The “Other” Venice Film Festival Venice California was one man's dream of a place to resemble Venice, Italy. In 1900 Abbot Kinney founded Venice, California. At first Venice was a romantic network of canals but Kinney's idea never really worked, and with the arrival of cars and freeways to LA, the canals were abandoned. In the 1960s Venice, California became a low rent district on the ocean that attracted artists and young radicals from across the nation. Always slightly on the margin...

Amy Adams, Pierce Brosnan, Sandra Bullock, Morgan Freeman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Hayes, Terrence Howard Heath Ledger, William H. Macy, Christopher Meloni and Ziyi Zhang will be presenters at the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, executive producer Jeff Margolis announced today.They join a growing roster of actors who will honor their colleagues at the 12th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® that includes Naveen Andrews, Patricia Arquette, Benjamin Bratt, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marg Helgenber...

Oscar-winning director Sydney Pollack tries his hand at the non-fiction format in SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY, his intimate film portrait of one of the world’s most successful and creative architects.Pollack, whose directorial career dates back to the 1960s, and includes such legendary films as THEY SHOOT HORSES DON’T THEY, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, TOOTSIE and the multi-Academy Award winner OUT OF AFRICA, is one of a handful of directors who is also a prolific producer (THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY,...

The 9th Annual Hollywood Film Festival's "Hollywood Awards(r)" ceremony, honoring independent filmmakers and established Hollywood professionals, was held last night before a standing-room-only audience of over 1,200 Hollywood Film Festival attendees at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Special honors went to Lions Gate Films Releasing President Tom Ortenberg, film preservation leader Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington, actress Diane Keaton, actor Joaquin Phoenix, actress Charli...

The Donostia-San Sebastian film festival on the incredibly picturesque North Spanish coast, ("NAZIOARTEKO ZINEMALDIA" in the exotic Basque language of the region), has opened heavily "front loaded" as the saying goes these days, which means that many of the big guns, films with high prize potential, have already been fired off in the first few days. The festival opener was, appropriately, "Obaba", one of the most eagerly awaited Spanish films of the year based on a Basque language best seller b...

53RD SAN SEBASTIAN FILM FESTIVAL OPENS WITH SEVERAL BANGSby Alex Deleon, San SebastianThe Donostia-San Sebastian film festival on the incredibly picturesque North Spanish coast, ("NAZIOARTEKO ZINEMALDIA" in the exotic Basque language of the region), has opened heavily "front loaded" as the saying goes these days, which means that many of the big guns, films with high prize potential, have already been fired off in the first few days. The festival opener was, appropriately, "Obaba", one of the m...

World Premiere of “When Do We Eat?” opens the fest U.S. Premiere of “Checking Out” to closeOver 150 films headline fest with 11 World PremieresOver a 150 diverse films will screen at the Palm Beach International Film Festival event, including features, documentaries and shorts. The eight-day Fest will introduce 11 world premieres, 6 U.S. premieres and 43 Florida premieres, including 30 international films.“This is an exciting year for us--we have reached the milestone of our 10th anni...

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALUnveils Outstanding 2005 FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival now in it’s 16th year has unveiled the program set for the January Festival. With a wonderful array of 190 films, from over an amazing 65 countries for this prestigious 2005 Festival. This is a dynamic presentation of 79 premieres (14 World, 45 U.S. and 20 North American). Also of the 50 films submitted for consideration in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Academy...

CineVegas Wins Over The Las Vegas StripCinevegas Film Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, started off their sixth year with the promise of the new hot films of the summer season. Opening night “D.E.B.S“ was the pick to screen as Sin City welcomes filmgoers and the industry to this entertainment gambling mecca. D.E.B.S. is directed by Angela Robinson and tells the story of an elite crime-fighting group of girls whose leader, played by Sara Foster falls for the archenemy of the group. This is ...

CineVegas Makes Winners on the Las Vegas Strip for MITCHELLVILLE, SOUTH CROSS BRONX and THE TALENT GIVEN US. CineVegas Film Festival 2004 announced the Jury Award, which goes to Andrew Wagner's THE TALENT GIVEN US. Larry Golin's CROSS BRONX was awarded the Audience Award and John Harkrider's MITCHELLVILLE received the jury's Honorable Mention. The CineVegas Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, June 19th, 2004 culminating with tributes and award presentations to Jack Nicholson and Holly...

Happy Birthday to you, Taormina. The oldest Italian internatiomal film festival, celebrates its 50th anniversary, Launched in 1954 when Taormina, Sicily, was the preferred resort of the Hollywoodian stars, At that post war time, Sicily development was a step behind (still a bit behind today), the institution of an international event was meant to promote its great touristic resources. The Italian island has given much to this Festival, the Festival did too. The "partnership" has led today to one...

The Retrospective of the 54th Berlinale 2004 will be dedicated to a unique epoch in US film history: with “New Hollywood 1967 – 1976. Trouble in Wonderland”, the festival will bring a wonderful decade of cinematic art back to the screen. These films, made in the spirit of new tendencies, especially in politics, have in the meantime become classics. Eager to experiment, they departed remarkably from traditional narrative patterns.“The political and social upheavals of this era brought for...