Uma Thurman in MOTHERHOOD At the Woodstock Film Festival, which today concludes its five-day marathon of film premieres, industry seminars, music concerts and groovy parties, film directors generally get all the attention. However, after my own personal marathon screenings, it is the performances of several standout actors that has made the biggest impression. Of course, for an independent filmmaker, casting is a critical part of the process.  Luckily, it has been par...

At the Woodstock Film Festival, which today concludes its five-day marathon of film premieres, industry seminars, music concerts and groovy parties, film directors generally get all the attention. However, after my own personal marathon screenings, it is the performances of several standout actors that has made the biggest impression. Of course, for an independent filmmaker, casting is a critical part of the process. Luckily, it has been part of the appeal of independent cinema that name actors...

Female directors have been the toast of town in Toronto this week, with films that have been embraced by the industry, film critics and audiences. Although women directors still make up an anemically small percentage of the ranks of film directors everywhere around the world, their special spins on a number of high profile films here are worth noting. No film premiere generated as much excitement as the red carpet gala of JENNIFER'S BODY, a vampire comedy scribed by Oscar-winning scenarist Diabl...

  by Sandy Mandelberger, Festival Dailies Editor Female directors have been the toast of town in Toronto this week, with films that have been embraced by the industry, film critics and audiences. Although women directors still make up an anemically small percentage of the ranks of film directors everywhere around the world, their special spins on a number of high profile films here are worth noting. No film premiere generated as much excitement as the red carpet gala of JEN...

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) Managing Director Ginnie Atkinson and Artistic Director Hannah McGill, today announced some of the expected guests at this year’s Festival as well as the film line-up for the Festival’s free outdoor screenings, FILM FESTIVAL UNDER THE STARS, in association with Homecoming Scotland.Returning to Scotland in 2009 are expected guests including: Alan Cumming, Alfonso Cuarón, Andrea Arnold, Anthony Dod Mantle, Bill Forsyth, Brenda Blethyn, Darren Arono...

The global financial Crisis, Recession, Depression -- call it what you will - was not overly in evidence at the 59th edition of the Berlin Film Festival which ended its annual ten day run here on Febtuary 14th, Valentine's day. Private VIP and celebrity parties as reported in the gossip tabloids seemed to be as lavish as ever, and public box-office attendance in terms of tickets sold, was the highest ever at 270,000, up a solid 20,000 from 2008. The one festival section that did seem to be aff...

The first titles for the Competition programme of the 59th Berlin International Film Festival have been confirmed. They include films from Algeria, China, Greece, Great Britain, Sweden, the USA, and Germany. This means that in addition to the opening film, the world premiere of Tom Tykwer’s The International (which is screening out of competition, as announced in the press release on Nov. 28, 2008), another ten films have been selected, four of which will be celebrating their world premieres a...

The 19th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) will honor Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis with its prestigious Desert Palm Achievement Award for his latest film There Will Be Blood at the Festival's annual Awards Gala on Saturday, January 5, 2008. Past actors that have received this award include Nicolas Cage, Liam Neeson, John Travolta and Jake Gyllenhaal. Festival chairman Earl Greenburg said, "Daniel Day-Lewis is a tremendously accomplished actor with an impressive b...

The 15th Annual Gotham Awards Winners will be awarded at the ceremony on November 30 in New York City. Executive Director Michelle Byrd said the nominees were selected by three separate nominating committees composed of critics and film programmers. Nominees for a final competitive juried award, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You (for films yet to receive theatrical distribution), will be announced in early November. A jury of peers will decide the winning selections in all six categori...

PANORAMA CELEBRATES TWENTY YEARSThe Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, continuing a tradition of bringing the work of innovative and original artists to the international arena.The Panorama’s “patron saint” is its founder, Manfred Salzgeber, a theater owner and arthouse distributor, who almost single handedly created the underground film aesthetic in Berlin, and was influential in the spread of these unique films to countries all ove...

After months of receiving and reviewing submissions, the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival (SXSW Film) announces the lineup of feature films for this year's event. The lineup includes over 40 world and U.S. premieres, set to be unveiled March 11-19, 2005 in venues throughout Austin, TX.The following is the lineup of features for SXSW 2005. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION:CAVITEDir: Ian Gamazon and Neill Dela Llana; Cast: Ian Gamazon, Dominique Gonzalez.An American citizen visiting his ...

With most of the United States in the grip of a devastatingly cold winter, more than a few eyes (and hearts) turn to Florida, the sunshine state, which is having an intensely active “high season”. As much as the sun and the beach are major attractions, this is also the kick-off to the Florida film festival season.Two of Florida’s most interesting film events are happening this week. The Sarasota Film Festival, now in its seventh year, opened this past weekend, with an ambitious slate of pr...

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...

The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), announced today the full schedule of films for the 22nd annual Festival to be held February 4-13, 2005.118 Films—87 Features and 31 Shorts—from 47 Countries Highlight 2005 FestivalIncluding 7 World Premieres, 15 International, North American& U.S. Premieres, and 33 East Coast PremieresUnveiled today for the 2005 program were 118 films from 47 countries, including 7 World Premieres, 15 International, North Am...

Sundance Institute presents the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, an exhibition of work that showcases the best of independent cinema. Each year the programming staff views thousands of submissions to select the most exciting and innovative works for the Festival.The Sundance Institute announced the lineup of films for the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The films listed below make up the Independent Feature Film Competition, inaugural World Cinema Competition, Premieres, Park City at Midnight, American...