Actress Maria Darkina with director Emir Kusturica (above)
Russian/Czech talent Maria Darkina stars in Emir Kusturica's latest film 'On the Milky Road' (2016). She attended the 69th Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes young talent program where she did interviews and promoted her upcoming role in American indie film 'Storefront' (2016). Maria is one to watch on the international film front. Born in Russia and raised in Czech Republic, she now lives in Lo...
Last week the 22nd Annual Palm Springs International ShortFest welcomed filmmakers and other guests from around the world. The Festival showcased 327 films from 54 countries while the 4,100 film submissions were available in the Film Market. Attending the festival with their films were Tyrese Gibson (Shame), Connor Jessup (Boy and Crazy House), Lily Baldwin (Swallowed), Benjamin Rigby (Bridge), Amanda Quaid (Toys) and more.
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Home Receives Best of the Festival Award;
La Laguna, Limbo and Minh TâmReceives Top Jury Awards;
The Chop, Phil’s Camino and Taking Flight Receive Audience Awards
PALM SPRINGS, CA (June 26, 2016) – The 2016 Palm Springs International ShortFest, the largest short film festival and only short film market in North America, announced its Festival award winners on Sunday, June 26, 2016. 327 short films screened throughout the Festival a...
Director/Writer/Actor John Fortson's short film 'RATED' (2016) has been making its round to film festivals since its world premiere at Sonoma International Film Festival in April where it won the Jury Award for Best Comedy Short. The film stars John's actor wife Christie Lynn Smith (Justified, The Crazies) who plays the lead Maggie, their daughter Abby Ryder Fortson (Togetherness, Ant-Man), and their son Joshua Fortson. RATED is currently screening at the 2016 Palm Springs Inte...
Martinique multi-talent Alain Bidard is wowing the film world with his debut animation feature film Battledream Chronicle (2015) which he wrote, directed, produced and composed. The film has traveled the globe at international film festivals this past year gaining multiple prize nominations and wins. The film most recently traveled to Animation Days at 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
I recently interviewed Alain Bidard about his grand vision behind Battledream Chronicle. Here is what he had t...
Middle East and North Africa Representative for the PGA (Producers Guild America) Kayvan Mashayekh brought his 2nd annual 'Producing Without Borders' panel, hosted by the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, to the 69th Cannes Film Festival. Due to its major social media and Cannes success, the RFC/PGA co-branded event is set to be a mainstay that will now take place twice a year, both at Berlinale and Cannes Film Festival.
I interviewed PGA producer Kayvan about his panel shortly...
Set in 1970's London, LONDON TOWN (2016) is a coming-of-age story about 14 year-old Shay Baker (played by Daniel Huttlestone) whose life changes when he is forced to spend the summer alone running his father's music shop while the latter lies sick in hospital. Shay befriends musician Joe Strummer and, like many of his generation, is transformed by the music of The Clash.
The rock-n-roll feature film stars Daniel Huttlestone, Dougray Scott, Natascha McElhone, Nell Williams, and Jonatha...
Spencer Pollard
CEO Spencer Pollard started Kaleidoscope Film Distribution (KFD) in 2008, which today holds strong as one of UK's most successful international sales/distribution companies. KFD is an expanding and established International Sales outfit based in Soho, London and a one-stop-shop offering full UK and international distribution and sales capabilities. It is one of the fastest-growing independents in the market. KFD specializes in commercial features films and branded do...
Actor Dougray Scott (TAKEN 3, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2) attended the 69th Cannes Film Festival to promote the market premiere of his latest film LONDON TOWN (2016), which Radiant Films International/Cargo Entertainment is handling for international sales.
LONDON TOWN takes place in1970s London when British punk rock dominated the music scene and The Clash was at the height of their success. A 14-year-old boy discovers the music of the iconic band and experiences first love over the cou...
“Bilal: A New Breed of Hero” is a 3D computer-animated action-adventure drama about the real life epic story of Bilal ibn Rabah, a young African slave boy who was abducted by Arabian slave-drivers and raised in slavery 1,400 years ago. An inspiring story of freedom and survival in the face of great adversity, Bilal found his freedom after forty years of slavery. Ayman Jamal is writer/director/producer of “Bilal”, which premiered in the film market and Animati...
Jonathan Wolf has been Managing Director of AFM (American Film Market) since 1998. He has been a visionary and passionate independent film advocate and pivotal force in the film industry for over two decades. I interviewed him in the Dubai Pavilion at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. Here is what he had to say:
Can you explain, for people who don't know, how important is the American Film Market in relation to the Cannes Film Festival?
JONATHAN: The AFM is like a bookend t...
PALE BLUE (2016) by Alex Burunova featured in 69th Cannes Short Film Corner.
Belarus born writer/director/producer Alex Burunova attended Cannes Film Festival for the 2nd year in a row to support her 2nd film in Cannes Short Film Corner.
I interviewed Alex about her experience at the festival and if she felt it has benefited her career as an indie filmmaker. Here is what she has to say:
Q: Was 'Pale Blue' based on true events?
ALEX: Without giving away too much, the premise...
The Sonoma International Film Festival (SIFF) held its 19th edition this past week (March 30-April 3). Presented by the Sonoma Valley Film Society, the annual festival celebrates the best in interantioanl indie film and local gastronomy. This year, over 100 films were screened and almost 200 filmmakers were hosted. Traditionally, SIFF holds a prestigious competition for shorts and feature films judged by jury members consisting of select industry professionals; one of this year's jury memb...
'Leo's Love Letter' (2015) by young and upcoming director Gabriel Rhenals recently won for Best Opening Night Film at the 6th annual Love Your Shorts Film Festival in Sanford, FL. The film has been making rounds on the festival circuit for the past year since its international premiere at the 5th annual Aruba International Film Festival.
Rhenals is an award-winning filmmaker based in Miami, Florida. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he has been active in the visual arts since a very...
During the 66th Berlin Film Festival, I interviewed the young up and coming actor Daniel Fieber. Great grandnephew to Erich von Stroheim, Daniel is a lover of theater and film classically trained by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts living and working between Los Angeles and Berlin. He attended this year's Berlinale to promote his upcoming film projects. I was curious to ask the young actor if he found attending a film market/film festival helpful for moving towards his film developmen...
In recent years there has been a lot of talk about change of pace in the film marketplace with many sales agents and distributors complaining of heavy losses and a dim outlook on future business. The word that many agents used to describe this year's EFM was, “slow”. But when I asked Austrian sales agent Yannick Rudynski of East-West Distribution how his market had gone, he had a big smile on his face and said, “Fantastic!” Curious to know why many ag...
Brian Knappenberger’s “Truth and Power” is a 10-part investigative docu-series narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal for Pivot, Participant Media’s Pivot television network. Truth and Power centers on the question, “What happens when private institutions and governments abuse their power and break the public trust Each half hour episode pulls the curtain back on stories of ordinary people going to extraordinary lengths to reve...
Writer/Director Michael Petroni's film “Backtrack” was sold to international territories at this year's EFM in Berlin by sales agent Bankside Films. The film tells the story of psychologist Peter Bower (Adrien Brody) who is himself troubled by a forgotten past that has come back to haunt him. Visited by ghosts of his childhood, Peter seeks to uncover his unconsciously buried memories. But the more he seeks the truth, the more his life and the lives of his fam...
“Boris Without Beatrice” (2016) screened in competition during the 66th Berlin Film Festival (11-21 February, 2016). French Canadian visionary writer/director Denis Côté's film follows the story of Boris Malinovsky (played by James Hyndman) struggling with the grave manic depression of his wife Beatrice (Simone-Elise Girard). While Beatrice retreats into a dark space of melancholia- sleeping all day and staring into the oblivion- Boris loses himself ...
When people ask what happens at film markets such as Berlinale and Cannes, I always say: “everything!” And that is true. Sure, it's sales agents selling to buyers and buyers trying to fill their territory's content space, but it's also producers packaging and/or selling their films to sales agents, financiers looking for their next films, film lawyers hunting their next lawsuit, location scouts recruiting producers to film in their country, film stars promoting thei...
Directed by Anthony Hickox (“Knife Edge” and “Consequence”), “Exodus to Shanghai” (2015) is an action/drama/comedy based on the true story of war hero Ho Feng-Shan ('Dr. Ho'), otherwise known as 'The Chinese Schindler' who saved thousands of Jews during WWII. Born on September 10, 1901, Dr. Ho studied German at University of Munich and was posted for the consul general in Austria from 1938 to 1940.
When he fell witness to thous...
VIAJE (2015) by Costa Rican director Paz Fábrega follows the story of Luciana and Pedro after they meet at a party. Young and adorable, their chemistry is magnetic; it appears they have always known each other. In the early hours of morning, Pedro remembers he has to travel; on a whim, he invites Luciana to join him. She decides to go, and these two strangers embark upon a stunning journey together that changes them both. Shot in black and white, the film is a lyrical road journey about...
Sun Valley, ID– Oliver Stone, Academy Award®-winning writer and director, will be honored with the Lifetime Vision Award at the 2016 Sun Valley Film Festival, (SVFF), March 2-6 in Sun Valley, Idaho, presented by Zions Bank. Stone has been credited with writing and directing over 20 full-length feature films, earning him a well-respected place in cinematic history for some of the most influential and iconic films of the last two decades.
The SVFF Lifetime Vision Award pays ...
Sun Valley, ID- One of the Sun Valley Film Festival’s (SVFF) signature programs, The Film Lab, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, will offer up some new twists this year including a special competition for WIP (work in progress) films during the SVFF, March 2-6, 2016.
Trevor Groth, the highly respected Director of Programming for Sundance Film Festival, will serve as host and curator of the two films that will be screened in The Film Lab in their final post-prod...
Michael Fassbender. Getty Images
Actor Kate Winslet (left); Actors Kate Winslet and Michael Fassbender (right). Getty Images
Actor Kate Winslet (left); Actors Kate Winslet and Michael Fassbender (right). Getty Images
Annual Event Welcomed Host Mary Hart and Festival Honorees
Kicking off Awards Season, the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) Awards Gala was held Saturday, January 2, 2016 at the Palm Springs Convent...
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