The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) is thrilled to announce their Special Presentations including the Opening Night Film. MEIFF will kick off its impressive first annual event on Sunday, October 14th with Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Veteran choreographer Otis Sallid will direct the Opening Night and Closing Night Galas’ dance numbers. His Excellency Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority ...
The Middle East International Film Festival – Abu Dhabi (MEIFF) is thrilled to announce their Special Presentations including the Opening Night Film. MEIFF will kick off its impressive first annual event on Sunday, October 14th with Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Veteran choreographer Otis Sallid will direct the Opening Night and Closing Night Galas’ dance numbers. His Excellency Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei, Director General of Abu Dhabi Authority for...
The 34th edition of the Ghent International Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday October 9 featuring not one but 3 movies. Closing the Ring, a very strong European première opens the section Festival Previews in the presence of Lord Richard Attenborough. The same evening the competition is launched with Die Fälscher by Stefan Ruzowsky and in Vooruit the section Almost Cinema is opened with Sand & Sorrow, a documentary about the Darfur genocide.In Closing the Ring Lord Richard Attenborough tells ...
For the first time ever, a Swedish film opens the Stockholm film festival. Josef Fares latest film Leo will have its world premiere at the 18th international film festival, which takes place November 15-25. Leo celebrates his 30th birthday. Surrounded by family and friends, he toasts to the future. But as the party ends and Leo and his girlfriend walk back home, something happens which will forever change their lives. After great success with Jalla! Jalla! (2000), Kops (2003) and Zozo (2005), Sw...
Thursday, July 12---------The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has mailed out the entry forms for the Foreign Language Film competition to 95 countries, in preparation for the 80th Academy Awards. To qualify for the 2007 Awards, a film must be released in the submitting country between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2007, and be publicly screened in 35mm or 70mm film or in a qualifying digital cinema format for at least seven consecutive days in a commercial motion picture theate...
Tuesday, June 12------RANG DE BASANTI, a politically charged epic set in the 1920s, was the big winner at the International Indian Film Academy Awards, Bollywood's answer to the Oscars, held on Saturday night. The awards, voted on by fans, were handed out in front of an audience of 12,000 enthusiastic fans at Hallam Auditorium in the city of Sheffield, in the North of England. The cream of the Indian film industry gathered for an evening-long pagaent of Bollywood stars, musical performances ...
Clint Eastwood will receive this year’s Spirit of Independence Award at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. The Spirit of Independence Award will be given to Eastwood at a special event on Thursday, June 28 sponsored by Target. Tony Bennett, who is the focus of a new documentary for which Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer, will present Eastwood with this honor.The Spirit of Independence Award event is an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to hear Eastwood speak about his work, h...
The Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival (June 12th – 17th) is proud to recognize the talented and dedicated filmmakers who contribute to the success of our Festival through their creativity by presenting 2007’s top filmmakers with one of the largest cash prizes for short film in the world. Offering 10 awards and over $125,000 in cash and prizes, the WSFF honours exceptional creators whose talent and dedication inspires audiences and budding filmmakers alike.2007 welcomes t...
Thursday, May 24------Persians are battling Pirates for top honors at this year's MTV MOVIE AWARDS, which will be held in Los Angeles and broadcast live on June 3. Awards are determined by the audience, who still have another week to vote for their favorites. Simply log on to the website: www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards.Although this is hardly your mother's Oscar ceremonies (not much dignity and decorum here), the MTV MOVIE AWARDS has an international viewing audience that rivals the A...
Friday, April 6---------The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Gala Tribute to the Oscar-winning and much-loved actress Diane Keaton on Monday, April 9th. The evening will include highlights selected especially for this occasion from the actress’ extensive body of work, on-stage salutes from friends and colleagues, and personal remarks by Ms. Keaton.Ms. Keaton will be toasted and praised by such presenters as Woody Allen, Steve Martin and Martin Short, The Allen-Keaton...
Tuesday, April 3---------The Film Society of Lincoln Center presents its annual Gala Tribute to the Oscar-winning and much-loved actress Diane Keaton on Monday, April 9th. The evening will include highlights selected especially for this occasion from the actress’ extensive body of work, on-stage salutes from friends and colleagues, and personal remarks by Ms. Keaton.Ms. Keaton will be toasted and praised by such presenters as Woody Allen, Steve Martin and Martin Short, The Allen-Keaton p...
Nelson Ogbuagu is a typical Chicago middle-school student who has had some atypical experiences. A student at the Walt Disney Magnet School in Chicago, Nelson’s passion for filmmaking has been nurtured for years by the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival’s Young Chicago Critics (YCC) camp, the premier film criticism and production summer camp for kids in Chicago. But this year, after serving on YCC for three years, Nelson will do something he has never dreamed of doing: travelin...
Wednesday, February 28----Coming on the eve of the Academy Awards, which honors the BEST in film of the past year, the Golden Raspberry Awards go to the other extreme.....singling out the worst films and performances of 2006. Affectionately known as the Razzies, the ceremonies, now in their 27th year, were held on Oscar eve at Hollywood's Ivar Theater.The night's big winner was the unintentionally hilarious who-dunnit BASIC INSTINCT 2, acknowledged as the year's Worst Fim, Wor...
Wednesday, February 21----In the run-up to the Independent Spirit Awards (Saturday) and the Academy Awards (Sunday), the industry's big weekend, a number of crafts and guilds announced their award winners. The 57th Annual ACE Eddie Awards, presented by the American Cinema Editors, held last Sunday evening at the Beverly Hills Hotel, honored a number of films, most of which are also in the running for Oscars.In an unusual occurence, there was a tie for Best Edited Feature Film between BABEL...
Tuesday, February 13----Short filmmakers, even those nominated for Academy Awards, can have a hard time showcasing their work for the general public. The heyday of short films being shown in theaters before the main feature have long gone. However, intrepid New Yorkers are in for a treat this coming weekend, when the IFC Center, downtown Manhattan's most dynamic arthouse theater, will present a program of the live-action and animated short films that are up for Oscar gold.Usually, only those...
Wednesday, February 14---The Brits were back as big winners (on their home turf) of the BAFTA Awards, more formally referred to as the Orange British Academy Film Awards. The Best Film honors went to THE QUEEN, as did the Best Actress nod to Helen Mirren (dust off that bookshelf for your Oscar, Mrs. Hackford), with the Best British Film prize going to THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, and its lead actor Forrest Whitaker for his portrayal of Uganda strongman Idi Amin. Other Brits who shined include Best...
The first time in Hollywood for the new 'young offspring' of Italian Cinema, Carlo Nero, Riccardo Scamarcio, Paolo Sorrentino, Fausto Brizzi and Daniele Liotti is going to take place under the honorable presence of Vanessa Redgrave at the opening night of 'Los Angeles, Italia - Film Fashion and Art Fest' on Sunday February 18th. The legendary British actress (Academy Award® Winner in 1978 for 'Julia' directed by Fred Zinnermann) is going to attend the special screening of 'The Fever' -on Sunday...
Wednesday, February 7----With the ballots for the Academy Awards in the mail, speculation is growing about what has become an impossible to predict Best Picture race. While BABEL was considered the frontrunner, especially following its Golden Globe win last month, there is now industry speculation that BABEL and Martin Scorsese's THE DEPARTED may split the "serious film" vote. So, what exactly does that mean?
Well, one scenario points to an upset win by the indie smash LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (...
Tuesday, February 6----With the ballots for the Academy Awards in the mail, speculation is growing about what has become an impossible to predict Best Picture race. While BABEL was considered the frontrunner, especially following its Golden Globe win last month, there is now industry speculation that BABEL and Martin Scorsese's THE DEPARTED may split the "serious film" vote. So, what exactly does that mean? Well, one scenario points to an upset win by the indie smash LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (that'...
Monday, February 5----Martin Scorsese was the big winner at the 59th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards Dinner, held this past weekend at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Scorsese won the DGA's Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for his multiple Oscar-nominated police thriller, THE DEPARTED. This prestigious win makes him the favorite to win the Oscar, after seven nomination tries.
This is also Scorsese's first win after a record seven DGA Award nominati...
MIRREN AND WHITTAKER SHINE AT S.A.G. AWARDS
by Alex Deleon, Santa Barbara
This is the jolly season of awards in Southern California -- seems like there's a different one every week somewhere in L.A. or vicinity. Following the Golden Globes (Foreign Press Awards) a couple of weeks back we now have the Screen Actors Guild (S.A.G.) awards which are similar and yet a bit different. Both sets of awards go to both film and television personalities, but the Globes recognize all kinds of categories (w...
Monday, January 29----In what will likely be a repeat by the time the Oscars are given out on February 25, the Screens Actors Guild gave out its top awards to film and television thespians in the convivial atmosphere of the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Winners were visibly moved to be recognized by their peers as they polished the speeches that they very likely will need to give again at the Kodak Theater for the big bonanza of the Academy Awards.
The SAG Award for Best Ensemble Performa...
The 79th edition of the Academy Awards brought us its surprises along with the long list of nominees announced in Los Angeles early Tuesday by the AMPAS president Sid Ganis and actress Salma Hayek.Leading surprise was the absence of Bill Condon's Dreamgirls in the best feature category. The film leads with 8 nominationsPerformance by an actor in a leading roleLeonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMONDRyan Gosling - HALF NELSONPeter O'Toole - VENUSWill Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESSForest Whitaker - THE...
Everything you need to know about the Oscars, the figures, the details...of the 79th Aacademy AwardsNumber of eligible pictures for this year 306Number of countries submitting foreign language films 61Number of voting members 5,830Number of times Ellen DeGeneres has hosted the Academy Awards show 1 The week before the show, on what day will rehearsals with talent begin?ThursdayNumber of seat fillers Approx. 250Number of ushers / ticket takers inside the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Cent...
Tuesday, January 16----Even from a distance of 5000 miles, sitting comfortably in front of my flat screen television, and watching with amusement the telecast of the Golden Globe Awards, it was clear that this is one of Hollywood's biggest and most irreverent parties. It has long been noted that because the Awards Ceremony takes place in a hotel ballroom, where food is being served, and liquor is constantly being brought out, that this awards show is a far cry from the dignified demeanor of th...
