The Fencer (2015)

THE FENCER, Finland’s Entry for Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, Sets Release Date | Trailer

The Fencer directed by Klaus Härö – 2016 Golden Globe nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as Finland’s official selection and shortlist finalist at the 2016 Academy Awards (Best Foreign Language Film) will be released in the US in Summer 2017. The film will open at City Cinemas in New York on July 21 and at the Royal and Playhouse 7 in Los Angeles on August 11. A national release will follow. A young man, Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi), arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia in the early 1950s. Having left Leningrad to escape the secret police, he finds work as a teacher and organizes a sports club for his students. Endel learns to love the children and begins to looks after them; most are orphans as a result of the Russian occupation. He starts teaching them his great passion – fencing. Fencing becomes a form of self-expression for the children and Endel is quickly seen as their role model and a father figure. Endel’s popularity with his students causes a conflict with the school’s principal. Envious and suspicious, the principal starts investigating Endel’s background and discovers a secret from his past. When an opportunity arises for the children to participate in a national fencing tournament in Leningrad, Endel must make a choice: risk everything to take the children to Leningrad, or disappoint them by putting his safety first. The Fencer was inspired by the true story of Endel Nelis, Estonia’s legendary fencing maestro.
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A WAR, LANDFILL HARMONIC, SONITA Voted Audience Award Winners at Portland International Film Festival

The Audience Award winners have been revealed for the 2016 Portland International Film Festival. Earning top audience accolades for Best Narrative Feature is A WAR (Denmark) directed by Tobias Lindholm. (pictured above) SONITA (Iran) directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami and LANDFILL HARMONIC (United States) directed by Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley tied for the Best Documentary Feature award. LIZA THE FOX-FAIRY (Hungary) director Károly Ujj Mészáros takes home the audience award for Best New Director Award. (pictured above) This year’s Best Short Film Award goes to director Dawn Jones Redstone for her film SISTA IN THE BROTHERHOOD (Portland). Redstone’s film is also the recipient of the Oregon Short Film Award. Narrative Features 1. A WAR / Denmark / Tobias Lindholm *best narrative feature 2. THE FENCER / Finland / Klaus Härö 3. LIZA THE FOX-FAIRY / Hungary / Károly Ujj Mészáros 4. RAMS / Iceland / Grímur Hákonarson 5. THE JUDGMENT / Bulgaria / Stephan Komandorev 6. LET THEM COME / Algeria / Salem Brahimi 7. LAST CAB TO DARWIN / Australia / Jeremy Sims 8. THE THIN YELLOW LINE / Mexico / Celso García 9. DHEEPAN / France / Jacques Audiard 10. MARSHLAND / Spain / Alberto Rodríguez Documentary Features 1. SONITA / Iran / Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami (tied with) LANDFILL HARMONIC / United States / Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley *best documentary feature 2. A GOOD AMERICAN / Austria, US / Friedrich Moser 2. OPEN YOUR EYES / Portland / Irene Taylor Brodsky 4. ROBERT BLY: A THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY / US / Haydn Reiss 5. 50 FEET FROM SYRIA / Portland / Skye Fitzgerald 6. FOR GRACE / US / Kevin Pang and Mark Helenowski 7. THE PEARL BUTTON / Chile / Patricio Guzmán 8. IRAQI ODYSSEY / Switzerland / Samir 9. THRU YOU PRINCESS / Israel / Ido Haar Best New Directors 1. LIZA THE FOX-FAIRY / Hungary / Károly Ujj Mészáros *best new director 2. THE THIN YELLOW LINE / Mexico / Celso García 3. FOR GRACE / US / Kevin Pang and Mark Helenowski Shorts 1. SISTA IN THE BROTHERHOOD / Portland / Dawn Jones Redstone *best short film 2. HOW I DIDN’T BECOME A PIANO PLAYER / UK / Tommaso Pitta 3. ROAD TRIP / Germany / Xaver Xylophon Oregon Shorts 1. SISTA IN THE BROTHERHOOD / Portland / Dawn Jones Redstone *best Oregon short film 2. ONE WEEK / Portland / Rollyn Stafford 3. PEACE IN THE VALLEY / Portland / Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri
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Santa Barbara International Film Festival Lineup, Fest to Open With US Premiere of THE LITTLE PRINCE

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF), which will run February 3rd to February 13th, 2016, announced the line-up for the 31st edition.

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Complete List with TRAILERS of 9 Foreign Films Still in Race for Oscar

Nine features will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 88th Academy Awards®. Eighty films had originally been considered in the category. The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are: Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” (pictured above) Jaco Van Dormael, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_FFNL_jPHE Colombia, “Embrace of the Serpent,” Ciro Guerra, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS73P3hZvPA Denmark, “A War,” Tobias Lindholm, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qil14JEoPzU Finland, “The Fencer,” Klaus Härö, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShMAkhyC6bY France, “Mustang,” Deniz Gamze Ergüven, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5nyY8E6CPg Germany, “Labyrinth of Lies,” Giulio Ricciarelli, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xU0Ywoww70 Hungary, “Son of Saul,” László Nemes, director; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7YvgRU15M8 Ireland, “Viva,” Paddy Breathnach, director; Jordan, “Theeb,” Naji Abu Nowar, director. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnEd_WSGtWQ Foreign Language Film nominations for 2015 are being determined in two phases. The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based Academy members, screened the original submissions in the category between mid-October and December 14. The group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist. The shortlist will be winnowed down to the category’s five nominees by specially invited committees in New York, Los Angeles and London. They will spend Friday, January 8, through Sunday, January 10, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots. The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar® presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
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‘Carol’ Leads Nominations for 73rd Golden Globe Awards

‘Carol’ led the nominations for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, with five nominations – best motion picture, drama; best performance by an actress, drama for both Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; best director, Todd Haynes; and best original score, Carter Burwell. Film festival hits The Danish Girl, Room and Spotlight were right behind with 3 nominations each. In the foreign film category Europe took the lead with nominations for France (Mustang), Hungary (Son of Saul), Finland/Germany/Estonia (The Fencer) and Belgium/France/Luxembourg (The Brand New Testament). Latin America rounded up the nominations with Chile’s The Club. The Golden Globes will be presented on January 10 and broadcast live by NBC. The complete list of nominations for 73rd Golden Globe Awards. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA CAROL Number 9 Films; The Weinstein Company MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Warner Bros. Pictures / Village Roadshow Pictures / Kennedy Miller Mitchell; Warner Bros. Pictures THE REVENANT Regency Enterprises; Twentieth Century Fox ROOM Element Pictures / No Trace Camping; A24 SPOTLIGHT Anonymous Content / Participant Media / First Look; Open Road Films BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA CATE BLANCHETT CAROL BRIE LARSON ROOM ROONEY MARA CAROL SAOIRSE RONAN BROOKLYN ALICIA VIKANDER THE DANISH GIRL BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA BRYAN CRANSTON TRUMBO LEONARDO DICAPRIO THE REVENANT MICHAEL FASSBENDER STEVE JOBS EDDIE REDMAYNE THE DANISH GIRL WILL SMITH CONCUSSION BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY THE BIG SHORT Paramount Pictures / Regency Enterprises; Paramount Pictures JOY Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox THE MARTIAN Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox SPY Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox TRAINWRECK Universal Pictures / Apatow Productions; Universal Pictures BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY JENNIFER LAWRENCE JOY MELISSA MCCARTHY SPY AMY SCHUMER TRAINWRECK MAGGIE SMITH THE LADY IN THE VAN LILY TOMLIN GRANDMA BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY CHRISTIAN BALE THE BIG SHORT STEVE CARELL THE BIG SHORT MATT DAMON THE MARTIAN AL PACINO DANNY COLLINS MARK RUFFALO INFINITELY POLAR BEAR BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED ANOMALISA Starburns Industries; Paramount Pictures THE GOOD DINOSAUR Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures INSIDE OUT Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures THE PEANUTS MOVIE Blue Sky Studios; Twentieth Century Fox SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE Aardman; Lionsgate / Studiocanal BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT (BELGIUM / FRANCE / LUXEMBOURG) Terra Incognita / Climax Films / Après le Déluge / Juliette Films / Caviar; Belga Films / Le Pacte THE CLUB (CHILE) Fabula; Music Box Films THE FENCER (FINLAND / GERMANY / ESTONIA) Making Movies / Kick Film GmbH / Allfilm; Oy Nordisk Film Ab MUSTANG (FRANCE) CG Cinéma / Vistamar Flimproduktion; Cohen Media Group SON OF SAUL (HUNGARY) Laokoon Filmgroup; Sony Pictures Classics BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE JANE FONDA YOUTH JENNIFER JASON LEIGH THE HATEFUL EIGHT HELEN MIRREN TRUMBO ALICIA VIKANDER EX MACHINA KATE WINSLET STEVE JOBS BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE PAUL DANO LOVE & MERCY IDRIS ELBA BEASTS OF NO NATION MARK RYLANCE BRIDGE OF SPIES MICHAEL SHANNON 99 HOMES SYLVESTER STALLONE CREED BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE TODD HAYNES CAROL ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU THE REVENANT TOM MCCARTHY SPOTLIGHT GEORGE MILLER MAD MAX: FURY ROAD RIDLEY SCOTT THE MARTIAN BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE EMMA DONOGHUE ROOM TOM MCCARTHY, JOSH SINGER SPOTLIGHT CHARLES RANDOLPH, ADAM MCKAY THE BIG SHORT AARON SORKIN STEVE JOBS QUENTIN TARANTINO THE HATEFUL EIGHT BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE CARTER BURWELL CAROL ALEXANDRE DESPLAT THE DANISH GIRL ENNIO MORRICONE THE HATEFUL EIGHT DANIEL PEMBERTON STEVE JOBS RYUICHI SAKAMOTO, ALVA NOTO THE REVENANT BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE “LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO” — FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Music by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh Lyrics by: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Ali Payami, Ilya Salmanzadeh “ONE KIND OF LOVE” — LOVE & MERCY Music by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett Lyrics by: Brian Wilson, Scott Bennett “SEE YOU AGAIN” — FURIOUS 7 Music by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz Lyrics by: Justin Franks, Andrew Cedar, Charlie Puth, Cameron Thomaz “SIMPLE SONG #3” — YOUTH Music by: David Lang Lyrics by: David Lang “WRITING’S ON THE WALL” — SPECTRE Music by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes Lyrics by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA EMPIRE FOX 20th Century Fox Television / Imagine Television GAME OF THRONES HBO HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360 and Startling Television MR. ROBOT USA NETWORK Universal Cable Productions NARCOS NETFLIX Gaumont International Television for Netflix OUTLANDER STARZ Sony Pictures Television BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA CAITRIONA BALFE OUTLANDER VIOLA DAVIS HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER EVA GREEN PENNY DREADFUL TARAJI P. HENSON EMPIRE ROBIN WRIGHT HOUSE OF CARDS BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA JON HAMM MAD MEN RAMI MALEK MR. ROBOT WAGNER MOURA NARCOS BOB ODENKIRK BETTER CALL SAUL LIEV SCHREIBER RAY DONOVAN BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY CASUAL HULU Lionsgate TV / Right of Way MOZART IN THE JUNGLE AMAZON VIDEO Amazon Studios ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK NETFLIX Lionsgate Television for Netflix SILICON VALLEY HBO HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, Altschuler Krinsky Works, and 3 Arts Entertainment TRANSPARENT AMAZON VIDEO Amazon Studios VEEP HBO HBO Entertainment in association with Dundee Productions BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY RACHEL BLOOM CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND JAMIE LEE CURTIS SCREAM QUEENS JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS VEEP GINA RODRIGUEZ JANE THE VIRGIN LILY TOMLIN GRACE AND FRANKIE BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY AZIZ ANSARI MASTER OF NONE GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL MOZART IN THE JUNGLE ROB LOWE THE GRINDER PATRICK STEWART BLUNT TALK JEFFREY TAMBOR TRANSPARENT BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION American Crime ABC ABC Studios American Horror Story: Hotel FX 20th Century Fox Television Fargo FX MGM Television Studios / FX Productions Flesh & Bone Starz Starz Wolf Hall PBS A Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures production for BBC and MASTERPIECE in association with BBC Worldwide, Atlus Media and Prescience BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION KIRSTEN DUNST FARGO LADY GAGA AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL SARAH HAY FLESH & BONE FELICITY HUFFMAN AMERICAN CRIME QUEEN LATIFAH BESSIE BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION IDRIS ELBA LUTHER OSCAR ISAAC SHOW ME A HERO DAVID OYELOWO NIGHTINGALE MARK RYLANCE WOLF HALL PATRICK WILSON FARGO BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION UZO ADUBA ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK JOANNE FROGGATT DOWNTON ABBEY REGINA KING AMERICAN CRIME JUDITH LIGHT TRANSPARENT MAURA TIERNEY THE AFFAIR BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION ALAN CUMMING THE GOOD WIFE DAMIAN LEWIS WOLF HALL BEN MENDELSOHN BLOODLINE TOBIAS MENZIES OUTLANDER CHRISTIAN SLATER MR. ROBOT
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40 Submissions for Best Foreign Language Film to Compete for FIPRESCI Award at Palm Springs International Film Festival

The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), scheduled January 1-11, 2016, announced the films selected to compete for the FIPRESCI Award in the Awards Buzz section.

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2015 AFI European Union Film Showcase Announces Complete Lineup; Opens with A PERFECT DAY, Closes with THE TREASURE

The American Film Institute (AFI) announced the complete slate of films for the 2015 AFI European Union Film Showcase, taking place December 1–20 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. This year’s AFI European Union Film Showcase will open December 1 with Fernando León de Aranoa’s A PERFECT DAY (Spain), a darkly comedic portrait of aid workers attempting to provide clean water during the aftermath of the Balkan War, starring Oscar® winners Benicio Del Toro (TRAFFIC, SICARIO) and Tim Robbins (MYSTIC RIVER, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) alongside Olga Kurylenko (QUANTUM OF SOLACE, OBLIVION) and Mélanie Thierry (THE ZERO THEOREM). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQfqygkNMqE The Closing Night film, THE TREASURE (Romania), directed by Corneliu Porumboiu (POLICE, ADJECTIVE; 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST), is a deadpan comedy of manners that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Prix Un Certain Talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d56mX1P6p2U The Showcase’s Special Presentations section includes Paolo Sorrentino’s YOUTH (Italy) starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Jane Fonda, Paul Dano and Rachel Weisz; THE LADY IN THE VAN (United Kingdom) starring Maggie Smith; Jacques Audiard’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner DHEEPAN (France); BODY (Poland) directed by Malgorzata Szumowska, winner of the Best Director prize at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival; 45 YEARS (United Kingdom) starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, winners of Best Actress and Actor at Berlin; Cannes Grand Prix Winner SON OF SAUL (Hungary); Berlin Silver Bear prize winner AFERIM! (Romania); festival favorite MY GOLDEN DAYS (France) directed by Arnaud Desplechin; Venice Film Festival premiere A WAR (Denmark) directed by Tobias Lindholm (A HIJACKING); and A ROYAL NIGHT OUT (United Kingdom) starring Sarah Gadon, Bel Powley, Emily Watson and Rupert Everett. Other highlights include the U.S. premiere of MA MA (Spain) starring Penélope Cruz; DISORDER (France) starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger; THE WAIT (Italy) starring Juliette Binoche; SECOND COMING (United Kingdom) starring Idris Elba; Matteo Garrone’s TALE OF TALES (Italy) starring Salma Hayek, John C. Reilly and Vincent Cassel; KILL YOUR FRIENDS (United Kingdom) starring Nicholas Hoult, James Corden and Rosanna Arquette; and Nanni Moretti’s MIA MADRE starring John Turturro. Among the films featured are a number of 2015 Oscar® submissions for Best Foreign Language Film, including THE HIGH SUN (Croatia); A WAR (Denmark); 1944 (Estonia); THE FENCER (Finland); SON OF SAUL (Hungary); THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE (Lithuania); BABY(A)LONE (Luxembourg); AFERIM! (Romania); and THE TREE (Slovenia). 2014 Oscar® submissions include SIMSHAR (Malta). Complete list of U.S. premieres: MA MA (Spain) EVA NOVÁ (Slovakia) THE SNAKE BROTHERS (Czech Republic) THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (France) BABY(A)LONE (Luxembourg) IMPRESSIONS OF A DROWNED MAN (Cyprus) Complete list of East Coast premieres: A WAR (Denmark) THE WAIT (Italy) YOU’RE UGLY TOO (Ireland) (BE)LONGING (Portugal) THE TREE (Slovenia) SIMSHAR (Malta)
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Complete List of Films + Trailers for 81 Countries in Competition for 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar

Eighty-one countries have submitted films for consideration in the 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar category for the 88th Academy Awards.

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