Shroeder to Open Berlinale
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will open the 52nd Berlin International
Film Festival. But due to the current international political climate this means
don't come anywhere near the Berlinale-Palast unless you have lots of credentials
to prove you are in the right place. Not only the press going about their job,
but the fans seeking an autograph will have obstacles to overcome this year.
Berlinale to Commemorate Hildegard Knef
The Berlin Inte...
On the surface, he had everything: Good looks, a devoted wife and child, and a mathematical genius that earned the respect of some of the world's greatest minds. But by his early 30s, the brilliant eccentric had descended into mental illness, his schizophrenia leaving him unable to think either creatively or rationally. ...
The Ethnography Museum of Geneva is hosting their Forum of Visual Anthropology
Feb 1 to Feb 8. This year's focus is entitled "Afghanistan: Culture(s)
in Question." Featured during the week of photography exhibits and musical
performances will be a cinema program "Changing Afghanistan," which
will run from Feb 4-7. The program includes 17 films selected from the past
20 years and one from 1932 that are either about Afghanistan or by Afghan filmmakers.
Questions concerning ...
Lions Gate Films bought the worldwide distribution rights to Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's
Spanish thriller Intacto, but it is Buena Vista Motion Pictures group
that bought the remake rights for the United States, reports Screen Daily. The
film is about naturally lucky people, and how they chose to use or abuse their
luck. The film received good reviews at Sundance, but a release date has not
yet been set. ...
Moondance International Film Festival took place Jan 25-27 in Boulder, Colorado.
The festival put together a collection of films, TV shows, radio shows, music
videos, stageplays, short stories, puppetry theater, and writings to promote
and cultivate creative diversity and intercultural dialogue. This year also
included special themes such as films produced by kids, non-violent conflict
resolution, films and writings with depictions of women and girls in a positive
light, ...
The nominations for the BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards) continue to accent
films that seem on track for the Oscar circuit. Films with the most amount of
nominations include The Lord of the Rings (12), Moulin Rouge (12),
Gosford Park (9) and Amelie (9). Just behind are Harry Potter
and the Philosopher's Stone with seven nominations, followed by Iris
and Shrek with six each.
While no British films made it into the Best
Film category, Brits can rest assured that they a...
The 25th anniversary of the Goteborg Film Festival featured the Golden Beetles Awards, held January 28. Sweden will also remember that, on this day, the beloved Astrid Lindgren, creator of many delightful children's tales (Pippi Longstocking, Ronja the Robber's Daughter and The Brothers Lion-Hearted), passed away at the age of 94.
The nominations for Golden Beetles are chosen by 34 members of the Swedish Film Institute - a source of controversy because of an obvious bias towards industry fil...
Samuel's Internet is the third part of the film trilogy “Kapsapea”, which main character is stubborn and selfish peasant Samuel and his loyal partner Pink Piglet. The action takes place in the Internet, into where Samuel and his friend Pink Piglet get by accident. ...
France's Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival (Feb 1-9) is celebrating
25 years. The Festival has much to party about: it has undoubtedly become France's,
and the world's, most important event dedicated to short films. Last year's
festival drew in over 120,000 attendees, with roughly 2000 personalities from
the field making appearances.
The year's Festival will have a new competition section entitled
"Création Numerique," (Digital Works) which will
run alongside the ol...
The juries for the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival have been announced. The festival has two separate juries for the event : a French jury responsible for the national competition, and a second jury from around the world for the international competition.
French Jury :
Antoine CHAPPEY, actor
Jean Claude LARRIEU, cinematographer
Florence LOIRET CAILLE, actress
Marc PERRONE, compositor
Jean François VINCENTI, producer
International Jury :
Yuk Mui "Gipsy" CHANG editor, t...
The nominations are out for the 8th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for outstanding
performances in 2001, taking place March 10 in Los Angeles, CA. The Screen Actors
Guild Awards nominees were chosen by two panels of over 4200 peers within the
entertainment industry. Mid-February, the entire active membership of the Guild
(roughly 98,000 people) will vote in all categories. Many favorites for other
awards have appeared on the nomination list for this year's Screen Actor's G...
On the eve of the 33rd National Film Festival in Budapest, the Hungarian film
critics awarded the best films among those released in 2001.
Best Motion Picture (László B. Nagy Award)
Werkmeister Harmóniák by Béla Tarr
Best Direction
Torses (Abandoned) by Árpád Sopsits
Special Prize
Paszport by Péter Gothár
Best Cameraman
Gergely Pohárnok (I Love Budapest)
Best Scriptwriter
Ágnes Incze (I Love B...
The American Film Institute (AFI) has appointed Wendy Braitman to head The
Silver: AFI/Discovery Documentary Festival, a global showcase of documentary
film set to launch in June of 2003 in the newly restored AFI Silver in Silver
Spring, Maryland.
"We are very excited about our affiliation with the festival," said
James Hindman, AFI's Co-Director and COO. "Braitman's talent and experience
will set the bar for The Silver: AFI/Discovery Documentary Festival, whi...
The International Press Academy's 6th Annual Golden Satellite Awards echoed many
of the winners of previous awards for films of 2001. In the Bedroom was
a big winner, picking up three awards, including Best Motion Picture (Drama) and
Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama). The Lord of the Rings received
several of the technical awards available, earning prizes in editing, sound, but
Moulin Rouge beat out Rings for Best Visual Effects. In fact, Moulin
Rouge was the biggest winner, g...
The storm, which hovered over Rotterdam since the beginning of the festival
- delaying the arrival of several guests - seems to have finally cleared up.
But as the sun shines brightly over the Doelen and many crowded venues of the
2002 edition, a new storm has taken over town in the name of Miike Takashi.
The tsunami director from Japan has come to the festival with 4 feature films
all made in 2001, topping his 1998 Vancouver selection by one. This 4-film selection
amazed...
It is now actor Robert Redford, following the Sidney Poitier announcement last
week, who has also been chosen to receive an Honorary Award by the Board of
Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The citation will read: "Robert Redford - Actor, Director, Producer, Creator
of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere."
"Bob's dedication to independent filmmaking has had an enormously positive
impact on the motio...
At the last minute, John Malkovich's directorial debut The Dancer Upstairs
has been pulled from the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival,
says Variety. Dancer was taken from the Festival after Fox Searchlight picked
it up at Sundance Film Festival this year. However, The Laramie Project,
which opened this year's Sundance Festival will screen at Berlin as planned,
along with 37 other feature films, 18 documentaries and 22 short films.
Panorama Features...
At the last minute, John Malkovich's directorial debut The Dancer Upstairs
has been pulled from the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival,
says Variety. Dancer was taken from the Festival after Fox Searchlight picked
it up at Sundance Film Festival this year. However, The Laramie Project,
which opened this year's Sundance Festival will screen at Berlin as planned,
along with 37 other feature films, 18 documentaries and 22 short films.
Panorama Features ...
Manish BhatiaSenior vice President, Interactive Services, Nielsen Media Research.Manish Bhatia heads the Nielsen/NetRatings team for Nielsen Media Research and is responsible for various aspects of development of the service and its sales and marketing to all Nielsen customers.. The service provides the most accurate and comprehensive research on Internet audience activity. Bhatia is also responsible for coordinating development of measurement solutions for V-Internet convergence. He joined Niel...
Known for his films about outcast kids of Iran, Abolfazl Jalili returns with
Delbaran, the poignant story of an Afghan kid working as a clandestine
near the Iranian frontier. Jalili talks about his real-life characters with
wisdom and wit in this exclusive interview.
When did you start focusing on the subject of Aghan clandestine refugees
in Iran ?
Since the Iranian revolution 22 years ago, there have been many Afghan refugees
in Iran - more than two million, working main...
HBO acquired the the Hollywood Film Festival's winner of the Hollywood Discovery
Award for Best Documentary (2000), My Khmer Heart by Janine Hosking.
The film, about Austalian Geraldine Cox's work to help orphans in Cambodia,
caused a flurry of activity which has now motivated Danny Glover and Matt Damon
to help the cause. On Jan 24, HBO sponsered a benefit honoring Ms. Cox that
was hosted by the two well-known actors. Additionally, Danny Glover's company,
Carrie Producti...
The 4th Houston Pan-Cultural Film Festival officially opens Thursday, January
31 and continues throughout until February 3. The community-based event stands
on the premise that cinema bridges social and cultural boundaries.
Houstanian native Peter Masterson will feature his Oscar-winning film, The
Trip to Bountiful, at this year's festival. Masterson will introduce the
film to be followed by a Q&A. Written by another Texan Horton Foote and
set in Houston in 1947, The Trip ...
Element's James O'Brien contributed to the feature of The Good Girl,written
by Mike White and directed by Miguel Arteta (Chuck & Buck), which
enjoyed its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah
on January 12, 2002. The film is the first time O'Brien has contributed to the
score of a feature. Other artists contributing to the score are Joey Warnker,
Tony Maxwell and Mark Orton. O'Brien, known for his successful tenure as front
man for the band Redfi...
The Italian government is actually taking control over important film institutions
such as Cinecittà and the Biennale of Venice. Several personalities have
practically been fired, by forcing them to quit their job or by replacing them
without notice - among others Angelo Guglielmi, General Manager of Istituto
Luce, Luciana Castellita, President of Italia Cinema, Lino Micciché,
president of Scuola Nazionale del Cinema, Paolo Baratta, president of the Venice
B...
With seven Genie nominations including Best Picture, The War Bride becomes
the most nominated English language film. This acclaimed film was developed
by Vanguard Entertainment's Lyndon Chubbuck and William Talmadge culminating
a five year journey to bring this labour of love from the page to the screen.
In the process, they have created a living portrait of the Canadian War Brides
of World War II, and one of the most revered films of the year.
“The success of The War...
Chatelin Bruno 
