At a film festival that totals more than 250 feature films (not to mention an additional 250 features in the accompanying European Film Market), one can only skim the surface of an event as wide-ranging as the Berlinale. Film choices are often based on schedule availability....grabbing a screening in between meetings or making sure one is awake to catch the early morning press screenings of the Competition program. In a sense, one only gets a random taste of the very far-flung program...
The Iranian film NADER AND SIMIN, A SEPERATION (terrible title, that) was the big winner at the 61st edition of the Berlinale, winning the Golden Bear as Best Film and Best Actor and Best Actress Silver Bears for its ensemble cast of men and women. The film, directed by Asghar Farhadi, who won a Silver Bear as Best Dierctor in 2009 for DARBAREYE, will certainly be one of the most talked about international films of the year. With the current attention of the world on the emerging democ...
It was without a doubt the hottest ticket and the coolest party in town. On Friday evening, tout Berlin was partying at the former Templehof Airport to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Teddy Awards, also known as the "gay Oscars". The Teddys are voted on by specific juries for the best gay-themed films screening in all sections of the Berlinale. The Teddy jury is comprised of queer festival programmers from around the world.
Winning the top award was German...
It is rare that a rather low budget American indie title ever is included in the main Competition section here at the Berlinale (American indies are more represented in the Panorama and Forum sidebar sections). However, when a film artist has such a clear, individual voice as Miranda July, the main festival programmers cannot resist. Such is the case with July's sophomore effort following her celebrated debut ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW in 2004. It has taken almost seven years for...
It is rare that a rather low budget American indie title ever is included in the main Competition section here at the Berlinale (American indies are more represented in the Panorama and Forum sidebar sections). However, when a film artist has such a clear, individual voice as Miranda July, the main festival programmers cannot resist. Such is the case with July's sophomore effort following her celebrated debut ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW in 2004. It has taken almost seven years for her follow...
BERLINALE IN 3D
On Sunday, the Berlinale was host to three back-to-back 3D films that demonstrated that the technology is not only good for computer animation and big budget sci-fi. In TALES OF THE NIGHT, French animator Michel Ocelot provides a shadow-puppet retelling of famous fairy tales, much in the manner of the films of famed 1930s storyteller Lotte Reininger. The film mixes classic silhouette animation with strong colorful backgrounds to amazing effect. In PI...
Standing: Cédomir Kolar (Shooting Stars jury), Ole Christian Madsen (jury), Sylvia Hoeks (The Netherlands), Alicia Vikander (Sweden), Andrea Riseborough (United Kingdom), Marija Škaričić (Croatia), Natasha Petrovic (FYR Macedonia), Clara Lago (Spain), Ralph Fiennes (Host), Heike Makatsch (jury), Lina Todd (jury). Front row: Nik Xhelilaj (Albania) Alexander Fehling (Germany), Pilou Asbæk (Denmark), Domhnall Gleeson (Ireland). Photo: EFP/ Markus Nass
As it has done for the past ...
International film festivals are here in force at the Berlinale to not only scout for new films but also to make announcements on upcoming special projects. Here are a few that have made the headlines here in Berlin.
BEIJING INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES
Beijing, the Chinese capital, now will have its own film event with the launching of the 1st Beijing International Film Festival, set for April 23-28, 2011. The Festival organization took an office at the M...
While some people in America may already be nostalgic for George W. Bush (do not count me in that group), one of the guilty pleasures that one could perhaps pine for was the former President’s odd use of the English language. Although he was educated at Harvard, he was prone to colloquialisms that were bad mashups of words that he kind of, sort of just made up. He shares this quality with the lead actor in the new Italian satirical comedy QUALUNQUEMENTE translated as WHATSOEVERL...
