SERIES: Upcoming Film Festivals - August II

Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF)

The film program for the 33rd Montreal World Film Festival, 27 August to 7 September 2009, was announced today. This year, once again, the MWFF has a strong program of non-fiction films, beginning with the world premiere of the Official Documentary Film of the Beijing Olympics, THE EVERLASTING FLAME - BEIJING 2008, directed by Gu Jun.

Steven Spielberg called Yang Zhimou's production of the Olympic show "the grandest spectacle of the new millennium." This film, a record of what happened at the 2008 games, will be shown on 5 September. Gu Jun will attend.

The Opening Film of the World Competition is the French film, FAUBOURG 36, written and directed by Christophe Barratier, a nephew of French producer - director Jacques Perrin. The movie stars Gérard Jugnot, Clovis Cornillac, Kad Merad, Nora Arnezeder and Pierre Richard.

Barratier drew from his classical music education for his debut movie, LES CHORISTES (The Chorus). It was the closing film of the 2004 MWFF, and a runaway box office hit in France. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song, Vois Sur Ton Chemin (Look to Your Path), for which Barratier wrote the lyrics.

The famous Cirque Éloize will perform at the opening of the 33rd Montreal World Film Festival at the Théâtre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts. The circus troupe will highlight the Festival's visual accent with a performance on the Russian bar, an exciting circus act which combines the skills of the balance beam, the rebound tempo skills of trampoline and the swing handstands skills of the uneven bars and the parallel bars.

The performance will precede the world premiere of 1981, directed by Ricardo Trogi. The Festival's opening evening is by invitation only. Direct Information. Click title of this post for Website. Also, see previous posts in this series for more.

SARAJEVO

The 15th Sarajevo Film Festival (SHFF) opens today, 12 August. The full program is available online in English. There is no one list, searching will be a chore. As mentioned here before, TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE will open the Festival.

The Teen Arena opens Thursday, 13 August. The German film THE WILD CHICKS CREW AND LIFE will open the program at the Bosnian Cultural Center. The Sarajevo Film Festival staff has prepared numerous entertaining events for the evening.

This year, the Sarajevo Film Festival launches online ticket sales. A limited number of tickets are available through Bosnia and Herzegovina's first online ticket shop. See previous posts in this series for more.

SERIES: Upcoming Film Festivals - August Updates

Times BFI London Film Festival





The Times BFI London Film Festival (TBFI) is proud to announce that this year's Festival, the 53rd, will open Wednesday, 14 October with the world premiere of FAMTASTIC MR. FOX from visionary director Wes Anderson (THE ROYAL TENEBAUMS, THE DARJEELING LIMITED). The Festival runs from 14 - 29 October 2009.

MR. FOX is Anderson's first animated film, which he co-wrote with Noah Baumbach. He uses classic handmade stop motion techniques to tell the story of the best selling children's book by British author Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and James and the Giant Peach). The film features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep (Mr. and Mrs. Fox), Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Wally Wolodarsky, Eric Anderson, Michael Gambon, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jarvis Cocker and Helen McCrory.

Wes Anderson, George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman are expected to attend the opening night screening along with other members of the voice cast.

The Closing Night Gala will include the World Premiere of Ecosse Films' NOWHERE BOY, the highly anticipated debut feature from British artist Sam Taylor-Wood. The film is set in Liverpool, England, 1955. A smart and troubled fifteen year-old named John Lennon (newcomer Aaron Johnson) is hungry for experience.

In a family full of secrets, John's buttoned-up Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), who raised him, and his prodigal mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), clash over him. Yearning for a normal family, he escapes into rock n' roll, and finds a kindred spirit in teenager Paul McCartney (Thomas Brodie Sangster). Just as John begins his new life, tragedy strikes.

Sam Bell, another newcomer portrays George Harrison alongside a strong supporting cast that includes David Morrissey and David Threlfall. Matt Greenhalgh (CONTROL) wrote the script.

Sam Taylor-Wood has confirmed she will attend the Festival. No word yet on the rest of the cast. The film will release in the UK on 26 December 2009.

The full program for The Festival will be announced at the Press Launch on Wednesday 9 September. The 2009 Festival Web site is not up yet. Click title of this post for Web site.





Sarajevo

The Sarajevo Film Festival (SHFF) announces the juries for the feature, documentary and short films competitions, as well as the jury to select the European short films for the festival. This year is the 15th edition, and it will run from 12 - 20 August.

Festival will host Oscar-winning filmmaker Andrea Arnold, who will present her newest film, FISH TANK in the Open Air Program. American Actor Kevin Spacey, who helped found the Festival is expected to attend again this year. So is UK director Mike Leigh, another Festival sponsor.

Telluride

The 36th Telluride Film Festival (TFF), 4-7 September, 2009, in Telluride, Colorado, presented by National Film Preserve LTD, will present a special program in honor of artist and film critic Manny Farber. "The Celebration of Manny Farber" will include an intimate bookstore signing of The Library of America's September 2009 release, Farber on Film: The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber, with editor Robert Polito and Farber's wife and collaborator, Patricia Patterson.




San Sebastián

Fernando Trueba, winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award for BELLE EPOQUE (1992), will present his new film, El baile de la Victoria (The Dancer and the Thief), as part of the Official Selection, out of competition at the Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF).

Belle époque, n., French, Belle = beautiful, époque = era. Usually referring to an era of artistic and cultural refinement in a society, especially in France at the beginning of the 20th century.

For more on Spanish films at the Festival.

Hollywood Film Festival

The 13th annual Hollywood Film Festival (HFF) will run 21 - 26 October, 2009. Web page is up, and they are calling for entries.