Julian Schnabel strides two different worlds like a modern-day colossus. As a painter, sculptor and photographer, he has been in the A list of fine arts culture for more than 30 years. For the past decade, he has added "filmmaker extraordinaire" to his resume, becoming one of the most talked-about and lauded film artists of his generation. Painters making films is not completely new (Leger, Kandinsky, Dali and other early modernists did make film expressions, but they wer...
I'M STILL HERE, the not-very-flattering documentary by actor-turned-director Casey Affleck of his brother-in-law and best friend Joaquin Phoenix has been provoking controversy since it world premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Is the film, which had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week, a true portrait of the actor's rejection of movie stardom or is it a cleverly planned hoax? The "documentary" of the tumultuous year that saw Joaquin attempt...
I'M STILL HERE, the not-very-flattering documentary by actor-turned-director Casey Affleck of his brother-in-law and best friend Joaquin Phoenix has been provoking controversy since it world premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Is the film, which had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this week, a true portrait of the actor's rejection of movie stardom or is it a cleverly planned hoax?
The "documentary" of the tumultuous y...
I’ve been having loads of google news alerts flooding into my inbox over the past few days with regard to QT denying ‘nepotism’ charges (or in other words that he didn’t award the top prize to Sophia Coppola because they used to date). To be honest, this is all that is happening with this conspiracy; QT is denying it and no-one else involved with the jury or connected with the Venice Film Festival has commented on it. To be honest it s getting slightly boring now – it wi...
Sofia Coppola walked away with the top prize at the Venice Film Festival this past weekend, winning the Golden Lion for her new film SOMEWHERE. The film, which inexplicably did not make the cut at the Toronto or New York film festivals (festival envy?), stars Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning in a dramatic story of a father who tries to connect with his daughter after years of neglect. The fact that the dad is also a famous actor adds spice to this satire of Hollywood's self-obession and...
At the time of going to press, a woman in China has sued a cinema and the distributors of the movie ‘Aftershock’ for wasting her time with adverts. According to the Xinhua news agency, Chen Xiaomei claims the Polybona International Cinema and film distributors Huayi Brothers Media Corporation should have told her of the length of the pre-movie commercials. Chen, a lawyer, accused the Xian-based picturehouse and the distributors of violating her freedom of choice and wasting her time. The cla...
Natalie Portman in BLACK SWAN
While film professionals are here at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to buy and sell films in a still soft market, for the Toronto public the big attraction are the movie stars who will be walking the red carpet in the coming 10 days. Toronto is a bit star-crazy, with all the local television stations highlighting their TIFF coverage and promising viewers up-close-and-personal access with the movie stars who are huddling here. Ever...
In the midst of all the Venice Film Festival excitement, I'd like to bring your attention to some good old Americana Indie-style. If the title doesn't grab you enough, like it certainly does for me, then hopefully this in-depth interview with the filmmakers Dan Finkel, (Director/Writer/Producer) and Brian McGuire (Actor/Writer/Producer) for the new witty and spirited- che spiritoso!- American Indie film Everything Will Happen Before You Die (2010).
First, I...
The word diva is often used these days to denote bad behavior and outsized arrogance but in its original incarnation, it was coined to described someone whose artistic gifts were, in fact, divine….a gift from God. So, it is with this original interpretation that I acknowledge the presence at the Montreal World Film Festival of a true cinematic diva, the Italian actress Stefania Sandrelli.
Sandrelli has been part of the cinema firmament for over 60 years. As with her...
Today, September 1, 2010, marks the opening of the Venice Film Festival 2010. Let me take you back to a film that won the Golden Lion sixteen years ago. I'll never forget the first time I saw the Macedonian film Before the Rain (1994), which was winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1994. Well, I have always believed that the soundtrack makes the film, like frosting makes the cake. One just cannot go without the other. And the melodious music from Before the Rain, that alway...
AP
Final preparations are underway on the eve of the opening of the 67th edition of the International Venice Film Festival.
'Black Swan’, a dark thriller set against the backdrop of the world of
ballet, was set later Wednesday to open the Venice Film Festival, the
world’s oldest cinema competition which this year marks its 67th
edition.
Starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel and Winona Ryder, Black Swan is
one of 24 films vying for the festival’s...
The superhero Zebraman will be the protagonist of two Midnight films at the 67th Venice International Film Festival: Zebraman (2004) and the highly anticipated sequel Zebraman: Zebra City no gyakushu (Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City) (2010) from visionary Japanese director Miike Takashi.
...
Well, I'm not exactly going to the Venice Film Festival but I'm more excited about this one because I can't wait to hear how well Machete goes down as it looks like its going to be something special.
Plus I'll be following this one very closely as Quentin Tarantino, my favourtie film maker and topic of my phd study, is on the jury I wonder what he will decide should win the Golden Lion... exciting times ahead. :)
Marco Muller and Tarantino!
...
Renowned actor Matthew Modine will receive the MV International Film Festival's first annual "Global Citizen" award.The award, created by Vineyard sculptor Barney Zeitz, will be presented on Saturday, September 11, 2010. Mr. Modine's new film " The Trial," directed by Gary Wheeler and to be released by 20th Century Fox, will screen at 7:30 at the Capawock Theatre on Vineyard Haven's Main Street. The award presentation and a Q&A with audience members will immediately follow the screening. Mr. Ma...
Emmanuel Itier provokes in “The Invocation” by Ron Gilbert Emmanuel and I sat down in his suite at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood to discuss his journey. I have known him for over 20 years and after seeing his film, The Invocation, I discovered what I didn’t know about him. So we let the fur fly on this interview and there were no holds barred. RGEmmanuel I just want you to know that since we are very close friends you can let me know about anything that you do not want me to pu...
Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori), a special section of the upcoming 67th edition of the Venice Film Festival, will host the World Premiere of Iranian director Jafar Panahi's latest work, The Accordion. The film, produced by ART for The World as part of the new film project "THEN AND NOW, Beyond Borders and Differences" based on article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is a short film that stresses the rights of "freedom of thought, conscience an...
The Montreal World Film Festival will pay tribute to the celebrated French actress Nathalie Baye, who will be in Montreal to present a selection of her films. One of the most well-respected and versatile French actresses of her generation, Nathalie Baye has enjoyed a lengthy career that has included multiple César awards and a wide variety of roles. She has been the muse of many of the great directors of the French screen, such as Alain Cavalier, Nicole Garcia, Jean-Luc Godard, Toni...
SOMEWHERE (Sofia Coppola)
The world premieres are coming strong and fast for the Fall film season as the Venice Film Festival has announced a particularly stellar competition section. For North Americans not making the trip to the Lido, many of these films will receive their North American premieres at the Toronto Film Festival a week later in September (the two festivals actually overlap for a few days on the first weekend of September).
Twenty-two films have been set to ...
The main event on day five of the fest Monday, was a staged conversation with actor Ben Affleck, 37, held at the Grammy Museum a short walk away from the Regal Cineplex 14 main festival venue. This was introduced by long term Newsweek film critic David Ansen who is the artistic director of the festival this year. The moderator --i.e., leading question asker -- was a Mr. Sean Smith, who prudently allowed Mr. Affleck to do most of the talking. Clips from some of his films were shown including the ...
At his year´s 7th festival, DOCUMENTA MADIRD is offering broad programming in it´s parallel sections, including a series entitled "USA INDEPENDENTS" retrospectives of three filmmakers -Peter Hutton, Ben Russell and Joseph Strick- who have left their mark on recent history for their creative and revolutionary visions of the genre.
Peter Hutton has been a crucial figure in American documentary and experimental film for forty years. Hutton is the last link in the Nort...
Following sold out screenings at New Directors/New Films Festival, the Spring film showcase that concluded yesterday, arthouse specialty distributor IndiePix will release acclaimed Iranian video/photographer Shirin Neshat’s directorial debut WOMEN WITHOUT MEN. The film opens theatrically in Los Angeles on April 9, Washington, DC on April 30 followed by a mid-May release in New York. A national platform rollout continues with home video and digital release slated for the fall.
...
In German and Jewish themed film festivals the focus on the Third Reich and the Holocaust remains essential as expressed in the large number of features and documentaries screened on those topics. The New York Jewish Film Festival excelled earlier this year with documentaries like EINSATZGRUPPEN: THE DEATH BRIGADES (Michal Prazan) and FORGOTTEN TRANSPORTS: TO POLAND (Lukas Pribyl) or features like GRUBNER'S JOURNEY (Radu Gabrea) and PROTECTOR (Marek Najbrt). These films may differ in their cre...
The honored guest of the 38th International Film Festival FEST 2010 is Kartiel Shory, the Director of the Israeli Film Fund, a main film foundation in Israel, that supports, and encourage Israeli feature films and important international coproduction. Shory was a guest of FEST in previous years, where he’s been financially supporting film „Babylon“, shown to a Belgrade festival, as well as other films. Israeli Film Foundation is a main institution to encourage film investment and product...
The Awards of the International Jury 2010 Golden Bear for Best Film Bal (Honey) by Semih Kaplanoglu Silver Bear - The Jury Grand Prix Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle) by Florin Serban Silver Bear - Best Director Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer (The Ghost Writer) Silver Bear - Best Actress Shinobu Terajima in Caterpillar (Caterpillar) by Koji Wakamatsu Silver Bear - Best Actor Grigori Dobrygin for Kak ya provel etim letom (How I Ended This Summer) by Alexei...
The Awards of the International Jury 2010
Golden Bear for Best Film
Bal (Honey)
by Semih Kaplanoglu
Semih Kaplanoglu with his Golden Bear
Silver Bear - The Jury Grand Prix
Eu cand vreau sa fluier, fluier (If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle)
by Florin Serban
The director Florin Serban with his lead actors Ada Condeescu and George Pistereanu
Silver Bear - Best Director
Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer (The Ghost Writer)
P...
