HANOI ~ Rooky director Boo Junfeng (pictured left) has won Best Feature Film and Best Director at the inaugural Vietnam International Film Festival (VNIFF). Announcing Junfeng's win at a star-studded awards ceremony on Friday, head juryman, Phillip Noyce, said the jury had discussed the 10 entries in the feature film competition for several hours, but it "gradually become clear we were all talking about the same film, “Sandcastle” by Boo Junfeng. Other members of the jury included the direct...
HANOI ~ Vietnam’s first ever major international film festival got underway today following a magnificent opening ceremony held in Hanoi’s National Convention Center and attended by an estimated 3,100 guests. The timing of the festival coincides with the 1,000 year anniversary of the founding of the city of Hanoi in 1010, and the precise dates of VNIFF, 17 October to 22 October fall nicely between the end of Korea’s Phusan festival and the beginning of Japan’s Tokyo Film Festival next we...
Cairo International Film Festival president, Dr Ezzat-Abou-Ouf, talks to Jeremy Colson about this year's festival and his hopes for the future.
CAIRO ~ 20 November 2009
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your background?
I graduated from medical school but still being young I wanted to practice something more creative than medicine so I enrolled at the conservatoire and learned more about music. After that I played western and jazz music. It was a family affair, me and my si...
Cairo International Film Festival president, Dr Ezzat-Abou-Ouf, talks to Jeremy Colson about this year's festival and his hopes for the future.
CAIRO ~ 20 November 2009
Could you tell us a bit about yourself, your background?
I graduated from medical school but still being young I wanted to practice something more creative than medicine so I enrolled at the conservatoire and learned more about music. After that I played western and jazz music. It was a family affair, me a...
With just two weeks to go before the start of the annual Bangkok International Film Festival on September 24, the film selection is now complete and details are being added daily to the festival website (http://www.bangkokfilm.org ). It looks like another great line-up. The artistic director of the festival, Yongyoot Thongongboon, has pointed to five films in particular that he says should not be missed. They are J’ai Tue Ma Mere (I killed My Mother) by 20-year-old Canadian director Xavier Dol...
A BRILLIANT selection of exciting, original and artistic films from all over the world will be presented at the 6th World Film Festival of Bangkok from October 24 to November 2, 2008. The programme includes classics from veteran directors and work by upcoming young bloods who bring fresh ideas to the screen. More than 70 films will cover different societies, cultures, history and politics. They will also present the personal visions and ideas of directors through the language of cinema. The film...
News that the Bangkok International Film Festival (BIFF) will indeed be run again this year was greeted enthusiastically by film-buffs in Thailand yesterday (Tuesday 29 July 2008), following months of indecision on the part of the owners of the event.The budget will be smaller, a lot smaller than at its peak two years go, but that isn't worrying aficionados who simply want to get to see the best of the latest indie feature films from the region and elsewhere around the world.BIFF will run from ...
Inaugural Phuket Film Festival Rocks to Close with 'Across The Universe'The Phuket Film Festival (PFF) ended its week long inaugural run Saturday with Julie Taymor's 'Across The Universe.' The closing movie, from Sony Pictures Entertainment, which utilizes live action plus animation and psychedelic digital effects was a fitting end to the pre-tsunami 2004 conceived international film festival.Screening 40 movies from 15 different countries and hosting film-makers from 16 of its productions, PFF...
ANTALYA, Turkey ~ A Romanian movie called The Paper Will Be Blue picked up the top international prize of US$75,000 for Best Foreign Film at the 43rd Antalya Film Festival, while Best National Film and US$100,000 went to the owners of Destiny.In a night that gave particular recognition to East European films about change following the collapse of communism, some 33 awards were made and US$400,000 given away in cash prizes at a magnificently well-organised closing ceremony on Saturday night (23 S...
The first film market ever held in Turkey ended yesterday in Antalya and was hailed as a success both by buyers and sellers, several of whom were clearly taken aback by the sheer professionalism of the organisers.A combined total of some 200 buyers and sellers from approximately 30 countries attended the inaugural Eurasia Film Festival which took place over four days during the week-long 43rd Golden Orange Eurasia Film Festival.The launch of the film market is a bold bid by the Turks to position...
The 43rd Antalya Film Festival is still buzzing with the presence of one of Hollywood’s last great stars, the evergreen Faye Dunaway. In addition to opening the festival and attending gala events, Dunaway has also held made herself available to the press. In a brief question and answer session with Jeremy Colson and other journalists Dunaway talks about Hollywood, Bonnie & Clyde and stardom.Q: Bonnie & Clyde has become a classic. What does the film mean to you now?A: Natalie Wood and Tuesday W...
“Devil’s Miner” wins Estonian People’s Award at PärnuBest Film prize goes to “Before Flying Back to Earth”The Devil’s Miner, directed by Richard Ladkani and Kief Davidson, beat off stiff competition from seven other entrants to win top prize at Estonia’s Pärnu International Documentary Film Festival last night (July 16,2006).The 20th edition of the festival, which is held in the country’s delightful summer capital some 130 kilometres south of the administrative capital Tallin...
A Cock and Bull Story wins Golden Tulip at İstanbulDeneuve and Depardıeu attend closing ceremony Michael Winterbottom’s “A Cock and Bull Story” won the Istanbul International Film Festival’s premier award, the Golden Tulip at a gala evening broadcast live over Turkish national television over the weekend and attended by Catherine Deneuve and Gerard Depardieu.The movie was selected because of the “simplicity, invention and humour with which it successfully adapts a notoriousl...
Istanbul International Film Festival assistant director, Ms Asize Tan, talks to Jeremy Colson on the occasion of the 25th edition of one of Asia’s biggest festivals where the audience this year is forecast to reach 140,000. Have you ever been involved in film-making yourself? I’ve been involved in short films and commercials and I’ve been in film circles since forever. I started work with the festival in 1994, worked in several different departments, became assistant director in 2003 and I...
Catherine Deneuve is the latest in a line of well-known names descending on Istanbul this week to show their support for the 25th edition of the İstanbul International Film Festival. Deneuve is expected to arrive on Friday and will be received as guest of honour at the awards ceremony of the festival which will see the Golden Tulip going to the best international film and cash prizes worth more than US$100,000 going to winners in the Turkish National Competition.Also expected on the same d...
Alain Delon backs out of Istanbul festival at last minutecites “ personal reasons” for cancellationThe 25th Istanbul International Film Festival (IIFF) kicked off last night with the conspicuous absence of its guest of honour, Mr Alain Delon.Much to the surprise of the organisers, Delon cancelled his much-hyped attendance at the event on Friday morning by placing a telephone call through a third party saying that he was unable to attend. No specific reason was given.The several thousand mem...
Istanbul International Film Festival announces juries and special programs to mark 25th editionNew section for women’s films also announcedISTANBUL - The jury for the International Golden Tulip competition of the 25th International Istanbul Film Festival will be chaired by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, the accomplished French director known for his period films and in particular for his Cyrano de Bergerac, starring Gérard Depardieu. Other members of the jury include: Prune Engler, director of the La ...
Alain Delon and Isabelle Huppert among a raft of celebrities attending this year’s Istanbul International Film FestivalAlain Delon will be guest of honour at the opening gala of the Istanbul International Film Festival (IIFF) next week. Ranked as one of the most charismatic, alluring and powerful actors in cinema since he made his debut film in 1957, Delon is due to arrive in Istanbul on March 30 and will be presented with an IIFF Lifetime Achievement Award on the evening of Friday 31 March.Th...
The winners of the 4th Bangkok International Film Festival Golden Kinnaree Awards were announced at a gala black-tie dinner attended by international dignitaries from around the world last night. HRH Princess Ubol Rattana presented the Kinnaree award to winners selected by an international jury of producers, actors and directors from the entertainment industry.French star Catherine Deneuve was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by HRH Princess Ubol Rattana in recognition of her contr...
The fourth Bangkok International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off with a lavish opening night ceremony last night (Friday 17 Feb) with international stars and local celebrities walking the red carpet to the sound of Thai traditional music.Among the most internationally famous were cinematographer Christopher Doyle, director Terry Gilliam, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamblyn. But the night was essentially a cocktail-party showcase for Thai glitterati and tourism authority guests.Access to the opening fil...
Bangkokians are due to get a special pre-festival screening of the classic Robert Wise Academy Award© winning film, West Side Story, on Sunday, February 12.The movie will be shown free of charge on outdoor screens set up in public areas outside the massive new Siam Paragon retail and entertainment complex which will be used as the centre for the upcoming Bangkok International Film Festival (Feb 17 to 27).The screening will feature musical performances of songs from West Side Story, along with a...
Australian director Fred Schepisi, whose Empire Falls recently took home two Golden Globe awards, has been named President of the International Jury at the Bangkok International Film Festival (February 17-27). Other members of the jury include actor/director Charles Dance (Ladies in Lavender, Swimming Pool, Gosford Park), actor/screenwriter Julie Delpy (Broken Flowers, Before Sunset), actor Nancy Kwan (The World of Susie Wong, Flower Drum Song), producer Donald Ranvaud (The Constant Gardener an...
Australian director Fred Schepisi, whose Empire Falls recently took home two Golden Globe awards, has been named President of the International Jury at the Bangkok International Film Festival (February 17-27). Other members of the jury include actor/director Charles Dance (Ladies in Lavender, Swimming Pool, Gosford Park), actor/screenwriter Julie Delpy (Broken Flowers, Before Sunset), actor Nancy Kwan (The World of Susie Wong, Flower Drum Song), producer Donald Ranvaud (The Constant Gardener an...
Kerala 10 opens with record breaking attendance expected180 titles lined up in packed eight-day schedule The 10th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) gets under way this evening (Friday December 09) with the promise of record-breaking attendance following a new surge of interest in pure cinema here.Officials told filmfestivals.com they expect last year’s figure of 6,300 delegates to be surpassed, despite the fact that the budget for organizing, running and promoting the festival has r...
Countdown starts for 10th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)US$32,000 to be awarded in 10-day eventHotels are filling up and local people are beginning to get excited at the prospect of this year’s event, the 10th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), which will open here 24 hours from now.The Kerala festival takes place in Trivandrum just a couple of hours drive from the southernmost tip of this vast continent.Kerala is one of the country’s 28 states and boasts one of the...
