America-wide newspaper USA Today has cited the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in a recent expose entitled, “Where in the World are the Hottest Film Fests?” DIFF ranked along with industry giants such as Sundance, the biggest independent festival in North America, and Cannes, which celebrated its 60th anniversary this year.The article pointed to the importance of DIFF’s mandate to bring people together in the Middle East to share cultural differences, and complimented its spirit a...
The Hollywood Reporter today announced that it has named industry veteran Elizabeth Guider as Editor. With an 18-year tenure at Variety, she most recently served as Editor at Large and, before that, as Executive Editor for News. She has also held management responsibilities for Daily Variety Gotham, Daily Variety Los Angeles and Weekly Variety. During her 25-year journalism career, Ms. Guider has reported on the entertainment and media industries for various publications from Rome, Paris, London...
Wednesday, January 10----Narrative films from the European continent are among the most anticipated in the World Cinema Competition: Drama competition at the Sundance Film Festival, which opens next week. Of the sixteen films to be presented in the program section, eight are European productions or co-productions with other nations. The strong presence of European films, and the introduction of new film talents, will have industry executives keeping a watchful eye on Europe during the 10 day ...
Monday, November 27----Nick Broomfield has won or been nominated for every award in the book in his varied career. He won a BAFTA Award for SOLDIER GIRLS (1981). His unforgettable portrait of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the celebrated AILEEN WUORNOS: THE SELLING OF A SERIAL KILLER (1992) and its follow up AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER (2002) were nominated for prizes from the European Film Academy, the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Film Festival. The l...
It may not be easy to take the temperature at any international film festival but when the event is held in London it should be de rigueur, as weather is such a British obsession. Although it has been the balmiest October since 1649, or whenever records began, with 21 degrees C enjoyed in the capital when The Times BFI 50th London Film Festival lengthily opened its doors (I did not attend the Inauguration on the 18th as I was too late in requesting a ticket; I live in hope of an entree to the c...
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) announces the launch of a program of new industry and sales services. These will include the creation of a Sales Club; extension of the Rotterdam Film Office’s role as mediator throughout the year; an improved industry accreditation system and more regular industry newsletters (TigerTopics).Rotterdam festival director Sandra den Hamer is proud to announce that Marnix van Wijk, former Fortissimo Films VP of Marketing & Festivals, has joined the f...
New Directors/New Films, one of the most anticipated film events on the New York film calendar, opens this week end. The program, jointly presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Department of Film and Media of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), will unspool 25 feature films and 5 shorts from March 22 through April 2, 2006. The program opens with the East Coast Premiere of HALF NELSON, a Sundance sleeper about a committed teacher in New York’s public schools, played by rising star...
PORTSMOUTH::SCREEN 05 Film + New Media Festival19-26 November 2005PORTSMOUTH already attracts a great number of film-lovers to it's cinemas and multiplexes and this inaugral film festival offers audiences the opportunity to experience new, independent, experimental and world cinema as well as showcasing the work of establishing and local film makers. The aim of the festival is to provide a high-profile programme of accessible, engaging, entertaining, challenging and thought-provoking work and t...
onedotzero, a pioneer in new moving image, returns to the London Film Festival for its third year present a special event focusing on the influence of London on innovative film makers and creatives. London's reputation for producing and attracting innovative artists, writers and film-makers and as a source of inspiration is immense. This session will bring together a series of creatives from different arenas on whom London has been a keen influence. The speakers have each produced unique persona...
The third Discovering Latin America Film Festival in LondonThe third edition of the ‘Discovering Latin America Film Festival’ closed in London on December 5th amid great satisfaction among the organizers. Although the event had grown considerably since last year, with a larger number of films and, for the first time, master classes, they had managed to make it run smoothly. This is an unusual film festival, run by a group of enthusiastic amateurs. The artistic director personally introduced ...
The Latest New Wave: Argentinean Films at the London Film FestivalThe notion of 'new wave' is probably one of the most meaningless concepts used in film criticism. Since the French nouvelle vague of the sixties, each time a nation produces two or three talented directors, the critics start to talk about a new wave. If this term had existed in the twenties, German expressionism and French impressionism would surely have been described as such. In the last four decades, however, there are few new ...
The London Film Festival has ended its 16 day run with more of a whimper than a bang, closing out with a gala screening of the inconsequential comedy, “I Heart Huckabee”, which failed to attract the usual flow of celebrities on a chilly Thursday Night in Leicester Square. An alternate last-night screening, “MA MERE”, a socio-pathological shocker from France, starring one of the best of all Gallic actresses, Isabelle Huppert turned out to be a better festival capstone than “Huckabee”...
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...
Andy Cole has been appointed as the first Head of Communications and Marketing at Film London, the strategic body for the film and media industry in the capital. He is tasked with establishing a communications strategy for the newly formed organisation, developing a range of sponsorship and business partnerships, and promoting London as an international film-making centre.Cole will join Film London after 3 years as Head of Marketing at the British Film Institute, where he oversaw the promotion o...
SUTHERLAND TROPHY SHORTLIST ANNOUNCEDA shortlist of three titles in competition for the British Film Institute (bfi) Sutherland Trophy was announced today (4 November), selected by a jury representing the film and entertainment worlds.The shortlist, chosen from twelve nominated titles, comprises No Rest for the Brave, a dreamlike coming-of-age odyssey from French director Alain Guiraudie; Osama, the first feature from post-Taliban Afghanistan directed by Siddiq Barmak; and Reconstruction, an exp...
