Helen Mirren at New York Film Festival Monday, November 20----The London Observer has reported that the documentary film THE ANGELMAKERS, which won the Silver Wolf Award at the 2005 IDFA for Dutch director Astrid Bussink, will be made into a feature film starring Helen Mirren and John Hurt. The film will be a fictionalized version of the gripping short documentary, which investigated the story of the mysterious killing by hundreds of women of their husbands in a small Hungarian village in the...

With a couple of hours still left to go until the official kick-off of this "Mother of all Film Festivals" activity is feverish along the short stretch of the Lido known as Viale Marconi, the actual location of this oldest of all world film festivals --Now that was rather a mouthful, calling for a bit of elucidation. The first Venice film festival took place way back in 1932 when the Fascist government under Benito Mussolini, taking a page from Lenin, realized that film was a powerful propaganda...

Brian De Palma’s eagerly anticipated “BLACK DAHLIA”, which will officially open the 63rd Venice Film Festival this evening, was screened for the press this morning with the screening immediately followed by a packed house press conference. Principal actors, Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and Mia Kirshner (who plays the gruesomely murdered Elizabeth Short of the title) were present as well as director De Palma and writer James Ellroy, on whose novel regarding the famo...

Brian De Palma’s eagerly anticipated “BLACK DAHLIA”, which will officially open the 63rd Venice Film Festival this evening, was screened for the press this morning with the screening immediately followed by a packed house press conference. Principal actors, Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and Mia Kirshner (who plays the gruesomely murdered Elizabeth Short of the title) were present as well as director De Palma and writer James Ellroy, on whose novel regarding the famo...

With a couple of hours still left to go until the official kick-off of this "Mother of all Film Festivals" activity is feverish along the short stretch of the Lido known as Viale Marconi, the actual location of this oldest of all world film festivals. Now that was rather a mouthful, calling for a bit of elucidation. The first Venice film festival took place way back in 1932 when the Fascist government under Benito Mussolini, taking a page from Lenin, realized that film was a powerful propagand...

La Biennale di Venezia / 63rd Venice International Film Festival / The Black Dahlia by Brian De Palma, with Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank and Josh Hartnett, to be the opening film at the 63rd Venice International Film FestivalThe Black Dahlia, the eagerly-awaited film directed by Brian De Palma, starring Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank and Josh Hartnett - and adapted from the famous novel of the same name by James Ellroy, inspired by a crime in 1940s Los Angeles - will be the opening film at...

The Sydney Film Festival wrapped up a memorable two weeks of international and Australian films this weekend with the presentation of the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Film, the Urban Cinefile Audience Awards, as well as the FIPRESCI Award for Best Documentary. The awards were followed by the slick closing night film Thanks for Not Smoking, starring Aaron Eckhart as spin doctor Nick Naylor who works for the Academy of Tobacco Studies. Spiked with black humour (Nick dines every week with the ...

SHORT SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS OVER $60,000 IN PRIZESSpecial Screenings include the Japan premiere of THANK YOU FOR SMOKINGThe Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF) closed its 8th annual festival in Tokyo this month by awarding over $60,000 in cash prizes to award-winning films. Over 1,000 guests attended the Award Ceremony at the Meiji Shrine. The ceremony will be broadcast on Japan’s Jupter TV/Movie Plus satellite channel on June 25. In attendance were Japanese and Korean celebrities, jury...

Seven film, seven parties. That’s the user-friendly concept behind the Gen Art Film Festival, one of New York’s most popular film showcases, which ran from April 5th to the 11th at the recently renovated Clearview Cinema in New York’s trendy Chelsea area.The Festival is only one of the diverse programs produced by the Gen Art organization, which is a leading national arts and entertainment entity dedicated to promoting emerging talents in fashion, film, art and music. With offices in New Y...

Filmmakers from around the world will gather April 5-9 for Aspen Shortsfest 2006 at the Wheeler Opera House and other locations in Aspen and Carbondale, Colorado. Now in its 15th year, Shortsfest will present an array of short films for all ages chosen from over 45 countries. Two evenings of selected festival highlights will also screen April 14 - 15 at Denver’s Starz FilmCenter in association with the Denver Film Society. From premiers to Oscar®-nominated shorts, this year's International C...

Cinequest Turns Sweet 16 in San Jose (March 1-March 12)“This will be the most electrifying Cinequest Film Festival yet—until next year,” announced Halfdan Hussey, Cinequest Co-founder and Executive Director, as he faced an audience that filled the historic 1,100-seat California Theatre in downtown San Jose. Who knows what next year will bring? But without a doubt, the March 1st opening night was the best in Cinequest history. Strolling into the California Theatre is like entering a cathedr...

Comedy writer-director Jason Reitman returns to Aspen as this year’s Director Spotlight guest of honor at the 15th annual Aspen Shortsfest, which takes place April 5 – 9 at the Wheeler Opera House and other locations. Aspen Shortsfest’s Closing Night presentation will be Reitman’s feature debut Thank You for Smoking, which has its U.S.premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed 1994 novel and hailed by Variety as “slick, stylish and sharp-witted,”...

Comedy writer-director Jason Reitman returns to Aspen as this year’s Director Spotlight guest of honor at the 15th annual Aspen Shortsfest, which takes place April 5 – 9 at the Wheeler Opera House and other locations. Aspen Shortsfest’s Closing Night presentation will be Reitman’s feature debut Thank You for Smoking, which has its U.S.premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed 1994 novel and hailed by Variety as “slick, stylish and sharp-witted,”...

The Miami International Film Festival, now in its 23rd edition, announced its official program, along with other announcements, at a packed news conference on the campus of the Festival’s patron, Miami Dade College.The Festival, which has grown in reputation as a major showcase for American independent and international films, with an accent on Spanish-language cinema, will open on March 3rd with the world premiere of HEARTLIFT (Lifting de Corazon), Argentine director Eliseo Subiela’s delici...

Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF)was established in 1985, and celebrates its 18th anniversary this year. It runs from October ééto 30.As one of the largest international film festivals in the world, TIFF has left a large footprint in the Japanese film industry and culture in general. On the third day of TIFF director Hans Canosa, accompanied by actor Aaron Eckhart, presented the film Conversations with Other Women (in competition at Tokyo Film Festival) and both artists answered questio...

Toronto International Film Festival Opens with World Premiere of Deepa Mehta’s WATERToronto International Film Festival opening night was a triumph on September 8th with the premiere of Deepa Mehta’s dynamic film WATER. Finishing out her ode to the elements this is the final film in her trilogy, following FIRE (1996) and EARTH (1998). Mehta film brought a classic presents to the 30th anniversary of one on the largest film festivals in the world. Mehta’s element series FIRE and EARTH were...

Toronto International Film Festival will open with of World Premiere of WATERToronto International Film Festival is set to open on September 8th to the 17th, 2005. This will be the 30th anniversary of the top North American Film Festival and one of the most respected Festivals in the world. To date programmers have acquired to screen 11 world premieres, five international premieres, and nine North American premieres from 17 countries. Last years Festival was close to 350 films from over 50 count...