Just days before its premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema documentary competition, HBO announced that it has picked up all domestic rights to the documentary Project Nim. Project Nim is directed by James Marsh and produced by Simon Chinn, the team behind the Oscar winning documentary Man on Wire.
In support of the convicted Iranian director Jafar Panahi, the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival is launching a number of initiatives at the upcoming Berlinale.
The 61st Berlin International Film Festival unveiled the films in the Panorama 2011 section. The themes of many first films are daring and hence inspiring, as seen in the work of Israeli filmmaker Michal Aviad who, set against the backdrop of the interminable Palestinian-Israeli conflict, has her protagonists work through traumas in Lo Roim Alaich (Invisible), or with French director Céline Sciamma whose Tomboy portrays the coming of age of a boy in a girl’s body – a deeply touching story, one that is also the subject of a German directorial debut, Sabine Bernardi’s Romeos. Then there’s the French entry Dernier étage gauche gauche (Top Floor Left Wing) by Angelo Cianci that revolves around the next generation of Arab adolescents who are already integrated but marginalized, and of whom too little is demanded. Though, of course, topical political issues are also taken up by famous Europeans, such as the boatpeople from Afghanistan by Greek filmmaker Constantine Giannaris (many-time guest of the Panorama and in the 2002 Competition with One Day In August) in his work Man At Sea; and the past and present consequences of colonisation by Spanish director Icíar Bollaín in her film También la lluvia (Even the Rain). In it, Sebastian (played by Gael García Bernal) casts a drama about the Spanish conquest 500 years earlier with the indigenous people from an entire village. This film is also screening in the Berlinale’s Culinary Cinema series on February 16. Star chef Thomas Kammeier will prepare two dishes inspired by the film for the occasion.
The selection for the Competition programme of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival has been completed. It includes 22 films, 16 of which will be competing for the awards.
The full list of nominees for the 2011 Orange British Academy Film Awards were announced today at BAFTA’s headquarters. The King’s Speech received 14 nominations including Best Film and Outstanding British Film. Tom Hooper is nominated for Director, Colin Firth is nominated for Leading Actor and co-stars Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush are nominated for Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor.
Following up its win at the Golden Globes for Best Actor (Colin Firth), and its buzz for the upcoming Oscars and BAFTAs, The King’s Speech was announced as the closing film for the 40th International Film Festival Rotterdam on Saturday 5 February.
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 Social Network”was the big winner at last night’s Golden Globes taking home the prizes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, along with Best Director – Motion Picture for its director, David Fincher, and Best Screenplay – Motion Picture for its writer, Aaron Sorkin, Colin Firth was was awarded Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for “The King’s Speech” and Natalie Portman received the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance in Black Swan. Melissa Leo and Christian Bale took home the awards for Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture and Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for their performances in “The Fighter.”
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®.
British actress Susannah York, one of the leading stars of British and Hollywood films in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has died in London at the age of 72. York reportedly died of cancer Saturday at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.