Actor Sean Penn did not attend the Dubai International Film Festival where he was to accept the DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award at the Festival’s opening ceremony on December 12, 2010. The actor reportedly remained in Haiti with his charity the J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO), amid concerns for the charity’s staff in the wake of violent protests following the recent disputed presidential election
The Jewish Museum and the Film Society of Lincoln Center will present the 20th annual New York Jewish Film Festival at the Film Society’s Walter Reade Theater, The Jewish Museum, and The JCC in Manhattan, Jan. 12-27, 2011. The festival’s 36 features and shorts from 14 countries—31 screening in their world, U.S. or New York premieres—provide a diverse global perspective on the Jewish experience. In celebration of the festival’s 20th anniversary, several film screenings will be followed by filmmakers and special guests in onstage discussions and/or performances.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival announced the dates of the 6th Annual Edition; and for 2011, will take over the legendary Bloor Cinema in Toronto for 8 “thrilling nights of cinematic mayhem” October 20-27, 2011. Fans attending previous years’ festivals have been the first to see new genre films as The Last Exorcism, Let The Right One In, Dead Snow, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Black Dynamite and Robogeisha.
Periferic (Outbound) by Bogdan George Apetri took the Best Feature Film Award – Golden Alexander at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival which ran December 3-12, 2010. The Greek Film Critics Association (PEKK) Award was also given to Periferic (Outbound).
The Indie Grits Film Festival recently named by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the 20 coolest film festivals returns for its 5th year, and will take place April 13-17, 2011 in Columbia, SC.
The 22nd annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will present David O. Russell with the Director of the Year Award at its Awards Gala. Past Director of the Year honorees include Alexander Payne, Jason Reitman, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Anthony Minghella, Sean Penn and Ang Lee.
The 7th Annual Artivist Film Festival just wrapped its December 1 – 4 run at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Sundance Institute announced the films from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival scheduled to screen in theaters in nine different cities, including the newly added Seattle, Washington Egyptian Theatre, on the evening of Thursday, January 27, 2011. The screenings are part of Sundance Film Festival USA, designed to introduce the Festival experience to film-loving audiences nationwide. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival opens January 20 and runs through January 30 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
The 61st Berlin International Film Festival will open with True Grit by Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen at the Berlinale Palast on February 10, 2011.
Slamdance today announced the 2011 Feature Competition slate for the 17th Annual Slamdance Film Festival taking place January 21-27, 2011 in Park City, Utah. Slamdance will debut ten narrative and eight documentary feature films, 14 of which are World Premieres. With a record number of over 5,000 submissions, Slamdance has selected an exciting and eclectic slate of films, made by today’s up and coming independent filmmakers. The selected films have all been made on a small budget and head to Park City without distribution – all full of immense promise.
The winners were announced yesterday at the 7th edition of the Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF), which wrapped on Sunday evening. The Ethiopian film, Ateltu, about Abebe Bikila the first African to win a gold medal and the first person in history to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the marathon, took the top Spirit of Freedom award for Narrative film.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor Academy Award® winning actor Geoffrey Rush with the Montecito Award at the 26th edition of the Festival, which runs January 27– February 6, 2011.