The animated film Doom Cruise directed by Hannah Stragholz and Simon Steinhorst walked away €20,000 and the Saxon State Minister Promotion Prize in the National Competition at the 33rd Filmfest Dresden short film festival in in Dresden, Germany. In the hand-colored film a cruise ship is sailing to its demise as a metaphor to current societal themes.
Parallel Mothers (Madres paralelas) directed by Pedro Almodóvar, starring Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, along with Julieta Serrano and Rossy De Palma is the Opening Film, in Competition, of the 78th Venice International Film Festival (September 1 – 11 2021).
Julia Ducournau won the Palme d’Or for her film Titane at Cannes Film Festival, becoming only the second female director to win the top prize at the festival. In the film starring Agathe Rousselle, Vincent Lindon, Garance Marillier and Laïs Salameh, following a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years.
2021 Bentonville Film Festival announced the narrative, documentary feature, short, and episodic film selections in the competition program set for August 2-8 in Bentonville, AR. For this year’s 7th edition, BFF will combine virtual and safe in-person activations, including premieres, conversations, awards, and events to produce a hybrid experience for Festival attendees.
The SCAD Savannah Film Festival will return return for its 24th edition, as in-person and virtual event from Saturday, Oct. 23 through Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
The Boston Underground Film Festival (MA), Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (NY), North Bend Film Festival (WA) and the Overlook Film Festival (LA) team up again to present a second edition of NIGHTSTREAM, set to run in the Fall from October 7 to 13, 2021.
Dominik Moll’s Only the Animals won the ARRI/Osram Award in the CineMasters competition at the 38th Filmfest München (Munich International Film Festival), while the CineVision Award for best international film by an emerging director went to Philippe Lacôte for Night of the Kings, a co-production from Côte d’Ivoire, France, Canada, and Senegal. The FIPRESCI Prize for the best film in the New German Cinema section went to Monday um zehn by Mareille Klein; and the Audience Award went to Trans – I Got Life by Imogen Kimmel and Doris Metz.
Under the theme “This is Richmond,” the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) celebrates its special 10th Year Anniversary edition with more than 150 award-winning films from 20 countries from Monday, September 7th to Sunday, September 12th.
Belle, the animation film by the Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda will world premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Premiere section. FollowingcWolf Childrenc(2012), The Boy and the Beast (2015), and Mirai (2018), it is the first official Selection for Mamoru Hosoda.
The short documentary film Junior directed by A.J. Wilhelm will play at the 2021 Maine International Film Festival. Featuring Jérôme “Junior” Simeon along with Ajayi Jackson, the film follows the acclaimed Haitian musician as he struggles to keep the beat of his passion alive.
