French Movie Wins Best Film In London

A PROPHET (Un Prophéte), by French director / writer Jacques Audiard, was named the best film at the BFI London Film Festival (LFF) during the closing ceremonies, Thursday the 29th. The Best Documentary award went to Israeli Yoav Shamir's DEFAMATION (Hashmatsa).

Other writers for A PROPHET are Thomas Bidegain, Abdel Raouf Dafi and Nicolas Peufaillit. The prison drama received the second place Jury Grand Prize at Cannes, behind Austrian director/writer Michael Haneke's black and white drama, THE WHITE RIBBON (Das Weisse Band), which won the Golden Palm.

Here is some of the report from the LFF (keep in mind that film festivals tend to exaggerate the hype):

"When Malik, a young French Arab, finds himself in prison with no friends or allies, he goes out of his way to be useful to the dominant Corsican gang and its leader Cesar Luciani. After a grueling rites-of-passage murder of a new friend, Malik builds, by slow degrees, a power base of his own.

At present, no Hollywood director can match Jacques Audiard's vice-like grip on character-driven action cinema. Time rips by in fingernail- biting anticipation of Malik's brutally authentic travails. His irrepressible nature is brilliantly incarnated by Tahar Rahim, whose impact is equally matched by Audiard regular Niels Arestrup as the Corsican boss. This is undoubtedly the crime drama of the year."

Times BFI London Film Festival Opens Next Week

The Times BFI 53rd London Film Festival (BFILFF) opens next Wednesday, 14 October, and runs through the 29th. All ticket bookings are open and can be booked online. However, some venues are fully booked.

The full line-up of films and special events for this year's Festival was announced last week by Artistic Director Sandra Hebron. The program includes a diverse selection of features and shorts from around the world, an excellent line-up of events and expected guests.

With no fewer than 15 world premieres, 23 European premieres and 146 UK premieres, this year's Festival is set to be exciting, including a world class line-up of the highly-anticipated films of the year, plus a number of hidden gems and new talent to be discovered.

The Festival will showcase the latest works from internationally-acclaimed directors Wes Anderson, Sam Taylor-Wood, Steven Soderbergh, Joel and Ethan Coen, Michael Haneke, Ang Lee, Jane Campion, Harmony Korine and Jim Jarmusch among others, as well as celebrating up-and-coming emerging talent from every corner of the globe.

Opening Night Gala, 14 October - FANTASTIC MR FOX, Odeon Leicester Square, Empire Cinema. Director Wes Anderson's first animated feature is based on Roald Dahl's children's story.

Closing Night Gala, 28 October - NOWHERE BOY, Odeon Leicester Square, feature debut from artist Sam Taylor-Wood. Nowhere Boy is a sensitive and sprightly look at the formative years of one of Britain's cultural icons. In 1955 Liverpool, a 15-year-old John Lennon is a teenager hungry for experience.

Among the special events, the latest film by legendary director Werner Herzog is an audacious 're-imagining' of Abel Ferrara's cult classic Bad Lieutenant. Herzog's BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, stars Nicholas Cage, and will receive its UK premiere Friday, 23 October.

New this year, the Best Film Award will celebrate creative, original, imaginative, intelligent and distinctive filmmaking in the Festival. An initial shortlist will be drawn up by the Artistic Director and the programming team, and will then be judged by an international jury of high profile directors, writers, producers and actors.

The British Film Institute Fellowship is awarded to individuals in recognition of their outstanding contribution to film or television culture. Initiated in 1983, this year's recipients will be recognized for their significant achievements in the field of acting and directing.

Best British Newcomer Award will celebrate new and emerging British film talent and recognize the achievements of a new writer, producer or director who has demonstrated real creative flair and imagination with their first feature.The Sutherland Trophy for the most original and imaginative first feature at this year's festival. Awarded since 1958, this year's Sutherland Trophy winner will again be selected by an invited jury of filmmakers, actors, writers, critics, producers and artists.

The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award for the best feature-length documentary at this year's Festival. This award is given by the Grierson Trust, which commemorates the pioneering Scottish documentary-maker John Grierson (1898-1972).

To visit the Official Times BFI London Film Festival site, view the full program of films, and / or book tickets online, click the title of this post. To see all posts about the BFI Festival, or other festivals this year, click the tag at bottom of any post BFILFF, or TIFF, SSIFF, etc., or search same.

Woody Allen’s Homage to London

Woody Allen in San Sebastian 2008.

Lucy Punch, recent.
The British actress, Lucy Punch, is reported to have wowed writer-director Woody Allen with a screen test for his yet untitled movie set to be filmed in London this summer. She will be replacing Nicole Kidman who accepted the role in March, but canceled weeks later because of a scheduling conflict.

Punch is a relatively unknown. She starred on the CBS series "The Class" and had roles in HOT FUZZ and ELLA ENCHANTED. She has a role in YOUNG AMERICANS, a comedy, scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures in January.

Punch will be joining a lead cast that includes, so far, Antonio Banderas, Freida Pinto, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins. She will be the least experienced actor in the lead cast.

Looking at Lucy Punch’s picture, and having seen ELLA ENCHANTED, I find her resemblance to a young Mia Farrow striking. Considering Allen’s long history with younger women, including Diane Keaton, Allen’s former wife Mia Farrow, and his current wife Soon-Yi, who is the adopted daughter of Farrow and Andre Previn, I must exclaim: Watch out Soon-Yi

Meanwhile, there is a rumor that Freida Pinto, recently a member of the leasd cast of Oscar-winner SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, has been tapped to play the new Bond Girl. If so, she may have scheduling problems, too.

Are Film Festivals Going to the Dogs?

Are film festivals going to the dogs? Nope. The dogs are going to the film festivals with a walk up the red carpet, a ceremony and trophies. The four-legged stars of the Oscar-winning film THE QUEEN are the winners of Britain's first-ever Fido Awards for canine cinematic excellence, presented at the Times BFI Film Festival 29 October. Why shouldn't the five corgis, who appeared with Helen Mirren get recognized? Read all about it on the Fido Awards Web site.

The Cannes festival started the whole thing in 2001 by instituting the Palm Dog Award, which consists of a black collar with "Palm Dog" stitched onto it. The winner that year was Otis, the canine lead in THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY, starring, written and directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming.

The co-winners this last May were Yuki, a cartoon dog from PERSEPOLIS (French-Iran, animation) and Keng and Peak, from the Thai movie MID ROAD GANG.

Last year's winner was Mops, a doll-sized dog featured in Sofia Coppola's MARIE ANTOINETTE. Was that a sly message to Sofia?

Read more about the Times BFI Film Festival on my Film Festival Page (link on right sidebar).