Ethiopia has its first contender for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film with (Ateltu) “The Athlete’. Co-directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew, the low budget independent film is about Ethiopian barefoot marathon runner, Abeba Bikila who became the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. Rasselas Lakew, who also wrote the screenplay, plays Abeba Bikila.
Film Movement is bringing Eran Riklis’s “The Human Resources Manager,” to the US with plans for a theatrical release in March of 2011. The film, “Human Resources Manager” was the winner of the Audience Award at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival and is Israel’s foreign film submission for the Academy Award.
Audience members participating in a panel discussion about Shlomi Eldar’s documentary “Precious Life,” the closing night film of the 25th Annual Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles, received a surprise when the subjects of the film video-conferenced in from Gaza to participate in the talk. Palestinian mother Ra’ida Abu Mustaffa, her husband Faozi and son Muhammad, who is now three, participated in a discussion with Israeli television correspondent Shlomi Eldar, film producer Ehud Bleiberg and moderator Sharon Waxman to talk about their reactions to the film. Ra’ida did note that her son’s health was “not good,” but she had hope for the future.
Eliot Spitzer recently spoke with CNN about why he participated in the new documentary, “Client No. 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer” opening Friday in limited release. The film is directed by Alex Gibney, whose work has included acclaimed documentaries “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”and the anti-war documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side.”
IFC Films has acquired rights to “Shoah.” Directed by Claude Lanzmann, the nine-and-a-half hour documentary received almost universal critical acclaim for its look at Holocaust survivors when it premiered in 1985.
The documentary Reel Injun, by Canadian filmmaker Neil Diamond, won the Canada Award for best documentary at the first of two 2010 Gemini Awards Industry Galas.
Select programming from the PBS Emmy® Award-winning weekly documentary series “Independent Lens” are nowl be available for purchase on iTunes. “The Parking Lot Movie,” directed by Meghan Eckman, will be the first film available from the 2010 Fall season of Independent Lens for purchase.
Ripple Effect Films and Argot Pictures present the US Theatrical release of SAINT MISBEHAVIN’: THE WAVY GRAVY MOVIE, a documentary by Michelle Esrick. Official selection at SXSW, Mill Valley, Maui and numerous other festivals, SAINT MISBEHAVIN’ will open in San Francisco and Bay Area on Friday, December 3, and at the IFC Center in New York on Wednesday, December 8. Other cities will follow.
Zeitgeist Films presents the US theatrical release of VISION, a film by Margaretha von Trotta. Official Selection – Telluride and Toronto film festivals, VISION will open in Los Angeles at Laemmle theaters on November 12. A national release will follow.
The San Francisco Film Society, New Italian Cinema Events of Florence, Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco present New Italian Cinema, November 14 – 21 at Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema. The eight-day festival is dedicated to bringing Italy’s newest directors and films to Bay Area audiences and celebrating the country’s rich cinematic tradition. The 2010 edition opens with Ferzan Ozpetek’s humorous drama Loose Cannons and a three-film retrospective of this talented and prolific auteur’s work, and closes with Paolo Virzì’s moving new film The First Beautiful Thing. The core program of New Italian Cinema features seven recent films by breakthrough filmmakers vying for the City of Florence Award.
Kicking off its multi-city tour at the IFC Center in NYC on October, 6th, Screenings of “Idiots and Angels” (run time 78 mins.) will be presented along with Plympton’s new, multi-award winning animated short film: “The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger”, which won the grand prize for animation at the Florida Film Festival.
Olive Films will present the US theatrical release of Germany’s Oscar entry for 2011, WHEN WE LEAVE, a film by Feo Aladag, starring Sibel Kekilli (Head-On). Winner of BEST FILM and BEST ACTRESS awards at 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as winner of BEST ACTRESS award at the German Film Awards, WHEN WE LEAVE will have its US Theatrical premiere in New York and Los Angeles in January 2011. A national release will follow.