Alex Deleon,London Film Festival,November 1, 2004Today’s films:(1) “Vanity Fair” with Rees Witherspoon as the social climbing “mountaineer”, Becky Sharp with seamless English accent, in Napoleonic era England, via Thackeray – A lush high budget production by Mira Nair (of “Monsoon Rain”) – fantastic costumes, makeup, sets, horses, rich colour photography, good acting all around from a full cast of English stalwarts, Bob Hoskins, Gabriel Byrne, nearly the entire British “a Li...
The Savannah Film Festival presented the 2004 awards for student and professional competition films tonight at 7 p.m. The awards ceremony capped off the eight-day festival, which screened more than 60 films.Award winners are as follows:… Best Narrative Feature: Dandelion… Best Documentary: Entertaining Vietnam… Best Narrative Short: Lift… Jury Award: This is Not a Film… Jury Award: Standout Performance: Nadia Dajani in This is Not a Film… Best Director: Mark Milgard for Dandelion… ...
The London Film Festival (November 20 – November 4) has opened appropriately, with a new English film, Mike Leigh’s “Vera Drake”, set in 1950s London. Mr. Leigh and the star of his film, Imelda Staunton, who is in line for an Oscar for her startling portrayal of a back-street abortionist in early post-war London, were guests of honour last night at the British premiere of the film. Other high profile guests were directors Anthony Minghella (“Cold Mountain”) and Ridley Scott. Vi...
Allen Daviau, THE COLOR PURPLE & E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL cinematographer, confirms attendance at the 2004 Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival. "Kodak chooses wonderful cinematographers year after year and this year’s recipient, Allen Daviau, is an outstanding cinematographer," said Chuck Boller, Executive Director of LVHIFF. "I encourage aspiring local filmmakers to mark your calendars for “The Eastman Kodak Seminar with Allen Daviau”, this is wonderful opportunity to lear...
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS PROGRAMOne hundred miles to the east of New York City, at the tip of Long Island, the various villages of the Hamptons are world renowned as the summer playground for the rich and famous. Now that Summer is over and the first chill of the Fall season is in the air, the Hamptons are gearing up for what has become another celebrated event….the 12th edition of the Hamptons International film Festival. Running from October 20th through the 24th, t...
JIM SHERIDAN, MORGAN FREEMAN TO RECEIVE AWARDS AT DEBUT CARIBBEAN FILM FESTIVALNovember 13-20, 2004.Academy Award-nominated director Jim Sheridan (IN AMERICA) and actor Morgan Freeman (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) are among the luminaries who will receive Career Achievement Awards at the 1st Annual Turks & Caicos International Film Festival from November 13-20, 2004, event organizers have announced. Sheridan and Freeman have three Oscar nominations apiece.Also scheduled to attend and receive a Care...
ANNETTE BENING AND LEONARDO DiCAPRIO TO RECEIVE ACTING AWARDS FROM THE HOLLYWOOD FESTOscar(r) nominated actress Annette Bening will get the "Hollywood Actress ofthe Year Award" and Academy Award-nominated actor Leonardo DiCapriowill receive the "Hollywood Actor of the Year Award."The Hollywood Film Festival's Board of Advisors is proud to announce that this year's festival will honor Oscar(r)-nominated actress ANNETTE BENING with its "Hollywood Actress of the Year Award" and Academy Award nomina...
The FIPRESCI jury gave their nod to my own personal favorite, "Bombon El Perro" (BOMBON, The Dog), an Argentine film by Carlos Sorin who won a jury prize here two years ago with “Minimal Stories”. This director works characteristically with non-professional actors who appear in his films under their real names, “Bom-Bon” is the name of a docile white mastiff who shares the lead with a gentle man from Patagonia by the name of Juan Villegas. Juan is a dog raiser and “expositor” ...
Academy Award-winning producer/director MEL GIBSON will receive the "Hollywood Producer of the Year Award"The Hollywood Film Festival's Board of Advisors, co-chaired by Paula Wagner, is proud to announce that this year's festival will honor Oscar(r) winning producer/director MEL GIBSON with its "Hollywood Producer of the Year Award."The award will be bestowed upon Mr. Gibson as part of the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on Monday evening, October 18, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.Other industry pr...
Down From the MountainA writer braves treacherous weather, high altitudes, and long lines to reach that mother lode of cinema, Telluride.by Tim AppeloThe Telluride Film Festival was a place of peril this year. The 2,500 or so film pilgrims braved blistering sun, biblical rain, a freak snowstorm that frosted the peaks ridiculously prettily, a Dumpster-diving bear that roamed the streets by night, and a crazed fan resembling Santa Claus who kicked things and abused ticket takers until he was final...
TORONTO BIZ BUZZ 1SONY PICTURES CLASSICS HAS A RECORD TORONTOThe first few days of the Toronto International Film Festival has seen a spurt of buying for US distributor Sony Pictures Classics. The company already has a record six films screening in Toronto, including Festival opener Being Julia (directed by Istvan Szabo), Pedro Almodovar’s Bad Education, Zhang Jimou’s House of Flying Daggers, John Duigan’s Head In The Clouds, and Al Pacino-starrer The Merchant of Venice, has announced som...
Record Number of Shorts Heat Up At Palm Springs International of Shorts Film Festival "Wasp" Receives Best of Festival Award at Palm Springs International of Shorts Film Festival. Awards were given out in Palm Springs at the end of the largest and most respected short film festival in North America. The Palm Springs International Short Film Festival takes place during the heat of summer and heats up the competition of the short film format. What this does is set the base for shorts throughout...
“San Marco!, San Marco!” call out the Venetian water boat drivers to this historic boat stop, but after 7 pm tonite no one with be allowed to enter the historic square to see the church and courtyard from the 12th century. A 21st century artefact: Dreamwork’s Shark Tale will be projected to 5000 ticket holders who kicked up a storm in getting the coveted seats that went like gondola rides in a matter of days. No cameras, no cell phones with cameras, no recording devices. Hundreds of secu...
On the eighth day of the Venice International Film Festival, several very strong contenders for the Golden Lion have screened and are the talk of the Lido. To date Howl’s Moving Castle (Hauru nougoku shiro) by award winning Hayao Miyazaki has produced the most enthusiastic response from Italian journalists and public. The film was screened under the utmost care to prevent piracy as the film will not be released in Japan until November 20. It will open in France on December 15. According to Miy...
The out of competition film Michael Radford's Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare passed the test by Italian journalists who assembled at a press conference on day 4 of the Venice International Film Festival. Nearly all questions went to ---Al Pacino and enthusiasm about his performance may suggest an Oscar nod next year. Pacino who only understands a little Italian had on his headphones and fielded questions. He said that Radford was great in telling him how to take down the volume and r...
20th Warsaw International Film Festival (WIFF) will take place on 7-18October, 2004. The Festival's motto is "Films about people and for people".The opening will be the European festival premiere of Czech comedy "Up andDown" by Oscar-nominated Jan Hrebejk (Divided We Fall, Pupendo, Cosy Dens).Fourteen first and second features will take part in the "New Films NewDirectors" International Competition. The Jury members - directors only -are Fridrik Thor Fridrikson (Iceland, Jury President), Mirjam ...
The 19th Annual Film & Television Trade ForumSet To Inspire New Filmmakers With Success Story in Open Water Vancouver, BC - New and established filmmakers will be interested in the story of Chris Kentis, whose success with low budget feature Open Water is a highlight of this year's New Filmmakers' Day, September 25. New Filmmakers' Day, aimed at emerging filmmaking talent, follows three days of Trade Forum panels at UBC Robson Square, September 22 to 24, with the latest information on the art ...
The international juries of the 61st Venice Film Festival Venezia 61. - Venezia Orizzonti - Venezia Cinema Digitale Venezia 61 - Golden Lion John Boorman (UK, President). Director. He began his career as a documentary filmmaker in 1955 at the BBC. He won the Best Director Award at Cannes in 1998 for The General (the story of an Irish criminal) and in 1970 for Leo the Last (with Marcello Mastroianni). What stands out in his work is his great iconographic and narrative talent. Since his first Ame...
The 28th edition of the Montréal World Film Festival gets underway Thursday night with the world premiere in competition of the Canadian production Elles Étaient Cinq (The Five of Us), one of 111 movies having their world or international premieres during the Festival, August 26 – September 6.Some 245 feature films will unspool during the 12-day event, 56 of them world premieres and 55 international premieres, i.e. motion pictures making their debut outside their country of origin. Another ...
HOLLYWOOD FEST HONORS CALEB DESCHANEL AND CELEBRATES THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OFCINEMATOGRAPHERS' 85th ANNIVERSARY.Oscar(R)-nominated cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (ASC) will be this year's recipient of the "Hollywood CINEMATOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR Award." In addition, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will mark its 85th anniversary at the Hollywood Film Festival, which takes place October 12 to 18 at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood."Mr. Deschanel is undoubtedly one of Hollywood's fine...
HIGHLIGHTS FREE OUTDOOR SCREENINGS PROGRAM AT MONTRÉAL WORLD FILM FESTIVALSA cornucopia of acclaimed movies from Canada and around the globe will be screened free-of-charge nightly during the 12-day run of the 28th Montréal World Film Festival, August 26 – September 6.The Cinema Under The Stars program, presented by Loto-Québec in association with the MWFF, will feature two hit films each night starting at 8:30 pm on the Esplanade of Place des Arts, Sainte-Catherine at Jeanne Mance. Only on...
MONTRÉAL WORLD FILM FESTIVALWorld CompetitionDÍAS DE CAMPO (DÍAS DE CAMPO) (COMP) (World Premiere)Chile - France / 2004 / 35 mm / Colour / 89 min / Dir.: Raoul RuizIn a bar in Santiago, two old-timers converse over a few drinks. It seems that one of them is writing a novel. It is a weird discussion; they speak of themselves as if they were already dead. Don Federico, the would-be novelist, gathers matches in his wine glass. The ambience is eerie. Where are we? In the kingdom of the dead? Well...
The first annual Slamdance Teleplay Competition(August 9, 2004) Slamdance announces the arrival of its ORIGINAL TELEPLAY COMPETITION and is now accepting entries. With ten years of history, the Slamdance Film Festival has built a solid reputation as a major source for emerging talent in filmmaking and screenwriting. Lee Daniels, producer of MONTER¹S BALL and the Slamdance Screenplay winner and Sundance hit, THE WOODSMAN, says, ³The best material comes from Slamdance². In theatres now, write...
Some of KVIFF 04 A-list visitorsThis year was no exception and Karlovy Vary’s Grand Hotel welcomed again many film industry A-listers for the International Film Festival. Among them was Taxi Driver, Pulp Fiction and Thelma and Louise star Harvey Keitel, the world’s favourite little hobbit Elijah Wood, Monty Python’s most memorable, John Cleese and many others. Prominent Czech political figures visited the festival too such as president Vaclav KLAUS, and former president Vaclav Havel. Harv...
TRIBUTE TO MARLON BRANDOThe 57th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival will honour andcommemorate Marlon Brando on Saturday August 7. The film chosen toremind us of the tremendous actor who died recently is Queimada, made in1969 by Gillo Pontecorvo, who will be attending the festival in Locarno tocelebrate Brando’s extraordinary performance and to discuss their worktogether on a memorably turbulent production. Written by the director incollaboration with Franco Solinas and shot in...
