filmfestivals.com Copyright (c) 1995-2002, Filmfestivals Entertainment Group

1 Jun 24 2008 12:00AM English News Award SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by over 650 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes.
Silverdocs dailies SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong Festival activities that included screening 108 films representing 63 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a five-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by over 650 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals. Winning filmmakers received over $70,000 in combined cash and in-kind prizes.


With a generally perceived strong program on tap this year, the decisions of the juries were particularly difficult ones to come to. With such a mix of subjects, themes and filmmaking styles, the real winner were SILVERDOCS audiences and the documentary field itself, which now is as varied in tone and content as its feature film cousin. Arguably, some of the best writing, editing, cinematography and direction are to be found in documentary films this year.

This year's SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a US Feature went to THE GARDEN directed by Scott Hamilton Kennedy. The film documents a 14-acre oasis rising out of the ashes of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The director will receive $10,000 cash and $5,000 in film stock from Kodak. The Sterling Feature Jury praised the film for "its tenacity in storytelling in the face of injustice, and the filmmaker's singular vision in bringing a gripping, dramatic, and important story to the public eye." Honorable Mention went to TROUBLE THE WATER by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. The film weaves together first person footage and the filmmakers' own chronicle of loss and survival following the cataclysmic events of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Festival made a commitment this year to honor international documentary production with SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a World Feature. The winner this year was THE ENGLISH SURGEON directed by Geoffrey Smith, which tells the story of British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh, who performs surgery in the Ukraine with the crudest tools. The director will receive $10,000 cash and $5,000 in film stock from Kodak. The jury acclaimed the film as "the most poignant and inspiring film we saw - a film that profiles two human beings who dare to step outside the system to do something extraordinary, and becomes a delicate, deep, and respectful exploration of life, death friendship and hope." Honorable mention went to THE RED RACE directed by Chao Gan, which chronicles Chinese passion for gymnastics against the backdrop of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.


The SILVERDOCS Music Documentary Award presented by Gibson Guitars went to THROW DOWN YOUR HEART directed by Sascha Paladino. The film is the inspiring story of banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck's enthralling journey through Africa to uncover the roots of the Banjo and to play with native musicians. The fitting prize in the category was a Gibson Les Paul Standard guitar, valued at $3,700. Honoring the best in cinematography, the SILVERDOCS Cinematic Vision Award went to THE ORDER OF MYTHS directed by Margaret Brown. The film explores the oldest and still segregated Mardi Gras in the U.S. The filmmaker will receive $2,500 cash.


The SILVERDOCS WITNESS Award in honor of Joey R. B. Lozano was given to Festival favorite PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL by Gina Reticker. The film is an inspiring story about the thousands of Liberian women who peacefully ended the civil war that claimed over 250,000 lives. Through non-violent protests and organizational acumen, the film demonstrates the power of women and the potential for conflict resolution in one of the world's most troubled corners. The award is given to the strongest documentary about human rights violations or social justice issues. The filmmaker will receive $5,000 cash.


The American Film Market/SILVERDOCS Award for a film that shows exceptional market promise went to KASSIM THE DREAM by Kief Davidson, which chronicles the career of Kassim Ouma, a former Ugandan child soldier who defected to the U.S. and became a world champion boxer. The filmmaker will be presented passes to the American Film Market this fall, airfare, five nights hotel and pre-arranged meetings with potential partners ($5,000 value).


The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East have named writer-director Anna Broinowski as the winner of the first-ever WGA Documentary Screenplay Award for her film FORBIDDEN LIE$, which investigates accusations that author Norma Khouri fabricated her biographical tale of a Muslim friend who was murdered for dating a Christian. The award carries with it a prize of $2,500 and the winner will be granted one-year free membership in the WGAW or WGAE Nonfiction Writers Caucus.


The award winners will receive special encore screenings today as part of the final day of SILVERDOCS. The Festival is also bring back "by popular demand" such audience favorites as FOOTBALL UNDER COVER, STRANDED: I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED ON THE MOUNTAINS, ALL TOGETHER NOW, UNDER OUR SKIN and MAN ON WIRE.

The Festival has its last official event this evening at the Newseum, the first U.S. museum devoted to the history of print and electronic journalism, will the rare screening of ROBERT KENNEDY REMEMBERED by documentary pioneer Charles Guggenheim. Made for the August, 1968 Democratic National Convention just two months after Kennedy's tragic assassination, the film conveys the essence of the man and the myth. The film will be followed by a panel discussion, featuring AFI founding director George Stevens Jr., journalist and former Kennedy press secretary Frank Mankiewicz, filmmaker Grace Guggenheim and film critic Ann Hornaday.

A fitting ending to a great week of inspiring and provocative films in a Presidential campaign season that already is historic and life-changing. Hats off to Patricia Finneran, Sky Sitney, Jody Arlington and the entire SILVERDOCS team for producing a quality event that will continue to resonate for us in the days and weeks ahead.
Sandy Mandelberger, SILVERDOCS Dailies Editor

Silverdocs dailies The Garden http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/THE-GARDEN.jpg

2 Jun 19 2008 12:00AM English News Award Filmfestivals.com was a partner of Cannes Short Film Corner and supported the contest and the winners. Flip à la carte :
During the Short Film Corner event participants were challenged to make three-minute movies on Flip Video Cameras. An esteemed jury of festival programmers and directors from around the world met in Cannes to determine the best submissions. The grand prize of $10,000 presented by Facebook, along with an HP workstation including a 30-inch monitor, were awarded to "The Flip Trip".
Check out the grand prize winning film and the runners-up on fest21.com. Filmfestivals.com was a partner of Cannes Short Film Corner and supported the contest and the winners.

The Mini Movie Channel contest.
The Mini Movie Channel 10 000 € award was granted to Thomas M. Bausenwein, director of the short film "Armer Schwarzer Kater". These awards were given out during the 'Fête du Court', on Friday May 23rd.


National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada organized an online short film competition CANNES 2008. Nine short films were selected by Danny Lennon from shorts registered with the Short Film Corner.
During the Short Film Corner, short film lovers were invited to view the 9 finalist films online and vote for their favourite one. On May 21st the award went to the Mexican short "Historia de un Letrero (A sign story)" directed by Alonso Alvarez Barreda who will be receiving a professional-quality DV camera and a laptop and editing suite, courtesy of the NFB. The short film will be viewable until June 21st on www.onf.ca/cannes or www.youtube.com/onf.


Cannes à la Flip

During the Short Film Corner event participants were challenged to make three-minute movies on Flip Video Cameras. An esteemed jury of festival programmers and directors from around the world met in Cannes to determine the best submissions. The grand prize of $10,000 presented by Facebook, along with an HP workstation including a 30-inch monitor, were awarded to "The Flip Trip" directed by Vincenzo Cosentino.
Check out the grand prize winning film and the runners-up here.

Film contest for French-Speaking productions

Another contest was open exclusively to French-speaking films, organized by France 2.
The jury of the France 2 contest rewarded "Carcasse", by Ismael El Maoula El Iraki produced by La Fémis film school. The French TV channel France 2 will broadcast shortly the film of the winner and will pre-buy his next film.


Flip Trip http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/fliptrip.jpg

3 May 26 2008 12:00AM English News Award LAJFF and the MorningStar Commission honored Joan Rivers on Tuesday May 13th with the Marlene Adler Marks Woman of Inspiration Award. Following the ceremony, the Festival held the Los Angeles premiere of Making Trouble produced by the Jewish Women's Archive. Rachel Talbot's documentary tells the story of six of the greatest female comic performers of the last century who broke new ground and delighted audiences for over three generations. The third annual Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival (LAJFF)
is pleased to announce the audience award winners for Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary and Best Short Film.

Lynn Roth's The Little Traitor won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. Based on Panther in the Basement by world-renowned novelist, Amos Oz, the movie takes place a few months before Israel becomes a state. Proffy, a spirited 11 year old militant wants the occupying imperialists off his land. What starts as a confrontation with British officer Sergeant Dunlop, builds into a friendship between these two foes that changes their lives forever.

The Little Traitor opened the festival on May 8th with a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Israel and an award ceremony honoring the work of Theodore Bikel who starred in the film. The director Lynn Roth attended the Opening Night along with the stars of the film Alfred Molina and Theodore Bikel. Consul General of Israel Jacob Dayan also attended, in addition to the film's Executive Producer, Marilyn Hall and husband Monty Hall, Joan Hyler and Army Archerd.

Laura Bialis's Refusenik won the Audience Award for Best Documentary. Refusenik is the first retrospective to chronicle the thirty-year international movement to free Soviet Jews - the film is a tapestry of first person accounts of heroism, sacrifice, and ultimately, liberation told by activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain - many whom survived punishment in Soviet Gulag labor camps. Director Laura Bialis and film subjects Zev Yaroslavsky and Si Frumkin attended the festival screening of the film and answered audience questions after the film. Attending the film as well, was Dennis Prager.

Jochen Alexander Freydank's Spielzeugland (Toyland) won the Audience Award for Best Short Film. To protect her son from the horrors of 1942 Germany, Marianne tells him that his Jewish best friend and his parents are packing for a journey to ‘Toyland'. He begs to go along until one morning her son and the neighbors have disappeared. George Aguilar's Diary of Niclas Gheiler took second place. A cinematic diary, the film chronicles the journey of a German WWI veteran who served with Hitler in the war. Niclas Gheiler shares his experiences from the war and the events that affected his life and forced him to leave his homeland and family behind.

The Festival ended on Thursday May 15th with a Closing Night screening of Paul Weiland's (Made of Honor) Sixty Six starring Helena Bonham-Carter. England in the summer of 1966 is about to be consumed by World Cup Fever, just as 12 year-old Bernie enthusiastically prepares for his Bar Mitzvah. When England makes it through the qualifying rounds, Bernie's longed-for Bar Mitzvah looks headed for disaster.

LAJFF and the MorningStar Commission honored Joan Rivers on Tuesday May 13th with the Marlene Adler Marks Woman of Inspiration Award. Following the ceremony, the Festival held the Los Angeles premiere of Making Trouble produced by the Jewish Women's Archive. Rachel Talbot's documentary tells the story of six of the greatest female comic performers of the last century who broke new ground and delighted audiences for over three generations.

The Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival is a week of events celebrating the diversity of the Jewish experience through film. Most screenings are co-produced with local partners and enhanced by panel discussions with the filmmakers, cast and special guests. By featuring films that highlight Jewish culture, traditions and challenges, the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival seeks to promote tolerance and encourages dialogue within the Greater Los Angeles community.
photo credit: Amy Graves.
LA Jewish Film Festival Director Hilary Helstein and Honoree Joan Rivers

Hilary Helstein and Honoree Joan Rivers http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/DSC_5281.jpg

4 May 26 2008 12:00AM English News Award And the Palme d'Or goes to Laurent Cantet (Entre les murs)
At long last a French Palm much awaited for the past 21 years (last to receive was Maurice Pialat in 1987 for "Under the Sun of Satan" - Sous le soleil de Satan.
The official Jury of this 61st Fesival de Cannes, présided over by Sean Penn, revealed this evening the Prize winners during the closing Ceremony.
Édouard Baer hosted Robert de Niro on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière to award the Palme d'or to the best film among the 22 in Competition.

Barry Levinson's closing film What Just Happened? starring Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, was screened at the end of the ceremony.
Full coverage on fest21.com And the Palme d'Or goes to Laurent Cantet (Entre les murs)
At long last a French Palm much awaited for the past 21 years (last to receive was Maurice Pialat in 1987 for "Under the Sun of Satan" - Sous le soleil de Satan.
The official Jury of this 61st Fesival de Cannes, présided over by Sean Penn, revealed this evening the Prize winners during the closing Ceremony.
Édouard Baer hosted Robert de Niro on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière to award the Palme d'or to the best film among the 22 in Competition.

Barry Levinson's closing film What Just Happened? starring Robert De Niro, Sean Penn and Bruce Willis, was screened at the end of the ceremony.

IN COMPETTION - FEATURE FILMS

Palme d'Or
ENTRE LES MURS de / by Laurent Cantet

Grand Prix
GOMORRA de / by Matteo Garrone

Prize of the 61st Festival de Cannes ex-aequo
Catherine Deneuve dans / for UN CONTE DE NOËL de / by Arnaud DESPLECHIN
Clint Eastwood pour / for L'ÉCHANGE (The Exchange)

Award for the Best Director
ÜÇ MAYMUN (Three Monkeys / Les Trois Singes) de / by Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Jury Prize
IL DIVO de / by Paolo Sorrentino

Prix d'interprétation masculine
Benicio Del Toro dans / for CHE de / by Steven SODERBERGH

Best Performance for an Actress
Sandra Corveloni dans / for LINHA DE PASSE de / by Walter SALLES, Daniela THOMAS

Award for the Best Screenplay
LE SILENCE DE LORNA de / by Jean-Pierre et Luc DARDENNE


IN COMPETTION - SHORT FILMS

Palme d'Or
MEGATRON de / by Marian Crisan

Jury Prize
JERRYCAN de / by Julius Avery


CAMERA D'OR

HUNGER de / by Steve McQueen (Un Certain Regard)

Mention Spéciale Caméra d'Or
VSE UMRUT A JA OSTANUS (Ils mourront tous sauf moi) de / by Valeria Gaï GUERMANIKA (Semaine Internationale de la Critique)


UN CERTAIN REGARD

Un Certain Regard Prize
TULPAN de / by Sergey Dvortsevoy

Jury Prize
TOKYO SONATA de / by Kurosawa Kiyoshi

Heart Throb Jury Prize
WOLKE 9 de / by Andreas Drese

The Knockout of Un Certain Regard
TYSON de / by James Toback

Prize of Hope
JOHNNY MAD DOG de / by Jean-Stéphane SAUVAIRE

CINEFONDATION

First Cinéfondation Prize
HIMNON (Hymne) de / by Elad Keidan (The Sam Spiegel Film and TV School, Israël)

Second Cinéfondation Prize
FORBACH de / by Claire Burger (La fémis, France)

Third Cinéfondation Prize
STOP de / by Park Jae-ok (The Korean Academy of Film Arts, Corée du Sud)
KESTOMERKITSIJÄT (Signalisation des routes) de / by Juho Kuosmanen (University of Art and Design Helsinki, Finlande)


Full coverage on fest21.com Laurent Cantet 200 150 http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/people/cante/cantetfinger1.jpg Laurent Cantet 200 150 http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/people/cante/cantetsmile.jpg Laurent Cantet http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/CANTETPALME.jpg