Sundance Institute announced members of five juries awarding prizes at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival which runs January 20-30, 2011. The juries are comprised of 23 individuals spanning the global arts community. Juror photos and extended biographies, in addition to the complete Festival lineup and schedule, are available at www.sundance.org/festival.
The Berlin International Film Festival announced the films in the program of the 41st Berlinale Forum, with most of the films revolving around family, relationships and identity.
Zimbabwe International Film Festival Trust (ZIFFT) executive director Nakayi Zivayi Rose Matema was arrested in November last year after allegedly presenting a document with a forged signature of one of the signatories, Rachel Pfungwa Kupara, intending intending to withdraw $700 from the organization’s account reports Newsday Zimbabwe.
Prior to that Matema, had initially withdrew $2, 500 from the ZIFFT account in September last year after she had allegedly forged Kupara’s signature on a ZIFFT indemnity letter. Matema again allegedly attempted to withdraw $10,000 at the end of September but failed after an alert bank teller discovered that the second signatory signature purportedly by Kupara differed from the signature on file at bank.
The 22nd Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival held from January 6-17, 2011 announced this year’s award winners after screening 205 films from 69 countries, including 41 of the 65 foreign language entries for this year’s Academy Awards®.
South By Southwest Film Festival has announced 6 more films in the SXSW 2011 Film program. They join the previously announced 2011 Opening Night Film, Duncan Jones’ Source Code. The complete lineup will be announced in February.
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival has announced the official selections for their eighth annual event to be held in Missoula, Montana February 11-20, at the Historic Wilma Theatre. The 140 film program, culled from nearly 1000 entries from all over the world will feature a live performance by indy rock band Yo La Tengo, a free opening night screening of Peter D. Richardsons How To Die In Oregon (sponsored by HBO Documentary Films), a retrospective of films by venerable filmmaker Chuck Workman, and more than twenty-five World, North American and US premiers of new non-fiction films.
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival has announced their Thematic Program, 2011 Career Award and the first US Premiere of the 2011 festival. Rick Prelinger will curate a series around archival footage for the Festival’s 2011 thematic program. The 2011 Career Award will be presented to Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg, who will present the US Premiere of their most recent film “Burma Soldier” at the 14th annual event.
The Milwaukee Film Festival made two big announcements this week. First Baseball Commission Allan H. (Bud) Selig and wife Suzanne L. Selig renewed their support of the festival for another three years, totaling $400,000, including $100,000 in 2011 and increasing to $150,000 in both 2012 and 2013. The Selig family was one of the first major supporters of the festival in 2008, committing $100,000 for each of the 2009 and 2010 festivals.
Sundance Institute announced the details for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival’s presentation of films by Native filmmakers and the annual Native Forum. In all, 11 Native communities will be represented: Tsilhqot’in, Métis, Ngāti Rangi, Atihaunui a Paparangi, Navajo Nation, Hopi, Laguna Pueblo, Iñupiaq, Taranaki/Ngati Tama Ngati Mutunga, Native Hawaiian and Māori. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs January 20-30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
The Hamptons International Film Festival (HIFF) announced this year’s festival dates, Thursday, October 13 – Monday, October 17, 2011. The festival, which is usually held over Columbus Day Weekend, is launching one week later in 2011 in order to honor Yom Kippur, which falls during Columbus Day Weekend this year. HIFF plans to return to its regular Columbus Day Weekend dates in 2012 (October 4 – 8, 2012) to celebrate its 20th Anniversary.
Fourteen films have been selected for International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Tiger Awards Competition 2011. The winners will be announced during the Tiger Awards Ceremony on Friday, February 4. The complete lineup, comprising first or second feature films include:
The 7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) in Jersey City, New Jersey, will be held this year at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, presenting an exciting selection of films from around the world including Ghana, Brazil and the U.S., to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, January 14 – 16.