The JAC Jewish Film Festival in Seattle opened its gates for the twelfth consecutive year last night at the massive CINERAMA Theater down town, with a slam-dunk opening gala double-header, (films from USA and Israel), and an aimiable audience chat with actor Judd Hirsh, following the screening of his latest film, "Brother's Shadow" which opened the festival. "Brother's Shadow" is an absolutely new film, still in search of a distributor, by first-time director Todd Yellin, telling the story of a...
Stewart Copeland makes his entrance with a bang. Whether bounding onto the California Theatre stage before a packed house of 1,100 people or striding into a small room for a press conference, the founder of the newly reunited The Police radiates high energy. He flings his arms in the air, and his voice booms all the way to the last row of the balcony and back. Never has anyone been so enthusiastic about receiving a Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award. Just a 50-year-old suburban dad? So he says.The ...
Saturday, March 3---Stewart Copeland makes his entrance with a bang. Whether bounding onto the California Theatre stage before a packed house of 1,100 people or striding into a small room for a press conference, the founder of the newly reunited The Police radiates high energy. He flings his arms in the air, and his voice booms all the way to the last row of the balcony and back. Never has anyone been so enthusiastic about receiving a Cinequest Maverick Spirit Award. Just a 50-year-old suburban ...
It is Monday, March 12th, and Cinequest has come to an end. This is a bitter-sweet moment; on the one hand I am already missing the frenetic buzz of running from film to forum and back to film, stopping to chat with filmmakers and attendees along the way and getting another caffeine dose in order to do it all over again. On the other hand, this now frees me up to actually get to the blog entries I have been meaning to assail you with, covering everything from my favorite festival films, to my fi...
"A little letter to mama" A BRIVELE DER MAMENViewed on video, at J.M's Seattle, Wed. nite, March 7, 2007.This one of the great classics of the pre-war Yiddish cinema and one of the great all time films on the subject of immigration to America. It was the culmination of Joseph Green's amazing four film cycle of Yiddish films made between 1937 (Yidl Mitn Fidl) and 1939, on the brink of WW II.This saga of a Jewish family opens in 1912 in Lubin, a little shtetl in the Ukraine and terminates in Ameri...
In the moments before the press conference kicked off on Saturday, Jens Hussey spoke a little about the term 'maverick'. He explained that the word originated from a Texas cattleman named Sam Maverick, who refused to brand his cattle, preferring instead to let them roam free, not 'following the herd'. This is the main principle of the Cinequest Film Festival, to embrace the maverick filmmaker, to promote new innovations and artistry in film and to present the visions of filmmakers who choose not...
In the moments before the press conference kicked off on Saturday, Jens Hussey spoke a little about the term 'maverick'. He explained that the word originated from a Texas cattleman named Sam Maverick, who refused to brand his cattle, preferring instead to let them roam free, not 'following the herd'. This is the main principle of the Cinequest Film Festival, to embrace the maverick filmmaker, to promote new innovations and artistry in film and to present the visions of filmmaker...
The eight members of this international jury – organisers of queer and other film festivals – view films within the framework of all programs of the Berlinale which have queer context. Three films are nominated for each category and one receives a TEDDY for best feature film, best documentary/essay film and usually the best short film,each with a cash award of € 3,000.Members of the Jury:Charlie Boudreau – Canada (image+nation Montréal International LGBT Film Festival)Frédéric Arends ...
The eight members of this international jury – organisers of queer and other film festivals – view films within the framework of all programs of the Berlinale which have queer context.Three films are nominated for each category and one receives a TEDDY for best feature film, best documentary/essay film and usually the best short film,each with a cash award of € 3,000.Members of the Jury:Charlie Boudreau – Canada (image+nation Montréal International LGBT Film Festival)Frédéric Arends ...
Film festivals come in various shapes, sizes, formats and orientations. The currently ongoing 22nd installment of the Santa Barbara Film Festival is a bit off-beat in certain aspects. Lasting eleven days and presenting some 200 films it is certainly not small -- more like "medium to large."
In terms of importance, however, while it is not considered to be quite in the same class as the North-American majors, Sundance, Telluride, Chicago, New York, Toronto and Montreal, it can nevertheless ce...
Wide Management line up for Sundance Film Festival 2007.
Agathe Valentin, in charge of the International Sales, will be attending the Sundance Film Festival from the 24th to the 28th of January 2007 where Wide Management will be presenting in the World Dramatic Competition Section:
Buried Dreams / Dreams of Dust, directed by Laurent Salgues, coproduction between France, Canada and Burkina Faso, starring Makena Diop, Rasmané Ouedraogo, Fatou Tall-Salgues. World Première at the Sundance Film ...
Thursday, January 11----2006 marked the final curtain for many film greats. But perhaps none of them was as influential, or as endearing to both professionals and the public, as the renowned Swedish cinematographer Sven Nykvist. Known as the “Master of Light”, Nykvist brought a shimmering yet subtle beauty to his filmed work, particularly his long and prolific collaboration with fellow Swedish film icon Ingmar Bergman....one of most glorious collaborations in film history. To salute the im...
Thursday, December 28----With documentary films experiencing a commercial and critical peak, the stakes have never been higher (and the rewards greater) for the sixteen American Independent documentary features competing at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Considering the box office clout of such films as AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and THE MARCH OF THE PENGUINS in the past year, one can expect some of the most ferocious bidding wars will be unleashed for distribution rights to many of these fil...
Sunday big day: we all meet, some 250 festival professionals, long time no see, and how is filmfestivals.com doing? How was your festival this year…? GREAT.
What are you drinking…? Social friendly with a sense of a community
Good crowd, some new festivals that came to learn, others that came to teach and keynote.
Great diner with some friends David S. from withoutabox and Brian D. from Smartsound…
Kobe Beef Burger, so good, was that for real or was I too tired?
Day one Monday 9 in the mor...
The 55th International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg has ended this weekend awarding the Main Award of Mannheim-Heidelberg and several further prizes.
„With persistence and consistency the Newcomer festival has conquered the second position after the Filmfestival Berlin“, said Dr. Michael Kötz, festival director and artistic director since 15 years, at the closing press conference in Mannheim. This position is not surprising from an international perspective as for many years the festi...
Looking for redemption?The December 8th release of Mel Gibson's movie "Apocalypto" is raising interest in the ancient Maya. How much is accurate in the Maya world that "Apocalypto" portrays? As we approach the end point of the Maya calendar in 2012, the true legacy of this great ancient civilization gives keys to navigating through chaotic earth changes. A new book on life in Maya times through the eyes of a modern time traveler delves deeply into this hidden Maya knowledge.Seattle, WA (PRWeb) N...
33rd Northwest Film & Video Festival Schedule of EventsShowing November 10-November 18The Northwest Film & Video Festival, officially kicks off Friday, November 10th with a program of short films at 7pm at Cinema 21 Theatre. After the show there will be an Opening Night Party with musical guests Eux Autres at the Laura Russo Gallery. Admission for Opening Night festivities are $10 for screening and party or $10 for party alone. The Festival, playing throughout the week at the Whitsell Auditoriu...
THE SHAPE OF WATER
Friday, October 27----The excitement is certainly revving up at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) this weekend, with a torrent of challenging new films, well-loved classics and enough social events to fatigue even the most energetic party animal.
The Festival has a reputation on the festival circuit as one that is high on discoveries, offering its sophisticated audiences a chance to discover new talents and ponder film themes and techniques. This weeken...
25th Vancouver International Film Festival Announces Award WinnersAlan Franey, Director of the Vancouver International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Centre, today announced the following award winners (click here to read the full release): The People’s Choice Award for Most Popular International FilmThe People’s Choice Award for Most Popular International Film goes to DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN / THE LIVES OF OTHERS (Germany). This unexpectedly heartwarming political thriller...
Wednesday, September 27---The official Film Poster of the 44th edition of the New York Film Festival, which opens on Friday, has been unveiled. The poster captures the iconic image of legendary film director Federico Fellini on the set, directing his masterpiece FELLINI SATYRICON in 1969.
The photograph is one of the best known and most celebrated of world renowned photographer Mary Ellen Mark . For almost four decades, she has produced pictures that reflect a high level of humanism and worl...
Sunday, September 17---It is hard to portray the significance of key historical events without the passage of time. Only in retrospect does the true enormity of history unfolding take on a full dimension. Only with some distance do the true emotions come through in a way that stirs the soul and pricks the conscience.
The above statements certainly apply to the Chilean film MACHUCA, considered a masterwork of contemporary Latin American cinema. Released in 2005, more than 30 years after the ev...
Katharine Cornell Theater
Thursday, September 14----It was standing room only at the Katharine Cornell Theater this evening, as the inaugural Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival kicked off a four day film celebration with its high wattage Opening Night Film, Michel Gondry's much anticipated THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP.
The sold out screening brought out a mixture of locals, visting filmmakers and some of the cultural elite who call this beautiful island off the coast of Cape Cod home. The s...
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP, the latest film from film auteur Michel Gondry, will be the Opening Night Gala of the first Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival. The film, which is slated to open theatrically in late September, will have an avant-premiere at the event on September 17th. Gondry, the writer/director who clicked with international audiences with his cult hit ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, has cooked up another romantic fantasy, this time starring Mexican hearthrob Gael Garc...
La Biennale di Venezia63rd Mostra Internazionale d’Arte CinematograficaJuan José Bigas Luna, Paulo Branco, Cameron Crowe,Chulpan Khamatova, Park Chan-wook, Michele Placidoin the international Jury of Venezia 63. presided by Catherine DeneuveThe Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia, presided by Davide Croff, has approved the proposal by the Director of the Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica Marco Müller, regarding the composition of the international Jury of Venezia 63 pr...
Important regional film festivals like Newport, now in its ninth edition, rarely show outstanding new film makers for the first time since those tend to enter first in national or international fests such as Sundance, Tribeca, Telluride the New York Film Festivals, Toronto or the Berlinale. Yet this apparent disadvantage is not troublesome since the audience views many remarkable productions which gained their cache already in national or other regional festivals. Thus the Newport program fea...
