Tony Rayns and Shelly Kraicer, programmers of the Vancouver International Film Festival's big Dragons & Tigers: The Cinemas of East Asia section, today announced that the program will showcase a total of 35 features, four mid-length films and 22 shorts (programmed to date). Dragons & Tigers, one of the pre-eminent showcases of East Asian films in the world, is presented with the generous support of Brad Birarda and Robert Sali. The series will feature five World Premieres, eight Internat...

The Hubert Bals Fund of the International Film Festival Rotterdam has selected four film projects to receive support in its ‘digital production’ category. Liu Jiayin and Wang Bing (both from China), Paz Encina (Paraguay) and Eugenio Polgovsky (Mexico) receive grants to produce their low budget digital projects. The other categories, including script development and postproduction grants, will be announced in two weeks. Wang Bing’s CAI YOU RI JI (THE JOURNEY OF CRUDE OIL) documents in non...

This year’s jury for the Dragons & Tigers Award at Vancouver International Film Festival was made up of David Bordwell (USA), Li Cheuk-To (Hong Kong) and Gerwin Tamsma (The Netherlands). They have selected Ox Hide by LIU Jiayin from China as winner of the 2005 Dragons & Tigers The film is a bold effort that shows astonishing confidence in both dramatic and stylistic choices made by the filmmaker. Ms Liu treats her own family life with insight, humour and clear-sightedness. Amongst other virt...

Pop Art and Politics – the Forum Focuses on Innovative DebutsThe program of the 35th International Forum of New Cinema presents itself in leaner, rejuvenated form. Reducing the selection of films by more than a quarter in comparison with earlier years focuses the gaze on essentials: an innovative, global filmmaking eager to experiment and take unconventional paths outside the mainstream. The program, consisting of 39 feature and documentary films, including 16 debut works, is presenting 24 wor...