A coming-of-age movie musical set in the 1960s to 30 Beatles' songs; a father taking care of his daughters as his wife serves in Iraq; a four-year-old child art prodigy who could rival Picasso; an Irish musician playing country and western music to salvage his unfilled dreams; and two stellar screen talents in a special sneak preview comprise a sample of the highly diverse, culturally rich gems of the 29th annual Aspen Filmfest. Feature film dominates with 17 of the 25 entries, providing a rich ...
Tuesday, September 4---------The Toronto International Film Festival doesn't officially open for another 48 hours, but already a hurricane of film talents, industryites, press and film buffs are descending onto the Ontario metropolis with a torrent that is almost audible. Coming in from Los Angeles, New York and the four corners of the globe, including the just concluded Montreal World Film Festival, and the still continuing Venice Film Festival......all eyes are on "the gateway to North...
The Toronto International Film Festival doesn't officially open for another 48 hours, but already a hurricane of film talents, industryites, press and film buffs are descending onto the Ontario metropolis with a torrent that is almost audible. Coming in from Los Angeles, New York and the four corners of the globe, including the just concluded Montreal World Film Festival, and the still continuing Venice Film Festival......all eyes are on "the gateway to North America" as the frenzy, fun and fero...
The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) presented by American Express is pleased to announce select highlights of the 2007 Festival line-up. The 8th annual edition of CIFF runs September 21-30, 2007. The complete line-up, as well as the sale of tickets and passes, will be available online on Friday, August 31, 2007 at www.calgaryfilm.com. “This year’s CIFF line-up includes award-winning and notable films making news at festivals in Canada and around the world, as well as those films ...
Incredible autumn viewing awaits movie lovers - both indoors as the 29th edition of Aspen Filmfest raises its curtain, and outdoors as Mother Nature unveils her fall colors. One of Colorado's premiere film festivals, Aspen Filmfest runs Sept. 26-30, showcasing some of this year's most anticipated national and international features and documentaries, as well as undiscovered gems. As always, filmmakers and attendees enjoy mingling in Aspen's spectacular Rocky Mountain setting. A new version of ...
Yesterday was the last day of the fourth Bergman Week, the small and intimate festival, on the island of Fårö, co-arranged by Göteborg International Film Festival. Among this year’s guests were British actor and director Kenneth Branagh, Swedish Bergman actress Bibi Andersson and Swedish pianist Käbi Laretei. Branagh screened his film version of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute and introduced his Bergman favourite Fanny and Alexander. – My friends sometimes ask me if I am influenced by t...
The 28th Durban International Film Festival 20 June to 1 July 2007 With over 200 films from 77 countries, the 28th Durban International Film Festival, from 20 June to 1 July, offers a selection of the finest in world cinema, spread over more than 300 screenings at 24 venues across the Durban district. The festival also provides an extensive programme of free workshops and seminars to inspire young filmmakers and stimulate the film industry in KwaZulu-Natal. The festival opens on 20 June with the...
18th International Film Festival Emden-Norderney from 13th-20th June 2007 19 feature films in competition in Lower Saxony’s largest film festival The competition nominations for the 18th International Film Festival Emden-Norderney have been finalised. 19 feature films from 11 countries will be competing for the three feature film awards – the Bernhard Wicki Award, the DGB Film Award and the NDR Young Directors Award, presented at the Festival for the first time. A further 9 films from 5 coun...
British actor and director Kenneth Branagh is this summer's guest at Bergman Week at Fårö, with his version of Mozart's The Magic Flute, which also Ingmar Bergman directed in 1975. Branagh, well-known for his Shakespeare interpretations on film and stage, premiered The Magic Flute at the Venice and Toronto festivals. For the Swedish premiere of the film, he has chosen Bergman Week at Fårö (June 26 - July 1). For the fourth consecutive year, Bergman Week arranges seminars, talks and guided to...
With a couple of hours still left to go until the official kick-off of this "Mother of all Film Festivals" activity is feverish along the short stretch of the Lido known as Viale Marconi, the actual location of this oldest of all world film festivals --Now that was rather a mouthful, calling for a bit of elucidation. The first Venice film festival took place way back in 1932 when the Fascist government under Benito Mussolini, taking a page from Lenin, realized that film was a powerful propaganda...
With the festival entering its twilight phase there is no apparent letup in surprises and flashy new films. Three big ones yesterday were Kenneth Branagh's eagerly anticipated world premiere of a new screen version of Mozart's "Magic Flute", Manoel Oliveira's homage to Bunuel's "Belle de Jour", and another bravura turn by Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada". La Streep, (a magnificent 57), the last big star of the week to hit town, held forth in a most interesting press conference in which s...
Toronto Opens 2006 Festival with World Premiere of “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen”The largest and one of the most respected Film Festivals in the world will open its doors to the public with Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's “The Journals of Knud Rasmussen". Their last film "Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner),” had won the Camera D'or in Cannes and then the prize for best Canadian film here in Toronto in 2001. Festival Co-Director Noah Cowan felt that this was one of the most important film...
43 European Films get Film Sales Support for promotional activitiesFor the second time, Film Sales Support (FSS), European Film Promotion’s (EFP) support initiative for European sales agents, is assisting with the promotion and marketing of European films at the Toronto International Film Festival (7-16 September 2006). Toronto is the event at which FSS supports the most films. 30 different sales agents and production companies handling 43 feature films, including two documentaries and one ani...
Brian De Palma’s eagerly anticipated “BLACK DAHLIA”, which will officially open the 63rd Venice Film Festival this evening, was screened for the press this morning with the screening immediately followed by a packed house press conference. Principal actors, Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and Mia Kirshner (who plays the gruesomely murdered Elizabeth Short of the title) were present as well as director De Palma and writer James Ellroy, on whose novel regarding the famo...
Brian De Palma’s eagerly anticipated “BLACK DAHLIA”, which will officially open the 63rd Venice Film Festival this evening, was screened for the press this morning with the screening immediately followed by a packed house press conference. Principal actors, Josh Harnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, and Mia Kirshner (who plays the gruesomely murdered Elizabeth Short of the title) were present as well as director De Palma and writer James Ellroy, on whose novel regarding the famo...
The centenary anniversaries of Rossellini, Soldati and ViscontiThe Magic Flute by Kenneth Branagh in premiere at the Teatro La FeniceThe great French actress, Catherine Deneuve, will preside over the International Jury of the 63rd Venice International Film Festival, to be held between 30th August and 9th September 2006, and which will assign the Golden Lion for best film.The decision was taken by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Davide Croff, approving the suggestion...
POLITICAL FILMS SETTING PACE IN BERLINWhereas last year it was all Hollywood glamour and glitz with such blockbusters as "Cold Mountain", "Monsters" and many more topping the bill, this year political films and films about famous political figures are gathering most of the attention. The hot ticket so far has been German competition entry "Sophie Scholl - The final Days" which takes up the case of a young lady who protested openly against certain actions of the Nazi regime, was subjected to a s...
