The Wrestle in Venice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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=8197883387http://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!

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

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
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Cannes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…..