Sunset (Napszállta)

  • Film Comment Selects Festival Announces 2019 Lineup, László Nemes’s SUNSET, Steven Soderbergh’s HIGH FLYING BIRD

    Sunset by Laszlo Nemes
    Sunset by Laszlo Nemes

    The Film Society of Lincoln Center announces the lineup for the 19th edition of Film Comment magazine’s annual festival, Film Comment Selects, February 6-10. The cinematic showcase returns with a selection of titles curated by the magazine’s editors, offering strikingly bold visions, mixing North American, U.S., and New York premieres of new films and long-unseen older titles that deserve the big-screen treatment.

    Read more


  • 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

    Read more


  • Watch Trailer for Laszlo Nemes’ Budapest Set Period Drama SUNSET

    [caption id="attachment_33079" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Sunset by Laszlo Nemes Sunset by Laszlo Nemes[/caption] The US trailer debuted for Academy Award winner Laszlo Nemes’ Sunset, Hungary’s entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.  The film starring Julie Jakab, Vlad Ivanov, Evelin Dobos, and Marcin Czarnik won the FIPRESCI prize when it screened at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, and had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in 2019. 1913, Budapest, in the heart of Europe as World War I approaches. The young Irisz Leiter arrives in the Hungarian capital with high hopes to work as a milliner at Leiter, the legendary hat store that once belonged to her late parents; but she is quickly sent away by the new owner, Oszkár Brill. While preparations are under way at the store to host important wealthy, royal guests, a man abruptly comes to Irisz looking for Kálmán Leiter, who he says is her brother. Refusing to leave the city, the young woman follows Kálmán’s tracks, her only link to a lost past. Her quest brings her through the dark, dusty streets of Budapest, where only the Leiter hat store shines, into the turmoil of a civilization on the eve of its downfall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV-LRlyI2dQ

    Read more


  • AFI FEST 2018 World Cinema to Showcase 28 Foreign Films

    [caption id="attachment_29049" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]Capernaum by Nadine Labaki Capernaum[/caption] The World Cinema section of AFI FEST 2018 presented by Audi will showcase the most celebrated international films of the year and feature 28 titles from 27 countries.  The section includes seven official Best Foreign Language Film Oscar® submissions: CAPERNAUM (DIR Nadine Labaki), DOGMAN (DIR Matteo Garrone), “I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS” (DIR Radu Jude), NEVER LOOK AWAY (DIR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), SHOPLIFTERS (DIR Hirokazu Kore-eda), SUNSET (DIR László Nemes) and THE WILD PEAR TREE (DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan). AFI FEST will also present the North American premiere of the first two episodes of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND as part of the section. Premiering on HBO November 18, the series is an adaptation of author Elena Ferrante’s celebrated international bestseller centered on the complicated friendship between two women across decades. AFI FEST takes place November 8–15, 2018, in the heart of Hollywood. Screenings, Galas and other events will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre and The Hollywood Roosevelt.

    WORLD CINEMA

    3 FACES (SE ROKH) – Jafar Panahi and Iranian actress Behnaz Jafari travel to a small village in northwest Iran to investigate the possible suicide of an aspiring young actress. Content to sit in the car while three generations of women examine their dual oppression, Panahi traverses moral and ideological pathways through rural Iran with trademark heart, charm and wit. DIR Jafar Panahi. SCR Jafar Panahi. CAST Behnaz Jafari, Marziyeh Rezaei, Narges Del Aram, Jafar Panahi, Maedeh Erteghaei. Iran AMATEURS (AMATÖRER) – When German investors show interest in building a superstore in the small town of Lafors, community leaders decide to create a promotional video. Turning to students for help, teenagers Aida and Dana begin filming — and the battle for the true image of Lafors is on. Director Gabriela Pichler returns to AFI FEST with a sharp, funny, youthful and complex drama about giving a voice to those most often unheard. DIR Gabriela Pichler. SCR Gabriela Pichler, Jonas Hassen Khemeri. CAST Zahraa Aldoujaili, Yara Aliadotter, Fredrik Dahl. Sweden ANGELS ARE MADE OF LIGHT – Filmed over three years, the latest documentary from James Longley follows students and teachers at a school in an old neighborhood of Kabul that is slowly rebuilding from past conflicts. Interweaving the modern history of Afghanistan with present-day portraits, the film offers an intimate and nuanced vision of a society living in the shadow of war. DIR James Longley. USA, Denmark, Norway ASH IS PUREST WHITE (JIANGHU ER NV) – Jia Zhang-ke returns to AFI FEST with his latest sprawling masterwork. Centering on the struggles of Qiao (played by Zhao Tao), a gangster’s girlfriend who spends five years in prison after getting caught up in a violent attack, ASH IS PUREST WHITE is a haunting, enigmatic portrait of individuals navigating China’s new “capitalism” at the dawn of the millennium. DIR Jia Zhang-ke. SCR Jia Zhang-ke. CAST Zhao Tao, Liao Fan, Xu Zheng. China, France BULBUL CAN SING – In Rima Das’ lyrical and quietly moving third feature, an independent girl, Bulbul, lives a typical teenage life in the Assam region of India. But when a cruel shaming by a group of local men balloons into a tragedy, Bulbul must learn how to deal with her awakening desires in a restrictive culture. DIR Rima Das. SCR Rima Das. CAST Arnali Das, Manoranjan Das, Bonita Thakuria, Pakija Begum. India CAPERNAUM (CAPHARNAÜM) – CAPERNAUM tells the story of Zain, a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the “crime” of giving him life. Zain journeys from gutsy, streetwise child to hardened 12-year-old “adult”: fleeing his abusive, negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, and finally, seeking justice in a courtroom. DIR Nadine Labaki. SCR Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Kesrwany. CAST Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawthar Al Haddad, Fadi Kamel Youssef, Cedra Izam, Alaa Chouchnieh, Nadine Labaki, Nour el Husseini, Elias Khoury. Lebanon DAUGHTER OF MINE (FIGLIA MIA) – 10-year-old Vittoria is a quiet girl whose uneventful Sardinian summer becomes upended when she discovers her birth mother is the town drunk, Angelica (Alba Rohrwacher). As Vittoria begins to split her time between Angelica and the more stable woman who raised her (Valeria Golino), she finds herself struggling with something deep and innate. DIR Laura Bispuri. SCR Francesca Manieri, Laura Bispuri. CAST Valeria Golino, Alba Rohrwacher, Sara Casu, Michele Carboni, Udo Kier. Italy, Germany, Switzerland DIAMANTINO – When Portuguese soccer god Diamantino blows a chance at World Cup glory, the disgraced footballer finds himself unwittingly tied up in conspiracies involving evil twin sisters, gender bending genetic experimentation, lesbian spies and far-right ultra-nationalists in delightfully sharp, future cult classic. DIR Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt. SCR Gabriel Abrantes, Daniel Schmidt. CAST Carloto Cotta, Cleo Tavares, Anabela Moreira, Margarida Moreira, Carla Maciel, Filipe Vargas, Manuela Moura Guedes, Joana Barrios, Maria Leite. Portugal, France, Brazil DOGMAN – Matteo Garrone’s latest film is a gripping drama about Marcello, a gentle yet cowardly dog groomer who finds himself caught up in Italy’s criminal underworld. Marcello forms a dangerous, one-sided relationship with former boxer and cokehead Simone, who terrorizes the community. Before long, Marcello is part of his reckless antics. DOGMAN will screen at AFI FEST in partnership with Cinema Italian Style, an annual showcase of contemporary Italian cinema in Los Angeles. DOGMAN will be the opening night film of Cinema Italian Style. DIR Matteo Garrone. SCR Ugo Chiti, Maurizio Braucci, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso. CAST Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano, Adamo Dionisi, Francesco Acquaroli. Italy, France FUGUE (FUGA) – Alicja suffers from memory loss and has rebuilt her own free-spirited way of life. Two years later, she returns to her family and unwillingly resumes her role as wife, mother and daughter. FUGUE evokes the social taboos around motherhood and the pressure on women to accept maternity without hesitation or reflection. DIR Agnieszka Smoczyńska. SCR Gabriela Muskała. CAST Gabriela Muskała, Łukasz Simlat, Iwo RajskiMałgorzata Buczkowska, Zbigniew Waleryś, Halina Rasiakówna, Piotr Skiba. Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden GENESIS (GENÈSE) – While Guillaume, an outwardly confident teenager in a posh boarding school, struggles with surprising new feelings of love and alienation, his older sister Charlotte navigates a thorny path of relationships with disappointing men in Québécois director Philippe Lesage’s detailed, incisive portrait of adolescent yearning. DIR Philippe Lesage. SCR Philippe Lesage. CAST Noée Abita, Théodore Pellerin, Jules Roy-Sicotte, Maxime Dumontier, Edouard Tremblay-Grenier, Emilie Bierre, Pier-Luc Funk, Vassili Schneider, Mylène Mackay. Canada HAPPY AS LAZZARO (LAZZARO FELICE) – In auteur Alice Rohrwacher’s stunning third feature, a simple young man named Lazzaro works with other unpaid laborers on an isolated estate in the Italian countryside. But when Lazzaro suffers an accident, HAPPY AS LAZZARO kicks into high gear as a work of fantastic time-jumping poetry and grounded social critique. DIR Alice Rohrwacher. SCR Alice Rohrwacher. CAST Adriano Tardiolo, Agnese Graziani, Alba Rohrwacher, Luca Chikovani, Tommaso Ragno, Sergi López, Natalino Balasso, Gala Othero Winter, David Bennent, Nicoletta Braschi. Italy HOTEL BY THE RIVER (GANGBYUN HOTEL) – A getaway destination along the frozen Han River is the setting for Hong Sang-soo’s latest, a simmering and melancholic family drama, lensed in stark black and white, about an aging poet facing mortality and his two competing sons who cross paths with a woman nursing the wounds of a scarring breakup. DIR Hong Sang-soo. SCR Hong Sang-soo. CAST Ki Joo-bong, Kim Min-hee, Song Seon-mi, Kwon Hae-hyo, Yu Jun-sang, Park Ran, Shin Seok-ho. South Korea “I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS” (ÎMI ESTE INDIFERENT DACA ÎN ISTORIE VOM INTRA CA BARBARI) – Mariana is a young, defiant artist mounting a theatrical production of the Odessa massacre, in which Romanian soldiers killed thousands of Ukrainian Jews. As she attempts to stage a realistic reenactment, to force her fellow Romanians to confront their sins of the past, she meets with stiff resistance from local powers. Radu Jude’s latest masterpiece is at once funny, uncomfortable and profound. DIR Radu Jude. SCR Radu Jude. CAST Ioana Iacob, Alexandru Dabija, Alex Bogdan. Romania, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Germany MAYA – Mia Hansen-Løve reunites with Roman Kolinka for her sixth feature. As the French protagonist Gabriel, he travels to India after a traumatic stint of forced captivity and encounters the charming Maya. What takes shape is a subtle increase of silent attraction as the two explore his childhood home in this gentle film filled with yearning, wandering and rumination. DIR Mia Hansen-Løve. SCR Mia Hansen-Løve. CAST Roman Kolinka, Aarshi Banerjee, Alex Descas. France MY BRILLIANT FRIEND (L’AMICA GENIALE) – MY BRILLIANT FRIEND adapts the first book in Elena Ferrante’s renowned coming-of-age epic, beginning in 1950s Naples and spanning six decades. An unexpected phone call prompts Elena to reflect on her relationship with her brilliant friend Lila and the complexities of female friendship in a community replete with male violence. DIR Saverio Costanzo. SCR Elena Ferrante, Francesco Piccolo, Laura Paolucci and Saverio Costanzo. CAST Valentina Acca, Antonio Buonanno, Gennaro Canonico, Pina Di Gennaro, Sarah Falanga, Luca Gallone. Italy NEVER LOOK AWAY (WERK OHNE AUTOR) – Inspired by real events and spanning three eras of German history, NEVER LOOK AWAY tells the story of an art student Kurt, who falls in love with classmate Ellie. Ellie’s father, Professor Seeband, is dismayed at his daughter’s choice of boyfriend, and will stop at nothing to destroy the relationship. DIR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. SCR Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. CAST Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Oliver Masucci Saskia Rosendahl. Germany, Italy NON-FICTION (DOUBLE VIES) – Olivier Assayas’ latest is a delightful, breezy comedy centering on a married couple (Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet) as they navigate the swiftly evolving landscape of the modern publishing industry, and the ever-thorny issue of monogamy (or lack thereof) in long-term relationships. DIR Olivier Assayas. SCR Olivier Assayas. CAST Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche, Vincent Macaigne. France OF FATHERS AND SONS – Award-winning documentarian Talal Derki gained the trust of a radical Islamist family in Syria and filmed their daily lives for two years. The result is OF FATHERS AND SONS, a jaw-dropping, intensely uninhibited look at young boys training as Jihadi fighters, and their Caliphate-obsessed father. DIR Talal Derki. Germany, Syria, Lebanon OUR TIME (NUESTRO TIEMPO) – Two-time AFI FEST alum Carlos Reygadas returns to the festival with an intensely personal project. OUR TIME tells the story of an upper-middle-class rancher (Reygadas) whose wife (played by Reygadas’ real-life spouse) draws him into a cuckolding fetish. As the emotional stakes rise, life on the idyllic landscape becomes threatened. DIR Carlos Reygadas. SCR Carlos Reygadas. CAST Carlos Reygadas, Natalia López, Eleazar Reygadas, Rut Reygadas, Phil Burgers. Mexico, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden PIG (KHOOK) – Past-his-prime filmmaker Hasan is having a crisis of ego. A serial killer is offing local filmmakers, and Hasan wants to know why he isn’t being targeted. In veteran filmmaker Mani Haghighi’s wonderfully bizarre dark comedy, the satire is heavy and hilarious, and gender stereotypes get smashed right and left. DIR Mani Haghighi. SCR Mani Haghighi. CAST Hasan Majuni, Leila Hatami, Leili Rashidi, Parinaz Izadyar, Mina Jafarzadeh, Aynaz Azarhoosh. Iran PUTIN’S WITNESSES (SVIDETELI PUTINA) – With PUTIN’S WITNESSES, Vitaly Mansky returns to footage he filmed when commissioned — and provided with unnervingly intimate access — on a propaganda film promoting Vladmir Putin’s first presidential election. In this captivating portrait, Mansky both chronicles the alarming ease of the dictator’s rise to power and examines his own complicity in his near two-decade rule. DIR Vitaly Mansky. SCR Vitaly Mansky. Latvia, Switzerland, Czech Republic SHOPLIFTERS (MANBIKI KAZOKU) – The winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, SHOPLIFTERS tells the tender story of a family of misfits and grifters struggling to make ends meet. After taking in a girl off the street, a sudden incident upends their lives and exposes their secrets. Director Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to the screen with a nuanced class critique, and a beautiful portrait of family life. DIR Hirokazu Koreeda. SCR Hirokazu Kore-eda. CAST Lily Franky, Sakura Ando, Jyo Kairi, Miyu Sasaki, Kiki Kirin. Japan SUNSET (NAPSZALLTA) – As World War I approaches, Irisz arrives in Budapest with the dream to work as a milliner at Leiter, a store once owned by her family. Her hopes dashed by the new proprietor, she discovers news that a previously unknown sibling may exist, and sets out to meet them. DIR László Nemes. SCR László Nemes, Clara Royer, Matthieu Taponier. CAST Juli Jakab, Vlad Ivanov, Evelin Dobos, Marcin Czarnik, Judit Bárdos, Benjamin Dino, Balázs Czukor, Christian Harting, Levente Molnár. Hungary, France TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG (TARDE PARA MORIR JOVEN) – Sixteen-year-old Sofia navigates the usual pitfalls of her age against the unusual backdrop of a burgeoning utopian society in the Chilean jungle of the 1990s. A moody, atmospheric period piece, this third feature firmly establishes Sotomayor as one of today’s most original filmmakers. DIR Dominga Sotomayor. SCR Dominga Sotomayor. CAST Demian Hernández, Antar Machado, Magdalena Tótoro. Chile VISION – Juliette Binoche stars in Naomi Kawase’s latest, a meditative journey into the heart of Japan, and a mysterious portrait of one woman’s search for meaning. When Jeanne (Binoche) seeks a rare medicinal plant in the forested Nara region, her quest is aided by a ranger who helps to reveal painful fragments of her past. DIR Naomi Kawase. SCR Naomi Kawase. CAST Juliette Binoche, Masatoshi Nagase. Japan, France THE WILD PEAR TREE (AHLAT AGACI) – THE WILD PEAR TREE is a portrait of an ambitious young writer returning home after college. At once languid and rhapsodic, Palme d’Or winner Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s film is a profound and poetic look at a misspent youth grasping at a maturity that, once attained, is revealed to be the ultimate disappointment. DIR Nuri Bilge Ceylan. SCR Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan. CAST Aydin Doğu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Hazar Ergüçlü, Serkan Keskin, Tamer Levent, Akin Aksu, Öner Erkan, Ahmet Rifat Şungar, Kubilay Tunçer, Kadir Çermik, Özay Fecht, Ercüment Balakoğlu, Asena Keskinci. Turkey YARA – Yara lives alone with her grandmother on a remote Lebanese mountain-side. A farmer brings supplies, a tour guide assists with odd tasks and, lost on a hike, a charismatic young hiker happens upon Yara hanging her underwear. A gently paced romance, Abbas Fahdel’s YARA captures the elation of first love and the crushing pain of its loss. DIR Abbas Fahdel. SCR Abbas Fahdel. CAST Michelle Wehbe, Elias Freifer, Mary Alkady. Lebanon, Iraq, France

    Read more


  • 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.

    Read more


  • 2018 Venice Film Festival Awards – Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA Wins Golden Lion for Best Film

    [caption id="attachment_30917" align="aligncenter" width="1000"]ROMA ROMA[/caption] The Jury of the 2018 Venice Film Festival chaired by Guillermo del Toro awarded the top prize, Golden Lion for Best Film to ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón. The Favourite by Yorgos Lanthimos was awarded the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, along with the award for Best Actress to Olivia Colman.

    VENEZIA 75

    GOLDEN LION for Best Film to: ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón (Mexico) SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to: THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Jacques Audiard for the film THE SISTERS BROTHERS (France, Belgium, Romania, Spain) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress: Olivia Colman in the film THE FAVOURITE by Yorgos Lanthimos (UK, Ireland, USA) COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor: Willem Dafoe in the film AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel (USA, France) AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for the film THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (USA) SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to: THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia) MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to: Baykali Ganambarr in the film THE NIGHTINGALE by Jennifer Kent (Australia)

    VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM

    LION OF THE FUTURE “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to: YOM ADAATOU ZOULI (THE DAY I LOST MY SHADOW)  by Soudade Kaadan (Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon, France, Qatar) ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI

    ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to: KRABEN RAHU (MANTA RAY) by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng (Thailand, France, China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to: Emir Baigazin for the film OZEN (THE RIVER) (Kazakhstan, Poland, Norway) SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to: ANONS (THE ANNOUNCEMENT) by Mahmut Fazıl Coşkun (Turkey, Bulgaria) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to: Natalya Kudryashova in TCHELOVEK KOTORIJ UDIVIL VSEH (THE MAN WHO SURPRISED EVERYONE) by Natasha Merkulova e Aleksey Chupov  (Russia, Estonia, France) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to: Kais Nashif in TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi (Luxembourg, France, Israel, Belgium) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to: Pema Tseden   for JINPA by Pema Tseden (China) ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to: KADO  by Aditya Ahmad (Indonesia) VENICE SHORT FILM NOMINATION FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2018 to: GLI ANNI by Sara Fgaier (Italy, France)

    VENICE CLASSICS

    VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to: THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION by Peter Bogdanovich (USA) VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to: LA NOTTE DI SAN LORENZO by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (Italy, 1982)

    VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY

    BEST VR AWARD (IMMERSIVE STORY) to: SPHERES  di Eliza McNitt (USA, France) BEST VR EXPERIENCE AWARD (FOR INTERACTIVE CONTENT) to: BUDDY VR  by Chuck Chae (South Korea) BEST VR STORY AWARD (FOR LINEAR CONTENT) to: L’ÎLE DES MORTS by Benjamin Nuel (France)

    COLLATERAL AWARDS

    HFPA Award – HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association) Presented to three filmmakers (director, producer) from the Orizzonti category awarded for Best Film, Best Director and Special Jury Prize

    Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Award (Fundación Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Group) To the director winner of the Award for a Debut Film of the 75th Venice Film Festival

    FIPRESCI Award (International Federation of Film Critics) Napszállta (Sunset) by László Nemes Best Film from Orizzonti and from the parallel sections: Lissa Ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    SIGNIS Award (International World Catholic Association for Communication) ROMA by Alfonso Cuarón Special Mention: 22 JULY by Paul Greengrass

    Leoncino d’Oro Award (Agiscuola) WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Cinema for UNICEF: What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Francesco Pasinetti Award (Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Special Pasinetti Award: SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini ALESSANDRO BORGHI and JASMINE TRINCA Brian Award (UAAR, Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini

    Queer Lion Award (Associazione di Promozione Sociale Queer Lion) JOSÉ by Li Cheng

    ARCA Cinemagiovani Award Best Italian Film in Venice: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone Best Film of Venezia 75: WERK OHNE AUTOR by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

    CICT – UNESCO “Enrico Fulchignoni” Award (Conseil International du Cinema et de la Télévision) EL PEPE, UNA VIDA SUPREMA by Emir Kusturica

    FEDIC Award (Federazione Italiana dei Cineclub) SULLA MIA PELLE by Alessio Cremonini Special Mention FEDIC: RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli Mention FEDIC Il Giornale del Cibo: I VILLANI by Daniele De Michele

    Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award JULIAN SCHNABEL and WILLEM DAFOE

    Lanterna Magica Award (Associazione Nazionale C.G.S.) AMANDA by Mikhael Hers

    Gillo Pontecorvo Award (Istituto Internazionale per il cinema e l’audiovisivo dei paesi latini) Best co-production for a debut film: THE ROAD NOT TAKEN by Tang Gaopeng

    Smithers Foundation Award (International Council of Film and Television at UNESCO and the Observatory on Cultural Communication at U.N.) A STAR IS BORN by Bradley Cooper Special Mention: THE MOUNTAIN by Rick Alverson

    Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue (International Interchurch Film Organisation) TEL AVIV ON FIRE by Sameh Zoabi

    Green Drop Award (Green Cross Italia) AT ETERNITY’S GATE by Julian Schnabel WILLEM DAFOE

    Premio Soundtrack Stars (Free Event and SNGCI) Best Soundtrack: CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone, music by Sacha Ring and Philipp Thimm Best original song: A SUSPIRIUM by Thom Yorke for the film Suspiria by Luca Guadagnino Special Mention: JUDY HILL for the film What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire by Roberto Minervini

    Sun Film Group Audience Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Circolo del Cinema di Verona Award (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) BETES BLONDES (BLONDE ANIMALS) by Maxime Matray and Alexia Walther

    Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia & International Award for the Best Technical Contribution (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Award for Best Short Film SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) MALO TEMPO by Tommaso Perfetti

    Award for Best Director SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) GAGARIN, MI MANCHERAI by Domenico De Orsi

    Award for Best Technical Contribution SIC@SIC 2018 (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) QUELLE BRUTTE COSE by Loris Giuseppe Nese

    Label Europa Cinemas Award (Giornate degli Autori) JOY by Sudabeh Mortezai

    BNL People’s Choice Award (Giornate degli Autori) RICORDI? by Valerio Mieli

    GdA Director’s Award (Giornate degli Autori) C’EST ÇA L’AMOUR by Claire Burge

    HRNs Award (Human Rights Nights Association) A Letter to a Friend in Gaza by Amos Gitai Special Mention: PETERLOO by Mike Leigh Special Mention: 1938 DIVERSI by Giorgio Treves

    Sorriso diverso Award (Ass. studentesca “L’università cerca lavoro”, UCL) Best Film: UN GIORNO ALL’IMPROVVISO by Cirio D’Emilio

    NuovoImaie Award (Artists’ Rights in collaboration with SNGCI and SNCCI) Linda Caridi and Giampiero De Concilio

    Sfera 1932 Award (Consorzio Venezia e il suo Lido with Seguso Vetri d’Arte – Murano dal 1397) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    UNIMED Award (Mediterranean Universities Union) A TRAMWAY IN JERUSALEM by Amos Gitai

    La Pellicola d’Oro Award (Association “Articolo 9 Cultura & Spettacolo” and “S.A.S. Cinema”) FRANCO RAGUSA Special effects for the film Suspiria KATIA SCHWEIGGL Best tailor for the film Capri-Revolution SARTORIA ATELIER NICOLAO DI STEFANO NICOLAO Lifetime Achievement

    Lizzani Award – ANAC (Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici) CAPRI-REVOLUTION by Mario Martone

    Premio Vivere da Sportivi, Fair play al cinema (Vivere da sportivi: a scuola di fair play Assoc.) What you gonna do when the world’s on fire? by Roberto Minervini Special Mention: ZEN SUL GHIACCIO SOTTILE by Margherita Ferri Special Mention: Lissa ammetsajjel (Still Recording) by Saeed al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Edipo Re Award (Università degli Studi di Padova e ResInt Rete dell’Economia Sociale Internazionale) LISSA AMMETSAJJEL (STILL RECORDING) by Saeed Al Batal and Ghiath Ayoub

    Read more


  • DESTROYER Starring Nicole Kidman, BIRDS OF PASSAGE Among 10 Films in Official Competition at 62nd BFI London Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_31640" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]DESTROYER Starring Nicole Kidman DESTROYER Starring Nicole Kidman[/caption] Encompassing a mixture of oddball comedies, genre-bending kaleidoscopic dramas, entertaining crime capers, haunting ghost stories and nail-biting thrillers, the 62nd BFI London Film Festival revealed the ten contenders for the Official Competition, with 50% of the films from a female director or co-director. The Festival will welcome as Jury President Academy Award-nominated director of ROOM (LFF Official Competition 2015), Lenny Abrahamson, whose long-awaited film adaptation of Sarah Waters’ horror novel THE LITTLE STRANGER will be released this September. For the first time, the winner of the Best Film will receive their Award in front of a public audience at a special screening on Saturday October 20th at Vue Leicester Square. The 10 films in Official Competition are: BIRDS OF PASSAGE sees co-directors Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra (Embrace of the Serpent, LFF 2015) return to the Festival with their latest offering – a sprawling, spiritual exploration of family conflict and tribal warfare, laced with heady symbolism and surrealist flashes. Set during the marijuana bonanza, a violent decade that saw the origins of drug trafficking in Colombia bear witness to the thrilling rise and fall of the indigenous Wayuu clan in remote Colombia. A mystical meditation on colonialism, tribalism and modernism. Nicole Kidman is astonishing, and almost unrecognizable, in Karyn Kusama’s (The Invitation, LFF 2015) brooding thriller DESTROYER. Kidman plays Erin, a jaded police detective haunted by her past and still reeling from the trauma of her experience years later, who is forced to confront her demons in order to close the case that almost destroyed her. The film also stars Sebastian Stan, Tatiana Maslany and Toby Kebbell. Alice Rohrwacher (The Wonders, LFF 2014) returns to the Festival with HAPPY AS LAZZARO. A delightfully singular time and genre-bending rumination on the fate of innocence when faced with corruption and greed. Set in rural Italy, this is the tale of Lazzaro, a beautiful peasant so sweet natured he is often mistaken for simple-minded. A magnificent blend of Italian class struggle, folk tales, biblical allegory and pop culture reference, Rohrwacher deservedly shared the Best Screenplay award at Cannes for this kaleidoscopic work. The World Premiere of HAPPY NEW YEAR, COLIN BURSTEAD. is Ben Wheatley’s triumphant return to the Festival after Free Fire (LFF 2016). A poignantly funny and razor-sharp observation of English family dysfunction. Colin has rented a stately country home for his extended family’s New Year celebrations. He’s the centre of attention until his estranged brother David unexpectedly arrives, throwing the family dynamic far off orbit. Starring Joe Cole, Charles Dance, Mark Monero, Hayley Squires, Asim Chaudhry, Doon Mackichan, Bill Paterson, Neil Maskell and Sam Riley. Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy, LFF 2014) returns to the Festival with IN FABRIC, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Gwendoline Christie. A haunting ghost story, laced with lashings of oddball humour and set against the backdrop of a busy winter sales period in a strange department store, it follows the life of a cursed dress as it passes from person to person, with devastating consequences. JOY, directed by Sudabeh Mortezai (whose debut feature Macondo competed for the LFF’s Sutherland Award in 2014), presents a vital and hugely affecting drama that tackles the vicious cycle of sex trafficking in modern Europe. It follows the life of Joy, a young Nigerian woman, who works the streets to pay off debts to her exploiter Madame, while supporting her family in Nigeria and hoping for a better life for her young daughter in Vienna. Iconic director Zhang Yimou presents SHADOW, set during China’s Three Kingdom’s era (AD 220-280). Blood spills in this visually stunning feature, as a great king and his people will be expelled from their homeland, with jaw-dropping combat scenes. Director Zhang presents mind-blowing visual design that revolutionises the colour palette, using water, calligraphy and graphic interpretations of yin and yang. Academy Award© winner László Nemes follows up his critically acclaimed debut Son of Saul (Official Competition nominee LFF 2015) with his feverishly ambitious second feature, SUNSET. Set in 1913, nearing the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and on the eve of the First World War. Írisz Leiter is a hat maker who returns to Budapest years after her parents, respected milliners, sent her to be fostered under mysterious circumstances. A fugue-like meditation on the end of an empire; the brilliantly willful Írisz is our witness to the flickering innocence of a Europe about to be plunged into hell. THE OLD MAN & THE GUN, directed by David Lowery, stars Robert Redford, in what will be his final big screen performance after recently announcing retirement. A brilliantly entertaining crime caper, based on the true story of Forrest Tucker, the self-styled ‘Houdini’ whose many audacious prison breaks included an Alcatraz flight in a homemade kayak, and whose last robbery was committed when he was 79. Offering bittersweet reflections on time and age, THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is a testament to a free-spirit who steadfastly refused to go quietly. The film also stars Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG is a woozily gorgeous evocation of life on the fringe of society. Set during the summer of 1990, after Pinochet’s fall, democracy has returned to Chile. Three youngsters drive up to a woodland commune below the Andes, where they idle the summer away while their parents debate the future. In their isolated community, Sofia, Lucas and Clara face their first loves and fears while building up for New Year’s Eve. Youthful desire, ennui and mischief have rarely felt so tangible. The film is directed by Dominga Sotomayor.

    Read more


  • 2018 Toronto International Film Festival Reveals First Wave of Films

    [caption id="attachment_31044" align="aligncenter" width="1200"]Ben is Back Ben is Back[/caption] The Toronto International Film Festival today unveiled the first round of films premiering in the Gala and Special Presentation programs of the upcoming 43rd edition. Of the 17 Galas and 30 Special Presentations, today’s announcement includes 13 features directed by women. “We have an exceptional selection of films this year that will excite Festival audiences from all walks of life,” said Handling. “Today’s lineup showcases beloved auteurs alongside fresh voices in filmmaking, including numerous female powerhouses. The sweeping range in cinematic storytelling from around the world is a testament to the uniqueness of the films that are being made.” “Every September we invite the whole film world to Toronto, one of the most diverse, movie-mad cities in the world. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to put together a lineup of Galas and Special Presentations that reflects Toronto’s spirit of inclusive, passionate engagement with film. We can’t wait to unveil these films for our audience.” The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 6 to 16, 2018.

    GALAS 2018

    Beautiful Boy Felix van Groeningen, USA World Premiere Everybody Knows Asghar Farhadi, Spain/France/Italy North American Premiere First Man Damien Chazelle, USA Canadian Premiere Galveston Mélanie Laurent, USA Canadian Premiere The Hate U Give George Tillman, Jr., USA World Premiere Hidden Man Jiang Wen, China International Premiere High Life Claire Denis, Germany/France/Poland/United Kingdom World Premiere Husband Material Anurag Kashyap, India World Premiere The Kindergarten Teacher Sara Colangelo, USA Canadian Premiere The Land of Steady Habits Nicole Holofcener, USA World Premiere Life Itself Dan Fogelman, USA World Premiere The Public Emilio Estevez, USA World Premiere Red Joan Sir Trevor Nunn, United Kingdom World Premiere Shadow Zhang Yimou, China North American Premiere A Star is Born Bradley Cooper, USA North American Premiere What They Had Elizabeth Chomko, USA International Premiere Widows Steve McQueen, United Kingdom/USA World Premiere

    SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2018

    Ben is Back Peter Hedges, USA World Premiere Burning Lee Chang-dong, South Korea North American Premiere Can You Ever Forgive Me? Marielle Heller, USA International Premiere Capernaum Nadine Labaki, Lebanon North American Premiere Cold War Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland/United Kingdom/France Canadian Premiere Colette Wash Westmoreland, United Kingdom Canadian Premiere Dogman Matteo Garrone, Italy/France Canadian Premiere The Front Runner Jason Reitman, USA International Premiere Giant Little Ones Keith Behrman, Canada World Premiere Giant Little Ones (Les filles du soleil) Eva Husson, France International Premiere Hotel Mumbai Anthony Maras, Australia World Premiere The Hummingbird Project Kim Nguyen, Canada World Premiere If Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins, USA World Premiere Manto Nandita Das, India North American Premiere Maya Mia Hansen-Løve, France World Premiere Monsters and Men Reinaldo Marcus Green, USA Canadian Premiere Special Presentations Opening Film MOUTHPIECE Patricia Rozema, Canada World Premiere Non-Fiction Olivier Assayas, France Canadian Premiere The Old Man & The Gun David Lowery, USA International Premiere Papi Chulo John Butler, Ireland World Premiere Roma Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA Canadian Premiere Special Presentations Closing Film Shoplifters Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan Canadian Premiere The Sisters Brothers Jacques Audiard, USA/France/Romania/Spain North American Premiere Sunset László Nemes, Hungary/France North American Premiere Through Black Spruce Don McKellar, Canada World Premiere The Wedding Guest Michael Winterbottom, United Kingdom World Premiere The Weekend Stella Meghie, USA World Premiere Where Hands Touch Amma Asante, United Kingdom World Premiere White Boy Rick Yann Demange, USA International Premiere Wildlife Paul Dano, USA Canadian Premiere

    Read more