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.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2008- NEWS
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.
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
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
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
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
SUNDANCE
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
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
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
Thursday, January 24, 2008
10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
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.
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.
Monday, January 21, 2008
BERLIN- Generation Programme Complete
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.
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
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
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
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
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
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thessaloniki Day 5
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.
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.
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