Cannes Film Festival

The international Festival de Cannes is one of the world’s most widely publicized events and certainly the most important film festival in terms of worldwide impact. “In order to achieve this level of longevity, the Festival de Cannes has remained faithful to its founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films, with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level. And to this day, this profession of faith constitutes the first article of the Festival regulations.
” -Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate

Cannes Film Festival (Festival de Cannes) started in 1946 and takes place in Cannes, France, Europe

Official Website

RIP: Kim Ji-seok, Deputy Director of Busan International Film Festival, Dies of Heart Attack at Cannes

Kim Ji-seok, the Deputy Director and the Executive Programmer of Busan International Film Festival, died at age 57 on Thursday evening, May 18th (French local time), following a heart attack while attending the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, France, the Busan International Film Festival confirmed in a statement. Born in 1960, Kim was a founding member of Busan International Film Festival from 1996 and was currently the Deputy Director and the Executive Programmer of the Festival. In its statement, the Busan International Film Festival said, “In undying efforts, contribution and devotion in discovery of Asian films, Kim led Busan International Film Festival to be the center of Asian cinema and one of world-class film festivals.” Kim Ji-seok 1960 Born in Busan, Korea 1983 Graduated from Busan National University 1990 M.A. in Film and Theater at Joong Ang University 1996-2017 Working in Busan International Film Festival
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GOOD TIME Starring Robert Pattinson to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival, in Theaters on August 11 | Trailer

A24 will release Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress and Barkhad Abdi, on August 11, 2017. The film, from Josh & Benny Safdie, will make its World Premiere as a Competition title at this year’s 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival. Following the mind-bending Heaven Knows What, celebrated filmmakers Josh and Ben Safdie return to the mean streets of New York City with Good Time, a hypnotic crime thriller that explores with bracing immediacy the tragic sway of family and fate. After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an increasingly desperate—and dangerous—attempt to get his brother out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Constantine finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance. Anchored by a career-defining performance from Robert Pattinson, Good Time is a psychotic symphony of propulsive intensity crafted by two of the most exciting young directors working today. Josh and Ben Safdie’s transcendent vision is an intoxicating portrait of desperation and destruction that will not be soon forgotten. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyGCxHZ_Ko
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Documentary BECOMING CARY GRANT to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival | Trailer

The new documentary Becoming Cary Grant, a definitive biography of the extraordinary Hollywood icon, will world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Following the festival, the film will have its world television debut on Showtime on Friday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Directed by Mark Kidel (Elvis Costello: Mystery Dance, A Journey With Peter Sellars), the captivating biopic reveals Cary Grant’s inner search to find himself at the height of his fame. Using words and insights from his unpublished autobiography and newly discovered personal footage, Becoming Cary Grant unveils the intimate story of Archie Leach, the man behind the mask of the beloved and charming Hollywood legend known as Cary Grant. From his difficult childhood without his mother, through his 30 years of stardom, to the joys of his later years as a father, the film uncovers a side of Grant never seen by the public.Becoming Cary Grant plumbs the depths of Grant’s insecurities and reveals his unique journey of self-exploration through recounts of his probing LSD therapy sessions. The 85-minute documentary features a treasure trove of extracts from Grant’s films and exclusive interviews with his close friends about his troubled past. The words of Cary Grant are spoken by actor Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHkMZfmxDB8
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Cannes Classics 2017 Lineup to Focus on History of Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22167" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Le Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear) by Henri-Georges Clouzot[/caption] Almost fifteen years after the Cannes Film Festival created Cannes Classics program, the lineup for this year’s Cannes Classics 2017 will be dedicated for its most part to the history of the Festival. Cannes Classics showcases vintage films and masterpieces of the history of cinema in restored prints. The program of the 2017 edition of Cannes Classics consists of twenty-four screenings, one short film and five documentaries. The films are screened as wanted by the right-holders, in DCP 2K or DCP 4K, and L’Atalante by Jean Vigo that Gaumont wished to screen in 35mm. The films selected for this 2017 edition will focus mostly on the history of Cannes. They come from nations that have allowed the Cannes Film Festival to become a land of cinematographic discoveries: Hungary, Lebanon, Serbia, United Kingdom, Italy, United States, Israel, Mauritania, Niger, Poland, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium and Australia.
A brief history of the Cannes Film Festival
From 1946 to 1992, from René Clément to Victor Erice, sixteen history-making films of the Festival de Cannes 1946: La Bataille du Rail (Battle of the Rails) by René Clément (1h25, France): Grand Prix International de la mise en scène and Prix du Jury International. Presented by Ina. Film digitized and restored by Ina with the support of the CNC. 2K restoration made from an acetate interpositive and an answer print. Technical means: Jean-Pierre Peltier. Coordination: Bénilde Da Ponte, Brice Amouroux. 1953: Le Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear) by Henri-Georges Clouzot (1952, 2h33, France, Italy): Grand Prix. Presented by TF1 Studio in collaboration with la Cinémathèque française and the support of the CNC, of the Archives audiovisuelles de Monaco, of Kodak and the CGR cinémas. 4K Restoration from nitrate image negative and a sound duplicate made by Hiventy. Please note that this presentation is the preview of a major Clouzot event scheduled in France in the fall of 2017. 1956: Körhinta (Merry-Go-Round/Un Petit carrousel de fête) by Zoltán Fábri (1955, 1h30, Hungary): in Competition. Presented by the Hungarian National Film Fund – Hungarian National Film Archive. A 4K Scan and Digital Restoration from the original 35mm image & sound negatives plus additional materials: the original dupe positive and another film positive. Restoration made by the Hungarian National Film Fund – Hungarian Filmlab. 1957: Ila Ayn? (Vers l’inconnu ?) by Georges Nasser (1h30, Lebanon): in Competition. Presented by Abbout Productions and Fondation Liban Cinema. With the generous support of Bankmed – Lebanon. The original 35mm Fine Grain Master Positive was scanned in 4k, retouched and color-corrected in a resolution of 2K. All works were carried out by Neyrac Films – France. Sound restoration by db Studios – Lebanon. In collaboration with The Talkies. World Sales: Nadi Lekol Nas. 1967: Skupljači Perja (I Even Met Happy Gypsies/J’ai même rencontré des Tziganes heureux) by Aleksandar Petrović (1h22, Serbia): in Competition, Grand Prix Spécial du Jury ex-æquo, Prix de la Critique Internationale – FIPRESCI ex-aequo Presented by Jugoslovenska Kinoteka/The Yugoslav Film Archive and Malavida. New 35mm print from the original negative in perfect shape then scanned in 2K and cleaned up. 1967: Blow-up by Michelangelo Antonioni (1966, 1h51, United Kingdom, Italy, United States of America): Grand Prix International du Festival. Presented by Criterion, Cineteca di Bologna and Istituto Luce – Cinecittà, in collaboration with Warner Bros and Park Circus. Restoration work carried out at Criterion, New York and L’Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna under the supervision of Director of Photography Luca Bigazzi. 1969: Matzor (Siege/Siège) by Gilberto Tofano (1h29, Israel): in Competition. A presentation of the Jerusalem Cinematheque – Israel Film Archive, in partnership with United King Films and the support of the Rabinovich Foundation. The original 35mm black and white negatives were scanned in 4K by Cinelab Romania. It was digitally restored and finalized in 2K by Opus Digital Lab in Tel Aviv. Restoration and color grading lead by Ido Karilla, supervised by DOP David Gurfinkel. 1970: Soleil O (Oh, Sun) by Med Hondo (1h38, Mauritania-France): Semaine de la critique. Presented by The Film Foundation. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with Med Hondo. Restoration funded by the George Lucas Family Foundation and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project. 1976: Babatu, les trois conseils by Jean Rouch (1h33, Nigeria-France): in Competition. Pressented by the CNC, Inoussa Ousseini, the Comité du film ethnographique and the Fondation Jean Rouch. Digital restoration made from the 2K digitization of the 16mm negatives. Restoration carried out by L21. 1976: Ai no korîda (In the Realm of the Senses/L’Empire des sens) de Nagisa Oshima (1h43, France-Japan): Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. Presented by Argos Films and TAMASA. Digization and 4K resoration from the original negative by Eclair. Sound restoration from the original magnetic sound by L.E. Diapason. The film will be released in French theaters. 1980: All that Jazz (Que le spectacle commence) by Bob Fosse (1979, 2h03, United States of America): Palme d’or ex-æquo. Presented by Park Circus. 4K restoration by Twentieth Century Fox and the Academy Film Archive in collaboration with The Film Foundation. The restoration was produced from the original camera negative at Sony Colorworks in Culver City California. 1981: Człowiek z żelaza (Man of Iron/L’Homme de fer) by Andrzej Wajda (2h33, Poland): Palme d’or. A presentation of the ZEBRA Film Studio (Studio Filmowe ZEBRA) with the collaboration of the Polish Film Institute. 2K film restoration from original colour 35 mm negative. Restored sound from original magnetic tape. Restoration lead by Daniel Pietrzyk, colour grading lead by Aleksandra Kraus, at Yakumama Film, Warsaw. Sound restoration lead by Tomasz Dukszta. Artistic supervision by: Andrzej Wajda (director), Jerzy Łukaszewicz (DOP), Piotr Zawadzki (sound). 1982: Yol – The Full Version (The Way/La Permission) by Yilmaz Güney, directed by Serif Gören (1h53, Switzerland): Palme d’or ex-æquo, Prix de la Critique Internationale – FIPRESCI Presented by DFK FILMS LTD. Zürich. Restoration from the original 35mm negative, from the interpositive and the positive print. Restoration and new sound mix from the original digitized tapes. International Sales: The Match Factory. 1983: Narayama Bushikō (Ballad of Narayama/La Ballade de Narayama) by Shôhei Imamura (2h13, Japan): Palme d’or. Presented by Toei. 4K Scan, image restoration ARRISCAN and sound Golden Eye in 2K from the 35mm original negative, a duplicate and video tapes. 1992: El sol del membrillo (Le Songe de la lumière) by Victor Erice (2h20, Spain): Prix du Jury ex-æquo, Prix de la Critique Internationale – FIPRESCI Presented by the Filmoteca de Catalunya and Camm Cinco SL. 6K scan, restoration and color-grading from the 35mm negatives and other original video tapes. Digitazing and sound restoration from 35mm magnetic tapes. Technical support made by the Filmoteca de Catalunya, supervised by Victor Erice. Variations on the initial editing brought by the director. 1951-1999: A short history of short films presented by the Festival de Cannes. A program curated by Christian Jeune and Jacques Kermabon. Spiegel van Holland (Miroirs de Hollande) by Bert Haanstra (1951, 10mn, The Netherlands) / La Seine a rencontré Paris by Joris Ivens (1958, 32mn, France) / Pas de deux by Norman McLaren (1968, 13mn, Canada) / Harpya by Raoul Servais (1979, 9mn, Belgium) / Peel by Jane Campion (1986, 9mn, Australia) / L’Interview by Xavier Giannoli (1998, 15mn, France) / When the Day Breaks by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby (1999, 10mn, Canada)
Other events, other restored prints, other guests
Madame de… by Max Ophüls (1953, 1h45, France) A Gaumont restoration. A show to pay a tribute to Danielle Darrieux for her birthday and presented by Dominique Besnehard, Pierre Murat and Henri-Jean Servat who will screen the latest filmed interview of Danielle Darrieux. L’Atalante by Jean Vigo (1934, 1h28, France), restored 35mm print Presented by Gaumont, la Cinémathèque française and The Film Foundation of Martin Scorsese. First digital restoration in 4k and conversion to a 35mm print. A new discovery of the closest version of the director’s work thanks to Gaumont, Luce Vigo and historian Bernard Eisenschitz. Restoration carried out at L’Image Retrouvée laboratory in Bologna and Paris. Native Son (Sang noir) by Pierre Chenal (1951, 1h47, Argentina) A presentation by Argentina Sono Film. Restoration with the collaboration of the Library of Congress. Paparazzi by Jacques Rozier (1963, 18mn, France) Presented by Jacques Rozier and la Cinémathèque française. 4K Digitization and 2K restoration works made from image and sound negatives at Hiventy laboratory, with the support of the CNC and in collaboration with Les Archives Audiovisuelles de Monaco, la Cinémathèque Suisse and Extérieur nuit. The film will be introduced by Jacques Rozier. Belle de jour (Beauty of the Day) by Luis Buñuel (1967, 1h40, France) Presented by STUDIOCANAL. Digitization from the original negative and 4K restoration carried out by Hiventy laboratory for STUDIOCANAL with the support of the CNC, of la Cinémathèque française, of the Fonds Culturel Franco-Américain and the Maison YVES SAINT LAURENT. French theater distribution: Carlotta. A River Runs Through it (Et au milieu coule une rivière) by Robert Redford (1992, 2h04, United States of America) Presented by Pathé. 4K Scan and 4K restoration from original image and sound 35mm negatives. Restoration carried out by Pathé at Technicolor France laboratory for the image in collaboration with Philippe Rousselot, cinematographer of the film, and L.E. Diapason for the sound restoration. Lucía by Humberto Solas (1968, 2h40, Cuba) A presentation of the Film Foundation. Restored by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with Instituto Cubano del Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC). Restoration funded by Turner Classic Movies and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project.
Documentaries about Cinema
The history of cinema by cinema itself, a presentation of five documentaries La belge histoire du festival de Cannes (The Belgian’s Road to Cannes) by Henri de Gerlache (2017, 1h02, Belgium) Presented by Alizé Production. Produced by Alizé Production, co-produced by RTBF (Belgian television) & Proximus. A joyful road movie to discover the Belgian cinema which has been at Cannes for 70 years. The filmmakers of yesterday are talking with those of today to paint a picture of a free and heterogeneous cinema. A “Belgian story” of the biggest festival in the world. David Stratton – A Cinematic Life by Sally Aitken (2017, 1h37, Australia) Presented by Stranger Than Fiction Films. Produced by Stranger Than Fiction Films, with Screen Australia, ABC TV Arts, Screen NSW and Adelaide Film Festival. An love adventure of film critic David Stratton with his adopted country, Australia, which led him to understand himself. It is also the glorious history of Australian cinema and its creators told by this Cannes-regular film-lover interested in the world. Filmworker by Tony Zierra (2017, 1h29, United States of America) Presented and produced by True Studio Cinema. Young actor Leon Vitali abandoned his prosperous career after Barry Lyndon to become the faithful right hand of director Stanley Kubrick. For more than two decades, Leon has played a crucial role behind the scenes by helping Kubrick. A complex and interdependent relationship between Leon and Kubrick based on devotion, sacrifice and the harsh and joyful reality of creative process. Becoming Cary Grant (Cary Grant – de l’autre côté du miroir) by Mark Kidel (2017, 1h25, France) Presented by ARTE France and Showtime Documentary Films. Produced by YUZU Productions, coproduced by ARTE France, in association with ro*co films productions. Cary Grant is one of the biggest Hollywood actors. In his fifties, he started a cure of LSD to free himself from his demons. For the first time, with his words, he retraces his journey. The story of a man in search of himself and the love he did not find in his life. The words of Cary Grant are interpreted by Jonathan Pryce. Jean Douchet, l’enfant agité by Fabien Hagège, Guillaume Namur, Vincent Haasser (2017, 1h30, France) Presented and produced by Carlotta and Kidam. Three young cinephiles follow Jean Douchet, question his friends and former students. This documentary reveals the man and his critical philosophy, a part of the history of the Cahiers du Cinéma and this Art of loving to which he has devoted his existence.
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Roman Polanski’s BASED ON A TRUE STORY Among New Films Added to 2017 Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22112" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Roman Polanski[/caption] Roman Polanski’s latest film Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) along with six other films have been added to the lineup of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Based on a True Story will screen Out of Competition. The complete list of films added to the 2017 Cannes Film Festival Competition The Square by Ruben Ostlund Out of Competition Based on a True Story (D’après une histoire vraie) by Roman Polanski Un Certain Regard La Cordillera by Santiago Mitre Walking past the Future by Li Ruijun Special Screenings Le Vénérable W. by Barbet Schroeder Carré 35 by Eric Caravaca Children’s Screening Zombillénium by Arthur de Pins and Alexis Ducord The Festival de Cannes will also offer a screening tribute to André Téchiné presenting his newest film Nos années folles; and an event with a concert and a film by Tony Gatlif whose movie Djam will be screened at the Cinéma de la plage (“Movies on the Beach).
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2017 Jury, Pedro Almodóvar, Will Smith, Jessica Chastain and More

[caption id="attachment_20336" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Pedro Almodóvar[/caption] Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar will preside over the Jury for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. The jury will be made up of eight key figures from cinema world to judge the films in Competition. The winners will be announced on Sunday 28th May at the Closing Ceremony, following which the Palme d’or will be awarded. THE 2017 JURY Pedro Almodóvar – President (Director, Screenwriter, Producer – Spain) Maren Ade (Director, Screenwriter, Producer – Germany) Jessica Chastain (Actress, Producer – United States) Fan Bingbing (Actress, Producer – China) Agnès Jaoui (Actress, Screenwriter, Director, Singer – France) Park Chan-Wook (Director, Screenwriter, Producer – South Korea) Will Smith (Actor, Producer, Musician – United States Paolo Sorrentino (Director, Screenwriter – Italy) Gabriel Yared (Composer – France) Maren Ade, director, screenwriter, producer – Germany In 1998, Maren Ade began studying film production and direction in Munich. During her studies, she co-founded the film production company Komplizen Film. In 2004, Maren Ade first film, The Forest for the Trees, premiered in Toronto and won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2009, her second film Everyone Else received the Silver Bear for Best Film and for Best Actress. Maren Ade third film, Toni Erdmann, debuted in Competition at the 2016 Festival de Cannes and won numerous awards like the European Film Award. As a producer, she worked on productions like Tabu by Miguel Gomes and Sleeping Sickness by Ulrich Köhler. Jessica Chastain, actress, producer – United States Two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most sought after actresses of her generation. She has received numerous nominations and accolades for her work, in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty, A Most Violent Year by J.C. Chandor, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby by Ned Benson and Ridley Scott’s The Martian. Jessica Chastain launched a production company Freckle Films. She is currently in production for Susanna White’s period drama Woman Walks Ahead and will be seen in Xavier Dolan’s The Death and Life of John F. Donovan Fan Bingbing, actress, producer – China Born in 1981, Fan Bingbing rose to fame in 1998 with the mega-hit TV series My Fair Princess. In 2003, she starred in Cell Phone, which became the highest-grossing Chinese film of the year. Since then, she has starred in many films, most notably Lost in Beijing (2007), Buddha Mountain (2011), and Double Xposure (2012). In 2014, she participated in the Hollywood blockbuster X-Men: Days of Future Past. In 2016, she starred in I Am not Madame Bovary and received the San Sebastian Film Festival Best Actress Award as well as the 11th Asian Film Best Actress Award. Fan is selected for the 2017 TIME 100. Agnès Jaoui, actress, screenwriter, director, singer – France Multi-award winning artist Agnès Jaoui joined forces with Jean-Pierre Bacri to develop a theatre and film style of which Kitchen with Apartment and Family Resemblances were first to meet with success. They worked with Alain Resnais on Smoking/No Smoking and Same Old Song. In 2000, Agnès Jaoui directed The Taste of Others which won four César. She wrote and directed Look at Me, which won Best Screenplay Award at the 2004 Festival de Cannes, followed by Let’s Talk about the Rain (2008) and Under the Rainbow (2013). She is a singer, and her Latin “Canta” album won a Victoire de la Musique award in 2007. She can be currently seen in Aurore by Blandine Lenoir. Park Chan-Wook, director, screenwriter, producer – South Korea Ever since his Korean box office record breaking Joint Security Area in the year 2000, Park Chan-wook’s diverse body of work has garnered recognition both at home and abroad. These include his successes at the Festival de Cannes in 2004 with the Grand Prix for Old Boy and the Jury Prize for Thirst in 2009. In 2013, Park Chan-wook expanded his œuvre to include English language films with Stoker and also produced Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer. In 2016, Park Chan-wook returned to Cannes in Competition with The Handmaiden and won the Vulcan Prize, once again establishing him as one of the most significant talents working in cinema today. Will Smith, actor, producer, musician – United States Two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith has a vast filmography including portrayals of true-life icons in Ali, The Pursuit of Happiness and Concussion. His headlining credits include Independence Day, I, Robot, Hitch, I Am Legend, Men in Black I, II, & III, and last summer’s Suicide Squad. The two-time Grammy Award winner began his career as a musician selling millions of records worldwide before crossing over into television with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will Smith is dedicated to working toward the advancement of communities and individuals through the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation. Paolo Sorrentino, director, screenwriter – Italy Paolo Sorrentino, director and screenwriter, was born in Naples in 1970. Seven of his 8 films have been presented in Competition at the Festival de Cannes, where Il Divo won the Prix du Jury in 2008. In 2014, his film La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as a BAFTA. In 2016, La Giovinezza (Youth) gained an Oscar nomination and won three European Film Awards. In 2016, he made his first TV Series: The Young Pope. He has also published a novel “Hanno tutti ragione” in 2010, and two collections of short stories: “Tony Pagoda e i suoi amici” (2012), and “Gli aspetti irrilevanti” (2016). Gabriel Yared, composer – France After spending his childhood in Lebanon, Gabriel Yared attended the composition classes of Henri Dutilleux in Paris. He stayed in Brazil and returned to France in 1972, and quickly became an orchestrator and producer sought after by the biggest European singers of the time. Since 1980, he devoted most of his time to film composition. He has written more than a hundred scores to date, of which many have earned him prestigious international awards. He wrote his first score for Jean-Luc Godard, which was followed by successful notable collaborations with Jean-Jacques Beineix, Jean-Jacques Annaud (Cesar for The Lover), Anthony Minghella (Oscar for The English Patient) and Xavier Dolan.
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Uma Thurman Named President of Un Certain Regard Jury at 2017 Cannes Film Festival

Actress Uma Thurman will preside over the Un Certain Regard Jury at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The second competition of the Official Selection, the Un Certain Regard program showcases works which offer a unique perspective and aesthetic. A member of the Jury headed by Robert De Niro in 2011, Uma Thurman will continue this year the experience of watching films from all around the world as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury. In a career spanning more than 20 years, the American actress has made some daring choices and enjoyed taking risks. She made her debut aged 17, in Stephen Frears’ Dangerous Liaisons and in Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. She became Quentin Tarantino’s muse, playing in Pulp Fiction (Palme d’or winner, 1994) and in Kill Bill (volumes 1 & 2), both presented at the Festival de Cannes. Since then, Uma Thurman has worked with many directors, including Andrew Niccol (Gattaca); Woody Allen (Sweet and Lowdown); Roland Joffé (Vatel) and Ethan Hawke (Chelsea Walls). She recently joined the cast of Lars von Trier’s new project, The House that Jack Built, alongside Matt Dillon and Bruno Ganz. Her filmography encompasses everything from action films to science fiction; intimate dramas to light comedies. This wide variety is a testament to her free and independent spirit, nurtured by her childhood in a hippy family. Whether playing crazy, sexy or dominant, the woman whose namesake is the Hindu goddess of beauty and light has definitely entered the pantheon of movie greats, with several of her scenes attaining cult status.
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Cannes Film Festival Announces 2017 Official Selection of Short Films

The Cannes Film Festival announced the 2017 Official Selection of short films In Competition and the Cinéfondation Selection. The Cinéfondation and Short Films Jury, presided by Cristian Mungiu, will then decide on the best films both from the Short Films Competition and the Cinéfondation. The 2017 Short Films Competition comprises 9 films (8 works of fictions and 1 animation), from Finland, France, United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece, Iran, USA, Poland, China, Colombia and Sweden. These films are all in the running for the 2017 Short Film Palme d’or, to be awarded by Cristian Mungiu, President of the Jury, at the official award ceremony of the 70th Festival de Cannes on 28th May. To mark its 20th year, the Cinéfondation Selection has chosen 16 films (14 works of fiction and 2 animations), from among the 2,600 works submitted this year by film schools from all over the world. Fourteen countries from three continents are represented. Four of the films selected come from schools taking part for the first time. The three Cinéfondation prizes will be awarded at a ceremony preceding the screening of the prize-winning films on Friday 26th May in the Buñuel Theatre.
THE SHORT FILMS COMPETITION 2017
Teppo Airaksinen – KATTO (Ceiling) Finland Lucrèce Andreae – PÉPÉ LE MORSE – animation (Grandpa Walrus) France Mahdi Fleifel – A DROWNING MAN United Kingdom, Denmark, Grece Alireza Ghasemi – LUNCH TIME Iran Fiona Godivier – ACROSS MY LAND USA Grzegorz Molda – KONIEC WIDZENIA (Time to go) Poland Qiu Yang – XIAO CHENG ER YUE (A Gentle Night) China Andrés Ramirez Pulido – DAMIANA Colombia Julia Thelin – PUSH IT Sweden
THE CINÉFONDATION SELECTION 2017
Yuval Aharoni – BEN MAMSHICH (Heritage) – Steve Tisch School of Film & Television, Tel Aviv University, Israel Bahman Ark, Bahram Ark – HEYVAN (Animal) – Iranian National School of Cinema, Iran Michal Blasko – ATLANTÍDA, 2003 (Atlantis, 2003) – FTF VŠMU, Slovakia Stijn Bouma – LEJLA – Sarajevo Film Academy, Bosnia-Herzegovina Eduardo Brandao Pinto – VAZIO DO LADO DE FORA (Empty on the Outside) – Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil Aya Igashi – TOKERU – Toho Gakuen Film Techniques Training College, Japan Payal Kapadia – AFTERNOON CLOUDS – Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), India Léa Krawczyk – À PERDRE HALEINE – La Poudrière, France Marian Mathias – GIVE UP THE GHOST – NYU Tisch School of the Arts, USA Valentina Maurel – PAUL EST LÀ (Paul is Here) – INSAS, Belgium Imge Özbilge – CAMOUFLAGE – KASK, Belgium Roberto Porta – PEQUEÑO MANIFIESTO EN CONTRA DEL CINE SOLEMNE (Little Manifesto Against Solemn Cinema) – Universidad del Cine (FUC), Argentina Rory Stewart – WILD HORSES – NFTS, UK Áron Szenpeteri – LÁTHATATLANUL (Invisibly) – Színház-és Filmművészeti Egyetem, Hungaria Tommaso Usberti – DEUX ÉGARÉS SONT MORTS – La Fémis, France WANG Yi-Ling – YIN SHIAN BIEN JIAN GON LU (Towards the Sun) – National Taiwan University of Arts, Taiwan
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils 2017 Official Selections – Noah Baumbach, Sofia Coppola, Todd Haynes and More

The Cannes Film Festival unveiled the Official Selection of the 70th edition during the Press Conference held earlier this morning by Pierre Lescure and Thierry Frémaux in Paris. The festival will take place May 17 to 28, 2017.
Official Selection COMPETITION
Opening film: Arnaud Desplechin – LES FANTÔMES D’ISMAËL Out of Competition Fatih Akin – AUS DEM NICHTS (IN THE FADE) Noah Baumbach – THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED) Bong Joon-Ho – OKJA Robin Campillo – 120 BATTEMENTS PAR MINUTE Sofia Coppola – THE BEGUILED Jacques Doillon – RODIN Michael Haneke – HAPPY END Todd Haynes – WONDERSTRUCK Michel Hazanavicius – LE REDOUTABLE Hong Sangsoo GEU-HU (THE DAY AFTER) Naomi Kawase – HIKARI (RADIANCE) Yorgos Lanthimos – THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Sergei Loznitsa – A GENTLE CREATURE Kornél Mundruczo – JUPITER’S MOON François Ozon – L’AMANT DOUBLE Lynne Ramsay – YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – GOOD TIME Andrey Zvyagintsev – NELYUBOV (LOVELESS)
Official Selection UN CERTAIN REGARD
Opening film: Mathieu Amalric – BARBARA Cecilia Atan, Valeria Pivato – LA NOVIA DEL DESIERTO (THE DESERT BRIDE) 1st film Kantemir Balagov – TESNOTA (CLOSENESS) 1st film Kaouther Ben Hania – AALA KAF IFRIT (BEAUTY AND THE DOGS) Laurent Cantet – L’ATELIER Sergio Castellitto – FORTUNATA (LUCKY) Michel Franco – LAS HIJAS DE ABRIL (APRIL’S DAUGHTER) Valeska Grisebach – WESTERN Stephan Komandarev – POSOKI (DIRECTIONS) Gyorgy Kristof – OUT 1st film Kurosawa Kiyoshi – SANPO SURU SHINRYAKUSHA (BEFORE WE VANISH) Karim Moussaoui – EN ATTENDANT LES HIRONDELLES (UNTIL THE BIRDS RETURN) 1st film Mohammad Rasoulof – LERD (DREGS) Léonor Serraille JEUNE FEMME 1st film Taylor Sheridan – WIND RIVER 1st film Annarita Zambrano – APRÈS LA GUERRE (AFTER THE WAR) 1st film
Official Selection OUT OF COMPETITION
Miike Takashi – MUGEN NO JŪNIN (BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL) John Cameron Mitchell – HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES 1h42 Agnès Varda Jr. – VISAGES, VILLAGES
Official Selection MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire – A PRAYER BEFORE DAWN Byun Sung-Hyun – BULHANDANG (THE MERCILESS) Jung Byung-Gil – AK-NYEO (THE VILLAINESS)
Official Selection SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk – AN INCONVENIENT SEQUE Raymond Depardon – 12 JOURS (12 DAYS) Anahita Ghazvinizadeh – THEY 1st film Hong Sangsoo – KEUL-LE-EO-UI KA-ME-LA (CLAIR’S CAMERA) Eugene Jarecki – PROMISED LAND Claude Lanzmann – NAPALM Jude Ratman – DEMONS IN PARADISE 1st film Vanessa Redgrave – SEA SORROW
Official Selection VIRTUAL REALITY (Film / Installation / Exhibition)
Alejandro G. Inarritu – CARNE Y ARENA
Official Selection 70TH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS
Jane Campion, Ariel Kleiman – TOP OF THE LAKE: CHINA GIRL Abbas Kiarostami – 24 FRAMES David Lynch – TWIN PEAKS Kristen Stewart – COME SWIM
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Actress Sandrine Kiberlain to Preside Over Caméra d’or Jury at Cannes Film Festival

Actress Sandrine Kiberlain will preside over the Jury for this year’s Caméra d’or at the 70th Cannes Film Festival. Accompanied by her jury of industry professionals, the French actress will award a prize to a director’s first work from the Official Selection, the Directors’ Fortnight or the Semaine de la Critique. In a career spanning 25 years and boasting around 40 films, the actress has made a simple and subtle but undeniable impression on the French filmmaking scene. She first shot to prominence in The Patriots by Éric Rochant (winner of the Romy-Schneider prize) then confirmed those first impressions with En avoir (ou pas) by Laetitia Masson (César for Most Promising Actress). Since then, she has continued to make an impact far and wide, taking risks in her stride and turning her hand with ease to dramas (Mademoiselle Chambon), quirky comedies (9 Month Stretch, César for Best Actress), arthouse films (False Servant) and mass-market films (Little Nicolas). As the young director of an acclaimed short film in 2016, Bonne Figure, she has worked under greats such as Benoît Jacquot (Seventh Heaven), Claude Miller (Alias Betty), Nicole Garcia (A view of Love), Alain Resnais (Life of Riley) and André Téchiné (Being 17). Kiberlain was a member of the feature film jury at the 2001 Festival de Cannes, and has accompanied A Self-made Hero (1996) and Polisse (2011) in Competition, as well as For Sale (1998) as part of Un Certain Regard. Following on from Wim Wenders, Tim Roth, Abbas Kiarostami and more recently Agnès Varda and Sabine Azéma, Sandrine Kiberlain and her jury members will award the Caméra d’or prize at the Closing Ceremony of the Festival de Cannes on Sunday 28 May. Since 1978 the award has gone to Stranger than Paradise by Jim Jarmusch (1984), Suzaku by Naomi Kawase (1997), The White Balloon by Jafar Panahi (1995), Hunger by Steve McQueen (2008) and Beasts of the Southern Wild by Benh Zeitlin (2012). Last year, Houda Benyamina won the Caméra d’or for her film Divines screened in the Directors’ Fortnight.
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Thessaloniki Takes 5 Greek “Works In Progress” Films to Marché du Film of Cannes Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_21864" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] VIRUS – Angelos Frantzis)[/caption] 5 Greek “works in progress” films have been selected by the Thessaloniki International Film Festival to participate in the “Thessaloniki Goes to Cannes” event which will take place on Tuesday, May 23rd, during the Marché du Film of the 70th Cannes Film Festival (May 17 – 28, 2017). The participation of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival’s Agora Industry in the “Goes to Cannes” of this year’s edition of Cannes’ Marché du Film, one of the world’s largest film markets discovering up-and-coming directors from all over the world, is collaboration between the TIFF and the Greek Film Centre with the Festival de Cannes. Greece is the only country in Southeastern Europe and the Balkans that participates in the event. The 5 Works in Progress (both fiction and documentary) that will be presented to the sales agents, distributors and programmers who attend this year’s Cannes’ Marché du Film are the following: 1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Fiction, 85’, 2017 – Greece, France, Cyprus, Germany) Director-Writer: Christos Georgiou Production Company: View Master Films, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion GmbH, Manny Films, Lychnari Productions Limited, Pallas Film, Producer: Costas Lambropoulos, Thanassis Karathanos, Co-producers: Birgit Kemner, Christos Georgiou, Martin Hampel, Language: Greek, Key partners: Greek Film Center, Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animeé, Cultural Services – Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus (Advisory Film Committee), Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, FFA – German Federal Film Board, ERT and Eurimages – Council of Europe Stage: Almost completed Looking for: Sales agent, distributors, festivals Synopsis: When George runs out of the police riot bus and sees his daughter among the demonstrators facing him, he and his wife decide that father and daughter should go to their country home for a few days, to keep her safe and see if they can salvage their relationship. 2. POLYXENI (Fiction, 100’, 2017 – Greece) Director-Writer: Dora Masklavanou Production Company: Blonde S.A., Producer: Fenia Cossovitsa, Languages: Greek, Turkish, Key partners: Greek Film Centre, ERT S.A., Nova Stage: Post-production Looking for: Sales agent, festivals Synopsis: In 1955 a couple of prominent Greek Istanbulites adopt an orphan Greek girl from the town of their origin. They offer her a powerful family name and ensure her devotion. Twelve-year-old Polyxeni is separated from her younger brother. She embarks on a new life and a future that looks bright. She receives an education, comes of age and falls in love. She has a lust for life, while unsuspicious of the devious plan of annihilation that others are weaving behind her back, targeting her large inheritance. 3. VIRUS (Fiction, 120’, 2017 – Greece, France, Latvia) Director: Angelos Frantzis, Writers: Angelos Frantzis, Spyros Krimbalis The film won the 2|35 award for post-production services at the Agora Industry’s Crossroads Co-production Forum of the 52nd Thessaloniki IFF. Production Company: Heretic, Producers: Giorgos Karnavas, Konstantinos Kontovrakis, Co-producer: Mathieu Bompoint (Mezzanine Films), Languages: Greek, English, Russian, Key partners: Greek Film Centre, ERT S.A., CNC, Latvian National Film Centre, Blonde S.A., Alatas Films, 235 Stage: Post-production Looking for: Gap financing, sales agent, distributors, festivals Synopsis: Anna and Petros are a young Greek couple that moved recently to a remote Siberian town for Petros’ new job. Their lives are disrupted by Anna’s pregnancy that seems to have no explanation, as they haven’t had sex since they moved to Russia. The questions raised by the mysterious event are relentless; was she cheating? Is she the victim of a conspiracy? Or maybe a Saint? As Petros is desperately looking for a rational answer and Anna resorts to religion to make sense of her situation, two opposing worlds, faith and reason, come to a violent clash. 4. DOLPHIN MAN (Documentary, 87’, 2017 – Greece, France, Canada, Japan, Italy) Director: Lefteris Charitos, Writers: Yuri Averof, Lefteris Charitos Production Company: Anemon Productions, Les Films Du Balibari, Storyline Entertainment, Impleo, Producers: Rea Apostolides, Yuri Averof, Estelle Robin, Ed Barreveld, Seiko Kato, Languages: English, Greek, French, Japanese, Italian, Key partners: Arte, CNC, Greek Film Centre, WOWOW, ERT, Knowledge, TVO, Canal Z, SVT, Region Pays de la Loire, World Sales: Films Transit Stage: Post-production Looking for: Final funding, theatrical distribution partners Synopsis: Dolphin Man tells the life story of Jacques Mayol, the greatest free-diver in recorded history, whose life became the inspiration for Luc Besson’s cult-movie Le Grand Bleu. It draws us into Mayol’s world, capturing his compelling journey from Japan to Europe, North America and India, while immersing viewers into the sensory and transformative experience of free-diving. Mayol was the first diver to reach 100 meters below the sea and revolutionized free-diving by introducing yoga and Zen techniques. He traveled across the world, promoting an urgent vision of our need to reconnect with nature. The film weaves together stunning contemporary underwater photography of the world’s leading free-divers with intimate testimonies of Mayol’s closest friends and family and rare film archive. 5. LP (ΛΠ) (Documentary, 70’, 2017 – Greece) Director-Writer: Cristo Petrou Production Company: Heretic, Producer: Giorgos Karnavas, Languages: Greek, English, Key partners: Greek Film Center, ERT S.A., World Sales: Heretic Outreach Stage: Editing Looking for: Finishing funding, festival premiere Synopsis: ΛΠ is a documentary about Lena Platonos, one of Greece’s most idiosyncratic musicians and one of the world’s forerunners in electronic music. Born on 10.21.1951 under the sign of Libra, she was trained as a classical pianist in Vienna and Berlin but eventually got involved with electronic music when synthesizers became accessible to musicians. However, Lena didn’t receive the international recognition she deserved. 30 years later, the release of her works by the American label Dark Entries in 2015 under critical acclaim gave us the perfect excuse to ask musicians from a wide range of contemporary music to experiment with her music, while interviewing her and all the people who were involved in the making of her records in the ’80s.
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Cannes Film Festival Unveils Controversial Poster Featuring Italian Actress Claudia Cardinale

Here it is, the official poster of the 70th Cannes Film Festival featuring “full of joy” Italian film actress Claudia Cardinale. The poster immediately received criticism in the French media and on social media accusing the festival of airbrushing the original image, taken in 1959, to make the actress look thinner.

Pour ceux qui veulent comparer avec la photo originale. #Cannes2017 #Cannes70 (v. @IMtheRookie) pic.twitter.com/f5MPsrD1Jq
— So Film (@So_Film) March 29, 2017

Why the need to alter Claudia Cardinale’s body so dramatically for #Cannes2017 official poster? pic.twitter.com/jvMEfejZUc
— Anna Rose Holmer (@BARFH) March 29, 2017
Claudia Cardinale appeared not bothered at all, reportedly calling the brouhaha “fake row“. She told the Huffington Post: “This image has been retouched to accentuate this effect of lightness and transpose me into a dream character. This concern for realism has no place here and, as a committed feminist, I see no affront to the female body. There are many more important things to discuss in our world. It’s only cinema.” ‘I am honored and proud to be flying the flag for the 70th Festival de Cannes,’ says Claudia Cardinale, and delighted with this choice of photo. It’s the image I myself have of the Festival, of an event that illuminates everything around. That dance on the rooftops of Rome was back in 1959. No one remembers the photographer’s name… I’ve also forgotten it. But this photo reminds me of my origins, and of a time when I never dreamed of climbing the steps of the world’s most famous cinema hall. Happy anniversary!’ With Monica Bellucci as Mistress of Ceremonies and Pedro Almodóvar as the President of the Jury, the Festival de Cannes will kick off on Wednesday May, 17, 2017 and runs through May 28, 2017.
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