The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the 353 feature films eligible for the 2024 Academy Awards; of which 207 feature films are eligible for consideration in the Best Picture category, which has additional eligibility requirements beyond those for general entry.
The 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) running from January 1-11, 2016 in Palm Springs, California, announced its line-up of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions competition and Modern Masters.
“I am thrilled at the breadth and depth of this year’s program,” said Festival Artistic Director Helen du Toit. “While Modern Masters showcases such widely acclaimed filmmakers as as Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Barbara Kopple and Terence Davies, our New Voices/New Visions program is evidence that new masters are emerging around the world. The range of approaches is extraordinary. Highlights include Raam Reddy’s Thithi (India), which skillfully juggles myriad characters in a delightful low key comedy; Yorgos Zois’ Interruption (Greece), which challenges the audience with a complex and highly compelling narrative; and Maris Curran’s Five Nights in Maine (USA), featuring David Oyelowo’s nuanced and heartbreaking performance as a widower reconnecting with his estranged mother-in-law.”
Showcasing the diversity of international cinema, Festival premieres will include:
World premieres: 50 Days in the Desert (Luxembourg) directed by Fabrizio Maltese, Agnes (Germany/Belgium), the documentary Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age (US) featuring Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Dick Van Dyke, Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, The Carer (Hungary/UK), Going Going Gone (UK), Searchdog (US) and Set the Thames on Fire (UK).
North American premieres: Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Death By Death (Belgium/France), A Decent Man (Switzerland), Departure (France/UK), Fly Away Solo (India/France), Interruption (Greece/Croatia), A Korean in Paris (South Korea/France), The Memory of Water (Chile/Spain/Argentina/Germany), Moor (Pakistan), On My Mother’s Side (Canada), Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Rosita (Denmark), Spy Time (Spain), Tanna (Australia/Vanuatu), Thithi (India/US/Canada), Utopians (Hong Kong) and When a Tree Falls (Spain).
U.S. premieres: 1944 (Estonia/Finland), 3000 Nights (Palestine/France/Jordan/Lebanon), Atomic Falafel (Israel/Germany/New Zealand), Belgian Rhapsody (Belgium), Beyond My Grandfather Allende (Chile/Mexico), Born to Dance (New Zealand), Closet Monster (Canada), Enclave (Serbia/Germany), The Endless River (South Africa/France), Endorphine (Canada), Exotica, Erotica, Etc. (France), Fire Song (Canada), Five Nights in Maine (US), A Heavy Heart (Germany), Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Let Them Come (Algeria/France), My Big Night (Spain), My Internship in Canada (Canada), The Other Side (Italy/France), Our Everyday Life (Bosnia, Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), The Paradise Suite (Netherlands/Sweden/Bulgaria), Parched (India/US/UK), Parisienne (France), Sabali (Canada), Sleeping Giant (Canada), Summer Solstice (Poland/Germany), Trap (Philippines), The Violin Teacher (Brazil), Wedding Doll (Israel) and Zubaan (India).
The New Voices/New Visions competition showcases 12 US premieres from top emerging international directors marking their feature film debut at the Festival, with the additional criteria that the films selected are currently without U.S. distribution.
Films selected for this year include:
Banat (Italy/Romania/Bulgaria/Macedonia), Director Adriano Valerio
Death By Death (Belgium/France), Director Xavier Seron
Departure (UK/France), Director Andrew Steggall
Five Nights in Maine (US), Director Maris Curran and starring David Oyelowo
A Heavy Heart (Germany), Director Thomas Stuber
Home Care (Czech Republic/Slovakia), Director Slávek Horák
Interruption (Greece/Croatia), Director Yorgos Zois
Let Them Come (Algeria/France), Director Salem Brahimi
Our Everyday Life (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Slovenia/Croatia), Director Ines Tanovic
Paradise Trips (Belgium/Croatia), Director Raf Reyntjens
Sleeping Giant (Canada), Director Andrew Cividino
Thithi (India/US), Director Raam Reddy
The Modern Masters section features 10 films from international directors who set the standards for contemporary cinema. Films selected for this year include:
Cemetery Of Splendour (Thailand/UK), Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Dheepan (France), Director Jacques Audiard
Miss Sharon Jones! (US), Director Barbara Kopple
Mountains May Depart (China/France/Japan), Director Jia Zhangke
My Golden Days (France), Director Arnaud Desplechin
My Mother (Italy/France), Director Nanni Moretti
Our Little Sister (Japan), Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
Sunset Song (UK/Luxembourg), Director Terence Davies
Sweet Bean (Japan), Director Naomi Kawase
Women He’s Undressed (Australia), Director Gillian Armstrong
Other Festival films with notable talent and directors include:
45 Years (UK) directed by Andrew Haigh and starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay,
Anomalisa (US) directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman with the voices of David Thewlis and Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Chronic (Mexico/France) starring Tim Roth,
Closet Monster (Canada) with Connor Jessup and Isabella Rossellini,
Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Netherlands/Mexico/Finland/Belgium/France) directed by Peter Greenaway, February (US/Canada) starring Kiernan Shipka and Emma Roberts,
Hello, My Name is Doris (US) starring Sally Field, Max Greenfield, Beth Behrs and Stephen Root,
Hitchcock/Truffaut (France/US) directed by Kent Jones and featuring Peter Bogdanovich, David Fincher and Richard Linklater,
The Invitation (US) starring Logan Marshall-Green and Michiel Huisman,
The Lady in the Van (UK) directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent and James Corden, (pictured above)
Louder Than Bombs (USA) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Gabriel Byrne and Isabelle Huppert,
Men & Chicken (Denmark) starring Mads Mikkelsen,
Papa (Cuba) directed by Bob Yari and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Joely Richardson and Minka Kelly,
A Perfect Day (Spain) starring Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins and Olga Kurylenko,
The Seventh Fire (US) executive produced by Terrence Malick, Natalie Portman and Chris Eyre, and
Where to Invade Next (US) directed by Michael Moore.
The Cinema of The World program at the upcoming 2015 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), scheduled to take place between the December 9th and 16th, 2015 will welcome forty five of the world’s latest films to its screens.
The first in a series of announcements includes, ‘Dheepan’ (pictured above) a powerful drama by director Jacques Audiard that follows a former Tamil Tiger soldier’s struggle as he fights to begin life anew away from the hardships of war. Winner of the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, ‘Dheepan’ delves deep into the lives of migrants fleeing conflict zones to lead new lives in Europe but, in the case of the Tamil family, conflict is never far behind.
Heart-warming feature ‘Youth’, directed by Academy Award-winner Paolo Sorrentino, depicts the lives of two old friends and the relationship they build whilst on vacation in the Swiss Alps. Starring internationally renowned actors Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel, as Fred and Mick, the lives of two aging artists are portrayed with a blend of humour and wisdom as they reflect on the ways of the world with a deep serenity in a picturesque Alpine landscape.
Contemporary filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien marks his return to cinema after an eight-year absence to present his martial-arts epic ‘The Assassin’. The film follows the enigmatic assassin Yinniang, played by the actress Shu Qi, in a dark tale of emotional turmoil that pushes the film’s central character to breaking point when she is sent on a mission that compromises her primordial instincts.
Inspirational biopic ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ directed by Matt Brown follows the life-changing journey of a young Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan, played by Dev Patel, as he ascends from his humble roots in Madras to attend Cambridge University. It is here that he attempts to pursue his dreams under the mentoring of English mathematician G.H. Hardy, portrayed by Jeremy Irons.
Exquisite and captivating period drama ‘Brooklyn’, directed by John Crowley and based on the acclaimed novel by Colm Toibin, features a stellar cast including Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters. It tells the tale of a young immigrant in a strange new land as she discovers young love and the promise of a brighter future. ‘Brooklyn’ delves deep into the life of its central character, Eilis, in this tale about family, memory and making a new home.
Multi award-winning visionary feature ‘Embrace of The Serpent’, directed by Columbian filmmaker Ciro Guerra, is a visually mesmerizing adventure epic. Inspired by the diaries of two explorers, the film tracks two parallel odysseys travelling through the Amazon three decades apart. It features knockout cinematography, a total of nine different languages and an array of breathtaking locations offering a heart-rending depiction of the effects of colonialism on the indigenous culture.
Ferocious and adrenaline charged crime thriller, ‘Beeba Boys’, directed by Deepa Mehta, depicts a clash of culture and crime in an all-or-nothing Vancouver gang war. Following in the footsteps of gang leader Jeet Johar and his loyal crew, ‘the Beeba Boys’, the film engrosses audiences in a tug-of-war as Jeet and his gang take on an old-fashioned Indo crime syndicate in the battle for control of the drug and arms scene. Blood will be spilled, hearts will be broken and bonds will be shattered as the ‘Beeba Boys’ will do anything to be seen and heard in a white world.
Turkish actress turned director Deniz Gamze Ergüven is set to sweep audiences off their feet at DIFF with her very first feature, ‘Mustang’, which won the Europa Cinemas Label Award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. The film follows five young sisters living in a coastal Turkish village placed under a tyrannical regime that suppresses their natural development in this poignant portrayal of physical and emotional imprisonment.
Award-winning Australian director, Jennifer Peedom, takes audiences on the adventure of a lifetime in her latest film, ‘Sherpa’, in which she tackles the daunting Mount Everest in an attempt to explore the on-going feud between angered Sherpa people and fearless climbers hopeful of conquering the mountain.
Former winner of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his film ‘Uncle Boonmee’ Apichatpong Weerasethakul graces the big screen at DIFF with his mystical new film, ‘Cemetery of Splendour’, which follows a young medium and a hospital volunteer as they investigate a sinister case of mass sleeping sickness affecting a temporary hospital for soldiers. The filmmaker uses the epidemic as a metaphor for personal and Thai societal issues in this enigmatic feature.
‘Trap’, the most recent movie from Filipino filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, represents the lives of three families after the devastating Typhoon Yolanda. The director uses powerful imagery and stories based on the real-life experiences of those that have survived the natural disaster to drive home awareness of climate change and the debilitating effects it has on those that succumb to its wrath.
The 2015 New York Korean Film Festival will run from November 6 to November 11, 2015, at the Museum of the Moving Image. Korean guests invited to attend include star director Ryoo Seung-Wan and producers Kang Hye-jung and Park Jung (Veteran); directors Shin Suwon (Madonna), Lee Do-yun (Confession), Kang Hyo-jin (Wonderful Nightmare), Oh Seung-uk (The Shameless), and Hong Won-chan (Office); and actress Koh Ah-Sung. The Festival will kick off opening night with the New York Premiere of OFFICE, with director Hong Won-chan and star Ko Ah-sung in attendance.
OPENING NIGHT
Office (오피스) (pictured above)
New York Premiere
With director Hong Won-chan and star Ko Ah-sung in person
Followed by a reception in the Museum lobby and cafe
Dir. Hong Won-chan. 2015, 111 mins. B.R. With: Ko Ah-sung, Park Seong-woong, Bae Seong-woo. After gruesomely murdering his family, a midlevel manager (Bae Seong-woo) dutifully returns to the office, haunting the building like a vengeful ghost and turning the otherwise bland workspace into a house of terror. Legitimately alarmed, his colleagues nonetheless sing his praises to the police—a hint that there’s more to the matter than a disgruntled employee suddenly snapping. Described as “hearty genre entertainment” by Variety, this Cannes “Midnight Madness” selection is a perfect outlet for young leading actress Ko Ah-sung.
“Workplace blues wrought large and crimson red.” — Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter
“Razor-sharp satire on petty politics in the corporate world […] laced with wickedly bitchy dialogue” — Maggie Lee, Variety
Hong Won-chan was the screenwriter for Confession of Murder (2012), The Yellow Sea (2010), The Scam (2009), and The Chaser (2007—a selection at Cannes), before making his directorial debut with Office.
The youngest of three sisters, Ko Ah-sung started acting at an early age and played the memorable role of the daughter in Bong Joon-ho’s The Host (2006). Her film credits include The Beauty Inside (2015), Thread of Lies (2014), Snowpiercer (2013), Duet (2012), After the Banquet (2009), A Brand New Life (2009), Radio Dayz (2008), and The Happy Life (2007).
Trap (덫, 치명적인 유혹)
International Premiere
Dir. Bong Man-Dae. 2015, 107 mins. DCP. With Yoo Ha-joon, Han Je-in, Kang Yong-gyoo.
Maladjusted screenwriter Jeong-min (Yoo Ha-joon) travels to the countryside to rethink his life and concentrate on his career. But instead of working on his screenwriting, he finds transgressive distraction in the person of temptress Yumi (Han Je-in). The frontier between reality and fantasy blurs as Jeong-min’s mind and body are engulfed in a fatal attraction to the innocent-faced but dangerous Lolita, leading him to increasingly poor life decisions. A standout entry in the filmography of softcore erotic meister “Playboy” Bong Man-Dae.
Confession (좋은 친구들)
With director Lee Do-yun in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Lee Do-yun. 2014, 114 mins. DCP. With Ji Sung, Ju Ji-hoon. Since a tragic mountain incident in high school, Min-soo (Lee Kwang-soo), Hyun-tae (Ji Sung) and In-chul (Ju Ji-hoon) have remained best friends through thick and thin. But when two of them agree to burn down an illegal gambling hall for the insurance payout, the spilt blood of loved ones unearths the bitter ghosts of a dark past. Soon, the group of childhood friends turn on each other in the bleakest of fallouts. Lee Do-yun’s debut feature has been compared with the slow-burning noir of Sidney Lumet’s final film, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.
“The film’s stupendous execution and the compelling characters successfully drive the film forward.” -Jason Bechervaise, Screen International
Lee Do-yun was born in South Korea. He directed the short films We. Trippers and Neighbor. Confession, his first feature, had its international premiere in Toronto last year.
The Shameless (무뢰한)
With director Oh Seung-uk in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Oh Seung-uk. 118 mins. DCP. With Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil, Park Sung-Woong. In Oh Seung-uk’s highly anticipated return to the director’s chair since his debut masterpiece Kilimanjaro in 2000, Cannes award-winning actress Jeon Do-yeon plays a bar hostess in love with a suspected murderer. Kim Nam-gil (The Pirates) is outstanding as a detective who plays a game of seduction with a dangerous woman. Selected for the Un Certain Regard program at the Cannes Film Festival, The Shameless is an unforgettably stylish noir.
“A mellow pleasure to be slowly savored, this polished work should be welcomed at festivals” — Maggie Lee, Variety
Oh Seung-uk (b.1963) began his career as an assistant director of Lee Chang-dong, co-writing his debut feature Green Fish. In the late ’90s, he co-wrote the landmark romance Christmas in August and Park Kwang-su’s ambitious historical drama The Uprising. Oh made his debut as a director with the crime thriller Killimanjaro in 2000. The Shameless is his long-awaited second feature.
Assassination (암살)
Dir. Choi Dong-hoon. 2015, 140 mins. B.R. With Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-hae, Ha Jung-woo. Choi Dong-hoon’s follow-up to his 2012 hit The Thieves was Korea’s biggest box office hit of the year. Drawing inspiration from 1980s Hong Kong action comedies and South Korea’s little-known 1960s Manchurian Westerns, Assassination follows the journey of three resistance fighters as their mission takes them to the Manchurian countryside, pre-war Shanghai, and Japanese-occupied Seoul to assassinate an evil Japanese governor and his Korean acolyte. Boasting an all-star cast led by screen-goddess Jeon Ji-hyun and superstar Lee Jung-jae, Assassination is “a sensationally entertaining mash-up of historical drama, Dirty Dozen style shoot-‘em-up, spaghetti Western-flavored flamboyance, and extended action set pieces that suggest a dream-team collaboration of Sergio Leone, John Woo and Steven Spielberg” according to Variety’s Joe Leydon.
Madonna (마돈나)
With director Shin Su-Won in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Shin Su-won. 2015, 121 mins. DCP. With Seo Young-hee, Kwon So-hyun, Kim Young-min.
After her festival hit Pluto (2012), a critically acclaimed high-school drama about bullying and murder which won a Special Mention at the 2013 Berlinale, director Shin Su-won delivers a shocking, noir-tinged tale of privilege and poverty: a nurse’s aide uncovers and tries to prevent the horrific use of a brain dead pregnant street-walker for a heart transplant to a rich patient.
Director Shin Su-Won was a middle school teacher before she began a directing career. Her short, Circle Line, won the Canal+ Prize for Best Short Film at Cannes 2012, and her debut feature, Passerby #3 (2010), won awards at the Tokyo International Film Festival and Jeonju International Film Festival. Her films include Modern Family (2012) and Pluto (2013).
The Beauty Inside (뷰티 인사이드)
Dir. Baik (Baek Jong-yeol), 2015, 127 mins. B.R. With Han Hyo-joo, Park Seo-jun, Mun Suk, Lee Dong-hwi, Lee Mi-do. Since his 18th birthday, Woo-jin wakes up each morning as a different person in a new body. Sometimes he’s old, sometimes he’s young, sometimes he’s not Korean…or even a man. But inside, he remains the same down-to-earth, honest cabinet maker devoted to his craft. And each day he fights to connect with the woman he loves (Han Hyo-joo, in a luminous, standout performance). Beneath the slick romantic fantasy and the gorgeous cinematography, the film asks real questions about identity and true love.
“Blessed with a MLB roster’s worth of veteran character players (Kim Sang-ho, Kim Min-jae, Jo Dal-hwan), and buzzy young stars”—Elizabeth Kerr, The Hollywood Reporter
Veteran (베테랑)
With director Ryoo Seung-wan in person
U.S. Festival Premiere
Dir. Ryoo Seung-wan. 2015, 123 mins. DCP. With Hwang Jung-min, Yoo Ah-in, Yoo Hae-jin. In this instant action/comedy classic—a massive theatrical hit earlier this summer—hardboiled detective Seo Do-cheol (top actor Hwang Jung-min can throw—and take—a punch) and his misfit team defend the powerless against the vicious scion of a prominent family (played with villainous delight by heartthrob Yoo Ah-in, in a widely acclaimed performance).
Ryoo Seung-wan was born in Onyang, South Korea. His films include The Berlin File (2013), The Unjust (2010), Dachimawa Lee (2008), The City of Violence (2006), Crying Fist (2005), Arahan (2004), No Blood No Tears (2002), and Die Bad (2000). He won “Best Director” at the Blue Dragon Film Awards in 2011.
Wonderful Nightmare (미쓰 와이프)
With director Kang Hyo-jin in person
New York Premiere
Dir. Kang Hyo-jin. 2015, 125 mins. DCP. With Uhm Jung-hwa, Song Seung-heon, Seo Shin-Ae. Heaven makes a clerical error, so ambitious lawyer Yeon-woo (played by superstar Uhm Jung-hwa) returns to Earth to find herself married to a salaryman and mother to a rebellious teenager and know-it-all six-year-old. A sharp, hilarious satire about the shift in gender roles in contemporary Korean society that struck a deep chord with local audiences.
Director Kang Hyo-jin’s independent feature, Kill’em with Bare Hands (2004), won the audience award at the Seoul Independent Film Festival. His films include Dirty Blood (2012), Twilight Gangsters (2010), and Punch Lady (2007).