• Happy-Go-Lucky Director Mike Leigh to be Jury President of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival

    British film director Mike Leigh of Happy-Go-Lucky fame will be the Jury President of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival.

    Leigh who has directed more than 20 films, made his directorial debut in 1972 with Bleak Moments, which went on to win the Golden Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. In Cannes he won the Best Director Award in 1993 for Naked, and the Palme d’Or in 1996 for Secrets and Lies, which in itself received a total of five Oscar nominations. In 2004, Vera Drake, his highly regarded study of society whose characters display an extraordinary depth, was awarded the Golden Lion in Venice.

    Mike Leigh has been invited to the Berlin International Film Festival to present Meantime (Forum 1984), the short film The Short and Curlies (Panorama 1988) and Life is sweet (Panorama 1991). His latest contribution was to the Competition in 2008: his social comedy Happy-Go-Lucky featured Sally Hawkins, who won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Another Year is Leigh’s most recent movie. It screened in competition at Cannes in 2010 and went on to be nominated for an Oscar.

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  • Drafthouse Films to release documentary on The Wild Untold Stories of Cannon Films

    [caption id="attachment_1911" align="alignnone"]CANNON FILMS release Enter the Ninja (1981)[/caption]

    Drafthouse Films will release Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story Of Cannon Films in the U.S. From acclaimed cult film documentarian Mark Hartley (Not Quite Hollywood, Machete Maidens Unleashed), the film centers on the story of two Israeli-born, movie-obsessed cousins, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, who in pursuit of the “American dream” launched an indie studio that would produce over 120 exploitation films from 1979-1989 turning a renegade outfit into the proclaimed “seventh Hollywood major.” The film is currently in pre-production in Australia. A theatrical release is being planned for late 2012 to coincide with a traveling roadshow retrospective of Cannon’s seminal films.

    While best known for their explosive ’80s action fare (Missing In Action, Death Wish sequels, Academy Award® Nominated Runaway Train), Cannon Films’ diverse and ambitious production output also included body-count slashers (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), musicals and comedies (The Apple, Breakin’), science fiction and fantasy epics (Masters of The Universe, LifeForce), martial arts classics (American Ninja series, Kickboxer), neo-noir crime thrillers (52 Pick-Up, 10 To Midnight), art-house dramas (Barfly, John Cassavetes’ Love Streams, Jean-Luc Godard’s King Lear), in addition to launching the careers of many future genre superstars like Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. “No other production organization in the world today,” proclaimed Roger Ebert in 1987, “has taken more chances with serious, marginal films than Cannon.”

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  • National Board of Review Picks its Best Films of 2011

    [caption id="attachment_774" align="alignnone"]Aasha Davis and Adepero Oduye in Pariah, NBR Freedom of Expression Winner [/caption]

    The U.S. National Board of Review announced its picks for the best films and performances of 2011 on Thursday, and awarded prize for top film to Hugo and Best Director to its director, Martin Scorsese.

    The top 10 independent Films (in alphabetical order) included 50/50, Another Earth, Beginners, A Better Life, Cedar Rapids, Margin Call, Shame, Take Shelter, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and Win Win

    The indie films Pariah and the documentary Crime After Crime were singled out to receive the NBR Freedom of Expression.

    Awards for 2011: 

    Best Actor
    George Clooney, The Descendants

    Best Actress
    Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

    Best Adapted Screenplay
    Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

    Best Animated Feature
    Rango

    Best Director
    Martin Scorsese, Hugo

    Best Documentary
    Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

    Best Ensemble
    The Help

    Best Film
    Hugo

    Best Foreign Language Film
    A Separation

    Best Original Screenplay
    Will Reiser, 50/50

    Best Supporting Actor
    Christopher Plummer, Beginners

    Best Supporting Actress
    Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

    Breakthrough Performance
    Felicity Jones, Like Crazy

    Breakthrough Performance
    Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

    Debut Director
    J.C. Chandor, Margin Call

    NBR Freedom of Expression
    Crime After Crime

    NBR Freedom of Expression
    Pariah

    Special Achievement in Filmmaking
    The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film

    Spotlight Award
    Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)

    Top 10 Independent Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    50/50
    Another Earth
    Beginners
    A Better Life
    Cedar Rapids
    Margin Call
    Shame
    Take Shelter
    We Need To Talk About Kevin
    Win Win

    Top 5 Documentaries
    (in alphabetical order)
    Born to be Wild
    Buck
    George Harrison: Living in the Material World
    Project Nim, Senna

    Top 5 Foreign Language Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    13 Assassins
    Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
    Footnote
    Le Havre
    Point Blank

    Top Films
    (in alphabetical order)
    The Artist
    The Descendants
    Drive
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
    The Ides of March, J. Edgar
    The Tree of Life
    War Horse

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  • Bollywood actor, filmmaker, and activist Puneet Issar Tackles Discrimination in I Am Singh

    I Am Singh, a new film directed by a veteran Bollywood actor, Puneet Issar, opens today in 50 theaters across North America. It explores the untold story of Sikhs in the post-9/11 U.S. who were subject to discrimination and violence, and targeted as possible terrorists. It is Issar’s second film as director, and he also acts in it. The film does not have a Bollywood star-studded cast, like his first film had. The actor/director told glamsham.com that he wanted his subject to be the star of the film.

    I Am Singh focuses on a young Sikh named Ranveer Singh (Gulzar Chahal) who lives in India. His brothers are citizens of the U.S., and when he learns that one of them has suddenly died, the other gone missing, and his father seriously injured, he takes a journey to find what the cause was. He is met with elusive answers and frustrating excuses from authorities and governmental officials. Without any help from local authorities, he teams up with a Pakistani, Rizwan Haider (Rizwan Hyder), who is an American citizen, as well as Fateh Singh (Puneet Issar) a LAPD police officer. He also eventually finds two American attorneys, Amy Washington (Amy Rasimas), a Senior Attorney, and Amelia White (Brooke Johnston), a human rights activist, to fight for his case. With the help of this diverse group of citizens, Ranveer Singh battles injustice while still having faith in the American judicial system to help his family and his people who have been wronged by a country paranoid with fear of outsiders.

    This is an important and intriguing new Bollywood film, exploring the ignored story of Sikhs living in post 9/11 America, told from their own point of view.

    by Aria Chiodo

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  • 2012 Student Academy Awards Competition Now Accepting Entries

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is now accepting entries for its 2012 Student Academy Awards competition. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with cash prizes, may be presented to student filmmakers in the following categories: Alternative, Animation, Narrative, Documentary and Foreign Student Film.

    The rules and online application forms are available at: http://www.oscars.org/saa.

    The U.S. competition is open to all full-time college and university students at accredited institutions, whose films are made within the curricular structure of a film program or class at their respective schools. For 2012, the Academy has limited the list of accepted accreditation agencies for U.S. institutions to the following: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; New England Association of Schools and Colleges; North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities; Western Association of Schools and Colleges; and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. U.S. entries must be submitted by Monday, April 2, 2012.

    In the Foreign Student Film category entries are accepted only from full-time college and university students attending schools that are members of the international film school organization known as CILECT (cilect.org), and located outside the borders of the United States. The deadline to submit a foreign student film for consideration is Friday, March 23, 2012.

    The 39th Annual Student Academy Awards presentation will be held on Saturday, June 9, 2012, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

    The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 43 Oscar® nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 83rd Academy Awards earlier this year, 2010 Student Academy Award winner Luke Matheny took home the Oscar for his Live Action Short Film “God of Love.”  Tanel Toom, another 2010 Student Academy Award winner, also was nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for “The Confession,” and John Lasseter, a 1979 and 1980 Student Academy Award winner, was a nominee in the Adapted Screenplay category for “Toy Story 3.”

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  • New Director and Staff for Sarasota Film Festival

    Tom Hall, who has served the festival as Director of Programming (2004-2009) and Artistic Director (2009-2011), has been named Director of The Sarasota Film Festival. In addition, Magida Diouri will be the new Programmer and Veronica Pastore the new Associate Director of Marketing for the 2012 Festival.  

    Former SFF Director of Programming Holly Herrick will remain with the SFF as Director of SFF Women, a program designed to promote independent filmmaking, collaboration, awareness and film education among women and girls of all ages.

    “I think it is important that The Sarasota Film Festival continue to thrive. We are committed to serving our core mission of celebrating the art of film continuing the tradition of serving both Sarasota and the international filmmaking community. I look forward to continuing my work with The SFF Board, our artists, audiences, sponsors and the tremendous staff at The SFF as we prepare for the 2012 Sarasota Film Festival,” Hall said.

    “As the Sarasota Film Festival continues to grow, we recognize the importance of our staff as being critical to the continued success of our organization,” said Chairman of the Board and President of the Sarasota Film Festival Mark P. Famiglio. “The Board looks forward to working with our outstanding team to move The Sarasota Film Festival forward into our 14th year.”

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  • 10 Animated Shorts in Race for 2011 Oscar

    [caption id="attachment_1903" align="alignnone"]Wild Life[/caption]

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 84th Academy Awards®. Forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.

    The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company:

    • “Dimanche/Sunday,” Patrick Doyon, director (National Film Board of Canada)
    • “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, directors (Moonbot Studios LA, LLC)
    • “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat,” Matthew O’Callaghan, director and Sam Register, executive producer (Warner Bros. Animation Inc.)
    • “La Luna,” Enrico Casarosa, director (Pixar Animation Studios)
    • “Luminaris,” Juan Pablo Zaramella, director (JPZtudio)
    • “Magic Piano,” Martin Clapp, director and Hugh Welchman, producer (BreakThru Films)
    • “A Morning Stroll,” Grant Orchard, director and Sue Goffe, producer (Studio AKA)
    • “Paths of Hate,” Damian Nenow, director (Platige Image)
    • “Specky Four-Eyes,” Jean-Claude Rozec, director and Mathieu Courtois, producer (Vivement Lundi!)
    • “Wild Life,” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, directors (National Film Board of Canada)

    Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.

    The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

     

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  • 2012 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films to Screen in Out-of-Competition

    [caption id="attachment_1900" align="alignnone" width="550"]I AM NOT A HIPSTER [/caption]

    The Sundance Film Festival today announced the films selected to screen in the out-of-competition sections Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT and New Frontier at the 2012 festival to take place from January 19 through 29 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.

    Trevor Groth, Director of Programming for the Sundance Film Festival, said, “In many ways, the extremes of the Festival’s program are most readily apparent in our out-of-competition sections, which showcase the wildest comedies, the most terrifying horror films and uncompromised visions from singular voices springing up from around the country and the world. We hope audiences experiment with their film selections to an equal degree as these filmmakers have experimented with their storytelling.”

     


    SPOTLIGHT
    Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.

    Corpo Celeste / Italy (Director and screenwriter: Alice Rohrwacher) — After moving back to southern Italy with her mother and older sister, 13-year-old Marta struggles to find her place, restlessly testing the boundaries of an unfamiliar city and the catechism of the Catholic church. Cast: Yle Vianello, Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli, Renato Carpentiere.

    Declaration Of War / Belgium (Director: Valérie Donzelli, Screenwriters: Jérémie Elkaïm, Valérie Donzelli) — A young couple embark upon a painful, enlightening journey when they discover that their newborn child is very ill. Cast: Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm, César Desseix. North American Premiere.

    Elena / Russia (Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev, Screenwriter: Oleg Negin) — A meditative, modern-noir tale about an older woman, Elena, who marries the wealthy business man for whom she worked and, when his health fails, is forced to deal with his estranged daughter who threatens her inheritance. Cast: Andrey Smirnov, Nadezhda Markina, Elena Lyadova, Alexey Rozin.

    Monsieur Lazhar / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Philippe Falardeau) — An elegant reflection on loss and death focused on an Algerian immigrant teacher who brings emotional stability to a Montreal middle school class shaken by the suicide of their well-liked teacher. Cast: Fellag, Sophie Nélisse, Émilien Néron, Danielle Proulx, Brigitte Poupart.

    The Orator (O le Tulafale) / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Tusi Tamasese) — A Samoan villager must defend his land and family when they are threatened by powerful adversaries. Cast: Fa’afiaula Sagote, Tausili Pushparaj, Salamasina Mataia, Ioata Tanielu.

    The Raid / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Gareth Evans) — All hell breaks loose when an elite SWAT team, given orders to raid a run-down Jakarta apartment building that houses the city’s most notorious crime boss, is forced to fight their way to freedom or die trying. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah. U.S. Premiere.

    Where Do We Go Now? / France, Lebanon, Italy, Egypt (Director: Nadine Labaki, Screenwriters: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Rodney Al Haddad, with the collaboration of Thomas Bidegain) — A group of Lebanese women try to ease religious tensions between Christians and Muslims in their village. Cast: Claude Baz Moussawbaa, Layla Hakim, Nadine Labaki, Yvonne Maalouf, Antoinette Noufaily. U.S. Premiere

    Wuthering Heights / United Kingdom (Director: Andrea Arnold, Screenwriters: Andrea Arnold, Olivia Hetreed) — A freshly conceived retelling of Emily Bronte’s classic novel about Heathcliff and Cathy, two teenagers whose passionate love for each other creates a storm of vengeance. Cast: Kaya Scodelario, James Howson, Solomon Glave, Shannon Beer, Steve Evets. U.S. Premiere

    Your Sister’s Sister / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Lynn Shelton) — While still mourning the recent death of his brother, a bereft and confused man finds love and direction in a most unexpected place. Cast: Emily Blunt, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark Duplass. U.S. Premiere

    PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
    From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake. Each is a world premiere.

    Black Rock / U.S.A. (Director: Katie Aselton, Screenwriter: Mark Duplass) — Three childhood friends set aside their personal issues and reunite for a girls’ weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. One wrong move turns their weekend getaway into a deadly fight for survival. Cast: Katie Aselton, Lake Bell, Kate Bosworth.

    Excision / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Richard Bates, Jr.) — A disturbed and delusional high school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother. Cast: AnnaLynne McCord, Traci Lords, Ariel Winter, Roger Bart, John Waters.

    Grabbers / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Jon Wright, Screenwriter: Kevin Lehane) — When the residents of an idyllic Irish fishing village are attacked by mysterious, blood-sucking sea creatures, a high blood alcohol content could be the only thing that gets them through the night. Cast: Richard Coyle, Ruth Bradley, Russell Tovey, Bronagh Gallagher.

    The Pact / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nicholas McCarthy) — As a woman struggles to come to grips with her past in the wake of her mother’s death, an unsettling presence emerges in her childhood home. Cast: Caity Lotz, Casper Van Dien.

    SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / United Kingdom (Directors: Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace) — A documentary that follows LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy over a crucial 48-hour period, from the day of their final gig at Madison Square Garden to the morning after, the official end of one of the best live bands in the world.

    Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim) — After two guys are given a billion dollars to make a movie, their Hollywood dreams run off course and they decide to rehabilitate a run-down shopping mall in an attempt to make the money back. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim.

    V/H/S / U.S.A. (Directors: Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence, Screenwriters: Simon Barrett, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence) — When a group of misfits is hired by an unknown third party to burglarize a desolate house and acquire a rare VHS tape, they discover more found footage than they bargained for. Cast: Joe Swanberg, Calvin Reeder, Adam Wingard, Sophia Takal, Kate Lyn Sheil.

    NEXT
    NEXT encompasses a selection of pure, bold works by promising filmmakers distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling. Presented by Adobe Systems Incorporated. Each is a world premiere.

    COMPLIANCE / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Craig Zobel) — When a prank caller convinces a fast food restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, no one is left unscathed. Based on true events. Cast: Ann Dowd, Pat Healy, Dreama Walker, Bill Camp, Philip Ettinger.

    AM NOT A HIPSTER / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton) — Set in the indie music and art scene, this is a character-driven story exploring themes of love, loss and what it means to be creative in the face of tragedy. Cast: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Brad William Henke, Tammy Minoff, Kandis Erickson, Lauren Coleman.

    KID-THING / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Zellner) — A rebellious girl whose existence is devoid of parental guidance, spends her time roaming the land, shoplifting, and vandalizing. Her routine is broken one day while playing in the woods when she hears a woman calling from a mysterious hole in the ground, asking for help. Cast: Sydney Aguirre, Susan Tyrrell, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner.

    Mosquita y Mari / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Aurora Guerrero) — A friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas becomes complex as they struggle to recognize the sexual undercurrent in their relationship. Cast: Fenessa Pineda, Venecia Troncoso, Joaquín Garrido, Laura Patalano, Dulce Maria Solis.

    My Best Day / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Erin Greenwell) — Karen’s life as a small-town receptionist is turned upside down when the father she never knew calls for a refrigerator repair. That day she encounters a sister addicted to off track betting, a brother struggling with grade school heartache and bullies, and a load of fireworks. Cast: Rachel Style, Ashlie Atkinson, Raúl Castillo, Jo Armeniox, Robert Salerno, Harris Doran.

    Pursuit of Loneliness / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Laurence Thrush) — An elderly patient dies in a county hospital leaving no known next of kin. Over the next 24 hours, four central characters try to find a family member to contact regarding the death of this anonymous individual. Cast: Joy Hille, Sandra Escalante, Sharon Munfus, Kirsi Toivanen, Natalie Fouron.

    [caption id="attachment_1901" align="alignnone" width="550"] Sleepwalk With Me[/caption]

    Sleepwalk With Me / U.S.A. (Co-directors: Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish, Screenwriters: Mike Birbiglia, Ira Glass, Joe Birbiglia, Seth Barrish) — Reluctant to confront his fears of love, honesty, and growing up, a budding standup comedian has both a hilarious and intense struggle with sleepwalking. Cast: Mike Birbiglia, Lauren Ambrose, Carol Kane, James Rebhorn, Cristin Milioti.

    That’s What She Said / U.S.A. (Director: Carrie Preston, Screenwriter: Kellie Overbey) — Armed with nothing but their addictions and lots of personal baggage, two best friends and a mysterious young interloper battle a series of misadventures on their quest for love in New York City. Cast: Anne Heche, Marcia DeBonis, Alia Shawkat.

    TWENTY-EIGHT HOTEL ROOMS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Ross) — Seen only as fragments in the secret world of hotel rooms, a long-term affair becomes perhaps the most significant relationship of a couple’s lives. Cast: Chris Messina, Marin Ireland.

    NEW FRONTIER
    With media installations, multimedia performances, transmedia experiences, panels, film screenings, and more, New Frontier highlights work that celebrates experimentation and the expansion of cinema culture through the convergence of film, art, and new media technology. These films complement the previously announced installations and performances in the New Frontier venue at the Festival.

    Bestiaire / Canada, France (Director: Denis Côté) — The boundaries we place around animals are provocatively and formally explored in this meditation on the relationship between nature and humanity. World Premiere

    An Oversimplification of Her Beauty / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Terence Nance) — A quixotic young man humorously courses live action and various animated landscapes as he tries to understand himself after a mystery girl stands him up. Cast: Terence Nance, Namik Minter, Chanelle Pearson. World Premiere

    THE PERCEPTION OF MOVING TARGETS / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Weston Currie) — A segmenting journey into the dreams of four neighbors. Cast: Brighid Thomas, Cherie Blackfeather, Gerald Casey, Tom Wood, Jin Camou.

    Room 237 / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — This experimental documentary explores the numerous theories about the real meaning of Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining. World Premiere

    whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir / U.S.A., Kazakhstan (Directors: Eve Sussman | Rufus Corporation, Screenwriters: Eve Sussman, Kevin Messman, Jeff Wood) — A computer program assembles raw elements of music, dialogue, sound and footage shot in Kazakhstan into a generative noir mystery film in this live algorithmic performance. Cast: Jeff Wood, Marina Fedorenko.

     

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  • IFFR 2012 to present film and visual arts from the Arab world

    [caption id="attachment_2401" align="alignnone"]Tahrir square in Cairo, Egypt[/caption]

    Power Cut Middle East, a themed program within the IFFR’s main Signals section, presents recent films and visual art works from the region with a focus on Syria and Egypt. The program, a collaboration with Hivos Culture Fund, consists of short films, documentaries, feature films and visual art installations guided by discussions, lectures and artist talks.

    Since the change of power in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, a revolutionary spirit runs through several Middle Eastern countries. What seem to be sudden revolutions have however a clear history. Power Cut Middle East offers two focused visions on this ‘history in the making’: the Visual Arts Festival in Damascus travels for an edition ‘in exile’ to Rotterdam with a programme of fiction and documentary films and arts installations.

    Secondly, together with Egyptian filmmakers, IFFR looks at the years preceding the Tahrir Square revolutions by presenting films in which the resistance announced itself in more or less direct ways. In the context of Power Cut Middle East, the central question to be considered is what the role was – and is – of the moving image.

    Films from Syria
    In collaboration with the Visual Arts Festival Damascus, Power Cut Middle East presents a choice of strong Syrian auteur cinema from the period 1977-2002. Prominent Syrian filmmaker Mohammad Malas will be in attendance.

    From the period 2000-2010, Power Cut Middle East screens short, more experimental works by a new generation of Syrian documentary filmmakers such as Reem Ghazzi, Soudade Kaadan, Reem Ali, Ammar Al-Beik, Joude Gorani and Hazem Alhamwi.
    This will be supplemented by three compilations programs with recent short films and installation work from the region.

    Films from Egypt
    The other main focus within Power Cut Middle East is on Egypt with films made in the period running up to the 2011 revolution. Egyptian artists Omar Robert Hamilton, Ahmed Khaled, Hala Elkoussy, Sherif el Azma and Dina Hamza, among others, will present one of their own recent works as well as an Egyptian film or art work that influenced them as artist.

    Images of the revolutions
    Finally, Power Cut Middle East presents three lectures that shed light on the role and meaning of the images of the revolutions in the Arab world that have swept the global media during the past year. Contributors will be Dutch journalist Ferry Biedermann, former Middle East correspondent of de Volkskrant and currently publishing in The National and Elsevier Magazine; Lebanese artist and musician Raed Yassin who will present a new performance and Jasmina Metwaly, artist, journalist and one of the initiators from Mosireen, a new independent media center in Cairo which was born at Tahrir Square with the objective to document the ‘revolution’.

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  • Viola Davis honored as Outstanding Performer of the Year by Santa Barbara International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_1898" align="alignnone" width="550"]Viola Davis in The Help[/caption]

    The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has announced that it will present award-winning actress, Viola Davis with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award for her ‘compelling’ performance in Tate Taylor’s The Help at the 27th edition of the Festival which runs January 26 – February 5, 2012.

    Davis captivated audiences and critics alike last summer with her portrayal of African American housemaid “Aibileen Clark.” Set in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s, “The Help” chronicles the relationship between three different and extraordinary women who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. Deeply moving, filled with humor, hope and heart, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

    Davis will join previous Outstanding Performer Award recipients, including: James Franco (2011), Colin Firth (2010), Penelope Cruz (2009), Angelina Jolie (2008), Helen Mirren (2007), Heath Ledger (2006), Kate Winslet (2005) and Charlize Theron (2004).

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  • Kevin Smith is Pissed at Independent Spirit Awards for Not Nominating His Film

    The Independent Spirits were announced yesterday, and Kevin Smith was not one of the happy ones. He took to twitter to express how he really felt about his film ‘Red State’ not receiving a single nomination.

    How the fuck did the @SpiritAwards NOT nominate Michael Parks? Nor John Goodman? Nor Melissa Leo? Fuck your idiotic organization. #FakeIndie

    Red State, which is released on DVD and Blu-Ray did have a limited tour/run to allow the film and the actors to qualify for Oscars and other awards. Apparently, all for nothing.

    Written and directed by Kevin Smith, and starring Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo and Stephen Root, the action horror film is about three high school boys who receive an online invitation for sex, and on the way encounter fundamentalist preacher with a much more sinister agenda.

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  • Coming Soon Forest Whitaker and Common to Star in indie film Pawn

    [caption id="attachment_1893" align="alignnone"]Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland[/caption]

    According to VIBE online, Forest Whitaker will star alongside rapper Common, in the upcoming indie film Pawn. Written by Jay Anthony White, the plot centers around an ex-con, who gets caught in between the Feds, local police and the mob. The film will start production on December 1st.

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