The 16th ANNUAL PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL (PAFF) today announced the line-up of films selected from a record number of submissions for their 2008 film competition. Known for showcasing new films first and recognized as America's premiere black film festival, past PAFF features have included box office and award-winning hits: Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Redemption, Crazy As Hell, Kingdom Come, The Brothers, Gridlock'd, Days of Glory, and the 2006 Academy Award® winner for Best Foreign Film, T...

PAFF has announced that award-winning filmmaker Charles Burnett's NAMIBIA: THE STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION will open its 16th annual festival on Thursday, February 7, 2008 in Hollywood at the Directors Guild of America. Starring Carl Lumbly, Danny Glover , Joel Haikali, and Obed Emvula, NAMIBIA depicts the long struggle waged by the people of Namibia for their independence that was ultimately won with the help of Cuban military volunteers fighting in Angola. The 1987 battle of Cuito Cuanavale, in ...

SHOWING AT THE BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL IN PRISON MY WHOLE LIFE : Dir. Marc EvansIn short, this film looks at the life of imprisoned political activist and former Black Panther member, Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was found guilty of the murder of a police officer in Philadelphia and sentenced to death. He has been awaiting execution ever since.However, this man’s story cuts far deeper than you may first think. There is much speculation around the legitimacy of Abu-Jamal’s arrest and so many shady c...

A central program in the first annual Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (October 14-19, 2007) is the Film Financing Circle (FFC), taking place October 15-17, 2007. Located at the luxurious Emirates Palace, the event is comprised of several extraordinary elements guaranteed to optimize networking connections for industry insiders and power players attending from around the world.“Since the conception of the festival, I have wanted to offer an arena where global financiers, e...

Ischia, island of cinema and human rights: director Billy August, will receive the Ischia Humanitarian Award for his latest film Goodbye Bafana, dedicated to the legendary South African president Nelson Mandela, winner of the Nobel peace prize.Enzo Cappello, special commissioner of the Tourist Board of the Islands of Ischia and Procida announced that the Danish director will receive the award during the fifth Ischia Global Film & Music Fest (July 9-15).“In the year in which we are launchin...

Friday, May 4-------The 6th annual Tribeca Film Festival, announced its jury awards at a gala dinner last evening at Jing Fong restaurant in New York's fabled Chinatown. The World Competition winners were chosen from 18 narrative and 16 documentary features from 25 countries. Two awards were also given to honor New York films, which were chosen from 14 narrative and eight documentary features.  Of the 62 short films in competition, awards were given for best narrative, best documentary an...

Friday, May 4-------The 6th annual Tribeca Film Festival, announced its jury awards at a gala dinner last evening at Jing Fong restaurant in New York's fabled Chinatown. The World Competition winners were chosen from 18 narrative and 16 documentary features from 25 countries. Two awards were also given to honor New York films, which were chosen from 14 narrative and eight documentary features.  Of the 62 short films in competition, awards were given for best narrative, best documentary an...

Friday, May 4-------The 6th annual Tribeca Film Festival, announced its jury awards at a gala dinner last evening at Jing Fong restaurant in New York's fabled Chinatown. The World Competition winners were chosen from 18 narrative and 16 documentary features from 25 countries. Two awards were also given to honor New York films, which were chosen from 14 narrative and eight documentary features.  Of the 62 short films in competition, awards were given for best narrative, best documentary an...

Monday, February 5----While the Berlin Film Festival, which opens on Thursday evening, is certainly an international affair, it has traditionally been one of the important showcases for new European cinema. With a French film opening the prestigious Berlinale Competition section (LA VIE EN ROSE by Olivier Dahan) and top-flight French and UK films included this year (see earlier stories), the rest of Europe gets equal billing as the Festival presents mainly world premieres from some of Europe's ...

Friday, June 16----In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Soweto Riots, a tipping point in the decades-long struggle of black South Africans to end the abusive system of apartheid, the SILVERDOCS festival is hosting a special program of films by South African documentarians, who have turned their probing camera eyes on their homeland. Seven films (five features and two shorts) are being presented, including the world premiere this evening of SOWETO BLUES, a musical documentary that re...

7 lsland International Film Festival opens with film “ Weapons of Mass Deception” 7 lsland International Film Festival starting from January 26, 2006, Republic day of India was open with a recorded message from Hon Abul Kalam, the president of India and & smt. Kiran Bedi. Veteran actor Shri A.K.Hangal was present and delivered a speech about importance of non violence & shared his experiences during freedom movement of India. Mr. Hangal was given a warm apologue for recent announcement of...

7 lsland International Film Festival starting from January 26, 2006, Republic day of India is based on a theme which is probably the first time in India with a theme.. “Non-violence resistance & global disarmament” All the films scheduled to be screen in this festival will be depicting an ideology with a social conviction of promoting its theme to the masses. It is a rare international event, which an Indian city is hosting for the first time, holds the potential to knock at the intellectual...

The Tribeca Film Festival - the Success of DiversityThough pundits have frequently called Tribeca a festival in search of an identity, its founders Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, or the co-chair Martin Scorcese are not concerned at all with that question. Nor does the third edition show an emerging branding of the festival. Tribeca is developing very well without the reputation of representing a particular programming philosophy, genres, or niche in the festival market. Co...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain opened the FestivalLove and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law were expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival Palast...but...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain Will Open the Festival Love and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is to be the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival ...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain Will Open the FestivalLove and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is to be the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival Pala...