A RAGING SUCCESS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR FANTASIA’S SWEET 16th EDITION + FINAL PRIZES ANNOUNCED   The 16th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has just come to an end, and our team is celebrating the resounding success of this year’s edition. With over 109,000 spectators and industry attendees, this year saw record crowds flock to the event—up 7,000 people over last year. We would like to express our deep gratitude to the 150 directors, actors, screenwriters and producers w...

Discovery isn’t always a good thing. A pair of American indie films—the world premiere of Paul Leuer’s EDEN COURT and the San Francisco Bay Area debut of Charles Oliver’s TAKE—served as weak bookends for the 18th edition of the Cinequest Film Festival. Fortunately, there was much to celebrate between opening and closing nights during the festival’s 12-day run in downtown San Jose, California.According to Cinequest executive director and co-founder Halfdan Hussey, approximately 80,000...

Cinequest 18 is turning out to be a particularly strong festival this year. The quality of filmmaking on view is quite staggering, and, in this reviewer’s opinion, surpasses previous years for quality of storytelling and technical accomplishment.  Becoming John Ford – United StatesI began my weekend with this well-crafted and insightful documentary by director Nick Redman. Through archival footage, interviews with the great man’s contemporaries and film clips, a multi-dimensional portrait...

Joint organizer of Cinequest 18, Jens Hussey, introduced the press conference on Saturday afternoon, noting that on the previous day, the festival had recorded its highest ever numbers for mid-week audiences. At this rate, the estimated total attendance of 80,000 people seems a strong reality.The following segments from the 90 minute conference  should give you an overview of the talent involved in this year's festival.Robert Peters (Director) - Half Empty “It’s a musical filmed over eight ...

Tuesday, November 7---Wednesday is shaping up to be another very full day at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, with an intriguing mix of American indie films and world cinema highlights. WEDNESDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS NOBELITY There is no higher accolade than the Nobel Prize. In the fascinating documentary NOBELITY, American director Turk Pipkin interviews a who's who of Nobel Prize winners, providing a stunning look at the world's most complex social, political and economic problems ...