Amnesty International, the human rights organization, is building a petition campaign to protest the sentence of Jafar Panahi, a leading Iranian filmmaker and human rights activist. Panahi, an internationally celebrated film director who won the coveted Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival for his 2000 film "Dayareh" (Circle), has been sentenced to six years in prison plus a twenty-year ban on all his artistic activities—including film making, writing scrip...

Ok, so if you know me and you’ve been following my blog on Santa Barbara, you’re probably wondering why I’ve been so ‘mild’ thus far. (I love using ‘thus’ in a blog) Well, that’s because, while all the events are exciting in themselves and have a collective energy that rivals something you’d find at an amusement park, frankly, I’ve been pacing myself … until today.  Inspiration By Kimberly Deisler In the ten years I’ve been working this festival, the writers panel, â...

  With the announcement of Oscar nominations this morning and a definitive win at last weekend's Directors Guild of America Awards, helmer Kathryn Bigelow is poised to make history as the first women director to win a Best Director Oscar for her work on the intense Iraq War drama THE HURT LOCKER. Bigelow is only the fourth woman director ever to be nominated in the 85 year history of the awards (her predecessors included Italian director Lina Wertmuller for SEVEN BEAUTIES, Amer...

    Yes, we all expected AVATAR and THE HURT LOCKER to have good showings for this morning's Oscar nomination announcements (they are both tied at 9 nominations each) and we were not surprised when the names George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep were intoned at the 5:30am ceremony in Los Angeles. And yes, even the six nods for PRECIOUS (including well-deserved nominations for Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, director Lee Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Flet...

(Within the project Italy Worldwide, the most popular SummerFilm & Music Event in the World) July 12th - 19th: These are the dates of the Summer rendez vous for the Italian film & music community, populated by the leaders of the entertainment and communications businesses, and the most celebrated luminaries on the global stage. Since 2003, this has been a popular event with Movie and TV personalities. The event is sponsored in part by the Italian Ministry of Culture and by the Campa...

Ischia Global Film & Music Fest 2009(Within the project Italy Worldwide, the most popular SummerFilm & Music Event in the World)July 12th – 19th: These are the dates of the Summer rendez vous for the Italian film & music community, populated by the leaders of the entertainment and communications businesses, and the most celebrated luminaries on the global stage. Since 2003, this has been a popular event with Movie and TVpersonalities.The event is sponsored in part by the Italian Ministry of Cu...

THE 4TH ANNUAL ISCHIA GLOBAL FILM & MUSIC FEST – KIMBO CINEMA FORUM FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE FROM JULY 11TH – 16TH ON ISLAND OF ISCHIA, ITALY. SPECIAL HOMAGE TO THE GERMAN MOVIE INDUSTRY International screen stars and industry leaders of the European, American and Italian film communities will celebrate the ever-evolving culture of cinema at the 4th Annual Ischia Global Film & Music Fest - Kimbo Cinema Forum in the spectacular Regina Isabella Resort & Spa on the Isle of Ischia, Italy from July...

the Ischia International Arts Academy celebrates the movie and music industries with the 3rd Global Film & Music Fest (July 10-15, 2005) on the spectacular Isle of Ischia, a few miles off the coast from Capri and Naples, Italy. This week of major film premieres, video screenings, music showcases and award ceremonies, will be chaired by the Minister of Italian Culture. Some of the most recognized International talents and Italian artists will also attend award ceremonies and get-togethers...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain opened the FestivalLove and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law were expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival Palast...but...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain Will Open the FestivalLove and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is to be the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival Pala...

Minghella’s Cold Mountain Will Open the Festival Love and war are the eternal themes of the cinema, and they will also usher in the Berlinale on February 5: Cold Mountain – an epos about the American Civil War by Anthony Minghella which is already being treated as a hot contender for the Oscar – is to be the first highlight of the festival. Alongside the director, leading actors Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are expected to stroll up the red carpet for the opening ceremony at the Festival ...