Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (Dfi) kicks off the 10th edition of its Qumra project and talent incubator event meeting this Friday.
Running from March 1 to 6 in downtown Doha and the lofty surroundings of the city’s I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the event will welcome the filmmakers and producers of 40 projects across all formats for six days of masterclasses, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions.
Participants include UK director Ana Naomi de Sousa with Naseem, Fight With Grace about boxing star Naseem Hamed; Moroccan filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem with Eldorado, The Taste of the South, his second feature after Cannes Critics’ Week title The Unknown Saint; Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui with Aïcha, which follows 2019 drama A Son for which Sami Bouajila won Best Actor in the Venice’s Horizons sidebar, and Palestinian director Saleh Saadi with TV series Dyouf, about a young man who returns to his...
Running from March 1 to 6 in downtown Doha and the lofty surroundings of the city’s I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the event will welcome the filmmakers and producers of 40 projects across all formats for six days of masterclasses, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions.
Participants include UK director Ana Naomi de Sousa with Naseem, Fight With Grace about boxing star Naseem Hamed; Moroccan filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem with Eldorado, The Taste of the South, his second feature after Cannes Critics’ Week title The Unknown Saint; Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui with Aïcha, which follows 2019 drama A Son for which Sami Bouajila won Best Actor in the Venice’s Horizons sidebar, and Palestinian director Saleh Saadi with TV series Dyouf, about a young man who returns to his...
- 2/28/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Three months ago, Doha’s new Downtown Msheireb district was the throbbing heart of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as one of its main fan zones.
Quiz any local on the street or in its cafes and shops about what it was like, and their faces light up as they recount how packed it was and the magical atmosphere.
Billed as the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project, the pedestrianized neighborhood is now acting as the backdrop to the Doha Film Institute’s annual Qumra talent incubator, alongside the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art (Mia).
The event, which kicked off on Friday, aims to hothouse 44 film and series projects in various formats and stages of production. All the projects are recipients of the Dfi’s generous grant program
The focus is on Middle East and North African filmmakers but there are also projects from further afield...
Quiz any local on the street or in its cafes and shops about what it was like, and their faces light up as they recount how packed it was and the magical atmosphere.
Billed as the world’s first sustainable downtown regeneration project, the pedestrianized neighborhood is now acting as the backdrop to the Doha Film Institute’s annual Qumra talent incubator, alongside the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art (Mia).
The event, which kicked off on Friday, aims to hothouse 44 film and series projects in various formats and stages of production. All the projects are recipients of the Dfi’s generous grant program
The focus is on Middle East and North African filmmakers but there are also projects from further afield...
- 3/10/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Morocco has been attracting a rising number of high-profile foreign shoots since March 2022, lured by the country’s locations, skilled crews, competitive rates and its revamped cash rebate scheme, which has been hiked from 20 to 30 of eligible spend.
Of crucial importance the ceiling on the rebate available for each film has now been scrapped – offering a major boost to lengthy, large-scale productions.
Previously the maximum rebate per film was capped at 1.8 million. The total amount available per year for all projects is 10 million, granted on a first-come/first-served basis.
Other benefits available to foreign shoots include exemption from sales tax and zero fringe payments for crews.
To qualify for the rebate, productions must have a minimum Moroccan production spend of 1 million, an 18-day Moroccan shoot, at least a 25 local crew, and a local line producer.
Morocco’s previous 20 scheme was introduced in 2016 and fueled a progressive rise in foreign production visits,...
Of crucial importance the ceiling on the rebate available for each film has now been scrapped – offering a major boost to lengthy, large-scale productions.
Previously the maximum rebate per film was capped at 1.8 million. The total amount available per year for all projects is 10 million, granted on a first-come/first-served basis.
Other benefits available to foreign shoots include exemption from sales tax and zero fringe payments for crews.
To qualify for the rebate, productions must have a minimum Moroccan production spend of 1 million, an 18-day Moroccan shoot, at least a 25 local crew, and a local line producer.
Morocco’s previous 20 scheme was introduced in 2016 and fueled a progressive rise in foreign production visits,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Final Cut, a workshop supporting films in post-production from African and Arab countries – launched by the Venice Film Festival’s industry section, Venice Production Bridge – celebrates its 10th anniversary this week.
Its goals have remained the same, however, as it continues to provide emerging filmmakers with concrete assistance as well as visibility, all the while strengthening Venice’s role as “bridge builder,” says Alessandra Speciale, its curator. The final selection features titles made by directors from nine different countries: Algeria, Jordan, Guinea, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Central African Republic and Tunisia.
This year, two additional projects were added to the usual six work-in-progress films, thanks to the France in Focus initiative, supported by Unifrance: Karim Bensalah’s debut “Black Light,” sold internationally by The Party Film Sales, and “The Cemetery of Cinema,” directed by Thierno Souleymane Diallo and marking Guinea’s first presence at the workshop.
Diallo, who has been...
Its goals have remained the same, however, as it continues to provide emerging filmmakers with concrete assistance as well as visibility, all the while strengthening Venice’s role as “bridge builder,” says Alessandra Speciale, its curator. The final selection features titles made by directors from nine different countries: Algeria, Jordan, Guinea, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Central African Republic and Tunisia.
This year, two additional projects were added to the usual six work-in-progress films, thanks to the France in Focus initiative, supported by Unifrance: Karim Bensalah’s debut “Black Light,” sold internationally by The Party Film Sales, and “The Cemetery of Cinema,” directed by Thierno Souleymane Diallo and marking Guinea’s first presence at the workshop.
Diallo, who has been...
- 9/1/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we’ll shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re speaking to Moroccan multi-hypenate Khadija Alami. The producer and founder of Morocco’s Oasis Studios talks us through how she has facilitated more than 50 international productions to shoot in the territory as well as her ambitions to grow the region’s studio space and position the country as a top destination for international productions.
With the global production boom showing no signs of letting up, leading Moroccan producer Khadija Alami is driving the charge to encourage production houses to set up camp in her North African home country.
Alami, who was the first Moroccan woman to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2017, has been instrumental in fuelling local and international content in the country throughout the years.
With the global production boom showing no signs of letting up, leading Moroccan producer Khadija Alami is driving the charge to encourage production houses to set up camp in her North African home country.
Alami, who was the first Moroccan woman to join the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in 2017, has been instrumental in fuelling local and international content in the country throughout the years.
- 7/13/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Award-winning filmmakers are helpin filmmakers develop their projects at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event.
International filmmakers Talal Derki, Tala Hadid and Annemarie Jacir are among the lead mentors at this year’s edition of the Doha Film Institute’s talent and project incubator Qumra, running online March 18 to 25.
They reveal their own career breakthrough moments and the lessons learned that they now pass onto a new generation of filmmakers.
Syrian documentarian Talal Derki
What got you into film?
I belong to the generation that grew up with film as an art and way of giving a story meaning...
International filmmakers Talal Derki, Tala Hadid and Annemarie Jacir are among the lead mentors at this year’s edition of the Doha Film Institute’s talent and project incubator Qumra, running online March 18 to 25.
They reveal their own career breakthrough moments and the lessons learned that they now pass onto a new generation of filmmakers.
Syrian documentarian Talal Derki
What got you into film?
I belong to the generation that grew up with film as an art and way of giving a story meaning...
- 3/21/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Louverture Films, the production company founded by actor Danny Glover and Joslyn Barnes, is moving into television as well as animation, gaming and installation works. With two new principal partners in situ, the expansion has enlisted a host of creatives, including directors Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Lucrecia Martel.
Co-founded by Glover and Barnes in 2005 — alongside long-time partners Susan Rockefeller and the Bertha Foundation’s Tony Tabatznik — the company has brought on board Sawsan Asfari and Jeffrey Clark as principal partners. Variety understands that the new partners will allow Louverture to access more funding resources.
In addition, producer Karin Chien, who on Sunday delivered a rousing Sundance Institute Producing Fellows’ keynote, is becoming a partner and executive VP. Meanwhile, Barnes has been promoted to president while Glover remains CEO and co-founder.
Louverture, named after Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture, has built its reputation on international and arthouse films and a strong theatrical documentary slate.
Co-founded by Glover and Barnes in 2005 — alongside long-time partners Susan Rockefeller and the Bertha Foundation’s Tony Tabatznik — the company has brought on board Sawsan Asfari and Jeffrey Clark as principal partners. Variety understands that the new partners will allow Louverture to access more funding resources.
In addition, producer Karin Chien, who on Sunday delivered a rousing Sundance Institute Producing Fellows’ keynote, is becoming a partner and executive VP. Meanwhile, Barnes has been promoted to president while Glover remains CEO and co-founder.
Louverture, named after Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture, has built its reputation on international and arthouse films and a strong theatrical documentary slate.
- 1/24/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
The seventh edition nurtured 48 short and feature-length projects across some 700 online meetings.
The Doha Film Institute’s annual talent and project development event Qumra usually culminates in a lively outdoor party amid the dunes of Qatar’s Sealine Desert.
With this year’s seventh edition moving online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it wrapped very differently.
Participants simply logged off the dedicated Qumra online platform and returned to their locked-down realities in cities as geographically diverse as Beirut, Tunis, Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, New York, Los Angeles, Dar es Salem, Manila, Phnom Penh and, for the participating Qatari filmmakers,...
The Doha Film Institute’s annual talent and project development event Qumra usually culminates in a lively outdoor party amid the dunes of Qatar’s Sealine Desert.
With this year’s seventh edition moving online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it wrapped very differently.
Participants simply logged off the dedicated Qumra online platform and returned to their locked-down realities in cities as geographically diverse as Beirut, Tunis, Berlin, Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, New York, Los Angeles, Dar es Salem, Manila, Phnom Penh and, for the participating Qatari filmmakers,...
- 3/19/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Nelson Makengo’s “Rising Up at Night” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Omar El Zohairy’s “Feathers of a Father” from Egypt won the prizes for films in post-production in Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops, which is for projects from Africa and the Arab world.
Documentary feature “Rising Up at Night,” produced by Rosa Spaliviero and Dada Kahindo, follows a community in Kinshasa as it attempts to restore its electricity supply. It is set against the backdrop of a society “where violence, extreme poverty and corruption are king,” according to the director, whose “Up at Night” won the short documentary award at IDFA last year. “Rising Up at Night” won the Prix Brouillon d’un Rêve, and was selected by IDFAcademy, Berlinale Talents and Durban Film Mart.
“Feathers of a Father,” produced by Juliette Lepoutre and Pierre Menahem, charts the liberation of an Egyptian family after...
Documentary feature “Rising Up at Night,” produced by Rosa Spaliviero and Dada Kahindo, follows a community in Kinshasa as it attempts to restore its electricity supply. It is set against the backdrop of a society “where violence, extreme poverty and corruption are king,” according to the director, whose “Up at Night” won the short documentary award at IDFA last year. “Rising Up at Night” won the Prix Brouillon d’un Rêve, and was selected by IDFAcademy, Berlinale Talents and Durban Film Mart.
“Feathers of a Father,” produced by Juliette Lepoutre and Pierre Menahem, charts the liberation of an Egyptian family after...
- 12/5/2020
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Talent invited to join membership includes British producers, directors and writers as well as a casting director and cinematographer.
The filmmakers behind Oscar-winner 1917 are among a raft of UK talent invited to join the Us’ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Producer Pippa Harris, writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and star George MacKay are among 819 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy as part of its 2020 intake. Further invitees who worked on the World War One drama include set decorator Lee Sandales, sound editor Rachael Tate and VFX supervisor Richard Little.
UK executives and behind-the-scenes talent...
The filmmakers behind Oscar-winner 1917 are among a raft of UK talent invited to join the Us’ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
Producer Pippa Harris, writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and star George MacKay are among 819 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy as part of its 2020 intake. Further invitees who worked on the World War One drama include set decorator Lee Sandales, sound editor Rachael Tate and VFX supervisor Richard Little.
UK executives and behind-the-scenes talent...
- 7/1/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Talent invited to join membership includes British producers, directors and writers as well as a casting director and cinematographer.
The filmmakers behind Oscar-winner 1917 are among a raft of UK talent invited to join the membership of AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).
Producer Pippa Harris, writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and star George MacKay are among 819 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy as part of its 2020 intake. Further invitees who worked on the World War One drama include set decorator Lee Sandales, sound editor Rachael Tate and VFX supervisor Richard Little.
UK executives and behind-the-scenes...
The filmmakers behind Oscar-winner 1917 are among a raft of UK talent invited to join the membership of AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).
Producer Pippa Harris, writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and star George MacKay are among 819 artists and executives who have been invited to join the Academy as part of its 2020 intake. Further invitees who worked on the World War One drama include set decorator Lee Sandales, sound editor Rachael Tate and VFX supervisor Richard Little.
UK executives and behind-the-scenes...
- 7/1/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
“People wanted to be productive and help the filmmaking community.”
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has released first data for the online edition of its sixth annual talent incubator meeting Qumra. It set up the digital iteration at top speed after the physical event had to be abandoned at the 11th hour due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the course of the five-day virtual event, running March 20 to 25, the Dfi organised 220 online mentoring sessions and fostered a further 200 connections between projects and potential industry and festival partners.
All the original 46 projects from 20 countries participated in the initiative, working with 34 mentors from 18 countries,...
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has released first data for the online edition of its sixth annual talent incubator meeting Qumra. It set up the digital iteration at top speed after the physical event had to be abandoned at the 11th hour due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Over the course of the five-day virtual event, running March 20 to 25, the Dfi organised 220 online mentoring sessions and fostered a further 200 connections between projects and potential industry and festival partners.
All the original 46 projects from 20 countries participated in the initiative, working with 34 mentors from 18 countries,...
- 4/20/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Rithy Panh, Karim Ainouz, Annemarie Jacir, Tala Hadid, Ghassan Salhab join efforts to continue key project development activities.
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has set up an online mentorship programme to replace its Qumra talent and project development event which was cancelled earlier this month due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 46 projects were to have received support and advice from some 100 industry professionals at the sixth edition of the meeting, originally scheduled to run March 20-25 in Doha.
French director Claire Denis, Greek cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, Us director James Gray, Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner and Oscar-winning sound editor...
The Doha Film Institute (Dfi) has set up an online mentorship programme to replace its Qumra talent and project development event which was cancelled earlier this month due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 46 projects were to have received support and advice from some 100 industry professionals at the sixth edition of the meeting, originally scheduled to run March 20-25 in Doha.
French director Claire Denis, Greek cinematographer Phedon Papamichael, Us director James Gray, Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner and Oscar-winning sound editor...
- 3/19/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Khadija Alami, CEO of K Films, is line producing and producing an increasing number of foreign shoots in Morocco, and is also hosting a rising number of shoots in her studio facility, Oasis Studios Morocco, built in 2015, located in Ouarzazate on the edge of the Sahara desert.
Oasis Studios Morocco is conceived as a mini Skywalker Ranch, a downsized version of George Lucas’ state-of-the-art facility near San Francisco, and includes 17 hectares of land, over 12,000 sq. m. of built sets, a 300 sq. m. sound stage, studio and post-production facilities and production offices, specifically targeted at foreign productions, as well as local shoots. It also hosts students from university and film schools to shoot their projects using the studio, costumes and props for free.
Alami plans to expand the studio facilities in the near future, including acquisition of a further 25 hectares of lands and space for building a new 1500 sq. m. sound stage,...
Oasis Studios Morocco is conceived as a mini Skywalker Ranch, a downsized version of George Lucas’ state-of-the-art facility near San Francisco, and includes 17 hectares of land, over 12,000 sq. m. of built sets, a 300 sq. m. sound stage, studio and post-production facilities and production offices, specifically targeted at foreign productions, as well as local shoots. It also hosts students from university and film schools to shoot their projects using the studio, costumes and props for free.
Alami plans to expand the studio facilities in the near future, including acquisition of a further 25 hectares of lands and space for building a new 1500 sq. m. sound stage,...
- 12/4/2019
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
The Doha Film Institute’s unique Qumra workshop wrapped its fifth edition on Wednesday following six days of masterclasses, labs and mentoring sessions that bolstered the Dfi’s status as the prime entity fostering Arab filmmaking and connecting directors from most of the region with the rest of the world.
Programmers from Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin and many other major festivals were in attendance, as has become customary, as well as a select group of industry execs from more than 30 countries including a high-caliber U.S. contingent. They came to provide their input on 36 Dfi-backed projects, most of which by Arab directors, and to hobnob in a relaxed informal setting.
“It’s a very intimate structure that doesn’t just offer support or critique, but also real dialogue,” said Iraqi-Moroccan director Tala Hadid (pictured) one of this year’s Qumra mentors. “They choose and curate very carefully who should go with which project,...
Programmers from Cannes, Venice, Toronto, Berlin and many other major festivals were in attendance, as has become customary, as well as a select group of industry execs from more than 30 countries including a high-caliber U.S. contingent. They came to provide their input on 36 Dfi-backed projects, most of which by Arab directors, and to hobnob in a relaxed informal setting.
“It’s a very intimate structure that doesn’t just offer support or critique, but also real dialogue,” said Iraqi-Moroccan director Tala Hadid (pictured) one of this year’s Qumra mentors. “They choose and curate very carefully who should go with which project,...
- 3/21/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
During the gala closing ceremony of the 17th edition of the Marrakech Intl. Film Festival, the Golden Star for best film was awarded to Sudabeh Mortezai for her second feature, “Joy,” about a young Nigerian woman forced into prostitution, which recently won best film at the BFI London Film Festival.
Accepting the prize from actress Monica Bellucci, she said: “I’d like to thank all the people who helped me make the movie, especially all the women who talked to me and told me their stories and helped me write the film, and the actresses who made the film with me. I’m very happy that, with this prize, this untold story will get greater visibility.”
The jury prize went to Lila Avilés’ debut feature, “The Chambermaid,” about Eve, a maid in Mexico City’s Hotel Presidente Internacional, which Avilés describes as a “high-class prison.”
Avilés said: “I love Patti Smith.
Accepting the prize from actress Monica Bellucci, she said: “I’d like to thank all the people who helped me make the movie, especially all the women who talked to me and told me their stories and helped me write the film, and the actresses who made the film with me. I’m very happy that, with this prize, this untold story will get greater visibility.”
The jury prize went to Lila Avilés’ debut feature, “The Chambermaid,” about Eve, a maid in Mexico City’s Hotel Presidente Internacional, which Avilés describes as a “high-class prison.”
Avilés said: “I love Patti Smith.
- 12/8/2018
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Ten leading European sales agents attended the first edition of Marrakech Film Festival’s Atlas Workshops. In interviews with Variety the executives emphasized the importance of this new industry event, which will help leverage the importance of Marrakech as a key industry hub for Arab and African filmmakers.
Films Boutique’s Gabor Greiner said that the workshops provided an excellent opportunity to meet filmmakers and producers from the region, some of whom don’t travel very often to festivals in Europe.
“African cinema has tremendous potential and we’re keen to learn more about cinema from the region. As sales agents we’re on the lookout for something that stands out, and it can be easier to find unusual new voices in a region where cinema production is less common.”
Greiner cited examples of recent films that have raised visibility for Africa-related issues – such as Aalam-Warqe Davidian’s tragic romance “Fig Tree,...
Films Boutique’s Gabor Greiner said that the workshops provided an excellent opportunity to meet filmmakers and producers from the region, some of whom don’t travel very often to festivals in Europe.
“African cinema has tremendous potential and we’re keen to learn more about cinema from the region. As sales agents we’re on the lookout for something that stands out, and it can be easier to find unusual new voices in a region where cinema production is less common.”
Greiner cited examples of recent films that have raised visibility for Africa-related issues – such as Aalam-Warqe Davidian’s tragic romance “Fig Tree,...
- 12/6/2018
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
The jury at this year's festival, headed by James Gray, centre Photo: Sife Elamine/Marrakech Film Festival
The 17th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival has got off to a star-studed start as actors including Dakota Johnson and Robert Pattinson graced the red carpet.
The festival also welcomed directors James Gray (who is jury president), Lynne Ramsay, Laurent Cantet, Joana Hadjithomas, Michel Franco and Tala Hadid, along with actors Ileana D'Cruz (Barfi) and Daniel Brühl.
In his opening speech, Gray said: “I’m an American and in this moment I feel a high responsibility to at least try to represent the best side of us – the open, the hopeful and thoughtful, and enlightened side.”
Other big names on the night - which included a gala screening of Julian Schnabel's Van Gogh biopic At Eternity's Gate - included Schabel and two of his film's stars Vincent Perez and Vladimir Consigny,...
The 17th edition of the Marrakech Film Festival has got off to a star-studed start as actors including Dakota Johnson and Robert Pattinson graced the red carpet.
The festival also welcomed directors James Gray (who is jury president), Lynne Ramsay, Laurent Cantet, Joana Hadjithomas, Michel Franco and Tala Hadid, along with actors Ileana D'Cruz (Barfi) and Daniel Brühl.
In his opening speech, Gray said: “I’m an American and in this moment I feel a high responsibility to at least try to represent the best side of us – the open, the hopeful and thoughtful, and enlightened side.”
Other big names on the night - which included a gala screening of Julian Schnabel's Van Gogh biopic At Eternity's Gate - included Schabel and two of his film's stars Vincent Perez and Vladimir Consigny,...
- 12/1/2018
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The lack of women in film has been the talk of festivals around the world for the past year or two. But “Suspiria” star Dakota Johnson, who is a member of James Gray’s jury at Marrakech Film Festival, made it clear she had a different take on this topic during the jury press conference on Saturday.
Addressing the fact that this year’s Marrakech jury had more women than men, Johnson said: “I am under the impression that there are always many women involved in cinema – behind the camera, in front of the camera, behind film festivals, in film festivals. This jury happens to have more women and perhaps there might be an avenue for this to occur more often in the future, and I think that’s awesome.”
Moroccan director Tala Hadid said the real issue was not merely the representation of women but the “power sharing.” “It...
Addressing the fact that this year’s Marrakech jury had more women than men, Johnson said: “I am under the impression that there are always many women involved in cinema – behind the camera, in front of the camera, behind film festivals, in film festivals. This jury happens to have more women and perhaps there might be an avenue for this to occur more often in the future, and I think that’s awesome.”
Moroccan director Tala Hadid said the real issue was not merely the representation of women but the “power sharing.” “It...
- 12/1/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
After being interrupted last year, the Marrakech Film Festival returned with a bang for the opening of its 17th edition.
A flurry of stars and industry figures graced the red carpet including jury president James Gray (“The Immigrant”), and jury members Dakota Johnson (“Suspiria”), who was wearing a glitzy pink gown, Lynne Ramsay (“You Were Never Really Here”), Laurent Cantet (“The Class”), Indian actress Ileana D’Cruz (“Barfi!”), Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Joana Hadjithomas (“I Want to See”), Moroccan director Tala Hadid (“House in the Fields”), German actor Daniel Brühl and Mexican director Michel Franco (“April’s Daughter”).
The festival’s kickoff night also lured Cannes Film Festival’s artistic director Thierry Fremaux, who will give a masterclass, and festival honoree Agnes Varda, among others.
Gray opened the festival with a poignant speech that reflected on the current political turmoil in the U.S. “I’m an American...
A flurry of stars and industry figures graced the red carpet including jury president James Gray (“The Immigrant”), and jury members Dakota Johnson (“Suspiria”), who was wearing a glitzy pink gown, Lynne Ramsay (“You Were Never Really Here”), Laurent Cantet (“The Class”), Indian actress Ileana D’Cruz (“Barfi!”), Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Joana Hadjithomas (“I Want to See”), Moroccan director Tala Hadid (“House in the Fields”), German actor Daniel Brühl and Mexican director Michel Franco (“April’s Daughter”).
The festival’s kickoff night also lured Cannes Film Festival’s artistic director Thierry Fremaux, who will give a masterclass, and festival honoree Agnes Varda, among others.
Gray opened the festival with a poignant speech that reflected on the current political turmoil in the U.S. “I’m an American...
- 11/30/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Kent Jones’ “Diane,” Eva Trobisch’s “All Good” and Lila Aviles’ “The Chambermaid” are among the 14 features competing at the revamped Marrakech Film Festival, which opened Friday and runs to Dec. 8.
“Diane,” which world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won three awards, stars Mary Kay Place (“The Big Chill”) as a mother desperately trying to bond with her son, who suffers from drug addiction. The movie was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
“All Good,” Trobisch’s debut, revolves around a young woman who is raped but refuses to be a victim. The movie was a standout at Locarno, where it won the first-feature competition.
“The Chambermaid,” from Mexican theater actress-turned-helmer Aviles, premiered in Toronto’s Discovery section and won two awards at the Morelia Film Festival. The movie portrays Eve, a young chambermaid working at Mexico City’s classy Hotel Presidente Internacional. Trobisch and Aviles’ pics are among...
“Diane,” which world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won three awards, stars Mary Kay Place (“The Big Chill”) as a mother desperately trying to bond with her son, who suffers from drug addiction. The movie was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
“All Good,” Trobisch’s debut, revolves around a young woman who is raped but refuses to be a victim. The movie was a standout at Locarno, where it won the first-feature competition.
“The Chambermaid,” from Mexican theater actress-turned-helmer Aviles, premiered in Toronto’s Discovery section and won two awards at the Morelia Film Festival. The movie portrays Eve, a young chambermaid working at Mexico City’s classy Hotel Presidente Internacional. Trobisch and Aviles’ pics are among...
- 11/30/2018
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Amsterdam — Delivering on new artistic director Orwa Nyrabia’s commitment to giving space to documentaries from the global south, this year’s Idfa festival handed its main prize to Anand Patwardhan’s “Reason”, described by the festival as “a broad-ranging examination of Indian society, in which secular rationalists are hunted down as they attempt to stem the rising tide of religious and nationalist fundamentalism.”
At a ceremony held at the International Theater Amsterdam, jury members Daniela Elstner, Jean-Michel Frodon, Tala Hadid, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and Alina Marazzi voted “unanimously” for Patwardhan’s 261-minute film, praising its “epic storytelling of the rise of the far right in one of the most populated countries of this planet … in a way that acknowledges the complexity of the situation but puts it in a very understandable shape.”
In second place, the Special Jury Award went to the crowd-pleasing dogs-in-a-skatepark doc “Los Reyes” by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnivikoff.
At a ceremony held at the International Theater Amsterdam, jury members Daniela Elstner, Jean-Michel Frodon, Tala Hadid, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, and Alina Marazzi voted “unanimously” for Patwardhan’s 261-minute film, praising its “epic storytelling of the rise of the far right in one of the most populated countries of this planet … in a way that acknowledges the complexity of the situation but puts it in a very understandable shape.”
In second place, the Special Jury Award went to the crowd-pleasing dogs-in-a-skatepark doc “Los Reyes” by Bettina Perut and Iván Osnivikoff.
- 11/21/2018
- by Damon Wise
- Variety Film + TV
Festival to kick off with Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate.
The Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30-Dec 8) has revealed its 2018 line-up, jury and honorary awards.
The Moroccan festival has been running since 2001, but took a year off in 2017 to “reflect on its editorial line”.
The competition line-up features 14 films from first or second-time directors. Six of the films competing for the Marrakech Etoile d’Or (or the Gold Star) are directed by women. Among the line-up is Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Kent Jones’ Diane and Eva Trobisch’s All Good.
The festival opens with a gala screening of...
The Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30-Dec 8) has revealed its 2018 line-up, jury and honorary awards.
The Moroccan festival has been running since 2001, but took a year off in 2017 to “reflect on its editorial line”.
The competition line-up features 14 films from first or second-time directors. Six of the films competing for the Marrakech Etoile d’Or (or the Gold Star) are directed by women. Among the line-up is Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Kent Jones’ Diane and Eva Trobisch’s All Good.
The festival opens with a gala screening of...
- 11/19/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
At Eternity's Gate Photo: Courtesy of New York Film Festival The Marrakech International Film Festival - which will run from November 30 to December 8 - has announced its official selection, featuring 80 films from 29 countries.
Fourteen films will join the strong competition line-up, including Locarno Best First Feature and Fipresci prize winner All Good, Tribeca Narrative Feature winner Diane and San Sebastian Silver Shell winner Benjamín Naishtat's Rojo. Also included are London Film Festival Best Film winner Joy and Lila Avilés' The Chambermaid. Six of the selection are directed by women.
The official selection jury president will be director James Gray. He will be joined by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, actors Daniel Bruhl, Dakota Johnson and Ileana D'Cruz, Moroccan director Tala Hadid, French helmer Laurent Cantet, visual artist Joana Hadjithomas and Mexican director Michel Franco.
The festival has also announced it will pay tribute to Moroccan filmmaker Jillali Ferhati, whose films include Bamboo Brides and.
Fourteen films will join the strong competition line-up, including Locarno Best First Feature and Fipresci prize winner All Good, Tribeca Narrative Feature winner Diane and San Sebastian Silver Shell winner Benjamín Naishtat's Rojo. Also included are London Film Festival Best Film winner Joy and Lila Avilés' The Chambermaid. Six of the selection are directed by women.
The official selection jury president will be director James Gray. He will be joined by Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay, actors Daniel Bruhl, Dakota Johnson and Ileana D'Cruz, Moroccan director Tala Hadid, French helmer Laurent Cantet, visual artist Joana Hadjithomas and Mexican director Michel Franco.
The festival has also announced it will pay tribute to Moroccan filmmaker Jillali Ferhati, whose films include Bamboo Brides and.
- 11/19/2018
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The 17th Marrakech International Film Festival (Nov 30 – Dec 08) has set a jury comprising Suspiria star Dakota Johnson, Indian actress Ileana D’Cruz (Barfi!), Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Joana Hadjithomas (I Want To See), Brit director Lynne Ramsay (We Need To Talk About Kevin), Moroccan director Tala Hadid (House In The Fields), French director Laurent Cantet (The Class), German actor Daniel Brühl (Rush) and Mexican director Michel Franco (April’s Daughter). As previously revealed, director James Gray will serve as jury president.
A total of 80 films will unspool at the festival, with Julian Schnabel’s Van Gogh biopic At Eternity’s Gate among gala screenings and also the festival’s opener. Other galas include Roma, Green Book and Capernaum while special screenings include Wildlife, Her Smell and Birds Of Passage. The official competition, galas and special screenings are listed below.
The festival will also feature tributes to Robert DeNiro, Robin Wright,...
A total of 80 films will unspool at the festival, with Julian Schnabel’s Van Gogh biopic At Eternity’s Gate among gala screenings and also the festival’s opener. Other galas include Roma, Green Book and Capernaum while special screenings include Wildlife, Her Smell and Birds Of Passage. The official competition, galas and special screenings are listed below.
The festival will also feature tributes to Robert DeNiro, Robin Wright,...
- 11/19/2018
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Dakota Johnson, Daniel Bruhl and Lynne Ramsay are among the big names set to join James Gray on the jury of the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco.
Immigrant director Gray was previously announced as president of the jury.
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Ramsay will also be on the jury, along with Johnson, The Alienist actor Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet. Mexican director Michel Franco, Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz, Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, and Moroccan director Tala Hadid will round out the panel.
The jury will join a roster of guests and speakers, including Robert ...
Immigrant director Gray was previously announced as president of the jury.
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Ramsay will also be on the jury, along with Johnson, The Alienist actor Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet. Mexican director Michel Franco, Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz, Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, and Moroccan director Tala Hadid will round out the panel.
The jury will join a roster of guests and speakers, including Robert ...
- 11/19/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dakota Johnson, Daniel Bruhl and Lynne Ramsay are among the big names set to join James Gray on the jury of the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco.
Immigrant director Gray was previously announced as president of the jury.
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Ramsay will also be on the jury, along with Johnson, The Alienist actor Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet. Mexican director Michel Franco, Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz, Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, and Moroccan director Tala Hadid will round out the panel.
The jury will join a roster of guests and speakers, including Robert ...
Immigrant director Gray was previously announced as president of the jury.
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Ramsay will also be on the jury, along with Johnson, The Alienist actor Bruhl and Palme d'Or winner Laurent Cantet. Mexican director Michel Franco, Indian actress Ileana D'Cruz, Lebanese filmmaker Joana Hadjithomas, and Moroccan director Tala Hadid will round out the panel.
The jury will join a roster of guests and speakers, including Robert ...
- 11/19/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
34 short and feature projects were announced in Berlin.
Film producer Wendi Deng Murdoch, RadicalMedia CEO Jon Kamen and Netflix acquisition executive Funa Maduka will be among 150 film professional guests attending the Doha Film Institute’s talent incubator event Qumra, running March 9—14 this year.
The industry experts, from across the film production and distribution chain, will mentor 34 short and feature projects by mainly first and second-time directors. The full list of projects participating this year was announced during the Berlinale.
“In the fourth edition of Qumra, we continue to see remarkable participation from the world’s leading film industry professionals that generously contribute to the growth of the film industry in Qatar and the region,” said Dfi CEO Fatma Al Remaihi, in a release detailing Qumra’s industry programme this year.
“This is an incredible opportunity for emerging filmmakers to not only have the guidance of legendary names in cinema nurture their projects, but also to gain...
Film producer Wendi Deng Murdoch, RadicalMedia CEO Jon Kamen and Netflix acquisition executive Funa Maduka will be among 150 film professional guests attending the Doha Film Institute’s talent incubator event Qumra, running March 9—14 this year.
The industry experts, from across the film production and distribution chain, will mentor 34 short and feature projects by mainly first and second-time directors. The full list of projects participating this year was announced during the Berlinale.
“In the fourth edition of Qumra, we continue to see remarkable participation from the world’s leading film industry professionals that generously contribute to the growth of the film industry in Qatar and the region,” said Dfi CEO Fatma Al Remaihi, in a release detailing Qumra’s industry programme this year.
“This is an incredible opportunity for emerging filmmakers to not only have the guidance of legendary names in cinema nurture their projects, but also to gain...
- 2/27/2018
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Tala Hadid, Wong Chun also win prizes at Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Georgian filmmakers Nana and Simon’s My Happy Family won the Firebird Award in the Young Cinema Competition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff) on Sunday night, while Amit V. Masurkar’s Newton took the Jury Prize.
My Happy Family follows a middle-aged woman who decides to move out of the family home, while Newton, which premiered in Berlin, revolves around an election polling booth in Naxalite territory in the Indian jungle. Nana and Simon previously won Hkiff’s Firebird Award for In Bloom in 2013.
The Young Cinema Competition jury was headed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland and also included former Toronto International Film Festival programmer Colin Geddes, Le Monde’s Thomas Sotinel and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong.
In the Documentary Competition, Tala Hadid’s Morocco-set House In The Fields won the Firebird Award, while Ma Li’s...
Georgian filmmakers Nana and Simon’s My Happy Family won the Firebird Award in the Young Cinema Competition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff) on Sunday night, while Amit V. Masurkar’s Newton took the Jury Prize.
My Happy Family follows a middle-aged woman who decides to move out of the family home, while Newton, which premiered in Berlin, revolves around an election polling booth in Naxalite territory in the Indian jungle. Nana and Simon previously won Hkiff’s Firebird Award for In Bloom in 2013.
The Young Cinema Competition jury was headed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland and also included former Toronto International Film Festival programmer Colin Geddes, Le Monde’s Thomas Sotinel and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong.
In the Documentary Competition, Tala Hadid’s Morocco-set House In The Fields won the Firebird Award, while Ma Li’s...
- 4/24/2017
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Second film from Polish director of predatory mermaid picture from Agnieszka Smoczynska explores motherhood.
French sales company Alpha Violet is teaming with Warsaw-based production house MD4 on Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska’s upcoming feature The Fugue revolving around a character who regrets motherhood.
It will be the second feature from Smoczynska after debut work The Lure, which was about singing carnivorous mermaids and world premiered at Sundance in 2016.
Alpha Violet is kicking off pre-sales on film which is currently in production.
In her director’s note, Smoczynska says of the film: “The Fugue is about the social taboo concerning motherhood and that women are socially pressured to accept this role without hesitation. What if it isn’t always the case?What if a woman had a possibility to forget about giving birth, having a child? Would she choose it again?”
Agnieszka Kurzydło at MD4 is lead producing with Axman Production and Zentropa International Poland on board...
French sales company Alpha Violet is teaming with Warsaw-based production house MD4 on Polish director Agnieszka Smoczynska’s upcoming feature The Fugue revolving around a character who regrets motherhood.
It will be the second feature from Smoczynska after debut work The Lure, which was about singing carnivorous mermaids and world premiered at Sundance in 2016.
Alpha Violet is kicking off pre-sales on film which is currently in production.
In her director’s note, Smoczynska says of the film: “The Fugue is about the social taboo concerning motherhood and that women are socially pressured to accept this role without hesitation. What if it isn’t always the case?What if a woman had a possibility to forget about giving birth, having a child? Would she choose it again?”
Agnieszka Kurzydło at MD4 is lead producing with Axman Production and Zentropa International Poland on board...
- 2/13/2017
- ScreenDaily
World premieres include Barrage, starring Isabelle Huppert and her daughter Lolita Chammah.Scroll down for full list
This year’s Forum programme at the Berlin Film Festival (Feb 9-19), which highlights avant garde and experimental works, will feature 47 films, including 29 world premieres.
These include the premiere of Laura Schroeder’s Barrage, which stars Isabelle Huppert alongside her daughter Lolita Chammah in the story of a young woman who returns to Luxembourg after a 10-year absence to spend time with her estranged child. Huppert plays the grandmother, who has fostered the young girl during that absence.
Read: ‘Barrage’, starring Isabelle Huppert and daughter Lolita, finds sales home
Having its international premiere at Forum this year will be Golden Exits, the new feature from American filmmaker Alex Ross Perry. His previous credits include Queen Of Earth, which premiered at Berlin in 2015. His latest tells the story of a young Australian woman who comes to New York for a few months...
This year’s Forum programme at the Berlin Film Festival (Feb 9-19), which highlights avant garde and experimental works, will feature 47 films, including 29 world premieres.
These include the premiere of Laura Schroeder’s Barrage, which stars Isabelle Huppert alongside her daughter Lolita Chammah in the story of a young woman who returns to Luxembourg after a 10-year absence to spend time with her estranged child. Huppert plays the grandmother, who has fostered the young girl during that absence.
Read: ‘Barrage’, starring Isabelle Huppert and daughter Lolita, finds sales home
Having its international premiere at Forum this year will be Golden Exits, the new feature from American filmmaker Alex Ross Perry. His previous credits include Queen Of Earth, which premiered at Berlin in 2015. His latest tells the story of a young Australian woman who comes to New York for a few months...
- 1/19/2017
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
The 67th Berlin International Film Festival announced 43 additions to its 2017 roster today, including Alex Ross Perry’s “Golden Exits,” Joshua Z. Weinstein’s “Menashe,” and Amman Abbasi’s “Dayveon,” and rounding out much of the festival’s main line-up.
Read More: Berlinale 2017 Will Premiere ‘Logan,’ ‘Trainspotting: T2,’ and Hong Sangsoo’s Latest
Known for its robust variety of programming, the festival previously announced new films from Aki Kaurismaki, Oren Moverman, Sally Potter, Agnieszka Holland, and Sebastian Lelio. More commercial fare includes the international premiere of Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” sequel, and the world premiere of James Mangold’s addition to the Wolverine franchise, “Logan.”
Read More: 5 Exciting Films in the 2017 Berlin Film Festival Competition Lineup
The films of the 47th Forum are:
2 + 2 = 22 [The Alphabet] by Heinz Emigholz, Germany – Wp
Adiós entusiasmo (So Long Enthusiasm) of Vladimir Durán, Argentina / Colombia – Wp
At Elske Pia (Pia Loving) by Daniel Joseph Borgmann, Denmark – Wp...
Read More: Berlinale 2017 Will Premiere ‘Logan,’ ‘Trainspotting: T2,’ and Hong Sangsoo’s Latest
Known for its robust variety of programming, the festival previously announced new films from Aki Kaurismaki, Oren Moverman, Sally Potter, Agnieszka Holland, and Sebastian Lelio. More commercial fare includes the international premiere of Danny Boyle’s “Trainspotting” sequel, and the world premiere of James Mangold’s addition to the Wolverine franchise, “Logan.”
Read More: 5 Exciting Films in the 2017 Berlin Film Festival Competition Lineup
The films of the 47th Forum are:
2 + 2 = 22 [The Alphabet] by Heinz Emigholz, Germany – Wp
Adiós entusiasmo (So Long Enthusiasm) of Vladimir Durán, Argentina / Colombia – Wp
At Elske Pia (Pia Loving) by Daniel Joseph Borgmann, Denmark – Wp...
- 1/18/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (Dfi) backs 32 projects in autumn funding round.
Moroccan filmmaker Narjiss Nejjar (Cry No More), Lebanon’s Bassem Breish and Palestinian director Suha Arraf (Villa Touma, pictured) are among the latest recipients of the Doha Film Institute’s grants programme aimed at first and second-time film-makers in the Middle East and Africa region.
The Qatari organization backed a total 32 projects from 27 countries in its autumn funding round.
Nejjar received support for upcoming film Stateless about a girl who will do anything to re-connect with her mother, including marry an aging, blind man.
Breish is working on The Maiden’s Pond, about two woman connected to the same man who need to find a way of living side by side in the same village.
Arraf, whose last film was Villa Touma, is currently working on The Poster, about a Palestinian village situated within Israeli borders which is stirred up when a controversial poster appears...
Moroccan filmmaker Narjiss Nejjar (Cry No More), Lebanon’s Bassem Breish and Palestinian director Suha Arraf (Villa Touma, pictured) are among the latest recipients of the Doha Film Institute’s grants programme aimed at first and second-time film-makers in the Middle East and Africa region.
The Qatari organization backed a total 32 projects from 27 countries in its autumn funding round.
Nejjar received support for upcoming film Stateless about a girl who will do anything to re-connect with her mother, including marry an aging, blind man.
Breish is working on The Maiden’s Pond, about two woman connected to the same man who need to find a way of living side by side in the same village.
Arraf, whose last film was Villa Touma, is currently working on The Poster, about a Palestinian village situated within Israeli borders which is stirred up when a controversial poster appears...
- 12/14/2016
- ScreenDaily
Day Five at the Jio Mami 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star saw some great sessions for film as well as television audiences.
Starting from the Oxfam and Jio Mami with Star Women in Film Brunch at Jw Marriot saw some powerful like Mami Chairperson, Kiran Rao, Oxfam head, Nisha Agarwal, Konkana SenSharma, Richa Chaddha, Poonam Dhillon, Ekta Kapoor, Leena Yadav, Deborah Young, Maanvi Gagroo, Nidhi Singh and more.
Oxfam discussed Women and Films with Oxfam Head, Nisha Agarwal, Christine Vachon, Leena Yadav, Rucha Pathak, Tala Hadid, Vibha Bakshi, Tillotama Shome and moderator Rahul BoseThe discussion covered topics like the portrayal of women in Indian cinema and how it affects the way we portray their roles in our society.
Television Vertical screened the world premiere of ‘P.O.W.’ The panel included Primetime Emmy Winner Cary Fukunaga, Gideon Raff, Gaurav Banerjee and Nikkhil Advani in conversation with Nikhil Taneja about...
Starting from the Oxfam and Jio Mami with Star Women in Film Brunch at Jw Marriot saw some powerful like Mami Chairperson, Kiran Rao, Oxfam head, Nisha Agarwal, Konkana SenSharma, Richa Chaddha, Poonam Dhillon, Ekta Kapoor, Leena Yadav, Deborah Young, Maanvi Gagroo, Nidhi Singh and more.
Oxfam discussed Women and Films with Oxfam Head, Nisha Agarwal, Christine Vachon, Leena Yadav, Rucha Pathak, Tala Hadid, Vibha Bakshi, Tillotama Shome and moderator Rahul BoseThe discussion covered topics like the portrayal of women in Indian cinema and how it affects the way we portray their roles in our society.
Television Vertical screened the world premiere of ‘P.O.W.’ The panel included Primetime Emmy Winner Cary Fukunaga, Gideon Raff, Gaurav Banerjee and Nikkhil Advani in conversation with Nikhil Taneja about...
- 10/27/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
The Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival with Star is less than a month away from offering the city a movie extravaganza unlike any other. In its 18th edition, the festival announced its stellar line-up for the year at its annual press conference held on Thursday, 29th September in Mumbai. The festival is set to kick off on 20th October. The press conference began with the announcement of the festival’s new brand identity.
Jio Mami with Star, Festival Co-Chairperson, Kiran Rao said, “It’s been a very exciting year for the Academy. Firstly, we are now a year around presence. We launched the Mami Film Club in May with a conversation between Sir Ian McKellen and Aamir. We’ve followed that up with India premieres of films such as Brahman Naman and India in a Day. The Academy is committed to bringing you great film content and conversations not just...
Jio Mami with Star, Festival Co-Chairperson, Kiran Rao said, “It’s been a very exciting year for the Academy. Firstly, we are now a year around presence. We launched the Mami Film Club in May with a conversation between Sir Ian McKellen and Aamir. We’ve followed that up with India premieres of films such as Brahman Naman and India in a Day. The Academy is committed to bringing you great film content and conversations not just...
- 10/1/2016
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Miguel Gomes [pictured] and Reha Erdem to head international competition and India Gold juries, respectively; fest also unveils line-up and Jia Zhangke award.
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) is heading the jury for the international competition at this year’s Mumbai Film Festival, while Turkish director Reha Erdem will preside over the jury for the India Gold section.
Gomes will be joined by filmmakers Tala Hadid and Anurag Kashyap, producer Christine Vachon and Hot Docs president Chris McDonald. Titles selected for the International Competition for first-time filmmakers include Israeli filmmaker Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm and Diamond Island, from French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou (see full line-up below).
Erdem recently won the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize at Venice for Big Big World. He will be joined on the India Gold jury by composer Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), Hong Kong director Yonfan (Peony Pavilion), Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski (United States Of Love) and critic Stephanie Zacharek.
The festival...
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (Arabian Nights) is heading the jury for the international competition at this year’s Mumbai Film Festival, while Turkish director Reha Erdem will preside over the jury for the India Gold section.
Gomes will be joined by filmmakers Tala Hadid and Anurag Kashyap, producer Christine Vachon and Hot Docs president Chris McDonald. Titles selected for the International Competition for first-time filmmakers include Israeli filmmaker Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm and Diamond Island, from French-Cambodian filmmaker Davy Chou (see full line-up below).
Erdem recently won the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize at Venice for Big Big World. He will be joined on the India Gold jury by composer Mychael Danna (Life Of Pi), Hong Kong director Yonfan (Peony Pavilion), Polish director Tomasz Wasilewski (United States Of Love) and critic Stephanie Zacharek.
The festival...
- 9/30/2016
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The Doha Film Institute’s new Qumra event kicks off today in Doha, with a focus on mentoring emerging filmmakers.
The programme includes industry-focused masterclasses from Gael Garcia Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahamane Sissako, Danis Tanovic and Elia Suleiman (who also serves as the event’s artistic advisor). Suleiman’s masterclass replaces a planned talk with Leila Hatami, who had to cancel her trip to Doha.
More than 100 international industry attendees are connecting with delegates from 29 projects at various stages of production (all of the projects have backing in part from Dfi).
Attending industry – to name just a few — include Toronto’s Cameron Bailey, Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maravel, Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Tala Al Asmani, Gulf Film’s Selim El Azar, Urban Distribution’s Frederic Corvez, the Danish Film Institute’s Henrik Bo Nielsen, Cannes Critics’ Week’s Remi Bonhomme, script consultant Claire Dobbin, Locarno’s Nadia Dresti, Busan’s Kim Ji-Seok, filmmaker [link=nm...
The programme includes industry-focused masterclasses from Gael Garcia Bernal, Cristian Mungiu, Abderrahamane Sissako, Danis Tanovic and Elia Suleiman (who also serves as the event’s artistic advisor). Suleiman’s masterclass replaces a planned talk with Leila Hatami, who had to cancel her trip to Doha.
More than 100 international industry attendees are connecting with delegates from 29 projects at various stages of production (all of the projects have backing in part from Dfi).
Attending industry – to name just a few — include Toronto’s Cameron Bailey, Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maravel, Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s Tala Al Asmani, Gulf Film’s Selim El Azar, Urban Distribution’s Frederic Corvez, the Danish Film Institute’s Henrik Bo Nielsen, Cannes Critics’ Week’s Remi Bonhomme, script consultant Claire Dobbin, Locarno’s Nadia Dresti, Busan’s Kim Ji-Seok, filmmaker [link=nm...
- 3/6/2015
- by wendy.mitchell@screendaily.com (Wendy Mitchell)
- ScreenDaily
The 11th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff) closes today, but film industry professionals will be able to watch many of the Arab films in the selection online for the next nine months.
The Arab titles in the line-up will be available to screen on the Dubai Film Market’s video platform Cinetech for nine months starting from December 18.
“The service is open to all the distributors and sales agents who attended the market,” said Dfm chief Samr Al Marzooqi. “We want these films to continue their sales careers after the market has closed. The Cinetech is the best place to find Arab films.”
Aside from keeping Cinetech live for nine months, the Dfm is also continuing its partnerships with Festival Scope and the Venice Film Festival.
Under the agreement with Festival Scope, the titles in Diff’s Muhr Shorts and Features competitions will be available on the industry platform.
The agreement...
The Arab titles in the line-up will be available to screen on the Dubai Film Market’s video platform Cinetech for nine months starting from December 18.
“The service is open to all the distributors and sales agents who attended the market,” said Dfm chief Samr Al Marzooqi. “We want these films to continue their sales careers after the market has closed. The Cinetech is the best place to find Arab films.”
Aside from keeping Cinetech live for nine months, the Dfm is also continuing its partnerships with Festival Scope and the Venice Film Festival.
Under the agreement with Festival Scope, the titles in Diff’s Muhr Shorts and Features competitions will be available on the industry platform.
The agreement...
- 12/17/2014
- ScreenDaily
Titles include the world premiere of thriller I’m Dead and the new feature from Egyptian director Daoud Abdel Sayed.
The Dubai International Film Festival (Dec 10-17) has unveiled the competition line-up for the Muhr Feature Awards.
The awards, first launched in 2006, aims to recognise artistic excellence from within the Arab world.
Titles include:
Dolphins, Waleed Al ShehhiI’m Dead, Yacine Mohamed BenelhadjI am Nujoom, Aged 10 and Divorced, Khadija Al-SalamiThe Sea is Behind, Hicham LasriIn This Land Lay Graves of Mine, Reine MitriA Letter to the King, Hisham ZamanThe Narrow Frame of Midnight, Tala HadidThe Council,Yahya AlabdallahOut of the Ordinary, Daoud Abdel Sayed
Dolphins is directed by Waleed Al Shehhi, who secured funding from Diff’s post-production fund Enjaaz in cooperation with Watani and Filmi before going on to win the Iwc Filmmaker Award during the 2013 edition of the Festival.
In its world premiere, Dolphins follows the intertwined stories of three people within a 24 hour period...
The Dubai International Film Festival (Dec 10-17) has unveiled the competition line-up for the Muhr Feature Awards.
The awards, first launched in 2006, aims to recognise artistic excellence from within the Arab world.
Titles include:
Dolphins, Waleed Al ShehhiI’m Dead, Yacine Mohamed BenelhadjI am Nujoom, Aged 10 and Divorced, Khadija Al-SalamiThe Sea is Behind, Hicham LasriIn This Land Lay Graves of Mine, Reine MitriA Letter to the King, Hisham ZamanThe Narrow Frame of Midnight, Tala HadidThe Council,Yahya AlabdallahOut of the Ordinary, Daoud Abdel Sayed
Dolphins is directed by Waleed Al Shehhi, who secured funding from Diff’s post-production fund Enjaaz in cooperation with Watani and Filmi before going on to win the Iwc Filmmaker Award during the 2013 edition of the Festival.
In its world premiere, Dolphins follows the intertwined stories of three people within a 24 hour period...
- 11/3/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The festival’s 25th edition will feature a contribution from Ai Weiwei and competition titles including Whiplash, Nightcrawler and Foxcatcher.
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.
The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.
Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.
He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.
Brazil
The festival will focus this year on Brazil...
The Stockholm International Film Festival (Nov 5-16) is to present its Achievement Award to Us actress Uma Thurman.
The Kill Bill star will will visit Stockholm to receive the prestigious Bronze Horse and meet the audience during an exclusive “Face2Face”.
Thurman will also take part in the inauguration ceremony, which will include the unveiling of an ice sculpture by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
Weiwei was a Stockholm jury member last year but since he wasn’t allowed to leave China, he sent an empty chair named ”The Chair for Non-attendance” as symbol of his absence.
He is still not allowed to leave China so will send a design that will be portrayed in the form of a large ice sculpture symbolising this years’ Spotlight theme - Hope.
Brazil
The festival will focus this year on Brazil...
- 10/16/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Name and focus changes for every section, which are now all competitive, resulting in the festival’s structure being “slimmer’.
The ninth Rome Film Festival (Oct 16-25) has revealed a diverse line-up including the Italian premieres for potential awards contenders including David Fincher’s Gone Girl. the world premiere of Takashi Miike’s As the Gods Will and Burhan Qurbani’s We are Young, We are Strong and European premiere of Oren Moverman’s Time Out of Mind, Toronto hit Still Alice and Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.
This year for the first time the award-winners in each section of the programme will be decided by the audience on the basis of votes cast after the screenings.
Each section has changed name and focus for 2014 and are all competitive, resulting in the festival’s structure being “slimmer’.
Italian comedies Soap Opera and Andiamo a Quel Paese bookend the line-up.
Full line-up
Cinema D’Oggi
World premiere
• Angely...
The ninth Rome Film Festival (Oct 16-25) has revealed a diverse line-up including the Italian premieres for potential awards contenders including David Fincher’s Gone Girl. the world premiere of Takashi Miike’s As the Gods Will and Burhan Qurbani’s We are Young, We are Strong and European premiere of Oren Moverman’s Time Out of Mind, Toronto hit Still Alice and Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.
This year for the first time the award-winners in each section of the programme will be decided by the audience on the basis of votes cast after the screenings.
Each section has changed name and focus for 2014 and are all competitive, resulting in the festival’s structure being “slimmer’.
Italian comedies Soap Opera and Andiamo a Quel Paese bookend the line-up.
Full line-up
Cinema D’Oggi
World premiere
• Angely...
- 9/29/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: British Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla talks new film venue in Egypt.
British Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, United 93), in Toronto with the premiere screenings of Danis Tanovic’s Tigers and Tala Hadid’s The Narrow Frame of Midnight, is one of the driving forces behind a new cinematheque in Cairo.
‘Cimateque’ [Cima being the Egyptian slang for cinema], currently under construction, will include an 80- seater cinema, 8 and 16mm labs, library, digital archive, DVD library and cafeteria. The hub will host screenings, workshops and events throughout the year.
“Filmmaking courses and scriptwriting programmes have already taken place,” Abdalla explained to Screen. “This will be a base from which to host activities in Cairo and beyond”.
“There’s a lot of film that’s very difficult to access in Egypt,” he continued. “The country has an extraordinary film history but there are few channels for alternative filmmaking, especially for the new wave of films emerging in the region.”
Abdalla and fellow...
British Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, United 93), in Toronto with the premiere screenings of Danis Tanovic’s Tigers and Tala Hadid’s The Narrow Frame of Midnight, is one of the driving forces behind a new cinematheque in Cairo.
‘Cimateque’ [Cima being the Egyptian slang for cinema], currently under construction, will include an 80- seater cinema, 8 and 16mm labs, library, digital archive, DVD library and cafeteria. The hub will host screenings, workshops and events throughout the year.
“Filmmaking courses and scriptwriting programmes have already taken place,” Abdalla explained to Screen. “This will be a base from which to host activities in Cairo and beyond”.
“There’s a lot of film that’s very difficult to access in Egypt,” he continued. “The country has an extraordinary film history but there are few channels for alternative filmmaking, especially for the new wave of films emerging in the region.”
Abdalla and fellow...
- 9/9/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
The lineups for the Mavericks, Discovery, and Tiff Kids parts of the Toronto Film Festival were announced, wrapping up a series of lineup announcements for the Toronto International Film Festival.
With the added films, the festival’s entire slate is now a whopping 393 movies. Two hundred eighty-five of those movies are feature films, of which 143 are world premieres.
The Mavericks portion of the festival includes onstage discussions following the screening of each film. Do I Sound Gay? will be followed by a talk between director David Thorpe and sex-advice guru Dan Savage. Also premiering in that space is The 50 Year Argument,...
With the added films, the festival’s entire slate is now a whopping 393 movies. Two hundred eighty-five of those movies are feature films, of which 143 are world premieres.
The Mavericks portion of the festival includes onstage discussions following the screening of each film. Do I Sound Gay? will be followed by a talk between director David Thorpe and sex-advice guru Dan Savage. Also premiering in that space is The 50 Year Argument,...
- 8/19/2014
- by Jacob Shamsian
- EW - Inside Movies
Bill Murray is coming to Toronto folks. Actually, the film he stars in (Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent) is having its official World Premiere launch at the jaw-dropping 285 feature film 2014 Tiff line-up. In the final batch of items we finally get the confirmation that 2014′s Palme d’Or Winner Winter Sleep (which gets added along with a trio of others to the Masters Programme) will show, and Tomm Moore’s highly anticipated Song of the Sea (among the four item line-up for Tiff Kids) also lands. Worth mentioning are the sprinkling of add-ons to the various other sections (Marjane Satrapi’s Sundance preemed The Voices, Matt Shakman’s Cut Bank and the world preem of Danis Tanovic’s Tigers) with a Studio Ghibli docu item being fitted into the Tiff Docs, but it is the Discovery Programme that finally takes shape.
The “up-and-comers” include Berlin Film Fest (and future Nyff...
The “up-and-comers” include Berlin Film Fest (and future Nyff...
- 8/19/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The 2014 Toronto Film Festival lineup got a lot stronger this morning by adding several new titles to the Special Presentations, Masters, Documentaries, Vanguard and Contemporary World Cinema selection as well as announcing the Mavericks and Discovery Programme picks. Most notable selections begin with Special Presentations additions of The Weinstein's St. Vincent starring Bill Murray and Melissa McCarty and James Franco's The Sound and the Fury. The St. Vincent screening will be a world premiere and suggest Murray will be walking the Tiff red carpet... now that's a get for the fest I'm sure brings a smile to their face. In the Masters selection we have Studio Ghibli's The Tale of Princess Kaguya as well as the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Winter Sleep. The Vanguard selection has added The Voice, the lastest film from Persepolis helmer Marjane Satrapi and in the Mavericks selection...
- 8/19/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Bill Murray starrer St. Vincent will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival as part of this week’s wave of programming that includes Discovery.
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
The Discovery section includes the upcoming world premiere of Stories Of Our Lives, a portmanteau of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex testimonies by anonymous filmmakers from Kenya.
Selections include first-looks of Ross Katz’s Us comedy Adult Beginners, Sarah Leonor’s French Legion drama The Great Man, Isidora Marras’ Chile-Argentinian psychothriller I Am Not Lorena and UK drama X + Y.
“Christopher Nolan, Steve McQueen, Lynne Ramsay and David Gordon Green all presented their first features in our Discovery section,” said Tiff artistic director Cameron Bailey. “It’s a great place to spot new talent first.”
Besides St. Vincent, Festival Additions includes concert film cum road movie Roger Waters The Wall, while the world premiere of Krzysztof Zanussi’s Foreign Body takes its place among the Masters strand.
Tiff Docs arrivals...
- 8/19/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Cannes slate includes trio of classics as well as slew of new films, including pictures from Arto Halonen and Tala Hadid.
Wide Management has picked up international sales on Jean Renoir’s 1939 picture The Bitch (La Chienne), which is screening in Cannes Classics this year.
The tale of a humble clerk who falls victim to a prostitute and her violent, scheming pimp, was Renoir’s second sound film.
It recently restored by Les Films du Jeudi - the historic production company of Renoir’s late producer Pierre Braunbreger - and the Cinémathèque Francaise with the support of France’s National Cinema Centre and the DGA and WGA-backed Franco-American Cultural Fund.
“Screening in Cannes Classics gives a masterpiece like La Chienne, which is part of cinema history, a new lease of life and visibility,” said Wide Management’s founding chief, Loic Magneron. “This is a timeless classic that should be seen by new audiences.”
Wide’s slate...
Wide Management has picked up international sales on Jean Renoir’s 1939 picture The Bitch (La Chienne), which is screening in Cannes Classics this year.
The tale of a humble clerk who falls victim to a prostitute and her violent, scheming pimp, was Renoir’s second sound film.
It recently restored by Les Films du Jeudi - the historic production company of Renoir’s late producer Pierre Braunbreger - and the Cinémathèque Francaise with the support of France’s National Cinema Centre and the DGA and WGA-backed Franco-American Cultural Fund.
“Screening in Cannes Classics gives a masterpiece like La Chienne, which is part of cinema history, a new lease of life and visibility,” said Wide Management’s founding chief, Loic Magneron. “This is a timeless classic that should be seen by new audiences.”
Wide’s slate...
- 5/8/2014
- ScreenDaily
BERLIN -- Never Like the First Time! an animated film from Swedish director Jonas Odell that features audio of people recalling their sexual initiation, has won the 2006 Berlin Golden Bear for best short film, Berlin's International Short Film Jury said Wednesday. The Silver Bear runner-up prize went to two shorts: Guillaume Martinez's Penpusher, about an unexpected encounter in the Paris Metro, and Our Man in Nirvana, an animated film about a rock guitarist who dies onstage and wakes up in paradise. For the festival's Panorama sidebar, the prize for best short film went to U.S. filmmaker Tala Hadid's Your Dark Hair Ihsan, about a man confronted by his past when he returns home to North Africa from Europe.
- 2/15/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Twelve students from 11 colleges and universities were honored Sunday night as winners at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 32nd annual Student Academy Awards competition. While the U.S. students knew they would each receive an award, the level of that award -- gold, silver or bronze -- was not revealed until the ceremony. In addition to trophies, gold winners received $5,000, silver medalists were awarded $3,000 and bronze recipients got $2,000. Jaron Henrie-McCrea of Ball State University in Indiana won the gold medal in the alternative category for Knock Knock, and Tala Hadid of Columbia University in New York, won the silver medal for Your Dark Hair Ihsan. There was no bronze winner.
- 6/13/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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