Wednesday, April 9-----The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) opens its thirteenth edition tomorrow evening with the Southeast Premiere of THE GRAND, an all-star poker comedy, directed by Zak Penn. The film stars Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, Hank Azaria, Chris Parnell, Michael McKean, Werner Herzog, David Cross, Richard Kind, Dennis Farina and Cheryl Hines (who is being honored at the Festival's Saturday night Tribute Gala). The ensemble film is in the tradition of such improvi...
The Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) opens its thirteenth edition tomorrow evening with the Southeast Premiere of THE GRAND, an all-star poker comedy, directed by Zak Penn. The film stars Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson, Hank Azaria, Chris Parnell, Michael McKean, Werner Herzog, David Cross, Richard Kind, Dennis Farina and Cheryl Hines (who is being honored at the Festival's Saturday night Tribute Gala). The ensemble film is in the tradition of such improvisational comedies as BEST I...
The Hawaii International Film Festival will preview their 11th annual Spring Showcase on an Oceanic Time Warner Webinar. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, April 2nd at 12:00PM. The webinar will stream live over the internet on http://www.aroundhawaii.com/ and viewers can participate in a live interactive chat. The webinar will feature HIFF Executive Director, Chuck Boller and trailers from the upcoming Spring Showcase. The webinar will be available on Oceanic's Video On Demand service on...
The Tribeca Film Festival anounced that 13 major contemporary artists will contribute pieces to the Festival’s 2008 Artists Awards Program sponsored by Chanel. Each of these pieces will be presented to a filmmaker whose film is selected by the jury as the winner in its respective category. Participating artists are some of the industry’s most dynamic and recognizable names, including Francesco Clemente, Ross Bleckner, Don Gummer, Timothy White, John Alexander, Stephen Hannock, Renee Cox, Bra...
Interview with Frogman, Director, Producer and Writer ofEAGLE TALON THE MOVIE: THE CHANCELLOR ONLY LIVES TWICEClaus Mueller:Can you just briefly comment about your background?Frogman:I have been involved in television productions and drama for fifteen years. About four years ago I started with flash animationCM: What kind of films have you done before EAGLE TALON?F: It is actually my first film but I have produced many TV seriesCM: What prompted you to use flash animation?F: When I moved to the ...
Presenting from February 28 to March 6th close to 100 productions in two Manhattan venues, the IIFVF covered virtually all genres in feature films, shorts and documentaries with a selection from fifty countries that ranging from outstanding and innovative productions to those shown once, and soon to be forgotten. This festival receives contradictory reactions from trade and website publications, with some simply refusing to cover it. A few participating producers and directors participating in ...
In association with Film London, China State Film Bureau and the Mayor of London, the Institute of Contemporary Arts presents a season of films celebrating the diversity and breadth of cinema from China, in particular throwing the spotlight on Beijing. Over three weeks from 20 March to 10 April we will offer a dozen films covering a broad surveying of contemporary Chinese film; selected features will be preceded by a medley of international shorts Vision Beijing inspired by Beijing and life befo...
Winners of 2008 Tiburon International Film Festival : ‘Golden Reel Awards’ The winners of the Golden Reel Award were announced during a formal ceremony on Friday, March 21, 2008 in Tiburon, with many filmmakers, local guests, and dignitaries present. Best Film: The Yellow House, directed by: Amor Hakkar [Algeria] Best Director: Zoltan Kamondi, for: Dolina [Hungary]Best Actor: Jan Decleir, for A Perfect Match [Belgium] Best Actress: Minnie Driver, for Take {US]Best Documentary: Behin...
The 13th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) announced the film line-up for the 8-day event, which runs April 10-17, 2008. Executive Director Randi Emerman announced that 141 films will screen at this year’s event, including features, documentaries, shorts and student shorts from the U.S. and around the world. The 2008 Festival will introduce 12 World Premieres and 10 U.S. Premieres.This year’s festival will play host to an ample amount of international filmmakers, produc...
The festival has a program titled DANGER AFTER DARK presented by the TLA Entertainment Group, which is dedicated to FANTASTIC film genres. With the guidance of Raymond Murray, Artistic Director, I was able to program films from multiple genres that I love dearly and also include films that my fellow curators suggested. A big thank you to my colleagues at Fantastic Festivals around the world (you know who you are!) for all your help and support as well.At the tail end of the information, I’ve...
Christoph Terhechte has been a member of the International Forum of New Cinema’s selection committee since 1997 and directing the Forum since 2001.The Forum is widely considered as the most innovative artistic and political section of the Berlinale featuring experimental, avant-garde films and documentaries characterized by unconventional approaches and presenting new film makers. Terhechte added in 2006 ‘forum expanded’, a new component of the Forum exploring the emerging fusion of cinema...
The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival has announced the line-ups for its World Narrative and World Documentary Feature Film Competitions as well the films it has chosen to present in the Encounters section for the seventh annual Festival. The Festival will take place April 23 – May 4, 2008 in Lower Manhattan. The Festival will present a streamlined selection of 122 feature films from 31 different countries, including 55 World Premieres, ten International Premieres, 26 North American Premieres, eig...
The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) today announced the recipients of the 2008 Industry Leadership Award. Sharing the honor this year will be Andy Bird, Chairman, Walt Disney International and Timmy Kandhari, partner and leader, entertainment and media practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers India. The IFFLA’s Industry Leadership Award was created to recognize the achievements of industry executives who have had a substantial and personal impact on the creation and distribution of Indian...
The 10th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century, part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, is celebrating its tenth anniversary by presenting approximately 160 films by directors from all over the world, as well as a full parallel events program. A record number of 35.000 viewers and 450 guests attended last year’s Festival, demonstrating the increasing interest of the public and industry professionals in documentaries and the TDF’s success in attracti...
The main sections of the event are, - Views of the World: dealing with subjects of social interest. - Portraits-Human Journeys: the human being as the focus of the narrative. - Stories to Tell: brief stories of human interest that stand out both for the nature of their subject and the way it has been dealt with. - Recordings of Memory: Events and people who played a significant role in shaping contemporary life; the tes...
The 16th ANNUAL PAN AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL (PAFF) today announced the winners of its 2008 Pan African Film and Arts Filmmakers Awards and Audience Favorite Awards. Jury Prizes were awarded in the following categories: Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Narrative Short, Best Feature, and Best Director-First Feature. New for the 2008 PAFF is the addition of The Oscar Micheaux Award, named after the first African-American filmmaker. In addition to the Jury Prizes, Audience Fav...
In keeping with their well-established tradition of showcasing the best in world animation, NYIIFVF is delighted to announce that the Japanese flash animation feature “Eagle Talon The Movie” will premiere on February 29th at 8pm at the ImaginAsian Theater with a private afterparty to follow. Directed by charismatic animator FROGMAN, Eagle Talon The Movie has received two major NYIIFVF Jury nominations including the prestigious Grand Jury Prize for Best Animation as well as a Best Director n...
The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF) has announced the line up of films, parties, and red carpet premieres. The eight-day extravaganza will run from February 28 - March 6 2008, all over Manhattan and will showcase a record number of international features, shorts, documentaries and animations from all over the globe. The opening night kick-off party will take place at China Club (268 W47th Street) on February 28th from 6-10pm. Festival screenings begin on Feb...
In keeping with their well-established tradition of showcasing the best in world animation, NYIIFVF is delighted to announce that the Japanese flash animation feature “Eagle Talon The Movie” will premiere on February 29th at 8pm at the ImaginAsian Theater with a private afterparty to follow. Directed by charismatic animator FROGMAN, Eagle Talon The Movie has received two major NYIIFVF Jury nominations including the prestigious Grand Jury Prize for Best Animation as well as a Best Director n...
When a German film has its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, it can be both a source of local pride or a target for local critics. One of the truisms on the international film festival circuit is that oftentimes local filmmakers are appreciated more outside of their home country.....and in their native land, are sometimes the brunt of criticism that is both pointed and relentless. So far, the film CHERRY BLOSSOMS, one of two German productions competing for the Golden Bear at this year...
The New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (NYIIFVF) has announced the line up of films, parties, and red carpet premieres. The eight-day extravaganza will run from February 28 - March 6 2008, all over Manhattan and will showcase a record number of international features, shorts, documentaries and animations from all over the globe. The opening night kick-off party will take place at China Club (268 W47th Street) on February 28th from 6-10pm. Festival screenings begin on Feb ...
Wieland Speck, head of the Panorama section, looking at this year’s film selection, emphasises a return to classical narrative forms and genres. “That is by no means the same thing as tame subject matter. Just the opposite is the case. Through a clarity of form, the subject matter gains in strength.” In this sense, the programme shows a strong thematic orientation towards contemporary socio-political issues, which are addressed in both documentaries and artistic films. The issues of divers...
2008 is not only the 58th edition of this major European film festival, all old, but it is also the ninth anniversary of the move from West Berlin to Potsdamer Platz in the actual physical center of the new undivided Berlin. The present location, now an ultra-modern stand of new architecture including the space age SONY Center, a film museum, many upscale restaurants and two sets of state-of-the-art cinema multiplexes among its many attractions, was once a No-Man’s-Land hugging the sinister ...
For several years now India has been the second largest television market in the world and with more than 300 million viewers one of the world’s largest market for satellite television. Its box office receipts are growing at an annual rate of 20-25%. Her information technology sector is expanding thus enhancing existing new distribution platforms and developing new ones which in turn provide more space feature films. India’s film and television audience is young with about half of all view...
Dr. V. Shantaram Award for Lifetime achievement announced to film maker Shri Shri Aribam Sam Sharma.At the grand inaugural ceremony of 10th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF2008), Dr. V. Shantaram Award for Lifetime achievement announced to film maker Shri Aribam Sam Sharma. A seven day long biannual film festival is being attended by documentary film producers and lovers across the world. A special package of films shot by army soldiers is an ...
