Film Festivals
Coming on the heels of Gay Pride weekend is the announcement that NewFest, the New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender film festival is coming to locations across New York city, July 21-28. The festival will open and close at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and will be headquartered throughout the week at Chelsea’s SVA Theater and Cinema Village. Special satellite screenings will be held at The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, […]
Telluride Film Festival announced that Caetano Veloso will be the Guest Director of this year’s festival which will run September 2-5, 2011. Caetano Veloso began his professional music career in 1965 in Sao Paulo and has made more than 30 studio albums to date. But with over 100 film and television credits, Veloso is no stranger to the big and small screen. In 2002, Veloso received worldwide recognition for his performance of “Cucurrucucú Paloma” (“Cucurrucucu […]
The 5th Frozen Film Festival returns for its annual two day run – July 8th-9th at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, California showcasing 50 new films. Films include: Beatbox – The Fifth Element Of Hip Hop, examines the art form of “beatbox” and how it’s aided the expansion of hip hop music. The Bellman Equation, a search to solve the mysterious equation of mathematician Richard Bellman. Color Me Obsessed, the first documentary on the […]
The 32nd Durban International Film Festival kicks off on July 21st with the World Premiere of the South African film Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Set during the last days of apartheid, the Durban-shot film tells the story of a group of South African township youngsters who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. There is drama, romance, rivalry, and tragedy in this convincing fulfillment of local filmmaking […]
AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival announced its distinguished award winners, culminating the weeklong festival activities that included the screening of 108 films representing 52 countries, a free outdoor screening, live performances and a five-day professional documentary conference. The Festival hosted 27,000 attendees, including more than 1,500 filmmakers, film and television executives and media professionals celebrating the art and business of documentary filmmaking.
This year’s Sterling Award for Best US Feature goes to OUR SCHOOL directed by Mona Nicoara and Miruna Coco-Cozma. Shot over the course of four years, the film follows the attempt to integrate isolated rural Roma (or gypsy) children into the mainstream school system of Romania. Focusing on seven-year-old Alin, 12-year-old Beni and 16-year-old Dana, this fascinating film takes an unflinching look at the challenges of a longstanding tradition of prejudice. The prize is accompanied by a $5,000 cash award.
Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, which ran from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday, June 26 in downtown Los Angeles, announced the jury and audience award winners for the 2011 Festival. The Narrative Award recognizes the finest narrative film in competition at the Festival and went to Stéphane Lafleur for the North American Premiere of Familiar Ground. The Documentary Award recognizes the finest documentary film in competition at the Festival and went to Beverly Kopf […]
EdmondsPatch is reporting that the Edmonds International Film Festival in Edmonds, Washington, will not be returning for a second year, in what director Trevor Greenfield said was largely due to a lack of sponsor support. “There were things that were outside of our control,” said Greenfield, a filmmaker, writer and editor who created the festival along with his father, filmmaker Fred Greenfield. “It’s a tough economy, and ultimately it comes down to the sponsorships we […]
Shanghai’s 14th International Film Festival (SIFF) wrapped yesterday and announced the 2011 winners of the Golden Goblet Award. The Chinese movie “Mr. Tree” and “The Young Man Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door” were the biggest winners “Mr. Tree” received awards for Jury Grand Prix and Best Director; and “The Young Man Sings Folk Song in the Opposite Door” grabbed three awards for Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Music. Award for Best Feature […]
The 2011 Provincetown International Film Festival which ran June 15th thru 19th, announced its award winners on Sunday night. Prizes were given to the following films: DIRTY GIRL (directed by Abe Sylvia) won the HBO Audience Award Best Narrative Feature. **US Premiere at PIFF** BUCK (directed by Cindy Meehl) won the HBO Audience Award Best Documentary Feature HELLO CALLER (directed by Andrew Putschoegl) won the HBO Audience Award Best Short Film 27 (directed […]
The 37th Seattle International Film Festival, wrapped on June 12th after a 25-day run with the announcement of the SIFF 2011 Competition Awards and Golden Space Needle Audience Awards. The Indian film ‘Gandu’ directed by “Q” Kaushik Mukherjee took the Grand Jury Prize for Best New Dierctor. ‘Gandu’ is described as film about A poor young man in Kolkata befriends a Bruce Lee-obsessed rickshaw driver and begins a strange descent into a world of drugs […]
The 32nd edition Durban International Film Festival’s taking place from July 21 to 31, 2011, opens with the World Premiere of a film shot in Durban – Otelo Burning, directed by Sara Blecher. Beginning in the late 1980s, the story is set around youngsters from Lamontville township who discover surfing as an empowering escape from the political violence of the times. Surfing facilitates the shaping of a new culture and lifestyle for them, and this […]
The 2011 Staten Island Film Festival finally came to an end and held its closing award ceremonies, and the the big winner was Lovinder Singh Gill’s “Stalemate” which won the award for Best Picture. “StaleMate” is a story about how we are 100% sure that we want something and then, in a split second, we realize we never wanted it in the first place. Kayleigh has finally found the perfect man; unfortunately, he comes in […]