“Some people believe in God,” declares Erez (an excellent Omer Perelman Striks) when he arrives at training camp to compete for Israel’s Olympic swim team. “I believe in Madonna.” And thus, both he and writer-director Adam Kalderon (“Marzipan Flowers”) announce their intentions with “The Swimmer”: neither plans to stay in his own lane.
Kalderon lingers so long on the swimmers’ bodies — in and out of their Speedos — that the movie could easily be taken for a cheerfully gratuitous indulgence. Which much of it is, and with no excuses. But if you can look past the shower scenes, it suddenly becomes clear that he’s telling just as much as he’s showing.
If Erez has staked his personal ethos on Madonna, his trainers are focused on other directions entirely. “Swimming is an individual sport,” his severe coach Dima (Igal Reznik) warns, when he notices Erez eyeing his competitor...
Kalderon lingers so long on the swimmers’ bodies — in and out of their Speedos — that the movie could easily be taken for a cheerfully gratuitous indulgence. Which much of it is, and with no excuses. But if you can look past the shower scenes, it suddenly becomes clear that he’s telling just as much as he’s showing.
If Erez has staked his personal ethos on Madonna, his trainers are focused on other directions entirely. “Swimming is an individual sport,” his severe coach Dima (Igal Reznik) warns, when he notices Erez eyeing his competitor...
- 10/6/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
The Swimmer Photo: Peccadillo Pictures
The story of a young professional athlete facing tremendous pressures as he trains in the hope of gaining an Olympic opportunity, The Swimmer was a hit with viewers when it screened at BFI Flare earlier this year, and it’s now screening in selected cinemas across the UK. It’s directed by Adam Kalderon and based on his own experience as a young gay man with a promising sporting career. The day after the Flare screening, Adam and I found a moment to discuss it and to talk about the unlikely career path which led him to the festival.
“I was a professional swimmer since I was nine years old until I was 21,” he tells me. “When I was 17, I left home to [go to] the special facility for young athletes. The film is based on my personal experience in this facility. I wanted to with this.
The story of a young professional athlete facing tremendous pressures as he trains in the hope of gaining an Olympic opportunity, The Swimmer was a hit with viewers when it screened at BFI Flare earlier this year, and it’s now screening in selected cinemas across the UK. It’s directed by Adam Kalderon and based on his own experience as a young gay man with a promising sporting career. The day after the Flare screening, Adam and I found a moment to discuss it and to talk about the unlikely career path which led him to the festival.
“I was a professional swimmer since I was nine years old until I was 21,” he tells me. “When I was 17, I left home to [go to] the special facility for young athletes. The film is based on my personal experience in this facility. I wanted to with this.
- 5/7/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Get ready to get your Q on!
The 15th Annual QFest St. Louis — presented by Cinema St. Louis (Csl) — will take place from April 29-May 5 at the Galleria 6 Cinemas, with a selection of programs also available online. The online programs can be streamed at any time during the festival’s dates.
The St. Louis-based LGBTQ film festival, QFest will present an eclectic array of 35 films from 13 countries. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture.
The fest is especially pleased to host the St. Louis premiere of “The Depths,” a rarely seen 2001 work by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and a reprise from Sliff of Sebastian Meiser’s prison drama “Great Freedom.” Another highlight is this year’s Q Classic,...
The 15th Annual QFest St. Louis — presented by Cinema St. Louis (Csl) — will take place from April 29-May 5 at the Galleria 6 Cinemas, with a selection of programs also available online. The online programs can be streamed at any time during the festival’s dates.
The St. Louis-based LGBTQ film festival, QFest will present an eclectic array of 35 films from 13 countries. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture.
The fest is especially pleased to host the St. Louis premiere of “The Depths,” a rarely seen 2001 work by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, and a reprise from Sliff of Sebastian Meiser’s prison drama “Great Freedom.” Another highlight is this year’s Q Classic,...
- 4/4/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Some people believe in God,” says Erez (Omer Perelman Striks). “Me, I believe in Madonna.”
It takes a lot of faith to do what Erez is doing – to commit oneself, at a young age, to an all-consuming training regime in pursuit of a chance which will come once, at most twice in a lifetime: to represent his country at the Olympic Games. To stay at a training camp out in the desert where visits are rare and the forming of friendships amongst the athletes strongly discouraged. It’s all the tougher given that he’s attracted to men, and the camp is full of casually homophobic banter, with an explicitly homophobic trainer at the helm. But Erez is the sort of person who thrives on challenges. The danger is that he’ll let them consume him.
The Swimmer is based on the real experiences of director Adam Kalderon, who was himself an Olympic contender.
It takes a lot of faith to do what Erez is doing – to commit oneself, at a young age, to an all-consuming training regime in pursuit of a chance which will come once, at most twice in a lifetime: to represent his country at the Olympic Games. To stay at a training camp out in the desert where visits are rare and the forming of friendships amongst the athletes strongly discouraged. It’s all the tougher given that he’s attracted to men, and the camp is full of casually homophobic banter, with an explicitly homophobic trainer at the helm. But Erez is the sort of person who thrives on challenges. The danger is that he’ll let them consume him.
The Swimmer is based on the real experiences of director Adam Kalderon, who was himself an Olympic contender.
- 3/26/2022
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Strand Releasing has acquired U.S. rights to Georgis Grigorakis’ feature debut “Digger,” Greece’s official entry for the Oscars’ international feature film race.
Set in the rich forests of Northern Greece, “Digger” is a modern-day psychological Western starring Vangelis Mourikis as an iconoclastic farmer at war against the encroachments of a ravenous industry and the demons of his past. When his estranged son appears on his doorstep, with a motorcycle and a grudge, nature itself will shake at their clash.
Grigorakis wrote the film, which was produced by Athens-based banner Haos Film. “Digger” had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival where it won the Cicae prize and went on to have a successful career in festivals, including Sarajevo, Thessaloniki and Philadelphia, and won several awards at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards. The movie has also had a strong box office run in Greece.
”We’re thrilled to...
Set in the rich forests of Northern Greece, “Digger” is a modern-day psychological Western starring Vangelis Mourikis as an iconoclastic farmer at war against the encroachments of a ravenous industry and the demons of his past. When his estranged son appears on his doorstep, with a motorcycle and a grudge, nature itself will shake at their clash.
Grigorakis wrote the film, which was produced by Athens-based banner Haos Film. “Digger” had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival where it won the Cicae prize and went on to have a successful career in festivals, including Sarajevo, Thessaloniki and Philadelphia, and won several awards at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards. The movie has also had a strong box office run in Greece.
”We’re thrilled to...
- 11/11/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The 25th edition of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is about to kick off, and between 12-28 of November the audience will have the oportunity to watch a great number of films from Asia, strewn across festival’s various program sections, including all competition segments. We went through the complete program and counted no more or less than 69 films from the broader Asian region.
Quite surprising is the amount of competition titles in the main selection, with three world premieres, four international. Lu ZHang’s “Yanagawa” will have its European premiere at PÖFF.
Yerzhanov returns to Tallinn a year after he presented two films at the festival, the main competition title “Ulbolsyn” about a woman who comes to a Kazhak village to “steer trouble”, and the oddball comedy “Yellow Cat” screened in the Current Waves program. Kirill Sokolov is also back two years after the premiere of his critically acclaimed...
Quite surprising is the amount of competition titles in the main selection, with three world premieres, four international. Lu ZHang’s “Yanagawa” will have its European premiere at PÖFF.
Yerzhanov returns to Tallinn a year after he presented two films at the festival, the main competition title “Ulbolsyn” about a woman who comes to a Kazhak village to “steer trouble”, and the oddball comedy “Yellow Cat” screened in the Current Waves program. Kirill Sokolov is also back two years after the premiere of his critically acclaimed...
- 11/10/2021
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
The Swimmer is based on director Adam Kalderon’s own experiences.
Berlin-based M-Appeal has sold Adam Kalderon’s Israeli feature The Swimmer, about the sexual awakening of a young gay man, to North America (Strand Releasing), France (Outplay Films), and the UK & Ireland (Peccadillo Pictures).
Set in a summer training camp where young athletes compete to qualify for the Olympics, the film follows one young sportsman coming to terms with his sexuality, despite the discriminatory tendencies of the world in which he is competing. His drive to win is threatened by his burgeoning sexual desires.
The Swimmer is based on...
Berlin-based M-Appeal has sold Adam Kalderon’s Israeli feature The Swimmer, about the sexual awakening of a young gay man, to North America (Strand Releasing), France (Outplay Films), and the UK & Ireland (Peccadillo Pictures).
Set in a summer training camp where young athletes compete to qualify for the Olympics, the film follows one young sportsman coming to terms with his sexuality, despite the discriminatory tendencies of the world in which he is competing. His drive to win is threatened by his burgeoning sexual desires.
The Swimmer is based on...
- 10/15/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
13 feature-length films will participate in the two Israeli Film Competitions.
Ari Folman’s animated title Where Is Anne Frank will open the 38th Jerusalem Film Festival (August 24-September 4), which has also selected 13 feature films for its two Israeli Film Competitions.
Where Is Anne Frank premiered as an out of competition title at Cannes last month. It follows the imaginary friend to whom Second World War diarist Anne Frank dedicated her writing, as she embarks on a journey across Europe to find Anne, who she believes is still alive.
Wild Bunch holds worldwide sales rights on the title; it will play...
Ari Folman’s animated title Where Is Anne Frank will open the 38th Jerusalem Film Festival (August 24-September 4), which has also selected 13 feature films for its two Israeli Film Competitions.
Where Is Anne Frank premiered as an out of competition title at Cannes last month. It follows the imaginary friend to whom Second World War diarist Anne Frank dedicated her writing, as she embarks on a journey across Europe to find Anne, who she believes is still alive.
Wild Bunch holds worldwide sales rights on the title; it will play...
- 8/3/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Jerusalem Film Festival is gearing up for a late August start, with celebrated Cannes title “Where is Anne Frank?” set to open the 38th edition of the fest.
Directed by Ari Folman, the animated film centres on Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend whom her diary was addressed to, who magically comes to life at the family home in Amsterdam and sets out on a quest to find her.
“Where is Anne Frank?” will kick off the festival at the Sultans Pool Amphitheatre, to an audience of 5,000, on Aug. 24. The event runs through to Sept. 4.
Elsewhere, the festival has also revealed its line-up of Israeli films. Altogether, 13 feature films will play in the two main Israeli film competitions. The total sum of prizes that will be awarded in the various festival competitions is Nis 1 million.
The Haggiag Competition for Israeli feature films will include Hadas Ben-Aroya’s “All Eyes Off Me...
Directed by Ari Folman, the animated film centres on Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend whom her diary was addressed to, who magically comes to life at the family home in Amsterdam and sets out on a quest to find her.
“Where is Anne Frank?” will kick off the festival at the Sultans Pool Amphitheatre, to an audience of 5,000, on Aug. 24. The event runs through to Sept. 4.
Elsewhere, the festival has also revealed its line-up of Israeli films. Altogether, 13 feature films will play in the two main Israeli film competitions. The total sum of prizes that will be awarded in the various festival competitions is Nis 1 million.
The Haggiag Competition for Israeli feature films will include Hadas Ben-Aroya’s “All Eyes Off Me...
- 8/3/2021
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin-based distributor Salzgeber has bought Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Benelux rights to Adam Kalderon’s Israeli titleThe Swimmer from M-Appeal. The completed film is screening in the Cannes market.
Set in a summer training camp where young athletes compete to qualify for the Olympics, The Swimmer follows a sportsman as he learns how to accept and love himself despite the discriminative tendencies of the high-performance sports environment against LGBTQ sportspeoople.
Salzgeber has a traditional focus on queer and documentary cinema and has handled titles such as And Then We Danced by Levan Akin and No Hard Feelings by Faraz Shariat.
Set in a summer training camp where young athletes compete to qualify for the Olympics, The Swimmer follows a sportsman as he learns how to accept and love himself despite the discriminative tendencies of the high-performance sports environment against LGBTQ sportspeoople.
Salzgeber has a traditional focus on queer and documentary cinema and has handled titles such as And Then We Danced by Levan Akin and No Hard Feelings by Faraz Shariat.
- 7/12/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Milica Tomović has directed the Serbian comedy drama.
Modern Films has bought UK and Ireland rights to Milica Tomović’s Seriban comedy drama Celts from Germany’s M-Appeal. The film has also sold to Belas Artes Group for Brazil.
Celts was a premiere earlier this year in the Berlinale Panorama. It is set in war-torn Belgrade in the early 1990s and is the story of a woman who decides to discover what more life has to offer as she contemplates the drunken guests and inattentive husband at a family party. The cast is led by Dubravka Duda Kovjanić, Stefan Trifunović and Katarina Dimić.
Modern Films has bought UK and Ireland rights to Milica Tomović’s Seriban comedy drama Celts from Germany’s M-Appeal. The film has also sold to Belas Artes Group for Brazil.
Celts was a premiere earlier this year in the Berlinale Panorama. It is set in war-torn Belgrade in the early 1990s and is the story of a woman who decides to discover what more life has to offer as she contemplates the drunken guests and inattentive husband at a family party. The cast is led by Dubravka Duda Kovjanić, Stefan Trifunović and Katarina Dimić.
- 7/6/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Avishai Sivan’s “Lot’s Wife” won the inaugural Goralska Award at the 13th edition of Pitch Point, the Israeli projects showcase which runs alongside the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Set up at Ronen Ben Tal at Plan b Productions, the fantasy-filled “Lot’s Wife” follows a religious couple who has a child born with two heads, named Noah and Lot. Lot is wicked, Noah good-hearted. After Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot sets on a challenge to overcome his nature.
The Goralska Award came with a cash prize of €20,000. Now in production, “Lot’s Wife” marks Sivan’s follow-up to “Tikkun,” which won the top prize at the Jerusalem festival in 2015 and was released in the U.S. by Kino Lorber.
The jury, composed of Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg), Cedomir Kolar (Asap Films), Dominique Welinski (Dw), Tamara Tatishvili (Eurimages) and Gabor Greiner (Films Boutique), praised “Lot’s...
Set up at Ronen Ben Tal at Plan b Productions, the fantasy-filled “Lot’s Wife” follows a religious couple who has a child born with two heads, named Noah and Lot. Lot is wicked, Noah good-hearted. After Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot sets on a challenge to overcome his nature.
The Goralska Award came with a cash prize of €20,000. Now in production, “Lot’s Wife” marks Sivan’s follow-up to “Tikkun,” which won the top prize at the Jerusalem festival in 2015 and was released in the U.S. by Kino Lorber.
The jury, composed of Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg), Cedomir Kolar (Asap Films), Dominique Welinski (Dw), Tamara Tatishvili (Eurimages) and Gabor Greiner (Films Boutique), praised “Lot’s...
- 7/30/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Avishai Sivan’s Lot’s Wife scoops top award.
Avishai Sivan’s film project Lot’s Wife has clinched the new $23,200 Goralska Award prize at the 13th edition of Jerusalem Film Festival’s (Jff) Pitch Point event, which is aimed at connecting Israeli filmmakers with international partners.
Described by the director as a cross-genre horror, fantasy, freak-show work, the picture revolves around a Hasidic couple’s two-headed baby. Going by the names of Noah and Lot, the two heads have opposite good and evil natures. When the virtuous Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot tries to mend his ways.
Avishai Sivan’s film project Lot’s Wife has clinched the new $23,200 Goralska Award prize at the 13th edition of Jerusalem Film Festival’s (Jff) Pitch Point event, which is aimed at connecting Israeli filmmakers with international partners.
Described by the director as a cross-genre horror, fantasy, freak-show work, the picture revolves around a Hasidic couple’s two-headed baby. Going by the names of Noah and Lot, the two heads have opposite good and evil natures. When the virtuous Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot tries to mend his ways.
- 7/29/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Jerusalem Film Festival’s industry sidebar, Pitch Point, has unveiled its selection of projects, including new works from Avishai Sivan, Shira Geffen (“Jellyfish”), Keren Yedaya (“My Treasure”), and Tawfik Abu Wael (“Atash”).
Among the 10 projects selected for Pitch Point is “Lot’s Wife,” Sivan’s follow-up to “Tikkun,” which won the top prize at the Jerusalem fest in 2015. Set up at Ronen Ben Tal at Plan b Productions, “Lot’s Wife” centers on a religious couple who, after 10 years of childlessness, has a child born with two heads, named Noah and Lot. Lot is wicked, Noah good-hearted. After Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot sets on a challenge to overcome his nature.
Geffen will present “A Responsible Adult,” which is being produced by Elad Gavish at Marker Films.The project follows Maya, a 13-year-old girl who goes on a school trip and whose father joins the group as...
Among the 10 projects selected for Pitch Point is “Lot’s Wife,” Sivan’s follow-up to “Tikkun,” which won the top prize at the Jerusalem fest in 2015. Set up at Ronen Ben Tal at Plan b Productions, “Lot’s Wife” centers on a religious couple who, after 10 years of childlessness, has a child born with two heads, named Noah and Lot. Lot is wicked, Noah good-hearted. After Noah dies and his head is detached, Lot sets on a challenge to overcome his nature.
Geffen will present “A Responsible Adult,” which is being produced by Elad Gavish at Marker Films.The project follows Maya, a 13-year-old girl who goes on a school trip and whose father joins the group as...
- 7/2/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Tikkun director among Israeli filmmakers presenting at 13th edition of showcase.
Ahead of the 2018 Jerusalem Film Festival (July 26 – Aug 5), the projects for the annual Pitch Point competition have been unveiled.
Held on July 27 and 28, the initiative, now in its 13th year, is an opportunity for Israeli filmmakers to showcase in-progress projects to attending international film industry, with a view to forging co-production ties.
The 2018 showcase includes new works from Avishai Sivan, Shira Geffen, Keren Yedaya, That Lovely Girl), and Tawfik Abu Wael (Cannes 2004 Fipresci prize winner Atash).
The Pitch Point jury this year is comprised of Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin...
Ahead of the 2018 Jerusalem Film Festival (July 26 – Aug 5), the projects for the annual Pitch Point competition have been unveiled.
Held on July 27 and 28, the initiative, now in its 13th year, is an opportunity for Israeli filmmakers to showcase in-progress projects to attending international film industry, with a view to forging co-production ties.
The 2018 showcase includes new works from Avishai Sivan, Shira Geffen, Keren Yedaya, That Lovely Girl), and Tawfik Abu Wael (Cannes 2004 Fipresci prize winner Atash).
The Pitch Point jury this year is comprised of Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin...
- 6/29/2018
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
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