http://www.filmfestivals.com/ ---lang_text--- Copyright (c) 1995-2002, Filmfestivals Entertainment Group Jun 14 2009 12:00AM News Film The Portland Women's Film Festival (a.k.a. POW Fest) is pleased to announce that acclaimed director, Kathryn Bigelow, one of Hollywood's most innovative filmmakers - whose films include K-19 (2002) with Harrison Ford; The Weight of Water (2000) with Sean Penn; Strange Days (1995) with Ralph Fiennes; and Point Break (1991) with Keanu Reaves - will be in Portland to screen her latest film, The Hurt Locker, an action thriller, as part of a benefit for the Portland Women's Film Festival, POW Fest, on Monday, July, 20th, 2009. The evening will kick-off at 6:00 p.m. with a pre-show reception and silent auction, followed by the screening at 7:30p.m. All events will take place at Portland's historic Hollywood Theatre. The Portland Women's Film Festival (a.k.a. POW Fest) is pleased to announce that acclaimed director, Kathryn Bigelow, one of Hollywood's most innovative filmmakers - whose films include K-19 (2002) with Harrison Ford; The Weight of Water (2000) with Sean Penn; Strange Days (1995) with Ralph Fiennes; and Point Break (1991) with Keanu Reaves - will be in Portland to screen her latest film, The Hurt Locker, an action thriller, as part of a benefit for the Portland Women's Film Festival, POW Fest, on Monday, July, 20th, 2009. The evening will kick-off at 6:00 p.m. with a pre-show reception and silent auction, followed by the screening at 7:30p.m. All events will take place at Portland's historic Hollywood Theatre.

The Hurt Locker, winner of the "Best Film" Award at the Venice Film Festival has been called a "near perfect war film" by TIME Magazine. A riveting, suspenseful portrait of the courage under fire of the military's unrecognized heroes: the technicians of a bomb squad who volunteer to challenge the odds and save lives doing one of the world's most dangerous jobs. This fictional tale was inspired by real events chronicled by journalist and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb squad unit in Iraq. In Iraq, it is soldier's vernacular to speak of explosions as sending you to "the hurt locker."

"POW Fest is honored to have Kathryn Bigelow come to Portland to screen her latest film before it is released Nationwide later that month," said POW Fest Executive Director, Tara Johnson-Medinger. "Kathryn is an inspiration to female directors, having been one of the few women to break through the Hollywood gender gap and have a successful, extended career making ground-breaking and influential films. Hearing her speak about her craft will be a key part of the evening." As part of the screening, Bigelow will be on-hand for an extensive discussion after the film.

The purpose of the evening is to raise funds for POW Fest's third annual film festival scheduled for March 18 - 21, 2010. In addition to the film screening and one-on-one with Bigelow, benefit festivities
will also include a wine & beer reception and special auction of one-of-a-kind experiences and merchandise. Tickets for the event are $20 (includes reception and auction) or $12 for the screening only and can be obtained at www.powfest.com as well as The Hollywood Theatre box office. For more information, go to www.powfest.com.

POW Fest Summer Benefit with Filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow
Monday, July 20, 2009
6:00 p.m. Pre-Show Reception and Silent Auction
7:30 p.m. Screening
The Hollywood Theatre
4122 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, Oregon 97212
(503) 493-1128 Harrison Ford & Kathryn Bigelow 200 150 http://www.filmfestivals.com/filmweb/k19_the_widowmaker/ford_bigelow.jpg Jun 12 2009 12:00AM News Film These challenging times call for courage, determination and a selflessness that was woefully out of fashion in the Me-Me-Me Decade that preceded the worldwide economic collapse. That there is potential for the global community to learn from its mistakes is always a hopeful sign (although let us remember that the Great Depression was followed almost immediately by its antidote, World War II). When this moral courage needs to be inspired in each one of us, it helps that courageous filmmakers are documenting the stories of those who are suffering and others who respond by tapping into their innate compassion and righteous activism. These challenging times call for courage, determination and a selflessness that was woefully out of fashion in the Me-Me-Me Decade that preceded the worldwide economic collapse. That there is potential for the global community to learn from its mistakes is always a hopeful sign (although let us remember that the Great Depression was followed almost immediately by its antidote, World War II). When this moral courage needs to be inspired in each one of us, it helps that courageous filmmakers are documenting the stories of those who are suffering and others who respond by tapping into their innate compassion and righteous activism.

These are the themes and the goals of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which opens its New York edition at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater this evening. Sponsored by Human Rights Watch, one of the world's leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights, the Festival is a clarion call for witnessing and acting on human rights abuses that sometimes get scant attention in the traditional news media.

The Festival begins with the premiere of EDEN IS WEST, the epic story of an immigrant's journey, directed by the legendary Greek/French filmmaker Costa-Gavras (Z). The film follows a young man's journey from the Agean Sea to the ports of heaven and hell, until finally arriving in that most magical of cities, Paris. That this was intended to echo Homer's Odyssey is purely intentional and gives Costa-Gavras an exceptional palette to explore the themes of immigration, fulfillment and human aspiration. The director himself will appear at tonight's screening for a conversation with Carroll Bogert of Human Rights Watch, followed by a reception.

Other highlights of the film series include: THE RECKONING, an insightful American documentary that follows the prosecution of war crimes at thhe International Criminal Court in The Hague, co-directed by Pamela Yates, Peter Kinov and Paco de Onis; THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD, the yes-we-can story of activists who infiltrate the world of big business and pull of outrageous pranks to expose corporate greed, from the team of Mike Bonanno, Andy Bichlbaum and Kurt Engfehr; CRUDE, American documentarian Joe Berlinger's look at a shocking case of environmental pollution in the Ecuadoran rain forest; IN THE HOLY FIRE OF REVOLUTION, Dutch director Masha Novikova's portrait of chess-champion-turned-social activist Garry Kasparov; LOOK INTO MY EYES, a globe-hopping critique of anti-semitism by Israeli director Naftaly Gliksberg; SNOW, a stunning feature debut by Bosnian director Aida Begic that chronicles the drama of life in a Bosnian village that was devastated during the tragic war of the 1990s; and TAPOLOGO, the moving story of a migrant labor camp in South Africa where a group of former sex workers living with HIV have created a network of solidarity to care for themselves and others living with HIV, directed by Gabriella Dewar and Sally Gutierrez Dewar.

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Human Rights Watch International Film feestival and in honor of one of the Festival's founders, the Nestor Almendros Award will be given to American director Anne Aghion. Her latest film MY NEIGHBOR, MY KILLER, a feature length documentary culled from a decade's worth of filming of Rwanda's experiment in citizen justice to uncover the truth of that country's tragic genocidal war in 1994, will be screened as part of the award tribute.

These films challenge us to be witnesses and to find a way to light a candle rather than curse the darkness For a full list of films screening this year, along with seminars, shorts programs and special events, log on to the websites: www.hrw.org/iff or www.filmlinc.com
by Sandy Mandelberger, Film New York Editor on fest21.com

Human Rights Festival http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/HUMANRIGHTS.gif May 14 2009 12:00AM News Film When a river provides catalyst for a psychological horror it's sure to attract interest from audiences and distributors alike. The latest film from Italian helmer Francesco Paladino recently won the award for the Best Psychological thriller at the recent New York International Independent Film & Video Festival and will be represented by Stuart Alson of ITN Distribution Inc. at the 2009 prestigious Marche du Film, Cannes. "Award-winning Italian filmmaker Francesco Paladino gears up to attend the 2009 Cannes Film Market with to promote his latest film "Where the River Runs"

"A superbly shot film, great acting, and a cohesive cocktail of characters and events."
Nicole Holland - Independent Film Quarterly

***
When a river provides catalyst for a psychological horror it's sure to attract interest from audiences and distributors alike. The latest film from Italian helmer Francesco Paladino recently won the award for the Best Psychological thriller at the recent New York International Independent Film & Video Festival and will be represented by Stuart Alson of ITN Distribution Inc. at the 2009 prestigious Marche du Film, Cannes.

Produced by Paladino and Gaved SRl and shot on HD in Piacenza, Italy, Where the River Runs comprises a series of interrelated psycho-horror stories involving inhabitants who all live along the same river. Established cast members include, Nino Castelnuovo (The English Patient), Gianni Schicchi, a favorite of the great director Marco Bellocchio (Vincere) and Gerardo Placido (Nina).

Paladino has been a filmmaker for fifteen years and has a slate of award-winning short and documentary films, three of which were completed in the US. Music has consistently played an integral part in his films and he explained that it was while listening to music that he conjured up images that helped to create the genesis of this debut feature film.

In a recent interview for IFQ Magazine Paladino said, "My objective was to make a visionary, potent film featuring music and interesting characters." One day I was watching the river that flows through my city and I decided to tell my stories, reveal my fears and my dreams and just see what happens," Paladino explained.

"I am honored to be representing "Where the River Runs" at the Cannes Market," said Staurt Alson head of dynamic company ITN Distribution, Inc. "The actors are well known and the cinematography and genre and haunting music are important components that will boost the film's marketability and should attract some key buyers. Alson further states, "Paladino is a perceptive filmmaker and certainly one to watch."



Where the River Runs http://www.filmfestivals.com/pixus/festivals/generic/test.gif May 14 2009 12:00AM News Film Each year, the Marché du Film puts out a focus brochure on World Market Trends in the film industry. In light of the widely discussed world economic crisis, we thought this year's summary, although neither drastically different from previous years nor surprising, was nevertheless especially interesting. These trends will provide a context for understanding the environment of the Marché here in Cannes as the action heats-up throughout the festival. Each year, the Marché du Film puts out a focus brochure on World Market Trends in the film industry. In light of the widely discussed world economic crisis, we thought this year's summary, although neither drastically different from previous years nor surprising, was nevertheless especially interesting. These trends will provide a context for understanding the environment of the Marché here in Cannes as the action heats-up throughout the festival.

Despite the economic recession, U.S. cinema attendances increased by 5.6% and box office receipts by 8.8% in the first quarter of 2009. (Marché du Film: Focus, pg 9) Many analysts attribute the increase to the cinema's affordability relative to other forms of entertainment in addition to the industry's efforts to spread release dates more evenly throughout the year. In 2008 however, we actually saw a fall in U.S. box-office attendances while international box-office figures increased, due mainly to the weak dollar. In light of the 2009 first quarter results, some will be tempted to brand the film industry as impervious to economic decline, however these mixed findings show that exact conclusions can not be drawn in just a few months. We can say that the film industry will not sustain the kind of damage seen by other industries, such as the auto industry. We may see a downturn in production budget, particularly in the United States due to decreased funding availability and higher interest rates.

Home video markets throughout the world ranged in their performances. Overall, we saw DVD sales decline while Blu-Ray sales increased much slower. The industry is optimistic in terms of the potential for growth in both the 3D cinema and VOD markets.

For more information on market trends in the film industry see the full report at:
http://www.obs.coe.int/oea_publ/market/focus.html
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