SHERIF MANDOUR, A Revolutionary Filmmaker in Revolutionary Egypt.
In the ancient land and rapidly transforming lifestyle of modern Egypt, producer Sherif Mandour is a man of his time. Apart from achieving worldwide acclaim, his last three films produced were predicting the revolution, a revolution from without and within.
Through his longtime career in cinema, Mandour had worn many hats as an actor, director, distributor, commercial voiceover, producer and most...
Middle East presence in Hong Kong during the 2012 HAF.
Alongside this year’s FILMART, Hong Kong’s key international TV and film market, HAF (Asia Film Financing Forum) Hong Kong took place from 19-21 March. HAF is an annual event where filmmakers from around the world are awarded prizes of up to HK$350K in development funds. This year eight awards were given to filmmakers for select projects that showed exceptional merit; these won prizes in money and an impetus for the advan...
Bladerunner at Fantasporto, 2012
What better film to be honored at a 'Fantastic' film festival than the classic Sci-Fi film Bladerunner (1982)! At the 32nd International Film Festival of Porto (Fantasporto), which took place February 20 to March 3, 2012, the film was screened as an homage to cinemas of the future.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the canonical film was based on the novel by Sci-Fi writer Philip K. Dick called: "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" about...
The 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF); March 9 - 18, 2012.
For all news, press conferences, film reviews and interviews visit the official 14th TDF blog:
http://www.fest21.com/en/blog/thessaloniki
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The film DESERT RIDERS (2011) screened at the 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival. Writer/Producer Noemi Weis attended the festival in support of the film.
DESERT RIDERS is about the trafficking of poor children to Middle Eastern countries who are forced into slavery as camel jockeys for the extremely lucrative business of camel racing. Many of the children have died during the races or suffered from malnutrition and are scarred for life. Due to pressure from me...
The Audience Award for a film over 45’ in the International Selection goes to:
ITALY, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT by Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi, Italy/Germany, 2011
14th TDF AWARDS!!!
The 14th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival (TDF) took place from March 9 - 18, 2012.
The award ceremony took place on March 17th.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
The Audience Award for a film over 45’ in the International Selection goes to:
ITALY, LOVE IT...
One of the most eccentric films I have seen of late was the Japanese film GUILTY OF ROMANCE (恋の罪 Koi no Tsumi?, 2011) by auteur director Sono Shion. Reflecting the genre Japanese ‘pink cinema’, the film is about three women who find sexual freedom in unconventional ways through pink paint balloon tossing, prostitution and poetry. From the director of the films COLD FISH (2010) and HIMIZU (2011), Shion is not only a prolific director but one who shocks and pushes the envelope...
For news on Fantasporto 2012 - interviews, film reviews and festival reviews- read here:
http://www.fest21.com/en/blog/fantasporto
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As another Oscar season has passed us by and three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep has won yet another Academy Award for Best Actress, I think it's time to mention one of my favorite films of all time, one I must admit I watch once a month- OUT OF AFRICA (1985).
Why people so often refer to it as a ‘chick flick’ is beyond me when it is a Sydney Pollack film and one of Hollywood’s greatest canonic triumphs. Universal’s “Out of Africa”, which won the Oscar for B...
photo still from MIGHTY FINE (2011). Andie MacDowell and Chazz Palminteri
A few weeks ago during the 27th Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) I had the pleasure of sitting with the cast from Debbie Goodstein’s film MIGHTY FINE (2011) where the film held its North American premier. What started as an interview turned into a fascinating discussion about rage from the microcosm of American domestic life to the macrocosm of rage in the world at large. Here...
Beki Probst is the head of the EFM, European Film Market, for Berlinale since 1988.
Before this position, she worked for the Berlinale as the film festival’s delegate for Turkey and Greece for seven years. Beki was born in Istanbul, Turkey where as a student she studied law and journalism and wrote for Turkish newspapers ‘Tercuman’ and ‘Hayat’. It was when she moved in Switzerland in 1960 that her career in cinema began where she managed the ...
THE ARTIST (2011) wins Oscar gold for 'Best Picture' (producer Thomas Langmann), Michel Hazanavicius for Best Director, Jean Dujardin for Best Actor at the 84th Academy Awards!!!
Since the film’s Cannes premiere in 2011, it has received worldwide acclaim and most recently a Golden Globe for Best Picture by a musical/comedy, Best Actor for Jean Dujardiin, a nomination for Best Picture for the upcoming Academy Awards, 2012, and has most recently cleaned the award sl...
SAMSARA (2011) by filmmakers Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson is the follow-up to the epic non-narrative film BARAKA (1992), which made cinematic history twenty years ago with its arresting 70mm Panavision System images filmed in 24 countries. Described by director Ron Fricke as a ‘guided meditation’ BARAKA still has people dropping their jaw at the astonishing innovative camera work and intercutting of the haunting musical score. Now, the filmmakers bring the same camera and ...
Saili is a small man with a big heart who lives happily with his beautiful wife Vaaiga and her daughter Litia. Sadly however, the whole family is somewhat of an outcast; Saili because he has been denied his title and Vaaiga because, although her family wants her back, they cast her out years ago. In trying to stay peaceful and to themselves they only aggravate everyone else in the village and their lives as they know it become threatened unless they, namely Saili, speaks up to the powe...
The Artist (2011)…"It’s a love story and there’s a cute dog!"
French auteur Michel Hazanavicius of the film ‘The Artist’ (2011) was born 29 March 1967, and although few can pronounce his name correctly, everyone is talking about this tres talented French director. French actor Jean Dujardin calls the director ‘Michel Hazana-genius’; due to the film’s explosive worldwide success, it would appear that most agree to his work as ‘genius’ ind...
Martin Scorsese wins The American Riviera Award at the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival.. “We have to keep this wonderful life-sustaining conversation going with cinema”.
On the night of January 30, 2012, the legendary director Martin Scorsese, whose latest film HUGO (2012) is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, was awarded The American Riviera Award at the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival (SBIFF) by celebrated actor Ben Kingsley. Before receiving the award, M...
Algerian director Fatma Zohra Zamoum (‘How Big is Your Love’, 2011); speaks.
The film ‘How Big is Your Love’
(Kedach ethabni, 2011) by writer/director/producer Fatma Zohra Zamoum is set in modern Algiers, Algeria. It is a touching tale about a young eight year-old boy, Adel, whose parents are in the midst of an irreconcilable separation, during which time Adel stays with his grandmother. To cope with the emotionally challenging situation, Adel finds an escape with...
WINNERS OF THE 27TH ANNUAL SANTA BARBARA FILM FESTIVAL (SBIFF 2012)
With closing film of festival, the Lebanese hit film by actress/writer/director Nadine Labaki, WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (Arabic: وهلّأ لوين؟ w halla' la wayn, French: Et maintenant, on va ou?, 2011) which held its world premier during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival as part of 'Un Certain Regard'. It was the Lebanese 2011 Oscar submission this year. The film held its North American premier in Toronto at TIF...
During the 27th Santa Barbara Film Festival on the night of February 3rd, while I was celebrating my birthday, celebrated documentarian filmmaker and venerated cinematographer Mike DeGruy died in a helicopter crash in Australia. DOP of docs like DEEP BLUE (2003) and TV series like PLANET EARTH (2006), to name but a few, this talented and adventurous artist will be missed by all. The following statement is notice from Santa Barbara Press.
written by Vanessa McMahon
SBIFF PRESS...
MOMA ‘Global Lens’ Focuses on Moroccan film ‘PEGASE’ (2010).
‘Global Lens’, 2012 is a selection of ten films which screened at New York’s Museum of Modern Art gallery (MoMA) from January 12–28 as part of an effort between MoMA and The Global Film Initiative (GFI) to raise international awareness to developing cultures of cinema from politically and economically challenged countries.
One of these films was ‘PEGASE’ (Morocco, 2010), the FESPACO (Pan-Africa...
Twenty years ago a film was released that changed the way people viewed cinema because its filmmakers dared to go where no other film has ever been, and none since...
...BARAKA (1992), directed by cinematographer Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson, does everything against the rules in textbook filmmaking- it uses no stars, no script and no dialogue!!! - yet in so doing, BARAKA made history with its transcendent cinematic language. The point of this film was made loud and c...
Ben Kingsley at The Arlington Theater at 27th SBIFF, 30th January, 2012
I spoke to Sir Ben as he walked up the red carpet into the theater...
ME: Tonight you’re going to be presenting an award to the great Scorsese.
BEN: The great Scorsese! Yes!
ME: So, how does that feel?
BEN: Well, when I think of the number of men or women that could be presenting this award, people who owe their greatest moments on screen to him, people who owe t...
Rotterdam dates (January 25th- February 5, 2012)
Vanessa McMahon – Rotterdam: While Western technology and social media has influenced modern life in the Middle East, as experienced with the wave of revolutions across the Arab world over the past year, the West has likewise been greatly influenced by the Middle East, with its growing economy and growing West-to-East diaspora...
READ MORE HERE:
www.varietyarabia.com/Docs.Viewer/7cae757c-cdbe-4880-9532-d5...
The cast and crew of the documentary film WEST OF MEMPHIS (2012) at the Santa Barbara International FIlm Festival (SBIFF), 2012. The film had its world premier just weeks before in Sundance. Following the screening, director Amy Berg, Damien Echols, and Lorri Davis attended a Q and A.
Read a summary of the film here:
SUMMARY by Sundance Film Festival- "For many people, the case of the West Memphis Three has become synonymous with wrongful conviction. Despite a lack of ...
James Franco and Val Lauren in Palm Springs for 'SAL' (2011) by PSIFF press
James Franco’s feature film SAL (2011) held its world premiere at the 68th La Biennale Venice Film Festival. Most recently the film debuted in Palm Springs during the 23rd Palm Springs International Film Festival. After the screening of the film, Franco appeared with lead actor in SAL, Val Lauren, to attend a Q and A to audiences. Read some of Franco’s answers to questions below.
JAMES...
