AYKA

  • Seattle International Film Festival 2019 to Celebrate Actress Regina Hall + Announces Lineup

    Regina Hall in SUPPORT THE GIRLS.
    Regina Hall in SUPPORT THE GIRLS.

    The Seattle International Film Festival announced today the complete lineup and as part of this year’s celebration of women in comedy, the Festival will celebrate the work of Regina Hall by presenting her with the Seattle International Film Festival Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinema. In addition to the award presentation, the acclaimed actor is slated for an on-stage interview on Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 PM at SIFF Cinema Egyptian. Following Ms. Hall’s tribute, she will introduce Support the Girls, Andrew Bujalski’s film which won her the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.

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  • 9 Award Categories incl. Documentary, Foreign Language Film, Short Film Shortlists Revealed for 91st Oscars

    Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
    Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced shortlists in consideration for the 91st Oscars® in nine categories: Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject, Foreign Language Film, Makeup and Hairstyling, Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song), Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film and Visual Effects. 

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  • 2019 Palm Springs International Film Festival to Screen 223 Films, Opens with Kenneth Branagh’s ALL IS TRUE

    All is True 
    All is True 

    The 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will open with All is True directed by Kenneth Branagh on Friday, January 4,  and close with Ladies in Black, directed by Bruce Beresford on Sunday, January 13. The Festival will screen 223 films from 78 countries, with a focus on cinema from France, India and Mexico, Premieres, Talking Pictures, Book to Screen, Special Presentations, FLOS: Foreign Language Oscar Submissions, Gay!La, Local Spotlight, Modern Masters, True Stories, World Cinema Now, a 30-film retrospective of selections from past festivals and more.

    In All is True, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen star in Branagh’s intimate, revelatory portrait of William Shakespeare in the last act of his life. His career over, he returns to his home in Stratford-upon-Avon to encounter old ghosts, old loves, and his resentful family. Branagh is expected to attend. 

    Ladies in Black, set in Sydney in 1959, Oscar®-nominated writer/director Bruce Beresford takes us back to the heyday of glamorous upscale department stores, when a concierge met you at the door and clerks wore gloves. The film from Lumila Films stars Julia Ormond, Angourie Rice, Rachael Taylor, Ryan Corr, Shane Jacobson and Alison McGirr. Beresford, Ormond, Taylor and McGirr are expected to attend. 

    30th Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Lineup

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  • 87 Countries Submit Films in 2018 Oscar Foreign Language Competition

    [caption id="attachment_31248" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]El Angel directed by Luis Ortega El Angel directed by Luis Ortega[/caption] Eighty-seven countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 91st Academy Awards. Malawi and Niger are first-time entrants. Nominations for the 91st Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. The 91st Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 24, 2019, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. The 2018 submissions are: Afghanistan, “Rona Azim’s Mother,” Jamshid Mahmoudi, director; Algeria, “Until the End of Time,” Yasmine Chouikh, director; Argentina, “El Ángel,” Luis Ortega, director; Armenia, “Spitak,” Alexander Kott, director; Australia, “Jirga,” Benjamin Gilmour, director; Austria, “The Waldheim Waltz,” Ruth Beckermann, director; Bangladesh, “No Bed of Roses,” Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, director; Belarus, “Crystal Swan,” Darya Zhuk, director; Belgium, “Girl,” Lukas Dhont, director; Bolivia, “The Goalkeeper,” Rodrigo “Gory” Patiño, director; Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Never Leave Me,” Aida Begić, director; Brazil, “The Great Mystical Circus,” Carlos Diegues, director; Bulgaria, “Omnipresent,” Ilian Djevelekov, director; Cambodia, “Graves without a Name,” Rithy Panh, director; Canada, “Family Ties,” Sophie Dupuis, director; Chile, “…And Suddenly the Dawn,” Silvio Caiozzi, director; China, “Hidden Man,” Jiang Wen, director; Colombia, “Birds of Passage,” Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra, directors; Costa Rica, “Medea,” Alexandra Latishev, director; Croatia, “The Eighth Commissioner,” Ivan Salaj, director; Czech Republic, “Winter Flies,” Olmo Omerzu, director; Denmark, “The Guilty,” Gustav Möller, director; Dominican Republic, “Cocote,” Nelson Carlo De Los Santos Arias, director; Ecuador, “A Son of Man,” Jamaicanoproblem, director; Egypt, “Yomeddine,” A.B. Shawky, director; Estonia, “Take It or Leave It,” Liina Trishkina-Vanhatalo, director; Finland, “Euthanizer,” Teemu Nikki, director; France, “Memoir of War,” Emmanuel Finkiel, director; Georgia, “Namme,” Zaza Khalvashi, director; Germany, “Never Look Away,” Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, director; Greece, “Polyxeni,” Dora Masklavanou, director; Hong Kong, “Operation Red Sea,” Dante Lam, director; Hungary, “Sunset,” László Nemes, director; Iceland, “Woman at War,” Benedikt Erlingsson, director; India, “Village Rockstars,” Rima Das, director; Indonesia, “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts,” Mouly Surya, director; Iran, “No Date, No Signature,” Vahid Jalilvand, director; Iraq, “The Journey,” Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji, director; Israel, “The Cakemaker,” Ofir Raul Graizer, director; Italy, “Dogman,” Matteo Garrone, director; Japan, “Shoplifters,” Hirokazu Kore-eda, director; Kazakhstan, “Ayka,” Sergey Dvortsevoy, director; Kenya, “Supa Modo,” Likarion Wainaina, director; Kosovo, “The Marriage,” Blerta Zeqiri, director; Latvia, “To Be Continued,” Ivars Seleckis, director; Lebanon, “Capernaum,” Nadine Labaki, director; Lithuania, “Wonderful Losers: A Different World,” Arunas Matelis, director; Luxembourg, “Gutland,” Govinda Van Maele, director; Macedonia, “Secret Ingredient,” Gjorce Stavreski, director; Malawi, “The Road to Sunrise,” Shemu Joyah, director; Mexico, “Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón, director; Montenegro, “Iskra,” Gojko Berkuljan, director; Morocco, “Burnout,” Nour-Eddine Lakhmari, director; Nepal, “Panchayat,” Shivam Adhikari, director; Netherlands, “The Resistance Banker,” Joram Lürsen, director; New Zealand, “Yellow Is Forbidden,” Pietra Brettkelly, director; Niger, “The Wedding Ring,” Rahmatou Keïta, director; Norway, “What Will People Say,” Iram Haq, director; Pakistan, “Cake,” Asim Abbasi, director; Palestine, “Ghost Hunting,” Raed Andoni, director; Panama, “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” Abner Benaim, director; Paraguay, “The Heiresses,” Marcelo Martinessi, director; Peru, “Eternity,” Oscar Catacora, director; Philippines, “Signal Rock,” Chito S. Roño, director; Poland, “Cold War,” Pawel Pawlikowski, director; Portugal, “Pilgrimage,” João Botelho, director; Romania, “I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians,” Radu Jude, director; Russia, “Sobibor,” Konstantin Khabensky, director; Serbia, “Offenders,” Dejan Zecevic, director; Singapore, “Buffalo Boys,” Mike Wiluan, director; Slovakia, “The Interpreter,” Martin Šulík, director; Slovenia, “Ivan,” Janez Burger, director; South Africa, “Sew the Winter to My Skin,” Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, director; South Korea, “Burning,” Lee Chang-dong, director; Spain, “Champions,” Javier Fesser, director; Sweden, “Border,” Ali Abbasi, director; Switzerland, “Eldorado,” Markus Imhoof, director; Taiwan, “The Great Buddha+,” Hsin-Yao Huang, director; Thailand, “Malila The Farewell Flower,” Anucha Boonyawatana, director; Tunisia, “Beauty and the Dogs,” Kaouther Ben Hania, director; Turkey, “The Wild Pear Tree,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director; Ukraine, “Donbass,” Sergei Loznitsa, director; United Kingdom, “I Am Not a Witch,” Rungano Nyoni, director; Uruguay, “Twelve-Year Night,” Álvaro Brechner, director; Venezuela, “The Family,” Gustavo Rondón Córdova, director; Vietnam, “The Tailor,” Buu Loc Tran, Kay Nguyen, directors; Yemen, “10 Days before the Wedding,” Amr Gamal, director.

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  • 49 Feature Films Eligible for European Film Awards 2018

    Borg/McEnroe
    BORG/McENROE

    49 films have been named by the European Film Academy for this year’s EFA Feature Film Selection,

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  • Cannes Film Festival 2018 Awards – SHOPLIFTER Wins Palme d’or, Spike Lee’s BLACKKKLANSMAN Wins Grand Prix

    [caption id="attachment_29297" align="aligncenter" width="926"]BlacKkKlansman BlacKkKlansman[/caption] The 71st Cannes Film Festival came to a close today, with the announcement of the 2018 winners, decided by the Feature Film Jury presided over by Cate Blanchett.  Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku directed by Kore-Eda Hirokazu was awarded the Palme d’or and BlacKkKlansman by Spike Lee won the Grand Prix.

    FEATURE FILMS

    [caption id="attachment_29298" align="aligncenter" width="926"]MANBIKI KAZOKU(Shoplifters) by KORE-EDA Hirokazu MANBIKI KAZOKU(Shoplifters) by KORE-EDA Hirokazu[/caption]

    PALME D’OR

    MANBIKI KAZOKU (Shoplifters) by KORE-EDA Hirokazu After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them…

    GRAND PRIX

    BLACKKKLANSMAN (BlacKkKlansman) by Spike LEE Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer from Colorado, successfully managed to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan and almost became the head of the local chapter.

    JURY PRIZE

    CAPHARNAÜM (Capernaum) by Nadine LABAKI INT. COURTROOM ZAIN, a 12-year-old boy, faces THE JUDGE. THE JUDGE: Why are you suing your own parents? ZAIN: For giving me life.

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR

    Marcello FONTE in DOGMAN by Matteo GARRONE

    BEST DIRECTOR

    ZIMNA WOJNA (Cold War) by Pawel PAWLIKOWSKI

    BEST SCREENPLAY (tie)

    Alice ROHRWACHER for LAZZARO FELICE (Happy as Lazzaro) Jafar PANAHI for SE ROKH (3 Faces)

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS

    Samal YESLYAMOVA in AYKA by Sergey DVORTSEVOY

    SPECIAL PALME D’OR

    LE LIVRE D’IMAGE (The Image book) by Jean-Luc GODARD

    SHORT FILMS

    PALME D’OR

    ALL THESE CREATURES by Charles WILLIAMS

    MENTION DISTINCTION BY THE JURY

    YAN BIAN SHAO NIAN (On the order) by WEI Shujun

    CAMÉRA D’OR

    GIRL by Lukas DHONT presented at UN CERTAIN REGARD The CST Jury decided to award the VULCAIN PRIZE FOR ARTIST-TECHNICIAN to: SHIN Joom-Hee artistic director, of BURNING for his exceptional contribution to the portrayal of his characters.

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  • More Films incl. Return of Lars von Trier with ‘The House That Jack Built’ Added to 71st Cannes Film Festival [Video]

    [caption id="attachment_28353" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier[/caption] The Cannes Film Festival has added more films to the Official Selection 2018, and will welcome back the Danish director Lars von Trier, winner of the 2000 Palme d’or, to the Official Selection. His new film The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier starring Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman will be screened Out of Competition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAaLDuEPglI Mr. von Trier, who won the Palme d’Or in 2000 for “Dancer in the Dark,” has been absent from the Cannes festival for seven years, after comments he made during the news conference for his 2011 competition title “Melancholia.” Mr. von Trier began by referring to his discovery, as an adult, that he had a German family. “What can I say? I understand Hitler,” he said. “I think he did some wrong things, yes, absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end.” As the actress Kirsten Dunst squirmed and shook her head in the seat beside him, Mr. von Trier added, “He’s not what you would call a good guy, but yeah, I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on! I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews.” The festival board voted to declare Mr. von Trier persona non grata. He was barred from that year’s prize ceremony or from entering the festival headquarters, although “Melancholia” stayed in the competition. via NY Times

    Competition

    Added films are: UN COUTEAU DANS LE CCEUR (KNIFE + HEART) by the French Yann Gonzalez starring Vanessa Paradis. AYKA by the Russian Sergey Dvortsevoy, director of Tulpan, wiiner of the Prize Un Certain Regard 2008. Thes two films by Yann Gonzalez and Sergey Dvortsevoy are both directors’ second feature. It will be their first time in Competition. AHLAT AGACI (THE WILD PEAR TREE) by the Turkish Nuri Bilge Ceylan, winner of the Palme d’or 2014 for Winter Sleep. The Competition 2018 will be composed of 21 films.

    Out of Competition

    Festival President Pierre Lescure and his board of directors will welcome back the Danish director Lars von Trier, winner of the 2000 Palme d’or, to the Official Selection. His new film will be screened Out of Competition. THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT by Lars von Trier starring Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman

    Un Certain Regard

    MUERE, MONSTRUO, MUERE (MEURS, MONSTRE, MEURS) by the Argentinean Alejandro Fadel. CHUVA E CANTORIA NA ALDEIA DOS MORTOS (THE DEAD AND THE OTHERS) by the Portugese João Salaviza and the Brasilian Renée Nader Messora. And : DONBASS by the Ukranian Sergey Loznitsa which will open Un Certain Regard 2018 on Wednesday May 9.

    Special Screening

    The animated film: ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE by Damian Nenow and Raul De La Fuente.

    Midnight Screenings

    WHITNEY, a documentary by the Scottish Kevin Macdonald, about the life of the singer Whitney Houston. FAHRENHEIT 451 by the American Ramin Bahrani with Sofia Boutella, Michael B. Jordan  and Michael Shannon. It’s the second adaptation of the novel by Ray Bradbury, after the one made by François Truffaut.

    Closing film

    THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE by the British Terry Gilliam, with Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce and Olga Kurylenko The screening will take place on Saturday May 19 after the Closing ceremony and the film will be released in France on the same day.

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