By far one of the greatest films at the PSIFF 2010 festival for me was the independent documentary film, the DZI Croquettes (2009) by first time directors Tatiana Issa and Raphael Alvarez. Best friends for twenty-five years, Raphael and Tatiana made this film about her childhood adopted family, a famous transvestite dance crew of thirteen who were instrumental confronting the Brazilian dictatorship of the 1970s through their avant-garde and revolutionary dance innovations. Tatiana&rsqu...
Sweet Crude (2009) is a documentary film made by Sandy Cioffi about the crude oil problem in Nigeria that has caused much heated debate over the last fifty years of unregulated oil drilling which has resulted in major health problems and pollution in the Niger Delta.
Sandy Cioffi began wanting to tell a story about schools in Nigeria and ended up with a much harsher story to tell than she never believed possible; nevertheless, a story that needed telling. A...
Paulista, Quanto Dura o Amor? (2009) by writer/director Roberto Moreira and actress Maria Clara Spinelli (winner of the Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival award for Best Actress) held its North American premier at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January, 2010.
Both Roberto Moreira and Maria Spinelli attended for Q and A after screening. Roberto discussed that it was indeed a challenge to make a film that focuses o...
By far one of the best and most memorable films for me this past year was, Samson and Delilah (2009), a cinematographic masterpiece. Director Warwick Thornton directs his first feature film after sixteen years as a cinematographer. Set in the Central Australian desert, these two young lovers experience a journey together that will change their lives forever; it is like contemporary Aboriginal rite of passage story.
During a Q and A with the director Warwick Thornton, he sat c...
Ajami (2009) is a film about the living situation between Muslims and Christians living side by side with each other in Tel Aviv and their everyday struggles in this political/religious contentious hot spot. Ajami writers/directors Scandar Copti (Palestinian) and Yaron Shani (Israeli) sat on panel on January 10, 2010 and spoke with audiences about their seven year journey making their controversial film. When I asked about the details of their film’s production, Scandar r...
Following a legal battle that began almost a year ago at the Zurich Airport en route to the Zurich Film Festival, Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has been released from legal limbo that has kept him under house arrest in Switzerland, and will most likely be back in France by later this week.
Switzerland announced earlier today that it will not extradite Roman Polanski to the United States, where the film director faces charges of unlawful sex with a minor over thre...
Tropicalia (2011), Paula Cosenza's highly anticipated new documentary film about politics and music in Brazil during the nation's Tropicalismo movement of the late 1960's.
Paula Cosenza is currently filming. Stay tuned for an interview in the coming weeks!
...
Penso Un Sogno Cosi...
This dark drama with an ironic almost Caravaggio-esque twist at the end
calls to mind certain images-
Titus (1999) when the failed Roman would-be emperor served the
queen's sons to her on a plate- literally!;
Hannibal (2001), when Dr. Lecter eats the brain of his rival Ray
Liotta-ewe!; and, last but not least, an old
Brazilian movie about native Tupi anthropofagia, How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman (1971).
Why do such gory...
view film trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EATRYX4_3AA
Herrera protects Ruddy
During exclusive interview with Venezzia stars Ruddy Rodriguez and Alfonso Herrera, they discuss their difficult love scene.
Ruddy says that even though she is older than Alfonso, he protected her during their love scene and made her feel more comfortable. Hmmm, that mustive been hard! lol!
But all joking aside, Ruddy barely needed protection as she pr...
On Martin Scorsese
Thelma Schoonmaker on Martin Scorsese: interview
watch whole Getty Images interview on this link:
http://www.fest21.com/en/video/interview_with_3_times_oscar_winner_thelma_schoonmaker
Three time Academy Award winner for editing Thelma Schoonmaker in an up-close-and-personal interview about what it has been like to work alongside ...
Guillermo Arriaga we salute you!
One on one interview with The Burning Plain director Guillermo Arriaga.
When beginning our one-on-one interview, I asked Guillermo if he could enlighten me on the situation between him and director Alejandro Inarritu. When I mentioned the latter's name, Arriaga replied: 'Who?'. Then I asked again and he replied with a wise smirk: 'You want me to talk about my divorce?'
That situation made clear, I avoided the sensitive subject and ...
Visit Film Planet Entertainment
New Sales Rep/co-production company -Film Planet Entertainment- made its big debut this year at the Cannes Film Festival 2010 and continues its rise to popularity at the first ever Aruba International Film Festival and saturated the LA Film Festival as well as all the most important worldwide festivals this year and in the years to come.
Film Planet Entertainment seeks to cross boundaries in cinema and the world with its internat...
