The star-studded international competition judgment panel under the baton of celebrated Greco-French director Constantine Costa-Gavras was reduced to a Sextet when Danish ace director, Susan Bier, and top drawer French actress, Sandrine Bonnaire, both announced their enforced withdrawal from jury duty due to inescapable commitments elsewhere. In Bier's case it was a sudden need to visit the location of the next movie she's shooting, while Bonnaire submitted her regrets due to "personal fami...

The star-studded international competition judgment panel under the baton of celebrated Greco-French director Constantine Costa-Gavras was reduced to a Sextet when Danish ace director, Susan Bier, and top drawer French actress, Sandrine Bonnaire, both announced their enforced withdrawal from jury duty due to inescapable commitments elsewhere. In Bier's case it was a sudden need to visit the location of the next movie she’s shooting, while Bonnaire submitted her regrets due to "personal family ...

This year, eight international film experts and stars will decide who is to take home the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears. Jury President Costa-Gavras (France) is one of the most renowned figures of dedicated, political filmmaking. His international breakthrough came in 1969 with the political thriller Z, which won him two Academy Awards. In 1990 Costa-Gavras was awarded the Berlinale Golden Bear for his film Music Box (with Armin Mueller-Stahl and Jessica Lange). He last participated in the Be...

This year, eight international film experts and stars will decide who is to take home the Golden Bear and the Silver Bears.Jury President Costa-Gavras (France) is one of the most renowned figures of dedicated, political filmmaking. His international breakthrough came in 1969 with the political thriller Z, which won him two Academy Awards. In 1990 Costa-Gavras was awarded the Berlinale Golden Bear for his film Music Box (with Armin Mueller-Stahl and Jessica Lange). He last participated in the Ber...

 Friday, December 7---------The Berlin Film Festival, which will be held in February 2008, has begun to make announcements that are just now beginning to shape the flavour of one of the world's most important film showcases. News comes from the press office that Constantin Costa-Gavras, the celebrated Greek-born director of such films as Z and MISSING, will head the Competition Jury. The director, known for his ouevre of political and social message films, has won virtually every major film pri...

The Greek-French director Costa-Gavras will be the President of the International Jury of the Berlinale 2008.The Greek-born director, now living in France, is one of the most renowned representatives of dedicated, political film. His works have received many awards; his film Z is widely considered one of the classics of political cinema. Costa-Gavras is also President of the French Cinemathèque.“I am very pleased that we have been able to win over such a great director as Costa-Gavras as Jury...

The Greek-French director Costa-Gavras will be the President of the International Jury of the Berlinale 2008. The Greek-born director, now living in France, is one of the most renowned representatives of dedicated, political film. His works have received many awards; his film Z is widely considered one of the classics of political cinema. Costa-Gavras is also President of the French Cinemathèque. “I am very pleased that we have been able to win over such a great director as Costa-Gavras as Ju...

Monday started out with a talk by Costa-Gavras, who was a surprise visitor at the all-day conference of Film Archivists and European Cinemateques. In private Mr. Gavras told me that he has a new film project in the works to be entitled "The Eden of the West" (not to be confused with "East of Eden"). This will probably turn out to be a Greek-French co-production (as was his 1971 masterpeice "Z") and will deal with "current social problems".At eleven AM the "master class" of hot Mexican director ...

 Monday, August 20---------Next to the United States, France (a country about 25% the population) has the world's most prolific and dynamic film industry. And luckily, the interest in French cinema has remained consistently strong, with a new crop of directors, writers and actors making impressions on ever-increasing audiences. For those of us who proudly call themselves "francophones" (like myself),  this is very good news. Still, the number of French feature films and documen...

After viewing Costa-Gavras' "Couperet" (Arcadia) screened at the opening ceremony as the festival curtain-raiser, (out of competition), I am still holding my breath trying to decide what to think of it. Yes, it did have certain Hitchcockian echoes of "black humor", and yes, it was a thriller of sorts, and yes, there were certain socio-political overtones, and the performances by Jose García (the harried serial killer) and Karin Viard (the harried wife of the harried serial killer) were good an...

The Valladolid Film Festival --"SEMINCI" -- ("Semana Internacional de Cine", or International Film Week), which was launched in 1956 and has been held every year since without interruption, this year celebrates its Golden half-century Anniversary. As usual the emphasis will be on non-mainstream features, auteur directors, and a wide variety of shorts and documentaries. The opening film tonight at the elegant Teatro Calderon will be the latest offering from Constantine Costa-Gavras, "Couperet",...

Triumvirate of Acclaimed Film Writer/Directors: Claude Lelouch, Costa-Gavras and Bertrand Tavernier Host Premieres of New Films at 9 annual city of lights, city of angels: a week of french premieres in Los Angels. April 11-17, 2005“Men And Women,” the latest offering of veteran writer/director Claude Lelouch, will have its world premiere, opening night of City of Lights, City of Angels Film Festival (COL•COA) on Monday, April 11, 2005. The west coast premiere of writer/director Bertrand T...