Charlie Valentine by director Ray Cavaleri took home the award for Best Feature at the Burbank International Film Festival. The film follows a professional criminal , on the run, as he tries to reconcile with his estranged son after 30 years. Gus, An American Icon, described as “is a humble tribute to the legacy of Gus Giordano, the founding father of Jazz Dance” took the award for Best Documentary.
Director Olias Barco’s ‘Kill Me Please’, won the Marc’Aurelio Jury Award for Best Film at the Rome Film Festival. The Belgian film is described as “An irresistible, grotesque black comedy, shot in black and white, and very politically incorrect.”
The 2010 Bel-Air Film Festival (BAFF) held its third annual event October 14th-19th. The festival screened 58 films; venues included the UCLA James Bridges Theater and Clarity Theaters, Beverly Hills. Opening night included a special screening of Walk a Mile in My Pradas starring Tom Arnold. Actress Christina Collard hosted the evening and honored Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills 90210) with the “Best Actor Award,” Kathy Najimy (Sister Act, King of the Hill ) with the “Best Actress Award” and Salaam Remi (Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, Sex and the City) with the “Best Music in Film Award,” .Comedian Phyllis Diller was recognized with a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” and Mark Rydell was honored with the ‘Legendary Filmmaker Award’ by Kat Kramer. After parties were held at the Soho House, W Hotel and Hotel Palomar.
The nominations are in for WORLDEAF Cinema Festival’s (WDCF) filmmaker award competition taking place Nov. 4 through 7 at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Out of a staggering 173 submissions from 132 filmmakers from 30 countries, the 11-member judging committee has selected 17 films from seven countries. A complete list of the nominated films is below.
Films were submitted in five professional categories, including Best Narrative, Best Documentary, Best Short, Best Mini-15 and Best Film about the Deaf Experience by a Hearing Filmmaker. The selection reflects the wide variety of subject matter and storylines created by deaf and hard-of-hearing filmmakers as well as hearing filmmakers. From works just nine minutes long to full-length narratives, the nominated films depict fiction and non-fiction stories, not just about deaf culture and topics, but the overall human experience.
The New Media Film Festival announce the second full day of entertainment and industry panels and screenings for the San Francisco Bay Area event starting at 9:00 AM, Saturday, November 6, 2010. The two-day event will have something for everyone from SRC (Socially Responsible Content), Animation, Short Films, Documentary and Narrative Features, to original Web Series programming. Industry panelists include thought-leaders from the technology and entertainment industries. The two-day event is being held at the VizCinema on Post Street in San Francisco.
SATURDAY, November 6th, 2010 Schedule
The Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded $450,000 to 30 U.S. film festivals for the 2011 calendar year, Festival Grants Committee Chair Buffy Shutt announced today.
The 5th annual Teaneck International Film Festival will be held Friday-Sunday, November 19-21, 2010 in Teaneck, NJ. According to the festival website, the films being presented this year as part of the “Official Selection” all have an important story to tell relating to our theme – “Activism: Making Change” . From civil rights, to gay rights, to the immigration issue, to corporate greed, to nuclear disarmament, to environmental awareness, to health care, the stories being told this weekend are designed to provoke discussion, stimulate debate, excite the senses and bring about a greater sense of awareness.
AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi today announced its Centerpiece Galas, featuring ABEL (DIR Diego Luna), BARNEY’S VERSION (DIR Richard J. Lewis), BLUE VALENTINE (DIR Derek Cianfrance), CASINO JACK (DIR George Hickenlooper), THE COMPANY MEN (DIR John Wells) and an ensemble Tribute to THE KING’S SPEECH with director Tom Hooper and actors Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush.
Also announced today are the films that will be presented as Special Screenings: The U.S. premiere of AMIGO (DIR John Sayles), CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (DIR Werner Herzog) in 3-D, MADE IN DAGENHAM (DIR Nigel Cole) and RABBIT HOLE (DIR John Cameron Mitchell).
AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi announced that free tickets will be made available to the general public on October 28; AFI members will have advance access to free tickets on October 27.
AFI FEST 2010 presented by Audi announced the full slate of Special Presentations to be offered during the festival, including three new events that have been added to the program: CINEMA’S LEGACY WITH SCREENWRITER AARON SORKIN on November 7; ON ACTING – A CONVERSATION WITH HALLE BERRY on November 9; and a secret screening in Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on November 9 at 9:30 p.m featuring an upcoming major Hollywood release. The title of the secret screening film will be announced on the morning of November 9 but tickets are available online starting today.
These events join the previously announced Special Presentations featuring 3D BOOTCAMP, presented by the Sony 3D Technology Center, on November 10, which includes a 20-minute preview of TRON: LEGACY in 3D, and THE LOS ANGELES TIMES YOUNG HOLLYWOOD roundtable with Carey Mulligan (NEVER LET ME GO, AN EDUCATION) and Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield (THE SOCIAL NETWORK) on November 5.
The 23rd Annual Virginia Film Festival kicks off tonight (the festival runs November 4 – 7) and will feature more than 100 films, including high-profile, first-run features, beloved classics and cutting-edge documentaries and engaging shorts. The weekend will also feature an array of high-profile guests, special events, parties and community events in a weekend designed to spotlight and illuminate cinema’s unique power to enlighten and entertain.
The 13th annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by SCAD, presented Liam Neeson with the Achievement in Cinema Award on November 2, 2010.