Pro Tools
FILMFESTIVALS | 24/7 world wide coverage
Welcome !
Enjoy the best of both worlds: Film & Festival News, exploring the best of the film festivals community.
Launched in 1995, relentlessly connecting films to festivals, documenting and promoting festivals worldwide.
Working on an upgrade soon.
For collaboration, editorial contributions, or publicity, please send us an email here.
|
Film Festival
Director: Michael Buckley.
Storyline:
from Nomad to Nobody
Motivated by previous travels to Tibet, the narrator sets off on a personal quest, focusing on the fast-disappearing Tibetan nomad culture. Why are the nomads being forcibly relocated by Chinese officials? Why are they are being shifted off their traditional grazing lands into concrete ghettos? In these settlement camps, nomads are marginalised and have little chance of making a decent living, or finding a new profession. Previously, when grazing yaks, they were self-sufficient and lived in an entirely sustainable way. Now, they are unemployed, and dependent on the Chinese government for hand-outs—and for food.
Between 1995 and 2015, official Chinese policy has targeted the removal of more than two million Tibetan nomads from their land for settlement. In an era where sustainability is the mantra, Chinese policy makes no sense. This re-settlement policy is designed to wipe out nomad culture and its strong connections to traditional Tibetan values. Nomads are the stewards of the vast grasslands of Tibet—they have been grazing these lands with their yaks for close on 4,000 years. Without the nomads, the grasslands (already affected by climate change) will further deteriorate and turn into desert. This could have global impact, as these grasslands constitute an important carbon sink.
What are the motives behind China's forcible settlement of Tibetan nomads on such a huge scale? Why are Chinese mining and dam-building companies moving into the same grassland regions? What happens to nomads after shifting to a semi-urban environment? What happens if they try to mount protests? What does the future hold for the vast grasslands of Tibet? These are questions the documentary sets out to explore, in this personal take on the plight of Tibetan nomads.
By Maria Esteves – August 15, 2011
The 34th Asian American International Film Festival 2011 (AAIFF11) Opening Night New York premiere of AMIGO, directed by John Sayles, commenced Wednesday, August 10, 7:00 pm, at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas. A special Q&A session with director Sayles, producer Maggie Renzi, and actor Joel Torre moderated by Associate Director of Programming, Scott Foundas, Film Society of Lincoln Center, preceded the festivals Opening Night Reception at Art Gate Galle...
Kamen Kalev’s second feature The Island, which tells the story of a young couple heading to a remote island in the Black Sea where their relationship is questioned, was invited to the Directors Fortnight section of the 64 Cannes International Film Festival.
The film was first pitched as a project during Sofia Meetings’04. The cast includes the French model and actress Leticia Kasta, the Danish actor Thure Lindhart and their Bulgarian fellow actors Boyka Velkova, Russi Chanev, Mihai...
Director: Pierre Yves Clouin.
Once Mars is colonized, we must go to Alpha Centauri.
- Ray Bradbury
Director: Chema Sarmiento.
Meet Tino, the main character in this comedy. He’s 17 and got something that makes him special: Down syndrome. The movie focuses on a critical part of his life and the circonstances under which he discovers love and its little worries.
Tino studies at a Down institute in a spanish provincial city. His world revolves around his school mates on one hand and his sister, Licia and her group on the other hand. Not forgetting Baldo, his cousin, always asking him to bear messages in his trials with Elvira.
Apart from their regular school activities, the Down students are rehearsing a theater play for year’s end. Tino is doing the main part along with Logio, his best friend. To him Tino confesses his love for Bego, a girl from the institute. Logio strategically recommends to attend the Church’s services that Bego loves in order to get closer to her. Tino implements the “plan” that proves successful.
Baldo has to cope with a tough encounter with Elvira’s father and brother where he get beaten up. But not easily intimidated, he decides to elope with his beloved. Tino is being enlisted for the mission. He has to undertake a series of entertaining tests that enables him to step back from love attraction. Nonetheless, his first personal setback with Bego leaves him terribly disappointed. During a service, she refuses to sit beside him and sends him a terrible gaze.
Fortunately, the disappointment doesn’t last long. Soon comes a new girl in town who captivates every boy’s attention in the bar where Tino often meets with his sister Licia. Nacho and Cruz, the two lady-killers of the band go crazy for her. To prove that they are irresistible, they bet on who’s going to conquer the “girl in green” (named Carolina).
A few days later, while staring inside a cake-shop, Tino sees Carolina approaching in the window’s reflection. They start to chat and Tino gets the feeling he could win the bet initiated by the boys. He’s ready for any sacrifice like eating up cakes with her, spending all his savings, and so on. The affair ends one afternoon as the three candidates are given the same appointment by the girl (who was told about the bet). Each of the boys finds out they’ve been played. But Nacho and Cruz now realize that Tino is a grown-up man.
Another day, Tino is walking in the street with Mina, a girl from his class who needs him to help her pick up a birthday gift. At a shop, they notice Logio and Bego passing by, hand in hand. As she observes Tino’s astonishment, Mina tells him that Logio approached Bego to let her know about Tino’s “plan”. Doing so, he could win her friendship and go out with her.
The year’s end performance does not turn out as expected: with Logio not being on stage when his turn arrives, the last act seems jeopardized. As the general confusion is growing, Tino improvises a final that allows him to take his revenge on Logio and stir the audience’s warm applause.
Tino has gained the confidence to take a fresh look on life.
2011 FILM FUND PANELLISTS ANNOUNCED: XUE XIAOLU, TONY AYRES AND ANDREW PIKE
The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) and Motion Picture Association (MPA) have announced the continuation of the MPA APSA Academy Film Fund to support new films from Asia-Pacific and the panellists who will assess the entries for 2011.
Xue Xiaolu and Tony Ayres will join the assessment panel for 2011 which will once again be Chaired by Ronin Films' Managing Director and member of APSA's 2009 International Jur...
Director: Mohamed Ramadan.
Souad (Solafa Ghanem) is a young nurse who falls in a one-sided love relationship with a comatose patient, Yoseif (Hassan El Kredly). She checks up on him regularly throughout the day. We watch how she deals with Yosief's case - will Yosief be able to communicate with her?
Director: Farzin Farzaneh.
Drat is a gothic tale of a woman living alone in a country house. Her solitary routine is disrupted when she suspects that some kind of animal is trying to invade her home. Her suspicion turns into obsession as she tries in vain to keep the creature out. These efforts, along with the woman's growing anguish, are the primary focus of film. The woman finally confronts the intruder in her basement; however, all is not well. The landscape surrounding her abode rustles and heaves restlessly, and the roots of a nearby tree threaten to crack the very foundations of the woman's house. This is the story of one person’s lonely attempts to hold on to the small haven that she has carved out of her environment, and to keep it secure against the outside forces of nature. To her chagrin, she finds that the natural environment does not always recognise her exclusive right to such comforts.
PanelsWelcome to the IFFF. Providing professional panels and networking opportunities for aspiring filmmakers to meet with established leaders in the industry is central to IFFF's mission. The 2011 festival will re-present some of last year's more popular panels and add some new and exciting panels in specialized areas of film interest and distribution. Check back periodically for "Panels" schedule additions, changes and/or updates. Seating is limited and many of these ...
Director: Mirel Bran.
An actress wanted to play in Hitchcock’s “The Birds” but she didn’t succeed. Since then she has been seeing birds everywhere.
Building on the success of the inaugural Aruba International Film Festival (AIFF) last June, which attracted stars and films from around the world and entertained thousands over the course of a week, it has been confirmed that the island nation of Aruba will host a second edition of the AIFF this June (June 10-16). Initial details surrounding the 2011 Film Festival were unveiled today at a press conference by AIFF Founders and Producers Giuseppe Cioccarelli and Jonathan Vieira.
Acto...
Director: Robert M. Herzog.
Based on an almost true but entirely surreal experience. In 1968, a college senior tries to finish his Harvard Law School Application, which would keep him from being draft bait, likely to fight in the Vietnam War. Fong and his roommates start making enormous paper airplanes, get stoned, set the planes on fire and launch them from a precarious roof. At the end of an intense, frenzied evening, a final decision propels Fong into an uncertain, potentially lethal future. Flights depicts the intense pressures of an era when ordinary rites of passage could have life and death consequences. It is a timely exploration of the impact of America at war, amidst a conflict between citizenship and morality.
51ST THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALDecember 3 - 12, 2010 Thessaloniki International Film Festival, will kick off Friday, December 3rd with 127 Hours, Danny Boyle, and close December 11th, 2010 with Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky. INTERNATIONAL JURY The five-member International Jury called to judge the films of the International Competition section and to award the Golden and Silver Alexanders plus a number of additional awards, is composed of: Michel Demopoulos, Jury President, Film cri...
Director: Tomáš Vaďura .
The Macocha Abyss is the biggest abyss of its kind in the Czech Republic and even in the Central Europe. It depth of 138m was a great challenge for both of the B.A.S.E. jumpers, Martin Trdla and Robin Kaleta. There was more than the jump which requires technical proficiency, there was the aim to show how easy and difficult it is to get prepared. At first sight it seems all the legal restrictions were broken for the humble thirst for fame and popularity, to be seen in a film. However, the jumpers wanted to point at absurdity of some rules and obstructions. The feature connecting the document to other ones by Jumps, o.s., the wish to lead nonspecialist audience through the backgrounds of B.A.S.E. While filming the unconventional documentary there were no fatal or other injuries to any members of the team, no harm to property private or state, and all the team behaved extremely carefully to protect the nature.
51st THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALDecember 3 - 12, 2010 For the 51st edition of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), the Experimental Forum, placing emphasis on experimental and avant-garde film, presents a variety of film programs and parallel events. The sections of this year’s Forum, programmed by Vassilis Bourikas and totaling approximately 70 films (mostly shorts and medium-length) are: AMANTES SUNT AMENTESThe Amantes Sunt Amentes (Lovers are Lunatics) program ...
Yonathan Levy is a rising Israeli/French filmmaker who won ÉCU 2010’s Film of the Festival (Europe’s Best Independent Film 2010) with his touching film, Das Kind.
While Das Kind continues its road to success on the festival circuit, Yonathan spoke to us about his influences and aspirations, keeping us eager to see what he’s up to next.
Where are you from?
I was born in Israel but I’ve always lived in France…until now. Indeed, next week, I will go back to Isra...
Director: Jean Counet.
This is usually where life begins and ends. We may have a peek at all its stages in a Latvian hospital. We get to know its patients, medical personnel, building layout and infrastructure as well as its atmosphere, heavily influenced by the hospital sounds and colours. A meeting place of people from different social strata, this is where friendships are formed and painful partings occur. The picture of a big hospital seems intimate and familiar, at the same time trying to capture the mystery of the place.
Beyond Burqa’s and the Taliban: the Afghan Film Festival Taliban, turbans and terrorism: these are just a few things that spring to mind when we contemplate Afghanistan. But there is more to Afghanistan! That’s why the Woest Foundation and Rialto bring the Afghan Film Festival to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Saturday the 13th of November. For one day, Rialto will be the stage for the best Afghan films, documentaries, visual arts, music and debates. Forget about Camp Holland and plunge into the unknown parts of Afghanistan! It is time to put the spotlights on the role of cinema, art and culture in the country… By presenting the best and most recent films and documentaries, the Afghan Film Festival tries to offer a deep and nuanced view on contemporary Afghan society. The program touches upon diverse topics like the recent war, political elections, the fate of Afghan refugees abroad and the extensive drug addiction in the country. But the films also show the resilience and strength of the people in Afghanistan. Besides films and documentaries, there will be several debates in which politicians, filmmakers, journalists and Afghan students offer their perspective on Afghanistan’s current society. In the evening, journalist and author Eefje Blankevoort will host the talk show Zap Afghanistan, in which she discusses the impact of our own imaging around Afghanistan with various experts. Which images from Afghanistan were we never allowed to see? And what did Afghans like to watch themselves in the past few years? Around midnight you can join in on a special edition of Rialto Laat, which transforms the film theatre into an Afghan club with several DJs and VJs, who mix traditional Afghan sounds and video-clips with steaming Western beats. The Afghan Film Festival Saturday November 13th, 3 PM – 3 AM Film theatre Rialto, Ceintuurbaan 338, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. For more information: http://www.afghaansfilmfestival.nl/english-version The Afghan Film Festival is a cooperation between the Woest Foundation and Rialto Laat. Rialto Laat: a surprising mix of cult, camp & crossover on the late Friday- or Saturday night. On a monthly basis, a guest programmer explores the boundaries of the (un)expected.
Director: Pierre Yves Clouin.
une fois mars colonisée, nous devons aller sur Alpha du Centaure.
- Ray Bradbury
Once Mars is colonized, we must go to Alpha Centauri.
- Ray Bradbury
Director: David James Coe.
A scriptwriter lets his troubles creep onto the page of his latest Noir Thriller as he struggles to finish the film's final showdown between its detective and femme fatale.
A short film festival in the small fishing village in Iceland called Grundarfjörður.
Aspen Film announces today the selections that will be screening at the 32nd annual Aspen Filmfest, a five-day feast of film and fall color that will be held September 29 - October 3, 2010. With an emphasis on independent productions from around the world and a uniquely intimate scale, the festival champions filmmaking at its finest for film lovers and filmmakers alike. Screenings will be held at the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and at the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale, and tickets will...
Director: Kavanjit Singh.
On 31 October 1984, Indian Prime Minister,
Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards.
On 01 November 1984, riots erupted in Delhi.
The mob swarmed into Sikh neighborhoods, killing any Sikh men, women &
children they could find. The riots went on for next three days.
According to official figures, around 3000
Sikhs were killed and many more were rendered homeless.
JAGJEET is a film set in 1984 and looks at the
guilt of a one man who left his childhood friend to die during the riots. The
film captures three days of their lives. The first day is set in past where two
best friends are in best of times. The second day is when riots took place in
Delhi. The third and present day is set a week after riots.
Director: Gertjan Zwanikken.
The documentary Meat the Truth is the first major project undertaken by the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation. Meat the Truth is a high-profile documentary, presented by Marianne Thieme (leader of the Party for the Animals), which forms an addendum to earlier films that have been made about climate change. Although such films have convincingly succeeded in drawing public attention to the issue of global warming, they have repeatedly ignored one of the most important causes of climate change, namely: intensive livestock production. Meat the Truth has drawn attention to this by demonstrating that livestock farming generates more greenhouse gas emissions worldwide than all cars, lorries, trains, boats and planes added together.
The Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation chose to compile the best scientific information on climate change and livestock farming, which is presently available and to translate this for a broader audience. The film was produced by Claudine Everaert and Gertjan Zwanikken. The calculations on greenhouse gas emissions used in the film derive from and have been validated by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN (FAO), the World Watch Institute, the Institute for Environmental Studies of the Free University Amsterdam and numerous other authoritative sources.
Well-known Dutch celebrities, such as Anthonie Kamerling, Georgina Verbaan, Henk Schiffmacher, Yvonne Kroonenberg, Karen van Holst Pellekaan, Wim.T.Schippers and Dolf Jansen, participated in the making of the Dutch version of this documentary, which has already been deemed better than Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth by the science editors of the quality Dutch daily newspaper, the NRC Handelsblad.
In the meantime, the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation has also produced an international version of Meat the Truth. This English language film is better tailored to an international public and uses calculations on the carbon savings that may be achieved by reducing one’s meat consumption based on American, rather than Dutch, examples.
Many well-known celebrities, such as Pamela Anderson, Bill Maher, James Cromwell, Emily Deschanel, Tony Denison, Esai Morales, Megan Blake, Debra Wilson Skelton, Elaine Hendrix, Kate Flannery, Carol Leifer, Joy Lauren, Hal Sparks, Constance Marie, Kristina Klebe, Skyler Gisondo, Graham Patrick Martin, Greg Vaughan and Touriya Haoud Vaughan, participated in the making of the international version of the film.
With this documentary, the Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation hopes to make a contribution to the societal discussion about a more plant-based and thus also more animal-friendly diet and society. Moreover, the Foundation also anticipates that the film will provide a showcase for prominent scientific reports about livestock farming and climate change, which unfortunately have thus far proved inaccessible to the general public.
The world premiere of Meat the Truth was held on 10th December 2007 in the Tuschinski cinema in Amsterdam. The international version of the film premiered at London's Odeon West End Cinema in Leicester Square on 19th May 2008 and has since also had its premiere screening in the USA at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, LA during the Artivist Film Festival on 3rd October 2008.
|
Poll
Dear filmfestivals.com Visitor: can you please tell us which is your profession? Thanks
I am filmmaker
41%
A festival organizer
19%
A journalist
5%
A film professionnal (neither filmmaker, nor festival staff or media)
7%
A film student
12%
Just a film fan
16%
Total votes: 3978
|