| Cannes |
The 53rd
Cannes International Film Festival might
have been labeled the year of the dot-com invasion or riddled
with who will take over for programmer Gilles Jacob, yet
all those terms were unable to distract attention from the
real heart of the festival -- the films -- with the official
and parallel section screenings and another 600 films presented
in the Film Market.
In
a ceremony free of commercial breaks and long-winded speeches,
Virginie Ledoyen and Jury President Luc Besson presented the
53rd
Palme d'Or Awards with the top prize going
to Lars Von Trier for Dancer
in the Dark.
Von
Trier couldn't have been more at home as his leading lady,
Bjork, took the Best Actress award and he himself the Palme
D'or from the hands of presenter Catherine Deneuve, who also
starred in the film.
Cannes
2000
Cannes 2001 has been announced to take place
9 - 20 May.
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Festivals:
French Connection
23 - 30 August
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 THIS
WEEK
The
Strange Film Festival
23
August - 5 September
Each year in August, from the heart of Paris, there emerges a festival
offering a mix of bizarre films that surprise, delight and mystify.
In sum: they're weird. For the past seven years, this festival has
revealed some of the best new cult films, featured popular as well
as undiscovered treasures, each one crazier than the last.
more
Douarnenez
Film Festival
19 - 26 August
 This
year's 23rd annual event will screen 30 films in the French city
of Douarnanez, in the Brittany region. The festival will highlight
Italian cinema, with a diverse look at films from across the country,
from Sardinia to Piedmont. Neo-realistic cinema will feature prominently
on this year's schedule, which includes The Leopard
and Rocco and His Brothers, both from Luchino Visconti.
Modern films will be represented with I Prefer the Sound
of the Sea from Mimmo Calopresti, and Cinema Paradiso,
from Giuseppe Tornatore. The festival will feature a sidebar competition
for European cinema with a focus on regional filmmaking, with films
in Catalan and Celtic on the program. Douarnenez will also feature
an homage to the documentary filmmaker Jean-Michel Carre, and seven
of his films will be shown with Carre in attendance.
Douarnenez
PREVIEW
Zut
Alors! One Week Until Deauville
1 - 10 September
With only one week to go until the Deauville Festival of American
Film, the seaside town is shaping up for the arrival of some of
the world's hottest stars. Confirmed to appear at the festival are
astronaut Buzz Aldrin, actresses Monica Belluci, Toni Collette;
actors John Cusack, Nick Nolte, and Harrison Ford; plus Edward Norton,
Clint Eastwood, John Singleton, and many more. Stay tuned to FilmFestivals.com
for streaming coverage, film reviews, and wrap-ups daily!
more
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Awards
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French
Films on the Line-up for Toronto
Several
French films have made the cut for this year's 25th Anniversary
Toronto Film Festival. Scheduled films include Les Destinées
Sentimentales, directed by Olivier Assayas, Harry,
un ami qui vous veut du bien, directed by Dominik Moll,
Petite chérie, directed by Anne Villacèque, Sade,
directed by Benoît Jacquot, and Une vraie jeune fille,
directed by Catherine Breillat.
French
Gov't Awards Shaji Karun
Indian
director Shaji Karun, has been named a Chevalier dans I'Ordre des
Arts of Lettres in 2000 by the French Ministry of Culture. The renowned
filmmaker from India, whose film Vanaprastham was
in Cannes 99 in Certain Regard, recently was honored at the Indian
"Oscar," where his film was named Best of Film of India
produced during 1999.
Poire
to be Honored at St. Jean de Luz Festival
This year's 5th Annual International Festival of Young Directors
will pay special tribute to producer Alain Poire, whose son will
preside over the jury. The festival will take place from 17 - 20
October in Saint Jean de Luz, and will feature a biographical film
about the famous French filmmaker. The opening film will be Dancer
from Stephen Daldry and other featured films will be Shower
from Zhang Yang and Soft Fruit from Christina
Andreef.
Other Awards
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