Wednesday, October 31--------Truth be told, I left the London Film Festival on Monday morning, October 29th (also my birthday in case anyone wants to send me a belated box of chocolates). So, unfortunately, I missed an event that I truly wanted to cover. But through the art of the press release, I am able to report that on that same Monday evening (when I was blowing out I won't tell you how many candles), the Times BFI London Film Festival along with trade publication Variety presented the 20...

The 34th edition of the Ghent International Film Festival kicks off on Tuesday October 9 featuring not one but 3 movies. Closing the Ring, a very strong European première opens the section Festival Previews in the presence of Lord Richard Attenborough. The same evening the competition is launched with Die Fälscher by Stefan Ruzowsky and in Vooruit the section Almost Cinema is opened with Sand & Sorrow, a documentary about the Darfur genocide.In Closing the Ring Lord Richard Attenborough tells ...

As the Toronto International Film Festival enters its final weekend, it has saved some of its choicest Gala Films for last. The Red Carpet arrivals continue tonight and tomorrow evening, with such luminaries as Shirley MacLaine, Max Von Sydow, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Brenda Fricker and Sir Richard Attenborough expected the walk the walk. Set against wars both between nations and within hearts, CLOSING THE RING is an intimate epic, the latest work of Oscar-winning director Sir Richar...

 Friday, September 14----------As the Toronto International Film Festival enters its final weekend, it has saved some of its choicest Gala Films for last. The Red Carpet arrivals continue tonight and tomorrow evening, with such luminaries as Shirley MacLaine, Max Von Sydow, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Brenda Fricker and Sir Richard Attenborough expected the walk the walk. Set against wars both between nations and within hearts, CLOSING THE RING is an intimate epic, the latest work of ...

At the final SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL Board meeting for fiscal 2007, Ian Black was sworn in and inducted as the fourth President of the Festival’s august Board. Black promised to continue the festival’s growth, advancement and programs initiated by his predecessors while indicating that he has plans for solidifying the festival’s fiscal and artistic well-being in this tenth anniversary year and beyond. During the last three years of outgoing President Neil McCurry’s term in office, the fe...

At the final SARASOTA FILM FESTIVAL Board meeting for fiscal 2007, Ian Black was sworn in and inducted as the fourth President of the Festival’s august Board. Black promised to continue the festival’s growth, advancement and programs initiated by his predecessors while indicating that he has plans for solidifying the festival’s fiscal and artistic well-being in this tenth anniversary year and beyond. During the last three years of outgoing President Neil McCurry’s term in office, the fe...

Thursday, October 26----As the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) moves into its second consecutive weekend, the schedule for Friday is a full and varied one. Listed in the Guiness Book of World Records as "the world's longest film festival", this year's edition runs for 30 days, with an extra week of programming and special events to be held in the resort town of Key West when the Festival comes to an end in its Fort Lauderdale home on Sunday, November 12. When do these Festi...

Finally, after thrilling hours of counting numerous numbers on rating cards and heated discussion between the jury members, we are very proud to present the award winners of the 22nd Hamburg International Short Film Festival. Thanks to our supporters and sponsors, we were able to raise the prize money and there are even two new prizes this year (Werkleitz-Award, ZDFdokukanal-Award).Overall, 14 awards worth in total almost 30,000 Euros were assigned for outstanding short film productions from all...

The vibrancy of a film festival can be measured by a willingness to juxtapose films that confound thematic linkage, offering surprises and revelations in an ocean of film from around the world: this year’s program, Lynden Barber’s second as Artistic Director, suggests he is more interested in challenging us than placating us. He wants us to ‘go deeper’. Andrew L. Urban previews the 53rd Sydney Film Festival (June 9 – 25, 2006).With over 120 feature length films and more than 60 shorts ...

The 5th annual Tribeca Film Festival opened on Tuesday evening with the world premiere of a controversial 9/11 docudrama. United 93, which opens nationally in theaters this Friday via Universal Pictures, is a dramatized version of the events that occurred on September 11th, 2001, when Al Qaeda terrorists took over a US airplane that was meant to crash into the White House, on the same day that other airplane hijackings attacked the Pentagon in Washington DC, and brought down New York’s World T...

The Hollywood Film Festival, which ended its six day run on Sunday, is a unique event that mixes the high profile of the Hollywood film industry with new discoveries from the worlds of American independent film and international cinema.Screenings were held at Hollywood’s Arclight Theaters, a major venue for specialty cinema (and also the home of next month’s AFI Film Festival). The Festival, which celebrates its ninth anniversary under the direction of its Founder and Executive Director Carl...

ORINDA FILM FESTIVAL 2005 BEGINS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AND RUNS THROUGH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 The landmark Orinda Theater, 4 Theater Square, showcases a diverse array of original, independent films beginning Thursday, September 22nd extending through Sunday, September 25th. The Orinda Film Festival, now in its 4th year, features films from around the world that challenge, educate and inspire audiences of all ages. Over four days, 140 films will be shown, from narrative features and shorts to doc...

LAIFA FILM FEST 2005 LINE UP ANNOUNCEDApril 11 to 14The 7th Annual Los Angeles Italian Film Awards & Festival (LAIFA) has announced its line-up, including the closing night film, a whimsical romantic comedy, After Midnight (Dopo Mezzanotte). Directed, written and produced by Davide Ferrario, the film stars Giorgio Pasotti, Francesca Inaudi, Silvio Orlando.The festival kicks-off on April 11 at 8:00 P.M. with the Opening Night Film Presentation 13 At a Table (Tredici a Tavola) a mid-summer n...

The CRAIC Film Fleadh, now in its seventh year, is one of New York’s leading film events and is set to take the city by storm from March 2 - 5, 2005 with several New York premieres of Irish and Irish American films.The Gala Opening night on Wednesday March 2 will feature the NY Premiere of the comedy The BOYS and GIRL from COUNTY CLARE. It stars Andrea Corr (lead singer of The Corrs) and Colm Meaney, both of whom are scheduled to attend and will be screened at LOEWS 34th St. (312 West 34th St...

With the programme launch of the Laganside Cinemagic World Screen Festival for Young People, which runs from the 25th November – 9th December, it is clear young people will be able to access some of the best world cinema, with 17 Northern Irish, Irish and UK premieres among the 70 international films being screened.Joan Burney, Chief Executive, Cinemagic discusses the line up:“With the assistance of a panel of 19 young consultants we have been sourcing and reviewing a diverse range of intern...

Visiting Arts and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation are delighted to announce the winners of the second year of Awards which support the creation of new work by Portuguese performing artists in the UK.This year will see two new collaborations, between Arnolfini (Bristol) and Bomba Suicida, and Frakture (Liverpool) and Carlos "Zingaro".The ProjectsArnolfini and Bomba Suicida will create 'Bristol Pieces' during a three week residency in August/September 2004. The project will include presentations of...

Kass Thomas, director of AKAB SHORT MOVIE FESTIVAL, is pleased to announce the start of the 3° edition of this international festival of short films The festival, which includes an international competition, will host over 70 films on the theme “ Vices & Virtues: ”.The films, from 12 different countries, are in original language with subtitles in Italian or English, and many have never been screened in Italy before.AKAB SHORT MOVIE FESTIVAL Over 300 international shorts resp...

SKYY SHORT FILM PROJECT WINNERS New York City Is Destination For 72 Hour ShootThe finalists of SKYY Vodka’s first-ever SKYY SHORT FILM PROJECT: One Script, Three Different Filmmakers, Three Very Different Films, was announced today at an Eyes on SKYY event at the SKYY View Lounge in Park City, Utah. An innovative program supporting aspiring filmmakers in the short film format, the SKYY VODKA SHORT FILM PROJECT was launched in Park City in 2003 with call to entries ending June 30, 2003. Hundr...

The finalists of SKYY Vodka’s first-ever SKYY SHORT FILM PROJECT: One Script, Three Different Filmmakers, Three Very Different Films, was announced today at an Eyes on SKYY event at the SKYY View Lounge in Park City, Utah.An innovative program supporting aspiring filmmakers in the short film format, the SKYY VODKA SHORT FILM PROJECT was launched in Park City in 2003 with call to entries ending June 30, 2003. Hundreds of filmmakers submitted a filmed “PITCH” about why they want to be a dir...