Cutting edge, inimitably South African films have travelled abroad to win Oscars, Golden and Silver Bears and a golden Stallion. But nothing makes a film more relevant or poignant than seeing the flickering images of South Africa’s contemporary reality reflected in the eyes of local residents from the sleepy hamlet of Victoria West.Deep in the heart of the Karoo lies a little gem of tranquillity. Set to the rhythms of Merino sheep grazing, the dorp of Victoria West is definitely the place wher...
14th ATHENS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALOpening Nights Conn-XSeptember 17 – 28, 2008The long, scorching summer stretches punishingly ahead. But waiting for the first cool breezes of September is sweeter when you can look forward to the good things to come. And, rest assured, they are coming - the 14th Athens International Film Festival – Opening Nights Conn-X is just around the corner! You know the dates and you know the venues: so meet us again from September 17 - 28 for the ultimate cinemat...
Documentaries, thanks be to the film gods, remain hot and in demand by both audiences and distributors. Every major film festival in the world now has a prominent documentary film section and there is even an explosion of doc-only events. One of the most important and influential is SILVERDOCS, the AFI/Discovery Communications Festival, which opens tonight with a week-long program of film presentations, conference seminars and special events. Housed at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center,...
Monday, June 16--------Documentaries, thanks be to the film gods, remain hot and in demand by both audiences and distributors. Every major film festival in the world now has a prominent documentary film section and there is even an explosion of doc-only events. One of the most important and influential is SILVERDOCS, the AFI/Discovery Communications Festival, which opens tonight with a week-long program of film presentations, conference seminars and special events. Housed at the AFI Silver The...
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Day One : Opening Night Film: Definitely, Maybe “I like to be manipulated.” I heard one of my male film-going companions state this when talking about why he liked Definitely, Maybe. I don’t think he’s getting in touch with his feminine side as much as he is commenting on his film-going personality. After all, this is why we go see films oftentimes: to be manipulated. To have our tears jerked, to feel something, to follow along on the trials, tri...
The 33rd edition of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) initiated its marathon 24 day run on Friday, May 25, with 18 films bursting out of the starting gates at six festival venues strategically located around the city from the landmark Space Needle to the University District (and a seventh across the lake in satellite city Bellevue). The opening event I chose to attend was "An Evening with Lisa Gerrard", hypnotic Australian song-bird/composer, introducing the screening of a mystico-...
The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) may not be the most glamorous or glitzy of int'l film festivals, but it is probably the one with the longest running time in captivity, this year straddling the calendar from May 25 to June 17 -- a total of 24 consecutive days or, roughly, three and a half weeks, more than twice the duration other major festivals. During this period, on heavy days when there are five ascreenings each at six widely scattered theatyers in the city, a bewildered film b...
Isabelle Huppert, one of international cinema’s greatest and most enigmatic actresses, is single handedly conquering Manhattan this month, as the screen icon makes her American stage debut and is feted by the Museum of Modern Art with a staggeringly impressive survey of her best cinematic accomplishments.Ms. Huppert, who turns 50 this year, yet maintains an ageless beauty and mystery to her screen persona, can be seen both in the flesh and on the screen at different venues in New York. At the ...
The Atlantic Film Festival Announces Special Events, Programs and Opening Gala for Its 25th Anniversary The 25th Atlantic Film Festival, September 15-24, 2005, announced today a number of special 25th anniversary plans including: the new NSFDC Inspired Series, Strategic Partners focus on Germany, new Music & Image partnerships, alFresco Film on the Hill, an expanded visibility campaign and the Opening Night Gala screening of Thom Fitzgerald’s 3 Needles.“This is a big year for us,” says Gre...
The Stagecrafters and Solaris Grille will host the Nationally Touring Freedom Film Festival, which will be screening Award Winning films from July 16th to the 18th. The schedule includes feature length films, shorts, animation, a special children’s feature animation – “The King’s Beard” and a chilling documentary from Emmy Award winning director Tom Roberts: “Inside The Mind of a Suicide Bomber” with on-camera interviews from inside an Israeli prison.Chestnut Hill will host the WO...
