Festivals of the Week

The latest prizes leading up to the Oscars and festival wrap-ups

Berlin Film Market Closes

Although firm deals have not yet been announced, some of the titles that are definitely being bought by major American, European and Asian buyers include Competition entries Italian For Beginners (Denmark), Beijing Bicycle (China), Le Fate Ignoranti (Italy), Felix And Lola (France), The Tailor of Panama (US) and You're The One (Spain).

Berlin Celebrates Spartacus' Kirk Douglas

For 40 minutes, Kirk Douglas held the press spellbound as he fielded questions about a career which stretches well over 80 movies. He even found time to praise his new daughter-in-law Catherine Zeta-Jones ("a wonderful girl, not only beautiful but a family girl") and to explain why he changed his name all those years ago. Whether playing washed-up journalists, boxers, gladiators or Hollywood producers, Douglas' best known movie characters possess a ferocious inner drive, a quality the star himself still has in spades.

Oscar Nominees Announced

Academy Awards Ceremony
March 25
There were few surprises when the Academy announced its picks for the Best of 2000 Oscar nominees February 13. Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Traffic all received nods for Best Film -- while Crouching Tiger picked up an extra nod for Best Foreign Film as well. Julia Roberts received yet another Oscar nomination, this time for her role in Erin Brockovich.

Moxie! in Santa Monica

The Santa Monica International Film Festival
February 14-19, 2001
Moxie! is a year-round film festival that culminates into a week-long film and music festival. The event is a launch pad for all undistributed films, with a monthly series showcasing projects that are entered into competition. This year's Festival celebrates Science Fiction, and will pay tribute to Ray Bradbury, Forrest Ackerman, (with a retrospective on) Ray Harryhausen -- jointly known as the "Fathers of Science Fiction."

Texas Film Festival
Feb 20 - 24
Since 1993, the students of the nonprofit MSC Film Society have identified films and videos of exceptional caliber and presented them with anticipation to the students of and community surrounding respected Texas A&M University.

9th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival
Feb 8 - 19
Festival Celebrates Black History Month The 9th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival is America's premiere Black History Month event, screening more than 80 films. It it also the largest festival in the United States dedicated to Black films.