TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected three international co-productions as winners of its 2024 Audience Design Fund, which provides financial aid and coaching for films at the distribution stage.
The three awarded projects are Indian director Kapadia Payal’s All We Imagine As Light; Egyptian directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s The Brink Of Dreams; and US-based Nepalese director Deepak Rauniyar’s The Sky Is Mine.
Each film is currently in post-production and will receive a €45,000 grant plus three online consultancy sessions to advise on innovative audience engagement and outreach strategies.
All We Imagine As Light is the second film from Kapadia Payal,...
The three awarded projects are Indian director Kapadia Payal’s All We Imagine As Light; Egyptian directors Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir’s The Brink Of Dreams; and US-based Nepalese director Deepak Rauniyar’s The Sky Is Mine.
Each film is currently in post-production and will receive a €45,000 grant plus three online consultancy sessions to advise on innovative audience engagement and outreach strategies.
All We Imagine As Light is the second film from Kapadia Payal,...
- 4/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Acclaimed Nepalese filmmaker Deepak Rauniyar has wrapped principal photography on his next feature “Rajagunj” (“The Sky is Mine”).
The film is also one of nine projects to receive funding from the Norwegian Film Institute’s Sorfond. It received NOK625,000.
Rauniyar’s first feature, “Highway,” premiered at the 2012 Berlinale and played Locarno, while his sophomore feature “White Sun” (2016) won awards at the Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg and Singapore festivals. He is also a Berlinale Talents alumnus saw and short film “Four Nights” play at Berlinale Shorts in 2022.
Written by Rauniyar, David Barker and Asha Magrati, “The Sky is Mine” examines the caste system endemic to South Asia, where there is great emphasis on skin color. The film follows Pooja, a light-skinned Nepali police officer, who has broken centuries-old misogyny by becoming the first female detective in the country. She comes across her first case in a violent border town. While tens...
The film is also one of nine projects to receive funding from the Norwegian Film Institute’s Sorfond. It received NOK625,000.
Rauniyar’s first feature, “Highway,” premiered at the 2012 Berlinale and played Locarno, while his sophomore feature “White Sun” (2016) won awards at the Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg and Singapore festivals. He is also a Berlinale Talents alumnus saw and short film “Four Nights” play at Berlinale Shorts in 2022.
Written by Rauniyar, David Barker and Asha Magrati, “The Sky is Mine” examines the caste system endemic to South Asia, where there is great emphasis on skin color. The film follows Pooja, a light-skinned Nepali police officer, who has broken centuries-old misogyny by becoming the first female detective in the country. She comes across her first case in a violent border town. While tens...
- 10/12/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The fund has doubled its number of investments for the 2023 selection.
TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected features Titanic Ocean and Erratics to receive €50,000 each through its Co-Production Fund, doubling the number of grants offered from last year.
Titanic Ocean is the debut feature by Greek filmmaker Konstantina Kotzamani, and previously came through the Tfl FeatureLab in 2018. Set in a school that trains teenage girls to be professional mermaids, a 16-year-old discovers a secret about life, love and the world’s end. It is produced by Greece’s Homemade Films – which receives the Tfl award - with France’s Manny Films, Germany’s Wunderlust,...
TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has selected features Titanic Ocean and Erratics to receive €50,000 each through its Co-Production Fund, doubling the number of grants offered from last year.
Titanic Ocean is the debut feature by Greek filmmaker Konstantina Kotzamani, and previously came through the Tfl FeatureLab in 2018. Set in a school that trains teenage girls to be professional mermaids, a 16-year-old discovers a secret about life, love and the world’s end. It is produced by Greece’s Homemade Films – which receives the Tfl award - with France’s Manny Films, Germany’s Wunderlust,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Fund is aimed at co-productions between European and international partners.
Vietnamese filmmaker Truong Minh Quy has been awarded the TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) co-production fund award for his upcoming feature Viet And Nam.
The award consists of €50,000, which will be allocated to the European production company working on the film – Germany’s Scarlet Visions – as well as a series of expert consultancies with people in various areas of filmmaking. Experts include UK art director Fleur Whitlock and the Emmy-winning production designer of 2006’s Jane Eyre, Grenville Horner.
Viet And Nam follows a couple who both work as miners, as one of...
Vietnamese filmmaker Truong Minh Quy has been awarded the TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) co-production fund award for his upcoming feature Viet And Nam.
The award consists of €50,000, which will be allocated to the European production company working on the film – Germany’s Scarlet Visions – as well as a series of expert consultancies with people in various areas of filmmaking. Experts include UK art director Fleur Whitlock and the Emmy-winning production designer of 2006’s Jane Eyre, Grenville Horner.
Viet And Nam follows a couple who both work as miners, as one of...
- 9/27/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The Fund is aimed at co-productions between European and international partners.
Vietnamese filmmaker Trương Minh Quý has been awarded the TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) co-production fund for his upcoming feature Viet And Nam.
The award consists of €50,000, which will be allocated to the European production company working on the film - Germany’s Scarlet Visions, as well as a series of expert consultancies with people in various areas of filmmaking. Experts include UK art director Fleur Whitlock and the Emmy-winning production designer of 2006’s Jane Eyre, Grenville Horner.
Viet And Nam follows a couple who both work as miners, as one of...
Vietnamese filmmaker Trương Minh Quý has been awarded the TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) co-production fund for his upcoming feature Viet And Nam.
The award consists of €50,000, which will be allocated to the European production company working on the film - Germany’s Scarlet Visions, as well as a series of expert consultancies with people in various areas of filmmaking. Experts include UK art director Fleur Whitlock and the Emmy-winning production designer of 2006’s Jane Eyre, Grenville Horner.
Viet And Nam follows a couple who both work as miners, as one of...
- 9/27/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Acclaimed Nepalese filmmaker Deepak Rauniyar has cast Indian actor Tannishtha Chatterjee as one of the leads in his upcoming feature “The Sky Is Mine.”
Chatterjee’s credits include “Brick Lane” (2007), for which she scored a best actress nomination at the British Independent Film Awards, “Parched” (2015) and “Lion” (2016). She won the Asia Star Award for best Asian filmmaker at Busan for her directorial debut, “Roam Rome Mein” (2019).
Rauniyar’s latest work, short film “Four Nights,” is playing at Berlinale Shorts. The filmmaker’s first feature, “Highway,” premiered at the 2012 Berlinale and played Locarno, while his sophomore feature “White Sun” (2016) won awards at the Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg and Singapore festivals. He is also a Berlinale Talents alumnus.
Written by Rauniyar, David Barker and Asha Magrati, “The Sky Is Mine” examines the caste system endemic to South Asia, where there is great emphasis on skin color. The film will follow Pooja, a light-skinned Nepali police officer,...
Chatterjee’s credits include “Brick Lane” (2007), for which she scored a best actress nomination at the British Independent Film Awards, “Parched” (2015) and “Lion” (2016). She won the Asia Star Award for best Asian filmmaker at Busan for her directorial debut, “Roam Rome Mein” (2019).
Rauniyar’s latest work, short film “Four Nights,” is playing at Berlinale Shorts. The filmmaker’s first feature, “Highway,” premiered at the 2012 Berlinale and played Locarno, while his sophomore feature “White Sun” (2016) won awards at the Venice, Palm Springs, Fribourg and Singapore festivals. He is also a Berlinale Talents alumnus.
Written by Rauniyar, David Barker and Asha Magrati, “The Sky Is Mine” examines the caste system endemic to South Asia, where there is great emphasis on skin color. The film will follow Pooja, a light-skinned Nepali police officer,...
- 2/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Speakers on the Knowledge Series panels discussed the precarious position of South Asian independent filmmaking following the pandemic.
While India’s economy is recovering, cinemas reopening and the streaming business booming, as the devastating second wave of the pandemic recedes, this year’s edition of Film Bazaar Online (November 20-25) highlighted the precarious position of Indian and South Asian independent cinema in the post-Covid landscape.
Speakers on several panels during Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series talked about the usual indie filmmaker headaches of accessing funding and distribution, as well as the need for further training in areas such as animation and VFX,...
While India’s economy is recovering, cinemas reopening and the streaming business booming, as the devastating second wave of the pandemic recedes, this year’s edition of Film Bazaar Online (November 20-25) highlighted the precarious position of Indian and South Asian independent cinema in the post-Covid landscape.
Speakers on several panels during Film Bazaar’s Knowledge Series talked about the usual indie filmmaker headaches of accessing funding and distribution, as well as the need for further training in areas such as animation and VFX,...
- 11/25/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Singaporean producer Jeremy Chua has amassed an impressive body of work in a relatively short period of time. Adullaah Mohammad Saad’s “Rehana,” a Singapore/Bangladesh co-production led by Chua’s Potocol, will pay at Un Certain Regard. “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) by Philippines auteur Lav Diaz had considerable festival play, including at Karlovy Vary, San Sebastian and Busan; Ying Liang’s “A Family Tour” (2018) was at Locarno, New York and London; Bradley Liew’s “Motel Acacia” played Tokyo, Taipei and Bucheon; John Clang’s “A Love Unknown” (2020) bowed at Rotterdam; while Raya Martin’s “Death of Nintendo” (2020) debuted at Berlin.
His other Cannes trips accompanied “A Yellow Bird” by K. Rajagopal, which was at the Cinéfondation L’Atelier in 2014 followed by a premiere at the 2016 Critics’ Week. In 2019, he produced “The Women” by The Maw Naing, which was also at Cinéfondation.
What attracted you to “Rehana?” How did you meet Saad?...
His other Cannes trips accompanied “A Yellow Bird” by K. Rajagopal, which was at the Cinéfondation L’Atelier in 2014 followed by a premiere at the 2016 Critics’ Week. In 2019, he produced “The Women” by The Maw Naing, which was also at Cinéfondation.
What attracted you to “Rehana?” How did you meet Saad?...
- 7/6/2021
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Indian premieres include Massoud Bhakshi’s Yalda – A Night For Forgiveness, which took the Grand Jury prize at Sundance.
India’s Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff) is taking place as an online event (October 29-November 4) with a line-up of Indian premieres and talk events with Asif Kapadia and Venice best screenplay-winning director Chaitanya Tamhane (The Disciple).
Indian premieres include recent festival award winners such as Massoud Bhakshi’s Yalda – A Night For Forgiveness, which took the Grand Jury prize at Sundance; Babyteeth, winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor at Venice; and Visar Morina’s Exile, which...
India’s Dharamshala International Film Festival (Diff) is taking place as an online event (October 29-November 4) with a line-up of Indian premieres and talk events with Asif Kapadia and Venice best screenplay-winning director Chaitanya Tamhane (The Disciple).
Indian premieres include recent festival award winners such as Massoud Bhakshi’s Yalda – A Night For Forgiveness, which took the Grand Jury prize at Sundance; Babyteeth, winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor at Venice; and Visar Morina’s Exile, which...
- 10/19/2020
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The 9th edition of the Dharamshala Film Festival is going online for the first time. Its highlights include the Indian premiere of Massoud Bakhshi’s Sundance grand jury prize winner “Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness,” and a conversation with Oscar-winner Asif Kapadia (“Amy”).
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959. The festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam are filmmakers in their own right. Their chronicles of the Tibetan condition like 2005’s “Dreaming Lhasa,” 2010’s “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom” and 2018’s “The Sweet Requiem” have received considerable festival play, including at Toronto and Manila.
The Dharamshala festival directors will be in conversation with Kapadia and also with Chaitanya Tamhane, director of this year’s Venice and Toronto award-winning title “The Disciple.
Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, Dharamshala is best known internationally as the seat of the Dalai Lama, who has been based there since being exiled from Tibet in 1959. The festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam are filmmakers in their own right. Their chronicles of the Tibetan condition like 2005’s “Dreaming Lhasa,” 2010’s “The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom” and 2018’s “The Sweet Requiem” have received considerable festival play, including at Toronto and Manila.
The Dharamshala festival directors will be in conversation with Kapadia and also with Chaitanya Tamhane, director of this year’s Venice and Toronto award-winning title “The Disciple.
- 10/15/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
By Shikhar Verma
“White Sun”, the title of Deepak Rauniyar’s sophomore Nepalese drama refers to peace. The peace that is neither as peaceful as it seems on the surface nor as easy as it is supposed to be. Balancing detailed and intimate human drama with sharply observed political delicacy, Rauniyar’s film beautifully encapsulates the post-war scenario in contemporary Nepal. Satirizing the traditions and beliefs where the old are set against the new, “White Sun” observes the dilemma of well-rounded characters and their baggage with each other, through death and change. It also observes the guilt, transformations, and freedom that something as stark as war can bring into some people’s life. With a light touch and absurd comic situations, Rauniyar’s film slowly and assuredly becomes an important piece of cinema which gives to all the viewers an opportunity to look into the world we live in or should know about.
“White Sun”, the title of Deepak Rauniyar’s sophomore Nepalese drama refers to peace. The peace that is neither as peaceful as it seems on the surface nor as easy as it is supposed to be. Balancing detailed and intimate human drama with sharply observed political delicacy, Rauniyar’s film beautifully encapsulates the post-war scenario in contemporary Nepal. Satirizing the traditions and beliefs where the old are set against the new, “White Sun” observes the dilemma of well-rounded characters and their baggage with each other, through death and change. It also observes the guilt, transformations, and freedom that something as stark as war can bring into some people’s life. With a light touch and absurd comic situations, Rauniyar’s film slowly and assuredly becomes an important piece of cinema which gives to all the viewers an opportunity to look into the world we live in or should know about.
- 8/3/2020
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Efm event runs until Wednesday.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market has awarded three cash prizes to There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, The Last Paradise On Earth, and The Melting.
Onur Saylak’s There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World has received the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20,000. Liman Film and b.i.t arts from Turkey are producing. A Special Mention went to 8horses’ Electric Child, which Simon Jaquemet of Switzerland will direct.
The €10,000 Vff Talent Highlight Award has gone to Sakaris Stórá’s The Last Paradise On Earth from the Faroe Islands and produced by Jón Hammer.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market has awarded three cash prizes to There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, The Last Paradise On Earth, and The Melting.
Onur Saylak’s There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World has received the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20,000. Liman Film and b.i.t arts from Turkey are producing. A Special Mention went to 8horses’ Electric Child, which Simon Jaquemet of Switzerland will direct.
The €10,000 Vff Talent Highlight Award has gone to Sakaris Stórá’s The Last Paradise On Earth from the Faroe Islands and produced by Jón Hammer.
- 2/24/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
Efm event runs until Wednesday.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market has awarded three cash prizes to There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, The Last Paradise On Earth, and The Melting.
Onur Saylak’s There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World has received the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20,000. Liman Film and b.i.t arts from Turkey are producing. A Special Mention went to 8horses’ Electric Child, which Simon Jaquemet of Switzerland will direct.
The €10,000 Vff Talent Highlight Award has gone to Sakaris Stórá’s The Last Paradise On Earth from the Faroe Islands and produced by Jón Hammer.
The Berlinale Co-Production Market has awarded three cash prizes to There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World, The Last Paradise On Earth, and The Melting.
Onur Saylak’s There Are Two Kinds Of People In This World has received the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of €20,000. Liman Film and b.i.t arts from Turkey are producing. A Special Mention went to 8horses’ Electric Child, which Simon Jaquemet of Switzerland will direct.
The €10,000 Vff Talent Highlight Award has gone to Sakaris Stórá’s The Last Paradise On Earth from the Faroe Islands and produced by Jón Hammer.
- 2/24/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
New films from Pepa San Martín and Golden Bear winner Adina Pintilie among the line up.
The films selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 22-26) have been revealed and top 50% by female directors in the official project selection for the first time.
Scroll down for full list of titles
A total of 36 features from 34 countries will be showcased by producers seeking co-production partners through one-to-one meetings with distributors, financiers and sales agents.
For the official project selection, 21 projects with budgets ranging from €750,000 to €5m were selected from more than 300 submissions. With 11 projects by female directors, the proportion here has exceeded 50% for the first time.
The films selected for the Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 22-26) have been revealed and top 50% by female directors in the official project selection for the first time.
Scroll down for full list of titles
A total of 36 features from 34 countries will be showcased by producers seeking co-production partners through one-to-one meetings with distributors, financiers and sales agents.
For the official project selection, 21 projects with budgets ranging from €750,000 to €5m were selected from more than 300 submissions. With 11 projects by female directors, the proportion here has exceeded 50% for the first time.
- 1/15/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Tribeca Film Institute announced the winners of their 2019 Tfi Pond5 program funding aspiring filmmakers.
Eight applicants, narrowed down from a pool of 200, were awarded with up to $7,500 in funding for their filmmaking endeavors. The program, in junction with media company Pond5, began the initiative last year to support indie filmmakers in “systematically-excluded communities.”
“These filmmakers are telling timely stories through their unique perspectives using both documentary, scripted, and interactive formats,” Amy Hobby, Tribeca Film Institute’s executive director, said in a statement. “The Tfi Pond5 Program allows us to continue to support filmmakers that we believe so strongly in. We’re excited to fund this group of emerging creators.”
Recipients will be able to use funding for everything from music licensing and hiring crew members to attending workshops and mentorship sessions. This year, 50% of grantees are women.
Winners include writer, director and producer Jorge Thielen-Armand for his feature “La Cercanía” about...
Eight applicants, narrowed down from a pool of 200, were awarded with up to $7,500 in funding for their filmmaking endeavors. The program, in junction with media company Pond5, began the initiative last year to support indie filmmakers in “systematically-excluded communities.”
“These filmmakers are telling timely stories through their unique perspectives using both documentary, scripted, and interactive formats,” Amy Hobby, Tribeca Film Institute’s executive director, said in a statement. “The Tfi Pond5 Program allows us to continue to support filmmakers that we believe so strongly in. We’re excited to fund this group of emerging creators.”
Recipients will be able to use funding for everything from music licensing and hiring crew members to attending workshops and mentorship sessions. This year, 50% of grantees are women.
Winners include writer, director and producer Jorge Thielen-Armand for his feature “La Cercanía” about...
- 11/14/2019
- by Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
Nepal has chosen a debut feature as its candidate for the Oscars’ international feature film category.
Nepal’s academy award selection committee chose Binod Paudel’s “Bulbul.” Starring Swastima Khadka and Mukun Bhusal, the film follows the travails of a woman who drives a tempo truck in Kathmandu. “Bulbul” was released in Nepal in February.
At the country’s annual National Awards Khadka won best actress while Paudel won best director. “Bulbul” is Paudel’s feature debut. He previously wrote 2013’s “Saanghuro” that won best screenplay and best director at Nepal’s National Awards.
Nepal has been submitting to the category formerly known as the foreign film award since 1999. The country scored a nomination for its first entry, Eric Valli’s “Himalaya,” but has not been nominated since. Globally acclaimed films submitted to the category from Nepal include Min Bahadur Bham’s “The Black Hen” and Deepak Rauniyar’s “White...
Nepal’s academy award selection committee chose Binod Paudel’s “Bulbul.” Starring Swastima Khadka and Mukun Bhusal, the film follows the travails of a woman who drives a tempo truck in Kathmandu. “Bulbul” was released in Nepal in February.
At the country’s annual National Awards Khadka won best actress while Paudel won best director. “Bulbul” is Paudel’s feature debut. He previously wrote 2013’s “Saanghuro” that won best screenplay and best director at Nepal’s National Awards.
Nepal has been submitting to the category formerly known as the foreign film award since 1999. The country scored a nomination for its first entry, Eric Valli’s “Himalaya,” but has not been nominated since. Globally acclaimed films submitted to the category from Nepal include Min Bahadur Bham’s “The Black Hen” and Deepak Rauniyar’s “White...
- 9/7/2019
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Singapore-based film companies Potocol and Aurora Media sealed a two-year first-look deal during the closing days of Hong Kong's Filmart.
Under the agreement, which runs until 2021, Aurora has the option to invest in, co-produce and distribute the films and television series Potocol develops. The partnership also includes an option to bring in Potocol’s founder Jeremy Chua as a co-producer on Aurora’s own development slate.
The companies' first project together will be the cop thriller Raja from Nepalese writer-director Deepak Rauniyar (White Sun), scheduled to start filming in 2020 with Aurora’s group managing partner Justin Deimen co-producing....
Under the agreement, which runs until 2021, Aurora has the option to invest in, co-produce and distribute the films and television series Potocol develops. The partnership also includes an option to bring in Potocol’s founder Jeremy Chua as a co-producer on Aurora’s own development slate.
The companies' first project together will be the cop thriller Raja from Nepalese writer-director Deepak Rauniyar (White Sun), scheduled to start filming in 2020 with Aurora’s group managing partner Justin Deimen co-producing....
- 3/22/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Singapore-based film companies Potocol and Aurora Media sealed a two-year first-look deal during the closing days of Hong Kong's Filmart.
Under the agreement, which runs until 2021, Aurora has the option to invest in, co-produce and distribute the films and television series Potocol develops. The partnership also includes an option to bring in Potocol’s founder Jeremy Chua as a co-producer on Aurora’s own development slate.
The companies' first project together will be the cop thriller Raja from Nepalese writer-director Deepak Rauniyar (White Sun), scheduled to start filming in 2020 with Aurora’s group managing partner Justin Deimen co-producing....
Under the agreement, which runs until 2021, Aurora has the option to invest in, co-produce and distribute the films and television series Potocol develops. The partnership also includes an option to bring in Potocol’s founder Jeremy Chua as a co-producer on Aurora’s own development slate.
The companies' first project together will be the cop thriller Raja from Nepalese writer-director Deepak Rauniyar (White Sun), scheduled to start filming in 2020 with Aurora’s group managing partner Justin Deimen co-producing....
- 3/22/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘Gurrumul’.
Director Paul Williams and producer Shannon Swan’s portrait of the late blind Indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Gurrumul, won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) in Brisbane last night.
It was the first time an Australian film has won in the category, with Gurrumul beating out Amal, Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany), Of Love & Law (Japan, UK, France) and Up Down & Sideways
Accepting the award together with Williams, Swan described the moment as bittersweet knowing that Gurrumul wasn’t there to share in it.
“To G, thank you so much for inviting us into your life and trusting us with your story,” he said.
Gurrumul also won Feature Documentary of the Year at last week’s Screen Producers Australia Awards, and is also nominated for five awards at next week’s AACTAs, including for Best Feature Documentary alongside Mountain,...
Director Paul Williams and producer Shannon Swan’s portrait of the late blind Indigenous musician Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Gurrumul, won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Apsa) in Brisbane last night.
It was the first time an Australian film has won in the category, with Gurrumul beating out Amal, Of Fathers and Sons (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, Qatar, Germany), Of Love & Law (Japan, UK, France) and Up Down & Sideways
Accepting the award together with Williams, Swan described the moment as bittersweet knowing that Gurrumul wasn’t there to share in it.
“To G, thank you so much for inviting us into your life and trusting us with your story,” he said.
Gurrumul also won Feature Documentary of the Year at last week’s Screen Producers Australia Awards, and is also nominated for five awards at next week’s AACTAs, including for Best Feature Documentary alongside Mountain,...
- 11/30/2018
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Nadine Labaki takes director prize for Capharnaüm.
The jury of the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards has awarded the best film prize to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku), continuing the Palme d’Or winner’s dream run.
Full list of winners below
The film, which depicts a makeshift family living on the fringes of Japanese society, won the highest honour at the region’s film awards, which took place in Brisbane, Australia, tonight.
The best director prize went to Nadine Labaki for Capharnaüm (Lebanon).
Shoplifters’ win marks the first time that a Japanese film has won the best feature...
The jury of the 12th Asia Pacific Screen Awards has awarded the best film prize to Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku), continuing the Palme d’Or winner’s dream run.
Full list of winners below
The film, which depicts a makeshift family living on the fringes of Japanese society, won the highest honour at the region’s film awards, which took place in Brisbane, Australia, tonight.
The best director prize went to Nadine Labaki for Capharnaüm (Lebanon).
Shoplifters’ win marks the first time that a Japanese film has won the best feature...
- 11/29/2018
- by Fiona Williams
- ScreenDaily
Earlier today the folks at the Northwest Film Center announced the full line-up for this year’s Portland International Film Festival, and have published a Pdf for all to read online. The printed copies will be making their way around town this week.
The Northwest Film Center is proud to reveal the 41st Portland International Film Festival (Piff 41) lineup. This year’s Festival begins on Thursday, February 15th and runs through Thursday, March 1st. Our Opening Night selection is the new comedy The Death of Stalin from writer/director Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop). The film, adapted from the graphic novel by Fabien Nury, stars Steve Buscemi, Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs, and Michael Palin. The Death of Stalin will screen simultaneously on Opening Night at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum (1219 Sw Park Ave) and on two screens at Regal Fox Tower 10 (846 Sw Park Ave).
Check...
The Northwest Film Center is proud to reveal the 41st Portland International Film Festival (Piff 41) lineup. This year’s Festival begins on Thursday, February 15th and runs through Thursday, March 1st. Our Opening Night selection is the new comedy The Death of Stalin from writer/director Armando Iannucci (Veep, In the Loop). The film, adapted from the graphic novel by Fabien Nury, stars Steve Buscemi, Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs, and Michael Palin. The Death of Stalin will screen simultaneously on Opening Night at the Whitsell Auditorium, located in the Portland Art Museum (1219 Sw Park Ave) and on two screens at Regal Fox Tower 10 (846 Sw Park Ave).
Check...
- 1/30/2018
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Berlinale Talents
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Fest Chief, Dieter Kosslick at Dine & Shine Dinner, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017Pity for all you upcoming filmmakers who might be eligible to further your careers through the Berlinale Talents because now the 2018 application period is closed, but come next July 2018, you should plan to apply!Talents, copyright Peter Himsel, Berlinale 2017
Berlinale Talents is aimed at film and television professionals in the first 10 years of their careers. To find out if you are eligible to apply for Berlinale Talents or one of their project labs: Doc Station, Talent Project Market, Script Station and Short Film Station; and to get a quick overview of the application process, check out the information Here.
One in five contenders for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is a Berlinale Talents alum. An impressive 17 films by Berlinale Talents alumni have been nominated as their countries’ contenders for the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- 11/17/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
White Sun tells the story of Chandra, who, after being away for a decade, returns to his remote mountain village to bury his father. But Chandra is more than a prodigal son. He's a Maoist, a former guerrilla who fought against the Nepali government during the country's long and bloody civil war. As Chandra struggles to transport his father's body for burial according to traditional customs, he finds that despite thousands of lives lost in the name of revolution and progress, the old societal and familial divisions remain.
Nepal's civil war began...
Nepal's civil war began...
- 11/9/2017
- by Shannon L. Bowen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The final deadline for submitting each country’s film for consideration for the foreign-language Oscar was October 2. Last year 85 were finally deemed eligible by the Academy; this year the number is a record 92. Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants. These films are vying for the initial shortlist of 9, and final five nominations to be announced on January 23. See the final list below.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
Read More:Oscar Announces Changes for Foreign-Film Voting: Now Simpler! (Sort Of.)
The frontrunners include Sweden selected Ruben Östlund’s hilarious Palme d’Or-winner “The Square” (October 27, Magnolia Pictures), an art-world satire shot in majority Swedish with some English from stars Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss, and Dominic West, thus giving Östlund another shot after “Force Majeure” was a surprise 2015 Oscar omission.
Germany’s choice, Fatih Akin’s “In the Fade” (December 27, Magnolia Pictures), won Best Actress for Diane Kruger at Cannes.
- 10/5/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
David Barker is a hard one to put a finger on. He is an American writer and editor who over the past 10 years has gained an international reputation for his analytical ability and open, unconventional approach. Recent collaborations include Deepak Rauniyar’s sensitive exploration of the impact of Nepalese civil war White Sun (opening today at New York’s Moma and running through September 12) and Josephine Decker’s upcoming feature with Molly Parker, Mirandy July and Helena Howard, Madeline Madeline. Things happen with David differently than you’d expect them to. You walk an entirely other route than you wanted and end […]...
- 9/6/2017
- by Micah Magee
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Nepal has selected Deepak Rauniyar's social drama Seto Surya (White Sun) as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards. Exec produced by Danny Glover (via his Louverture banner), the film is set after the Nepalese civil war, a conflict that raged from 1996-2006, and centers on a former Maoist rebel who struggles to reintegrate with his community and family. The picture world premiered in the Venice Horizons section last year and went…...
- 8/21/2017
- Deadline
White Sun (Seto Surya) has been selected as Nepal’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film race.
The second feature from writer-director Deepak Rauniyar revolves around a family divided by bloody war who must come together to put their father to rest. The film is set against the backdrop of the Himalayas and the violent history of Nepal, during which a war between royalists and Maoists cost 16,000 lives between 1996 and 2006.
The film kicks off with the sudden death of Chitra (Prakash Ghimire), the former mayor of a...
The second feature from writer-director Deepak Rauniyar revolves around a family divided by bloody war who must come together to put their father to rest. The film is set against the backdrop of the Himalayas and the violent history of Nepal, during which a war between royalists and Maoists cost 16,000 lives between 1996 and 2006.
The film kicks off with the sudden death of Chitra (Prakash Ghimire), the former mayor of a...
- 8/21/2017
- by Nyay Bhushan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Five films to screen on streaming platform in August.
New York-based streaming platform Filmatique has curated an August selection in partnership with the Locarno Festival.
Filmatique will screen five features that screened under the auspices of the Locarno Open Doors international co-production initiative in 2016.
The programme runs from 2016-2018 and is designed to help South Asian filmmakers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Locarno Festival opened this week and runs through August 12.
The selections on Filmatique include: Deepak Rauniyar’s Highway (pictured), which charts the lives of passengers aboard a bus from Darjeeling to Kathmandu; Bangladeshi filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain’s exploration of religious fundamentalism and patriarchy in her second feature, Under Construction; and Burmese filmmaker Maw Naing’s The Monk, about a young man’s crisis of faith deep in the countryside of Myanmar.
Rounding out the five are two films about contemporary Sri Lanka: Rasanna Jayakody’s 28 and [link=nm...
New York-based streaming platform Filmatique has curated an August selection in partnership with the Locarno Festival.
Filmatique will screen five features that screened under the auspices of the Locarno Open Doors international co-production initiative in 2016.
The programme runs from 2016-2018 and is designed to help South Asian filmmakers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Locarno Festival opened this week and runs through August 12.
The selections on Filmatique include: Deepak Rauniyar’s Highway (pictured), which charts the lives of passengers aboard a bus from Darjeeling to Kathmandu; Bangladeshi filmmaker Rubaiyat Hossain’s exploration of religious fundamentalism and patriarchy in her second feature, Under Construction; and Burmese filmmaker Maw Naing’s The Monk, about a young man’s crisis of faith deep in the countryside of Myanmar.
Rounding out the five are two films about contemporary Sri Lanka: Rasanna Jayakody’s 28 and [link=nm...
- 8/3/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
As we told you the renowned London Indian Film Festival is back for another year with a new and exciting selection of fabulous cutting-edge films that reaffirm the festival’s position as the ‘punk-rock of Indian cinema’. With films that range from subjects covering stories of gangsters, comedy themes, horror elements, thrillers, immigration and diaspora issues, environment, economics, religion, politics, and the lives of Indian royalty this year’s festival that runs from 22-29 June is not to be missed.
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
Check out this totally cool trailer (created by Parag Sankhe) to get an idea for what is in store for you! It has some amazing clips of the films that you must see!
The Black Prince opens the festival on 22nd June at the BFI Southbank with the red carpet premiere of the historical epic. The screening will also include a Q and A with the cast and director. Directed by Kavi Raz,...
- 6/3/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Exclusive: Films by Babak Jalali, Ricardo Silva and Deepak Rauniyar selected.
The Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf), which is administered by International Film Festival Rotterdam, has backed 13 projects in its latest funding round.
The Hbf Voices strand championing filmmakers who are more advanced in their careers, has selected Babak Jalali, pictured (whose film is titled Hymns), Ricardo Silva (Sleepwalk) and Deepak Rauniyar (Raja). Each project will receive script and project development funding worth €10,000.
The Nff+Hbf co-production scheme – a joint initiative by the Netherlands Film Fund and the Hubert Bals Fund – has backed two projects co-produced by Dutch producers.
Those are, Muayad Alayan’s The Reports On Sarah And Saleem, which is co-produced by KeyFilm, and Leonardo Brzezicki’s Almost In Love, which is co-produced by Keplerfilm. Both films receive a production grant of €50,000.
The Hbf Bright Future fund will grant €10,000 to eight features: Arun Karthick (Nasir); Sivaroj Kongsakul (Regretfully At Dawn); John Trengove (Estate); Omar Elzohairy (Feathers...
The Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf), which is administered by International Film Festival Rotterdam, has backed 13 projects in its latest funding round.
The Hbf Voices strand championing filmmakers who are more advanced in their careers, has selected Babak Jalali, pictured (whose film is titled Hymns), Ricardo Silva (Sleepwalk) and Deepak Rauniyar (Raja). Each project will receive script and project development funding worth €10,000.
The Nff+Hbf co-production scheme – a joint initiative by the Netherlands Film Fund and the Hubert Bals Fund – has backed two projects co-produced by Dutch producers.
Those are, Muayad Alayan’s The Reports On Sarah And Saleem, which is co-produced by KeyFilm, and Leonardo Brzezicki’s Almost In Love, which is co-produced by Keplerfilm. Both films receive a production grant of €50,000.
The Hbf Bright Future fund will grant €10,000 to eight features: Arun Karthick (Nasir); Sivaroj Kongsakul (Regretfully At Dawn); John Trengove (Estate); Omar Elzohairy (Feathers...
- 5/22/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
What a surprising city Rotterdam is and the Festival and Cinemart are full of surprises too.
Being in The Netherlands is like a homecoming for me. My first major job in the film industry was with 20th Century Fox International and City Fox Films in Amsterdam in 1975 which is when I first attended the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, three years after its founding by Huub Bals. It was much smaller then. Iffr’s logo is a tiger, loosely based on the M.G.M. lion as an alternative. From the beginning, the festival has profiled itself as a promoter of alternative, innovative and non-commercial films, with an emphasis on the Far East and developing countries. It has become one of the most important events in the film world, an integral part of the winter circuit of Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.
“Fox and HIs Friends”
Except for my...
Being in The Netherlands is like a homecoming for me. My first major job in the film industry was with 20th Century Fox International and City Fox Films in Amsterdam in 1975 which is when I first attended the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, three years after its founding by Huub Bals. It was much smaller then. Iffr’s logo is a tiger, loosely based on the M.G.M. lion as an alternative. From the beginning, the festival has profiled itself as a promoter of alternative, innovative and non-commercial films, with an emphasis on the Far East and developing countries. It has become one of the most important events in the film world, an integral part of the winter circuit of Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Festivals.
“Fox and HIs Friends”
Except for my...
- 3/8/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
One of the best festivals during the first half of the year is The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films, which kicks off its 46th year this March, running from the 15th to the 26th. With last year’s line-up including some of the year’s best films, including Cameraperson, The Fits, Kaili Blues, Neon Bull, Weiner, and more, we can expect many more discoveries this year.
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
Opening with Patti Cake$ and closing with Person to Person, in between will be one of our favorite films from Sundance as the centerpiece, Beach Rats. Also among the line-up is a handful of other festival favorites, including The Dreamed Path, The Giant, Menashe, and Lady Macbeth.
“Authenticity is an elusive thing these days, and without it we risk ruin. This is particularly true in cinema,” says Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief...
- 2/15/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center has today announces their complete lineup for the 46th annual New Directors/New Films (Nd/Nf), running March 15 – 26. Dedicated to the discovery of new works by emerging and dynamic filmmaking talent, this year’s festival will screen 29 features and nine short films. This year’s lineup boasts nine North American premieres, seven U.S. premieres, and two world premieres, with features and shorts from 32 countries across five continents.
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
The opening, centerpiece, and closing night selections showcase three exciting new voices in American independent cinema that all recently debuted at Sundance: Geremy Jasper’s “Patti Cake$” is the opening night pick, while Eliza Hittman’s “Beach Rats” is the centerpiece selection and Dustin Guy Defa will close the festival with “Person to Person.” Other standouts include “Menashe,” “My Happy Family,” “Quest” and “The Wound.”
Read More: The Sundance Rebel:...
- 2/15/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Though the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) is going on its 46th year and its Cinemart on its 35th, 2017 marks only the third year since festival director Bero Beyer, a former producer, continues to reshape the event into a more focused selection of film projects whose life on the film circuit will have an impact beyond the festival scene itself, a field that is becoming increasingly crowded for many reasons which would take another article to explain.
But there will be quite a discussion about this very issue.The Rotterdam Cinemart, the first co-production market ever, started in 1982 and brought the then-small international film community together in a uniquely egalitarian and intimate way that only the Dutch could offer. In many ways it became a victim of its own success, mentoring similar events in Hong Kong and So. Korea and then copied by numerous others, but without the care and warmth of the original event.
But there will be quite a discussion about this very issue.The Rotterdam Cinemart, the first co-production market ever, started in 1982 and brought the then-small international film community together in a uniquely egalitarian and intimate way that only the Dutch could offer. In many ways it became a victim of its own success, mentoring similar events in Hong Kong and So. Korea and then copied by numerous others, but without the care and warmth of the original event.
- 1/28/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Maren Ade’s German Oscar submission took one of the top prizes at the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Neruda won the festival’s Cine Latino Award for the best Ibero-American film, while Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for Elle and Gael García Bernal took corresponding honours for Neruda.
White Sun earned the New Voices/New Visions Award for the best first or second film and No Dress Code Required won the John Schlesinger Award for best first or second feature documentary.
The Mercedes-Benz Audience Awards on Sunday night went to Gus Van Sant’s When We Rise for best narrative feature and Take Me Home Huey by Alicia Brauns and Christine Steele for best documentary.
The festival runs from January 2-16.
Fipresci Prize
Toni Erdmann (Germany)
Fipresci Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (France)
Fipresci Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal, [link...
Neruda won the festival’s Cine Latino Award for the best Ibero-American film, while Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for Elle and Gael García Bernal took corresponding honours for Neruda.
White Sun earned the New Voices/New Visions Award for the best first or second film and No Dress Code Required won the John Schlesinger Award for best first or second feature documentary.
The Mercedes-Benz Audience Awards on Sunday night went to Gus Van Sant’s When We Rise for best narrative feature and Take Me Home Huey by Alicia Brauns and Christine Steele for best documentary.
The festival runs from January 2-16.
Fipresci Prize
Toni Erdmann (Germany)
Fipresci Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (France)
Fipresci Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal, [link...
- 1/14/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Maren Ade’s German Oscar submission took one of the top prizes at the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Neruda won the festival’s Cine Latino Award for the best Ibero-American film, while Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for Elle and Gael García Bernal took corresponding honours for Neruda.
White Sun earned the New Voices/New Visions Award for the best first or second film and No Dress Code Required won the John Schlesinger Award for best first or second feature documentary.
The Mercedes-Benz Audience Awards on Sunday night went to Gus Van Sant’s When We Rise for best narrative feature and Take Me Home Huey by Alicia Brauns and Christine Steele for best documentary.
The festival runs from January 2-16.
Fipresci Prize
Toni Erdmann (Germany)
Fipresci Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (France)
Fipresci Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal, [link...
Neruda won the festival’s Cine Latino Award for the best Ibero-American film, while Isabelle Huppert was named best actress for Elle and Gael García Bernal took corresponding honours for Neruda.
White Sun earned the New Voices/New Visions Award for the best first or second film and No Dress Code Required won the John Schlesinger Award for best first or second feature documentary.
The Mercedes-Benz Audience Awards on Sunday night went to Gus Van Sant’s When We Rise for best narrative feature and Take Me Home Huey by Alicia Brauns and Christine Steele for best documentary.
The festival runs from January 2-16.
Fipresci Prize
Toni Erdmann (Germany)
Fipresci Prize for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film:
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (France)
Fipresci Prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film
Gael García Bernal, [link...
- 1/14/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
A total of 26 film projects will participate in this year’s co-production market in Rotterdam.Scroll down for full line-up
The line-up for the 2017 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) co-production market CineMart has been revealed.
The 34th edition of the co-pro event features 26 projects and will run Jan 29 – Feb 1 as part of the Iffr Pro Days industry strand of the wider festival (Jan 25 – Feb 5).
Film-makers presenting projects at this year’s edition include Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro, whose 2015 feature Neon Bull [pictured] won prizes in Venice and Toronto. His next project is titled Centre Of The Earth.
Also participating in the event will be UK director Ben Rivers, whose credits include The Sky Trembles And The Earth Is Afraid And The Two Eyes Are Not Brothers. His latest project, After London, is being produced by Ben Wheatley’s Rook Films. Rivers previously won Rotterdam’s Tiger Award for his 2014 short film Things.
Nepalese director...
The line-up for the 2017 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) co-production market CineMart has been revealed.
The 34th edition of the co-pro event features 26 projects and will run Jan 29 – Feb 1 as part of the Iffr Pro Days industry strand of the wider festival (Jan 25 – Feb 5).
Film-makers presenting projects at this year’s edition include Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro, whose 2015 feature Neon Bull [pictured] won prizes in Venice and Toronto. His next project is titled Centre Of The Earth.
Also participating in the event will be UK director Ben Rivers, whose credits include The Sky Trembles And The Earth Is Afraid And The Two Eyes Are Not Brothers. His latest project, After London, is being produced by Ben Wheatley’s Rook Films. Rivers previously won Rotterdam’s Tiger Award for his 2014 short film Things.
Nepalese director...
- 12/13/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
The Singapore International Film Festival (Sgiff) is wrapping up its exciting 27th year and recently announced the winners of its Silver Screen Awards.
Asian Feature Film Competition
Bagging the Best Film award in the feature category is Nepalese drama “White Sun” (Seto Surya). Directed by Deepak Rauniyar, “White Sun” is an exceptional portrait of post-civil war Nepal. It is an inspiring film that champions a better and more peaceful future for children.
Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo’s debut picture “Turah” was given Special Mention by the jury. Set in a small village struggling to survive, this Indonesian film is a poignant exploration of corruption and hypocrisy in society.
Bangladeshi feature “Live from Dhaka” scored the Best Director award for Abdullah Mohammad Saad and Best Performance for Mostafa Monwar. Saad’s debut follows a partially handicapped man who wrestles between morality and self-preservation.
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition
Wregas Bhanuteja’s “In...
Asian Feature Film Competition
Bagging the Best Film award in the feature category is Nepalese drama “White Sun” (Seto Surya). Directed by Deepak Rauniyar, “White Sun” is an exceptional portrait of post-civil war Nepal. It is an inspiring film that champions a better and more peaceful future for children.
Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo’s debut picture “Turah” was given Special Mention by the jury. Set in a small village struggling to survive, this Indonesian film is a poignant exploration of corruption and hypocrisy in society.
Bangladeshi feature “Live from Dhaka” scored the Best Director award for Abdullah Mohammad Saad and Best Performance for Mostafa Monwar. Saad’s debut follows a partially handicapped man who wrestles between morality and self-preservation.
Southeast Asian Short Film Competition
Wregas Bhanuteja’s “In...
- 12/4/2016
- by Ella Palileo
- AsianMoviePulse
White Sun wins key award at the 27th Singapore International Film Festival.
White Sun won best film in the Silver Screen Awards at the 27th Singapore International Film Festival.
The second feature of Nepalese director Deepak Rauniyar is about a Maoist who returns home to bury his father.
The jury found it “an exceptional and incisive film about civil war and memory that encapsulates the never-ending conflict that is the state of the world today, with a message of hope that a different future for all of us can be possible through our children”.
Abdullah Mohammad Saad was named best director for his debut feature Live From Dhaka, which also took best performance for actor Mostafa Monwar. Shot in grainy black and white, it tells the story of a partially handicapped man who lives his days in anguish as he tries to find a way to leave Dhaka.
A special mention went to Turah, the debut feature...
White Sun won best film in the Silver Screen Awards at the 27th Singapore International Film Festival.
The second feature of Nepalese director Deepak Rauniyar is about a Maoist who returns home to bury his father.
The jury found it “an exceptional and incisive film about civil war and memory that encapsulates the never-ending conflict that is the state of the world today, with a message of hope that a different future for all of us can be possible through our children”.
Abdullah Mohammad Saad was named best director for his debut feature Live From Dhaka, which also took best performance for actor Mostafa Monwar. Shot in grainy black and white, it tells the story of a partially handicapped man who lives his days in anguish as he tries to find a way to leave Dhaka.
A special mention went to Turah, the debut feature...
- 12/4/2016
- by screenasia@yahoo.com (Silvia Wong)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive/Film Bazaar: Nepal’s Abinash Bikram Shah makes feature directorial debut with the project, which is selected for Film Bazaar’s Co-Production Market.
Catherine Dussart Productions (Cdp) from France and Michael Henrichs’ Die Gesellschaft Dgs from Germany have boarded Nepalese writer and director Abinash Bikram Shah’s Season of Dragonflies (Jhyalincha).
The film, selected for the Co-Production Market here, is about feisty fortysomething breast cancer survivor who has a tough decision to make after a devastating earthquake in Nepal.
Nepal’s Icefall Productions and Shooney Films are also producing. Icefall producer Ram Krishna Pokharel is also attending Film Bazaar alongside Henrichs.
Speaking to Screen at Film Bazaar, Henrichs said, “The story resonated with me and I felt he was referring to something which had great value to him. It’s a genuinely Nepali story on one hand and the emotionality of communication and overcoming crisis is a very universal theme. The advantage...
Catherine Dussart Productions (Cdp) from France and Michael Henrichs’ Die Gesellschaft Dgs from Germany have boarded Nepalese writer and director Abinash Bikram Shah’s Season of Dragonflies (Jhyalincha).
The film, selected for the Co-Production Market here, is about feisty fortysomething breast cancer survivor who has a tough decision to make after a devastating earthquake in Nepal.
Nepal’s Icefall Productions and Shooney Films are also producing. Icefall producer Ram Krishna Pokharel is also attending Film Bazaar alongside Henrichs.
Speaking to Screen at Film Bazaar, Henrichs said, “The story resonated with me and I felt he was referring to something which had great value to him. It’s a genuinely Nepali story on one hand and the emotionality of communication and overcoming crisis is a very universal theme. The advantage...
- 11/21/2016
- by uditaj@gmail.com (Udita Jhunjhunwala)
- ScreenDaily
Nigerian metropolis Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Nigerian capital Lagos is the focus of the eighth City To City showcase at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) as top brass anoint two international Rising Stars.
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
Tiff’s latest line-up announcement also featured extra selections in Galas and Special Presentations, among them Walter Hill’s (Re)Assignment, Philippe Falardeau’s The Bleeder, David Leveaux’ The Exception (pictured), Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or winner I, Daniel Blake and Terry George’s drama The Promise.
A vibrant crop of Contemporary World Cinema entries includes Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Aquarius, Danis Tanović’s Death In Sarajevo, Marie Noëlle’s Marie Curie, The Courage Of Knowledge and Akin Omotoso’s Vaya.
Hirokazu Kore-eda brings After The Storm to the Masters showcase, alongside Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams, Pedro Almodóvar’s Julieta, Cristian Mungiu’s Graduation, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea and Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Once Again.
Rounding out the...
- 8/16/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The Toronto International Film Festival is mere weeks from kicking off, yet the annual fall fest is showing zero sign of slowing down when it comes to announcing the titles that will round out this year’s event. Today’s announcement brings with it a number of Cannes favorites, including Ken Loach’s Palme d’Or-winning “I, Daniel Blake,” Olivier Assayas’ divisive Kristen Stewart-starring “Personal Shopper” and Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta.”
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The slate will also play home to the Dardenne Brothers’ latest, “The Unknown Girl,” which has reportedly been through an edit since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year. Other standouts from Cannes include Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Aquarius,” Boo Junfeng’s “Apprentice,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Graduation,” Brillante Ma Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
The slate will also play home to the Dardenne Brothers’ latest, “The Unknown Girl,” which has reportedly been through an edit since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year. Other standouts from Cannes include Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “Aquarius,” Boo Junfeng’s “Apprentice,” Cristian Mungiu’s “Graduation,” Brillante Ma Mendoza’s “Ma’ Rosa” and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada.
- 8/16/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Executive producer Jeremy Thomas to present world premiere of Bhutan film.
Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait will play at Locarno Film Festival’s (Aug 3-13) Open Doors Screenings.
The film, executive produced by Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, High-Rise), will receive its world premiere at Locarno’s platform for talent of contemporary cinema in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal.
Hema Hema marks the fourth feature from Bhutanese filmmaker Norbu and will be presented at Locarno by Thomas alongside young Bhutanese producer Pawo Choyning Dorji.
Other filmmakers featured in the Open Doors Screenings include Bengali filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Midi Z and The Maw Naing.
Others include Nepal filmmakers Min Bahadur Bham with directorial debut Kalo Pothi – The Black Hen; and Deepak Rauniyar.
Sophie Bourdon, head of Open Doors, said: “Playing host to the masks and allure of Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait, and...
Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait will play at Locarno Film Festival’s (Aug 3-13) Open Doors Screenings.
The film, executive produced by Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor, High-Rise), will receive its world premiere at Locarno’s platform for talent of contemporary cinema in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal.
Hema Hema marks the fourth feature from Bhutanese filmmaker Norbu and will be presented at Locarno by Thomas alongside young Bhutanese producer Pawo Choyning Dorji.
Other filmmakers featured in the Open Doors Screenings include Bengali filmmaker Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Midi Z and The Maw Naing.
Others include Nepal filmmakers Min Bahadur Bham with directorial debut Kalo Pothi – The Black Hen; and Deepak Rauniyar.
Sophie Bourdon, head of Open Doors, said: “Playing host to the masks and allure of Khyentse Norbu’s Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait, and...
- 7/29/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The full list of this year's Venice Film Festival has been announced with high-profile titles from Mel Gibson, Tom Ford, Terrence Malick, Derek Cianfrance, Pablo Larrain, Denis Villenueve, Antoine Fuqua, Damian Chazelle, Emir Kusturica, Antoine Fuqua, Ana Lily Amirpour, Francois Ozon, and Wim Wenders all making the grade.
Amongst the films in competition are Chazelle's Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone-led musical "La La Land," Ford's second film "Nocturnal Animals," the high-profile book adaptation "The Light Between Oceans," the mysterious sci-fi title "Arrival," and Malick's doco "Voyage of Time". Screening outside of competition are Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge," Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven," and the first two episodes of Paolo Sorrentino's "The Young Pope". Here's the full line-up:
In Competition
"The Bad Batch," Ana Lily Amirpour (U.S.)
"Une Vie," Stephan Brizé (France, Belgium)
"La La Land," Damien Chazelle (U.S.)
"The Light Between Oceans," Derek Cianfrance (U.S., Australia, New Zealand)
"El ciudadano ilustre,...
Amongst the films in competition are Chazelle's Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone-led musical "La La Land," Ford's second film "Nocturnal Animals," the high-profile book adaptation "The Light Between Oceans," the mysterious sci-fi title "Arrival," and Malick's doco "Voyage of Time". Screening outside of competition are Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge," Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven," and the first two episodes of Paolo Sorrentino's "The Young Pope". Here's the full line-up:
In Competition
"The Bad Batch," Ana Lily Amirpour (U.S.)
"Une Vie," Stephan Brizé (France, Belgium)
"La La Land," Damien Chazelle (U.S.)
"The Light Between Oceans," Derek Cianfrance (U.S., Australia, New Zealand)
"El ciudadano ilustre,...
- 7/28/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The selection for the 2016 Venice Film Festival has been announced, with new films by Terrence Malick, Pablo Larraín, Lav Diaz, Wang Bing, Amat Escalante, Tom Ford, and more.COMPETITIONVoyage of TimeThe Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour)Une vie i (Stéphane Brizé)La La Land (Damien Chazelle)The Light Between Oceans (Derek Cianfrance)El ciudadano ilustre (Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat)Spira Mirabilis (Massimo D'Anolfi, Martina Parenti)The Woman Who Left (Lav Diaz)La región salvaje (Amat Escalante)Nocturnal Animals (Tom Ford)Piuma (Roan Johnson)Paradise (Andrei Konchalovsky)Brimstone (Martin Koolhoven)Jackie (Pablo Larraín)Voyage of Time (Terrence Malick)El Cristo Ciego (Christopher Murray)Frantz (François Ozon)Questi Giorni (Giuseppe Piccioni)Arrival (Denis Villeneuve)Les beaux jours D'Aranjuez (Wim Wenders)Out Of COMPETITIONSafariOur War (Bruno Chiaravolloti, Claudio Jampaglia, Benedetta Argentieri)I Called Him Morgan (Kasper Collin)One More Time with Feeling (Andrew Dominik)The Bleeder (Philippe Falardeau)The Magnificent Seven (Antoine Fuqua...
- 7/28/2016
- MUBI
Is there a best picture winner in the bunch? The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its 2016 lineup, including both in competition and out of competition offerings, and with the festival’s strong track record of debuting recent best picture winners — from “Spotlight” to “Birdman” — there might be another big winner among the slate’s ranks.
As had been previously announced, the festival will open with Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” which will later hit Toronto (and, presumably, also Telluride). The festival will close with Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” which kicks off its own festival run days earlier, when it will open Tiff.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
Other picks that will also do the Venice-tiff two-step include Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival,” Francois Ozon’s “Frantz,” Nick Hamm...
As had been previously announced, the festival will open with Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” which will later hit Toronto (and, presumably, also Telluride). The festival will close with Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” which kicks off its own festival run days earlier, when it will open Tiff.
Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’
Other picks that will also do the Venice-tiff two-step include Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival,” Francois Ozon’s “Frantz,” Nick Hamm...
- 7/28/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Directors and producers from 19 countries are attached to 13 narrative feature films, 10 feature documentaries and 10 short films participating in the 6 day program of industry sessions designed to progress their projects and prepare them for international markets. The emphasis is on supporting first-and-second-time filmmakers with projects in development and post-production.
The Doha Film Institute's second edition of Qumra will be taking place in Doha, Qatar from March 4-9. 15 projects are from Qatar-based filmmakers, 12 from the Middle East North Africa (Mena) region and 6 from the rest of the world. 11 of the 33 projects are features films in development, 12 are in post-production and 10 are short films in development.
Twenty of the feature projects are alumni of the Institute’s grants program and 3 are by independent filmmakers from Qatar. Of the 10 short projects, 7 are by Qatari filmmakers and 3 are by Qatar-based filmmakers identified through the Institute’s ongoing engagement with local industry.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “We are very excited by the diverse slate of projects selected for Qumra 2016, representing emerging talent from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world.”
“We have prepared an intensive program for our project delegates which is designed to inspire them creatively and support them in navigating the evolving landscape of the film industry. I look forward to welcoming each of our project delegates to Qumra for what promises to be a productive exchange of ideas, culture and creativity.”
New to this year’s edition is the Qumra Shorts Programme, a dedicated strand designed to address the unique requirements of short films in development, during which 10 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their projects to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, producers, lab representatives, programmers and buyers, all of whom are experts in the short form.
The ten short filmmakers have been supported by the Doha Film Institute in various ways throughout their careers and many are alumni of its educational initiatives, workshops and funding programs. "Kashta" by Aj Al Thani has been supported by the Institute’s grants program and "Amer: The Arabian Legend" by Jassim Al-Rumaihi is supported by the Qatari Film Fund, the newly established funding and development program for Qatari filmmakers which was announced last year.
Directors and producers attached to each of the 33 projects will attend the sessions in Doha where they will be linked with more than 100 seasoned industry experts from all facets of the film industry including representatives from leading international film festivals, funding bodies, sales, production and distribution companies along with development specialists and script consultants.
The program is specifically tailored to each project’s needs and is divided according to their stage of development. Projects in development will participate in group and individual sessions for script consulting, legal, sales, marketing and co-production advice along with one-on-one match-made meetings and tutorials.
Projects in post-production are divided into two strands: the Work-in-Progress sessions will present a series of closed rough-cut screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production followed by immediate, individual feedback from a panel of selected industry experts; and the Picture Lock Screenings will present exclusive 20 minute excerpts of four feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production for leading festival programmers, broadcasters, market representatives, sales agents and distributors.
The Qumra Projects delegates will also attend daily master classes and screenings presented by five Qumra Masters who represent some of the leading figures in world cinema today.
The 2016 Qumra Masters are Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), James Schamus (Us), Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia). Each Master will be matched to a selection of Qumra projects to participate in dedicated mentoring sessions with the emerging filmmakers.
The 2016 Qumra Projects are:
Feature Films:
Feature Narrative, Development
"Bull Shark" by Mohammed Al Ibrahim (Qatar, Bahrain, USA)
An up-and-coming investment banker makes his mark in the Arab region’s most prominent Islamic investment bank, only to find he has been caught in the middle of the costliest embezzlement scheme in Arab history.
"Death Street" by Mohanad Hayal (Iraq, Qatar)
Tariq, the sniper of Haifa Street in Baghdad, kills Ahmed on the day he intends to propose marriage. While Tariq prevents anyone from approaching the corpse in the street, an intimate and telling drama unfolds.
"Evil Eye" by Sophia Al-Maria (Qatar, Morocco)
After inheriting the keys to an apartment in The City, country girl Dihya finds out that The Village she comes from has a reputation for witchcraft in this North African take on the teen witch film.
"The Pearl" by Noor Al-Nasr (Qatar)
A tech-obsessed Qatari teen, disconnected from his family, travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed, when the city’s main source of income was pearl diving. Alone on this journey, he must learn how to survive and communicate face-to-face in order to reconnect with his family.
"The Search for the Star Pearl" by Hafiz Ali Ali (Qatar)
Ali, a 17-year-old pearl diver from Doha, discovers a map to the Star Pearl of Abu Derya, the most valuable gem on Earth, and sets sail with three teenaged friends in search of it. Along the way, they face mythological beasts that challenge their skills and friendship.
"Stolen Skies" by Laila Hotait Salas (Lebanon, Qatar)
When a bomb is detonated in Cairo, one family feels it ricochet through the erased memories of three generations.
"Till the Swallows Return" by Karim Moussaoui (Algeria, France, Qatar)
This is the story of three characters who are a product of the conflicted Algeria of the 2000s. Their ideals shattered and their moral strength drained, each now faces a difficult life choice.
Feature Documentary, Development
"Agnus Dei" by Karim Sayad (Algeria, Switzerland, Qatar)
On the vacant lot where the confrontation takes place, the tension is at its peak. Foufa and his sheep King are getting ready for the fight...
"Behind the Doors" by Yakout Elhababi (Morocco, Qatar)
High in the Rif mountains of Morocco, the people survive by growing kif. Beneath the shadow of the ambiguous legality of the crop, ‘Behind the Doors’ tells the story of a family through its children and their mirroring games.
"The Great Family" by Eliane Raheb (Lebanon, France, Qatar)
In 1976, at the age of four, Marlene was put up for adoption in Lebanon and raised in France. In delving into her past, she discovers she is a survivor of the massacre at the Tal Al Zaatar Palestinian refugee camp, and a family of survivors grows around her.
"To the Ends of the Earth" by Hamida Issa (Qatar)
A Qatari woman travels on an environmental expedition to Antarctica in search of hope, before returning to the Gulf and finding unity and inspiration for positive change.
Feature Narrative, Works-in-Progress
"Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim" by Sherif Elbendary (Egypt, France, Germany, USA, Qatar)
Ali and Ibrahim are two lonely and weird characters who are rejected by their society. Ali loves a goat called Nada, and Ibrahim is a sound engineer who is disturbed by strange voices that he alone can hear. When their paths cross, this odd pair embarks on a journey that will change their lives.
"Dede" by Mariam Khatchvani (Georgia, Qatar)
As Georgia fights for its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a young woman struggles to make a life in the remote, isolated villages high in the Caucasus Mountains, where ancient patriarchal laws threaten to separate her from her daughter.
"Poisonous Roses" by Fawzi Saleh (Egypt, Qatar)
The world has left nothing to Taheya apart from her brother Saqr. When he disappears, Taheya pursues him in desperation.
"White Sun" by Deepak Rauniyar (Nepal, The Netherlands, Qatar)
A drama about life in a Nepali mountain village in the wake of the decade-long armed conflict.
Feature Documentary, Works-in-Progress
"Ghost Hunting" by Raed Andoni (Palestine, France, Switzerland, Qatar)
Director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of Palestinians to rebuild the Israeli investigation centre in which they were imprisoned – a place they never actually saw because they were always blindfolded.
"My Uncle the “Terrorist” by Elias Moubarak (Lebanon, Germany, Qatar)
A film director seeks to uncover a 40-year-old family taboo: the controversial life of his Uncle Fouad, a poet and an engineer of the Munich massacre.
"The Silk Railroad" by Martin Dicicco (USA, Georgia, Qatar)
Wealth, opportunity, and discord collide along the route of a new railroad bridging Europe and Asia.
"Tondo" by Jewel Maranan (The Philippines, Germany, Qatar)
‘Tondo’ is a film about four people in different stages of life - birth, youth, adulthood and death - who are caught in the path of expansion of Manila’s busiest international port.
Feature Narrative, Picture Lock
"Bastard" by Uda Benyamina (Morocco, France, Qatar)
Fifteen-year-old Dounia lives with her mother in a rough
Parisian suburb, where she has been saddled with the nickname “bastard”.
"The Mimosas" by Oliver Laxe (Spain, Morocco, France, Qatar)
In the Atlas Mountains in the past, a caravan searches for the path to take a Sufi master home to die. Among the party is Ahmed, a rascal who eventually becomes inspired to lead the caravan to its destination. Along the way, Ahmed is assisted by Shakib, a man sent from contemporary Morocco to guide him on his journey.
"Beirut Rooster" by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria, Lebanon, Germany, Qatar)
While Syrian workers rebuild Lebanon, a country ruined by a lengthy civil war, their hometowns in Syria are destroyed during the brutal conflict there. Who will rebuild their houses?
"Those From the Shore" by Tamara Stepanyan (Armenia, Lebanon, France, Qatar)
Marseille, 2014. Dozens of Armenian asylum seekers are trying to survive while waiting for their applications to be considered. They live in an indeterminate space, wandering in limbo.
Short Films:
Development, Short Narrative
"I Want to Feel What I Feel When I Am Asleep" by Abdullah Al-Mulla (Qatar)
A man wearing a gas mask is on a journey to fulfil a selfless purpose. Among the people of a drugged and mesmerised society, he cleans up a ruined city in order to cover up the destruction that has taken place.
"Kashta" by Aj Al Thani (Qatar)
A father takes his two sons out on a trip to the desert to go hunting, but the results are not quite what he was expecting.
"Qafas" by Mayar Hamdan (Qatar)
A young man tries everything to escape the cage he is chained in. Only when he realises that the true obstacle to his release is not the chains, but rather his outlook on his situation, does he finally become free.
"A Ranged Marriage" by Nora Al Subai (Qatar)
After being stuck in an arranged married for a year, a desperate wife discovers the perfect gift for their anniversary: a romantic dinner that will kill her husband.
"The World is Blue" by Amna Al Binali (Qatar)
During her sister’s engagement party, Hend comes to terms with the contradiction between how she wants her life to unfold and the inevitability of how it has been drawn for her.
Development, Short Documentary
"Amer: The Arabian Legend" by Jassim Al-Rumaihi (Qatar)
Sent as a gift to the late Emir of Qatar in the 1980s, Amer seemed like an average purebred Arabian. After he was taken to the tracks of Umm Qarn to train other horses, however, he showed his class, changing the face of Arabian horseracing forever.
"Buqsha" by Fahad Al Obaidly (Qatar)
‘Buqsha’ strives to encourage people to go beyond their preconceptions and venture into the past to look to the future Throughout our journey, we demonstrate the importance of learning from traditional culture while preserving our own, and that the balance between artistic heritage and the contemporary arts nurtures creativity.
"The Innocent Prisoner" by Amina Ahmed Al-Boluchi (Qatar)
The story of a man trying to wash away his history of being a prisoner, determining his destiny by becoming a better person, and finding himself a place in his own society.
"Love in the Middle East" by Mostafa Sheshtawy (Qatar)
Romantic love is very common, yet it can mean something completely different from one person to the next. Through a young man’s journey, this film looks at what it means to fall in love in the Middle East.
Picture Lock, Short Narrative
"More Than Two Days" by Ahmed Abdelnaser (Qatar)
Over the course of two days, two brothers go through critical moments that may change their lives. ‘More Than Two Days’ examines their relationship and how each of them is trying to face up to the new situation in their lives.
The Doha Film Institute's second edition of Qumra will be taking place in Doha, Qatar from March 4-9. 15 projects are from Qatar-based filmmakers, 12 from the Middle East North Africa (Mena) region and 6 from the rest of the world. 11 of the 33 projects are features films in development, 12 are in post-production and 10 are short films in development.
Twenty of the feature projects are alumni of the Institute’s grants program and 3 are by independent filmmakers from Qatar. Of the 10 short projects, 7 are by Qatari filmmakers and 3 are by Qatar-based filmmakers identified through the Institute’s ongoing engagement with local industry.
Doha Film Institute CEO Fatma Al Remaihi said: “We are very excited by the diverse slate of projects selected for Qumra 2016, representing emerging talent from Qatar, the Arab region and around the world.”
“We have prepared an intensive program for our project delegates which is designed to inspire them creatively and support them in navigating the evolving landscape of the film industry. I look forward to welcoming each of our project delegates to Qumra for what promises to be a productive exchange of ideas, culture and creativity.”
New to this year’s edition is the Qumra Shorts Programme, a dedicated strand designed to address the unique requirements of short films in development, during which 10 Qatar-based filmmakers will present their projects to a group of international industry professionals, including script consultants, producers, lab representatives, programmers and buyers, all of whom are experts in the short form.
The ten short filmmakers have been supported by the Doha Film Institute in various ways throughout their careers and many are alumni of its educational initiatives, workshops and funding programs. "Kashta" by Aj Al Thani has been supported by the Institute’s grants program and "Amer: The Arabian Legend" by Jassim Al-Rumaihi is supported by the Qatari Film Fund, the newly established funding and development program for Qatari filmmakers which was announced last year.
Directors and producers attached to each of the 33 projects will attend the sessions in Doha where they will be linked with more than 100 seasoned industry experts from all facets of the film industry including representatives from leading international film festivals, funding bodies, sales, production and distribution companies along with development specialists and script consultants.
The program is specifically tailored to each project’s needs and is divided according to their stage of development. Projects in development will participate in group and individual sessions for script consulting, legal, sales, marketing and co-production advice along with one-on-one match-made meetings and tutorials.
Projects in post-production are divided into two strands: the Work-in-Progress sessions will present a series of closed rough-cut screenings of 20-minute excerpts from the four narrative and four documentary Qumra projects in post-production followed by immediate, individual feedback from a panel of selected industry experts; and the Picture Lock Screenings will present exclusive 20 minute excerpts of four feature-length Qumra projects in the final stages of post-production for leading festival programmers, broadcasters, market representatives, sales agents and distributors.
The Qumra Projects delegates will also attend daily master classes and screenings presented by five Qumra Masters who represent some of the leading figures in world cinema today.
The 2016 Qumra Masters are Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), Naomi Kawase (Japan), Joshua Oppenheimer (Us), James Schamus (Us), Aleksandr Sokurov (Russia). Each Master will be matched to a selection of Qumra projects to participate in dedicated mentoring sessions with the emerging filmmakers.
The 2016 Qumra Projects are:
Feature Films:
Feature Narrative, Development
"Bull Shark" by Mohammed Al Ibrahim (Qatar, Bahrain, USA)
An up-and-coming investment banker makes his mark in the Arab region’s most prominent Islamic investment bank, only to find he has been caught in the middle of the costliest embezzlement scheme in Arab history.
"Death Street" by Mohanad Hayal (Iraq, Qatar)
Tariq, the sniper of Haifa Street in Baghdad, kills Ahmed on the day he intends to propose marriage. While Tariq prevents anyone from approaching the corpse in the street, an intimate and telling drama unfolds.
"Evil Eye" by Sophia Al-Maria (Qatar, Morocco)
After inheriting the keys to an apartment in The City, country girl Dihya finds out that The Village she comes from has a reputation for witchcraft in this North African take on the teen witch film.
"The Pearl" by Noor Al-Nasr (Qatar)
A tech-obsessed Qatari teen, disconnected from his family, travels back in time to an era before his beloved technology existed, when the city’s main source of income was pearl diving. Alone on this journey, he must learn how to survive and communicate face-to-face in order to reconnect with his family.
"The Search for the Star Pearl" by Hafiz Ali Ali (Qatar)
Ali, a 17-year-old pearl diver from Doha, discovers a map to the Star Pearl of Abu Derya, the most valuable gem on Earth, and sets sail with three teenaged friends in search of it. Along the way, they face mythological beasts that challenge their skills and friendship.
"Stolen Skies" by Laila Hotait Salas (Lebanon, Qatar)
When a bomb is detonated in Cairo, one family feels it ricochet through the erased memories of three generations.
"Till the Swallows Return" by Karim Moussaoui (Algeria, France, Qatar)
This is the story of three characters who are a product of the conflicted Algeria of the 2000s. Their ideals shattered and their moral strength drained, each now faces a difficult life choice.
Feature Documentary, Development
"Agnus Dei" by Karim Sayad (Algeria, Switzerland, Qatar)
On the vacant lot where the confrontation takes place, the tension is at its peak. Foufa and his sheep King are getting ready for the fight...
"Behind the Doors" by Yakout Elhababi (Morocco, Qatar)
High in the Rif mountains of Morocco, the people survive by growing kif. Beneath the shadow of the ambiguous legality of the crop, ‘Behind the Doors’ tells the story of a family through its children and their mirroring games.
"The Great Family" by Eliane Raheb (Lebanon, France, Qatar)
In 1976, at the age of four, Marlene was put up for adoption in Lebanon and raised in France. In delving into her past, she discovers she is a survivor of the massacre at the Tal Al Zaatar Palestinian refugee camp, and a family of survivors grows around her.
"To the Ends of the Earth" by Hamida Issa (Qatar)
A Qatari woman travels on an environmental expedition to Antarctica in search of hope, before returning to the Gulf and finding unity and inspiration for positive change.
Feature Narrative, Works-in-Progress
"Ali, The Goat and Ibrahim" by Sherif Elbendary (Egypt, France, Germany, USA, Qatar)
Ali and Ibrahim are two lonely and weird characters who are rejected by their society. Ali loves a goat called Nada, and Ibrahim is a sound engineer who is disturbed by strange voices that he alone can hear. When their paths cross, this odd pair embarks on a journey that will change their lives.
"Dede" by Mariam Khatchvani (Georgia, Qatar)
As Georgia fights for its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a young woman struggles to make a life in the remote, isolated villages high in the Caucasus Mountains, where ancient patriarchal laws threaten to separate her from her daughter.
"Poisonous Roses" by Fawzi Saleh (Egypt, Qatar)
The world has left nothing to Taheya apart from her brother Saqr. When he disappears, Taheya pursues him in desperation.
"White Sun" by Deepak Rauniyar (Nepal, The Netherlands, Qatar)
A drama about life in a Nepali mountain village in the wake of the decade-long armed conflict.
Feature Documentary, Works-in-Progress
"Ghost Hunting" by Raed Andoni (Palestine, France, Switzerland, Qatar)
Director Raed Andoni assembles an eclectic group of Palestinians to rebuild the Israeli investigation centre in which they were imprisoned – a place they never actually saw because they were always blindfolded.
"My Uncle the “Terrorist” by Elias Moubarak (Lebanon, Germany, Qatar)
A film director seeks to uncover a 40-year-old family taboo: the controversial life of his Uncle Fouad, a poet and an engineer of the Munich massacre.
"The Silk Railroad" by Martin Dicicco (USA, Georgia, Qatar)
Wealth, opportunity, and discord collide along the route of a new railroad bridging Europe and Asia.
"Tondo" by Jewel Maranan (The Philippines, Germany, Qatar)
‘Tondo’ is a film about four people in different stages of life - birth, youth, adulthood and death - who are caught in the path of expansion of Manila’s busiest international port.
Feature Narrative, Picture Lock
"Bastard" by Uda Benyamina (Morocco, France, Qatar)
Fifteen-year-old Dounia lives with her mother in a rough
Parisian suburb, where she has been saddled with the nickname “bastard”.
"The Mimosas" by Oliver Laxe (Spain, Morocco, France, Qatar)
In the Atlas Mountains in the past, a caravan searches for the path to take a Sufi master home to die. Among the party is Ahmed, a rascal who eventually becomes inspired to lead the caravan to its destination. Along the way, Ahmed is assisted by Shakib, a man sent from contemporary Morocco to guide him on his journey.
"Beirut Rooster" by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria, Lebanon, Germany, Qatar)
While Syrian workers rebuild Lebanon, a country ruined by a lengthy civil war, their hometowns in Syria are destroyed during the brutal conflict there. Who will rebuild their houses?
"Those From the Shore" by Tamara Stepanyan (Armenia, Lebanon, France, Qatar)
Marseille, 2014. Dozens of Armenian asylum seekers are trying to survive while waiting for their applications to be considered. They live in an indeterminate space, wandering in limbo.
Short Films:
Development, Short Narrative
"I Want to Feel What I Feel When I Am Asleep" by Abdullah Al-Mulla (Qatar)
A man wearing a gas mask is on a journey to fulfil a selfless purpose. Among the people of a drugged and mesmerised society, he cleans up a ruined city in order to cover up the destruction that has taken place.
"Kashta" by Aj Al Thani (Qatar)
A father takes his two sons out on a trip to the desert to go hunting, but the results are not quite what he was expecting.
"Qafas" by Mayar Hamdan (Qatar)
A young man tries everything to escape the cage he is chained in. Only when he realises that the true obstacle to his release is not the chains, but rather his outlook on his situation, does he finally become free.
"A Ranged Marriage" by Nora Al Subai (Qatar)
After being stuck in an arranged married for a year, a desperate wife discovers the perfect gift for their anniversary: a romantic dinner that will kill her husband.
"The World is Blue" by Amna Al Binali (Qatar)
During her sister’s engagement party, Hend comes to terms with the contradiction between how she wants her life to unfold and the inevitability of how it has been drawn for her.
Development, Short Documentary
"Amer: The Arabian Legend" by Jassim Al-Rumaihi (Qatar)
Sent as a gift to the late Emir of Qatar in the 1980s, Amer seemed like an average purebred Arabian. After he was taken to the tracks of Umm Qarn to train other horses, however, he showed his class, changing the face of Arabian horseracing forever.
"Buqsha" by Fahad Al Obaidly (Qatar)
‘Buqsha’ strives to encourage people to go beyond their preconceptions and venture into the past to look to the future Throughout our journey, we demonstrate the importance of learning from traditional culture while preserving our own, and that the balance between artistic heritage and the contemporary arts nurtures creativity.
"The Innocent Prisoner" by Amina Ahmed Al-Boluchi (Qatar)
The story of a man trying to wash away his history of being a prisoner, determining his destiny by becoming a better person, and finding himself a place in his own society.
"Love in the Middle East" by Mostafa Sheshtawy (Qatar)
Romantic love is very common, yet it can mean something completely different from one person to the next. Through a young man’s journey, this film looks at what it means to fall in love in the Middle East.
Picture Lock, Short Narrative
"More Than Two Days" by Ahmed Abdelnaser (Qatar)
Over the course of two days, two brothers go through critical moments that may change their lives. ‘More Than Two Days’ examines their relationship and how each of them is trying to face up to the new situation in their lives.
- 2/24/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The directors and producers of the selected projects will participate in a six-day programme with industry figures including Joshua Oppenheimer and Aleksandr Sokurov.Scroll down for the full list of projects
The Doha Film Institute has revealed the projects that will participate in the second edition of Qumra (March 4-9).
There are a total of 33 projects from 19 countries involved, including 13 narrative features, 10 feature documentaries and 10 short films.
Of those, 15 are Qatar-based projects, and a further 12 are from the wider Arab region, with 6 international projects involved.
The directors and producers of the selected titles will participate in a six-day programme of industry sessions with leading industry figures, designed to progress their projects and prepare them for international markets.
This year’s Qumra masters are Joshua Oppenheimer, James Schamus, Naomi Kawase, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Aleksandr Sokurov.
The 2016 Qumra Projects are:Feature Narrative, Development:
Bull Shark by Mohammed Al Ibrahim (Qatar, Bahrain, USA)
An up-and-coming investment banker makes his mark...
The Doha Film Institute has revealed the projects that will participate in the second edition of Qumra (March 4-9).
There are a total of 33 projects from 19 countries involved, including 13 narrative features, 10 feature documentaries and 10 short films.
Of those, 15 are Qatar-based projects, and a further 12 are from the wider Arab region, with 6 international projects involved.
The directors and producers of the selected titles will participate in a six-day programme of industry sessions with leading industry figures, designed to progress their projects and prepare them for international markets.
This year’s Qumra masters are Joshua Oppenheimer, James Schamus, Naomi Kawase, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Aleksandr Sokurov.
The 2016 Qumra Projects are:Feature Narrative, Development:
Bull Shark by Mohammed Al Ibrahim (Qatar, Bahrain, USA)
An up-and-coming investment banker makes his mark...
- 2/24/2016
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.