by Nissim Mossek (Israel).
Director Nissim Mossek dedicated five years to the story of Israeli political and social activist Ezra Nawi. The film tracks Nawi’s extraordinary efforts to protect Palestinian villagers and farmers from the armed forces and the three-year relationship between Ezra and his Palestinian partner, Fuad Mussa, who, because of his homosexuality, is caught in a never-ending cycle in and out of prison (International Premiere).

As Seen Through These Eyes by Hilary Helstein (USA).
Narrated by the poet Maya Angelou, this documentary tells the story of many-a “defiant witnesses", the people who had the courage to express themselves through art inside the Nazi concentration camps and during the WW II years (European Premiere).

10TH TDF ROUNDTABLES - DISCUSSIONS

Various discussions and roundtables will take place during the 10th TDF, with the participation of Greek and foreign panellists from the film industry, the press and various organizations. The discussions will focus on the documentary genre itself, but also on contemporary significant social and political issues. The following have been confirmed so far:

Faces of Fascism – A discussion will accompany this thematic Spotlight, showcasing films that deal with the various contemporary manifestations of fascism and taking Kristallnacht, the first pogrom against the Jews on November 9, 1938, as its departure point.

Approaching Nature – At an urgent time in the life of the planet Earth, the 10th TDF responds by organizing film screenings and a roundtable that contends with the current situation of our ecosystem, thus illustrating the problems and proposing solutions.

Among the numerous parallel events are:

THE INTERNATIONAL DOC MARKET
The International Doc Market, introduced in 1999, will be held this year from March 10-15 featuring over 450 titles. The market, organized in cooperation with the Greek National Television (ERT S.A.) and with the support of Media Program of the European Union, caters to the needs of Television networks from European countries while it has already proved to be a useful tool for a wide range of professionals from other parts of the world.

Approximately 50 buyers will be attending from Europe, the US and Canada, such as Jan Rofekamp (Films Transit - Canada), Nicolas Deschamps (Arte France), Treska Hilmi (03 Productions – Dubai) and Anne Grolleron (Histoire - France), to name a few.
There will be 30 fully equipped viewing booths available to prospective buyers for private viewing of the Market Videotheque films. For the first time the Doc Market will be housed in the 1st floor of the Electra Palace Hotel at Aristotelous Sq and next to the Festival headquarters, providing a much larger and better-equipped space to all its participants.

THE PITCHING FORUM
The Pitching Forum (March 12-16), running since 2001 in collaboration with the European Documentary Network (EDN), gives local and foreign audiovisual professionals the opportunity to have their projects pitched to commissioning editors and representatives of the international audiovisual media. 21 projects will be presented in Docs in Salonica – Pitching Forum 2008.

BERLIN- Generation Programme Complete

2008-01-21T20:14:00.000Z

The selection for Generation – the Berlinale section for children and youth- has been finalised. 24 feature and 31 short films from 20 countries will be screening this year. This includes eight world and seven international feature film premieres.

The competition Generation Kplus will open on February 8 at the Zoo Palast with theDutch film Waar is het Paard van Sinterklaas? Director Mischa Kamp already captivated audiences with her first film about the Chinese-Dutch girl Winky at the Berlinale 2006.

Compelling genre films will join the arthouse productions already selected for Generation Kplus. A French adaptation of the legendary comics series Lucky Luke will screen at the Zoo Palast to old and new fans of the timeless Western: TOUS AL’OUEST, Une aventure de Lucky Luke. Shochiku, a Japanese company with a long tradition, will be showing its adaptation of a comic with Kung Fu Kun which is about a Shaolin monk who, though only a small child, is already a powerful kicker.

Generation 14plus will open on February 8 with the Australian film The Black Balloon by Elissa Down. This world premiere starring Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield, Luke Ford and supermodel Gemma Ward will kick off a strong competition of 14 feature films.

For the first time two documentaries will also be competing in the Generation 14plus programme: love, peace & beatbox by Volker Meyer-Dabisch takes a rhythmic and atmospheric look at a form of Berlin subculture, human beatboxing. And in War Child, director Christian Karim Chrobog accompanies hip-hop star Emmanuel Jal on a journey into his past as a child soldier in Sudan. Jal himself will present the film in Berlin.

In the world premiere of the zany road movie Dunya & Desie, Eva van de Wijdeven and Maryam Hassouni (Netherlands’ Shooting Star 2008) set out on a trip through the chaos of a generation caught between cultures.

Somers Town, a new film by Shane Meadows (This is England), has also been selected. The director has again joined forces with actor Thomas Turgoose, who was in Meadows’ last film, to make this black-and-white study of a milieu in London.

The DVD edition Berlinale Generation is releasing two new titles for the Festival: Schickt mehr Süßes (Send More Candy) and Der Italiener (An Italian) were past audience favourites. They will go on sale in February.

BERLIN- World-spanning young cinema

2008-01-21T19:04:00.000Z

World-spanning young cinema: The programme of the 38th Forum comprises films from 33 countries, including 32 world and international premieres

The 38th Forum of the Berlinale is showing a truly world-spanning and diverse programme with films from 33 countries and all continents. One emphasis again this year is the experimental, unconventional, imaginative work of young filmmakers; the programme presents a total of 16 directorial debuts. A conspicuous number of films adopt the perspective of children and young people – in a world where often there is no more childhood.

The Mexican film La frontera infinita (The Infinite Border) by Juan Manuel Sepúlveda tells of the uninterrupted stream of migrants from Central America to the United States; in the Irish production Seaview by Paul Rowley and Nicky Gogan, migrants have reached their goal, Europe, but find themselves captured in a no-man’s land, the former vacation facility Mosney, north of Dublin, where they often wait years for their asylum hearings. But childhood cannot be postponed to a vague future, and so these films’ most poignant moments are images of children.

The Australian film Son of a Lion by Benjamin Gilmour is set in Pakistan and focuses on a boy who wants to escape a world characterized by armed violence and archaic traditions. An interesting companion piece to this film is the German directing debut of Brigitte Bertele, Nacht vor Augen (Night Before Eyes), in which a German soldier returning from Afghanistan takes out his combat trauma on his little brother.

The central characters of the programme’s three Philippine films are children and young people. The elegant parable of the metropolis, Tirador (Slingshot) by Brillante Ma. Mendoza, and the deceptive rural idyll of Mes De Guzman’s Balikbayan Box both focus on daily survival by one’s wits, in which the young often have the advantage over the old. By contrast, in Jim Libiran’s directing debut Tribu (Tribe) a gripping feature film about gangs in Tondo, a poor quarter in Manila, the gang culture is a self-organized substitute for family, far more authoritarian than the crumbling traditional family structures.

In the Ugandan hip-hop film Divizionz by the filmmaking collective Yes! That’s Us, the protagonists also play themselves. In the slums of Kampala, they live from deals and fortunate coincidences, favors and extortion. Even the seemingly innocent dream of success as a musician has long since been corrupted by the hard conditions of thestruggle for survival.

The French debut Regarde-moi (Ain’t Scared) of Audrey Estrougo shows how even the youth subculture in the suburbs of Paris is imprisoned in conventions. The film tells the same story of 24 hours in a city twice in succession, first from a male and then from a female perspective, thereby evoking an atmosphere of social constriction that leaves no room for the individual. In his 27th film, Le premier venu (Just Anybody), French film auteur Jacques Doillon follows his young protagonist in provincial northwestern France. In her love affair with the first man to come along, she seeks an intensity that her bourgeois home denies her.

Japan is also strongly represented in this year’s programme. Kumasaka Izuru’s directorial debut, Asyl – Park and Love Hotel, discovers a peculiar big city oasis on the roof of a by-the-hour hotel in Tokyo. The directors Hirosue Hiromasa and Takahashi Izumi have a close creative tie; their respective films Higurashi and Musunde-hiraite (What the Heart Craves) are sensitively and subtly devoted to dysfunctional love and family relationships.

On the occasion of the international premiere of his impressive three-hour feature film on the Japanese terrorist group United Red Army, a tribute is paid to maverick director Wakamatsu Koji by three “pinku eiga”. Along with Secrets Behind the Wall, with which the director caused quite a stir in the 1965 Berlinale Competition, the Forum is also showing the classics Go, Go Second Time Virgin (1969) and Ecstasy of the Angels (1972).

The 38th Forum of the Berlinale is showing 36 films in its main programme, joined by the three-film “Tribute to Wakamatsu Koji”. In addition, the section is showing several Special Screenings to be announced soon.

Films in the main programme of the Forum 2008

Asyl - Park and Love Hotel (Asyl) by Kumasaka Izuru, Japan
Balikbayan Box by Mes De Guzman, Philippines/Netherlands/Switzerland (IP)
Be Like Others by Tanaz Eshaghian, USA/Canada/Iran (IP)
El Camino (The Path) by Ishtar Yasin Gutiérrez, Costa Rica/France (WP)
Corridor #8 by Boris Despodov, Bulgaria (WP)
Corroboree by Ben Hackworth, Australia
Diorthosi (Correction) by Thanos Anastopoulos, Greece (IP)
Divizionz by Yes! That’s Us, Uganda/South Africa
Flipping out by Yoav Shamir, Israel/Canada (IP)
La frontera infinita (The Infinite Border) by Juan Manuel Sepúlveda, Mexico (IP)
God Man Dog by Singing Chen, Taiwan
Grandmother’s Flower by Mun Jeong-hyun, Republic of Korea (IP)
Green Porno by Isabella Rossellini, Jody Shapiro, USA (IP)
Higurashi by Hirosue Hiromasa, Japan
Invisible City by Tan Pin Pin, Singapore
Leo by Josef Fares, Sweden (IP)
Loos ornamental by Heinz Emigholz, Austria/Germany (WP)
Mafrouza/Coeur (Mafrouza/Heart) by Emmanuelle Demoris, France/Egypt (IP)
Musunde-hiraite (What the Heart Craves) by Takahashi Izumi, Japan (IP)
My Winnipeg by Guy Maddin, Canada (IP)
Nacht vor Augen (Night Before Eyes) by Brigitte Bertele, Germany (WP)
Nirvana by Igor Voloshin, Russian Federation (WP)
Paruthiveeran by Ameer Sulthan, India (IP)
Le premier venu (Just Anybody) by Jacques Doillon, France/Belgium (WP)
Regarde-moi (Ain’t Scared) by Audrey Estrougo, France (IP)
Seaview by Paul Rowley, Nicky Gogan, Ireland (IP)
Shahida – Brides of Allah (Brides of Allah) by Natalie Assouline, Israel (WP)
Son of a Lion by Benjamin Gilmour, Australia/Pakistan
South Main by Kelly Parker, USA (WP)
Sweet Food City by Gao Wendong, People’s Republic of China (WP)
Tatil Kitabi (Summer Book) by Seyfi Teoman, Turkey (WP)
La terramadre (Motherland) by Nello La Marca, Italy (WP)
Tirador (Slingshot) by Brillante Ma. Mendoza, Philippines
Tribu by Jim Libiran, PhilippinesUnited
Red Army by Wakamatsu Koji, Japan (IP)
Victoire Terminus, Kinshasa by Florent de la Tullaye, Renaud Barret, France/Democratic Republic of the Congo (WP)
Yasukuni by Li Ying, Japan/People’s Republic of China

Tribute to Wakamatsu Koji: Ecstasy of the Angels, Japan 1972; Go, Go Second Time Virgin, Japan 1969; Secrets Behind the Wall, Japan 1965

BERLIN- NEWS

2008-01-21T18:59:00.000Z

EFM Industry Debates 2008 – Drive Your Business Into The Future

The European Film Market (EFM) and its official main partner and sponsor ArtsAlliance Media (AAM), are presenting the EFM Industry Debates. Building on thesuccess of last year’s collaboration, this year’s debates will deal with theopportunities and challenges of digital film distribution and sales. Under theheading “Embrace Digital Distribution: Drive Your Business Into The Future”,advances in digital distribution possibilities, prospects of the cinema market andthe effects of growing digitalisation on home users will be discussed from February8 to 10, 2008.

On three afternoons the EFM Industry Debates will explore topics related to thefields of “Digital Cinema” and “Digital Home”. With this series, the EFM and AAM arestriving to stay abreast of the latest changes affecting film distribution as wellas investigate technical advances for their market compatibility. The first debatewill examine the perspectives opening up for European independent distributors inview of increasing digitalisation. On the second day, the key issue will bedevelopments in the home entertainment market: discussion will revolve around thechances emerging for filmmakers and distributors as a result of online distributionand legal downloading options. The series will close with a panel on the outlook oftechnical innovations and the development of digital standards for onlinedistribution.

The London-based company Arts Alliance Media is Europe’s leading provider for thedigital distribution of film and is currently working on establishing aEuropean-wide digital network that will make films available to cinemas and homeentertainment as well as enable exchange between partners in the industry.

Participating in the EFM Industry Debates 2008 are experts from different areas ofthe entertainment industry, leading market analysts and specialised journalists.This year they include: Arash Amel (Screen Digest), Robert Andrews (PaidContent:UK), Liesl Copland (Netflix), John Dick (MEDIA Programme), Anders Geersten (EuropeanDigital Cinema Forum), Michael Gubbins (Screen International), Simon Morris(Lovefilm.com), Jon Salmon (Tiscali), and Nick Varley (Park Circus).

The EFM Industry Debates 2008 will be held in the ballroom of the Marriott Hotelfrom 17:00 – 18:00 (5 - 6 pm). Debates will cover the following topics:

Friday, February 8:“Digital Cinema – The Independent Distributor’s Perspective”Saturday,

February 9:“Digital Home – Online Distribution/ Driving Business”Sunday,

February 10:“Digital Home – Online Distribution/ The Technology”

Admission to the EFM Industry Debates is free for accredited Festival visitors andEFM participants. Guests can register to attend at:
http://www.efm-industrydebates.com

Thessaloniki Day 5

2007-11-21T10:43:00.000Z

After my restaurant encounter last night I headed down to the Press Office early this morning to make sure I could get an interview with Sam Rockwell before I head home, and luck was on my side, as the lovely Lily gave me a slot in the afternoon. It did mean having to skip a screening but for a journalist, interviews are far more useful than reviews of films that won’t be seen outside of festivals or their home country. Lilly then offered me a slot with Mexican actor, and now director, Diego Luna, whose film on Mexican boxer JC Chavez is showing at the festival.

With some time to spare and the sun shining I headed off to explore the local market. Being a coastal town there was a huge abundance of fresh fish with its accompanying aroma that threw me back to my days of working as a sous chef. It was not only an olfactory overload but also an aural one as well with the stallholders trying to hawk their wares. In London we love Borough Market but this was the real deal filled with fresh fish, meats, cheeses, vegetables and masses of pastries and sweets that the Greeks love to eat.

Back to the Press Centre for the press conference with John Sayles, Chris Cooper and David Strathairn. Sayles was by far the most vocal and eloquent, giving sage and practical advice on independent filmmaking, such as adapt your script to your budget and what you have available in terms of actors and locations. He also said that budget has a big influence over the media you choose to shoot on. The bigger the budget the smaller the percentage of it film stock takes, but if the budget is really low then digital is a better solution but it is important to learn how to get the best out of the medium.

The interview with Diego Luna went well because he is a charming and enthusiastic young who is passionate about the subject of his movie. The video of the interview can be seen on the Film and Festivals website.

It’s funny how sometimes meeting people you admire can sometimes be a disappointment. As mentioned before, Sam Rockwell is one of my favourite actors who always gives great performances that always surprise in their diversity. He is not someone you would instantly recognise on the street as a movie star, he is very much the actor. Meeting him, he is a really affable guy, totally laid back with an almost stoner drawl to his voice, but he isn’t the most talkative of people which doesn’t make for a great interview – or maybe I just wasn’t asking the right questions. Or maybe he was just feeling a bit jet-lagged. It was definitely one of those interviews that will work better in print and will no doubt appear in a future issue of our esteemed publication.

The evening was a chance to catch a couple of movies I picked two English language ones as I wanted to watch them rather than read subtitles. The first one was a European co-production called Irina Palm, starring sixties icon Marianne Faithful, who must be in her sixties now. Set in a very conservative English village it is the story of how widow Maggie wants to get a large amount of money to send her grandson to Australia for a life-saving operation. Having already sold her house to pay for the treatments to date she goes to London to find a job but having been a housewife all her life she has no experience. When she sees an ad for a hostess in a Soho sex bar she naively applies, until she discovers what is involved. But club owner Mikky (Mikki Manojlovic) is impressed with the smoothness of her hands and offers her a job giving anonymous hand relief to customers of his bar, with the promise of £600 per week. She eventually accepts. The film has some wonderful comic moments and some equally touching ones (pun not intended). It is also a wonderful study of English morals and manners.

After the film I bumped into Alex Holdridge, director of In Search of a Midnight Kiss, who I met in Edinburgh. He had just arrived so I was able to show him around a bit with my four days’ knowledge of the festival. We then headed off to see an American indie film, Hannah Takes the Stairs by young director Joe Swanberg, who was also a friend of Alex’s.

Joe’s way of making films to get a bunch of his friends together, many of them also filmmakers with films showing at this festival, and devise and improvise the film as they shoot it. While this may sound a chaotic way of making a film it actually worked. The eventual story follows Hannah as she goes from one infatuation to another. She describes herself as chronically dissatisfied and this is at the core of her behaviour. It is not great acting in the usual sense, but it is very natural, closer to a documentary. It is all shot quickly on video and constructed in the editing. Some may find this type of filmmaking, with its quasi-Dogme ethic, a bit amateurish, but the director has done what a lot of wannabe filmmakers haven’t and that is make three features that have been shown at festivals around the world and now has a project lined up with some well-known Hollywood actors interested in working in. So a real lesson to all procrastinating directors.

After the film I had an invite to a party for the press, so took Alex and Joe with me for their first night of Greek hospitality. By three in the morning it was time for bed.

Thessaloniki Day 4

2007-11-20T08:03:00.000Z

Although the main reason for attending a film festival is to watch films there are usually lots of other film and industry related events happening and Thessaloniki is no exception. Edinburgh, for example, has about a dozen other events happening at the same time as its film festival, which can give an often welcome break from watching projected images. That will all change next year with the new calendar slot that will mean a greater focus on film, and reportedly even more on British independent film, which can’t be a bad thing. Thessaloniki’s events range from the Industry Centre (which includes the Agora film market, Crossroads co-production forum, the Balkan Fund script development and Salonica Studio student workshops) to art exhibitions. There are also masterclasses and forums with the visiting guests.

This morning I attended the masterclass with Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron who spoke at length about his career, his association with the other two big names in Mexican cinema, Guillermo Del Toro and Alejandro Iñárritu and his views on the new generation of filmmakers, made all the more poignant as his son’s first feature was showing at this festival. It was a lively and entertaining talk that we will show excerpts from on Film & Festival website soon.

As there was nothing on the days film schedule that really grabbed my attention I decided to take a stroll around the city, visit the markets and look at some of the exhibitions. Between the rain, checking e-mail and doing the blog report I didn’t make to the market. But I did catch the end of the William Klein press conference, which showed him as quite an outspoken man (as artists should be), especially with regards to politics and the state of the world, so I decided to brave the weather and take a long, brisk walk to the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art to have a look at the exhibition of his work. Klein has worked in many visual media including photography (for which he is best known), filmmaking, graphic design and painting. Although his name was familiar it wasn’t until I was walking around the exhibition that I recognised so many of his images from my days as a photography student, many of which are classics of art form – if you care to call reportage and fashion photography art.

After hearing Cuaron’s talk in the morning I decided I would have a look at his son’s film, unfortunately it was sold out but I was advised to turn up at the cinema at screening time, flash my press pass for an unoccupied seat. With some time to spare and darkness already descending I headed back to The Pier to look at another photographic exhibition, which was being held at the Thesssaloniki Museum of Photography. This was a retrospective of French photographer Bernard Plossu. Like Klein’s, it featured mostly black and white images of what could be described as travel photographs because the were images from his travels that somehow defy what might be considered interesting shots. As also with the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson (a personal favourite) these images seemed to have captured the elusive “decisive moment” combined with the monochrome film to create intriguing pictures. I found myself wondering if the fact that they were shot on film had some bearing on the overall feeling of the pictures offering something far more organic than what is achieved with digital cameras.

After heading back to the press office for a final e-mail check for the day and to post the latest blog, I decided to skip the movie, have something quick to eat and get an early night for a change. The city guide we were given in our festival bag recommended a restaurant called Meat Me. I had actually tried to find it the previous night but took the wrong street. This time, armed with a map, I found it, overlooking the now closed market. It was eight o’clock and the restaurant was almost empty, I didn’t know if that meant people eat out early or later but I settled in for some simple, tasty Greek food. Then in walked John Malkovich, then five minutes later in came one of my favourite actors, the very underrated Sam Rockwell, then Alfonso Cuaron with his son. It seemed as if all the VIP guests were getting together for a dinner. Unfortunately it was the one time I went out without my camera and a big stack of magazines, but not to miss an opportunity I did give one to Sam and one to Alfonso. Then Georges Corraface came in, recognising me from our lock-in the previous evening and he stopped to say hello before joining the party. Although journalist part of me was slightly disappointed that I missed a photo op, the better part of me felt relieved that I didn’t have to stoop to behaving like a pap. After all, even if they are great actors and directors they are still just people who want to have a quiet meal with friends without being disturbed,

Thessaloniki Day 3

2007-11-19T17:19:00.000Z

After the activity of the night before it is hardly surprising that the streets are almost empty as I head off for a couple of early-ish press screenings. It seems that only a small selection of films are being given press showings, but it does give more opportunity to see other films in the evenings. This morning I caught a Greek film (after all this is a Greek festival) and an Argentinean film. The festival is running a Spanish cinema thread so I guess Mexico and Latin America are part of that, in terms of language and culture.

Alter Ego is a very glossy film with Hollywood pretensions, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your point of view. From its opening shots it is obvious this is not going to be an art house film. It is the story of a hugely popular Greek rock group of the film’s title and their life of sex and drugs, at least initially. It could be seen as a Hellenic Almost Famous rather than Spinal Tap. Of course being a Greek film it is all about emotions, as the long time friends start to tire of the dream they have been living. When a strike stops the group from flying to the opening concert of their European tour (coincidentally in Thessaloniki) they have to take a bus, forcing the band members to face certain realities they had been avoiding, especially Stefano the group’s frontman. This is further compounded by a dramatic turn of events after the concert that splits the band and sends Stefano into a spiral of depression that only the bus driver can save him. The three acts almost play out like three separate films, from pop video to road movie to romance with Stefano at the core of the story. Beautifully shot and well-acted it is difficult to say how much appeal it will have outside Greece. It is unashamedly commercial in its approach and the music is very much Euro-rock/pop which may put off the foreign language art house snobs which is a shame because it is an engaging film. It was produced by Village Roadshow (who were involved with The Matrix amongst many other films) and written and directed by Greek-born Nikolas Dimitropoulos, who studied filmmaking in London, where he was bought up. So who knows? I’m sure all parties would like to see it get wider distribution.

The second film was called Encarnation and is about an actress in her fifties who realises her days as a glamorous star are over and even the cosmetic enhancements aren’t helping. It is a bit sad when such people won’t age with grace and she faces this attitude when she returns to her home in the country for her niece’s fifteenth birthday. While one feels a certain amount of empathy for the character there is no real drama in the film to maintain the interest.

After these two films I succumbed to the Mediterranean tradition of a siesta, just to keep my energy up for another late night of film.

The evening started with the Golden Alexander Award being presented to John Malkovich. Festival director Despina Mouzaki started the evening by complimenting the actor-director, describing him as a mythical figure who is as simple as he is mysterious and added that the award was for all the enjoyment he has given in the roles he has played over the years. George Corraface then ‘awarded’ Malkovich with the Greek word for actor, explaining that it is made of two parts. The second part of the word means poet and creator and the first part refers to morality and attitude, finishing by saying, “I believe that the artist we are honouring tonight expresses these two notions in the best of ways”.

As soon as the award was over I slipped out of a side door so as to not see Being John Malkovich again (not that there is anything wrong with the film). Mouzaki and Corraface did the same thing and we found ourselves temporarily locked in a vestibule together, so I tool the opportunity to give them copies of the magazine, which they were immediately impressed with.

With a bit of time to pass until my next screening grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the cinema for a midnight screening of a Greek fantasy film, Giagonan, showing as part of the DigitalWave programme. I was amazed to see so many people waiting to get in for what looked like a low budget version of Conan the Barbarian. Admittedly there was a lot of long hair, beards and piercings so assume they were mostly students (Thessaloniki is a student city).

After a spirited introduction from the filmmaker which had the audience laughing and shouting (although I don’t have a clue what was being said) the movie got underway, and yes, it was a low budget Conan meets Xena. I’m not even going to try and explain the story, sufficient to say there were big swords, scantily clad women, magic, evil rulers, pirates (including one called Jack Psarrow) and a quest to save the world. It was badly acted with cheap special effects and costumes, shot on grainy DV with some dreadful lines of dialogue (at least in the subtitles, which were obviously written by someone not fluent in English) – and the audience loved it. They laughed and cajoled the whole way through it, which is just the spirit in which the director expected to be received. To be fair it was no worse than Monkey, apart from the quality of the video, and given that the director did just about everything on the film, including playing the lead role, it was truly in the spirit of indie digital filmmaking. He even shot scenes, guerrilla style, on the Great Wall of China, which is pretty heroic in itself. It may not win any awards (except possibly an audience one) but who cares when it was that much fun.

Thessaloniki Day 2

2007-11-18T15:12:00.000Z

As a member of the press attending a film festival there are certain obligations. It’s not all parties and schmoozing. There are films to watch, interviews to do and, of course, reports to write. For the print version of the magazine this is something that usually happens a long time after the event has finished. Thanks to the marvels of modern communication up-to-date reports can be posted online almost immediately, depending upon the inclination of the correspondent. The problem is the more films and events I attend the more I have to write, which then means not being able to attend other events. It’s the old razor’s edge that requires very careful balance.

Most of the morning was spent writing up the first day’s report while waiting for a DVD screener of a film I had to watch before interviewing the director. When the disc arrived, later than anticipated, it was plagued with technical problems. As we all know, the much-hyped infallibility of CDs and DVDs was just that – hype – and the writable versions are even more unstable. How anyone can trust their archives to this medium is beyond me, and the initial promises of 100 years are definitely unproven. But that is a whole other discussion. I got about half way through the film, a Spanish film called El Orfanato (The Orphanage) by Juan Antonio Bayona, when it stopped playing and, unfortunately it had no chapters to skip forward with and normal fast forwarding was not working well either. But I saw enough of it to get a feeling of the director’s work.

The film is a psychological thriller/ghost story, along similar lines to Alejandro Amenabar’s The Others. The film centres around Laura, who spent the happiest years of her childhood growing up in an orphanage. Thirty years later, she returns with her husband and Simon, their son, with a dream of restoring and reopening the long abandoned orphanage as a home for disabled children. As the opening day draws near, tension builds within the family. Laura slowly becomes convinced that something long-hidden and terrible is lurking in the old house, something waiting to emerge and inflict appalling damage on her family. The film manages to maintain an air of both mystery and suspense throughout, with the director citing Hitchcock as one of his major influences. It is shot in the dark, muted palette that are common in Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo Del Toro’s films (in fact Del Toro is one of the film’s producers). The film showed at this year’s FrightFest in London and should be getting a UK release in the new year.

During the half hour interview with the director Bayona we discussed the film’s themes, its production and the state of Spanish cinema. A transcript of the interview will appear in a future edition of the magazine.

Although there are films showing from 10 in the morning at any of the seven cinemas the Festival is using, it wasn’t until 7 in the evening that I caught my first screening. Small Gods is a Belgian film written and directed by Dimitri Karakatsanis, a Belgian filmmaker of Greek extraction. It was an unusual film, with minimal dialogue for a complex story that was part mystery and part road movie (made all the more unusual given the small size of Belgium). The story jumped backwards and forwards through timelines, revealing more about the characters and their story but never fully revealing what had happened to them and how the three protagonists came together and whether what we saw was even a true account of events. Despite the fractured story and some unusual cinematography that utilised various focal planes and the flat colours of the Belgian winter, the movie does keep the viewer engrossed.

The opening of Digital Wave programme was with a 1989 Greek digital film called the Dream Factory. I wish I had paid more attention to the date before going to see it as it was very dated and although the story idea was interesting there was far too much talking (and therefore subtitles to read), combined with the pixelated images I found myself entering my own dream factory.

Feeling a bit bleary eyed after that experience I went back to my hotel for a supine snooze before my next film at 1 o’clock. I dragged myself from my slumber just in time for start of the movie, and was glad I made the effort.

Dainipponjin, as the title gives away, is a Japanese film, which can be a real gamble. Having seen more than my fair share of dodgy anime I always approach these films with trepidation. To be fair I have also seen some outstanding Japanese films and I will happily add this one to the list, not because of its artistic merits but simply because it is great fun. It is mockumentary, written, directed and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto. He plays Dai Sato aka Dai Nipponjin (Dai the Great Japanese), a sixth generation superhero who grows to enormous size when exposed to electricity and battles the monsters rampaging across Japan. He is also a typical working class schlub. There’s never quite enough money, there are few prospects for the future, his wife has left him and he hardly ever sees his daughter, and his grandfather suffers from dementia. And to top it off nobody cares about his superhero antics, despite the best efforts of his agent. It is a wonderful parody of modern Japanese culture, and although possibly not to everyone’s taste it is good entertainment.

I left the theatre at 3 in the morning to a torrential thunder storm, which luckily soon passed, but it didn’t seem to have dampened the enthusiasm of the locals to be out partying and generally moving about in the weather that was a lot better than that of Edinburgh in August.

Thessaloniki Day 1

2007-11-17T15:51:00.000Z

I’m useless at mornings, but sometimes you have to make the effort as I trundled off to Gatwick on a cold and frosty morning to get my flight to Thessaloniki in north Greece/Macedonia for the 48th Thessaloniki International Film Festival. It’s programme is huge and covers everything you would expect from a long-running international festival. Big studio releases, retrospectives (William Klein and John Sayles this year), lots of indie films and, of course, a focus on local productions, which this year encompasses not only Greek films but productions from the whole of the Balkans region. Included in this is a new initiative called the Balkan Film Fund, which will help foster new talent in the region.

This is my first time as a guest at a foreign film festival, which means my flights and accommodation were paid by the festival This is also my first visit to Greece, which, given how extensively I have travelled throughout Europe, I found quite amazing. Being picked up from the airport in a top of the range Mercedes and driven to a hotel makes a nice change from public transport and sleeping on floors with friends. The first thing that struck me was how similar it is to Italy, except with a different language and alphabet. Driving while talking on the phone, café society, smoking everywhere (although even Italians aren’t allowed to do that now), newsstands on the streets and beautiful window displays in the shops. And of course the Mediterranean attitude that can appear as chaotic to the more ordered mind.

The festival itself is held, literally, on the shores of the Aegean, at a venue known as The Pier, which is old warehouses that have been converted into cinemas and galleries. Once registered and settled in I went through the bag with the programmes to start planning my week, looking for films that will appeal to me. Film festivals are always a lottery, and the programmes are written to make all the films sound interesting, and I’m sure they are to someone.

From my experiences of film festivals in the UK the opening night has just one film and is a gala event and the rest of the films kick off the following day, (apart from press screenings of course), but here there had already been a full programme of films before the official launch. Being a guest of the festival I got an invite to the opening night gala and it was an interesting affair.

Photocalls and press pens didn’t seem to exist as the photographers swarmed around the front of the stage while the guests and local dignitaries arrived and exchanged niceties, to a barrage of strobe lighting. Once everyone was seated and the lights dimmed for the 9.30 start, there came the sound of drumming from the back of the Olympion’s auditorium, and a troupe of drummers marched down the centre aisle. Then the speeches began, from the festival director followed a variety of local politicians. Introductions are all part of festival life and thankfully they didn’t go on for too long (well half an hour isn’t that bad) and the film finally got under way.

Despina Mouzaki, TIFF Director

Popular Greek actor and Festival President, Georges Corraface

My Blueberry Nights (which for some reason I got in my head was going to be about portable e-mail devices – wrong berry!) is Kai War Wong’s latest film and his first in English. Kai is best known for In the Mood for Love and 2046, both stunningly beautiful films. This one quite match the imagery of those two films but it is still beautifully shot. As with his previous films this is a slowly paced love story of failed relationships and chance meetings. In an interesting piece of casting the lead role is given to singer Norah Jones, who having just finished a relationship makes friends with café owner, played by Jude Law with a Mancunian accent. Not wanting to fall in love, she takes off across America working in bars and diners. Here she meets characters with their own relationship problems: the always excellent David Strathairn plays a drunk cop who can’t face the fact that his wife (Rachel Weisz); Natalie Portman as a hustling gambler who can’t talk to her father and, her own denial of her affections for the pieman.

Jones does a commendable job in her first acting role, Law is Law, Portman and Weisz do their best with the characters, but the main problem is you don’t really care about any of them, with maybe the exception of Strathairn’s, which is a shame for such a nice looking film.

But after the film it was party time. I left at 1.30 (the smoking was getting too much for me. After just a few months of the UK smoking ban it was really strange to see people smoking in public places) and it was just starting to warm up. On the short walk back to the hotel it was clear that Thessaloniki is a nocturnal city.

EIFF Day 12

2007-08-29T16:34:00.000+01:00

This is officially the final day of the Film Festival as far as delegates and the press are concerned, with Sunday being dedicated to the public and their chance to catch The Best of the Fest – the films that created the most buzz amongst the attending professionals and the public.

For those who submitted films, or were invited, the Awards are a vital part of the Festival not only for the accolades and prestige, but also for the cash prizes that are always welcomed, especially by the independent filmmakers. With the Festival shifting its focus more towards independent film from next year, with its new date, it was encouraging to see that the indies won, even in the Audience Award, especially as there were some big studio pictures like Ratatouille to compete with. What is even more impressive is the Audience Award was won by a documentary. It was no surprise that Control won two prizes, but the rest were anyone’s guess. Here are the winners:

Michael Powell Award for Best New British Feature Film, sponsored by the UK Film Council
Control – directed by Anton Corbijn

PPG Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film
Sam Riley – Control

Standard Life Audience Award
We Are Together directed by Paul Taylor

Sky Movies Best Documentary Award
Billy the Kid directed by Jennifer Venditti
Special Jury Commendation to The Monastery: Mr Vig and the Nun directed by Pernille Rose Gronkjaer

Skillset New Directors Award
Lucia Puenzo - XXY

European Film Academy Short Film 2007 - Prix UIP
Soft by Simon Ellis
Special mention to Final Journey by Lars Zimmermann and Ottica Zero by Maja Borg

UK Film Council Kodak Award for Best British Short Film
The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island by James Griffiths
Special mention to – Dog Altogether by Paddy Considine

Short Scottish Documentary Award Supported by Baillie Gifford
Breadmakers by Yasmin Fedda
Special mention to How to Save a Fish From Drowning by Kelly Neal

McLaren Award for New British Animation in Partnership with BBC Film Network
Over the Hill by Peter Baynton

The closing night film was Julie Delpy’s Two Days in Paris, which she wrote, directed, starred in (along with her parents), edited and even did some of the music. It is a film along the same lines as Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, in that it is a walkie-talkie movie, except this has less romance and more angst and humour. It is on general release from August 31.

So that’s it for another year and with next year’s Festival moving to June (one of the hottest topics of the Festival) Hannah and her team certainly have their work cut out. And my opinion of the change? I think they are going to lose a huge amount of audience, especially from those attending the other festivals in Edinburgh who want to catch a non-commercial film as a break from all the live shows on offer. I will miss having the chance to do the opposite and catch some comedy as a break from watching films all day, although it will mean I might actually get some sleep.

Coming next: Raindance and London.

Day 11

2007-08-25T11:24:00.003+01:00

Today was spent doing interviews with Billy Ray, co-writer and director of Breach and actor Chris Cooper, who appeared in two of this year’s big studio movies, Breach and surprise movie, The Kingdom. Billy Ray was eloquent and modest with a lot to say about filmmaking and the state of US politics. Chris Cooper was a laconic as many of the characters he plays, and spoke a lot about the craft of acting as well as politics, as well films have strong political content.

In the afternoon was Chris Cooper: In Person, which traced his career, accompanied by clips of some of his more memorable roles.

Straight from this I had to rush down to do another interview with Alan Moyle, director of one of my favourite movies of the festival – Weirdsville. Alan is a fascinating character in the vein of the maverick indie directors of the seventies and eighties, such as John Landis and Lloyd Kaufman.

These interviews still need to be transcribed and edited and will appear in future editions of Film and Festivals Magazine or on their website.

Day 10

2007-08-24T14:58:00.001+01:00

Festival fatigue is starting to settle in. Press screenings have pretty much come to an end and apart from a couple of films I want to catch in the videotheque that's about it for this year, apart from the Awards.

Breach red carpet at Cineworld with Director Billy Ray and actors Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe.

Day 9

2007-08-23T14:20:00.001+01:00

It still seems a bit strange going to watch movies at nine in the morning, although with festival fatigue now starting to settle in I don’t know what day it is half the time never mind the time. What is even stranger is watching a horror movie early in the morning, however Shrooms is only just a horror movie.

This is an Irish American co-production about a group of American teens going to Ireland to partake in some of the local shrooms or mushies (magic mushrooms). Local head Jake (Jack Huston – of that Huston family) takes the five American teens for a camping trip in a forest so they can better experience the effects of the drugs. Tara (Lindsey Haun) has a crush on Jake whom she’d met previously. The other four members of the party are in relationships. After gathering the shrooms, and being warned by Jake not to pick a particularly toxic variety, Tara eats one, causing her to have premonitions. That evening they sit around the fire as Jake recounts a local legend of evil forces, by morning the legend has become a reality and the body count starts.

There is lots of screaming and running through the forest pursued by shadowy entities, all accompanied by shakey camerawork and appropriate mood music. The only real deviation from formulaic teen slasher movies is it is set during the day. Although it is competently acted, shot and directed there are no real scares or moments of terror. Most of the time you don’t even care if the characters survive or not. Although there is a surprise twist at the end it was one where you just go, “OK”. Interestingly, it is about third or fourth film I’ve seen with emasculation. There seems to be a pattern emerging…

Shrooms is showing at Cameo 1 on Thursday 23 at midnight and Saturday 25 at 22:15

From horror, straight into anime with Tekkonkinkreet. I’m really fussy about the anime I watch mostly because I get sent a lot of it to review and in general it is either puerile or self-indulgent. What I do like about them is they are one of the last bastions of 2D line animation filled with artistic vision and Tekkonkinkreet is certainly a prime example of this. The story, based on a manga by Taiyo Matsumoto, is of two orphaned brothers trying to defend their city from developers and gangsters, who want to turn into a giant theme park. Being an anime it is full of extreme emotions and exaggerated action but the story is absorbing but it does become secondary to the visuals, which are some of the most stunning of any in recent years. Eschewing the traditional look of the genre everything, particularly the characters, are highly stylised. Every shot is filled with incredible detail and colour. It is a pity this is a subtitled version because you spend too much time looking at the bottom of the screen rather than stunning artwork. If I wanted to read I would buy the manga.

Even if you aren’t a fan of anime go and see this film for its sheer artistry.

Tekkonkinkreet is showing at Cameo 1 on Friday 24 at 21:30 and Saturday 25 at 15:30.

Make Your Mark In Film is part of the Mark Your Mark initiative to encourage entrepreneurship amongst the young and supported by various government and private industry organisations. The Make Your Mark in Film campaign was launched at last year’s EIFF. In the ensuing year a competition for a script was run, won by Judy Upton’s My Imprisoned Heart. After that ten teams nationwide had to pitch their proposals for how they would produce one of the ten episodes of the screenplay. Each of the winning teams was given three days to shoot their episode in their own location for which they were supplied three lead actors and two props. Everything else was up to them.

The final movie had its first public screening today, giving the teams a chance to see on a big screen what the others had done and how the story played out. Remembering that these were nearly all first time filmmakers each episode looked surprisingly good, even when the DV footage was blown up on the big screen at the Cameo. After the screening it was time to party, thanks to the sponsors at Cobra Beer.

Find out more at www.makeyourmarkinfilm.org or visit www.lovefilm.com to see all the episodes.

Apart from emasculation there are two other recurring themes I’ve noticed in the films I’ve seen so far, romance and stoners, which in the case of Knocked Up featured all three, even if the emasculation was only metaphorical.

Weirdsville falls well and truly into the stoner group as two hopeless junkies (are there any other kind?) get themselves involved in a hilarious and highly improbable comedy of errors, involving drug dealers, wannabe Satanists, dwarf mediaeval role players and millionaire hippies. To explain it anymore than that would spoil the surprises. This is probably one of the funniest films at the festival, apart from Knocked Up, which is more mainstream. Weirdsville has the look and feel of a cult film and will no doubt garner that status. Reminiscent of 80s films such as those of John Hughes or John Landis’s Into the Night. In fact, director Alan Moyle already has cult films Pump up the Volume and Empire Records to his credit.

With only a few days to go I would highly recommend seeing this is you want a good (if slightly bizarre) laugh.

Weirdsville is showing at Cameo 1 on Friday 24 at 23:50, Saturday 25 at 18:00 and Sunday 26 at 12:30 as part of Best of the Fest.

One of the highly anticipated events of the Festival is the surprise movie. This is an unannounced film known only to a small handful of the Festival elite. It is a film that won’t always appeal to every taste and has to have a rating of below 18; last half the audience walked out within the first ten minutes. Trying to guess what it is is a popular point of discussion, and knowing the age restriction discounted any possibility of it being Planet Terror, to complement Death Proof. This year’s film, The Kingdom, didn’t get the same reaction as last year’s Keane, although some people did leave, but it was a gripping action thriller and the first public screening in the world.

When the compound of US oil workers in Saudi is attacked by terrorists, four FBI agents (Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) and talk their way into going to help with the investigations despite diplomatic pressure for them not to do so. Although the film doesn’t delve very deeply into the politics of the area in the way Syriana, The Seige or The Three Kings did, in certainly turns on the bloody action in the final act, which always makes for good entertainment.

The Kingdom will be on general release in October.

Day 8

2007-08-22T17:43:00.000+01:00

This morning was one of those inevitable screening clashes, two films I wanted to see showing at the same time. Shrooms, the Irish horror film, and Gus van Sant’s highly regarded Paranoid Park, which had been rescheduled from Sunday. I opted for Shrooms, hoping to catch the other film in the evening. When I arrived at the Cameo I was told the screening had been postponed until the next day, clashing with another film I wanted to see. So with ten minutes to spare I legged it down to Cineworld, arriving just in time for the start. By the end of the film I was wondering if it was really worth the effort.

I’m not sure what the movie is supposed to be about. There is a death and there are lots of teen skater boys and girls getting angsty. It uses the fragmented timeline, like Memento, jumping backwards and forwards as it follows Alex (Gabe Nevins) as he writes a self-confession of his involvement in the death of a security guard. The use of non-professional actors didn’t always work, although Nevins did do a great job of internalising his emotions and conflict. Although the film won the 60th Anniversary Prize at Cannes I personally can’t see what the fuss was all about. All the elements I found annoying others found boldly original. Each to their own.

Paranoid Park is showing at Cineworld on Thursday 23 at 22:30

Just one other film today, Breach. This is a slow-paced spy thriller, the complete antithesis of Bourne Ultimatum. Based on a true story of an FBI agent who sold secrets to the Russians, the ending is revealed in the opening shot. This is more of a character study than your stock-standard thriller. Chris Cooper is excellent as Robert Hanssen, the disgruntled agent nearing the end of his career, seemingly ignored by his superiors and colleagues in spite of his experience and knowledge in matters of security. Ambitious rookie Eric O’Neill, a surprisingly good Ryan Phillippe, is planted as Hanssen’s new assistant to report back to the lead investigator (Laura Linney). O’Neill soon starts developing a respect for Hanssen, which does divide his loyalties and cause a rift with his young wife.

The cast do an excellent job but the story is just too slow to fully engage and although you can develop sympathy for Cooper’s character, in the end you don’t really care what happens to any of them. I spent most of the movie thinking what a bunch of deluded hypocrites these government agencies are and the words “secrets and lies” kept springing to mind for what they do.

It is certainly an antidote for Bourne’s hyperactive antics but I’d still rather go with the action.

Breach is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 19:00 ahead of its general release.

Day 7

2007-08-21T17:42:00.000+01:00

Today was almost like having a day off. With no planned screenings I had a bit of a lie in, caught up on my various reviews and strolled down to the delegate centre to watch some films in the Videotheque.

What Would Jesus Buy? is a documentary produced by Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me fame, that addresses the US’s rampant consumerism at Christmas. The film follows Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir as they take their mission to prevent the Shopocalypse to the malls of America. At the outset it is not clear that Reverend Billy is a fictitious character, especially given all the strange tele-evangelists in the US. But once it is made clear the film becomes a lot more fun rather than slightly disturbing. This is not a religious campaign but rather a moral one. From a British viewpoint some of the scenes are absolutely mindboggling in the excesses of rampant materialism. There are messages about sweatshops and human rights although they could be explored further and possibly from both sides of the argument. What I found particularly disturbing, and which was not pursued is how the group were not allowed to protest. Whenever they turned up at shopping malls or stores they were quickly, and physically ejected. In the so-called land of the free it seems you have freedom of speech as long as it isn’t against consumerism and corporate greed.

Although the film took a lighthearted look at the subject it really needed to be more hard-hitting if the producer wants to make any serious impact on the masses. But it’s a start.

I tried to watch Lovely by Surprise but it was trying to be too clever for itself and I switched it off after 15 minutes, which meant I’d gone past the crucial first 10 minutes and was left unconvinced.

After that last failed attempt I decided to call it a day and went for a bit of light relief at the Fringe, taking in Patrick Monahan’s stand-up show, Feel the Love at the Underbelly. His performance is infectious and his interaction with the audience is superb, which he manages to integrate nicely with his material about being an Irish Iranian growing up on Teeside. He must be one of the few comedians on that can still get a laugh without having to swear or be rude.

Jury members for the Michael Powell Award gather at The Filmhouse. From left: Jonathan Coe (writer), Jan Weissberg (film critic), Natalie Priest (actress), Kate Dickie (actress) and Chair Geoff Gilmore (Director of Sundance Film Festival).

Jury members for Sky Movies Best Documentary from left: Penny Woolcock (Director), Chair Jeffrey Blitz (Director), Pawel Pawel Pawlikowski (Director)

Day 6

2007-08-20T13:47:00.000+01:00

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but not for the film industry here. Nine o’clock screenings were going ahead as usual and it had to be one of the films I wanted to see – Stardust.

Based on a Neil Gaiman story it is a classic fantasy tale in the vein of Princess Bride. I did go into this screening with a slight prejudice because I find Gaiman’s reputation is a bit overrated. His stories are imaginative but lack any real punch. Mirrormask worked more because of Dave McKean’s imagery and direction and the performances than the story itself, and this seems to be the case again with this new film.

The story involves a hapless youth who happens to be the prince of a magical kingdom, although he doesn’t know it and works in a shop in a small English village, where he has fallen in love with the most beautiful girl in the village. In order to win her hand he promises to retrieve a fallen star, which turns out to be yet another beautiful girl. But there are also a trio of witches who want to capture the girl because eating her heart will give them eternal life. As the youth enters on his quest he also has to combat against the sons of the dead king who want to retrieve a necklace that hangs around the neck of the fallen star so they can claim their right to the vacant throne.

The screenplay is co-written by Jane Goldman (Mrs Jonathan Ross) and director Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake), which is certainly a departure from his previous London gangster films. It really does look lavish and the production details make it all quite believable. The CGI, in particular, is seamless most of the way through. Vaughn has gathered a suitably star-studded cast with Clare Danes as the fallen star, Michelle Pfieffer as the wicked witch, Robert De Niro as a camp pirate with image issues, Ricky Gervais as a fence (not the wooden sort – but he is basically playing it as any of his other characters). Other cameos include Peter O’Toole, Rupert Everett and Sienna Miller.

As far as fantasy films go it is entertaining enough, especially for younger audiences, but it certainly doesn’t break new ground and is quite predictable, apart from a dragged-up De Niro.

Stardust is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Tuesday 21 and Thursday 23 ahead of a general release in October.

In the afternoon I went to the Samantha Morton talk. It was a bit of a strange affair. Apart from a problem with the mics reverbing so everything was being heard twice, it was a conversation between two rather reticent women. Hannah McGill certainly does not have the presence of her predecessor and Samantha isn’t always forthcoming with her answers, although once she does get talking she is both interesting and funny.

Tonight was also the UK premiere of Knocked Up with writer/director Judd Apatow and actors Seth Rogen and Leslie Mann in attendance.

In the evening I finally caught the movie everyone is raving about, Control. This is the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division. Shot in black and white by photographer Anton Corbijn, who shot many of the photos of Joy Division during their brief existence. When they say “it’s grim up north” this film certainly shows that Manchester in the seventies was not a happy place. The attention to detail in recreating the era is great and you can almost smell the damp flats filled the odours of fried food and stale cigarette smoke. The screenplay, based on Deborah Curtis’s book, really captures the forthright humour of the Mancunians, especially the band’s manager, Sam Riley is mesmerising as Curtis and certainly captures the empathy of the audience. Morton, as Debbie, his wife, is her usual intense self. Although it will be of more interest to fans of Joy Division it should be seen by anyone who grew up in that era and also for anyone interested in rock music of any era. The film’s impact on the audience was apparent as everyone sat quietly motionless as the credits rolled, instead of the usual scramble for the exit.

Day 5

2007-08-19T14:07:00.000+01:00

A nice slow start to the day, screening wise, although I was still up early trying to catch up on getting this blog up to date. Watching films all day is great, especially when the weather is lousy, but the more I see the more I have to wrote and the less time I have to write.

First film of the day was w∆z. This is essentially a British production, but made as an American film. It’s set in New York and all the actors speak in American accents. The producers are obviously aiming to try and capture a US audience, but it does seem a bit of a cop out. Or maybe they were thinking that a dark serial killer movie wouldn’t work in a UK setting. Whatever the reason, the international cast have created a fairly convincing if rather derivative thriller. In inevitably draws comparisons with Seven, for its dark, gritty setting, brutal killings and cryptic clues although the screenplay is no match for Seven’s. We find out quite early who the killer is and their motive, and although others threads and motivations are woven in, mostly they don’t really add to the suspense.

As a hard-boiled thriller it is satisfactory and the casting is good. Stellan Skarsgard as the typically cynical old cop with a secret is good and Melissa George as his young rookie partner supports him well, although she does seem too beautiful for the part. So Solid Crew’s Ashley Walters is surprisingly good even if slightly typecast and Paul Kaye definitely transcends his Dennis Pennis days. The best performance, though, comes from Selma Blair and is quite a break away form what she has done before.

Visually it uses all the standard tricks of low light, hand-held camera and fast cuts which don’t break new ground or improve on the old. Sometimes it would be nice to see a thriller that is not so frenetic. Where the director and his crew have put a lot of effort is in the make-up effects for the victims and some of the scenes are truly brutal, or at least give that impression because they never show anything actually happening and they should be complimented for that.

The writer has added some scientific motivations for the killings, to do with love and survival, which are being presented as the central theme of the film, Although this is an attempt to give it some originality, in the end it is just another cop thriller and if you like those types of films and want to see something with more graphic violence than you get on TV then it is worth catching, but there are plenty of better examples of the genre out there.

w∆z is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21.

After that it was out into the grey and wet of Edinburgh to get back to the delegate centre for the press conference for Control, Anton Corbijn’s film on Ian Curtis from Joy Division. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see the film beforehand so it did feel a bit strange not knowing exactly what they were talking about.

After the press conference it was another long walk in the rain to see Paranoid Park only to discover that the print hadn’t arrived. It was almost satisfying to know that even film festivals of this scale aren’t without their glitches.

This year there was a party just for the press. I don’t know if this has been a regular event but it was the first time I received an invitation. Held in the penthouse of the delegate centre with its views over Edinburgh and looking up at the mist-shrouded castle. It was not crowded and it was a chance to meet up and talk with other journalists and writers, or at least try as the DJ insisted on playing loud music when no one had any intention of dancing. After it was mostly old hacks up for the free booze. Unlike the opening night party this finished at 10 so it gave me the chance to dash out into the rain again and go to a comedy gig. It seems such a pity not to take advantage of what the Fringe has to offer while I’m here.

Day 4

2007-08-18T15:40:00.000+01:00

One of the great things about film festivals is getting to see films before they make the general rounds. For example, I had a moment of deja-vu when I saw a poster for Sherrybaby at the Cameo cinema the other day, when I saw it in the same cinema at last year’s festival. Being a film journalist also affords you the privilege of preview screenings, although it is for practical purposes it does sometimes feel a bit like one-upmanship. Seeing big studio pictures at festivals just ahead of their commercial release does seem like a bit of a cop out but it does give the general public a chance to taste the exclusivity of industry professionals – for what it’s worth.

This morning I watched Knocked Up, which is on general release at the end of the month. It is a film a probably wouldn’t normally go and see as I have almost got out of the habit of paying to go to the cinema, but I am glad I did see it.

Knocked Up is Judd Apatow’s follow-up to 40-Year-Old Virgin, and it is hilarious. The story is simple. stoner-slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) goes to a nightclub where he meets beautiful Alison (Katherine Heigl) out celebrating her promotion as a TV presenter. They get drunk, have sex and she gets pregnant. Then it is all about both of them coming to terms with the situation and their relationships with each other and the people they live with. The stoner humour is brilliant and will make you laugh as much as actually participating in one of their bong sessions. In contrast to this is the often poignant, bittersweet look at couples in long-term relationships in the form of Alison’s sister and her husband. It is presented in a way that I’m sure many married men could relate to, and probably married women too.

The film is also about growth as human beings, not only just inside the womb but also with the main characters. Yes it does have the safe, happy Hollywood ending, but it is supposed to be entertainment and it would be pointless putting any other sort of finish to it after so much fun. Although there is plenty of live comedy from the country’s best performers happening on the Fringe this film will give you just as many laughs.

Knocked Up is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Sunday 19 at 18:30 and Monday 20 at 21:40.

Between films I managed to grab an interview with Alex Holdridge director of low budget feature In Search of a Midnight Kiss. We chatted for almost an hour and I’ll try and get it transcribed for this blog, time permitting. Although the screenings have finished here it will be showing at this year’s Raindance Festival.

After the funny ho ho of Knocked Up I went to the funny peculiar of I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK from respected Korean director Park Chan-wook. This is quite a departure from his previous films like Old Boy and Lady Vengeance.

Young-goon thinks she is a cyborg, although her family is not as convinced and has her committed to an institution. As a cyborg she cannot eat normal food and tries to recharge herself from the batteries she carries with her. It is only the intervention of fellow inmate Il-sun that she is able to eat again. This is rather an oversimplification of the plot but it has so many things going on it is difficult really know what is happening.

Visually it is stunning and filled with ideas but it is not really gripping. I spent most of the time wondering what was going on and why. The final pay-off was quite sweet but it is a long wait. There are a lot of people that enjoy these quirky Asian films, but I’m not one of them.

I’m a Cyborg, but that’s OK is showing at the Cameo on Sunday 19 at 22:00 and Wednesday 22 at 17:30.

Day 3

2007-08-17T17:23:00.000+01:00

Today was the sort of 9 to 5 job people must dream about because I spent the whole day watching good films, only punctuated by brisk walks between the two different cinemas. The day was off to a bit of a harrowing start with A Mighty Heart. That is not to say the movie was bad, quite the contrary, it was a brilliantly acted film shot with graphic realism by Michael Winterbottom and it was that realism that was the hardest part to take. Even knowing the outcome of the story of Daniel Pearl’s kidnapping in Pakistan didn’t lessen the overall impact. Shot in a documentary/news style with lots of handheld camera suited the way the story unfolded. It also perfectly captured the atmosphere of Pakistan, even if most of it was shot in India. In this sixtieth year since the Partition it is a reminder that there is not really any difference between the two countries apart from their religious beliefs.

The film doesn’t really go into any of the fundamentals of fundamentalism that led to the kidnapping but instead works more as a standard police procedural of the investigation. In fact, it doesn’t seem to have any particular political bias in it at all. Where a Hollywood film could quite easily take an extreme anti-terrorist stance and pump it full of sentimentality, Winterbottom simply sticks with the facts, as presented in the source material. Where it does excel is in Angelina Jolie’s role as the wife. Although she already has a Supporting Actress Oscar, she could quite easily be a contender for Lead Actress with this role. With her high profile celebrity status, a rather public coupling with Brad Pitt, and not to mention Lara Croft, it is quite easy to forget she is a very good actress. She was able to play subdued where necessary and pour on the emotion when it was needed and all done with an incredibly convincing French accent. Irffan Khan (seen recently in The Namesake) as the police captain was also excellent.

This is definitely a film to see, just not early in the morning.

A Mighty Heart is showing on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 ahead of a general release on September 21

After that reality shock it was time to escape into a bit of fantasy in the form of Day Watch, the sequel to the hit Russian movie Night Watch. This film has been a long time coming to western screens, having been out in Russia for two years but fans of the first film won’t be disappointed. At the end of the first film Anton, a Light Other operative for the Day Watch (the good guys), loses his son to the Dark Others (the bad guys), and it looks like the fragile truce is set to fall apart and the apocalypse is on its way. It does help if you have seen the first film although it is briefly summarised at the beginning. I saw a dubbed version of the film earlier in the year and when the introduction started in English I was preparing to leave, but thankfully it went into subtitled Russian when the film proper started. I am happy to watch dubbed films on occasions, especially anime, but I was particularly interested to see if Fox had put the same effort in the subtitling as they did with Day Watch, unfortunately they haven’t. There are still some nice touches like those in the original film but they are fairly sparse. Luckily the film itself is as much of a visual treat and the story is equally as absorbing and although it seems to be resolved at the end of the film there is still a third episode to come.

Day Watch is showing at the Cameo on Saturday 18 at 23:45 and at the Filmhouse on Saturday 25 at 21:30 ahead of a general release.

As entertaining as it is Day Watch is still a rather dark and intense film so I opted for something much lighter for my next film: Ratatouille, the latest film from Pixar. I must say that I am a big fan of Pixar films although I do await each new release with some trepidation in case they finally lose their magic winning streak. When Cars came out I was dubious but was actually pleasantly surprised and although it was no match for The Incredibles is was still miles ahead of most of the other CG animation around. But a story about a French rat that wants to be a chef!! I was almost convinced this was going to be the one finally did it, even with Brad Bird directing, but my faith has remained intact. It is a charming and funny film that manages to maintain the stylised characterisation of 2D animation with the gloss of 3D that has become the studios trademark, particularly with the Parisian scenery. What is particularly impressive is they managed to capture the atmosphere of a restaurant kitchen and the passion for cooking, in a realistic way - and showing that rats aren’t just the dirty vermin they are usually perceived as (they really do make nice pets). This is definitely going to be a family crowd pleaser when its on general release in October but this is a great chance to catch it early. As with all previous Pixar features it is prefaced with a short, and this one about two aliens is hilarious and reminiscent of the classic Warner Brothers cartoons, and is almost worth the admission price in it self.

Ratatouille is showing at Cineworld Fountain Park on Saturday 18 and 25.

Final film for the day was Quentin Tarantino’s contribution to Grindhouse – Death Proof. For some reason, undoubtedly financial, the UK is not going to get the double bill that it was originally planned to show as. Tarantino’s film has received a lot of bad press, and word of mouth, which may be another reason why it is showing separately to Robert Rodriguez’s better-received Planet Terror. For me Death Proof was not a disappointment, possibly because I was expecting the worst, in fact I found it highly entertaining. OK it is a slightly self-indulgent homage to the grindhouse exploitation films of the seventies, but it does exactly what it says on the label and is not pretending to be anything else. Or maybe it’s because I’m old enough to remember many of the movies it references, such as Vanishing Point and Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry. For whatever reason the film was fun.

The film itself is almost two films. In the first half, three hot chicks are planning a weekend away in a lakeside cabin but stop at a bar, run by Mr Tarantino, where they meet Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell in Snake Pliskin mode). Mike drives a stunt car, which is where the film gets its title from, because it is made death proof. Let’s say that Mike’s intentions towards the girls is far from honourable.

The second half of the film is set over a year later in a different state, with four different girls who are working on a movie. One of the girls is a stuntperson (Zoe Bell, playing herself) who is really keen to drive a car the same as the one in Vanishing Point. When she finds one for sale near the movie set she decides to take it for a test drive and use it to perform a high-speed stunt, except Stuntman Mike is waiting for them with other plans. This leads to an adrenaline pumping car chase.

Tarantino obviously loves the genre and has recreated it in astonishing detail, complete with scratch faded film, jumps, colour shifts and everything you expect to see on a movie that has been abused by bad projectors. Tarantino has obviously put as much effort into making this film look genuinely bad as Soderburgh did in making The Good German look lush. But it goes beyond just the look. It has all the usual pop-culture referential dialogue that got him noticed in the first place and plenty of visual references that geeks will be able to talk about for hours.

It is very much a blokes film in the sense that it has lots of beautiful women and fast cars, but the women are strong and in the end are not exploited as they were in the original movies of the genre.

Death Proof is showing at Cineworld on Saturday 18 and Monday 20 at 21:30 ahead of general distribution.

Day 2

2007-08-17T15:12:00.000+01:00

Day one of the Festival proper and it’s dedicated to locally set film Hallam Foe. It’s the only film showing, apart from the rounds industry screenings. Due to a bit of bad planning and slight stupor from a lack of sleep I only managed to catch the day’s main film, and, thanks to the videotheque, a small screen version of one of the films I missed yesterday. But to the main event…

Hallam Foe, based on the novel by Peter Jinks and directed by David Mackenzie from his own screenplay, is the tale of the titular youth. Withdrawn after the death of his mother he has taken to being a voyeur, not so much as in a perverted way but as a distant, impassive observer of life around him. Although his proclivity may be considered almost psychotic, it is no worse than watching Big Brother on the television and probably even better. And when you consider that we are constantly under surveillance from CCTV cameras, a little personal observation seems quite harmless.

After an argument with his father and stepmother, Hallam leaves their large country home for Edinburgh with a backpack and nowhere to stay. After an early run in with the police Hallam discovers the city’s rooftops from where he sees Kate, a young woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his mother. Kate runs HR at one of the city’s biggest hotels and Hallam manages to convince to give him a job as a kitchen porter. Despite his shyness he soon starts a close relationship with Kate, while still watching her from afar.

Jamie Bell is stunning in the lead role, proving that Billy Elliot was no fluke. He never overplays the character’s quiet intensity or his swings into strong emotions and evokes nothing but empathy from the audience. The physical agility he showed as Elliot is in full display as he clambers across the city’s roofs. His co-star Sophia Myles, as Kate, complements Bell and shows herself to more than the proper lady she usually portrays with a gutsy performance. The rest of the cast give excellent support but it is really Bell and Myle’s film.

It is obviously going to be a huge hit with the local crowd but this is a strong British film that should attract audiences around the world with its story of human emotions.

Hallam Foe is on general release from August 31.

What is fascinating about Edinburgh is how low-key it is. The opening night red carpet event did not have all the glamour of festivals like Cannes or London. There was even camaraderie among the press and photographers, and a chance to catch up with people from previous years. The PR people even came over and chatted with us as we waited for the stars to arrive instead of running around being officious. This is definitely one of the charms of the Festival that keeps bringing me back.

For those lucky enough to get an invite, there were parties that went on until the early hours of the morning.

Edinburgh Film Festival Day 1

2007-08-15T14:16:00.000+01:00

Not a good start for the festival. Staying with a group of comedians means late nights as their working day doesn’t start until eight in the evening and I made the mistake of staying up too long ahead of an early start. For the press and delegates screenings start at nine but those first sessions aren’t usually that well attended. With ten movies to choose from at any one time it can be really difficult selecting a film with such a huge choice. Day one started with The Hottest State, the latest offering from writer/director/actor Ethan Hawke.

This is a love story that starts in Texas then transfers to New York and follows struggling actor William (Mark Webber) as he falls in and out of love with aspiring singer Sarah (Catalina Sandino Moreno). Like Before Sunset, which Hawke co-wrote with Julie Delpy, whose latest film, Two Days in Paris, closes the Festival, this is very much a talky. At almost two hours long it tries to put too much into a story that doesn’t have a lot to tell, which made it fell more like three hours. This is a real pity because the quality of the acting from both the two leads and their supporting actors is superb, as is the dialogue, which captures a very natural way of talking and even injects some moments of humour, although for the most part it fluctuates between joy and angst, but not nearly as well as Delpy’s fine, which has even more humour.

For fans of slow-paced romantic dramas this is an excellent example but for those wanting something a little more upbeat then Two Days in Paris would be a better choice, or Sparkle if you want something British.

The Hottest State is showing at Cameo 1 on Thursday 16 August at 21:30 and 17:10 on Friday 17

For a change of pace the next film I caught was Teeth. Having read the blurb on this film I knew what the conceit was and to a certain extent it did ruin the unfolding of the story, but being in the know also added some extra humour to the scenes. What starts out as a gentle teen comedy about Dawn (Jess Weixler), who is doing everything she can to assert the purity of relationships without sex, soon shifts into black comedy areas. As a variety of young men, including her goth step-brother, rise to the challenge of impressing their manhood upon Dawn they soon discover that there is something more than just chastity that makes her different. Her bite is definitely worse than her bark. Directed by Michell Lichtenstein (son of Roy) it is a film of surprises, and while it is not technically brilliant and the acting isn’t always convincing its originality and humour make up for it. Ginger Snaps is a cult favourite and Teeth is actually better so if it can draw an audience it deserves to get similar recognition.

Teeth is showing on Thursday 16 August at midnight at Cameo 1 and again on Sunday 19 at 21:45 at Filmhouse 1.

Sparkle is a British romantic comedy drama with a great cast and a convoluted story worthy of Bollywood. Sparkle is the stage act of wannabe club singer and single-mum Jill Sparks (Lesley Manville). Her son Sam, a charismatic Shaun Evans, wants to leave Liverpool and move to London and a chance meeting with Vince (Bob Hoskins) gives the opportunity when a flat becomes vacant in his house, but his Mum wants to go with him. Vince also helps Sam get a job as a waiter, and the ever the opportunist Sam meets Sheila (Stockard Channing) who runs her own PR company and before long Sam has a job and is sleeping with the boss (not necessarily in that order). It starts to get complicated when Sam meets young, vivacious Kate (Amanda Ryan) at one of Sheila’s parties. Meanwhile Vince has developed a crush on Jill. Before long all their paths intersect and collide making for what could have easily developed into a farce, but the superb performances from Channing, Hoskins and Evans give it depth that elevate it beyond being just another British rom-com and it will even wring out the odd tear.

Sparkle is showing on Thursday 16 and Friday 17 at 20:00 at Cineworld, Fountain Park.