The winner of Wolgin Award for the Best Full-Length Feature is The Band's Visit, directed by Eran Kolirin, and produced by Eilon Ratzkovsky, Ehud Bleiberg, Yossi Uzrad, Kobi Gal Raday, and Guy Yekuel.The winner of the Wolgin Award for Best Documentary Film is Children of the Sun, directed by Ran Tal.The winner of the Wolgin Award for Best Short Film is Roads, directed by Lior Geller.Following is a description of the films that won in the Festival: The Wolgin Award for Best Full-Length Feature Fi...
Documentary features are beginning to come into their own, not only on the festival circuit but in selected commercial cinemas as well, as more and more perceptive moviegoers, tired of paying ten dollars a shot for mainstream mindlessness, are beginning to look for films that actually have something to say. Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" was a real ground-breaker when it was awarded the top prize at Cannes two years ago, the first time a documentary film was so recognized at this topper of al...
Film Independent announced the full program line-up for the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival (Thursday, June 21 – Sunday, July 1), including the Opening Night and Closing Night films.As previously announced, Academy Award®-winning actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood will receive this year’s Spirit of Independence Award on Thursday, June 28 at a special event sponsored by Target. Tony Bennett, who is the focus of a new documentary for which Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer, will pre...
The 33rd edition of the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) initiated its marathon 24 day run on Friday, May 25, with 18 films bursting out of the starting gates at six festival venues strategically located around the city from the landmark Space Needle to the University District (and a seventh across the lake in satellite city Bellevue). The opening event I chose to attend was "An Evening with Lisa Gerrard", hypnotic Australian song-bird/composer, introducing the screening of a mystico-...
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...