One of the most influential Croatian filmmakers of his generation, a member of the Yugoslav new wave of the 1960s and 1970s, Krsto Papić was born in 1933 and studied literature at the University of Zagreb before turning to the screen and a long, distinguished career producing and directing.His films were noticed early on, winning prizes at domestic and international festivals: THE KEY (1965) at the Pula Festival, gold medal at the Belgrade Festival for When My Knife Stabs You (1968), Oberh...

Jim VanBebber's long awaited feature THE MANSON FAMILY will open the 11th Chicago Underground Film Festival, August 18th 8:00 Pm at the 3 Penny Cinema, 2424 N Lincoln Ave. One of the most talked about and eagerly anticipated underground films of the last decade. Van Bebber?s epic independent feature paints the most accurate and uncompromising picture of the most infamous cult of all time and the crimes that shook the world. Conceived in the early 90?s as a straightforward docudrama, the film's s...

Outfest to Screen Highlighted Winners During Largest Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalOutfest 2004 Los Angeles is one of the largest lesbian and gay film festivals. With a year round screening program and many support projects throughout the year. This seasons Outfest will run from July 8th to July 19th with in the city of Los Angeles. Premieres, parties, sing-a-long screening and a host of filmmakers will be a part of one of the best G & L Festivals in the industry.To be able to screen top award-w...

From July 15-27, the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary as the premier showcase of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered cinema in the region. Now the largest such event in the eastern United States, the Festival will present more than 150 features, documentaries, shorts and related events, ranging from gentle comedies for entire families to controversial dramas strictly for mature audiences.The Festival will also bestow three Artist...

YOUNG CHICAGO CRITICS 2004Wednesday, JUNE 23rd – Thursday, JULY 2nd Presented by the CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHIDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL The Young Chicago Critics program is an intensive “movie camp” for kids who love movies and love sharing their thoughts and opinions. This summer, kids ages 7-14 from all over the city will have the opportunity to explore the art of really “seeing” a movie as the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival presents Young Chicago Critics 2004 at Face...

Elevation 9000 Films, in collaboration with 1421 Productions, will be hosting its second Short Filmmaker's Lab to educate amateurs and professionals in the film industry and teach them to produce short films with feature film standards. The Lab will guide participants through the development, fundraising, public relations strategy, preproduction, production, post-production, premiere, festival participation, marketing and distribution of short films. Elevation 9000 Films’ founding member and...

The 20th Anniversary of the Chicago Latino Film Festival ended on Thursday, April 29th and the Audience Choice Winner, which is determined by moviegoers, is Amarte duele (Love Hurts), a film production from Mexico. Amarte duele (Love Hurts), directed by Fernando Sariñana, is a love story of two teenagers, Ulises and Renata. Their budding romance seems invincible, but their racial and social differences are facts their friends and family will not let them forget. The film touches on a topic th...

ISRAEL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF SHOWCASING THE BEST IN ISRAELI CINEMAYair Landau, Vice Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, will serve as the Chairman of the 20th Anniversary of the Israel Film Festival. The Honorary Co-Chairman is Arnon Milchan.Jason Alexander to Host Gala Kick-Off With Award Presentations to Gale Anne Hurd, Norman Jewison, Arthur Hiller and Israeli Filmmaker Eitan EvanOpening Night Film “Nina’s Tragedies” Will Premiere at the Academy of Motion Picture A...

Respect: Joe Mantegna will be honored at "The Sixth Annual Los Angeles Italian Film Awards" (LAIFAFEST 2004), which will be held on April 20-24, 2004, at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. Mr. Mantegna  will be presented with the  LAIFA 2004 Life Time Achievement, festival Director Luigi Campanile announced today.Chicago native Joe Mantegna has a strong background in both theater and film. After making his Broadway debut in Stephen Schwartz's musical of Studs Terkel's Working, Joe was awarded ...

9amThe State of Film Financing in Europe and the US Panelists:Christine Ball, Senior Vice President and Manager, Communications, Media & Entertainment Division, Union Bank of California Julia Blackman, Co-Founder, Scion Films Michael Ohoven, CEO, Infinity Media Bob Yari, President, Stratus Film, Bullseye Entertainment, El Camino Pictures and Bob Yari Productions Moderator:Stuart Kemp, UK Bureau Chief, Hollywood Reporter 11amHow Do You Budget Imagination? Screenwriting in the Low and High Bud...

The 40th Chicago International Television Awards, aka The Hugo Awards, will be honoring creative genius Joe Pytka on March 11 at Park West during the awards ceremony of its TV competition. Mr. Pytka’s tribute will include the presentation of a Career Achievement Award and highlights from the 5,000 commercials directed by this prolific master. A three-time winner of the DGA’s Commercial Direction Award, Mr. Pytka is responsible for a tremendous number of unforgettable works promoting such c...

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, MERYL STREEP AND CATHERINE ZETA-JONES NAMED PRESENTERS FOR THE 10th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® 2004 SAG Awards to Air on Turner Network Television (TNT) on Sunday, February 22 at 8 pm ET/PTLos Angeles, California – Eight-time SAG Award® nominee Meryl Streep will be joined by Richard Chamberlain and three-time SAG Awards® recipient Catherine Zeta-Jones as presenters for the 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, Executive Producer Jeff Margolis announced tod...

The winners of the 2003 Directors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement Awards and the recipients of the DGA's 2004 Lifetime Achievement Awards were announced tonight at the 56th Annual DGA Awards Dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. Carl Reiner hosted the Awards ceremony which attracted a record 1,750 guests, including the full slate of presenters: Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Maria Bello (The Cooler), Bob Butler (The Division), Keisha ...

33rd International Film Festival RotterdamWednesday, January 21 - Sunday, February 1, 2004During the IFFR 2004 Awards Ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2004 in Concert and Congress Centre 'de Doelen' in Rotterdam, the winning films of the 33rd International Film Festival Rotterdam were announced. The three VPRO Tiger Awards were granted to BU JIAN (THE MISSING) by Lee Kang-sheng from Taiwan, UNTERWEGS (EN ROUTE) by Jan Krüger from Germany and the Hubert Bals Fund supported LJETO U ZLATNOJ DOLNINI...

The 2004 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival will be held at the recently-restored Roxy Theater in downtown Missoula February 20-25, 2004. The festival will showcase 75 non-fiction films from all styles, formats and production dates, from the most innovative and timely new films to classics and rare historic works. "We are honored to show some of the best non-fiction films from around the world," said festival director Doug Hawes-Davis. "With over 500 entries, it was no easy task to choose this ye...

Chicagoans of the year: Jose `Pepe' VargasOver the last two decades, Jose "Pepe" Vargas has been quietly building his legacy as a film festival director and Chicago cultural leader. Not only will the soft-spoken Colombian native celebrate the 20th birthday of the Chicago Latino Film Festival in 2004 -- but this year Vargas started planning a $50 million fundraising campaign for a new home for the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, currently housed in modest offices at Columbia Coll...

AWARD WINNING COMPOSER DANNY ELFMAN TO BE HONOREDAT THE 15TH ANNUAL PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS GALAElfman to Receive Frederick Loewe Award for Career Achievement in Film Composing The 15th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will honor Danny Elfman with the Frederick Loewe Award for Career Achievement in Film Composing at the festival’s annual Awards Gala, it was announced by chairman elect Earl Greenburg. The Awards Gala will be held on Sunday, Januar...

AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 15TH ANNUAL BOSTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVALGay-themed Israeli feature and personal/historical documentary by first-time filmmaker are 2003 winnersThe 15th annual Boston Jewish Film Festival ended a great run (November 6-16) on Sunday, November 16.Audience members participated in the Festival¹s second Audience Awardballoting. Winning Best Feature and Best Documentary filmmakers eachreceive $1,200 in film stock, generously donated by Eastman Kodak.Ballots have no...

Grand Slam winner Schultze Gets the Blues rides away with Stockholm Bronze Horse and BEST FIRST FEATURE The phrase "Independent Movie" has been abused over the last five years. "Indies" now have bankable stars, studio financing and distribution deals. Where's the real independent projects with no names, low budget and people working for the love of filmmaking - not the money? "Bachelorman" is just such an in...

Loving Glances (Sjaj u Ocima) has picked up Best Screenplay award for writer/director Srdjan Karanovic and Best Music prize for veteran composer Zoran Simjanovic this weekend at the Monte Carlo International Film Festival. A co-production between F&ME and Belgrade based YODI Movie Craftsmen, the film is the last production ever to receive funding from the now defunct European Co-Production Fund run by British Screen. Other major funders were YODI, the Ministry of Culture of Serbia and Monteneg...