IFFI Goa 2017, XVIII: 55 years of Bondage A thousand eyebrows were raised at the inclusion of a James Bond package in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa 2017. This was a first retrospect/tribute dedicated to a fictional character, the British MI6 spy who first appeared on screen in 1962. It was hotly debated whether the idea had any merit, considering retrospectives were hitherto confined to directors and countries. As many as nine Bond capers were screened, and at the cost ...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Ever since STAR WARS time immemorial, or 1977, depending on how tuned-in to George Lucas’ space saga you are, there’s been one constant: a massive fan base. In fact, stealing from the tech world, you could even say “all your fan base are belong to us.” Us being George's LucasFilm Ltd, Kathleen Kennedy his key producer, and every single actor who’s been on board, from Harrison Ford to Daisy Ridley...

Japanese SSF&A Festival Director SeigoTono on India tour Tuesday, the 28th 0f February, saw the screening of four Japanese shorts at the Rangswar mini-auditorium, located inside Chavan Centre in South Mumbai. Organised by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, courtesy Prabhat Film Society, which completed 50 years this year, it was presented by Seigo Tono, Director of Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF) and Short Shorts Film Festival Asia (SSFFA), Japan. It will be held during June 1-12...

The Gift, Review: Simon says watch this film There’s an old-world fluidity about The Gift. Unhurried narrative, under-the-skin performances, music as an essential component, naturally rich visuals, a critical look at morals and scruples, and a nod to several classic films of the stalker/suspense genre, as well as an outstanding war epic, not to mention a tribute to a popular song. It is more British than American in tone and tenor, though the production house (Blue Tongue) and the write...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Lord of the Rings has it, Star Wars has it, Indiana Jones, Spider Man, Star Trek, even The Wild Bunch (1969) has it too. But you can find it in Disney movies, nearly from every studio, at least a few big projects. So what is it?  Known by insiders as “The Wilhelm Scream,” a term coined by George Lucas’ sound designer wizard Ben Burtt, this is that familiar toe-curling roar let out by dying Storm Troopers, bit players eate...

By Quendrith Johnson   Sometimes you forget how intricate filmmaking is based on how easy it all appears on screen. And along comes someone like Oscar winning editor/sound-pioneer Walter Murch who throws light on every aspect that makes cinema loved worldwide. On the nuances of sound design, Murch off-handedly lays down the fundamentals of an art he actually helped shape.  “My mantra is: ‘clarity and density.’ If something in a film is too dense (too rich or intr...

  Sunscreen Film Fest Video Podcast 15, Star Wars sold to Disney, plus an exclusive interview with Star wars Author Matthew Stover, The Hobbit movie, Dexter, Game of Thrones and more!    Watch here http://youtu.be/Sl2oZFP_1nA   Read Matthew Stover's latest book http://www.amazon.com/Caines-Law-Acts-Caine-Atonement/dp/0345455894/ref=la_B000APO1ZK_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1352056460&sr=1-3   Contact Sunscreen at info@sunscr...

I recently read (again) the Steven Spielberg biography by Joseph McBride. There is a passage in the book that always gets my attention. “Early in 1977, when Close Encounters was still months away from completion, George Lucas showed a rough cut of Star Wars (without John Williams’s rousing musical score) at his San Anselmo home, in northern California. The audience included executives of Twentieth Century-Fox; Gloria Katz and William Huyck, who worked on the script; and several of Lucas...

INSIGHT FILM FESTIVAL CALL FOR ENTRIES NOW OPEN!   Insight is an international film festival with a focus on Faith, calling upon filmmakers to use faith as a topic. Films about any faith are welcome, made by people of all faiths and none. The next Insight Festival will take place in November 2011 in Manchester and London, UK and will be streamed live across the web.    By entering the festival your film may be viewed by some high profile industry professionals an...

by Marla Lewin Francis Ford Coppola at Torino Film Festival photo by Marc Halperin     Another in our series on the Future of Cinema.   We were attending the Torino Film Lab and I had the opportunity to interview Francis Ford Coppola. I mentioned we are working on a series about the Future of Cinema, and Francis said he has his own theory, but it would take some time to explain and would use up all of our time. He doesn’t think ...