Lost And Found
“The House of the Lost on the Cape,” a Japanese animated movie which was an official selection at the recent Annecy festival will have a theatrical release in North America from Sept. 7. The film is to be distributed by Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts in association with Anime Expo and Iconic Events Releasing. It tells the story of two children who lose their home to a natural disaster and are taken in by a strange old woman. The roll-out begins in Los Angeles and New York and will expand to other cities.
The film is the directorial debut of Kawatsura Shinya and was written by Yoshida Reiko as an adaptation of the award-winning novel of the same title by Kashiwaba Sachiko. Animation work was headed by David Production. Earlier this year “Cape” also won the ‘best animation film’ prize at the 76th Annual Mainichi Film Awards.
Right And Roll
Crunchyroll,...
“The House of the Lost on the Cape,” a Japanese animated movie which was an official selection at the recent Annecy festival will have a theatrical release in North America from Sept. 7. The film is to be distributed by Los Angeles-based Eleven Arts in association with Anime Expo and Iconic Events Releasing. It tells the story of two children who lose their home to a natural disaster and are taken in by a strange old woman. The roll-out begins in Los Angeles and New York and will expand to other cities.
The film is the directorial debut of Kawatsura Shinya and was written by Yoshida Reiko as an adaptation of the award-winning novel of the same title by Kashiwaba Sachiko. Animation work was headed by David Production. Earlier this year “Cape” also won the ‘best animation film’ prize at the 76th Annual Mainichi Film Awards.
Right And Roll
Crunchyroll,...
- 8/5/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival announced its 2022 lineup including Disney’s documentary Mija and the Warner Bros. Pictures/HBO Max film Father of the Bride bookending the celebration. Laliff will run from June 1 to 5 at the Tcl Chinese Theater and Tcl Chinese 6 in Hollywood.
The full lineup includes feature films, short films, episodics, animation, master classes, and musical performances.
“Laliff Is proud to present a diverse line-up of Latino storytellers,” said Edward James Olmos, co-founder of Laliff. “The festival has seen tremendous growth, with support from both the film industry and our audience, allowing us to showcase and nurture important voices that the world needs to hear.”
In addition to Mija and Father of the Bride, the section includes A Place in the Field directed by Nicole Mejia, All Sorts directed by J. Rick Castañeda, and Blood Red Ox directed by Rodrigo Bellot.
Also part of the program:...
The full lineup includes feature films, short films, episodics, animation, master classes, and musical performances.
“Laliff Is proud to present a diverse line-up of Latino storytellers,” said Edward James Olmos, co-founder of Laliff. “The festival has seen tremendous growth, with support from both the film industry and our audience, allowing us to showcase and nurture important voices that the world needs to hear.”
In addition to Mija and Father of the Bride, the section includes A Place in the Field directed by Nicole Mejia, All Sorts directed by J. Rick Castañeda, and Blood Red Ox directed by Rodrigo Bellot.
Also part of the program:...
- 5/4/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
In “The Other Tom,” maternal impulse goes up against authoritarian guidance, and the face-off isn’t as simple or sentimental as you might expect. Co-directing for the first time with his personal and creative partner Laura Santullo, Uruguayan-Mexican director Rodrigo Plá brings his customary technical finesse and tonal restraint to a topical subject vulnerable to emotive, heavy-handed treatment. Debates and thinkpieces abound on the widespread medication of the so-called Adderall generation, but Plá and Santullo’s bruise-tender film avoids a dogmatic stance — even as Elena, gutsily played by newcomer Julia Chávez, has her mind firmly changed on the subject.
Her son Tom is a handful, often acting out and refusing to take the medication he’s been rigidly prescribed for his apparent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For Elena, her challenge is more than managing the boy, as depicted in a scene set at his ninth birthday party, when another mother asks,...
Her son Tom is a handful, often acting out and refusing to take the medication he’s been rigidly prescribed for his apparent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For Elena, her challenge is more than managing the boy, as depicted in a scene set at his ninth birthday party, when another mother asks,...
- 11/10/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Tom (Israel Rodriguez) is an uncontrollable youth in school and at home. Is it because he has Adhd? Probably. Is it also because he lives in a volatile household with a single mother who has justifiable anger issues augmented by people (Tom’s father Julien doesn’t pay child support) and institutions constantly failing them? Definitely. While all are present throughout Rodrigo Plá and Laura Santullo’s (based on her novel) El otro Tom [The Other Tom], it’s a single aspect of the first that’s focused on most: should kids Tom’s age be prescribed medication? It’s a legitimate question with a lot of complexity when you factor supplemental therapy, coping mechanisms, and environment. I don’t believe the filmmakers ever truly acknowledge that added context.
Thus a reductive look at a complicated issue, pushing major considerations to the side to push an agenda. When Elena (Julia Chavez) is told Tom needs medicine,...
Thus a reductive look at a complicated issue, pushing major considerations to the side to push an agenda. When Elena (Julia Chavez) is told Tom needs medicine,...
- 9/19/2021
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
L.A.-based Outsider Pictures has snapped up world sales rights to Rodrigo Plá and Laura Santullo’s family drama “The Other Tom,” ahead of its Venice Film Festival world premiere and its North American premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
“I had read the script of ‘The Other Tom’ three years ago and always liked the story,” said Outsider Pictures’ Paul Hudson, who relates how he continued to track the film’s progress from then on. “The heart of the film is the complicated relationship between mother and son that I think any parent can relate to, anywhere in the world,” he added. Its trailer bows exclusively here:
Set in the border town of El Paso, Texas, “The Other Tom” follows a young single mother, Elena, and her long-haired son, Tom, whose disruptive behavior in class makes him a “problem child” in the eyes of the school. The absence of a father,...
“I had read the script of ‘The Other Tom’ three years ago and always liked the story,” said Outsider Pictures’ Paul Hudson, who relates how he continued to track the film’s progress from then on. “The heart of the film is the complicated relationship between mother and son that I think any parent can relate to, anywhere in the world,” he added. Its trailer bows exclusively here:
Set in the border town of El Paso, Texas, “The Other Tom” follows a young single mother, Elena, and her long-haired son, Tom, whose disruptive behavior in class makes him a “problem child” in the eyes of the school. The absence of a father,...
- 8/30/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday unveiled its lineups for the Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery programs as it ramps up toward the kickoff of its 46th edition September 9-18. The festival also solidified additional Gala and Special Presentation titles and took the wraps off TIFF Rewind, a new block that highlights memorable films from previous TIFF editions along with conversations and Q&As with directors and casts.
This comes after the festival last week announced that Dear Evan Hansen will be the opening-night film, while Zhang Yimou’s One Second will close it. It also revealed a portion of the Gala and Special presentation titles that featured films from directors Edgar Wright, Melanie Laurent, Barry Levinson, Antoine Fuqua, Jacques Audiard and Ted Melfi.
Today, TIFF added world premieres for Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky’s The Good House and Camille Griffin’s Silent Night to its Gala lineup, and...
This comes after the festival last week announced that Dear Evan Hansen will be the opening-night film, while Zhang Yimou’s One Second will close it. It also revealed a portion of the Gala and Special presentation titles that featured films from directors Edgar Wright, Melanie Laurent, Barry Levinson, Antoine Fuqua, Jacques Audiard and Ted Melfi.
Today, TIFF added world premieres for Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky’s The Good House and Camille Griffin’s Silent Night to its Gala lineup, and...
- 7/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Toronto International Film Festival has revealed the slate of titles that will round out its contemporary world cinema and discovery programs.
Among the films playing in the contemporary world cinema lineup include director Wen Shipei’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Lorenzo Vigas’ “The Box,” Manuel Martín Cuenca’s “The Daughter” and Bouli Lanners’ “Nobody Has to Know.” The discovery program will host Tea Lindeburg’s “As In Heaven,” filmmaker Hong Sung-eun’s “Aloners” and Anatolian Leopard from director Emre Kayış.
“TIFF Programmers continue discovering compelling and diverse stories from around the globe,” said Diana Sanchez, TIFF’s senior director of film. “With these two programmes, Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery, audiences can look forward to this stellar lineup to immerse themselves in. TIFF is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black and Indigenous filmmakers and filmmakers of colour, emerging Canadian talent, and powerful storytellers who identify as women, and...
Among the films playing in the contemporary world cinema lineup include director Wen Shipei’s “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Lorenzo Vigas’ “The Box,” Manuel Martín Cuenca’s “The Daughter” and Bouli Lanners’ “Nobody Has to Know.” The discovery program will host Tea Lindeburg’s “As In Heaven,” filmmaker Hong Sung-eun’s “Aloners” and Anatolian Leopard from director Emre Kayış.
“TIFF Programmers continue discovering compelling and diverse stories from around the globe,” said Diana Sanchez, TIFF’s senior director of film. “With these two programmes, Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery, audiences can look forward to this stellar lineup to immerse themselves in. TIFF is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black and Indigenous filmmakers and filmmakers of colour, emerging Canadian talent, and powerful storytellers who identify as women, and...
- 7/28/2021
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
New TIFF Rewind features filmmakers in conversation about memorable selections from the past.
World premieres of Ruth Paxton’s UK horror A Banquet, Agustina San Martín’s Argentinian genre tale To Kill The Beast and Sébastien Pilote’s Canadian period drama Maria Chapdelaine are among Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery selections announced by Toronto International Film festival.
Scroll down for full list of new titles
The festival also unveiled additional Gala and Special Presentations titles, and introduced TIFF Rewind featuring filmmakers in conversation about memorable selections from the past.
Gala screenings include the world premiere of Camille Griffin’s UK...
World premieres of Ruth Paxton’s UK horror A Banquet, Agustina San Martín’s Argentinian genre tale To Kill The Beast and Sébastien Pilote’s Canadian period drama Maria Chapdelaine are among Contemporary World Cinema and Discovery selections announced by Toronto International Film festival.
Scroll down for full list of new titles
The festival also unveiled additional Gala and Special Presentations titles, and introduced TIFF Rewind featuring filmmakers in conversation about memorable selections from the past.
Gala screenings include the world premiere of Camille Griffin’s UK...
- 7/28/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Initiative supported works by Ciro Guerra, Pablo Larrain, Amat Escalante, Sebastian Lelio.
The San Sebastian International Film Festival and France’s Cinelatino, Rencontres de Toulouse have called time on their 18-year collaboration on joint industry event Films in Progress, aimed at supporting the completion of Latin American productions in post-production
The initiative, created in 2002, ran twice a year: during the Latin American-focused Cinelatino festival in Toulouse in March, under the banner of Cinema en Construction, and then during San Sebastian in September.
The former partners said San Sebastian would no longer participate in Films in Progress while Cinelatino would continue...
The San Sebastian International Film Festival and France’s Cinelatino, Rencontres de Toulouse have called time on their 18-year collaboration on joint industry event Films in Progress, aimed at supporting the completion of Latin American productions in post-production
The initiative, created in 2002, ran twice a year: during the Latin American-focused Cinelatino festival in Toulouse in March, under the banner of Cinema en Construction, and then during San Sebastian in September.
The former partners said San Sebastian would no longer participate in Films in Progress while Cinelatino would continue...
- 4/7/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Latin-American focused works-in-progress event will showcase six upcoming films.
The 37th edition of the Latin American-focused works in-progress meeting Cinema en Construction will take place online this week following its cancellation due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The event was due to unfold as part of the Cinélatino, Rencontres de Toulouse festival in south-west France on March 26-27.
As in previous years, Cinema en Construction will showcase six Latin American projects in post-production.
They include Costa Rican director Paz Fábrega’s drama Restless (Desasosiego), about a woman in her 40s and a teenager who are thrown together by the latter’s unwanted pregnancy.
The 37th edition of the Latin American-focused works in-progress meeting Cinema en Construction will take place online this week following its cancellation due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The event was due to unfold as part of the Cinélatino, Rencontres de Toulouse festival in south-west France on March 26-27.
As in previous years, Cinema en Construction will showcase six Latin American projects in post-production.
They include Costa Rican director Paz Fábrega’s drama Restless (Desasosiego), about a woman in her 40s and a teenager who are thrown together by the latter’s unwanted pregnancy.
- 3/30/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
While we eat “doubles” we talk one on one with selected filmmakers…
Great to be back for my fourth year at the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival.
Jamaicans going to watch Jamaican shorts. Photo by actor director Tony Hendricks
My first night, I went with my new favorite delegation, whom I already wrote about in my Tiff It’s a Wrap blog, the group of Jamaican filmmakers to see their five shorts showing here at ttff as part of the Jafta Propella initiative to put money into the production and distribution of shorts (rather than in yet-another film festival). The range of stories and storytelling styles was a tasting menu of hors d’oevres for the festival.
Great to be back for my fourth year at the Trinidad + Tobago Film Festival.
Jamaicans going to watch Jamaican shorts. Photo by actor director Tony Hendricks
My first night, I went with my new favorite delegation, whom I already wrote about in my Tiff It’s a Wrap blog, the group of Jamaican filmmakers to see their five shorts showing here at ttff as part of the Jafta Propella initiative to put money into the production and distribution of shorts (rather than in yet-another film festival). The range of stories and storytelling styles was a tasting menu of hors d’oevres for the festival.
- 9/29/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
It's a nightmare. When a beloved family member falls victim to a debilitating illness, it's devastating. When the diagnosis becomes terminal, the pain becomes indescribable. When a possible medical alternative is refused to your loved one because of bureaucracy, desperation sets in. In Rodrigo Plá's A Monster With a Thousand Heads (Un monstruo de mil cabezas), desperation sets in early. Sonia Benet (Jana Raluy) is awakened in the night by her husband. He is terribly ill. Not yet 50, he has been struck down by cancer, and his condition has rendered him unable to care for himself. Sonia's family is already accustomed to the rigors of long-term care, but that doesn't make it any easier when it happens again and an ambulance must be summoned....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/8/2016
- Screen Anarchy
A cry of pain stabs through the night. It awakens Sonia (Jana Raluy), who is quickly stirred into action. It motivates her actions throughout A Monster With a Thousand Heads, directed by Rodrigo Plá, an angry commentary on the state of the health care system in Mexico (although it applies in principle to many other countries, including the U.S.). As demonstrated in our exclusive clip, director Plá carefully chooses his setups and shows restraint in his camera movements. That in no way lessens the emotional impact of the story. We'll have more about the movie in our DVD review, to be published a little later today. A Monster With a Thousand Heads will be available on DVD and various Video On Demand platforms tomorrow via...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/8/2016
- Screen Anarchy
There is probably no political issue more divisive than the battle surrounding health care, and it’s one that becomes more intensely argued when a health issue hits close to home. And in Rodrigo Plá‘s upcoming “A Monster With A Thousand Heads,” that desperation drives a woman to go extremes to secure whatever care is needed for […]
The post Exclusive: A Gun Is Drawn In An Intense Clip From ‘A Monster With A Thousand Heads’ appeared first on The Playlist.
The post Exclusive: A Gun Is Drawn In An Intense Clip From ‘A Monster With A Thousand Heads’ appeared first on The Playlist.
- 5/12/2016
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Healthcare — at least in this country — is a conspiracy thriller unto itself, and trying to get reimbursed for medical treatments can make the average person feel like they're living through their own personal remake of "Z." Even with the current administration's historic push towards accessibility, there's still something fundamentally disquieting about a bureaucracy of human life. While a number of films have confronted viewers with the horrifying facts and mordant absurdities of the process (Michael Moore's "Sicko" naturally being the first that comes to mind), Rodrigo Plá's intermittently engaging "A Monster With a Thousand Heads" is unique for how it captures the urgency of a system that's designed to frustrate and confuse people into helplessness. Shorter than an average phone call with your insurance provider (the closing credits begin at the 69-minute mark), Plá's film is set in Mexico, where universal healthcare was allegedly...
- 5/12/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Kurdish workers drama and Rodrigo Plá’s A Monster With a Thousand Heads triumph at festival; industry prizes revealed.
Dust Cloth by Turkish director Ahu Öztürk and A Monster With a Thousand Heads by Mexican director Rodrigo Plá were among big winners at the Istanbul Film Festival.
Dust Cloth about two Kurdish cleaning ladies struggling to make ends meet in Istanbul took home the Golden Tulip Prize in the National Competition in a jury headed by Turkish actress Müjde Ar. The film also won awards for Best Actress for Asiye Cinçsoy and Best Screenplay.
The other big winner was Cold Of Kalandar, which won Best Director for Mustafa Kara, best cinematography by co-cinematographers Cavanhir Sahin and Kürsat Üresin, as well as Best actor, which was awarded to Haydar Sisman.
In the International Competition, presided over by Argentinean director Pablo Trapero, the Golden Tulip was awarded to Pla’s A Monster with a Thousand Heads. The sleek thriller...
Dust Cloth by Turkish director Ahu Öztürk and A Monster With a Thousand Heads by Mexican director Rodrigo Plá were among big winners at the Istanbul Film Festival.
Dust Cloth about two Kurdish cleaning ladies struggling to make ends meet in Istanbul took home the Golden Tulip Prize in the National Competition in a jury headed by Turkish actress Müjde Ar. The film also won awards for Best Actress for Asiye Cinçsoy and Best Screenplay.
The other big winner was Cold Of Kalandar, which won Best Director for Mustafa Kara, best cinematography by co-cinematographers Cavanhir Sahin and Kürsat Üresin, as well as Best actor, which was awarded to Haydar Sisman.
In the International Competition, presided over by Argentinean director Pablo Trapero, the Golden Tulip was awarded to Pla’s A Monster with a Thousand Heads. The sleek thriller...
- 4/16/2016
- ScreenDaily
The American Film Institute announced today the films that will screen in the World Cinema, Breakthrough, Midnight, Shorts and Cinema’s Legacy programs at AFI Fest 2015 presented by Audi.
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
AFI Fest will take place November 5 – 12, 2015, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and events will be held at the historic Tcl Chinese Theatre, the Tcl Chinese 6 Theatres, Dolby Theatre, the Lloyd E. Rigler Theatre at the Egyptian, the El Capitan Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.
World Cinema showcases the most acclaimed international films of the year; Breakthrough highlights true discoveries of the programming process; Midnight selections will grip audiences with terror; and Cinema’s Legacy highlights classic movies and films about cinema. World Cinema and Breakthrough selections are among the films eligible for Audience Awards. Shorts selections are eligible for the Grand Jury Prize, which qualifies the winner for Academy Award®consideration. This year’s Shorts jury features filmmaker Janicza Bravo,...
- 10/22/2015
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Top brass have announced the films in official selection at the Mexican festival’s fourth annual edition, set to run from November 11-15.
Official selection comprises Competencia Los Cabos entries from Mexico, the Us and Canada including Lorenzo Vigas’ recent Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar (Desde Allá), and México Primero. Winners from both programmes will each collect a $15,000 prize.
The films in México Primero will also compete for the Fipresci Award, the $12,200 Art Kingdom Award and the $40,000 Fox+ Award.
For the first time films in official selection will compete for the Cinemex Audience Award. Audiences at Cinemex Los Cabos–Puerto Paraíso screenings will choose their recipient of a $10,000 prize.
Competencia Los Cabos selections are:
From Afar (Desde Allá, Mexico-Venezuela, pictured), dir Lorenzo Vigas;
Tangerine (USA), dir Sean Baker;
Room (Canada-Ireland), dir Lenny Abrahamson;
Chronic (Mexico), dir Michel Franco;
James White (USA), dir Josh Mond;
Les Êtres Chers (Canada), dir Anne Émond;
Un Monstruo De Mil Cabezas (Mexico-France...
Official selection comprises Competencia Los Cabos entries from Mexico, the Us and Canada including Lorenzo Vigas’ recent Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar (Desde Allá), and México Primero. Winners from both programmes will each collect a $15,000 prize.
The films in México Primero will also compete for the Fipresci Award, the $12,200 Art Kingdom Award and the $40,000 Fox+ Award.
For the first time films in official selection will compete for the Cinemex Audience Award. Audiences at Cinemex Los Cabos–Puerto Paraíso screenings will choose their recipient of a $10,000 prize.
Competencia Los Cabos selections are:
From Afar (Desde Allá, Mexico-Venezuela, pictured), dir Lorenzo Vigas;
Tangerine (USA), dir Sean Baker;
Room (Canada-Ireland), dir Lenny Abrahamson;
Chronic (Mexico), dir Michel Franco;
James White (USA), dir Josh Mond;
Les Êtres Chers (Canada), dir Anne Émond;
Un Monstruo De Mil Cabezas (Mexico-France...
- 10/13/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Read More: Watch: Protect the Ones You Love At All Costs in Exclusive 'A Monster With A Thousand Heads' Trailer Music Box Films is continuing its hot streak of foreign acquisitions by picking up U.S. distribution rights to Rodrigo Plá's "A Monster With A Thousand Heads." The drama opened the Orizzonti Competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival and stars Jana Raluy, Sebastian Aguirre Boeda and Hugo Albores. Adapted by Laura Santullo from her own novel, "A Monster With A Thousand Heads" centers on Sonia, who devises a desperate plan to save her husband and access the medical treatment he needs to survive. Her journey puts her in contact with a corrupt insurance office and its complicit representatives, leading her and her son down a rabbit hole of violence. "Rodrigo Pla´ has delivered that rare thing: a smart, completely believable and brilliantly executed thriller with a social conscience,...
- 9/29/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Competition section features six world premieres including titles from Koji Fukada and Yoshihiro Nakamura.
The 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (October 22-31) has unveiled its line-up with six world premieres in the Competition section, including Turkish director Mustafa Kara’s Cold Of Kalandar, Hao Jie’s My Original Dream and Thai film-maker Kongdej Jaturanrasmee’s Snap.
Also world-premiering in Competition are three Japanese titles: Kohei Oguri’s Foujita, Yoshihiro Nakamura’s The Inerasable and Koji Fukada’s Sayonara – the most local films in the main section since 2004.
The other selections are either Asian or international premieres. The topics of war or refugeeism are a common thread among some films, echoing current day headlines. “We were not conscious about choosing those types, it just happened that way and we noticed afterwards,” said Competition programming director Yoshi Yatabe.
“As much as possible we’d like to cover a wide range of geographical areas and genres,” he said of...
The 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (October 22-31) has unveiled its line-up with six world premieres in the Competition section, including Turkish director Mustafa Kara’s Cold Of Kalandar, Hao Jie’s My Original Dream and Thai film-maker Kongdej Jaturanrasmee’s Snap.
Also world-premiering in Competition are three Japanese titles: Kohei Oguri’s Foujita, Yoshihiro Nakamura’s The Inerasable and Koji Fukada’s Sayonara – the most local films in the main section since 2004.
The other selections are either Asian or international premieres. The topics of war or refugeeism are a common thread among some films, echoing current day headlines. “We were not conscious about choosing those types, it just happened that way and we noticed afterwards,” said Competition programming director Yoshi Yatabe.
“As much as possible we’d like to cover a wide range of geographical areas and genres,” he said of...
- 9/29/2015
- ScreenDaily
Competition section features six world premieres including titles from Koji Fukada and Yoshihiro Nakamura.
The 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (October 22-31) has unveiled its line-up with six world premieres in the Competition section, including Turkish director Mustafa Kara’s Cold Of Kalandar, Hao Jie’s My Original Dream and Thai film-maker Kongdej Jaturanrasmee’s Snap.
Also world-premiering in Competition are three Japanese titles: Kohei Oguri’s Foujita, Yoshihiro Nakamura’s The Inerasable and Koji Fukada’s Sayonara – the most local films in the main section since 2004.
The other selections are either Asian or international premieres. The topics of war or refugeeism are a common thread among some films, echoing current day headlines. “We were not conscious about choosing those types, it just happened that way and we noticed afterwards,” said Competition programming director Yoshi Yatabe.
“As much as possible we’d like to cover a wide range of geographical areas and genres,” he said of...
The 28th Tokyo International Film Festival (October 22-31) has unveiled its line-up with six world premieres in the Competition section, including Turkish director Mustafa Kara’s Cold Of Kalandar, Hao Jie’s My Original Dream and Thai film-maker Kongdej Jaturanrasmee’s Snap.
Also world-premiering in Competition are three Japanese titles: Kohei Oguri’s Foujita, Yoshihiro Nakamura’s The Inerasable and Koji Fukada’s Sayonara – the most local films in the main section since 2004.
The other selections are either Asian or international premieres. The topics of war or refugeeism are a common thread among some films, echoing current day headlines. “We were not conscious about choosing those types, it just happened that way and we noticed afterwards,” said Competition programming director Yoshi Yatabe.
“As much as possible we’d like to cover a wide range of geographical areas and genres,” he said of...
- 9/29/2015
- ScreenDaily
★★★☆☆ Opening the Orizzonti (Horizons) sidebar at the 72nd Venice Film Festival today, A Monster with a Thousand Heads (2015) is a witty and efficient drama from Rodrigo Plá about a woman pushed to the edge by bureaucracy and an indifferent society. Jan Raluy plays the woman in question, Sonia Bonet. Her husband has cancer but the insurance company refuses to provide the medicine that he needs to ease his pain and perhaps reduce the tumour. Having been unable to reach the doctor in charge on the telephone, she goes to the offices of the company with her teenage son Dario (Sebastián Aguirre Boëda) in tow. However, no one is interested in her case.
- 9/4/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Watch: Protect the Ones You Love At All Costs in Exclusive 'A Monster With A Thousand Heads' Trailer
Read More: Venice Film Festival Unveils Lineup: Includes 'Equals' and 'The Danish Girl' World Premieres, New Noah Baumbach Documentary Uruguayan writer-director Rodrigo Plá incorporates political undertones into each of his feature films, and it looks like he'll be operating on his most visceral playing field yet in "A Monster With A Thousand Heads." The drama will open the Orizzonti Competition at the 72nd Venice Film Festival and stars Jana Raluy, Sebastian Aguirre Boeda and Hugo Albores. Adapted by Laura Santullo from her own novel, "A Monster With A Thousand Heads" centers on Sonia, who devises a desperate plan to save her husband and access the medical treatment he needs to survive. Her journey puts her in contact with a corrupt insurance office and its complicit representatives, leading her and her son down a rabbit hole of violence. Watch the exclusive trailer above. Read More: Venice Film Festival's Sala Web to.
- 8/26/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The Venice Film Festival has become one of the longest-running events on the festival circuit, its veteran status giving it a level of prestige that has only been heightened by the films that have screened at the event. Having first started in 1932, a number of movies that have gone on to be classics have won prizes at the festival, including Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, Satyajit Ray’s Aparajito, and Alain Resnais’ Last Year at Marienbad. Interest in the festival’s lineup announcement has thus grown over the years, with many film fans curious to see what the organisers select to play at the event, due to its stature. The full lineup for the 2015 incarnation of the festival, the 72nd one in the festival’s history, has now been announced. The festival itself will run from September 2nd to the 12th, with a jury that includes Alfonso Cuarón, Nuri Bilge Ceylan,...
- 7/29/2015
- by Deepayan Sengupta
- SoundOnSight
Gazing into the crystal ball, Screen rounds up its Cannes predictions.
With the unveiling of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection now exactly three weeks away buzz over the titles that Thierry Fremaux and his team will select for the 68th edition is hitting fever pitch.
Official teaser announcements have started to roll this week, led by the confirmation on Wednesday that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road would premiere in an Out of Competition screening on May 14.
Earlier the week, Cannes unveiled its poster featuring Ingrid Bergman to mark the centenary of the late big screen’s birth and it was announced that Stig Bjorkman’s documentary Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words would show in Cannes Classics as part of the commemorations.
For the rest of the Official Selection, except perhaps the opening film which is traditionally revealed in advance, Cannes watchers will have to wait for the announcement press conference in Paris on April...
With the unveiling of Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection now exactly three weeks away buzz over the titles that Thierry Fremaux and his team will select for the 68th edition is hitting fever pitch.
Official teaser announcements have started to roll this week, led by the confirmation on Wednesday that George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road would premiere in an Out of Competition screening on May 14.
Earlier the week, Cannes unveiled its poster featuring Ingrid Bergman to mark the centenary of the late big screen’s birth and it was announced that Stig Bjorkman’s documentary Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words would show in Cannes Classics as part of the commemorations.
For the rest of the Official Selection, except perhaps the opening film which is traditionally revealed in advance, Cannes watchers will have to wait for the announcement press conference in Paris on April...
- 3/26/2015
- ScreenDaily
Los Cabos International Film Festival will offer, within its industry activities, a total of Usd $227,000 to support projects from Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada.
In its Third Edition, in an effort to contribute the development and consolidation of the North American film industry, presents as part of its industry activities, the first Mexico-usa-Canada Co-production Forum .
Los Cabos Film Festival , announces the 13 participant projects in the Forum:
Afronauts by Frances Bodomo (USA). Coward by Boris Rodriguez, an Anne Marie Gélinas production (Canada). The Other Tom by Rodrigo Plá, a Sandino Saravia production (Mexico). First Match by Olivia Newman, a Veronica Nickel and Chanelle Elaine production (USA). Away from Meaning by Olivia Luengas Magaña, a Vanessa Romo Gutiérrez production (Mexico). Butterfly by Maria Saakya, a Jeff Kalousdian production (USA). Museum by Alonso Ruizpalacios, a Manuel Alcalá and Alberto Muffelman production (Mexico). Permanent by Colette Burson, a Haroula Rose and Joshua Blum production (USA). Taganga by Ciro Guerra, a Katrin Pors and Serge Noel production (Canada- Colombia). Wolverine Hotel by Patricia Chica, a Byron A. Martin production (Canada). X Quinientos by Juan Andrés Arango, a Edher Campos and Yanick Letourneau production (Canada- Mexico- Colombia). I’m No Longer Here by Fernando Frías, a Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam production (Mexico- USA). Yamaha 300 by Jorge Michel Grau, a Mayra Espinosa Castro production (Mexico - USA). Representatives from each project will have access to a series of one-to-one meetings with key members of the international film industry and potential co-producers.
The Co-production Forum Jury, composed of Fabien Westerhoff , Sales and Distribution Director at WestEnd Films (UK), Nick Ogiony , Sales Agent at Creative Artists Agency (USA) and Lyse Lafontaine , renowned Canadian producer, will announce the winning project at the Festival, which will receive a cash prize of Usd $8,000.
Also, the recognized studios Splendor - Omnia Mantarraya will award a prize valued at Usd$30,000 to one of the participating projects, consisting of a 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, accommodation and food for two people in Tepoztlán, Mexico.
Supporting the completion of Mexican feature or documentary films in post-production stage, Los Cabos Film Festival has announced the six films participating in the second Work In Progress Mexico :
El charro de Toluquilla by José Villalobos Romero, a Sergio Adrián Morkin and José Villalobos Romero production. Charity by Marcelino Islas Hernández, a Santiago García Galván production. Heirs by Jorge Hernández Aldana, a Michel Franco production. Light Feet by Juan Carlos Núñez, a Henry Lesperance Álvarez production. You Will Know what to Do with Me by Katina Medina Mora, a Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann production. Holy Days by Alejandra Márquez Abella, a Nicolás Celis and Sebastián Celis production.
Jaie Laplante, Director of the Miami International Film Festival (USA), Nicole Mackey, Vice President of sales agency Fortissimo Films (UK), and Nate Bolotin, Xyz Films cofounder (USA), as members of the Work In Progress Mexico Jury, will evaluate six films that compete for a cash prize of Usd$10,000 .
The TV station Fox+ will also award a prize of Usd $30,000 to one of the participating films (the equivalent to the anticipated purchase of broadcast rights for Latin America and the Caribbean, excluding Brazil through the channel’s windows). And the outstanding post-production company Chemistry will award a prize worth Usd $45,000 consisting of 80 hours of color correction, 40 hours of conform and digital mastering, and packaging in Dcp.
In addition, the two winning films of the Post-production Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund , each received from Labodigital’s Usd $52,000 in post-production services. These two films will also be part of the Work In Progress Mexico selection.
In its Third Edition, in an effort to contribute the development and consolidation of the North American film industry, presents as part of its industry activities, the first Mexico-usa-Canada Co-production Forum .
Los Cabos Film Festival , announces the 13 participant projects in the Forum:
Afronauts by Frances Bodomo (USA). Coward by Boris Rodriguez, an Anne Marie Gélinas production (Canada). The Other Tom by Rodrigo Plá, a Sandino Saravia production (Mexico). First Match by Olivia Newman, a Veronica Nickel and Chanelle Elaine production (USA). Away from Meaning by Olivia Luengas Magaña, a Vanessa Romo Gutiérrez production (Mexico). Butterfly by Maria Saakya, a Jeff Kalousdian production (USA). Museum by Alonso Ruizpalacios, a Manuel Alcalá and Alberto Muffelman production (Mexico). Permanent by Colette Burson, a Haroula Rose and Joshua Blum production (USA). Taganga by Ciro Guerra, a Katrin Pors and Serge Noel production (Canada- Colombia). Wolverine Hotel by Patricia Chica, a Byron A. Martin production (Canada). X Quinientos by Juan Andrés Arango, a Edher Campos and Yanick Letourneau production (Canada- Mexico- Colombia). I’m No Longer Here by Fernando Frías, a Gerry Kim and Mayuran Tiruchelvam production (Mexico- USA). Yamaha 300 by Jorge Michel Grau, a Mayra Espinosa Castro production (Mexico - USA). Representatives from each project will have access to a series of one-to-one meetings with key members of the international film industry and potential co-producers.
The Co-production Forum Jury, composed of Fabien Westerhoff , Sales and Distribution Director at WestEnd Films (UK), Nick Ogiony , Sales Agent at Creative Artists Agency (USA) and Lyse Lafontaine , renowned Canadian producer, will announce the winning project at the Festival, which will receive a cash prize of Usd $8,000.
Also, the recognized studios Splendor - Omnia Mantarraya will award a prize valued at Usd$30,000 to one of the participating projects, consisting of a 40 hours of color correction, 40 hours of sound mixing, accommodation and food for two people in Tepoztlán, Mexico.
Supporting the completion of Mexican feature or documentary films in post-production stage, Los Cabos Film Festival has announced the six films participating in the second Work In Progress Mexico :
El charro de Toluquilla by José Villalobos Romero, a Sergio Adrián Morkin and José Villalobos Romero production. Charity by Marcelino Islas Hernández, a Santiago García Galván production. Heirs by Jorge Hernández Aldana, a Michel Franco production. Light Feet by Juan Carlos Núñez, a Henry Lesperance Álvarez production. You Will Know what to Do with Me by Katina Medina Mora, a Gerardo Gatica and Alberto Muffelmann production. Holy Days by Alejandra Márquez Abella, a Nicolás Celis and Sebastián Celis production.
Jaie Laplante, Director of the Miami International Film Festival (USA), Nicole Mackey, Vice President of sales agency Fortissimo Films (UK), and Nate Bolotin, Xyz Films cofounder (USA), as members of the Work In Progress Mexico Jury, will evaluate six films that compete for a cash prize of Usd$10,000 .
The TV station Fox+ will also award a prize of Usd $30,000 to one of the participating films (the equivalent to the anticipated purchase of broadcast rights for Latin America and the Caribbean, excluding Brazil through the channel’s windows). And the outstanding post-production company Chemistry will award a prize worth Usd $45,000 consisting of 80 hours of color correction, 40 hours of conform and digital mastering, and packaging in Dcp.
In addition, the two winning films of the Post-production Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund , each received from Labodigital’s Usd $52,000 in post-production services. These two films will also be part of the Work In Progress Mexico selection.
- 10/23/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Recently during the 67th Edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Cinema23, an association created in 2012 to promote Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese film culture, announced the Fénix Film Awards (Premio Iberoamericano de Cine Fénix). This unique event will take place for the first time in Mexico City in October 2014.
The Mexican actor, director and producer Gael García Bernal (in absentia because of his duties on the jury for Cannes Competition), Portuguese director and actress Maria de Medeiros, Brazilian actress Alice Braga, Spanish actress Paz Vega and Mexican actress Ana de la Reguera, presented the Fénix Film Awards to the international media as one of the key strategies of Cinema23 to provide visibility and recognition of the cinema made in the region.
“There is great variety in our region´s cinema with different forms and languages that in many cases reflect part of who we are. However we are not always able to enjoy it in our own countries, much less worldwide. The activities carried out by Cinema23 aim to develop a closer engagement between the filmmakers and their audiences. It is extremely important to have more visibility in order to gain recognition for the diversity of cinema. This is the premise under which we organized the Fénix Film Awards, commented Ricardo Giraldo, Director of Cinema23.
Ana de la Reguera added: “We have great talent in the region, but it is barely known outside film festivals; it’s important to find another way to reach a broader audience and I believe the Fénix Film Awards is a great strategy and opportunity to achieve it.”
“It is very important for us to get together, allowing us to get closer to the work of our colleagues in order to discover, meet and recognize the voices that make us so different. A celebration like this one opens up a space for us to meet and get to know each other. More importantly it will set the basis for a more profound way for us to share our ideas, create, and cooperate”, added Alice Braga.
María de Medeiros also mentioned: “We are creating a film community that has not existed till now. A community that aims to be inclusive by integrating not only those who make films but also those who study, promote, teach, distribute and exhibit films; so that we all help, support and communicate with each another, allowing our work to be shared both within and outside the region.”
Paz Vega commented: “Collaboration provides an opportunity for creative exchange that strengthens and nourishes our film culture. This collaboration and integration allows our industries to grow without losing their identity and create better opportunities. In the end, difference is what unites us.”
For the past two years, Cinema23 has been shaping a diverse film community from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking. The tasks of this community include movie promotion, study, reviews, festivals, distribution, exhibition and filmmaking. The editorial project Cinema23 Notebooks, the conferences during festivals and the student program Classroom Cinema are developed throughout the year, seeking a creative, cultural and knowledge exchange between the different film cultures. These strategies are complemented and strengthened for the general audience through the Fénix Film Awards.
The Fénix Film Awards granted by more than 350 film professionals from Mexico, Latin America, USA, Europe and Canada, will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions.
It is worth noting that the members of Cinema23 all have an active role in the selection, nomination and voting process for the Fénix Film Awards. Members include:
Karim Ainouz, Elena Anaya, José Carlos Avellar, Héctor Babenco, Luiz Carlos Barreto, Alice Braga, Brigitte Broch, Demián Bichir, Eugenio Caballero, Javier Cámara, Sebastián Cordero, Enrique Chediak, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón, María de Medeiros, Guillermo del Toro, Amat Escalante, Dolores Fonzi, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Iván Giroud, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Salma Hayek, Carlos F. Heredero, Dolores Heredia, Pablo Larraín, Juan de Dios Larraín, Sebastián Lelio, Fernando León de Aranoa, Mónica Lozano, Emmanuel Lubezki, Diego Luna, Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Michel, Luis Miñarro, Wagner Moura, Bertha Navarro, Luis Ospina, Fito Páez, Marisa Paredes, Rodrigo Plá, Alejandro Ramírez, Édgar Ramírez, José Luis Rebordinos, Ana de la Reguera, Carlos Reygadas, José María Riba, Erica Rivas, Catalina Sandino, Ilda Santiago, Rodrigo Santoro, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Albert Serra, Juan Carlos Tabío, Paz Vega, Maribel Verdú & Monika Wagenberg.
Other international members that participate in the various activities of the association include:
Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director Toronto International Film Festival), Frederic Boyer (Artistic Director Tribeca Film Festival), Klaus Eder (President Fipresci), Robert Koehler (Film Critic), Claudia Landsberger (Vice-President Eye Film Institute) and Sydney Levine (Indiewire Blog Sydneys Buzz).
The award ceremony will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcast live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.
To view Cinema23’s promotional video, click on the following link:
www.vimeo.com/81518414
To find out more about Cinema23 and the Fénix Film Awards please visit:
http://www.cinema23.com
About Cinema23
Cinema23 is an association created in 2012 to promote, support and raise awareness for the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese film culture. It is formed by a diverse group of people with outstanding career trajectories from the film community mainly from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking: directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, art directors, sound designers, music composers, costume designers, festival directors and programmers, critics, researchers, distributors and film exhibitors.
Cinema23 seeks a more participative community amongst it members and provides a forum for creative and cultural exchange and cooperation among filmmakers from the region. Its yearly strategies and projects aim to promote and safeguard contemporary Ibero-American film culture, reaching new audiences, sharing ideas and enhancing the visibility and fostering the work of those who make films in Ibero-America.
About the Premio iberoamericano de cine Fénix®, (Fénix Film Awards)
The Fénix Film Awards is the key strategy to further Cinema23’s aims. It celebrates and emphasizes the work of film professionals, provides international visibility and strengthens bonds from the region’s film industry besides captivating and reaching a broader audience.
The first Fénix Film Awards’ gala will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions. It will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcasted live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.
The Mexican actor, director and producer Gael García Bernal (in absentia because of his duties on the jury for Cannes Competition), Portuguese director and actress Maria de Medeiros, Brazilian actress Alice Braga, Spanish actress Paz Vega and Mexican actress Ana de la Reguera, presented the Fénix Film Awards to the international media as one of the key strategies of Cinema23 to provide visibility and recognition of the cinema made in the region.
“There is great variety in our region´s cinema with different forms and languages that in many cases reflect part of who we are. However we are not always able to enjoy it in our own countries, much less worldwide. The activities carried out by Cinema23 aim to develop a closer engagement between the filmmakers and their audiences. It is extremely important to have more visibility in order to gain recognition for the diversity of cinema. This is the premise under which we organized the Fénix Film Awards, commented Ricardo Giraldo, Director of Cinema23.
Ana de la Reguera added: “We have great talent in the region, but it is barely known outside film festivals; it’s important to find another way to reach a broader audience and I believe the Fénix Film Awards is a great strategy and opportunity to achieve it.”
“It is very important for us to get together, allowing us to get closer to the work of our colleagues in order to discover, meet and recognize the voices that make us so different. A celebration like this one opens up a space for us to meet and get to know each other. More importantly it will set the basis for a more profound way for us to share our ideas, create, and cooperate”, added Alice Braga.
María de Medeiros also mentioned: “We are creating a film community that has not existed till now. A community that aims to be inclusive by integrating not only those who make films but also those who study, promote, teach, distribute and exhibit films; so that we all help, support and communicate with each another, allowing our work to be shared both within and outside the region.”
Paz Vega commented: “Collaboration provides an opportunity for creative exchange that strengthens and nourishes our film culture. This collaboration and integration allows our industries to grow without losing their identity and create better opportunities. In the end, difference is what unites us.”
For the past two years, Cinema23 has been shaping a diverse film community from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking. The tasks of this community include movie promotion, study, reviews, festivals, distribution, exhibition and filmmaking. The editorial project Cinema23 Notebooks, the conferences during festivals and the student program Classroom Cinema are developed throughout the year, seeking a creative, cultural and knowledge exchange between the different film cultures. These strategies are complemented and strengthened for the general audience through the Fénix Film Awards.
The Fénix Film Awards granted by more than 350 film professionals from Mexico, Latin America, USA, Europe and Canada, will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions.
It is worth noting that the members of Cinema23 all have an active role in the selection, nomination and voting process for the Fénix Film Awards. Members include:
Karim Ainouz, Elena Anaya, José Carlos Avellar, Héctor Babenco, Luiz Carlos Barreto, Alice Braga, Brigitte Broch, Demián Bichir, Eugenio Caballero, Javier Cámara, Sebastián Cordero, Enrique Chediak, Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón, María de Medeiros, Guillermo del Toro, Amat Escalante, Dolores Fonzi, Gael García Bernal, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Iván Giroud, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Salma Hayek, Carlos F. Heredero, Dolores Heredia, Pablo Larraín, Juan de Dios Larraín, Sebastián Lelio, Fernando León de Aranoa, Mónica Lozano, Emmanuel Lubezki, Diego Luna, Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Michel, Luis Miñarro, Wagner Moura, Bertha Navarro, Luis Ospina, Fito Páez, Marisa Paredes, Rodrigo Plá, Alejandro Ramírez, Édgar Ramírez, José Luis Rebordinos, Ana de la Reguera, Carlos Reygadas, José María Riba, Erica Rivas, Catalina Sandino, Ilda Santiago, Rodrigo Santoro, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Albert Serra, Juan Carlos Tabío, Paz Vega, Maribel Verdú & Monika Wagenberg.
Other international members that participate in the various activities of the association include:
Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director Toronto International Film Festival), Frederic Boyer (Artistic Director Tribeca Film Festival), Klaus Eder (President Fipresci), Robert Koehler (Film Critic), Claudia Landsberger (Vice-President Eye Film Institute) and Sydney Levine (Indiewire Blog Sydneys Buzz).
The award ceremony will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcast live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.
To view Cinema23’s promotional video, click on the following link:
www.vimeo.com/81518414
To find out more about Cinema23 and the Fénix Film Awards please visit:
http://www.cinema23.com
About Cinema23
Cinema23 is an association created in 2012 to promote, support and raise awareness for the Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese film culture. It is formed by a diverse group of people with outstanding career trajectories from the film community mainly from the 22 countries of the region and those who work closely with the region’s filmmaking: directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, editors, art directors, sound designers, music composers, costume designers, festival directors and programmers, critics, researchers, distributors and film exhibitors.
Cinema23 seeks a more participative community amongst it members and provides a forum for creative and cultural exchange and cooperation among filmmakers from the region. Its yearly strategies and projects aim to promote and safeguard contemporary Ibero-American film culture, reaching new audiences, sharing ideas and enhancing the visibility and fostering the work of those who make films in Ibero-America.
About the Premio iberoamericano de cine Fénix®, (Fénix Film Awards)
The Fénix Film Awards is the key strategy to further Cinema23’s aims. It celebrates and emphasizes the work of film professionals, provides international visibility and strengthens bonds from the region’s film industry besides captivating and reaching a broader audience.
The first Fénix Film Awards’ gala will award 12 categories and 4 special recognitions. It will be held in October 2014 in Mexico City and will be broadcasted live on E! Entertainment Television to over 200 million people worldwide with the support of Mexico City’s Government.
- 6/4/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Providing a glimpse into the vast landscape of Iberoamerican cinema and its artists, MoMa’s eclectic selection of films for their biannual showcase is truly enlightening. These year’s collection features some works that received distribution and critical acclaimed and others that have been outstandingly successful in the festival circuit, creating an opportunity for audiences to connect with films they might have missed and others that are shown in the American market.
Staying away from the obvious choices, these gems are films that represent a special perspective within the Iberoamerican collective narrative. Personal stories about heritage, social change, and family, delivered in ways that make innovative use of the medium both in terms of content and form. Working in over 20 countries the Ibermedia organization has been instrumental for the development of these and many other films across the Americas, Spin and Portugal, and this small but artistically impressive retrospective aims to continuously honor their efforts.
This fantastic film exhibition started on May 1st, and continues through May 14th. Below are some of the most notable titles, but in all honesty anything playing here is worth the price of admission.
Palabras Magicas (Para romper un encantamiento)/ Magic Words (Breaking a Spell)
Dir. Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez
Morphing breathtaking vistas of Nicaragua into poignant visual metaphors, Mercedes Moncada Rodriguez weaves together fragments of her country's torturous past and its forgotten beauty to form a riveting portrait of her homeland. Using July 19, 1979 - the fateful first day of the Sandinista Revolution - as connecting point between old wounds and an the uncertain future, the filmmaker creates a poetic documentary adorned with evocative narration. The archive footage blends with carefully chosen imagery to make the sense lost hope and broken promises even more prominent. Beyond the historical importance it carries, this is a stunning revelation of a film.
No
Dir. Pablo Larraín
This Academy Award-nominated film by Pablo Larrain uses a peculiar visual style to tackle the crucial role of the media to create social change. It is an extremely entertaining work that seamlessly juxtaposes the visual style of the 80′s with contemporary cinematic language. The piece has a powerful message of unity, and it’s truthful to the history of the Chilean nation. Gael Garcia Bernal is riveting, besides nailing the Chilean accent, his character resonates as a torn man who finds no closure or national identity even after achieving success. His work in advertising serves the same purpose for capitalist marketing and revolutionary campaigns. Based on the real life events that help end the Pinochet regime, this is, above all, a story about incredible results from the most improbable of circumstances.
La Sirga (The Towrope)
Dir. William Vega
With a naturalist aesthetic that highlights the captivating setting and the hyperrealist characters, La Sirga is a delicately crafted new take on the coming-of-age tale. Alicia has just lost her parents at the hands of criminals that lurk around these remote towns in the Andes. She finds shelter with her uncle Don Oscar, and slowly begins to familiarize herself with the locals, their legends, and their fears. Darkness and the quiet sounds of the night slowly reveal the true nature of each character and their unspoken desires. Each silent moment in this film is as important as every line of dialogue. William Vega’s minimalist study of human relations in an isolated community is shot with impressive attention to the composition of each frame and the emotion it conveys.
La Demora (The Delay)
Dir. Rodrigo Plá
Intimate and touching, this bittersweet love letter to parents and their children focuses on a single mother of three who must also take care of her elderly father, who is not lucid enough to fend for himself. At the end if her rope, making very little money, and juggling all her obligations Maria decides to take drastic measures, which she soon regrets. This tiny Uruguayan gem relies on topnotch performances and the honesty of it story. Love is understood here not in magical and perfect terms, but as a mixture sacrifice, patience, and willingness to forgive.
Yvy Maraey: Tierra Sin Mal (Yvy Maraey: Land Without Evil)
Dir. Juan Carlos Valdivia
Essentially a narrative feature that borrows heavily from more sensorial and experimental works, this unclassifiable film set in Bolivia ponders on past wounds and the fervent collision between those of European descent and the indigenous people. Focusing on a filmmaker’s journey following the steps of researcher Erland Nordeskiold by the hand of Guarani Indian, this is a film about the concepts and images that are encrypted in the post-colonial history of Latin America. The concept is at the intersection of scripted drama and Cinéma vérité and it offers mysticism and insightful social commentary.
La Jaura de Oro (The Golden Dream)
Dir. Diego Quemada-Díez
Among the vast and redundant collection of tales dealing with illegal immigration, very few can claim to be unique. Given that there are some inherent qualities to these stories, it takes an assertive new voice to infuse the subject matter with honesty. Spanish director Diego Quemada-Díez’ La Jaula de Oro, is perhaps the most poetic, and neo-realist film about the struggles of people searching for a better future thousands of miles away from home at any cost. There are twists and turns in the plot that make for a satisfying, often heartbreaking viewing experience. Three Guatemalan kids on their way to the live the capitalist dream become trapped in a nightmarish reality as they travel though Mexico. They have nothing to lose but their lives.
Staying away from the obvious choices, these gems are films that represent a special perspective within the Iberoamerican collective narrative. Personal stories about heritage, social change, and family, delivered in ways that make innovative use of the medium both in terms of content and form. Working in over 20 countries the Ibermedia organization has been instrumental for the development of these and many other films across the Americas, Spin and Portugal, and this small but artistically impressive retrospective aims to continuously honor their efforts.
This fantastic film exhibition started on May 1st, and continues through May 14th. Below are some of the most notable titles, but in all honesty anything playing here is worth the price of admission.
Palabras Magicas (Para romper un encantamiento)/ Magic Words (Breaking a Spell)
Dir. Mercedes Moncada Rodríguez
Morphing breathtaking vistas of Nicaragua into poignant visual metaphors, Mercedes Moncada Rodriguez weaves together fragments of her country's torturous past and its forgotten beauty to form a riveting portrait of her homeland. Using July 19, 1979 - the fateful first day of the Sandinista Revolution - as connecting point between old wounds and an the uncertain future, the filmmaker creates a poetic documentary adorned with evocative narration. The archive footage blends with carefully chosen imagery to make the sense lost hope and broken promises even more prominent. Beyond the historical importance it carries, this is a stunning revelation of a film.
No
Dir. Pablo Larraín
This Academy Award-nominated film by Pablo Larrain uses a peculiar visual style to tackle the crucial role of the media to create social change. It is an extremely entertaining work that seamlessly juxtaposes the visual style of the 80′s with contemporary cinematic language. The piece has a powerful message of unity, and it’s truthful to the history of the Chilean nation. Gael Garcia Bernal is riveting, besides nailing the Chilean accent, his character resonates as a torn man who finds no closure or national identity even after achieving success. His work in advertising serves the same purpose for capitalist marketing and revolutionary campaigns. Based on the real life events that help end the Pinochet regime, this is, above all, a story about incredible results from the most improbable of circumstances.
La Sirga (The Towrope)
Dir. William Vega
With a naturalist aesthetic that highlights the captivating setting and the hyperrealist characters, La Sirga is a delicately crafted new take on the coming-of-age tale. Alicia has just lost her parents at the hands of criminals that lurk around these remote towns in the Andes. She finds shelter with her uncle Don Oscar, and slowly begins to familiarize herself with the locals, their legends, and their fears. Darkness and the quiet sounds of the night slowly reveal the true nature of each character and their unspoken desires. Each silent moment in this film is as important as every line of dialogue. William Vega’s minimalist study of human relations in an isolated community is shot with impressive attention to the composition of each frame and the emotion it conveys.
La Demora (The Delay)
Dir. Rodrigo Plá
Intimate and touching, this bittersweet love letter to parents and their children focuses on a single mother of three who must also take care of her elderly father, who is not lucid enough to fend for himself. At the end if her rope, making very little money, and juggling all her obligations Maria decides to take drastic measures, which she soon regrets. This tiny Uruguayan gem relies on topnotch performances and the honesty of it story. Love is understood here not in magical and perfect terms, but as a mixture sacrifice, patience, and willingness to forgive.
Yvy Maraey: Tierra Sin Mal (Yvy Maraey: Land Without Evil)
Dir. Juan Carlos Valdivia
Essentially a narrative feature that borrows heavily from more sensorial and experimental works, this unclassifiable film set in Bolivia ponders on past wounds and the fervent collision between those of European descent and the indigenous people. Focusing on a filmmaker’s journey following the steps of researcher Erland Nordeskiold by the hand of Guarani Indian, this is a film about the concepts and images that are encrypted in the post-colonial history of Latin America. The concept is at the intersection of scripted drama and Cinéma vérité and it offers mysticism and insightful social commentary.
La Jaura de Oro (The Golden Dream)
Dir. Diego Quemada-Díez
Among the vast and redundant collection of tales dealing with illegal immigration, very few can claim to be unique. Given that there are some inherent qualities to these stories, it takes an assertive new voice to infuse the subject matter with honesty. Spanish director Diego Quemada-Díez’ La Jaula de Oro, is perhaps the most poetic, and neo-realist film about the struggles of people searching for a better future thousands of miles away from home at any cost. There are twists and turns in the plot that make for a satisfying, often heartbreaking viewing experience. Three Guatemalan kids on their way to the live the capitalist dream become trapped in a nightmarish reality as they travel though Mexico. They have nothing to lose but their lives.
- 5/9/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Psych-Out: The Surreal Side Of Euro-Cult | Viva! Spanish And Latin American Film Festival | Kinoteka Polish Film Festival | Pan Asia Film Festival
Psych-Out: The Surreal Side Of Euro-Cult, Newcastle upon Tyne
If your definition of psychedelic cinema goes further than Peter Fonda saying "Far out", prepare to have your mind exploded. Psychedelia was always a better fit with Europe, where it found affinities with surrealism, horror and eroticism. The examples here are six of the most luridly extreme films from the 60s and 70s, with some of the grooviest soundtracks. There's high-end vampire trash such as Daughters Of Darkness and Vampyros Lesbos, but if that sounds a bit tame, try Fernando Arrabal's bizarre I Will Walk Like A Crazy Horse or Andrzej Zulawski's intense Possession.
Star And Shadow Cinema, Sat to 28 Mar
Viva! Spanish And Latin American Film Festival, Manchester
Between the economic crisis in Spain and the explosion...
Psych-Out: The Surreal Side Of Euro-Cult, Newcastle upon Tyne
If your definition of psychedelic cinema goes further than Peter Fonda saying "Far out", prepare to have your mind exploded. Psychedelia was always a better fit with Europe, where it found affinities with surrealism, horror and eroticism. The examples here are six of the most luridly extreme films from the 60s and 70s, with some of the grooviest soundtracks. There's high-end vampire trash such as Daughters Of Darkness and Vampyros Lesbos, but if that sounds a bit tame, try Fernando Arrabal's bizarre I Will Walk Like A Crazy Horse or Andrzej Zulawski's intense Possession.
Star And Shadow Cinema, Sat to 28 Mar
Viva! Spanish And Latin American Film Festival, Manchester
Between the economic crisis in Spain and the explosion...
- 3/2/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Pacha, a Bolivian film by Héctor Ferreiro will open the first edition of the Kochi International Film Festival today. The festival that will run from December 16-23 will be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.
The festival will screen films from Latin America, Europe, Asia and USA, apart from films on the 100 Years of Indian Cinema and Centenary of Masters.
A total of 50 international films and 24 Indian films will be screened. Five films from Thailand, eight from Poland six films from Iran will be a part of the international section. While 18 Malayalam, one Tulu film and three Hindi films are in the line-up.
Line up of films:
100 Years of Indian Cinema
Malayalam Golden 10:
Elippathayam (The Rat Trap) by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Chidambaram by G. Aravindan
Danny by T. V. Chandran
Amma Ariyan by John Abraham
Oppol by K. S. Sethumadhavan
Nirmalyam by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Uppu by Pavithran
Olavum Theeravum by P.
The festival will screen films from Latin America, Europe, Asia and USA, apart from films on the 100 Years of Indian Cinema and Centenary of Masters.
A total of 50 international films and 24 Indian films will be screened. Five films from Thailand, eight from Poland six films from Iran will be a part of the international section. While 18 Malayalam, one Tulu film and three Hindi films are in the line-up.
Line up of films:
100 Years of Indian Cinema
Malayalam Golden 10:
Elippathayam (The Rat Trap) by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Chidambaram by G. Aravindan
Danny by T. V. Chandran
Amma Ariyan by John Abraham
Oppol by K. S. Sethumadhavan
Nirmalyam by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Uppu by Pavithran
Olavum Theeravum by P.
- 12/16/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
For the first time in Academy Award history, 71 countries are vying for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The submissions for 2012 include director Michael Haneke’s Amour, which won the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival; France’s global box office sensation The Intouchables; and Nairobi Half Life, the first film ever submitted by Kenya. Check out the full list below:
Afghanistan: The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi, director
Albania: Pharmakon, Joni Shanaj, director
Algeria: Zabana!, Said Ould Khelifa, director
Argentina: Clandestine Childhood, Benjamín Ávila, director
Armenia: If Only Everyone, Natalia Belyauskene, director
Australia: Lore, Cate Shortland, director
Austria: Amour,...
Afghanistan: The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi, director
Albania: Pharmakon, Joni Shanaj, director
Algeria: Zabana!, Said Ould Khelifa, director
Argentina: Clandestine Childhood, Benjamín Ávila, director
Armenia: If Only Everyone, Natalia Belyauskene, director
Australia: Lore, Cate Shortland, director
Austria: Amour,...
- 10/8/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
The Oscar season is almost upon us, and the submissions list is in for the Best Foreign Language Film category, featuring a record 71 entries, including the first submission from Kenya.
Last year, Iran’s Asghar Farhadi came away with the top prize for his acclaimed film, A Separation, and the year before, it was Denmark’s Susanne Bier with her In a Better World.
This year, there are already a handful of strong contenders amongst the pack, most notably Michael Haneke’s Amour, for Austria, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes; Olivier Nakache’s and Éric Toledano’s The Intouchables, for France, which has been breaking records at the global box office; Pablo Larráin’s No, for Chile, which also came away from Cannes with an award in hand; Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, for South Korea, which took four awards at Venice, including (controversially) the Golden Lion; and...
Last year, Iran’s Asghar Farhadi came away with the top prize for his acclaimed film, A Separation, and the year before, it was Denmark’s Susanne Bier with her In a Better World.
This year, there are already a handful of strong contenders amongst the pack, most notably Michael Haneke’s Amour, for Austria, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes; Olivier Nakache’s and Éric Toledano’s The Intouchables, for France, which has been breaking records at the global box office; Pablo Larráin’s No, for Chile, which also came away from Cannes with an award in hand; Kim Ki-duk’s Pieta, for South Korea, which took four awards at Venice, including (controversially) the Golden Lion; and...
- 10/8/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Intouchables
A record 71 countries, including first-time entrant Kenya, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 85th Academy Awards®. In May, Michael Haneke.s Amour (Love) won the Palme d.Or at the 65th Cannes Film Festival and was shown this past weekend at the 50th New York Film Festival. However the film I was happiest to see make the list below is from France – The Intouchables from directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. Check out our review Here.
In the Academy’s rules, only one picture will be accepted from each country. Plus the Academy Statuette (Oscar) will be awarded to the motion picture and accepted by the director on behalf of the picture.s creative talents. Ultimately five foreign language motion pictures are nominated for this award.
Director/writer Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation from Iran won the Oscar for the Best...
A record 71 countries, including first-time entrant Kenya, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 85th Academy Awards®. In May, Michael Haneke.s Amour (Love) won the Palme d.Or at the 65th Cannes Film Festival and was shown this past weekend at the 50th New York Film Festival. However the film I was happiest to see make the list below is from France – The Intouchables from directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. Check out our review Here.
In the Academy’s rules, only one picture will be accepted from each country. Plus the Academy Statuette (Oscar) will be awarded to the motion picture and accepted by the director on behalf of the picture.s creative talents. Ultimately five foreign language motion pictures are nominated for this award.
Director/writer Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation from Iran won the Oscar for the Best...
- 10/8/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Indian Oscar entry Anurag Basu’s “Barfi” will have to compete with 64 films from around the world. Barfi’s chance will be sealed on January 24th 2013 when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will announce the five nominees.
The deadline for submission of entries for the foreign language category got over yesterday on October 1st.
63 countries had sent their entries for the category last year.
Iran, the winner of last year (A separation) decided not to send an entry this year in protest of a youtube film that ridiculed the prophet.
The final list of submissions is yet to be announced by the academy.
Also Read: Who Selected “Barfi” for Oscars? and Where does “Barfi” stand in the Oscar race?
Here is the complete list of announced submissions:-
Afghanistan – The Patience Stone, directed by Atiq Rahimi (Persian) Albania – Pharmakon, directed by Joni Shanaj (Albania) Algeria – Zabana!, directed by Saïd Ould Khelifa (Arabic,...
The deadline for submission of entries for the foreign language category got over yesterday on October 1st.
63 countries had sent their entries for the category last year.
Iran, the winner of last year (A separation) decided not to send an entry this year in protest of a youtube film that ridiculed the prophet.
The final list of submissions is yet to be announced by the academy.
Also Read: Who Selected “Barfi” for Oscars? and Where does “Barfi” stand in the Oscar race?
Here is the complete list of announced submissions:-
Afghanistan – The Patience Stone, directed by Atiq Rahimi (Persian) Albania – Pharmakon, directed by Joni Shanaj (Albania) Algeria – Zabana!, directed by Saïd Ould Khelifa (Arabic,...
- 10/2/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Montreal’s Festival Du Nouveau Cinema (10.10 – 10.21) announced their line-up today for their 41st edition and among the smorgasbord of subtitle offerings dating back to this year’s Rotterdam, Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Venice and Tiff editions, we’re knee-deep in avant-garde world cinema from the established auteurs Assayas, Vinterberg, Ozon, Sang-Soo, Joao Pedro Rodriguez, Larrain, Loach, Reygadas, Ghobadi, Mungiu and Miguel Gomes. Heavy on offerings from Quebec and France, the fest also manages to offer a stellar snapshot of the up-and-comers from all corners of the globe. Among the notable titles in the (Competition category) International Selection we’ve got Pablo Berger’s Blancanieves, Ursula Meier’s Sister, Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky’s Francine (which received its theatrical release earlier this month) and Rodrigo Plá’s La Demora. Loaded in Cannes items, the Special Presentations is the fest’s A-list selections (see filmmakers named above) and the one pic...
- 9/25/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die has won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlinale. The other awards, presented by Mike Leigh and his International Jury (Anton Corbijn, Asghar Farhadi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jake Gyllenhaal, François Ozon, Boualem Sansal and Barbara Sukowa):
The first Silver Bear, the Jury Grand Prix, goes to Bence Fliegauf's Just the Wind. (Last year, this prize went to a Hungarian as well, to Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse.)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara.
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for her performance in War Witch.
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Følsgaard for A Royal Affair.
The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution goes to Director of Photography Lutz Reitemeier for his work on White Deer Plain.
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair.
The Alfred Bauer Award...
The first Silver Bear, the Jury Grand Prix, goes to Bence Fliegauf's Just the Wind. (Last year, this prize went to a Hungarian as well, to Béla Tarr for The Turin Horse.)
Silver Bear for Best Director: Christian Petzold for Barbara.
Silver Bear for Best Actress: Rachel Mwanza for her performance in War Witch.
Silver Bear for Best Actor: Mikkel Følsgaard for A Royal Affair.
The Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution goes to Director of Photography Lutz Reitemeier for his work on White Deer Plain.
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg for A Royal Affair.
The Alfred Bauer Award...
- 2/18/2012
- MUBI
Die Lage (Condition)
For many, myself included, this is the Berlinale lineup we anticipate most each year: "The 42nd Berlinale Forum will be showing 38 films in its main program, including 26 world premieres and 8 international premieres." There'll be special screenings, too, which we'll be hearing about later, but for now, the main program with synopses from the festival:
Al Juma Al Akheira (The Last Friday) by Yahya Alabdallah, Jordan/United Arab Emirates - International Premiere. "Taxi driver Yousef is forced to bring some order into his failed existence. This lovingly photographed film casts a laconic and occasionally humorous gaze on daily life in the Jordanian capital Amman."
Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) by Marlon N Rivera, the Philippines. "In this biting satire, three young filmmakers do everything in their power to obtain international fame. They are all too aware of foreign audiences' expectations of Philippine cinema: prostitution,...
For many, myself included, this is the Berlinale lineup we anticipate most each year: "The 42nd Berlinale Forum will be showing 38 films in its main program, including 26 world premieres and 8 international premieres." There'll be special screenings, too, which we'll be hearing about later, but for now, the main program with synopses from the festival:
Al Juma Al Akheira (The Last Friday) by Yahya Alabdallah, Jordan/United Arab Emirates - International Premiere. "Taxi driver Yousef is forced to bring some order into his failed existence. This lovingly photographed film casts a laconic and occasionally humorous gaze on daily life in the Jordanian capital Amman."
Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) by Marlon N Rivera, the Philippines. "In this biting satire, three young filmmakers do everything in their power to obtain international fame. They are all too aware of foreign audiences' expectations of Philippine cinema: prostitution,...
- 1/20/2012
- MUBI
Critics' Week has already begun celebrating its 50th anniversary by posting 50 video interviews with directors and actors who've seen their work debut in this section at Cannes. We're celebrating, too. In association with the 4+1 Film Festival, Mubi is presenting a retrospective of some of the greatest films first seen in Critics' Week over the past half-century. And even though the first 1000 views of each of the films will be free to you, the viewer, the rights holders will carry on receiving their duly earned revenue.
The retrospective encompasses over 100 titles in all, but please do keep in mind that rights issues can get complicated and not every film can be available in every country. That said, here's a quick overview of just some of the highlights:
Over in the Garage, a La Semaine Blogathon is already on the roll, starting with Kj Farrington's entry on Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know,...
The retrospective encompasses over 100 titles in all, but please do keep in mind that rights issues can get complicated and not every film can be available in every country. That said, here's a quick overview of just some of the highlights:
Over in the Garage, a La Semaine Blogathon is already on the roll, starting with Kj Farrington's entry on Miranda July's Me and You and Everyone We Know,...
- 5/14/2011
- MUBI
Ultimately, the thing that sinks Rodrigo Plá's The Desert Within is how it never once comes to life in any particularly distinctive way. The film follows a poor farmer in revolutionary Mexico whose hubris leaves him exiled to a barren scrap of desert, building a church to try and make amends for the awful things he was responsible for. It's a premise that's crying out for an auteur to take the wheel, but Plá doesn't seem to know which auteur he wants to be. There are stabs at epic period grandeur, Jodorowsky-style fever-dream surrealism and painterly formalism a la Terence Malick, but the director never pushes any of these far enough to leave a lasting impression.After the government sends in the troops to clamp down...
- 3/22/2011
- Screen Anarchy
[Editor's note: I've asked our team of world film correspondents to dish out their top 5 films of the year from their respective countries. Here's Christine Davila's take on the Best in Mexican Cinema in 2010.] To be clear, this is a list of Mexican films which either: traveled far in the 2010 film festival front, were critically acclaimed, received a healthy theatrical run, and which I consider the strongest celluloid among the Mexican narrative feature film trenches from where I culled and screened deep. Okay maybe not that deep, considering there are only about 100 feature narrative films produced in Mexico a year. But given that figure, this small percentage illustrates a strong dose of diversity and range of genre, budget, but more importantly original strong stories and voices. Before I begin....one special mention goes out to REVOLUCIÓN by Carlos Reygadas, Amat Escalante, Fernando Eimbcke, Mariana Chenillo, Patricia Riggen, Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gerardo Naranjo, Rodrigo Garcia, and Rodrigo Plá. The first time I ever heard use of the word Portmanteau was when this movie starting popping up at festivals beginning with the world premiere...
- 12/24/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
As Rodrigo Garcia is currently readying himself for the Albert Nobbs shoot, Fox Searchlight is readying the Mother & Child director to perhaps next work from a Jose Rivera-penned adaptation of an Oscar-nominated Short Subject documentary La Corona. Julie Lynn, who's been producing alongside Garcia since Nine Lives, will produce. Gist: The feature film will be pulling from the short: I've included that "fuller" synopsis The contestants are murderers, guerrillas and thieves. The runner-up will cry when she doesn't get the tiara, wiping her tears with a tattooed hand. The winner will be crowned Queen, but she won't be invited on a press tour as a role model for young girls. Instead, she will be escorted back to her cell. This is a beauty pageant like no other, and it happens every year in the Women's Penitentiary in Bogotá, Colombia. Read the rest. Worth Noting: Garcia was one of the...
- 12/7/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
This weekend, which is to say, all day Saturday and all day Sunday, Mubi presents the free online premiere of Revolución, an anthology of ten short films commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Mexican revolution and examining its legacy. It also happens to be a sampler of sorts, collecting work by ten of the most engaging directors working in Mexico today: Gael García Bernal, Mariana Chenillo, Fernando Eimbcke, Amat Escalante, Rodrigo García, Diego Luna, Gerardo Naranjo, Rodrigo Plá, Carlos Reygadas and Patricia Riggen.
"Tonally and in subject matter, the vignettes in Revolución run the gamut," wrote Reed Johnson in the Los Angeles Times this summer. "Some have the rounded coherence of short stories. Others are more like dreams (or nightmares) than narratives, registering as impressionistic snapshots or tone poems. Some bristle with caustic humor and bitterness. Others ache with nostalgia, expressed in images of the country's rugged, sweeping landscapes and its stoic,...
"Tonally and in subject matter, the vignettes in Revolución run the gamut," wrote Reed Johnson in the Los Angeles Times this summer. "Some have the rounded coherence of short stories. Others are more like dreams (or nightmares) than narratives, registering as impressionistic snapshots or tone poems. Some bristle with caustic humor and bitterness. Others ache with nostalgia, expressed in images of the country's rugged, sweeping landscapes and its stoic,...
- 11/18/2010
- MUBI
Dallas' Vistas Latino Film Festival is celebrating its eleventh annual appearance with a great line up of Latin American films and visits from several of the minds and faces behind them. Vistas runs from October 28th through the 31st and showcases some of the best recent Latino film of recent years. The Mexican omnibus film, Revolucion opens the festival on October 28th at the Angelika Film Center at Mockingbird Station. This is Revolucion's Us debut and stars Jaime Camil, Blanca Soto, Alejandra Barros, Liz Gallardo, Adal Ramones, Alejandra Ambrosi, Pedro Armendariz, Jr., Jeannine Derbez, Gustavo Sanchez-Parra, Humberto Busto, Erik del Castillo, and Maria Soleno will be in attendance, it should be a fun night! Twitch readers will probably recognize Seres: Genesis among the films being screened this year. The film opened a couple of weeks ago in Mexico and is getting good notices, this could be a new landmark in Latin American Sci-fi,...
- 10/9/2010
- Screen Anarchy
French-Tunisian director Abdellatif Kechiche’s film centered on the story of Saartjie “Sarah” Baartman, otherwise derogatorily known as the Hottentot Venus, will be screening at the New York Film Festival, which begins its run September 24th. You know I’ll be there to see it, with my thoughts on the film to follow on this blog.
Recall back in April, we alerted you to the fact that the film was being made under the title Black Venus (which will remain), claiming its spot as the first feature-length film to have Baartman as its subject – at least, that’s what my research tells me.
At the time of my initial post, I couldn’t find much info on the project; however, I did think it odd that the list of cast members on the film’s IMDb page didn’t (and still don’t) list a Saartjie Baartman (or even Hottentot Venus) as a character.
Recall back in April, we alerted you to the fact that the film was being made under the title Black Venus (which will remain), claiming its spot as the first feature-length film to have Baartman as its subject – at least, that’s what my research tells me.
At the time of my initial post, I couldn’t find much info on the project; however, I did think it odd that the list of cast members on the film’s IMDb page didn’t (and still don’t) list a Saartjie Baartman (or even Hottentot Venus) as a character.
- 8/16/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
The folks over at the Film Society of Lincoln Center have announced their main program for the 48th annual New York Film Festival running from September 24th - October 10th.
In addition to the already announced open night heavy hitter that is David Fincher's The Social Network, they've added another Hollywood big gun with Clint Eastwood's supernatural tale Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard. The centerpiece film will be Julie Taymor's latest Shakespeare spectacle, The Tempest.
The real meat of the line-up *ahem* comes with Mexican cannibal feature, We Are What We Are, a film we've been pretty supportive of here at Twitch since its Cannes premiere. The complete list for the main slate is listed below with the expected bevy of Cannes holdovers and late year awards hopefuls.
Tickets go on sale to the public starting September 12th. And yes, we press hope to...
In addition to the already announced open night heavy hitter that is David Fincher's The Social Network, they've added another Hollywood big gun with Clint Eastwood's supernatural tale Hereafter, starring Matt Damon and Bryce Dallas Howard. The centerpiece film will be Julie Taymor's latest Shakespeare spectacle, The Tempest.
The real meat of the line-up *ahem* comes with Mexican cannibal feature, We Are What We Are, a film we've been pretty supportive of here at Twitch since its Cannes premiere. The complete list for the main slate is listed below with the expected bevy of Cannes holdovers and late year awards hopefuls.
Tickets go on sale to the public starting September 12th. And yes, we press hope to...
- 8/16/2010
- Screen Anarchy
The New York Times announced the 2010 New York Film Festival lineup this morning. They even beat the festival's own website to the news. Kyle Chandler would be proud.
Anyway, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, organizers of Nyff, had already announced David Fincher's Facebook biopic "The Social Network" as their Opening Night film. Now they've added twenty-five features to their roster, plus Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" as the Closing Night selection. The Times describes the film as the story of "the gradual connections of an American psychic (played by Matt Damon); a French journalist (Cécile de France) who has a brush with death in the 2004 tsunami; and a London schoolboy who loses his twin brother (Frankie and George McLaren)." "Hereafter," by the way, makes nine movies for Eastwood in nine years. It's like he and Woody Allen are locked in a weird game of directorial chicken or something.
As usual,...
Anyway, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, organizers of Nyff, had already announced David Fincher's Facebook biopic "The Social Network" as their Opening Night film. Now they've added twenty-five features to their roster, plus Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" as the Closing Night selection. The Times describes the film as the story of "the gradual connections of an American psychic (played by Matt Damon); a French journalist (Cécile de France) who has a brush with death in the 2004 tsunami; and a London schoolboy who loses his twin brother (Frankie and George McLaren)." "Hereafter," by the way, makes nine movies for Eastwood in nine years. It's like he and Woody Allen are locked in a weird game of directorial chicken or something.
As usual,...
- 8/16/2010
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
It's another "Cannes heavy" selection this year for the 48th edition of the Nyff. With the majority of the titles coming from the Croisette (look out for some personal faves in Cristi Puiu's Aurora and Michelangelo Frammartino's Le Quattro Volte) and the Lido (Abdellatif Kechiche's Black Venus, Kelly Reichardt's Meek’s Cutoff, Hong Sang-soo's Oki’s Movie, Pablo Larrain's Post Mortem, Patrick Keiller's Robinson in Ruins, Alexei Fedorchenko's Silent Souls, plus Raul Ruiz's miniseries Mysteries of Lisbon), I figure it be fun to take a closer look at the non-Cannes/Venice offerings. Not sure if this constitutes the film's world premiere, but with a date closer to its theatrical release than what Tiff's dates could provide, Clint Eastwood's Hereafter will be closing the festival. Before it preems on PBS in November, Michael Epstein's Lennon NYC will show --- the doc comes with...
- 8/16/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Clint Eastwood will unveil his Peter Morgan-scripted Matt Damon-starrer Hereafter as the closing night film of the New York Film Festival. The fest previously set the David Fincher-directed Facebook film The Social Network to open the festival and Julie Taymor's The Tempest to be its centerpiece. All three figure to be players in the Oscar race this year. Here is the rest of the Nyff program: Another Year Mike Leigh, 2010, UK Aurora Cristi Puiu, 2010, Romania Black Venus (Venus noire) Abdellatif Kechiche, France Carlos Olivier Assayas, 2010, France Certified Copy (Copie conformé) Abbas Kiarostami, 2010, France/Italy Film Socialisme Jean-Luc Godard, 2010, Switzerland Inside Job Charles Ferguson, 2010, USA Le Quattro Volte Michelangelo Frammartino, 2010, Italy Lennon NYC, Michael Epstein, 2010, USA Meek's Cutoff Kelly Reichardt, 2010, USA My Joy (Schastye moe) Sergei Loznitsa, 2010, Ukraine/Germany Mysteries Of Lisbon (Misterios de Lisboa) Raul Ruiz, Portugal/France Of Gods And Men (Des homes et des dieux) Xavier Beauvois,...
- 8/16/2010
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival is set to run June 17-27 in a brand new location. Oh, it’s still in L.A, but it’s moving across town, from Westwood — where it’s been held the past few years — all the way over to Downtown.
The main “hub” for the fest will be the new L.A. Live complex, but there will also be screenings at other locations, such as the Downtown Independent and Redcat theaters. The city is really trying to build downtown up into a major arts and culture hub, so the festival moving there fits in with that agenda. Film Independent, the organization that runs Laff, also runs the annual Independent Spirit Awards, an event that also moved downtown — from Santa Monica — this year.
On Bad Lit, I tend to like to put up festival lineups that include days and times of screenings. However, since I...
The main “hub” for the fest will be the new L.A. Live complex, but there will also be screenings at other locations, such as the Downtown Independent and Redcat theaters. The city is really trying to build downtown up into a major arts and culture hub, so the festival moving there fits in with that agenda. Film Independent, the organization that runs Laff, also runs the annual Independent Spirit Awards, an event that also moved downtown — from Santa Monica — this year.
On Bad Lit, I tend to like to put up festival lineups that include days and times of screenings. However, since I...
- 5/17/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
- Before we begin what should be a grueling, exhausting, yet painlessly pleasurable coverage of the 61st edition of the Cannes film festival (I've got north of 40 films/events that I ambitiously want to cover), I first wanted to begin Ioncinema.com's coverage of the fest with an overview of the four sections of the festival and what I predict should be critically well-received pictures to look out for. We first begin with the Critic's Week (47th Semaine Int. de la Critique) sidebar which has a distinctive Euro-flavoring this year. Home (Ursula Meier) Workshopped at Cannes, this is a world premiere and last minute addition to the section. Starring Isabelle Huppert and Olivier Gourmet, this follows a family whose peaceful existence in an isolated country home is threatened with the reconstruction of a busy highway nearby. Lake Tahoe (Fernando Eimbcke) Selected as Fipresci Revelation of the year, this coming of
- 5/13/2008
- IONCINEMA.com
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