Toronto Opens 2006 Festival with World Premiere of “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen”The largest and one of the most respected Film Festivals in the world will open its doors to the public with Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen". Their last film "Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner),” had won the Camera D'or in Cannes and then the prize for best Canadian film here in Toronto in 2001. Festival Co-Director Noah Cowan felt that this was one of the most important film...
November 3rd to the 13th, 2005 With 16 World Premieres and 17 North American Premieres the AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi is paving the way for a dynamic Los Angeles Film Festival. Now in its 19th year the Festival is known as one of the top-ten Film Festivals in the US. Known for its stellar presentation of programming and outstanding participation of filmmakers and cast, the Festival draws a large number of passionate film goers in Southern California and many international guest as well.AFI ...
Political Inspired Shorts Screen at Palm Springs International Festival of Shorts The 11th Annual Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films presented a daring combination of documentary and dramatic shorts exploring the complexities of the US-led war in Iraq, to a full house Saturday evening. The program, cleverly titled “Iraq and a Hard Place,” included six strong films that each explored a facet of the war in a surprisingly apolitical fashion. From the story of a man in Camden, Ma...
Toronto International Film Festival Opens with World Premiere of Deepa Mehta’s WATERToronto International Film Festival opening night was a triumph on September 8th with the premiere of Deepa Mehta’s dynamic film WATER. Finishing out her ode to the elements this is the final film in her trilogy, following FIRE (1996) and EARTH (1998). Mehta film brought a classic presents to the 30th anniversary of one on the largest film festivals in the world. Mehta’s element series FIRE and EARTH were...
Toronto International Film Festival will open with of World Premiere of WATERToronto International Film Festival is set to open on September 8th to the 17th, 2005. This will be the 30th anniversary of the top North American Film Festival and one of the most respected Festivals in the world. To date programmers have acquired to screen 11 world premieres, five international premieres, and nine North American premieres from 17 countries. Last years Festival was close to 350 films from over 50 count...
IN THE CITY OF ANGELS, THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL FLIES AGAINThe Los Angeles Film Festival took wing with an ideal opener, the North American premiere of David Jacobson’s Down In The Valley at the Cinerama Dome, Hollywood on Thursday, June 16. With an excellent cast and strong performances, the film captures the valley’s famous slackness with an apt tobacco-stained tanginess. Nocturnal images of snaking highways act as rivers of light isolating valley dwellers from the world and, as in th...
SUPER SIZE ME the hit documentary by Morgan Spurlock is on it’s way to the Academy Awards with a Happy Meal Buzz. The box office delight from talented debut filmmaker Spurlock is nominated for Best Feature Documentary. This film captured the “Fast Food Generation” as Spurlock took his work on a serious path of self-destruction as a filmmaker. His goal was to eat only from the fast food chain food for a month. As a celebration to this highly regarded nomination a party will take place on O...
To most, animation conjures an alternate realm of magic. In Oscar© -nominated animation RYAN, this realm of magic is incontestably dark. Rather than tripping through to a world of benign fantasy, we are plunged into the foreboding chamber of a haunted mind. That mind once led the hand of celebrated Canadian animator, Ryan Larkin. In the aptly titled RYAN, director Chris Landreth celebrates the work of this overlooked artist while examining the personal demons that led to his professional and pe...
This year a record number of women filmmakers are making their mark in this prestigious American Festival. With many first time women feature and short filmmakers, Sundance has supported the growth of women in film. Sundance Film Festival now its 24th year in the past has not had such a balance of ratio’s, of course there are just more men making films than women too. But the openness to women filmmakers is still a struggle and the acknowledgement of Geoff Gilmore and Robert Redford at this...
Slamdance Welcomes New Director for 11th Year FestivalOpening January 21st In Park City with Documentary MAD HOT BALLROOMSlamdance is set for January 21st to the 28th, 2005 is now coming into its 11th year Festival. With this new era will be a New Executive Director. Kathleen McInnis was brought on in September 2004, to guide the Festival and has many years of experience within the industry. She is looking forward to the event in Park City and the continuing success of Slamdance. McInnis w...
Desert Heats Up With Stars In Winter at Palm Springs International Film FestivalThe Sea Inside and Watermarks Named Audience FavoritesA beautiful starry warm evening greeted filmgoers at the Closing Night event for the Palm Springs International Film Festival. While the rest of the world was braving rain and snow, the Festival was hot with success as they celebrated the Festivals 16th year. This was a record-breaking Festival for Executive Director Darryl MacDonald and dedicated staff and the ...
Palm Springs International Film Festival opened this week to rave reviews with COACH CARTER. On hand were stars Samuel L. Jackson and Director Thomas Carter as they walked the Red-Carpet at the Palm Springs High School Auditorium. The Festival now in its 16th year has one of the most dynamic programs to date as a majority of the Foreign Oscar contention films and Premiere events that will be screened throughout the 12-day Festival which runs from January 6th to the 17th, 2005.Definitely a pres...
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...
AFI (American Film Institute Film Festival: 4-14 Septembre) The eleven day 2004 Festival is in its 18th year and set to close on November 14, 2004 in Hollywood, California. This Festival is the longest running festival in the Los Angeles area and one of the most respected. AFI is referred to as one of the Top Fiteenn Film Festivals held within the United Sates. With the high caliber line up, dynamic programming events and a multitude of special guests it's easy to see why this festival has appro...
The 25th American Film Market (AFM) opened this week to rave reviews with a record number of exhibitors, buyers, screenings and market premieres. This was presented by Michael Ryan, Independent Film & Television Alliance (I.F.T.A.) Chairman, Jean M. Prewitt, President and Chief Executive Officer, I.F.T.A., and Jonathan Wolf, Executive Vice President, I.F.T.A. and Managing Director, AFM. Santa Monica, California is the annual setting for the largest US film market, where film reps and buyer co...
The Rocky Mountains of Denver were privileged to have one of the nations top ten film festivals take place at the Denver International Film Festival this past week. Opening up with Universals anticipated RAY staring Jamie Foxx as the magnetic soul blues man Ray Charles; the Festival presented a dynamic Opening Night Gala. The downtown Buelle Theater filled to capacity, Director and co-writer Taylor Hackford, producers Stuart Benjamin, Karen and Howard Baldwin, cast members Jamie Foxx, Regina K...
Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Market opens with Award Winning Program The opening night for the 10th Annual Palm Springs International Short Film Festival was a successful tribute to the art of short films. Audiences enjoyed the cool theaters while out side the desert heat steamed up the competition in North America’s most prestigious short festival. With over 2000 entries over 300 films are set to screen this next week. A number of Cash and industry prizes will be awar...
Palm Springs International Festival Of Short Films Heats up with Student Awards Presented By KodakOn of the countries most respected short film festivals is The Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films & Film Market. Heating up the desert community the Festival will be held from August 31 to September 6, 2004. Once again Kodak will honor the best in student filmmaking with ten awards including The Kodak Award for Best Student cinematography. The first place winner of the Best Stude...
LA Film Festival Draws Animators and Fans to MONSTER ROAD Animators, and other recluses, braved a daylight screening of the documentary MONSTER ROAD at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Tuesday 24th to enjoy a rare public appearance of cult animator Bruce Bickford. The new film is an affectionate and revealing biography that updates the public on the continuing work of an artist who transforms his fevered dreams into film art.Director Brett Ingram is a fellow animator whose lens volleys between ...
Maui Film Festival now in its fifth year again share with film goers that even paradise you may be tempted to immerse yourself in cinema and not the Pacific Ocean. Barry and Stella Rivers open up their hearts with Island spirit in this four day Festival that is becoming a must for the most discering Festival visitors. With over fifty films screening at this years Festival, film goers were sure to find a film that will make them leave the beach for the big screen. With major stars attending, a...
HALLE BERRY, SAMUEL L. JACKSON Serve as Co-Chairs for 2004 IFP/LA Film Festival, Neil Young is Artist In ResidenceHalle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson are serveing as Honorary Co-Chairs for the 2004 Los Angeles Film Festival. Also, musician and filmmaker Neil Young is assisting as Artist in Residence for this year’s festival.“Both Halle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson have been able to use their stature in the industry to support independent film, the Spirit Awards, and now the Los Angeles Film Fe...
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...
The 2004 Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival opened to an enthusiastic crowd with WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF. This UK/Denmark film has been a hit on the festival circuit and Executive Director Kathy Kay knew she picked a winner for the filmgoers of Victoria Island. Now in it’s 10th year this Annual Festival officially kicks off the 10 day Festival in the beautiful setting of British Columbia, Canada. WILBER WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF tells the story of two brothers Wilbur and Harbour and...
Sundance Film Festival has been known as an innovator within the Film Festival Industry. First organized as a Festival to highlight independent films, Sundance is staying true to its roots with the wide selection of first time Independent feature directors. This past year at Sundance we saw many of the small independent films, with first time feature directors get recognition and were signed right in Park City with multi million dollars deals. Now some have gone out to wide distribution to t...
A Rise of Women Filmmakers Hits the Theaters of Park CityThis year a record number of women filmmakers are making their mark in this prestigious American Festival. With many first time women feature filmmakers as well as student short females, Sundance has leveled the fields of equality to all that are accepted. Sundance Film Festival now it’s 23rd year in the past has not had such a balance of ratio’s, of course there are just more men making films than women too.Hopefully the trend will ...
