Beim bedeutenden deutschsprachigen Nachwuchspreis First Steps Award sind heute die Nominierungen bekannt gegeben worden. Der Film „Vena“ wurde dabei gleich dreifach bedacht.
Der First Steps Award (Credit: Clemens Porikys)
Aus mehr als 200 Einreichungen haben die First-Steps-Jurys des so wichtigen Nachwuchspreises für Abschlussfilme von Filmschulen in den deutschsprachigen Ländern die Nominierungen 2024 herauskristallisiert und jetzt bekannt gegeben. Am 30. September findet die Preisverleihung mit Moderator Daniel Zillmann im Theater des Westens statt und wird auch im Live-Stream der Ard-Mediathek übertragen.
Der Film „Vena“ von Regisseurin Chiara Fleischhacker über eine Crystal-Meth-Süchtige (Emma Nova), die ungewollt schwanger wird, hat dabei gleich drei Nominierungen erhalten. Es ist eine Produktion von Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg und Neue Bioskop Television. Besonders stark vertreten auf der Nominierungsliste sind die Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf und die Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
„Es geht um elementare, zeitgenössische Themen: Familie, Krieg, Selbstfindung, Klimawandel und weibliche Selbstbestimmung. Erzählt aus unterschiedlichsten Perspektiven bieten die diesjährigen Talente der...
Der First Steps Award (Credit: Clemens Porikys)
Aus mehr als 200 Einreichungen haben die First-Steps-Jurys des so wichtigen Nachwuchspreises für Abschlussfilme von Filmschulen in den deutschsprachigen Ländern die Nominierungen 2024 herauskristallisiert und jetzt bekannt gegeben. Am 30. September findet die Preisverleihung mit Moderator Daniel Zillmann im Theater des Westens statt und wird auch im Live-Stream der Ard-Mediathek übertragen.
Der Film „Vena“ von Regisseurin Chiara Fleischhacker über eine Crystal-Meth-Süchtige (Emma Nova), die ungewollt schwanger wird, hat dabei gleich drei Nominierungen erhalten. Es ist eine Produktion von Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg und Neue Bioskop Television. Besonders stark vertreten auf der Nominierungsliste sind die Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf und die Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg.
„Es geht um elementare, zeitgenössische Themen: Familie, Krieg, Selbstfindung, Klimawandel und weibliche Selbstbestimmung. Erzählt aus unterschiedlichsten Perspektiven bieten die diesjährigen Talente der...
- 8/22/2024
- by Michael Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Veteran film festival chief Marco Müller took over the reins of Taormina in April, giving him a short window to pull together the ongoing 70th edition. After a week that has included the world premiere of Saint Clare starring Bella Thorne, the Italian premiere of Warner Bros/Universal’s Twisters and Baltasar Kormakur’s Touch from Focus, as well as a high-profile visit from Sharon Stone, he still appears to be on the fence about returning next year.
“The festival harvest is like the weather, so sometimes you just have to shake the tree and the beautiful fruits come into your hands,” Müller told Deadline. “This year, with the strike in Hollywood and the fact that I signed my contract around April 12, the fact that both Warner Bros and Universal went for Taormina for me is a good starting point for the future — if ever I would have a future here.
“The festival harvest is like the weather, so sometimes you just have to shake the tree and the beautiful fruits come into your hands,” Müller told Deadline. “This year, with the strike in Hollywood and the fact that I signed my contract around April 12, the fact that both Warner Bros and Universal went for Taormina for me is a good starting point for the future — if ever I would have a future here.
- 7/19/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Für das 70. Taormina Film Festival, dem ersten unter der Leitung von Marco Müller, ist jetzt das Programm bekannt gegeben worden.
Eröffnungsfilm des Taormina Film Festival und eine der sieben Galavorstellungen im Teatro Antico: „Saint Clare“ (Javo PR)
Im April hat Marco Müller die Leitung des Taormina Film Festival übernommen. Heute hat der ehemalige Festivalchef von Venedig und Locarno das Programm für die von 12. bis 19. Juli stattfindende 70. Ausgabe bekannt gegeben.
Kernstück des Festivals sind die Galavorstellungen im Teatro Antico, in deren Rahmen sieben Filme, darunter vier Weltpremieren, gezeigt werden. Im Rahmen der Galavorstellungen werden Mitzi Peirones „Saint Clare“ mit Bella Thorne, der das Festival wie berichtet eröffnen wird, die Italienpremiere von Lee Issac Chungs „Twisters“, Lorcan Finnegans Psychothriller „The Surfer“ mit Nicolas Cage, Pasquale Scimecas „The Judge and the Boss“ sowie die drei RomComs „Touch“ von Baltasar Kormákur mit dem japanischen Model Kôki, „L’invenzione di noi due“ von Corrado Ceron mit Lino Guanciale,...
Eröffnungsfilm des Taormina Film Festival und eine der sieben Galavorstellungen im Teatro Antico: „Saint Clare“ (Javo PR)
Im April hat Marco Müller die Leitung des Taormina Film Festival übernommen. Heute hat der ehemalige Festivalchef von Venedig und Locarno das Programm für die von 12. bis 19. Juli stattfindende 70. Ausgabe bekannt gegeben.
Kernstück des Festivals sind die Galavorstellungen im Teatro Antico, in deren Rahmen sieben Filme, darunter vier Weltpremieren, gezeigt werden. Im Rahmen der Galavorstellungen werden Mitzi Peirones „Saint Clare“ mit Bella Thorne, der das Festival wie berichtet eröffnen wird, die Italienpremiere von Lee Issac Chungs „Twisters“, Lorcan Finnegans Psychothriller „The Surfer“ mit Nicolas Cage, Pasquale Scimecas „The Judge and the Boss“ sowie die drei RomComs „Touch“ von Baltasar Kormákur mit dem japanischen Model Kôki, „L’invenzione di noi due“ von Corrado Ceron mit Lino Guanciale,...
- 6/28/2024
- by Jochen Müller
- Spot - Media & Film
Saint Clare starring Bella Thorne will open this year’s Taormina Film Festival.
The July fest has unveiled gala lineup, including action title Twisters directed by Lee Isaac Chung starring Daisy Edgar-Jones; psychological thriller The Surfer by Lorcan Finnegan starring Nicolas Cage and Il giudice ed il boss, which comes from the director of Placido Rizzotto, Pasquale Scimeca.
The main titles are completed by three rom-coms with the British-Icelandic Touch, directed by filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur and starring Kôki; and two Italian films, L’invenzione di noi due by Corrado Ceron starring Lino Guanciale, Silvia D’Amico and Paolo Rossi; and Finché notte non ci separi by Riccardo Antonaroli starring Pilar Fogliati, Filippo Scicchitano and Valeria Bilello, which closes the festival.
There will be an international premiere of From Ground Zero that presents the “tale of untold stories” signed by 22 young Palestinian filmmakers who have filmed daily life in Gaza. As ever,...
The July fest has unveiled gala lineup, including action title Twisters directed by Lee Isaac Chung starring Daisy Edgar-Jones; psychological thriller The Surfer by Lorcan Finnegan starring Nicolas Cage and Il giudice ed il boss, which comes from the director of Placido Rizzotto, Pasquale Scimeca.
The main titles are completed by three rom-coms with the British-Icelandic Touch, directed by filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur and starring Kôki; and two Italian films, L’invenzione di noi due by Corrado Ceron starring Lino Guanciale, Silvia D’Amico and Paolo Rossi; and Finché notte non ci separi by Riccardo Antonaroli starring Pilar Fogliati, Filippo Scicchitano and Valeria Bilello, which closes the festival.
There will be an international premiere of From Ground Zero that presents the “tale of untold stories” signed by 22 young Palestinian filmmakers who have filmed daily life in Gaza. As ever,...
- 6/28/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters sequel will receive its Italian premiere at this year’s Taormina Film Festival, which takes place July 12 to July 19 in southern Italy.
Twisters will screen at the festival’s historic Teatro Antico amphitheater. This year’s event will mark the festival’s 70th edition. The film will be released in Italian theatres on July 17 via Warner Bros. Pictures and will hit North American cinemas on July 19 via Universal Pictures.
“I am grateful to Warner Bros. for this wonderful gift, which confirms one of our programming guidelines: relying on diversity of styles,” said Marco Müller, artistic director of the Taormina Film Festival. “With Twisters, Lee Isaac Chung has gone from his Academy Award-winning drama Minari to deliver a spectacular cinematic event speaking to an even wider audience.”
Twisters is billed as “a sweeping current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster.” The film stars Golden Globe nominee Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser, and Glen Powell who plays Tyler Owens, a charming and reckless social media superstar. The synopsis reads: Two opposing forces, come together to try to predict, and possibly tame, the immense power of tornadoes.
The cast also features Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos (In The Heights), Brandon Perea (Nope), Golden Globe awardee Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy), and Sasha Lane (American Honey), along with David Corenswet (the upcoming Superman), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Nik Dodani (Atypical).
Producers are Frank Marshall (the Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones franchises) and Patrick Crowley (the Jurassic Park and Bourne franchises). The film was written by Mark L. Smith, screenwriter of The Revenant, from a story by Joseph Kosinski, based on characters created by Michael Crichton & Anne-Marie Martin.
The Taormina Film Festival is promoted and organised by the Fondazione Taormina Arte Sicilia with the support of the Assessorato del Turismo dello Sport e dello Spettacolo della Regione Siciliana of the Sicilia Film Commission, the Municipality of Taormina and the Ministry of Culture–General Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisual (MiC).
Twisters will screen at the festival’s historic Teatro Antico amphitheater. This year’s event will mark the festival’s 70th edition. The film will be released in Italian theatres on July 17 via Warner Bros. Pictures and will hit North American cinemas on July 19 via Universal Pictures.
“I am grateful to Warner Bros. for this wonderful gift, which confirms one of our programming guidelines: relying on diversity of styles,” said Marco Müller, artistic director of the Taormina Film Festival. “With Twisters, Lee Isaac Chung has gone from his Academy Award-winning drama Minari to deliver a spectacular cinematic event speaking to an even wider audience.”
Twisters is billed as “a sweeping current-day chapter of the 1996 blockbuster.” The film stars Golden Globe nominee Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser, and Glen Powell who plays Tyler Owens, a charming and reckless social media superstar. The synopsis reads: Two opposing forces, come together to try to predict, and possibly tame, the immense power of tornadoes.
The cast also features Golden Globe nominee Anthony Ramos (In The Heights), Brandon Perea (Nope), Golden Globe awardee Maura Tierney (Beautiful Boy), and Sasha Lane (American Honey), along with David Corenswet (the upcoming Superman), Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders), Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Nik Dodani (Atypical).
Producers are Frank Marshall (the Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones franchises) and Patrick Crowley (the Jurassic Park and Bourne franchises). The film was written by Mark L. Smith, screenwriter of The Revenant, from a story by Joseph Kosinski, based on characters created by Michael Crichton & Anne-Marie Martin.
The Taormina Film Festival is promoted and organised by the Fondazione Taormina Arte Sicilia with the support of the Assessorato del Turismo dello Sport e dello Spettacolo della Regione Siciliana of the Sicilia Film Commission, the Municipality of Taormina and the Ministry of Culture–General Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisual (MiC).
- 6/6/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black sets a new widest UK-Ireland opening record for Studiocanal, starting its run in 719 sites.
The film beats the distributor’s previous record – February release Wicked Little Letters – by 33 venues. It is also the widest opening of the year, beating Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two by two sites.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson from a script by Matt Greenhalgh, Back To Black depicts the life of music icon Winehouse, from her early career through her turbulent relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and her creation of seminal 2006 album Back To Black.
The film stars 2023 Screen Star of Tomorrow Marisa Abela as Winehouse,...
The film beats the distributor’s previous record – February release Wicked Little Letters – by 33 venues. It is also the widest opening of the year, beating Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Two by two sites.
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson from a script by Matt Greenhalgh, Back To Black depicts the life of music icon Winehouse, from her early career through her turbulent relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil, and her creation of seminal 2006 album Back To Black.
The film stars 2023 Screen Star of Tomorrow Marisa Abela as Winehouse,...
- 4/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Former Venice Film Festival head Marco Müller has been named Artistic Director of Italy’s Taormina Film Fest.
The announcement was made today by the special commissioner of the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation/ Fondazione Taormina Arte Sicilia, Sergio Bonomo, who said: “Maestro Müller’s professional contribution will be a driving force of success for the prestigious film event”.
The festival’s 70th edition runs this year from July 12 to 19.
“I am happy to work in Sicily to rediscover my roots – I was born and raised in Rome, but my only quarter of Italian blood is from Palermo,” Müller said.
“I thank all the people, in the institutions and among friends of cinema, who have built for me this opportunity to experiment in Taormina the moving thought of how a useful popular festival can still be built. We will use the extraordinary Teatro Antico – which was always a source of jealousy...
The announcement was made today by the special commissioner of the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation/ Fondazione Taormina Arte Sicilia, Sergio Bonomo, who said: “Maestro Müller’s professional contribution will be a driving force of success for the prestigious film event”.
The festival’s 70th edition runs this year from July 12 to 19.
“I am happy to work in Sicily to rediscover my roots – I was born and raised in Rome, but my only quarter of Italian blood is from Palermo,” Müller said.
“I thank all the people, in the institutions and among friends of cinema, who have built for me this opportunity to experiment in Taormina the moving thought of how a useful popular festival can still be built. We will use the extraordinary Teatro Antico – which was always a source of jealousy...
- 4/12/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Veteran film festival director Marco Müller has been named the new artistic director of Italy’s Taormina Film Fest and will take over for Taormina’s 70th edition this year.
Müller is one of the great journeymen of the festival circuit, having run A-list events in Venice, Rotterdam, Locarno and, most recently, the Pingyao festival in Macao.
Sergio Bonomo, special commissioner of the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation, which runs the festival, said “Maestro” Müller will be “a driving force of success for the prestigious film event.”
Taormina is one of the world’s oldest film festivals, and one blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful locations in the sun-kissed region of Sicily overlooking Mount Etna that The White Lotus picked as the backdrop for its season 2. The festival centerpiece is the Teatro Antico amphitheater, an historic Greek theater used for Taormina’s premieres.
But the festival’s history has been a stormy one,...
Müller is one of the great journeymen of the festival circuit, having run A-list events in Venice, Rotterdam, Locarno and, most recently, the Pingyao festival in Macao.
Sergio Bonomo, special commissioner of the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation, which runs the festival, said “Maestro” Müller will be “a driving force of success for the prestigious film event.”
Taormina is one of the world’s oldest film festivals, and one blessed with one of the world’s most beautiful locations in the sun-kissed region of Sicily overlooking Mount Etna that The White Lotus picked as the backdrop for its season 2. The festival centerpiece is the Teatro Antico amphitheater, an historic Greek theater used for Taormina’s premieres.
But the festival’s history has been a stormy one,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy’s Taormina Film Fest has appointed Marco Muller as artistic director, ahead of its 70th edition this summer (July 12-19).
Italian executive Muller has previously been director of Venice, Locarno, Rotterdam and Rome film festivals. He is currently director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University, and professor emeritus at the Shanghai Film Academy.
Muller created and directed China’s Pingyao and Macao film festivals, and has written and edited more than 20 monographic books on international cinema.
Muller will work with a selection committee comprised of former BFI London Film Festival director Sandra Hebron, journalist Enrico Magrelli,...
Italian executive Muller has previously been director of Venice, Locarno, Rotterdam and Rome film festivals. He is currently director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University, and professor emeritus at the Shanghai Film Academy.
Muller created and directed China’s Pingyao and Macao film festivals, and has written and edited more than 20 monographic books on international cinema.
Muller will work with a selection committee comprised of former BFI London Film Festival director Sandra Hebron, journalist Enrico Magrelli,...
- 4/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Winners of the 2024 Tiger Award and Vpro Big Screen Award announced.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) announces the 2024 winners from its two feature competitions: the Tiger Competition and the Big Screen Competition. The prizes were handed out during the IFFR Awards Ceremony on Friday 2 February, along with the Fipresci, Netpac and Youth Jury awards.
Tiger Competition
IFFR's trademark Tiger Competition celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers. From the 14 titles presented in the 2024 edition, the jury granted three prizes: the Tiger Award, worth €40,000, and two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each.
Rei (Japan) by Tanaka Toshihiko wins the Tiger Award 2024.
The jury stated: “The jury decided to give the Tiger Award to a burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment. His strength relies on a collaborative environment centred on the actors, an attention to the power of recitation – and, perhaps most importantly,...
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) announces the 2024 winners from its two feature competitions: the Tiger Competition and the Big Screen Competition. The prizes were handed out during the IFFR Awards Ceremony on Friday 2 February, along with the Fipresci, Netpac and Youth Jury awards.
Tiger Competition
IFFR's trademark Tiger Competition celebrates the innovative and adventurous spirit of up-and-coming filmmakers. From the 14 titles presented in the 2024 edition, the jury granted three prizes: the Tiger Award, worth €40,000, and two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each.
Rei (Japan) by Tanaka Toshihiko wins the Tiger Award 2024.
The jury stated: “The jury decided to give the Tiger Award to a burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment. His strength relies on a collaborative environment centred on the actors, an attention to the power of recitation – and, perhaps most importantly,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Toshihiko Tanaka’s Rei won the top prize at the 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), taking home the €40,000 Tiger award at tonight’s closing ceremony (February 2).
The Japanese actor’s three-hour directorial debut explores human connection through a thirtysomething woman who embarks on a journey through the mountains and meets a deaf photographer. Tanaka also stars and produced the film which used mostly non-professionals and students in the cast and crew.
The jury, which included former IFFR director Marco Müller, said of the film: “[Tanaka’s] strength relies on a collaborative environment centred on the actors, an attention to the power of recitation – and,...
The Japanese actor’s three-hour directorial debut explores human connection through a thirtysomething woman who embarks on a journey through the mountains and meets a deaf photographer. Tanaka also stars and produced the film which used mostly non-professionals and students in the cast and crew.
The jury, which included former IFFR director Marco Müller, said of the film: “[Tanaka’s] strength relies on a collaborative environment centred on the actors, an attention to the power of recitation – and,...
- 2/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Tanaka Toshihiko’s “Rei” was awarded the Tiger Award, the top prize of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, on Friday. Toshihiko’s feature debut chronicles a woman in her early 30s employed in a corporate job in Tokyo who meets a deaf landscape photographer living deep in the mountains of Hokkaido.
Toshihiko worked with a cast and crew of mostly-non professionals and students and not only directed “Rei,” but also produced, edited and acted in the film. He takes home a prize worth €40,000 given by a jury comprised of “Sweet Dreams” director Ena Sendijarević, producer and historian Marco Müller, “Ebola Syndrome” director and screenwriter Herman Yau, pioneering “Bless Their Little Hearts” filmmaker Billy Woodberry and producer Nadia Turincev.
The jury called Toshihiko a “burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment,” and whose strength lies in “a collaborative environment centered on the actors.
Toshihiko worked with a cast and crew of mostly-non professionals and students and not only directed “Rei,” but also produced, edited and acted in the film. He takes home a prize worth €40,000 given by a jury comprised of “Sweet Dreams” director Ena Sendijarević, producer and historian Marco Müller, “Ebola Syndrome” director and screenwriter Herman Yau, pioneering “Bless Their Little Hearts” filmmaker Billy Woodberry and producer Nadia Turincev.
The jury called Toshihiko a “burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment,” and whose strength lies in “a collaborative environment centered on the actors.
- 2/2/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Japanese actor and director Toshihiko Tanaka’s human relationships drama Rei and Iranian filmmaker Oktay Baraheni’s tale of identity and society The Old Bachelor have won the top awards at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Rei won the €40,000 Tiger Award in the main Competition.
The drama revolves around a woman in her early thirties in a company job in Tokyo who is struggling to understand the value of her life until she meets a deaf landscape photographer living deep in the mountains of Hokkaido.
“The jury decided to give the Tiger Award to a burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment,” said the jury consisting of Marco Müller, Ena Sendijarević, Nadia Turincev, Billy Woodberry and Herman Yau.
The two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each, went to Indian director Midhun Murali’s Kiss Wagon, a political drama shot with a shadow play technique,...
Rei won the €40,000 Tiger Award in the main Competition.
The drama revolves around a woman in her early thirties in a company job in Tokyo who is struggling to understand the value of her life until she meets a deaf landscape photographer living deep in the mountains of Hokkaido.
“The jury decided to give the Tiger Award to a burgeoning film director who chose to develop his debut film in a loose and unbounded environment,” said the jury consisting of Marco Müller, Ena Sendijarević, Nadia Turincev, Billy Woodberry and Herman Yau.
The two Special Jury Awards, worth €10,000 each, went to Indian director Midhun Murali’s Kiss Wagon, a political drama shot with a shadow play technique,...
- 2/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed its lineup for the Tiger, Big Screen and Tiger Short competitions. The festival runs from January 25-February 4. Scroll down for the full lists.
Head South by Jonathan Ogilvie will open the proceedings with M. Raihan Halim’s comedy La Luna on closing duties. The Tiger Competition jury will be comprised of Marco Müller, Ena Sendijarević, Nadia Turincev, Herman Yau and Billy Woodberry.
Also confirmed are the first names for the Talks lineup including Marco Bellocchio, Anne Fontaine, Alexander Kluge and Rachel Maclean.
Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic said today, “For over half a century, IFFR has stood as a haven for diverse voices – a convergence where artists share perspectives. Our program celebrates the resilience and creativity of global filmmakers, a testament to cinema’s power to transcend borders. From Indian to Japanese epics, a Kazakh thriller, Finnish Freudian reinterpretations, Dominican sci-fi and underground Iranian cinema,...
Head South by Jonathan Ogilvie will open the proceedings with M. Raihan Halim’s comedy La Luna on closing duties. The Tiger Competition jury will be comprised of Marco Müller, Ena Sendijarević, Nadia Turincev, Herman Yau and Billy Woodberry.
Also confirmed are the first names for the Talks lineup including Marco Bellocchio, Anne Fontaine, Alexander Kluge and Rachel Maclean.
Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic said today, “For over half a century, IFFR has stood as a haven for diverse voices – a convergence where artists share perspectives. Our program celebrates the resilience and creativity of global filmmakers, a testament to cinema’s power to transcend borders. From Indian to Japanese epics, a Kazakh thriller, Finnish Freudian reinterpretations, Dominican sci-fi and underground Iranian cinema,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
International Film Festival Rotterdam has revealed that Belgian cinematographer Grimm Vandekerckhove will be the recipient of the fifth annual Robby Müller Award, which pays homage to the craft of artists working behind the lens in the spirit of the celebrated cinematographer.
Vandekerckhove is “known for delicately capturing the inner lives of characters,” the festival said, such as a cleaning lady on a late-night journey in “Ghost Tropic” or the encounter of a foreign construction worker and a moss researcher in “Here,” both directed by Bas Devos. He also shot Stephan Streker’s “A Wedding,” about a teenager forced into an arranged marriage.
“With profound commitment and a wondrous tranquillity he captures details and hidden shades of everyday existence in his own singular way that mirrors the emotionally moving images of Robby Müller,” the jury stated.
In other announcements, the festival, which runs Jan. 25 – Feb. 4, revealed that the jury for the...
Vandekerckhove is “known for delicately capturing the inner lives of characters,” the festival said, such as a cleaning lady on a late-night journey in “Ghost Tropic” or the encounter of a foreign construction worker and a moss researcher in “Here,” both directed by Bas Devos. He also shot Stephan Streker’s “A Wedding,” about a teenager forced into an arranged marriage.
“With profound commitment and a wondrous tranquillity he captures details and hidden shades of everyday existence in his own singular way that mirrors the emotionally moving images of Robby Müller,” the jury stated.
In other announcements, the festival, which runs Jan. 25 – Feb. 4, revealed that the jury for the...
- 12/12/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Titles for the Limelight, Harbour, Cinema Regained and Focus strands have been added to the line-up.
Marco Müller, who headed International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) from 1989-1991, is returning as part of the 2024 Tiger international competition jury.
He is being joined by Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Ena Sendijarević,producer, industry expert and founder of Easy Rider Films, Nadia Turincev; Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau; and LA Rebellion film movement figure and filmmaker Billy Woodberry, whose title Mário will have its world premiere in the Harbour strand.
They will choose the winners of the Tiger award, worth €40,000, and the special jury awards, worth...
Marco Müller, who headed International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) from 1989-1991, is returning as part of the 2024 Tiger international competition jury.
He is being joined by Bosnian-Dutch filmmaker Ena Sendijarević,producer, industry expert and founder of Easy Rider Films, Nadia Turincev; Hong Kong filmmaker Herman Yau; and LA Rebellion film movement figure and filmmaker Billy Woodberry, whose title Mário will have its world premiere in the Harbour strand.
They will choose the winners of the Tiger award, worth €40,000, and the special jury awards, worth...
- 12/12/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori (GdA), running alongside the main festival from August 30 to September 9, celebrates its 20th edition this year.
Partly modeled on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, GdA (which is still often referred to by its initial name of Venice Days in English) was launched in 2004 as an alternative space for independent filmmakers to the star-studded, red-carpet focus of the main festival.
The compact 12-title inaugural edition featured Hubert Sauper’s feature-doc Darwin’s Nightmare, which was later nominated for an Oscar; This Is England director-writer Shaun Meadows’ fifth feature Dead Man’s Shoes and John Lvoff’s drama Now And Then, featuring Julie Depardieu in her first starring role.
Over the past 19 years, the event has expanded to include also special screenings, tributes and talks.
This year’s 10-title Competition line-up includes quirky Canadian teen vampire tale Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person; Moroccan road movie Backstage, Spanish adoption drama Foremost By Night,...
Partly modeled on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, GdA (which is still often referred to by its initial name of Venice Days in English) was launched in 2004 as an alternative space for independent filmmakers to the star-studded, red-carpet focus of the main festival.
The compact 12-title inaugural edition featured Hubert Sauper’s feature-doc Darwin’s Nightmare, which was later nominated for an Oscar; This Is England director-writer Shaun Meadows’ fifth feature Dead Man’s Shoes and John Lvoff’s drama Now And Then, featuring Julie Depardieu in her first starring role.
Over the past 19 years, the event has expanded to include also special screenings, tributes and talks.
This year’s 10-title Competition line-up includes quirky Canadian teen vampire tale Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person; Moroccan road movie Backstage, Spanish adoption drama Foremost By Night,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
If location truly was everything, the Taormina Film Festival would be the biggest in the world.
Here on “Isola bella” (Sicilian for “beautiful island”) you have it all: The sun, the sea and sunsets that look CGI-ed in their beauty (one of the reasons The White Lotus picked the region as a backdrop for its latest season). Above it all, the volcano, Mount Etna, with its bursts of fire and ash adds drama to the proceedings. The landscape is palm trees and prickly pear cacti and all the colors of the Mediterranean. The air smells of basil. The festival screenings take place in the Teatro Antico amphitheater, one of the largest historic Greek theaters in all of Sicily.
It’s easy to see why, back in 1955, organizers decided to set up a film festival here. First in the city of Messina, from 1957 on before moving to the nearby municipality of Taormina.
Here on “Isola bella” (Sicilian for “beautiful island”) you have it all: The sun, the sea and sunsets that look CGI-ed in their beauty (one of the reasons The White Lotus picked the region as a backdrop for its latest season). Above it all, the volcano, Mount Etna, with its bursts of fire and ash adds drama to the proceedings. The landscape is palm trees and prickly pear cacti and all the colors of the Mediterranean. The air smells of basil. The festival screenings take place in the Teatro Antico amphitheater, one of the largest historic Greek theaters in all of Sicily.
It’s easy to see why, back in 1955, organizers decided to set up a film festival here. First in the city of Messina, from 1957 on before moving to the nearby municipality of Taormina.
- 6/27/2023
- by Ilaria Ravarino
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Prince Edward To Present New Production Guild of Great Britain Talent Prize
Prince Edward, who is the royal Patron of the Production Guild of Great Britain (Pggb), will present the body’s new film and TV industry award that has been created in his name as part of its inaugural Talent Showcase, presented in association with Disney Studios Content and supported by Entertainment Partners. Four industry organizations have been shortlisted for The Earl of Wessex Award, created to recognise professionals working in the UK film and TV industry who have created “a successful way of inspiring local talent or skills, widening access or being more inclusive.” The nominees are youth-led production company Fully Focused; media charity Mama Youth Project; social change enablers Resource Productions and mental health and wellbeing nonprofit 6ft From the Spotlight. He will present the prize at the first Pggb Talent Showcase on January 24. The Earl of...
Prince Edward, who is the royal Patron of the Production Guild of Great Britain (Pggb), will present the body’s new film and TV industry award that has been created in his name as part of its inaugural Talent Showcase, presented in association with Disney Studios Content and supported by Entertainment Partners. Four industry organizations have been shortlisted for The Earl of Wessex Award, created to recognise professionals working in the UK film and TV industry who have created “a successful way of inspiring local talent or skills, widening access or being more inclusive.” The nominees are youth-led production company Fully Focused; media charity Mama Youth Project; social change enablers Resource Productions and mental health and wellbeing nonprofit 6ft From the Spotlight. He will present the prize at the first Pggb Talent Showcase on January 24. The Earl of...
- 1/19/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Hong Kong’s Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf) on Thursday unveiled a rich, 28-title selection for its forthcoming 21st edition, featuring promising projects in development from Singaporean Camera d’Or winner Anthony Chen, maverick Hong Kong director Fruit Chan, rising Thai talent Jakrawal Nilthamrong and veteran festival ringmaster Marco Mueller, among many others. Haf is returning in 2023 for its first in-person forum since 2019, following three consecutive online editions during the coronavirus pandemic.
As per usual, the event will be held March 13–15 in tandem with the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (aka Filmart), which runs March 13-16.
Of the 28 titles picked from 244 submissions spanning 38 countries and territories, Haf says half are from first-time filmmakers and eight are Chinese-language projects developed at recent editions of the Haf Film Lab mentorship program. The selection spans a broad range of genres, including arthouse drama, horror, fantasy, romance, animation and family films.
Chen, director...
As per usual, the event will be held March 13–15 in tandem with the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (aka Filmart), which runs March 13-16.
Of the 28 titles picked from 244 submissions spanning 38 countries and territories, Haf says half are from first-time filmmakers and eight are Chinese-language projects developed at recent editions of the Haf Film Lab mentorship program. The selection spans a broad range of genres, including arthouse drama, horror, fantasy, romance, animation and family films.
Chen, director...
- 1/12/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film projects involving Anthony Chen, Fruit Chan, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Marco Mueller and Zhang Lu adorn the lineup of the upcoming Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum project market.
The 21st edition of the market will be held as an in-person event for the first time after a hiatus that forced Haf into a digital-only format for the past three years. It will operate March 13 – 15 alongside the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (FilMart), March 13-16.
From 244 submissions, Haf organizers selected 28 in-development projects for this year’s market. Of these, half are by prospective first-time directors. Eight of the 28 are Chinese-language projects developed by young filmmakers at recent editions of the Haf Film Lab coaching program.
Organizers will announce a further list of work-in-progress projects, after the Chinese New Year holidays later this month.
Chen, director of “Ilo Ilo” and “Wet Season,” is attached as producer of two Haf entries. With Xie Meng,...
The 21st edition of the market will be held as an in-person event for the first time after a hiatus that forced Haf into a digital-only format for the past three years. It will operate March 13 – 15 alongside the 27th Hong Kong Film & TV Market (FilMart), March 13-16.
From 244 submissions, Haf organizers selected 28 in-development projects for this year’s market. Of these, half are by prospective first-time directors. Eight of the 28 are Chinese-language projects developed by young filmmakers at recent editions of the Haf Film Lab coaching program.
Organizers will announce a further list of work-in-progress projects, after the Chinese New Year holidays later this month.
Chen, director of “Ilo Ilo” and “Wet Season,” is attached as producer of two Haf entries. With Xie Meng,...
- 1/12/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The selection will be showcased at the first physical Haf since 2019.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (Hkiffs) has announced 28 in-development projects for the 21st Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), which is set to return as an in-person event for the first time since 2019.
The projects span horror, fantasy, romance, family drama and animation, and include seven from Hong Kong, eight from Haf Film Lab and 14 directorial debuts. There are also projects from acclaimed filmmakers and producers such as Arsalan Amiri, Anthony Chen, Fruit Chan, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Lin Yu-Hsien, Nai An, Nader Saeivar, Teddy Robin and Tian Zhuangzhuang.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (Hkiffs) has announced 28 in-development projects for the 21st Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (Haf), which is set to return as an in-person event for the first time since 2019.
The projects span horror, fantasy, romance, family drama and animation, and include seven from Hong Kong, eight from Haf Film Lab and 14 directorial debuts. There are also projects from acclaimed filmmakers and producers such as Arsalan Amiri, Anthony Chen, Fruit Chan, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Lin Yu-Hsien, Nai An, Nader Saeivar, Teddy Robin and Tian Zhuangzhuang.
- 1/12/2023
- by Silvia Wong
- ScreenDaily
Hainan Island International Film Festival (Hiiff) in China’s Sanya has returned as an in-person event, following a relatively short Covid-related postponement, with separate competition sections for features, documentaries and shorts.
The festival opened on December 18 with a screening of Chinese filmmaker Da Peng’s Post Truth and is scheduled to wrap on December 25. It was originally scheduled to run December 3-10, but was postponed due to the on-going Covid situation.
Veteran festival director Marco Mueller recently joined Hiiff as artistic director. He previously headed programming for China’s Pingyao International Film Festival.
Hiiff’s 11-title competition section will screen recent festival favourites including Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, Alice Diop’s Saint Omer and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts. Chinese titles in competition include Chakme Rinpoche’s Georgia and Qiao Siyu’s The Cord Of Life. The documentary competition will screen eight titles (see line-up below).
In addition to the competition sections,...
The festival opened on December 18 with a screening of Chinese filmmaker Da Peng’s Post Truth and is scheduled to wrap on December 25. It was originally scheduled to run December 3-10, but was postponed due to the on-going Covid situation.
Veteran festival director Marco Mueller recently joined Hiiff as artistic director. He previously headed programming for China’s Pingyao International Film Festival.
Hiiff’s 11-title competition section will screen recent festival favourites including Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun, Alice Diop’s Saint Omer and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s The Beasts. Chinese titles in competition include Chakme Rinpoche’s Georgia and Qiao Siyu’s The Cord Of Life. The documentary competition will screen eight titles (see line-up below).
In addition to the competition sections,...
- 12/19/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
Marco Mueller overseeing fourth edition of festival.
China’s Hainan Island International Film Festival (Hiiff) is to take place from December 18-25, after being postponed at short notice, and has revealed the titles in its feature and documentary competitions.
The fourth edition of the festival, held in the city of Sanya, was set to run from December 3-10 but was abruptly put on hold following a rise in Covid cases. Now, following the relaxation of pandemic measure in China over the past week, the festival is back on and has unveiled its line-up of titles.
Scroll down for competition titles
The Hiiff Competition,...
China’s Hainan Island International Film Festival (Hiiff) is to take place from December 18-25, after being postponed at short notice, and has revealed the titles in its feature and documentary competitions.
The fourth edition of the festival, held in the city of Sanya, was set to run from December 3-10 but was abruptly put on hold following a rise in Covid cases. Now, following the relaxation of pandemic measure in China over the past week, the festival is back on and has unveiled its line-up of titles.
Scroll down for competition titles
The Hiiff Competition,...
- 12/16/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Hainan Film Festival: Island Mentality
The Hainan Island International Film Festival in China’s Sanya is back on again after a cancelation earlier this month at short notice. The festival, overseen and curated by Marco Mueller, will operate Dec. 18-25 and open with a premiere screening of “Post Truth.” The film directed by and starring Da Peng, is built on the premise that it is never easy to refute a rumor. The story follows a seller of cemetery plots who is determined to rehabilitate the reputation of one of his deceased clients. The film is set for commercial release on Dec. 31. While the details of Mueller’s competition sections have still not been revealed, components of the other sections contain many of the most accomplished international films of the past year. “Jeong Sun,” “Riceboy Sleeps” and “Tora’s Husband” appear in the Fest Best section. “Almost Love,” “In Viaggio,” “My...
The Hainan Island International Film Festival in China’s Sanya is back on again after a cancelation earlier this month at short notice. The festival, overseen and curated by Marco Mueller, will operate Dec. 18-25 and open with a premiere screening of “Post Truth.” The film directed by and starring Da Peng, is built on the premise that it is never easy to refute a rumor. The story follows a seller of cemetery plots who is determined to rehabilitate the reputation of one of his deceased clients. The film is set for commercial release on Dec. 31. While the details of Mueller’s competition sections have still not been revealed, components of the other sections contain many of the most accomplished international films of the past year. “Jeong Sun,” “Riceboy Sleeps” and “Tora’s Husband” appear in the Fest Best section. “Almost Love,” “In Viaggio,” “My...
- 12/15/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Hainan Island International Film Festival, which had been scheduled to begin this weekend, has been postponed.
“In view of the current situation of the new coronavirus epidemic, in order to ensure the health and safety of all participants the 4th Hainan Island International Film Festival, which was originally to be scheduled to be held in Sanya, Hainan from December 3 to 10, 2022 will be postponed. The postponement time will be announced by the organizing committee. We apologize for the inconvenience caused!,” the festival said in a notice posted to its website on Wednesday.
The postponement decision came exactly two weeks after the festival announced its return to in-person operation under the artistic leadership of vastly experienced festival head Marco Mueller.
Hainan Festival postponement notice.
The festival had not unveiled its lineup, but it was expected to include more than 100 films arranged across six sections: Gala, Fest Best, Asian New Directors, Panorama,...
“In view of the current situation of the new coronavirus epidemic, in order to ensure the health and safety of all participants the 4th Hainan Island International Film Festival, which was originally to be scheduled to be held in Sanya, Hainan from December 3 to 10, 2022 will be postponed. The postponement time will be announced by the organizing committee. We apologize for the inconvenience caused!,” the festival said in a notice posted to its website on Wednesday.
The postponement decision came exactly two weeks after the festival announced its return to in-person operation under the artistic leadership of vastly experienced festival head Marco Mueller.
Hainan Festival postponement notice.
The festival had not unveiled its lineup, but it was expected to include more than 100 films arranged across six sections: Gala, Fest Best, Asian New Directors, Panorama,...
- 12/1/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Former director of Venice, Rome and Locarno film festivals joins ahead of fourth edition.
Marco Mueller, former director of Venice, Rome and Locarno film festivals, has been appointed artistic director of China’s Hainan Island International Film Festival (Hiiff).
Mueller joins ahead of Haiff’s fourth edition, which is set to run December 3-10 in the city of Sanya on the southern end of Hainan Island, known for its tropical beach resorts.
The festival veteran has been based in China since 2021, running the Film Art Research Centre of Shanghai University and teaching at Shanghai Film Academy. He was previously festival...
Marco Mueller, former director of Venice, Rome and Locarno film festivals, has been appointed artistic director of China’s Hainan Island International Film Festival (Hiiff).
Mueller joins ahead of Haiff’s fourth edition, which is set to run December 3-10 in the city of Sanya on the southern end of Hainan Island, known for its tropical beach resorts.
The festival veteran has been based in China since 2021, running the Film Art Research Centre of Shanghai University and teaching at Shanghai Film Academy. He was previously festival...
- 11/17/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
China’s Hainan Island International Film Festival will return to operation early next month for a fourth edition. Marco Mueller, former director of the Locarno, Venice and Rome film festivals is set as its new artistic director.
Mueller is now based in China and has previously advised Chinese festivals including those in Shanghai and Pingyao.
The festival will operate Dec. 3-10, 2022, in Sanya, Hainan Province. Its mission is to “strengthen international film cultural exchanges and cooperation.”
The lineup has not been announced, but it is expected to include more than 100 films organized across six sections: Gala, Fest Best, Asian New Directors, Panorama, New Horizons and Classics. Titles will compete for Golden Coconut Awards in at least seven feature film categories, plus a best documentary award and a best short film prize.
Additionally, there will be public screenings in other parts of the island, branded as “Around the Island” and “Screening by the Sea.
Mueller is now based in China and has previously advised Chinese festivals including those in Shanghai and Pingyao.
The festival will operate Dec. 3-10, 2022, in Sanya, Hainan Province. Its mission is to “strengthen international film cultural exchanges and cooperation.”
The lineup has not been announced, but it is expected to include more than 100 films organized across six sections: Gala, Fest Best, Asian New Directors, Panorama, New Horizons and Classics. Titles will compete for Golden Coconut Awards in at least seven feature film categories, plus a best documentary award and a best short film prize.
Additionally, there will be public screenings in other parts of the island, branded as “Around the Island” and “Screening by the Sea.
- 11/17/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Danny Yung is an experimental art pioneer and one of Hong Kong’s most influential artists. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of Zuni Icosahedron. In the past 40 years, Yung has been working extensively in diverse fields of arts, including theatre, cartoon, film, video as well as visual and installation art. In the span of his 50-year artistic profession, Yung has been involved in over 100 theatre productions as director, scriptwriter, producer and/or stage designer. His theatre works were staged in multiple cities across the world, including Tokyo, Yokohama, Toga, Singapore, Jakarta, Taipei, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Hannover, London, Lisbon, Rotterdam, Dubai and New York. The artist keeps a close eye on the arts and cultural policy and on education development in Hong Kong and the Asia-Pacific region. He currently serves as chairman of the Hong Kong–Taipei–Shenzhen–Shanghai City-to-City Cultural Exchange Conference and is...
- 10/6/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Click here to read the full article.
What’s best about the Venice Film Festival?
Bertacche: The absolutely priceless thing about Venice is that you can always decide to get out of the festival and explore the most beautiful city in the world.
What’s your best “only in Venice” experience?
Baracetti: In 2006, we worked as Asia consultants for the festival, because [former artistic director] Marco Muller invited us to do so. It was an amazing, stunning experience.
The one thing I would change about the Venice Film Festival is…
Baracetti: Nothing! Venice is the oldest film festival in the world. It is perfect!
The most inaccurate cliché about Italians that Venice proves is wrong is…
Bertacche: Not all Italians dress nicely. Only the majority.
The best place in Venice to escape the crowds (and the film industry) is…
Baracetti: Go to the “Gallerie dell’Accademia” Museum. And stay there to contemplate Tiepolo...
What’s best about the Venice Film Festival?
Bertacche: The absolutely priceless thing about Venice is that you can always decide to get out of the festival and explore the most beautiful city in the world.
What’s your best “only in Venice” experience?
Baracetti: In 2006, we worked as Asia consultants for the festival, because [former artistic director] Marco Muller invited us to do so. It was an amazing, stunning experience.
The one thing I would change about the Venice Film Festival is…
Baracetti: Nothing! Venice is the oldest film festival in the world. It is perfect!
The most inaccurate cliché about Italians that Venice proves is wrong is…
Bertacche: Not all Italians dress nicely. Only the majority.
The best place in Venice to escape the crowds (and the film industry) is…
Baracetti: Go to the “Gallerie dell’Accademia” Museum. And stay there to contemplate Tiepolo...
- 9/5/2022
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Since 2007, Venice’s Queer Lion Award has reflected and elevated the best in LGBTQ cinema. Fifteen years later, founder Daniel N. Casagrande said this year’s Venice Film Festival will be “the most queer edition ever.”
Among the fest’s 30 LGBTQ-themed titles, 19 are competing for the Queer Lion, including a record six films from the main competition. They include Todd Field’s orchestra conductor drama “Tár,” starring Cate Blanchett; Darren Aronofsky’s estranged gay father study “The Whale,” featuring Brendan Fraser; Laura Poitras’ doc “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” chronicling bisexual artist Nan Goldin’s life and anti-opioid crusade; Andrea Pallaoro’s trans woman family drama “Monica”; Emanuele Crialese’s “L’immensità,” starring Penélope Cruz as the mother of a transgender child; and Gianni Amelio’s “Il signore delle formiche,” the true story of an Italian artist jailed under an infamous anti-gay law.
With an average of eight to 10 nominees each year,...
Among the fest’s 30 LGBTQ-themed titles, 19 are competing for the Queer Lion, including a record six films from the main competition. They include Todd Field’s orchestra conductor drama “Tár,” starring Cate Blanchett; Darren Aronofsky’s estranged gay father study “The Whale,” featuring Brendan Fraser; Laura Poitras’ doc “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” chronicling bisexual artist Nan Goldin’s life and anti-opioid crusade; Andrea Pallaoro’s trans woman family drama “Monica”; Emanuele Crialese’s “L’immensità,” starring Penélope Cruz as the mother of a transgender child; and Gianni Amelio’s “Il signore delle formiche,” the true story of an Italian artist jailed under an infamous anti-gay law.
With an average of eight to 10 nominees each year,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Italian director, screenwriter and producer Marco Bellocchio has opened up about his career and upcoming projects during a masterclass at the 53rd edition of Visions du Réel, where he received an honorary award.
The 82-year-old master is guest of honor at the documentary film festival, which includes a retrospective of a dozen of his works and a screening of his latest film, “Marx Can Wait,” a documentary about his twin brother Camilo’s suicide in December 1968.
Featuring footage filmed during a family get-together, personal archive material and clips from his films, it is an intimate and poignant documentary that explores how his brother’s death deeply influenced Bellocchio’s work over the decades.
At the time, Bellocchio explained, “the revolution of ’68 was underway, there were protests and riots, and I said to myself ‘I have to do something.’ So in September, together with friends who had founded the Maoist movement,...
The 82-year-old master is guest of honor at the documentary film festival, which includes a retrospective of a dozen of his works and a screening of his latest film, “Marx Can Wait,” a documentary about his twin brother Camilo’s suicide in December 1968.
Featuring footage filmed during a family get-together, personal archive material and clips from his films, it is an intimate and poignant documentary that explores how his brother’s death deeply influenced Bellocchio’s work over the decades.
At the time, Bellocchio explained, “the revolution of ’68 was underway, there were protests and riots, and I said to myself ‘I have to do something.’ So in September, together with friends who had founded the Maoist movement,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Pingyao International Film Festival got under way on Tuesday with the gala screening of Zhang Lu’s new drama film “Yanagawa.” The festival will unspool Oct. 12-19 with a familiar package of competition screenings a work in progress section, a film lab, a project market and a tribute section dedicated to Tsui Hark.
Organizers announced an ambitious twelve-title competition section (“Crouching Tigers”) for first second and third films from around the world.
These include: “Amparo,” directed by Simón Mesa Soto; “As Far As I Can Walk,” directed by Strahinja Banovic; “Feathers,” directed by Omar El Zohairy; “Mama, I’m Home” directed by Vladimir Bitokov (Russia); “Pedro” directed by Natesh Hegde (India); “Playground” (Un Monde) directed by Laura Wandel (Belgium); “Prayers for the Stolen” (Noche de Fuego) directed by Tatiana Huezo; “Rehana” (Rehana Maryam Noor) directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad; “The Tale of King Crab” (Re Granchio) directed by...
Organizers announced an ambitious twelve-title competition section (“Crouching Tigers”) for first second and third films from around the world.
These include: “Amparo,” directed by Simón Mesa Soto; “As Far As I Can Walk,” directed by Strahinja Banovic; “Feathers,” directed by Omar El Zohairy; “Mama, I’m Home” directed by Vladimir Bitokov (Russia); “Pedro” directed by Natesh Hegde (India); “Playground” (Un Monde) directed by Laura Wandel (Belgium); “Prayers for the Stolen” (Noche de Fuego) directed by Tatiana Huezo; “Rehana” (Rehana Maryam Noor) directed by Abdullah Mohammad Saad; “The Tale of King Crab” (Re Granchio) directed by...
- 10/13/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Festival, which opens today, also annouced its Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons competition sections.
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Octobner 12-19) will open with Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu’s Yanagawa and close with Xu Lei’s The Great Director.
Starring Ni Ni, Zhang Luyi and Xin Baiqing, Yanagawa revolves around two brothers who travel to Japan in search of the woman they both loved in their youth. The film, which is receiving its world premiere at Busan in the Icons section, is produced by Midnight Blur Films and sold internationally by Hishow Entertainment. The Great Director is described...
This year’s Pingyao International Film Festival (Octobner 12-19) will open with Korean-Chinese director Zhang Lu’s Yanagawa and close with Xu Lei’s The Great Director.
Starring Ni Ni, Zhang Luyi and Xin Baiqing, Yanagawa revolves around two brothers who travel to Japan in search of the woman they both loved in their youth. The film, which is receiving its world premiere at Busan in the Icons section, is produced by Midnight Blur Films and sold internationally by Hishow Entertainment. The Great Director is described...
- 10/12/2021
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Mike Goodridge, who was appointed artistic director of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM) in 2017, is stepping down after four editions. The festival will not take place in 2021, as Covid-19 restrictions remain tight in Macau.
In 2020, like many festivals, IFFAM went online. Last year, it featured a film screening section and masterclasses with Hirokazu Koreeda, Hur Jin-ho, Nina Hoss and Viggo Mortensen.
Goodridge is busy in production and management through his Good Chaos label and will continue to work in festival programming and curation. He was a consultant with the Chicago International Film Festival this year.
“I have had an incredible experience working with my friends and colleagues in Macau,” said Goodridge. “We built the audience for different kinds of cinema in the city and created an event that resonated across the region and the world. The team we assembled was second to none, and we were all dedicated...
In 2020, like many festivals, IFFAM went online. Last year, it featured a film screening section and masterclasses with Hirokazu Koreeda, Hur Jin-ho, Nina Hoss and Viggo Mortensen.
Goodridge is busy in production and management through his Good Chaos label and will continue to work in festival programming and curation. He was a consultant with the Chicago International Film Festival this year.
“I have had an incredible experience working with my friends and colleagues in Macau,” said Goodridge. “We built the audience for different kinds of cinema in the city and created an event that resonated across the region and the world. The team we assembled was second to none, and we were all dedicated...
- 9/28/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Mike Goodridge, the former CEO of Protagonist Pictures, is stepping down from his role as artistic director of International Film Festival & Awards Macao (IFFAM) after four editions.
Post-iffam, Goodridge will continue his work in production and management through his Good Chaos label and will continue to work in festival programming and curation. He was a consultant with the Chicago International Film Festival this year. His recent credits include as an executive producer on the Oscar-nominated Quo Vadis, Aida? and Ruben Ostlund’s upcoming Triangle Of Sadness.
IFFAM will not take place in 2021 as Covid restrictions remain tight in the autonomous region off the Chinese coast, which is known for its high-flying gambling industry.
The fest was established in 2016 and Goodridge joined after founding artistic director Marco Mueller exited. Goodridge created an international competition for first and second time directors and strengthened the Chinese-language programming with the creation of the New Chinese Cinema competition strand.
Post-iffam, Goodridge will continue his work in production and management through his Good Chaos label and will continue to work in festival programming and curation. He was a consultant with the Chicago International Film Festival this year. His recent credits include as an executive producer on the Oscar-nominated Quo Vadis, Aida? and Ruben Ostlund’s upcoming Triangle Of Sadness.
IFFAM will not take place in 2021 as Covid restrictions remain tight in the autonomous region off the Chinese coast, which is known for its high-flying gambling industry.
The fest was established in 2016 and Goodridge joined after founding artistic director Marco Mueller exited. Goodridge created an international competition for first and second time directors and strengthened the Chinese-language programming with the creation of the New Chinese Cinema competition strand.
- 9/28/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Goodridge has overseen four editions since joining the festival in 2017.
Mike Goodridge has stepped down as artistic director of International Film Festival and Awards Macao (IFFAM), and admitted that the future of the festival looks “uncertain”.
“I have had an incredible experience working with my friends and colleagues in Macao,” said Goodridge. “We built the audience for different kinds of cinema in the city and created an event that resonated across the region and the world. The team we assembled was second to none, and we were all dedicated to stimulating the growth of filmmaking and film-going in Macao.
“IFFAM...
Mike Goodridge has stepped down as artistic director of International Film Festival and Awards Macao (IFFAM), and admitted that the future of the festival looks “uncertain”.
“I have had an incredible experience working with my friends and colleagues in Macao,” said Goodridge. “We built the audience for different kinds of cinema in the city and created an event that resonated across the region and the world. The team we assembled was second to none, and we were all dedicated to stimulating the growth of filmmaking and film-going in Macao.
“IFFAM...
- 9/28/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Mike Goodridge is stepping down as the artistic director of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao after overseeing four editions of the event.
Due to the pandemic and Macao’s strict Covid-19 entry rules, IFFAM will not take place this December with the virtual 2020 edition proving to be the final festival overseen by Goodridge.
Appointed to oversee IFFAM’s second edition in 2017, Goodridge, a former editor at Screen Daily and ex-ceo of the London-based production and sales outfit Protagonist, replaced Marco Mueller as the fledgling festival’s artistic director.
During Goodridge’s tenure, IFFAM created an international competition for first and ...
Due to the pandemic and Macao’s strict Covid-19 entry rules, IFFAM will not take place this December with the virtual 2020 edition proving to be the final festival overseen by Goodridge.
Appointed to oversee IFFAM’s second edition in 2017, Goodridge, a former editor at Screen Daily and ex-ceo of the London-based production and sales outfit Protagonist, replaced Marco Mueller as the fledgling festival’s artistic director.
During Goodridge’s tenure, IFFAM created an international competition for first and ...
- 9/28/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Mike Goodridge is stepping down as the artistic director of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao after overseeing four editions of the event.
Due to the pandemic and Macao’s strict Covid-19 entry rules, IFFAM will not take place this December with the virtual 2020 edition proving to be the final festival overseen by Goodridge.
Appointed to oversee IFFAM’s second edition in 2017, Goodridge, a former editor at Screen Daily and ex-ceo of the London-based production and sales outfit Protagonist, replaced Marco Mueller as the fledgling festival’s artistic director.
During Goodridge’s tenure, IFFAM created an international competition for first and ...
Due to the pandemic and Macao’s strict Covid-19 entry rules, IFFAM will not take place this December with the virtual 2020 edition proving to be the final festival overseen by Goodridge.
Appointed to oversee IFFAM’s second edition in 2017, Goodridge, a former editor at Screen Daily and ex-ceo of the London-based production and sales outfit Protagonist, replaced Marco Mueller as the fledgling festival’s artistic director.
During Goodridge’s tenure, IFFAM created an international competition for first and ...
- 9/28/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If there was ever doubt about the resilience of the cultural sector during times of great turmoil, one only need look to the Sarajevo Film Festival to see how an industry can, quite literally, rise from the ashes. The festival began during the Bosnian War in 1995, in the midst of a near four-year siege on Sarajevo, which ravaged the capital. To this day, it remains the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare.
Sarajevo Film Festival’s aim was to reconstruct and rejuvenate a city and its inhabitants, a set of people who had been cut off from the rest of the world despite being at the forefront of many international news segments.
“When the festival began, people were living with no electricity and food shortages, with thousands of rockets being fired downtown from the neighboring fields,” says Jovan Marjanović, Sarajevo’s long-time Head of...
Sarajevo Film Festival’s aim was to reconstruct and rejuvenate a city and its inhabitants, a set of people who had been cut off from the rest of the world despite being at the forefront of many international news segments.
“When the festival began, people were living with no electricity and food shortages, with thousands of rockets being fired downtown from the neighboring fields,” says Jovan Marjanović, Sarajevo’s long-time Head of...
- 8/5/2021
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
The Shanghai International Film Festival, China’s longest-running major cinema event, is set to return with a sizable in-person edition in June.
The festival, which shifted to a curtailed online offering last year amid the pandemic, unveiled both its 2021 international competition jury and full selection this week.
The jury will be led by Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president, with the rest of the panel made up by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, Chinese actor-director Deng Chao, Chinese actor Song Jia, former Venice festival chief Marco Mueller and China-based French producer Natacha Devillers. Unlike in most years, there are no established ...
The festival, which shifted to a curtailed online offering last year amid the pandemic, unveiled both its 2021 international competition jury and full selection this week.
The jury will be led by Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president, with the rest of the panel made up by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, Chinese actor-director Deng Chao, Chinese actor Song Jia, former Venice festival chief Marco Mueller and China-based French producer Natacha Devillers. Unlike in most years, there are no established ...
The Shanghai International Film Festival, China’s longest-running major cinema event, is set to return with a sizable in-person edition in June.
The festival, which shifted to a curtailed online offering last year amid the pandemic, unveiled both its 2021 international competition jury and full selection this week.
The jury will be led by Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president, with the rest of the panel made up by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, Chinese actor-director Deng Chao, Chinese actor Song Jia, former Venice festival chief Marco Mueller and China-based French producer Natacha Devillers. Unlike in most years, there are no established ...
The festival, which shifted to a curtailed online offering last year amid the pandemic, unveiled both its 2021 international competition jury and full selection this week.
The jury will be led by Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president, with the rest of the panel made up by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, Chinese actor-director Deng Chao, Chinese actor Song Jia, former Venice festival chief Marco Mueller and China-based French producer Natacha Devillers. Unlike in most years, there are no established ...
After shifting last year to an online format, the Shanghai International Film Festival will return for its 24th edition later this month. The festival will play as an in-person event, while the market sections will be hybrids of in-person and online activities.
The TV festival runs from June 6, while the film festival runs from June 11-20. A prize ceremony for its Golden Goblet awards will be held on June 19.
The jury that will select the competition winners includes: Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president; Singapore filmmaker Anthony Chen; Chinese director and actor Deng Chao; Italian film festival selector Marco Mueller; Shanghai-based French producer Natacha Devillers; and Chinese actor Song Jia.
Organizers said that the festival was being in the spirit of “strong recovery and leading momentum of Chinese films in the world, with three-fold focuses on Asia, attention to China and support for new talent.
Main Competition
“Amateurs”
Dir. Iwona Siekierzynska (Poland)
“Barbarian Invasion”
Dir.
The TV festival runs from June 6, while the film festival runs from June 11-20. A prize ceremony for its Golden Goblet awards will be held on June 19.
The jury that will select the competition winners includes: Chinese producer Huang Jianxi as president; Singapore filmmaker Anthony Chen; Chinese director and actor Deng Chao; Italian film festival selector Marco Mueller; Shanghai-based French producer Natacha Devillers; and Chinese actor Song Jia.
Organizers said that the festival was being in the spirit of “strong recovery and leading momentum of Chinese films in the world, with three-fold focuses on Asia, attention to China and support for new talent.
Main Competition
“Amateurs”
Dir. Iwona Siekierzynska (Poland)
“Barbarian Invasion”
Dir.
- 6/3/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Iconic Chinese indie film director Jia Zhangke is to make a return to the Pingyao International Film Festival that he founded and which he famously quit at the end of the October 2020 edition. His new role remains somewhat murky.
Jia was a speaker at a launch event Tuesday in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, used to announce the festival’s dates, the appointment of Lin Xudong as artistic director, and confirm other staffing arrangements for the next edition. The fifth edition will run in the ancient city, close to Jia’s birthplace, Oct. 12-19, 2021.
Last year Jia dropped a bombshell at the festival’s final day press conference and announced that he was standing down. He discussed succession and leadership issues, dropped hints about financial issues with the Pingyao city government and appeared to take issue with a takeover of the festival by the Shanxi authorities.
The abrupt nature of Jia’s...
Jia was a speaker at a launch event Tuesday in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, used to announce the festival’s dates, the appointment of Lin Xudong as artistic director, and confirm other staffing arrangements for the next edition. The fifth edition will run in the ancient city, close to Jia’s birthplace, Oct. 12-19, 2021.
Last year Jia dropped a bombshell at the festival’s final day press conference and announced that he was standing down. He discussed succession and leadership issues, dropped hints about financial issues with the Pingyao city government and appeared to take issue with a takeover of the festival by the Shanxi authorities.
The abrupt nature of Jia’s...
- 6/1/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Cash prizes for best film in the Roberto Rossellini and Fei Mu awards are split between the director and the winners’ Chinese distributor.
Russian director Philipp Yuryev’s The Whaler Boy was awarded best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival, while Chinese filmmaker Li Dongmei’s Mama took best film in the Fei Mu Awards.
The Roberto Rossellini Awards are presented to films in the festival’s Crouching Tigers section (international directorial debuts or second features), while the Fei Mu Awards are for debut and second Chinese-language features in both the Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons sections.
Russian director Philipp Yuryev’s The Whaler Boy was awarded best film in the Roberto Rossellini Awards at this year’s Pingyao International Film Festival, while Chinese filmmaker Li Dongmei’s Mama took best film in the Fei Mu Awards.
The Roberto Rossellini Awards are presented to films in the festival’s Crouching Tigers section (international directorial debuts or second features), while the Fei Mu Awards are for debut and second Chinese-language features in both the Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons sections.
- 10/19/2020
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
The Locarno Film Festival has appointed Nadia Dresti as interim artistic director following the recent resignation of Lili Hinstin.
Dresti, who has been with the prominent Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema intermittently for roughly 30 years, is taking the reins after the abrupt departure of Hinstin late last month after two years due to differences with the event’s top management.
Dresti started out in the fest’s press office, and in 2000 was entrusted by its then artistic chief Marco Mueller with launching Locarno’s industry side, which she built into a formidable multi-pronged machine now known as Locarno Pro. She also served as Locarno’s deputy artistic director for two years starting in 2017 during the mandate as artistic director of Carlo Chatrian, who was Hinstin’s predecessor. Chatrian is now artistic director of the Berlinale.
In 2018, Dresti was appointed director of the Ticino Film Commission, and subsequently in early...
Dresti, who has been with the prominent Swiss fest dedicated to indie cinema intermittently for roughly 30 years, is taking the reins after the abrupt departure of Hinstin late last month after two years due to differences with the event’s top management.
Dresti started out in the fest’s press office, and in 2000 was entrusted by its then artistic chief Marco Mueller with launching Locarno’s industry side, which she built into a formidable multi-pronged machine now known as Locarno Pro. She also served as Locarno’s deputy artistic director for two years starting in 2017 during the mandate as artistic director of Carlo Chatrian, who was Hinstin’s predecessor. Chatrian is now artistic director of the Berlinale.
In 2018, Dresti was appointed director of the Ticino Film Commission, and subsequently in early...
- 10/5/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
It was a year like no other but the talking points are familiar.
The management and staff of Venice Film Festival and its parent cultural body the Biennale di Venezia will be deservedly feeling a sense of satisfaction as they debrief following this year’s extraordinary 77th edition, which unfolded September 2-12 with the Covid-19 pandemic still very much a presence in everyone’s lives.
Not only was it the first major international film festival since the Berlinale in February, it also ran without any major hitches. Obligatory mask-wearing around the festival complex and during screenings; regular temperature checks at...
The management and staff of Venice Film Festival and its parent cultural body the Biennale di Venezia will be deservedly feeling a sense of satisfaction as they debrief following this year’s extraordinary 77th edition, which unfolded September 2-12 with the Covid-19 pandemic still very much a presence in everyone’s lives.
Not only was it the first major international film festival since the Berlinale in February, it also ran without any major hitches. Obligatory mask-wearing around the festival complex and during screenings; regular temperature checks at...
- 9/14/2020
- by Melanie Goodfellow¬Fionnuala Halligan¬Matt Mueller¬Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Ivan Ayr grew up in northern India. Despite receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering, he pursued postgraduate studies in the United States in English literature as well as screenwriting and directing. At the San Francisco Film Society he wrote and directed his first short film “Lost and Found” (2014). His second short, “Quest for a Different Outcome” (2015) won Best Short Film at San Jose International Short Film Festival. Soni is Ayr’s feature directorial debut and was one of the five films selected by India’s National Film Development Corporation to be part of the prestigious ‘Work in Progress’ Lab at Film Bazaar, where it was mentored by French editor Jacques Comets and veteran festival director Marco Mueller. “Soni“, his feature debut, won a number of awards all over the world, was nominated for the Venice Horizons Award and is now streaming on Netflix.
We speak with him about the story of Soni,...
We speak with him about the story of Soni,...
- 7/25/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Nfdc deputy general manager and former Film Bazaar director died on May 17, aged 47.
Tributes from the Indian and international film industry have been flooding in for Raja Chhinal, deputy general manager of India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), who died on May 17, aged 47.
Chhinal passed away at Blk Hospital in Delhi where he was receiving treatment after suffering from a brain abscess and undergoing surgery for the infection. A funeral service was held in Delhi today. He is survived by his wife Menaka and twin daughters Vanna and Vania.
A tireless campaigner for independent Indian cinema, Chhinal was a...
Tributes from the Indian and international film industry have been flooding in for Raja Chhinal, deputy general manager of India’s National Film Development Corporation (Nfdc), who died on May 17, aged 47.
Chhinal passed away at Blk Hospital in Delhi where he was receiving treatment after suffering from a brain abscess and undergoing surgery for the infection. A funeral service was held in Delhi today. He is survived by his wife Menaka and twin daughters Vanna and Vania.
A tireless campaigner for independent Indian cinema, Chhinal was a...
- 5/19/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Though hiring a foreigner to run a national institution such as the Berlinale in Germany is rather rare, it’s been happening to other Italians lately.
Carlo Chatrian at Berlin is the most prominent case. But there are several more. In 2018, Italy’s Paolo Moretti, who now heads the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, became the first non-French national to be appointed general delegate to any of the Cannes sections. Moretti had previously worked all over Europe and was already based in France. But his most formative job was probably programming Venice’s Horizons section for four years, learning the ropes from the Lido’s then-chief Marco Mueller, who now runs China’s much smaller but prestigious Pingyao Intl. Film Festival.
Another Italian, Eva Sangiorgi, was hired in 2018 as the head of the Viennale, Austria’s top film fest. She was the first non-Austrian, and also the first woman, to land that job.
Carlo Chatrian at Berlin is the most prominent case. But there are several more. In 2018, Italy’s Paolo Moretti, who now heads the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, became the first non-French national to be appointed general delegate to any of the Cannes sections. Moretti had previously worked all over Europe and was already based in France. But his most formative job was probably programming Venice’s Horizons section for four years, learning the ropes from the Lido’s then-chief Marco Mueller, who now runs China’s much smaller but prestigious Pingyao Intl. Film Festival.
Another Italian, Eva Sangiorgi, was hired in 2018 as the head of the Viennale, Austria’s top film fest. She was the first non-Austrian, and also the first woman, to land that job.
- 2/22/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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