Happy Ever Aftrs
Rachel Perkins has been appointed as chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (Aftrs) council for a period of three years. She follows previous chairs Russell Howcroft and Debra Richards. Aftrs is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution, supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling.
“Rachel is one of Australia’s leading storytellers, particularly when it comes to First Nations stories,” said Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke.
A graduate of Aftrs, writer, director and producer, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, which has gone onto become one of Australia’s leading production companies. Its recent documentary series “The Australian Wars” won most outstanding factual or documentary program at the 2023 TV Week Logie Awards, as well as best documentary or factual program and best direction in nonfiction television at the 2024 Aacta awards.
Wide Screen Wider
Indian movie exhibition chain Miraj Cinemas has agreed...
Rachel Perkins has been appointed as chair of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (Aftrs) council for a period of three years. She follows previous chairs Russell Howcroft and Debra Richards. Aftrs is Australia’s leading specialist education, training and research institution, supporting excellence in Australian screen and audio storytelling.
“Rachel is one of Australia’s leading storytellers, particularly when it comes to First Nations stories,” said Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke.
A graduate of Aftrs, writer, director and producer, Perkins founded Blackfella Films, which has gone onto become one of Australia’s leading production companies. Its recent documentary series “The Australian Wars” won most outstanding factual or documentary program at the 2023 TV Week Logie Awards, as well as best documentary or factual program and best direction in nonfiction television at the 2024 Aacta awards.
Wide Screen Wider
Indian movie exhibition chain Miraj Cinemas has agreed...
- 4/11/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The spice must flow, and take over most theaters. While Denis Villeneuve’s gargantuan-sized blockbuster will suck up much of the oxygen when it comes to discussions around March’s releases, there’s plenty more to uncover. From adventurous festival favorites to micro-sized productions to a would-be blockbuster relegated to streaming, here are my picks for what to see next month.
15. Road House (Doug Liman; March 21)
While his recent output hasn’t touched the entertainment value of Edge of Tomorrow, The Bourne Identity, or Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Doug Liman seems quite confident in the crowdpleaser appeal of his Jake Gyllenhaal-led Road House remake. While he won’t be getting the theatrical release he believes he deserves, those at SXSW will at least be able to experience it in a crowd before it lands on Prime Video soon after.
14. Yuni (Kamila Andini; March 22)
One of our favorite undistributed films...
15. Road House (Doug Liman; March 21)
While his recent output hasn’t touched the entertainment value of Edge of Tomorrow, The Bourne Identity, or Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Doug Liman seems quite confident in the crowdpleaser appeal of his Jake Gyllenhaal-led Road House remake. While he won’t be getting the theatrical release he believes he deserves, those at SXSW will at least be able to experience it in a crowd before it lands on Prime Video soon after.
14. Yuni (Kamila Andini; March 22)
One of our favorite undistributed films...
- 2/28/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
On the occasion of her film Yohanna, screening at IFFR, Laura Basuki talks to Panos Kotzathanasis about the award she won in Berlin a couple of years ago, why she chose to play Yohanna and how she chooses the roles she plays in general, working with Razka Robby Ertanto and Kamila Andini, her relationship with religion, her future plans, and many other topics.
- 2/28/2024
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
One of our favorite undistributed films of 2021 now has a home. Film Movement, who released Kamila Andini’s 2022 festival premiere Before, Now & Then in theaters last summer, has picked up the Indonesian director’s prior feature, the coming-of-age tale Yuni, for a digital release on March 22. Ahead of the debut, were pleased to exclusively debut the U.S. trailer.
Here’s the synopsis: “Having rejected a marriage proposal and now facing limited options after graduation, Indonesian high-school student Yuni (Arawinda Kirana) finds herself having to define her desires within a society attempting to prescribe her fate. Navigating her burgeoning sexuality and educational prospects while coming to terms with the rigid gender politics with which they collide, Yuni observes her peers and the women around her as they reject or give in to the expectations made of them and the consequences their decisions carry.”
Reyzando Nawara said in his review, “Kamila...
Here’s the synopsis: “Having rejected a marriage proposal and now facing limited options after graduation, Indonesian high-school student Yuni (Arawinda Kirana) finds herself having to define her desires within a society attempting to prescribe her fate. Navigating her burgeoning sexuality and educational prospects while coming to terms with the rigid gender politics with which they collide, Yuni observes her peers and the women around her as they reject or give in to the expectations made of them and the consequences their decisions carry.”
Reyzando Nawara said in his review, “Kamila...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Top Indonesian star Laura Basuki headlines auteur Razka Robby Ertanto’s “Yohanna,” which has its world premiere in competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam.
The film follows young nun Yohanna, whose encounter with the underworld of child labor in the eastern island of Sumba, one of the poorest places in Indonesia, restores her sense of purpose in life.
For Ertanto, whose “Cross the Line” (2022) looked at migrant workers and “Ave Maryam” (2018) that examined aspects of the Christian faith, the idea for “Yohanna” was born after a visit to Sumba, where he was saddened to see eight-year-old laborers who looked like worn out elders. He resolved to tell their story and present the case for their freedom.
“Child labor in Indonesia is a very important topic that we need to raise awareness about in my country and abroad. Many people fight for good causes whether it’s for the country or...
The film follows young nun Yohanna, whose encounter with the underworld of child labor in the eastern island of Sumba, one of the poorest places in Indonesia, restores her sense of purpose in life.
For Ertanto, whose “Cross the Line” (2022) looked at migrant workers and “Ave Maryam” (2018) that examined aspects of the Christian faith, the idea for “Yohanna” was born after a visit to Sumba, where he was saddened to see eight-year-old laborers who looked like worn out elders. He resolved to tell their story and present the case for their freedom.
“Child labor in Indonesia is a very important topic that we need to raise awareness about in my country and abroad. Many people fight for good causes whether it’s for the country or...
- 1/24/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Following what happened in the US during the last decade or so, the quality of Asian dramas has skyrocketed during the last few years, with a significant surge of talent from cinema towards streaming platforms, with Korea definitely paving the way in the regard, and Japan following. The result is quite impressive to watch, since, frequently, the level of these titles is equal to the one of movies.
Without further ado, here are 20 Asian dramas in random order proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
1. Cigarette Girl by Kamila Andini
“Cigarette Girl” is not a typical story of two broken hearts crushed by unfortunate circumstances, a trope over-used in the soap opera format. It also has a bit of history to offer alongside a basic insight into the women's hardships in Indonesia not such long time ago. “Your duty is to clean the house and find yourself a husband...
Without further ado, here are 20 Asian dramas in random order proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion.
1. Cigarette Girl by Kamila Andini
“Cigarette Girl” is not a typical story of two broken hearts crushed by unfortunate circumstances, a trope over-used in the soap opera format. It also has a bit of history to offer alongside a basic insight into the women's hardships in Indonesia not such long time ago. “Your duty is to clean the house and find yourself a husband...
- 1/18/2024
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Created by Sashti Nandani, and co-directed by Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, the five-episode series opens with flashbacks of a terminally ill Soeraja (Pritt Timothy) is visited by, and who ends up pleading his son Lebas (Arya Saloka) to find a woman called Jeng Jah (Dian Sastrowardoyo). The lad is given a tin jar which contains a key to a safe in his grandfather's office, but when he gets there, his only clues become an old photograph showing a big group of people, and a bunch of letters written to Soeraja by Dasiyah that happens to be Jeng Jah's second name.
Follow our tribute to Netflix by clicking on the image below
Based on the eponymous best-selling novel written by Ratih Kumala, the Netflix series “Cigarette Girl” is one of the most interesting shows currently showing on the popular streaming platforms, vintage not only in terms of the era it plays in,...
Follow our tribute to Netflix by clicking on the image below
Based on the eponymous best-selling novel written by Ratih Kumala, the Netflix series “Cigarette Girl” is one of the most interesting shows currently showing on the popular streaming platforms, vintage not only in terms of the era it plays in,...
- 1/14/2024
- by Marina D. Richter
- AsianMoviePulse
Set amid the political violence of late-1960s Indonesia, Kamila Andini’s intoxicating Before, Now, & Then follows Nana, the beautiful wife of a wealthy plantation owner whose inner life remains with her deceased first husband, murdered in the civil war a decade prior. A survivor, Nana values her safety and material comforts, but carries out a haunted existence, dreaming of her lost love. Forced to confront her husband’s blatant infidelity, Nana makes an unusual connection with his younger mistress, Ino. The two women, sharing their secrets and desires, discover a newfound freedom and intimacy withheld from them both by the strictures of patriarchal society.
Before, Now, & Then is available on DVD on December 12.
Enter for your chance to win a DVD of Before, Now, & Then, courtesy of Film Movement. Five (5) winners will be selected at random.
Here’s how to enter:
Step 1: Follow us on Facebook,...
Before, Now, & Then is available on DVD on December 12.
Enter for your chance to win a DVD of Before, Now, & Then, courtesy of Film Movement. Five (5) winners will be selected at random.
Here’s how to enter:
Step 1: Follow us on Facebook,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Stories about fine-dining chefs, tobacco artisans and detective bloggers have burst into life on screens across Southeast Asia. Streaming giants in the region are increasingly placing their series bets on creators armed with a glittering list of prizes from the international festival circuit, and independent filmmakers and producers are making high-production-value shows with small-to-midrange budgets. The result? A veritable “prestige TV” wave on streamers. It’s a development sure to drive chatter at the Asia TV Forum & Market, which is part of the larger Singapore Media Festival umbrella running from Nov. 30 to Dec. 10.
After winning awards at the Berlin and Toronto festivals, Indonesian director Kamila Andini has kept busy with the Netflix series Cigarette Girl and the Amazon film 4 Seasons in Java. An ambitious period drama revolving around Indonesia’s clove cigarette industry in the 1960s, Cigarette Girl has ranked on Netflix’s global top 10 list for non-English series for two consecutive weeks,...
After winning awards at the Berlin and Toronto festivals, Indonesian director Kamila Andini has kept busy with the Netflix series Cigarette Girl and the Amazon film 4 Seasons in Java. An ambitious period drama revolving around Indonesia’s clove cigarette industry in the 1960s, Cigarette Girl has ranked on Netflix’s global top 10 list for non-English series for two consecutive weeks,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Sara Merican
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Yosep Anggi Noen, whose “24 Hours With Gaspar” premiered at Busan and is playing at the Red Sea and Singapore festivals, has lined up his next movie, an untitled horror film.
The film is produced by Palari Films, the Jakarta-based production company behind Edwin’s “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2021. Noen is no stranger to Locarno glory himself, having been nominated in 2012 for “Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses” and in 2016 for “Solo, Solitude” and scored a special mention in 2019 for “The Science of Fictions.”
The untitled horror-drama-thriller film, produced by Palari’s Muhammad Zaidy and Meiske Taurisia, will unite acclaimed actors Happy Salma and Putri Marino for the first time. Salma was nominated for best actress at the Asian Film Awards and best performance at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Kamila Andini’s “Before Now & Then” (2022). Palari is...
The film is produced by Palari Films, the Jakarta-based production company behind Edwin’s “Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash,” which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno in 2021. Noen is no stranger to Locarno glory himself, having been nominated in 2012 for “Peculiar Vacation and Other Illnesses” and in 2016 for “Solo, Solitude” and scored a special mention in 2019 for “The Science of Fictions.”
The untitled horror-drama-thriller film, produced by Palari’s Muhammad Zaidy and Meiske Taurisia, will unite acclaimed actors Happy Salma and Putri Marino for the first time. Salma was nominated for best actress at the Asian Film Awards and best performance at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards for Kamila Andini’s “Before Now & Then” (2022). Palari is...
- 12/1/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (Rob Reiner)
One of the most brilliant comedic minds to ever live finally gets his due in Rob Reiner’s loving documentary. Framed around a conversation between the two, Brooks dives into all of his creative output while still proving he’s as witty as ever––and indeed, if you’ve never seen some of his early late-night bits, you’ll be howling along. And since you’ll be looking for more from Brooks to watch after watching, Lost in America and Defending Your Life are on Max, Modern Romance is on Tubi, and Real Life is on Kanopy.
Where to Stream: Max
Before, Now & Then (Kamila Andini)
In Before, Now & Then the social...
Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (Rob Reiner)
One of the most brilliant comedic minds to ever live finally gets his due in Rob Reiner’s loving documentary. Framed around a conversation between the two, Brooks dives into all of his creative output while still proving he’s as witty as ever––and indeed, if you’ve never seen some of his early late-night bits, you’ll be howling along. And since you’ll be looking for more from Brooks to watch after watching, Lost in America and Defending Your Life are on Max, Modern Romance is on Tubi, and Real Life is on Kanopy.
Where to Stream: Max
Before, Now & Then (Kamila Andini)
In Before, Now & Then the social...
- 11/17/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Dian Sastrowardoyo has played the character of Dasiyah in the mini-series Cigarette Girl streaming on Netflix. The actor has done justice to the character, which can also be compared to other strong female characters like Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, and others. Dasiyah’s feminine aura is enough to threaten the mental peace of the men around her. Her independent nature makes her stand out from the other women in the series. Is the character able to attain the fame that she deserves as a flavor maker? Will her tragic life send out a message to us? There are many questions that are answered by the directors, Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, through the character of Dasiyah in the series.
Spoilers Ahead
How Ambitious Was Dasiyah?
Dasiyah has been portrayed as a very ambitious character who dreams of becoming one of the most famous flavor-makers in her city.
Spoilers Ahead
How Ambitious Was Dasiyah?
Dasiyah has been portrayed as a very ambitious character who dreams of becoming one of the most famous flavor-makers in her city.
- 11/4/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
What a wonderful job the directors of Cigarette Girl, Kamila Andini, and Ifa Isfansyah have done! The Indonesian mini-series has recently been trending on Netflix. The plot builds around the tragic life of a talented craftsperson, Dasiah. She has been seeking an outlet for her talent in traditional Indonesian culture. The skills of a woman in the cigarette industry are not welcome at the time in which the story is set. How she manages to overcome all the obstacles and stick to her passion has been portrayed efficiently in Cigarette Girl series. Her failed love life adds to the tragic story of her life. The main characters have been portrayed by skilled actors like Dian Sastrowardoyo, Putri Marino, Ariyo Bayu, and others. The five-part miniseries has a solid plot and is nothing like you have ever experienced! It remains a matter of concern to the audience as to whether Dasiah...
- 11/2/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
It’s been a remarkable couple of years for Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini who’s career took flight at TIFF when she showcased The Seen and Unseen (2017) and then won the Platform competition a couple of years later with Yuni (2021). She quickly followed that with Before, Now & Then (formerly known as “Nana”) which would premiere at the 2022 Berlinale competition section (winning the Silver Berlin Bear for Best Supporting Performance by Laura Basuki). A drama about domestication (or being placed in a physical confined space) that is intertwined with a turbulent historical backdrop (1960s Indonesia), this is about a time, a place, about how two women can come together despite what would normally be a conversation non-starter.…...
- 10/31/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Acclaimed film-making duo Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah take a calculatedly side-on approach to Indonesian societal history in “Cigarette Girl,” a new Netflix series that releases on Nov.1 and which premiered its first episodes at the Busan International Film Festival earlier this month.
Starting with a wealthy family about to lose its aging patriarch in 2001, the series uses flashbacks to the 1960s to uncover not only the origins of the family’s herbal cigarette or ‘Kretek’ fortune, but also the hidden romance underlying it. And it highlights the overbearing and only slowly changing societal pressures placed on women, from high and low ranks, even as Indonesian politics and government underwent tectonic shifts.
Ahead of the Busan premiere Andini and Isfansyah told Variety how their lush and romantic treatment is both a product of changing society and a way of facing up to recent Indonesian history.
Watch the new trailer here:...
Starting with a wealthy family about to lose its aging patriarch in 2001, the series uses flashbacks to the 1960s to uncover not only the origins of the family’s herbal cigarette or ‘Kretek’ fortune, but also the hidden romance underlying it. And it highlights the overbearing and only slowly changing societal pressures placed on women, from high and low ranks, even as Indonesian politics and government underwent tectonic shifts.
Ahead of the Busan premiere Andini and Isfansyah told Variety how their lush and romantic treatment is both a product of changing society and a way of facing up to recent Indonesian history.
Watch the new trailer here:...
- 10/19/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Indonesian filmmakers Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah are making their Netflix debut with five-part series Cigarette Girl (Gadis Kretek), which streams worldwide from November 2.
Deadline sat down with the husband-and-wife filmmaking team, both award-winning arthouse directors in their own right, in Busan International Film Festival, where the first few episodes of the series world premiered as part of the festival’s Indonesia Special Program.
Based on Ratih Kumala’s novel ‘Gadis Kretek’, the story spans two time periods – in the 1960s, the daughter of a family business producing Indonesia’s world-famous clove cigarettes struggles to make her mark in a male-dominated industry, while in the early 2000s, a young man is searching for a mystery woman to fulfil his father’s dying wish.
Dian Sastrowardoyo and Ario Bayu, both big stars in Indonesia, play the love struck main characters in the 1960s, while Putri Marino and Arya Saloka play a...
Deadline sat down with the husband-and-wife filmmaking team, both award-winning arthouse directors in their own right, in Busan International Film Festival, where the first few episodes of the series world premiered as part of the festival’s Indonesia Special Program.
Based on Ratih Kumala’s novel ‘Gadis Kretek’, the story spans two time periods – in the 1960s, the daughter of a family business producing Indonesia’s world-famous clove cigarettes struggles to make her mark in a male-dominated industry, while in the early 2000s, a young man is searching for a mystery woman to fulfil his father’s dying wish.
Dian Sastrowardoyo and Ario Bayu, both big stars in Indonesia, play the love struck main characters in the 1960s, while Putri Marino and Arya Saloka play a...
- 10/17/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Indonesian actor Reza Rahadian and director Yosep Anggi Noen are attending Busan International Film Festival with their dystopian crime drama 24 Hours With Gaspar, which is receiving its world premiere in the festival’s Jiseok competition.
An adaptation of Sabda Armandio’s 2017 novel of the same name, the fast-paced thriller is the biggest budget film that Noen, an award-winning arthouse filmmaker, has ever made and marks the first time he’s worked with Rahadian and Laura Basuki, who are both big stars in Indonesia. Upcoming actress Shenina Cinnamon also stars in the film.
Noen says he was approached to direct the project by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, founder of Indonesia’s Visinema Pictures and immediately agreed because he liked the book. “It’s a story about loss, because the main character is coming to terms with losing his friend, but it’s also a visualization of a dystopian Indonesia which we’ve rarely seen,...
An adaptation of Sabda Armandio’s 2017 novel of the same name, the fast-paced thriller is the biggest budget film that Noen, an award-winning arthouse filmmaker, has ever made and marks the first time he’s worked with Rahadian and Laura Basuki, who are both big stars in Indonesia. Upcoming actress Shenina Cinnamon also stars in the film.
Noen says he was approached to direct the project by Angga Dwimas Sasongko, founder of Indonesia’s Visinema Pictures and immediately agreed because he liked the book. “It’s a story about loss, because the main character is coming to terms with losing his friend, but it’s also a visualization of a dystopian Indonesia which we’ve rarely seen,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
The Indonesian film industry is poised to spread its wings globally as the country’s filmmaking boom is the subject of a focus at the Busan International Film Festival.
Films from the country now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world with 277 million, is rapidly expanding with homegrown productions accounting for a significant share. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies that include an annual $13 million international co-production grant. Featured at Busan this year are 15 features, shorts and series.
The festival has been inviting Indonesian films since 1996. In 2004, the late Kim Ji-seok, after whom one of the festival’s top awards is named now, curated a program titled ‘Garin [Nugroho] and the Next Generation: New Possibility of Indonesian Cinema.’ “I realized that the next generation is already visible, but overlooked,” festival programmer Park Sungho told Variety.
Films from the country now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world with 277 million, is rapidly expanding with homegrown productions accounting for a significant share. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies that include an annual $13 million international co-production grant. Featured at Busan this year are 15 features, shorts and series.
The festival has been inviting Indonesian films since 1996. In 2004, the late Kim Ji-seok, after whom one of the festival’s top awards is named now, curated a program titled ‘Garin [Nugroho] and the Next Generation: New Possibility of Indonesian Cinema.’ “I realized that the next generation is already visible, but overlooked,” festival programmer Park Sungho told Variety.
- 10/9/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Distribution in Indonesia was the subject of a lively debate at the Busan International Film Festival’s Asian Contents and Film Market.
With 277 million people, Indonesia has one of the largest populations in the world. However, geographically it is an archipelago and for its population, the country is under-screened with just 2,300 cinema screens. Despite this, box office is booming. The 2022 total surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with more than 54 million admissions. Indonesia also operates under a unique distribution model in that there are no independent distributors. Producers instead deal directly with the country’s three major multiplex chains and a smattering of small cinemas in second and third tier cities.
“The country’s span is from Dublin to Istanbul, but we have only 2,300 screens,” said producer Angga Dwimas Sasangko of Visinema, whose “Ali Topan” is screening at Busan. Sasangko was speaking at a panel on Indonesian distribution that also included producer Shanty...
With 277 million people, Indonesia has one of the largest populations in the world. However, geographically it is an archipelago and for its population, the country is under-screened with just 2,300 cinema screens. Despite this, box office is booming. The 2022 total surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels, with more than 54 million admissions. Indonesia also operates under a unique distribution model in that there are no independent distributors. Producers instead deal directly with the country’s three major multiplex chains and a smattering of small cinemas in second and third tier cities.
“The country’s span is from Dublin to Istanbul, but we have only 2,300 screens,” said producer Angga Dwimas Sasangko of Visinema, whose “Ali Topan” is screening at Busan. Sasangko was speaking at a panel on Indonesian distribution that also included producer Shanty...
- 10/8/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“I hope we can communicate and reconcile again,” said Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon on the opening night of the South Korean city’s film festival.
With so much of the dialogue in opening drama “Because I Hate Korea” discussing Korean societal rigidities, group loyalties, long working hours and poor pay (which cause the protagonist to emigrate to laid-back New Zealand), it is easy to forget that many of these characteristics are what may have saved this year’s Busan International FIlm Festival from going off the rails.
Mid-year, the festival’s aging senior management had a self-inflicted meltdown (a senior moment?) when chairman and co-founder Lee Yong-kwan set off a chain of events that caused multiple resignations, highlighting the old city-versus-festival political divide and alienating local sponsors and industry guilds.
This was dirty laundry that Busan should have washed out of its system in the years-long aftermath of the 2014 “The...
With so much of the dialogue in opening drama “Because I Hate Korea” discussing Korean societal rigidities, group loyalties, long working hours and poor pay (which cause the protagonist to emigrate to laid-back New Zealand), it is easy to forget that many of these characteristics are what may have saved this year’s Busan International FIlm Festival from going off the rails.
Mid-year, the festival’s aging senior management had a self-inflicted meltdown (a senior moment?) when chairman and co-founder Lee Yong-kwan set off a chain of events that caused multiple resignations, highlighting the old city-versus-festival political divide and alienating local sponsors and industry guilds.
This was dirty laundry that Busan should have washed out of its system in the years-long aftermath of the 2014 “The...
- 10/4/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It’s no exaggeration to say that Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has been through a fair amount of drama this year.
The turmoil started in May when Biff chairman Lee Yong-kwan appointed a close associate, Cho Jongkook, as managing director alongside artistic director Huh Moonyung, a decision that proved highly unpopular with some sectors of the local Korean film industry.
Huh resigned, and in an apparently unrelated development, was accused of sexual harassment by a festival employee around the same time. Lee also resigned, Cho was dismissed by the Biff board, and Oh Seok-geun, director of Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm), who had supported Lee’s decision to hire Cho, also stepped down. By early July, four of the festival’s top management were out of the door.
Fortunately, the festival has a strong layer of middle management with many years experience. When the top brass departed,...
The turmoil started in May when Biff chairman Lee Yong-kwan appointed a close associate, Cho Jongkook, as managing director alongside artistic director Huh Moonyung, a decision that proved highly unpopular with some sectors of the local Korean film industry.
Huh resigned, and in an apparently unrelated development, was accused of sexual harassment by a festival employee around the same time. Lee also resigned, Cho was dismissed by the Biff board, and Oh Seok-geun, director of Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm), who had supported Lee’s decision to hire Cho, also stepped down. By early July, four of the festival’s top management were out of the door.
Fortunately, the festival has a strong layer of middle management with many years experience. When the top brass departed,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Take a look at more footage from the upcoming live-action romance TV series "Cigarette Girl", based on the novel by Ratih Kumala, set against the tobacco industry during the 1960's, directed by Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, starring Dian Sastrowardoyo, Ario Bayu, Arya Saloka and Putri Marino, streaming November 2, 2023 on Netflix:
"..'Dasiyah' (Sastrowardoyo), a woman ahead of her time, is passionate about concocting the perfect formulas for 'clove cigarettes'. Her encounter with 'Soeraja' (Bayu) leads to a love story marked by historical events that eventually shape the course of their lives.
"Decades later, 'Lebas' (Saloka), son of Soeraja, meets 'Arum' (Marino) as together they trace the past and uncover buried secrets..."
Cast also includes Tissa Biani, Ine Febriyanti, Winky Wiryawan, Sheila Dara, Ibnu Jamil, Rukman Rosadi, Nungki Kusumastuti, Dimas Aditya, Pritt Timothy and Tutie Kirana.
Click the images to enlarge...
"..'Dasiyah' (Sastrowardoyo), a woman ahead of her time, is passionate about concocting the perfect formulas for 'clove cigarettes'. Her encounter with 'Soeraja' (Bayu) leads to a love story marked by historical events that eventually shape the course of their lives.
"Decades later, 'Lebas' (Saloka), son of Soeraja, meets 'Arum' (Marino) as together they trace the past and uncover buried secrets..."
Cast also includes Tissa Biani, Ine Febriyanti, Winky Wiryawan, Sheila Dara, Ibnu Jamil, Rukman Rosadi, Nungki Kusumastuti, Dimas Aditya, Pritt Timothy and Tutie Kirana.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 10/2/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The South Australian festival iis now an annual event.
Films from Europe, the Middle East and Australia dominate the fiction and documentary competitions at the Adelaide Film Festival (Aff), the first since an injection of government funding enabled the event to step up from being biennial to annual.
The festival will take place in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, from October 18-29.
The opening film will be the Australian premiere of Kitty Green’s Toronto premiere and awards hopeful The Royal Hotel, produced by UK-Australian outfit See-Saw Films. The world premiere of Scott Hicks’ music documentary My Name’s Ben Folds – I Play Piano,...
Films from Europe, the Middle East and Australia dominate the fiction and documentary competitions at the Adelaide Film Festival (Aff), the first since an injection of government funding enabled the event to step up from being biennial to annual.
The festival will take place in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, from October 18-29.
The opening film will be the Australian premiere of Kitty Green’s Toronto premiere and awards hopeful The Royal Hotel, produced by UK-Australian outfit See-Saw Films. The world premiere of Scott Hicks’ music documentary My Name’s Ben Folds – I Play Piano,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
The Busan International Film Festival put aside many of its recent internal and local political problems to Tuesday unveil a large selection ranging from bleeding edge art titles to international festival favorites.
“The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this year’s festival better than ever,” said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.
International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (“Gook”) and Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”).
Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busan’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in “The General’s Mustache” and Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 drama “Poetry.
“The difficult times are not behind us, but hard work has made this year’s festival better than ever,” said programmer and interim festival chief Nam Dong-chul, speaking at an online press conference.
International guests expected to attend the festival include Luc Besson, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing, Japanese directors Hamaguchi Ryusuke and Kore-Eda Hirokazu, Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Korean Americans Justin Chon (“Gook”) and Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”).
Hong Kong-based superstar Chow Yun-fat has been named as Busan’s Asian Filmmaker of the Year and will be in person to receive the award. The Korean Cinema Award will presented to the late Yun Jung-hee, the actress who starred in “The General’s Mustache” and Lee Chang-dong’s 2010 drama “Poetry.
- 9/5/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The new period romance TV series "Cigarette Girl", based on the novel by Ratih Kumala, set against the tobacco industry in 1960's Indonesia, is directed by Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, starring Dian Sastrowardoyo, Ario Bayu, Arya Saloka and Putri Marino, streaming November 2, 2023 on Netflix:
"..'Dasiyah' (Sastrowardoyo), a woman ahead of her time, is passionate about concocting the perfect formulas for 'clove cigarettes'. Her encounter with 'Soeraja' (Bayu) leads to a love story marked by historical events that eventually shape the course of their lives.
"Decades later, 'Lebas' (Saloka), son of Soeraja, meets 'Arum' (Marino) as together they trace the past and uncover buried secrets..."
Cast also includes Tissa Biani, Ine Febriyanti, Winky Wiryawan, Sheila Dara, Ibnu Jamil, Rukman Rosadi, Nungki Kusumastuti, Dimas Aditya, Pritt Timothy and Tutie Kirana.
Click the images to enlarge...
"..'Dasiyah' (Sastrowardoyo), a woman ahead of her time, is passionate about concocting the perfect formulas for 'clove cigarettes'. Her encounter with 'Soeraja' (Bayu) leads to a love story marked by historical events that eventually shape the course of their lives.
"Decades later, 'Lebas' (Saloka), son of Soeraja, meets 'Arum' (Marino) as together they trace the past and uncover buried secrets..."
Cast also includes Tissa Biani, Ine Febriyanti, Winky Wiryawan, Sheila Dara, Ibnu Jamil, Rukman Rosadi, Nungki Kusumastuti, Dimas Aditya, Pritt Timothy and Tutie Kirana.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/31/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
by Cláudio Alves
Indonesia's troubled history serves as backdrop for director Kamila Andini's latest feature. Adapted by Ahda Imran from her novel, Before Now & Then sets its scene during the 1960s ascendancy of General Suharto, but the bloody strife is only perceived through gossip and radio, murmurs at the margins of privileged domesticity. Other older horrors live on within the intimacy of memory, influencing the lives of those without the power to change more than their fate. In some ways, the film is an example of classic melodrama in period costume. That said, its cultural specificities and an affinity between two women who should be at odds comprise a strong backbone that both supports and elevates the simple tale.
In 2022, this West Java-set narrative competed at the Berlin Film Festival, where Laura Basuki won the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance. Now, it arrives in American cinemas, in limited release…...
Indonesia's troubled history serves as backdrop for director Kamila Andini's latest feature. Adapted by Ahda Imran from her novel, Before Now & Then sets its scene during the 1960s ascendancy of General Suharto, but the bloody strife is only perceived through gossip and radio, murmurs at the margins of privileged domesticity. Other older horrors live on within the intimacy of memory, influencing the lives of those without the power to change more than their fate. In some ways, the film is an example of classic melodrama in period costume. That said, its cultural specificities and an affinity between two women who should be at odds comprise a strong backbone that both supports and elevates the simple tale.
In 2022, this West Java-set narrative competed at the Berlin Film Festival, where Laura Basuki won the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance. Now, it arrives in American cinemas, in limited release…...
- 8/27/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
The Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its selections for the popular Korean Cinema Today – Special Premiere and On Screen strands.
The On Screen section, introduced in 2021, showcases series and this year boasts six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia.
Tving show “I Am a Running Mate,” about an ordinary student trying to become student president marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, winner of best original screenplay as a co-writer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The series merges the coming-of-age genre with elements of a political drama, and stars Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-sic, Choi Woo-sung, Hong Hwa-yeon and Lee Bong-jun. Three of the nine episodes will screen at the festival.
“The Deal,” a Waave original series, is a tale of criminal intrigue in which two young men kidnap their friend and demand KRW10 billion ($7.5 million) as ransom. The cast features Yoo Seung-ho’s streaming debut alongside Kim Dong-hwi,...
The On Screen section, introduced in 2021, showcases series and this year boasts six world premieres – five from Korea and one from Indonesia.
Tving show “I Am a Running Mate,” about an ordinary student trying to become student president marks the directorial debut of Han Jin-won, winner of best original screenplay as a co-writer for Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite.” The series merges the coming-of-age genre with elements of a political drama, and stars Yoon Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-sic, Choi Woo-sung, Hong Hwa-yeon and Lee Bong-jun. Three of the nine episodes will screen at the festival.
“The Deal,” a Waave original series, is a tale of criminal intrigue in which two young men kidnap their friend and demand KRW10 billion ($7.5 million) as ransom. The cast features Yoo Seung-ho’s streaming debut alongside Kim Dong-hwi,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Indonesia has recently gained momentum in producing numerous captivating films. Since the 21st century, Indonesian cinema, particularly in the realm of independent films, has experienced a remarkable resurgence. These films have found their way to prestigious film festivals, earning acclaim through notable awards. Today, the domestic market in Indonesia—with its fourth-largest population—is undergoing expansion due to the rise in screen numbers, especially in multiplexes, with local productions having captured the majority of the market share. Furthermore, as one of the countries with its film industry that made the fastest recovery from the pandemic, Indonesia is bolstering its cultural policies to nurture the film industry's growth and foster emerging Indonesian filmmakers.
Focusing on Indonesia's fast-growing film industry, the Special Program in Focus will introduce 7 features and 5 short films, including series which will be presented on Netflix. Mouly Surya and Kamila Andini, two of the most prominent female directors in Asia; Joko Anwar,...
Focusing on Indonesia's fast-growing film industry, the Special Program in Focus will introduce 7 features and 5 short films, including series which will be presented on Netflix. Mouly Surya and Kamila Andini, two of the most prominent female directors in Asia; Joko Anwar,...
- 8/23/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
The ongoing renaissance in the Indonesian film industry will be celebrated at the upcoming Busan International Film Festival.
Films from the country now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world, is rapidly expanding with a boom in screen count and with homegrown productions capturing the majority of the market share. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies to nurture the film industry’s growth and foster emerging Indonesian filmmakers.
Featured at Busan will be six features, five shorts and a series. The first two episodes of Netflix’s “Cigarette Girl” by Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, which delves into the life of a female protagonist entwined with the 1960s Indonesian cigarette industry, will world premiere at the festival.
Another world premiere, “24 Hours with Gaspar” by Yosep Anggi Noen (2020 Locarno winner “The Science of Fictions”), follows Gaspar,...
Films from the country now routinely get selected and win prizes at major international festivals. The local market in Indonesia, which has the fourth-largest population in the world, is rapidly expanding with a boom in screen count and with homegrown productions capturing the majority of the market share. Indonesia is also bolstering its cultural policies to nurture the film industry’s growth and foster emerging Indonesian filmmakers.
Featured at Busan will be six features, five shorts and a series. The first two episodes of Netflix’s “Cigarette Girl” by Kamila Andini and Ifa Isfansyah, which delves into the life of a female protagonist entwined with the 1960s Indonesian cigarette industry, will world premiere at the festival.
Another world premiere, “24 Hours with Gaspar” by Yosep Anggi Noen (2020 Locarno winner “The Science of Fictions”), follows Gaspar,...
- 8/22/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
On the final weekend of a bustling 18-day event, the in-person edition of this year’s Melbourne Film Festival has drawn to a close with an awards ceremony that saw a whopping $300,000 Aud in prize money handed out across six categories. The biggest individual award of $140,000 Aud was presented to the winner of the fest’s international Bright Horizons competition: “Banel & Adama,” an arresting debut feature by Franco-Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy.
It’s a notable coup for a small-scale rural love story that turned heads — but won no prizes — when it premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and is still seeking distribution in the U.S. and other major territories. Reviewing the film out of Cannes, Variety critic Jessica Kiang commended the “subtly seductive power” of a “striking debut [that] revolves with graceful poetry around the inner experiences of a curious, unknowable woman.”
Its win came...
It’s a notable coup for a small-scale rural love story that turned heads — but won no prizes — when it premiered in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and is still seeking distribution in the U.S. and other major territories. Reviewing the film out of Cannes, Variety critic Jessica Kiang commended the “subtly seductive power” of a “striking debut [that] revolves with graceful poetry around the inner experiences of a curious, unknowable woman.”
Its win came...
- 8/19/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Projects from Bhutan to Brazil to receive production and distribution funding.
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has revealed 13 features it will support with a share of $380,000 in production and distribution funding.
Projects include Nothing In Its Place by Turkish filmmaker Burak Çevik, whose features The Pillar Of Salt, Belonging and Forms Of Forgetting each premiered at the Berlinale Forum.
His latest focuses on one of Turkey’s most bloody political massacres, which took place in the country’s capital of Ankara in 1978, and focuses on the night when a group of leftist youths who believed in unarmed revolution...
The Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund (Wcf) has revealed 13 features it will support with a share of $380,000 in production and distribution funding.
Projects include Nothing In Its Place by Turkish filmmaker Burak Çevik, whose features The Pillar Of Salt, Belonging and Forms Of Forgetting each premiered at the Berlinale Forum.
His latest focuses on one of Turkey’s most bloody political massacres, which took place in the country’s capital of Ankara in 1978, and focuses on the night when a group of leftist youths who believed in unarmed revolution...
- 8/7/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
"Why is it that guilt always follows women?" Film Movement has unveiled their official US trailer for the acclaimed indie film from Indonesia titled Before, Now & Then, made by Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andini. This first premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival last year, and it also played at the Vancouver, Busan, and Philadelphia Film Fests. The story follows Raden Nana Suhani, as played by Happy Salma, a Sundanese woman in the 1960s, who lost a father & son to the war in West Java. She remarried as a second wife to a Sundanese man to start a new life with a man who was rich but always looked down on her. Nana suffers in silence... Until one day, she became friends with one of her husband's mistresses and everything changes. Together, these two women seek hope for independence. Framed by elegant cinematography and a lush score, Before, Now & Then is a lyrical,...
- 8/4/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Fifth-generation Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige’s “Farewell My Concubine” wowed the Cannes jury under president Louis Malle in 1993 — all the way to a Palme d’Or win. But by the time the three-hour epic set in the world of the Peking Opera reached U.S. theaters that year, Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein had cut 20 minutes from the movie that left even Malle puzzled. According to Peter Biskind‘s influential “Down and Dirty Pictures,” Malle said the new version seemed “longer because it doesn’t make any sense. It was better before those guys made cuts.”
At last, “Farewell My Concubine,” the only Chinese-language film ever to win the Palme, is now being returned to theaters in its full 171-minute glory, courtesy of Film Movement Classics. IndieWire exclusively announces that the distributor will release a newly restored 4K version in North American theaters beginning September 22 at Film Forum in New York City.
At last, “Farewell My Concubine,” the only Chinese-language film ever to win the Palme, is now being returned to theaters in its full 171-minute glory, courtesy of Film Movement Classics. IndieWire exclusively announces that the distributor will release a newly restored 4K version in North American theaters beginning September 22 at Film Forum in New York City.
- 8/3/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
While the fall movie lineup continues to shift due to studios adamantly deciding not to fairly pay the writers and actors responsible for them being in business in the first place, not much has changed when it comes to August. Aside from A24 yanking Julio Torres’ Problemista from its August 4 opening, the rest of the calendar has stayed intact and here are the films that should be on your radar.
13. What Comes Around (Amy Redford; Aug. 4)
One of the most divisive films to premiere at TIFF last year was Amy Redford’s What Comes Around (formerly titled Roost). Led by Grace Van Dien, Summer Phoenix, Jesse Garcia, and Kyle Gallner, the thriller tracked a young love affair that becomes a menacing game of cat-and-mouse where nothing is what it seems. Jared Mobarak said in his review, “What Comes Around is a tricky film to talk about without massive spoilers unless,...
13. What Comes Around (Amy Redford; Aug. 4)
One of the most divisive films to premiere at TIFF last year was Amy Redford’s What Comes Around (formerly titled Roost). Led by Grace Van Dien, Summer Phoenix, Jesse Garcia, and Kyle Gallner, the thriller tracked a young love affair that becomes a menacing game of cat-and-mouse where nothing is what it seems. Jared Mobarak said in his review, “What Comes Around is a tricky film to talk about without massive spoilers unless,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
After Rory O’Connor reviewed Kamila Andini’s Before, Now & Then some 18 months ago at Berlinale, where it picked up the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance, we’ve been awaiting a U.S. release, which finally comes this month. Set amid the political violence of late-1960s Indonesia, the film follows Nana, the beautiful wife of a wealthy plantation owner whose inner life remains with her deceased first husband, murdered in the civil war a decade prior. A survivor, Nana values her safety and material comforts, but carries out a haunted existence, dreaming of her lost love. Forced to confront her husband’s blatant infidelity, Nana makes an unusual connection with his younger mistress, Ino. The two women, sharing their secrets and desires, discover a newfound freedom and intimacy withheld from them both by the strictures of patriarchal society. Ahead of an August 25 theatrical release from Film Movement, the first trailer has arrived.
- 8/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Toronto — TIFF today unveiled the 10 World Premiere features that comprise the Platform programme for 2023, along with the 2023 Platform jury members: Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, joined by Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki, and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives. The 10 films in the 2023 programme are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 Cad given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury.
“I am delighted to announce that we have an international dream jury with acclaimed filmmakers Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, and Anthony Shim as jury members for the Platform programme at TIFF,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Together, they represent the bold and independent spirit of the Platform Prize.”
Platform is TIFF’s competitive programme that champions bold directorial visions. The...
Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives. The 10 films in the 2023 programme are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 Cad given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury.
“I am delighted to announce that we have an international dream jury with acclaimed filmmakers Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki, and Anthony Shim as jury members for the Platform programme at TIFF,” said Anita Lee, Chief Programming Officer, TIFF. “Together, they represent the bold and independent spirit of the Platform Prize.”
Platform is TIFF’s competitive programme that champions bold directorial visions. The...
- 8/2/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Having already announced documentary as well as gala and special presentation lineups, TIFF now unveils 10 world premiering films selected for this year’s Platform program. The 2023 Platform jury is also revealed today, consisting of of Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, Cannes Jury Prize-winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki and Anthony Shim, whose 2022 film Riceboy Sleeps won the Platform Prize last year. The Platform Prize—consisting of $20,000 Cad—is given to the best film as selected by the jury. Notable past recipients of the Platform Prize also include Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (2021), Kamila Andini’s Yuni (2021), Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal (2019), Alice Winocour’s Proxima (2019), […]
The post TIFF Reveals 2023 Platform Lineup and Jury first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post TIFF Reveals 2023 Platform Lineup and Jury first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/2/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Having already announced documentary as well as gala and special presentation lineups, TIFF now unveils 10 world premiering films selected for this year’s Platform program. The 2023 Platform jury is also revealed today, consisting of of Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, Cannes Jury Prize-winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki and Anthony Shim, whose 2022 film Riceboy Sleeps won the Platform Prize last year. The Platform Prize—consisting of $20,000 Cad—is given to the best film as selected by the jury. Notable past recipients of the Platform Prize also include Hany Abu-Assad’s Huda’s Salon (2021), Kamila Andini’s Yuni (2021), Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal (2019), Alice Winocour’s Proxima (2019), […]
The post TIFF Reveals 2023 Platform Lineup and Jury first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post TIFF Reveals 2023 Platform Lineup and Jury first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/2/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Toronto Film Festival on Wednesday revealed the 10 titles in its Platform program, a sidebar that will tee off with A24’s Kristoffer Borgli comedy Dream Scenario starring Nicolas Cage. This year’s Platform includes movies from 12 countries across three continents, all of which are making their world premiere at TIFF, which this year runs from September 7-17.
In addition, the fest today unveiled this year’s Platform jury, which includes Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins as chair; Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki; and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
The Platform program, going into its eighth year, is curated for its bold directorial visions. The movies in the 2023 program are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of CA$20,000 selected by the in-person international jury.
Barry Jenkins
“I am delighted to announce that we have an international dream jury with acclaimed filmmakers Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki,...
In addition, the fest today unveiled this year’s Platform jury, which includes Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins as chair; Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki; and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim.
The Platform program, going into its eighth year, is curated for its bold directorial visions. The movies in the 2023 program are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of CA$20,000 selected by the in-person international jury.
Barry Jenkins
“I am delighted to announce that we have an international dream jury with acclaimed filmmakers Barry Jenkins, Nadine Labaki,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Toronto International Film Festival has today announced the 10 world premiere features that comprise its Platform program for the 2023 edition, along with the 2023 Platform jury members: Academy Award–winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins serves as jury chair; joined by Cannes Jury Prize–winning director, writer, and actor Nadine Labaki; and 2022 Platform Prize–winning filmmaker Anthony Shim. Both Jenkins and Shim have previously shown work in the section, and Shim was awarded program’s highest prize in 2022 for his “Riceboy Sleeps.”
Per TIFF, “Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives.” The section is the fest’s “competitive program that champions bold directorial visions.” The films selected for this year’s lineup come from 12 countries across three continents, all of which will be making their world premiere at TIFF.
This year’s lineup includes new films from Kristoffer Borgli, whose razor-sharp “Sick of Myself” recently hit America,...
Per TIFF, “Since its introduction in 2015, Platform has celebrated and showcased films with unique directorial perspectives.” The section is the fest’s “competitive program that champions bold directorial visions.” The films selected for this year’s lineup come from 12 countries across three continents, all of which will be making their world premiere at TIFF.
This year’s lineup includes new films from Kristoffer Borgli, whose razor-sharp “Sick of Myself” recently hit America,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Cannes titles and debut features make strong appearances throughout the programme.
Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) has revealed the 11 titles in the running for its $93,400 competition prize, and will open with Shayda by Australian-Iranian director Noora Niasari.
The festival, which runs August 3-20, unveiled the titles at a programme launch this evening (July 11). Debut and second features are eligible for the Bright Horizons competition, which was introduced last year for the 70th edition, but debuts undoubtedly dominate this year.
Scroll down for full list of competition titles
In fact, the only undeniably second film is Mexican director Lila Avilés’ Tótem.
Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) has revealed the 11 titles in the running for its $93,400 competition prize, and will open with Shayda by Australian-Iranian director Noora Niasari.
The festival, which runs August 3-20, unveiled the titles at a programme launch this evening (July 11). Debut and second features are eligible for the Bright Horizons competition, which was introduced last year for the 70th edition, but debuts undoubtedly dominate this year.
Scroll down for full list of competition titles
In fact, the only undeniably second film is Mexican director Lila Avilés’ Tótem.
- 7/11/2023
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
Cannes titles and debut features make strong appearances throughout the programme.
Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) has revealed the 11 titles in the running for its $93,400 competition prize, and will open with Shayda by Australian-Iranian director Noora Niasari.
The festival, which runs August 3-20, unveiled the titles at a programme launch this evening (July 11). Debut and second features are eligible for the Bright Horizons competition, which was introduced last year for the 70th edition, but debuts undoubtedly dominate this year.
Scroll down for full list of competition titles
In fact, the only undeniably second film is Mexican director Lila Avilés’ Tótem.
Melbourne International Film Festival (Miff) has revealed the 11 titles in the running for its $93,400 competition prize, and will open with Shayda by Australian-Iranian director Noora Niasari.
The festival, which runs August 3-20, unveiled the titles at a programme launch this evening (July 11). Debut and second features are eligible for the Bright Horizons competition, which was introduced last year for the 70th edition, but debuts undoubtedly dominate this year.
Scroll down for full list of competition titles
In fact, the only undeniably second film is Mexican director Lila Avilés’ Tótem.
- 7/11/2023
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
The Melbourne International Film Festival has unveiled the full lineup for its 2023 edition, with “Shayda,” by Iranian-Australian director Noora Niasari, set as the opening title.
The festival will run as a live event August 3-20, at venues around the city and its suburbs, and online Aug 18 – 27. The hybrid format was developed during the Covid pandemic and Miff found it useful as a tool to reach further away audiences and wider demographics than a strictly in-theater edition.
The ‘Bright Horizons’ competition section open to films by first- or second-time feature directors contains an 11-title mix of new and recently-debuted works.
As well as opening the festival, “Shayda” will play in competition. The competition’s other Australian-made title was announced as “The Rooster,” from actor turned writer-director Mark Leonard Winter.
International titles in competition include “Banel & Adama,” by Franco-Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy, which played in competition in Cannes; “How to Have Sex,...
The festival will run as a live event August 3-20, at venues around the city and its suburbs, and online Aug 18 – 27. The hybrid format was developed during the Covid pandemic and Miff found it useful as a tool to reach further away audiences and wider demographics than a strictly in-theater edition.
The ‘Bright Horizons’ competition section open to films by first- or second-time feature directors contains an 11-title mix of new and recently-debuted works.
As well as opening the festival, “Shayda” will play in competition. The competition’s other Australian-made title was announced as “The Rooster,” from actor turned writer-director Mark Leonard Winter.
International titles in competition include “Banel & Adama,” by Franco-Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy, which played in competition in Cannes; “How to Have Sex,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology is launching a grant scheme to support co-productions between Indonesian and international filmmakers.
The first subsidy of its kind from Indonesia, the 1:1 matching grant scheme is backed by the country’s National Cultural Endowment Fund and can cover development, production and post-production, as well as international promotion and distribution activities.
In order to apply, film projects need to be registered through an Indonesian producer or director who has previously received funding from an eligible international grant institution. Projects will be selected by a professional selection team. No cap has been set for individual projects.
Launching the initiative at Cannes film festival, Nadiem Makarim, Indonesia’s Minister Of Education, Culture, Research And Technology, said around $10M has been allocated to the fund, although that amount may be increased over time.
Makarim said: “In the last five years, many Indonesian film projects have received international grant support.
The first subsidy of its kind from Indonesia, the 1:1 matching grant scheme is backed by the country’s National Cultural Endowment Fund and can cover development, production and post-production, as well as international promotion and distribution activities.
In order to apply, film projects need to be registered through an Indonesian producer or director who has previously received funding from an eligible international grant institution. Projects will be selected by a professional selection team. No cap has been set for individual projects.
Launching the initiative at Cannes film festival, Nadiem Makarim, Indonesia’s Minister Of Education, Culture, Research And Technology, said around $10M has been allocated to the fund, although that amount may be increased over time.
Makarim said: “In the last five years, many Indonesian film projects have received international grant support.
- 5/17/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, French filmmaker Alice Diop and Romanian director Cristian Mungiu have demanded that Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival remove their films from the line-up of its current edition, running from February 1 to 11.
The filmmakers said in separate statements that they discovered by chance that their respective films Tori And Lokita, Saint Omer, Rebel and R.M.N. had been included in Fajr’s selection without their personal permission.
“We have just learned that our film Tori And Lokita is in the selection of the Fajr festival in Tehran,” the Dardennes said in a statement on Thursday.
“We demand that the film be withdrawn immediately from the program of this festival which is a showcase for a dictatorial and murderous religious regime that we condemn.”
Saint Omer director Alice Diop said she had been alerted to her film’s...
The filmmakers said in separate statements that they discovered by chance that their respective films Tori And Lokita, Saint Omer, Rebel and R.M.N. had been included in Fajr’s selection without their personal permission.
“We have just learned that our film Tori And Lokita is in the selection of the Fajr festival in Tehran,” the Dardennes said in a statement on Thursday.
“We demand that the film be withdrawn immediately from the program of this festival which is a showcase for a dictatorial and murderous religious regime that we condemn.”
Saint Omer director Alice Diop said she had been alerted to her film’s...
- 2/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Park Chan-wook’s noirish romance “Decision to Leave” makes the running in the Asian Film Awards by collecting ten nominations, including best film and best director.
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Drive My Car,” another awards season favorite which also debuted at Cannes, albeit a year earlier, has eight nominations.
Zhang Yimou, the acclaimed mainland Chinese director of “One Second,” “Hero” and “Raise the Red Lantern,” will head a seven-person jury that sorts through the nominated films and decides the winners.
Organizers said that a total of 30 films from 22 countries or territories received 81 nominations in 16 categories.
The final awards will be presented at a ceremony that relocates to Hong Kong, after being held for two years in Busan and was omitted entirely in 2022. The event will take place at the new Hong Kong Palace Museum on March 12, the evening before film and TV rights market FilMart makes its in-person return for the...
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Drive My Car,” another awards season favorite which also debuted at Cannes, albeit a year earlier, has eight nominations.
Zhang Yimou, the acclaimed mainland Chinese director of “One Second,” “Hero” and “Raise the Red Lantern,” will head a seven-person jury that sorts through the nominated films and decides the winners.
Organizers said that a total of 30 films from 22 countries or territories received 81 nominations in 16 categories.
The final awards will be presented at a ceremony that relocates to Hong Kong, after being held for two years in Busan and was omitted entirely in 2022. The event will take place at the new Hong Kong Palace Museum on March 12, the evening before film and TV rights market FilMart makes its in-person return for the...
- 1/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising of ten countries in Southeast Asia, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam. Evidently, the movie industry of these countries does not yet reach the size of Japan, India and S. Korea for example, perhaps with the exception of the Philippines, at least in terms of number of titles, but through the support of foreign companies (S. Korea has invested heavily in Indonesia that last few years for example), streaming services and a number of European festivals, along with the continuous support of Busan, a number of local filmmakers have managed to produce movies of great quality. 20 of the best, we present in this list.
Without further ado, here are the best Asean films of 2022, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2021, but since they mostly circulated in 2022, we decided to include them.
Without further ado, here are the best Asean films of 2022, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2021, but since they mostly circulated in 2022, we decided to include them.
- 12/26/2022
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
Kamila Andini is based in Jakarta, her concerns include culture, gender and the environment. Her second feature, “The Seen and the Unseen” (2017), enjoyed international success in 50 festivals worldwide, winning several awards.
Ifa Isfansyah is an Indonesian film director. Initially a maker of short films, his first featured film, Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda on my Chest), was released in 2009. His following film, Sang Penari (The Dancer), won four Citra Awards at the 2011 Indonesian Film Festival. Currently, he is mostly working as producer.
Gita Fara is a producer mostly known through her collaborations with Kamila Andini as much as films like “Preman”
On the occasion of “Before, Now & Then” screening at Red Sea International Film Festival, we speak with them about the difficulties of shooting a film in Sundanese and in different time periods of the past, the place of women in Indonesian society now and then, the local movie industry and many other topics.
Ifa Isfansyah is an Indonesian film director. Initially a maker of short films, his first featured film, Garuda di Dadaku (Garuda on my Chest), was released in 2009. His following film, Sang Penari (The Dancer), won four Citra Awards at the 2011 Indonesian Film Festival. Currently, he is mostly working as producer.
Gita Fara is a producer mostly known through her collaborations with Kamila Andini as much as films like “Preman”
On the occasion of “Before, Now & Then” screening at Red Sea International Film Festival, we speak with them about the difficulties of shooting a film in Sundanese and in different time periods of the past, the place of women in Indonesian society now and then, the local movie industry and many other topics.
- 12/20/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Kamila Andini is an Indonesian director born in 1986. She comes from a filmmaker’s family, but initially, she didn’t plan a career in this field. At first, she focused on photography and completed a degree in sociology at Melbourne’s Deakin University. Then she moved on to direct several music videos and documentaries. Her critically acclaimed debut feature “Mirror Never Lies” won several awards at various film festivals. Her latest movie, “Nana”, premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival.
On the occasion of “Yuni” (her 3rd feature) screening at Five Flavours Film Festivals, we talk about sisterhood, being emphatic with your characters, creating a safe space of set, and many other topics.
Yuni screened at Five Flavours
Although “Yuni” is focused on an individual, I want to ask about something collective. Because watching it, and also when I was watching “Nana”, I was thinking a lot about sisterhood.
On the occasion of “Yuni” (her 3rd feature) screening at Five Flavours Film Festivals, we talk about sisterhood, being emphatic with your characters, creating a safe space of set, and many other topics.
Yuni screened at Five Flavours
Although “Yuni” is focused on an individual, I want to ask about something collective. Because watching it, and also when I was watching “Nana”, I was thinking a lot about sisterhood.
- 12/9/2022
- by Joanna Kończak
- AsianMoviePulse
Indonesian film festival reveals record audience figures.
Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography has won the top prize – the Golden Hanoman – at the closing night of Indonesia’s Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival (Jaff). Lola Amaria’s documentary The Exiles (Eksil) picked up the best film prize from the Indonesian Screen Awards.
Indonesian drama Autobiography has been on a winning streak since its premiere in Venice’s Horizons sidebar. Mubarak’s debut feature has collected around 10 awards globally within three months, including best film honours from Tokyo Filmex, Adelaide and Singapore as well as best screenplay prizes from the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Festival Film Indonesia.
Makbul Mubarak’s Autobiography has won the top prize – the Golden Hanoman – at the closing night of Indonesia’s Jogja-netpac Asian Film Festival (Jaff). Lola Amaria’s documentary The Exiles (Eksil) picked up the best film prize from the Indonesian Screen Awards.
Indonesian drama Autobiography has been on a winning streak since its premiere in Venice’s Horizons sidebar. Mubarak’s debut feature has collected around 10 awards globally within three months, including best film honours from Tokyo Filmex, Adelaide and Singapore as well as best screenplay prizes from the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and Festival Film Indonesia.
- 12/6/2022
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
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