• Italian actor and director Nanni Moretti to be President of the Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes

    Nanni Moretti will be President of the Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes to be held from May 16 to 27, 2012.

    Accepting the invitation, the Italian actor and director said: “This is a real joy, an honour and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world, a festival that is held in a country where film has always been treated with interest and respect.

    As a director, I was always very moved when my films were presented at the Festival de Cannes. I also have very happy memories of my experience as a jury member during the fiftieth anniversary season, and of the attentiveness and passion that went into the jury’s viewing and discussion of all the films.

    As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film.”

    Nanni Moretti has presented six films at the Festival de Cannes, including last year’s Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope).

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  • 42nd Berlinale Unveils Films in Main Program

    [caption id="attachment_2280" align="alignnone"]Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) [/caption]

    The 42nd Berlinale Forum will be showing 38 films in its main program, including 26 world premieres and 8 international premieres.

    Ann-Kristin Reyels’ film Formentera follows a young couple on holiday who run into the ’68 ideals of their parents’ generation and come to realise the extent to which their own ideas about life diverge from one another. Sleepless Knights by Stefan Butzmühlen and Cristina Diz is also set in Spain, telling a story of gay love in the provinces and presenting the co-existence of different generations as an alternative to urban dislocation.

    Beziehungsweisen (Negotiating Love) by Calle Overweg also explores the complicated set of compromises involved with living together on a daily basis, blending documentary means and staging techniques to observe different clients attending couples’ therapy. What Is Love by Ruth Mader tackles a similar theme, tracing the various different manifestations of love in five vignettes from the Austrian provinces.

    Present-day nomads form the focus of two films in this year’s program: Habiter / Construire (Living / Building) by Clémence Ancelin, which documents a road construction project in Chad and the effect it has on the local desert population, and Hiver nomade (Winter Nomads) by Manuel von Stürler, a portrait of two shepherds in French-speaking Switzerland in the depths of winter.

    The Jordanian film Al Juma Al Akheira (The Last Friday) by Yahya Alabdallah tells the story of a taxi driver in Amman who is forced to bring some level of order into his failed existence. The documentary Bagrut Lochamim (Soldier / Citizen) confronts us with the uncompromising views of young Israelis about their Arab compatriots and neighbours. Mani Haghighi’s Paziraie Sadeh (Modest Reception) is an intelligent provocation in which a rich couple distributes plastic bags full of money in the Iranian provinces – a handout aimed purely at degradation.

    Rodrigo Plá’s moving Uruguayan film La demora (The Wait) tells the story of a woman driven by her desperate situation to abandon her senile father. Mariano Luque’s directorial debut Salsipuedes is a visionary look at domestic violence that serves as a calling card for the new generation of young filmmakers working in Córdoba in Northern Argentina. For its part, the documentary Escuela normal (Normal School) by Celina Murga observes a secondary school in Buenos Aires where the pupils imitate the political structures of the adult world.

    American independent cinema also has a strong presence in this year’s Forum program. David Zellner’s fairytale-like Kid-Thing explores the day-to-day life and fantasies of a neglected little girl. Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky’s Francine follows a shy woman (played by Oscar-winning actress Melissa Leo) recently released from jail and her overwhelming affinity for animals. And So Yong Kim’s For Ellen shows the final attempts made by a neglectful rock-musician (played by Paul Dano) to build a relationship with his young daughter.

    Three films from Japan deal with the tsunami of 11 March 2011 and the meltdown at Fukushima nuclear power station. In No Man’s Zone (Mujin chitai), Fujiwara Toshi advances like a Tarkowskian Stalker into the contaminated zone around the nuclear reactors and evokes images of an invisible apocalypse. Iwai Shunji discusses the political, economic and social situation of a country in a state of dependence in friends after 3.11. And Funahashi Atsushi’s Nuclear Nation creates a portrait of a mayor without a town, who is desperately trying to keep together a community scattered across different emergency shelters in the Tokyo suburbs and is brought to question old certainties in the process.

    Main Program

    Al Juma Al Akheira (The Last Friday) by Yahya Alabdallah, Jordan/United Arab Emirates – IP

    Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (The Woman in the Septic Tank) byMarlon N. Rivera, The Philippines Avalon by Axel Petersén, Sweden

    Bagrut Lochamim (Soldier / Citizen) by Silvina Landsmann, Israel – WP

    Bestiaire by Denis Côté, Canada/France

    Beziehungsweisen (Negotiating Love) by Calle Overweg, Germany – WP

    La demora (The Wait) by Rodrigo Plá, Uruguay/Mexico/France – WP

    Escuela normal (Normal School) by Celina Murga, Argentina – WP

    Espoir voyage by Michel K. Zongo, France/Burkina Faso – IP

    For Ellen by So Yong Kim, USA – IP

    Formentera by Ann-Kristin Reyels, Germany – WP

    Francine by Brian M. Cassidy/Melanie Shatzky, USA/Canada – WP

    friends after 3.11 by Iwai Shunji, Japan – IP

    Habiter / Construire (Living / Building) by Clémence Ancelin, France – WP

    Hemel by Sacha Polak, The Netherlands/Spain – WP

    Hiver nomade (Winter Nomads) by Manuel von Stürler, Switzerland – WP

    Jaurès by Vincent Dieutre, France – WP

    Kashi (Choked) by Kim Joong-hyun, Republic of Korea – IP

    Kazoku no kuni (Our Homeland) by Yang Yonghi, Japan – WP

    Kid-Thing by David Zellner, USA – IP

    Koi ni itaru yamai (The End of Puberty) by Kimura Shoko, Japan – IP

    Die Lage (Condition) by Thomas Heise, Germany – WP

    No Man’s Zone (Mujin chitai) by Fujiwara Toshi, Japan/France – IP

    Nuclear Nation by Funahashi Atsushi, Japan – WP

    Parabeton – Pier Luigi Nervi und römischer Beton (Parabeton – Pier Luigi Nervi and Roman Concrete) by Heinz Emigholz, Germany – WP

    Paziraie Sadeh (Modest Reception) by Mani Haghighi, Iran – WP

    Príliš mladá noc (A Night Too Young) by Olmo Omerzu, Czech Republic/Slovenia – WP

    Revision by Philip Scheffner, Germany – WP

    Salsipuedes by Mariano Luque, Argentina – WP

    Sekret (Secret) by Przemyslaw Wojcieszek, Poland – WP

    Sleepless Knights by Stefan Butzmühlen/Cristina Diz, Germany – WP

    Le sommeil d’or (Golden Slumbers) by Davy Chou, France/Cambodia

    Spanien (Spain) by Anja Salomonowitz, Austria – WP

    Tepenin Ardi (Beyond the Hill) by Emin Alper, Turkey/Greece – WP

    Tiens moi droite (Keep Me Upright) by Zoé Chantre, France – WP

    Toata lumea din familia noastra (Everybody in Our Family) by Radu Jude, Romania/The Netherlands – WP

    What Is Love by Ruth Mader, Austria – WP

    Zavtra (Tomorrow) by Andrey Gryazev, Russia – WP

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  • 20 Documentary Films Added to Berlin Film Fest

    [caption id="attachment_2195" align="alignnone"]Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present[/caption]

    The documentary lineup is almost complete for the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.  On February 10, 2012, the Panorama Dokumente will open with The Reluctant Revolutionary by British director Sean McAllister. The film is about a Yemenite tourist guide who slowly abandons his professional distance towards the political “spring” in his country. His experiences with a customer, one of the last tourists in these turbulent times, politicize him.

    Panorama Dokumente

    Anak-Anak Srikandi (Children of Srikandi) by the Children of Srikandi Collective, Germany/Indonesia – WP

    Angriff auf die Demokratie – Eine Intervention (Democracy Under Attack – An Intervention) by Romuald Karmakar, Germany – WP

    Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984 to 1992 by Dagmar Schultz, Germany – WP

    Brötzmann – Da gehört die Welt mal mir (Brötzmann – That’s When The World Is Mine) by Uli M Schueppel, Germany – WP
    with Caspar Brötzmann, Eduardo Delgado Lopez, Danny Lommen

    Call Me Kuchu by Malika Zouhali-Worrall, Katherine Fairfax Wright, USA – WP

    Detlef by Stefan Westerwelle, Jan Rothstein, Germany
    with Detlef Stoffel, Anneliese Stoffel, Gustav-Peter Wöhler, Lilo Wanders, Corny Littmann – WP

    Herr Wichmann aus der dritten Reihe (Henryk from the back row) by Andreas Dresen, Germany – WP

    In the Shadow of a Man by Hanan Abdalla, Egypt – WP

    König des Comics (King of Comics) by Rosa von Praunheim, Germany – WP
    with Ralf König, Joachim Król, Hella von Sinnen, Ralph Morgenstern

    La Vierge, les Coptes et Moi (The Virgin, the Copts and Me) by Namir Abdel Messeeh, France/Qatar/Egypt

    Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present (Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present) by Matthew Akers, USA

    Olhe pra mim de novo (Look at me again) by Kiko Goifman, Claudia Priscilla, Brazil

    The Reluctant Revolutionary by Sean McAllister, Great Britain

    The Summit by Franco Fracassi, Massimo Lauria, Italy – WP

    Ulrike Ottinger – die Nomadin vom See (Ulrike Ottinger – nomad from the lake) by Brigitte Kramer, Germany – WP
    with Ulrike Ottinger, Ingvild Goetz, Irm Hermann, Ulrich Gregor

    Unter Männern – Schwul in der DDR (Among Men – Gay in East Germany) by Markus Stein, Rösener Ringo, Germany – WP
    with Eduard Stapel, Frank Schäfer, Jürgen Wittdorf, John Zinner, Helwin Leuschner

    Vito by Jeffrey Schwarz, USA

    Words of Witness by Mai Iskander, USA – WP


    Feature films

    Diaz – Don’t Clean Up This Blood by Daniele Vicari,
    Italy/Romania/ France – WP
    with Elio Germano, Alessandro Roja, Claudio Santamaria

    Sharqiya (Central Station) by Ami Livne, Israel/France/Germany – WP
    with Adnan Abuwadi, Naisa Abel El Haidi

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  • Young Adult Join More Films Added to 2012 Berlin Film Fest

    [caption id="attachment_2022" align="alignnone"]Young Adult[/caption]

    Twelve more films have been confirmed for this year’s Berlinale Special programme. Besides Werner Herzog’s documentary film series Death Row and Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut In The Land Of Blood And Honey, these films include the documentaries Althawra… Khabar (Reporting … A Revolution) by Bassam Mortada, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry by Alison Klayman, Hijos de las Nubes by Alvaro Longoria, Anton Corbijn Inside Out by Klaartje Quirijns as well as Chris Kenneally’s Side by Side, with Keanu Reeves.

    At a matinée, the film The Life and Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943) by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger will be presented in a newly restored version.

    Film director Mark Cousins will be showing his 900 minute-long documentary The Story Of Film: An Odyssey as a European premiere.

    The Berlinale Special will also be keeping its traditional venues Kino International and the Friedrichstadt-Palast, where the Berlinale Special Gala Screenings will again be presented.


    Berlinale Special Gala screenings at the Friedrichstadt-Palast:

    Young Adult
    USA
    By Jason Reitman (Up In The Air, Juno, Thank You for Smoking)
    With Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elisabeth Reaser
    German premiere

    Already announced:
    Don – The King Is Back (India/Germany) by Farhan Akhtar
    Marley (Great Britain/USA) – documentary by Kevin Macdonald
    La chispa de la vida (Spain/France) by Álex de la Iglesia


    Berlinale Special screenings at the Kino International:

    Glück (Bliss)
    Germany
    By Doris Dörrie (Naked, Am I Beautiful?, Cherry Blossoms, The Hairdresser)
    With Alba Rohrwacher, Vinzenz Kiefer, Matthias Brandt, Oliver Nägele
    World premiere

    I, Anna
    Great Britain/Germany/France
    By Barnaby Southcombe (Feature debut)
    With Charlotte Rampling, Gabriel Byrne, Hayley Atwell, Eddie Marsan
    World premiere

    Matineé
    The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp (1943)
    Great Britain
    By Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus)
    With Roger Livesey, Deborah Kerr, Anton Walbrook
    Restored version

    Already announced:

    Keyhole (Canada) by Guy Maddin


    Berlinale Special screenings at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele:

    Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry – Documentary
    USA
    By Alison Klayman
    International premiere

    Althawra… Khabar (Reporting … A Revolution) – Documentary
    Egypt
    By Bassam Mortada
    International premiere

    Anton Corbijn Inside Out – Documentary
    Netherlands
    By Klaartje Quirijns
    World premiere

    Hijo de las nubes, la última colonia (Sons Of The Clouds, The Last Colony) – Documentary
    Spain
    Alvaro Longoria
    World premiere

    Side by Side – Documentary
    USA
    By Chris Kenneally (Crazy Legs Conti: Zen and the Art of Competitive Eating)
    World premiere

    Already announced:
    Death Row (USA) – documentary series by Werner Herzog
    In The Land Of Blood And Honey (USA) by Angelina Jolie


    More Berlinale Special presentations:

    To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the film journal “Positif”:
    Der Fangschuss (Le coup de grâce, 1975)
    Germany
    By Volker Schlöndorff (The Tin Drum, Germany in Autumn, The Legend of Rita)
    With Matthias Habich, Margarethe von Trotta, Rüdiger Kirschtein, Mathieu Carriere, Valeska Gert

    The Story of Film: An Odyssey – Documentary
    Great Britain
    By Mark Cousins (The First Movie, The New Ten Commandments)
    European premiere


    Special Screening:

    For the “50th Anniversary of the Oberhausen Manifesto”:
    Abschied von den Fröschen (Farewell to the Frogs) – Documentary
    Germany
    By Ulrike Schamoni

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  • Cuabn Animated Film Chico & Rita Gets a US Release Date

    Chico & Rita, the new animated film from Oscar-winner Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque) and internationally-renowned illustrator/designer Javier Mariscal will be finally released in the US. The film which won the Best Animated Feature at both the Goya Awards and European Film Awards, will open February 10, 2012 at the Angelika Film in New York City with hopefully more cities to follow.

    In Chico & Rita, a gifted songwriter and beautiful singer chase their dreams – and each other – from Havana to New York and Las Vegas.

    Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unite them, but their journey – in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero – brings heartache and torment.

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  • My Week with Marilyn Among 2012 American Cinema Editors Nominees

    [caption id="attachment_1882" align="alignnone"]The Artist[/caption]

    The American Cinema Editors revealed their 2012 nominees, with the winners to be revealed in a ceremony February 18. Nominees include The Descendants, My Week with Marilyn and The Artist.

    BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (DRAMATIC)
    The Descendants
    Kevin Tent, A.C.E.
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Angus Wall, A.C.E. & Kirk Baxter, A.C.E.
    Hugo
    Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E.
    Moneyball
    Christopher Tellefsen, A.C.E.
    War Horse
    Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

    BEST EDITED FEATURE FILM (COMEDY OR MUSICAL)
    The Artist
    Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius
    Bridesmaids
    William Kerr & Michael L. Sale
    Midnight in Paris
    Alisa Lepselter
    My Week with Marilyn
    Adam Recht
    Young Adult
    Dana E. Glauberman, A.C.E.

    BEST EDITED ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
    The Adventures of Tintin
    Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
    Puss in Boots
    Eric Dapkewicz
    Rango
    Craig Wood, A.C.E.

    BEST EDITED HALF-HOUR SERIES FOR TELEVISION
    Curb Your Enthusiasm: “Mister Softee”
    Roger Nygard
    Curb Your Enthusiasm: “Palestinian Chicken”
    Steven Rasch, A.C.E.
    Modern Family: “Express Christmas”
    Steven Rasch, A.C.E.

    BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR COMMERCIAL TELEVISION
    Breaking Bad: “End Times”
    Kelley Dixon
    Breaking Bad: “Face Off”
    Skip MacDonald
    Friday Night Lights: “Always”
    Angela M. Catanzaro
    The Good Wife: “Real Deal”
    Hibah Frisina, A.C.E.
    The Walking Dead: “Save the Last One”
    Hunter Via, A.C.E.

    BEST EDITED ONE-HOUR SERIES FOR NON-COMMERCIAL TELEVISION
    Boardwalk Empire: “To the Lost”
    Tim Streeto
    Game of Thrones: “Baelor”
    Frances Parker, A.C.E.
    Homeland: “Pilot”
    Jordan Goldman, David Latham

    BEST EDITED MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE FOR TELEVISION
    Cinema Verite
    Sarah Flack, A.C.E. & Robert Pulcini
    Downton Abbey, Episode 1.1
    John Wilson, A.C.E.
    Mildred Pierce, Part 1
    Affonso Gonçalves & Camilla Toniolo

    BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY
    Cave of Forgotten Dreams
    Joe Bini & Maya Hawke
    Freedom Riders
    Lewis Erskine & Aljernon Tunsil
    George Harrison: Living in the Material World
    David Tedeschi

    BEST EDITED REALITY SERIES
    Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations: “Haiti”
    Eric Lasby
    Beyond Scared Straight: “Chowchilla”
    Rob Goubeaux, A.C.E., Paul J. Coyne, A.C.E., Heather Abell, Audrey
    Capotosta, Maura Corey, Jeremy Gantz & Molly Shock
    Whale Wars: “Race to Save Lives”
    Eric Myerson, Pete Ritchie & Josh Crockett

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  • 9 Foreign Language Films Vie for Oscar

    [caption id="attachment_2274" align="alignnone"]Omar Killed Me[/caption]

    And then they were nine. Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®. Sixty-three films had originally qualified in the category.

    The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

    Belgium, “Bullhead,” Michael R. Roskam, director;
    Canada, “Monsieur Lazhar,” Philippe Falardeau, director;
    Denmark, “Superclásico,” Ole Christian Madsen, director;
    Germany, “Pina,” Wim Wenders, director;
    Iran, “A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
    Israel, “Footnote,” Joseph Cedar, director;
    Morocco, “Omar Killed Me,” Roschdy Zem, director;
    Poland, “In Darkness,” Agnieszka Holland, director;
    Taiwan, “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” Wei Te-sheng, director.

    The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles.

    The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, and the Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26.

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  • HBO to Release Documentary Me @THE Zoo from 2012 Sundance Film Festival

    Just before its premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, in the U.S. Documentary Competition, HBO Documentary Films has acquired the feature documentary ME @THE ZOO. Directed by Chris Moukarbel and Valerie Veatch, ME @THE ZOO is an in-depth exploration of the new phenomenon of internet celebrity.

    Focusing on the story of Chris Crocker, the video blogger who exploded into the international spotlight after his infamous “Leave Britney Alone” YouTube declaration, ME @THE ZOO explores how video sharing and social platforms have shaped the way people tell their stories and mediate their lives.

    This film marks the directorial debut for both Moukarbel and Veatch.

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  • Miami International Film Festival Announces Official Premiere Lineups

    [caption id="attachment_2270" align="alignnone"]Mariachi Gringo[/caption]

    The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced its official lineup of red carpet Olympia Theater galas, parties, education seminars and international film premieres that will make up the Festival’s showcase of more than 100 films from 35 countries during the 10-day event, which runs March 2-11, 2012.

    On Friday, March 2nd, the Festival commences with its Opening Night Film, the World Premiere of Tom Gustafson’s musical tour-de-force Mariachi Gringo. The drama stars Shawn Ashmore (“Iceman” in X-Men) as a young man from Kansas who falls in love with the mariachi lifestyle, and travels to Guadalajara to prove that anything is possible. Ashmore and co-stars Academy Award nominee (Babel) Adriana Barraza and Mexican starlet Martha Higareda are expected to attend the premiere. 

    The Festival’s Awards Night takes place on Saturday, March 10th before the screening of the U.S. Premiere of Chinese Take-Away. Winner of three Argentinean Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, director Sebastián Borensztein’s touching fish out of water comedy stars Argentine superstar Ricardo Darín as a shopkeeper who takes in an illegal immigrant desperate to find his extended family. Darín, who starred in the 2010 Academy Award-winning film The Secret in Their Eyes, and Borensztein are expected to attend the premiere.

    7 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURES

    Born & Raised (USA); La Casa Del Ritmo, A Film About Los Amigos Invisibles (USA/Ecuador); The Diary of Preston Plummer (USA); Hombre y Tierra (USA); Mariachi Gringo (Mexico/USA); The Porcelain Horse (Mejor no hablar (de ciertas cosas)) (Ecuador); Underground Hip-Hop in China (China/USA)

    4 WORLD PREMIERE SHORTS

    The Beach Chronicles AGX (USA); Beyond Assignment (USA); Cell Phone Zombies (Cel zombies) (Ecuador); Shift (USA)

    5 INTERNATIONAL PREMIERES

    180 Seconds (180 segundos)(Colombia); Baracoa: Where Cuba Began (Baracoa: 500 Años Despues) (Spain); Ben Lee: Catch My Disease (Australia);  Speechless (Sin palabras) (Colombia); Zoo (Zoológico) (Chile)

    10 NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERES

    Annalisa (Il Paese Delle Spose Infelici) (Italy);Choked (South Korea); Code Blue (The Netherlands); A Cube of Sugar (Ye Habeh Gand) (Iran);  I’d Receive the Worst News From Your Beautiful Lips (Eu Receberia As Piores Notícias De Seus Lindos Lábios) (Brazil); In The Name of The Girl (En el nombre de la hija) (Ecuador); Motherland or Death (Patria o Muerte) (Russia); Pescador (Ecuador/ Colombia); Promising The Moon (Das Blaue Vom Himmel) (Germany); Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You (Un Giorno Questo Dolore Ti  Sará Utile)  (Italy/USA)

    10 U.S. PREMIERES

    Chinese Take-Away (Un cuento chino) (Argentina/Spain); The Cat Vanishes (El gato desaparece) (Argentina); Distance (Distancia) (Guatemala); The Fifth Commandment (El quinto mandamiento) (Mexico); Heleno (Brazil); The Sleeping Voice (La voz dorminda) (Spain); Porfirio (Colombia/Spain/Uruguay/Argentina/France); The Strawberry Tree (El arbol de las fresas) (Canada); UFO In Her Eyes (Germany/China); Vaquero (Argentina)

     


    This year’s Festival will include films directed by:

    Sean Ackerman, Dominic Allan, Javier Andrade, Urzula Antoniak, Andrea Arnold, Anthony Baxter, Joe Berlinger, Sebastián Borensztein, Beto Brant,   Laura Brownson, Alejandro Brugués, João Canijo, Simone Rapisarda Casanova, Renato Ciasca,  Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Terence Davies, Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Roberto Faenza, Tim Fehlbaum, Joel Fendelman, José Henrique Fonseca, Pablo Giorgelli, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Xiaolu Guo, Tom Gustafson, Cristián Jiménez, Bess Kargman, Lawrence Kasdan, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bart Layton, Beth Levison,  Rodrigo Marín, Albert Maysles, Matias Meyer,  Riza Mirkarimi, Ben Murray, Alysa Nahimas, Pawel Pawlikowski, Anne  Renton, Carlos Sorín, Ken Scott, Santiago Segura, Susan Seidelman, Hans Steinbichler, Joachim Trier, David Trueba, Vicente Villanueva, Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Andrés Wood, and Benito Zambrano, among many others.

    This year’s Festival will include films featuring:

    María Abadi, Shawn Ashmore, Adriana Barraza, Harry Belafonte, Marisa Berenson,  Blanca Rosa Blanco, The Beastie Boys, Ellen Burstyn, David Byrne, Jean-Marc Calvet, Angie Cepeda, Richard Chamberlin, Rae Dawn Chong, Andrés Crespo, Claire Danes, Ricardo Darín, Germán de Silva, Emily Deschanel, Hebe Duarte, Jerry Hall, Peter Gallagher, Francisca Gavilán, Marcia Gay Harden, Whoopi Goldberg, Ethan Hawke, Hannah Herzsprung, Tom Hiddleston,  Patrick Huard, Richard Jenkins, Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Stephen Lang, Lucy Liu, Ben Lee, John Leguizamo, Paul McCartney, Robert Loggia, Trevor Morgan, Elizabeth Peña, Paulina Porizkova, Jason Ritter, Isabella Rossellini, Simon Russell Beale, Winona Ryder, José Sacristán, Muriel Santa Ana, Rodrigo Santoro, Susan Sarandon, Jason Schwartzman, Jason Segel, Santiago Segura, Sam Shepard, Paul Simon, Kristin Scott Thomas,  Donald Trump, Christy Turlington, Kathleen Turner, María Valverde, Diana Vreeland, Rachel Weisz, Dianne Wiest, Michelle Williams, Rumer Willis and Oprah Winfrey, among many others.

    OLYMPIA THEATER GALAS

    In addition to the Opening and Awards Night presentations, the Gala series includes:

    Darling Companion (USA, directed by Lawrence Kasdan)
    The Deep Blue Sea (UK, directed by Terence Davies)
    The Diary of Preston Plummer (USA, directed by Sean Ackerman) – stars Robert Loggia and Rumer Willis are expected to attend
    Heleno (Brazil, directed by José Henrique Fonseca) – star Rodrigo Santoro is expected to attend
    Juan of The Dead (Juan de los muertos) (Cuba/Spain, directed by Alejandro Brugués) – star Alexis Diaz de Villegas is expected to attend
    Musical Chairs (USA, directed by Susan Seidelman)
    Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You (Un Giorno Questo Dolore Ti Sará Utile) (Italy/USA, directed by Roberto Faenza) – star Marcia Gay Harden is expected to attend                                                   

    All directors of the Olympia Theater Galas are expected to be in attendance.

    TRIBUTE TO ROBERT LOGGIA

    On Monday, March 5th, the Festival will celebrate the dynamic career of award-winning American actor Robert Loggia, prior to the World Premiere of Sean Ackerman’s made-in-Florida romance, The Diary of Preston Plummer.  Loggia, a veteran Hollywood character actor and 1985 Academy Award nominee for Jagged Edge, is well-loved by Miami audiences for his role as Frank Lopez in Brian de Palma’s classic Scarface, and has made many more memorable appearances in films such as Big, Independence Day, Prizzi’s Honor, Lost Highway, An Officer and a Gentleman and HBO’s “The Sopranos”.

    NEW FILM CATEGORIES

    4 World Directors to Watch: a showcase of films by up-and-coming filmmakers hailing from the four corners of the globe. The category introduces Miami audiences to significant young talents working in Asia, South America, Europe and the Middle East. The lineup includes:

    Choked (Ga-si) (South Korea, directed by Kim Joong-hyun)
    Porfirio (Colombia/Spain/Uruguay/Argentina/France, directed by Alejandro Landes)
    Annalisa (Il Paese Delle Spose Infelici) (Italy, directed by Pippo Mezzapesa)
    Habibi (Palestine/USA/The Netherlands/United Arab Emirates, directed by Susan Youssef)

    Spotlight on Québec Cinema: On the heels of MIFF’s 2011 hit screening of Incendies, the Festival is proud to debut four new masterpieces from the Canadian region.

    Café de Flore (Canada, directed by Jean-Marc Vallé)
    Monsieur Lazhar (Canada, directed by Philippe Farlardeau)
    The Salesman (Le Vendeur) (Canada, directed by Sebastién Pilote)
    Starbuck (Canada, directed by Ken Scott)

    America, The Beautiful: Celebrating the American independent voice, the Festival has programmed three must-watch films.

    Jeff Who Lives At Home (USA, directed by Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass)
    Sawdust City (USA, directed by David Nordstrom)
    Without (USA, directed by Mark Jackson)

    Films for Youth: Created to broaden the horizons of young moviegoers and families, the Festival confirms two international films.

    First Position (USA, directed by Bess Kargman)
    In The Name of The Girl (En el nombre de la hija) (Ecuador, directed by Tania Hermida)

    Cuba ³:  Three dynamic visions of contemporary Cuban life are depicted in this category about the controversial island regime.

    Baracoa: Where Cuba Began (Baracoa: 500 Años Despues)(Spain, directed by Mauricio Vincent Mulet)
    Motherland or Death (Patria o Muerte) (Russia, directed by Vitaliy Manski)
    The Strawberry Tree (El arbol de las fresas) (Canada, directed by Simone Rapisarda Casanova)

    Mayhem: Suspenseful genre thrillers intended to keep you on the edge of your seat. The three titles in this category include:

    The Fifth Commandment (El quinto mandamiento) (Mexico, directed by Rafa Lara)
    Hell (Germany/ Switzerland, directed by Tim Fehlbaum and executive produced by Roland Emmerich)
    Hombre y Tierra (USA, directed by Christian Cisneros)

    Miami Mavericks: Prolific in-depth conversations with filmmakers about their bourgeoning careers, film and industry.  This section will Feature an extended in-person session with Timothy Greenfield-Sanders about his film About Face.

    About Face (USA, directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

    KNIGHT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

     

    Ten titles will compete for a $10,000 John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Award in the Knight Documentary Competition:

    Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (USA, directed by Alison Klayman)
    Ben Lee: Catch My Disease (Australia, directed by Amiel Courtin-Wilson)
    Calvet (UK/Spain, directed by Dominic Allan):
    First Position (USA, directed by Bess Kargman)
    The Imposter (UK, directed by Bart Layton)
    Lemon (USA, directed by Beth Levison and Laura Brownson)
    The Strawberry Tree (El arbol de las fresas) (Canada, directed by Simone Rapisarda Casanova)
    Under African Skies (USA, directed by Joe Berlinger)
    Unfinished Spaces (USA, directed by Alysa Nahimas and Benjamin Murray)
    You’ve Been Trumped (UK, directed by Anthony Baxter)

    CINEMA 360 & DOC-YOU-UP

    Baracoa: Where Cuba Began (Baracoa: 500 Años Despues) (Spain, directed by Mauricio Vincent Mulet)
    Beyond Assignment (USA, directed by Jim Virga) and Poetry of Resilience (USA, directed by Katja Esson)
    Corpo Celeste (Italy, directed by Alice Rohrwacher)
    A Cube of Sugar (Ye Habeh Gand) (Iran, directed by Reza Mirkarimi)
    Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (USA, directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland)
    Free Men (Les Hommes Libres) (France, directed by Ismael Ferroukhi)
    The Kid with a Bike (Le Gamin au Velo) (Belgium/France/Italy, directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne)
    The Last Christeros (Los Ultimos Cristeros) (Mexico, directed by Matias Meyer)
    The Opposite of Love (Lo Contrario Al Amor) (Spain, directed by Vicente Villaneuva)
    Oslo, August 31st (Norway, directed by Joachim Trier)
    Pelotero (USA, directed by Ross Finkel, Trevor Martin and Jonathan Paley)
    Promising The Moon (Das Blaue Vom Himmel) (Germany, directed by Hans Steinbichler)
    Superclasico (Denmark, directed by Ole Christian Madsen)
    Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis (in 3D) (Spain, directed by Santiago Segura)
    UFO in Her Eyes (Germany/China, directed by Xiaolu Guo)
    The Woman in The Fifth (UK/France/Poland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski)
    Wuthering Heights (UK, directed by Andrea Arnold)

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  • More Films Added to 2012 Miami International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2268" align="alignnone"]Las Acacias directed by Pablo Giorgelli[/caption]

    Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced a new category for its upcoming 29th edition, March 2 -11, 2012 –  the  Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition.

    In this newly created category, six films from first-time feature filmmakers from Spain, Portugal and/or Latin America will compete for a $5,000 USD cash prize.

    The finalists for the competition were selected by MIFF programmers from films already submitted to the 2012 Festival.

    2012 MIFF Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition films:

    Las Acacias (Argentina/Spain, directed by Pablo Giorgelli): Already a winner of major prizes at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (Camera d’Or for Best First Film) and the Latin Horizons prize at the San Sebastian Film Festival, Giorgelli’s road movie unfolds along the highway linking Asunción to Buenos Aires, which trucker Rubén is accustomed to traveling solo. This time, however, he’s got a passenger, Jacinta, and a road full of revelations on the horizon.  East Coast Premiere

    Expiration Date (Fecha de caducidad) (Mexico, directed by Kenya Márquez): After the tragic loss of her son, Ramona (Ana Ofelia Murguía) becomes convinced local handyman Genaro (Damián Alcázar) is responsible for the death. Becoming increasingly obsessed and paranoid, she enlists the help of neighbor to avenge his death. East Coast Premiere

    Vaquero (Argentina, directed by Juan Minujín): Actor-turned-filmmaker Minujín’s profoundly revealing film follows mid-level Buenos Aires actor Julian Lamaz on a darkly comic quest for a leading role in a Hollywood movie. Through an amusing voice-over, the actor endures endless patronizing advice from fellow actors, casting agents and even his family. Minujín’s experience in the Buenos Aires film and theatre community gives the narrative multiple layers of self-referential resonance. U.S. Premiere

    The Student (El estudiante) (Argentina, directed by Santiago Mitre): College student Roque (Esteban Lamothe) navigates the murky world of university politics, while seducing assistant professor and activist (Romina Paula), in Santiago Mitre’s briskly paced debut. A microcosm for the world at large, the film brilliantly exposes the backroom dealings and negotiations of student politics. Florida Premiere

    Speechless (Sin palabras) (Colombia, directed by Ana Sofía Osorio Ruiz and Diego Bustamante): After helping a disoriented Chinese immigrant find her way, Raul (Javier Ortíz) can’t help but fall slowly in love with the exotic beauty. Osorio Ruiz and Bustamante prove the language of the heart is the most universal of all in this touching romance.  International Premiere

    Distancia (Guatemala, directed by Sergio Ramírez): Tomás Choc travels 150 kilometers to be reunited with his only daughter, kidnapped 20 years ago during the Guatemalan civil war. In order to keep his memories of her alive, Tomas has kept a journal of his daily struggles, which he plans to give her when they meet in Ramirez’s heart wrenching drama. U.S. Premiere

    Additionally, the Festival confirms the return of the University of Miami Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film. The established category showcases short films from developing international directors competing for a $2,500 cash prize. The 2011 winner in this category was Chilean short film Blokes (Blockes) by Marialy Rivas.

    Some of the short films already confirmed to compete in MIFF 2012 include:


    The Beach Chronicles (USA, directed by Kevin Sharpley) – World premiere
    Catharis (France, directed by Cédric Prévost) – US premiere
    Cell Phone Zombies (Cel Zombies) (Ecuador, directed by Jorge Luis Miranda) – World premiere
    The Dancer (USA, directed by Seth Stark) – Florida premiere
    Grandmothers (Abuelas) (United Kingdom, directed by Afarin Eghbal) – Florida premiere
    Immune (USA, directed by Andrew Lathorp) – Florida premiere
    Shift (USA, directed by Juan Carlos Zaldívar) – World premiere
    The Trip (A Viagem) (Portugal/USA, directed by Simao Cayatte) – Florida premiere

    The above titles are in addition to the 10 film titles previously announced by MIFF  for the Knight Ibero-American Competition.   Approximately 100 films from 40 countries are anticipated for the annual 10-day event.

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  • The Samaritan starring Samuel L Jackson Added to 2012 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

    [caption id="attachment_2266" align="alignnone"]THE SAMARITAN, starring Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson[/caption]

    The 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival which takes place January 26 through February 5, announced the addition of the World Premiere of THE SAMARITAN, starring Academy Award® nominated Samuel L. Jackson, to the program as a Gala Presentation. The red carpet Gala event will take place on Sunday, January 29, at 7pm at the Lobero Theatre.

    Produced by Andras Hamori and directed by David Weaver from a screenplay by Weaver and Elan Mastai, The Samaritan also stars Luke Kirby (Take This Waltz), Ruth Negga (Love/Hate) and Oscar nominated Tom Wilkinson (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol). After twenty-five years in prison, Foley (Jackson) is finished with the grifter’s life. When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris (Negga), the possibility of a new start looks real. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion: Ethan (Kirby), the son of his former partner, has an ingenious plan and he wants Foley in. The harder Foley tries to escape his past, the tighter he is ensnared in Ethan’s web of secrets, until it becomes all too clear to Foley that some wrongs can never be made right.

    THE SAMARITAN was produced with the participation of Telefim Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation and The Harold Greenberg Fund. Producers are Hamori and Weaver with Suzanne Cheriton and Tony Wosk, Executive producers are Mark Musselman with Lacia Kornylo, Mark Horowitz, Jackson, Eli Selden, Geoffrey Brant, James Atherton, and Jan Pace.

    IFC Films recently acquired the U.S. distribution rights from H2O Motion Pictures and Traction Media. H2O and Quckfire Films is selling international rights for The Samaritan.

    SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling says “THE SAMARITAN is an electrifying neo-noir thriller with amazing twists and turns. Samuel L. Jackson’s performance is fantastic.”

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  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival Unveils its 2012 Lineup

    [caption id="attachment_2264" align="alignnone"]Where Do We Go Now? directed by Nadine Labaki[/caption]

    The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) announced its line-up for 2012. The Festival begins Thursday, January 26 and continues through Sunday, February 5, 2012.

    “Our program this year reflects invigorating change,” remarks SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “When I joined SBIFF ten years ago, I set out to bring the festival’s program and its sidebars to reflect the city of Santa Barbara as a city, and its community. This year we’ve taken that concept even further. We have a fantastic, quirky, all encompassing program.”

    OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT GALAS

    SBIFF 2012 will kick off at the historic Arlington Theatre with the World Premiere of the Sony Pictures Classics film Darling Companion. The Opening Night film will be preceded by the new Pixar animated short film, La Luna, written and directed by Enrico Casarosa. La Luna is a fable of a young boy who heads to sea for a most unusual rite of passage. Following the Opening Night screening, the festivities will continue with a party at Paseo Nuevo in downtown Santa Barbara. Opening Night Film and Gala is sponsored by Studio 7 and The Hollywood Reporter.

    On Closing Night, SBIFF proudly presents the West Coast Premiere of Where Do We Go Now? directed by Nadine Labaki. Winner of the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and Broadcast Film Critics Association nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this anti-war comedy offers a wildly creative take on the intractable religious conflict in a remote village. Fed up with mourning their husbands and sons, the women of the village, where Christians and Muslims live side by side, concoct inventive schemes to prevent sectarian violence from further corrupting their loved ones. To quash interreligious conflicts, the women are not above sabotaging the village’s sole television, colluding with the priest and imam, nor enlisting a busload of sexy Ukrainian strippers to distract their men. Through Labaki’s wonderfully insightful comic eye, Where Do We Go Now? confronts the hard truths of a fractured society, offering an alternate vision of transcendence and unity. The Closing Night film is sponsored by The Santa Barbara Independent.

    CENTERPIECE GALA

    The Centerpiece Gala will feature the U.S. Premiere of Samsara, directed by Ron Fricke. Prepare yourself for an unparalleled sensory experience! Samsara reunites Fricke and producer Mark Magidson, whose previous films Baraka and Chronos were acclaimed for combining visual and musical artistry. Samsara expands on their effort to portray the connections between humanity and nature in a bold way. Filmed for over four years and in more than twenty countries, the film transports us through multiple cultures to sacred grounds, disaster sites, industrialized zones and natural wonders. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, the filmmakers subvert our expectations of a documentary. Instead, they encourage our own interpretations inspired by images and musical compositions that infuse the ancient with the modern. Samsara is a Tibetan word that means “the ever turning wheel of life,” and Fricke describes the film as a “guided meditation on the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.”

     

    Click here for the full film lineup

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