San Sebastián IFF Sets Competition

The 57th San Sebastián International Film Festival (SIFF) film competition for the Golden Shell will open 18 September with Canadian director Atom Egoyan's CHLOE, starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore and Amanda Seyfried. This is first time Egoyan will have a film in competition at the SSIFF.

Columbian born writer and director Rodrigo García, son of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Márquez, will close the Festival with his North American film MOTHER and CHILD, starring Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and Samuel L. Jackson. One of Garcia's best known films is NINE LIVES, 2005, and he has extensive credits in television.

American Aaron Schneider, Academy Award winner for Best Short Film, TWO SOLDIERS, 2003, will bring his directorial feature debut, GET LOW, which stars the Donostia Award recipient Robert Duvall, alongside Bill Murray and Sissy Spacek. GET LOW will also compete for the Kutxa-New Directors Award along with 17 others.

From Turkey comes the winner of the SSIFF's Zabaltegi-New Directors in 2005.Turkish director Pelin Esmer, who won with her directorial feature debut OYUN (The Play), will compete for the first time in the Official Selection with 10 to 11 (11’e 10 kala), a co-production between Turkey, France and Germany.

Three of France’s most prestigious directors will enter the competition. Bruno Dumont, having bagged the Cannes Grand Jury Prize twice with L’Humanité (1999) and FLANDERS (2006), will bring HADEWIJCH. François Ozon will present REFUGE (Le refuge). Christophe Honoré returns to the Official Selection for the second consecutive year with MAKING PLANS FOR LENA, starring Chiara Mastroianni, Marie-Christine Barrault and Jean-Marc Barr.

German cinema will be represented by Matthias Glasner with THIS IS LOVE. From Argentina, Juan José Campanella adds THE SECRET OF YOUR EYES (El secreto de sus ojos).

Three Spanish films will participate in the competitive Official Selection: THE DAMNED (Los condenados), THE WOMAN WITHOUT A PIANO (La mujer sin piano), and ME, TOO (Yo, también). In additioin, Fernando Trueba will present THE DANCER AND THE THIEF (El baile de la Victoria) out of competition.

From Iran there is THE WHITE MEADOWS (Keshtzarhaye sepid) by Mohammad Rasoulof. Asia will be represented by South Korean Jeon Soo-il's I CAME FROM BUSAN, and Chinese director Lu Chuan's THE CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH. Lu Chuan is also known as Chuan Lu.

Zabaltegi-Pearls, the showcase for movies feted at the big international festivals but not yet released in Spain, with open with Quentin Tarantino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Tarantino's spelling). This film, winner of the Best Actor Award for Christoph Waltz at Cannes, will be screened on the first day of the 57th edition on Friday, 18 September.

Also in this showcase are new films by Woody Allen (WHATEVER WORKS), Ang Lee (TAKING WOODSTOCK), Jim Jarmusch (THE LIMITS OF CONTROL, filmed in Madrid), Bahman Ghobadi (NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS), Bong Joon-ho (MOTHER) and Johnnie To (VENGEANCE).

PRECIOUS, the big hit at Sundance Festival, winner of the Special Jury Prize, Best Actress for Mo’Nique and Audience Award, will also be screened in Zabaltegi-Pearls. This movie, initially presented at Sundance and Cannes with the title of PUSH, directed by Lee Daniels, is based on the novel by Sapphire.

Overall, 18 films will compete in competition (Official Selection), 13 Latin American films will compete for the Horizons Award, 17 in the Kutxa-New Directors, plus other sections, and more are yet to be announced. See previous posts for previously announced events, etc. Click title of this post to go to Web site for much more info.

SERIES: Upcoming Film Festivals - August III

VENICE (VIFF - Labiennale)

The 66th Venice International Film Festival, oldest of all, will run at Venice Lido from 2nd to 12th September 2009.The film program has been announced. The USA is well represented this year.

In the International Feature Competition, as mentioned earlier here, BAARÌA, written and directed by Italian Oscar-winner Giuseppe Tornatore (CINEMA PARADISO), will open the Festival. The film will screen in competition.

Some U.S. films in competition that caught my eye, featuring world premieres for all, are:

Director Werner Herzog's BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer and Michael Shannon; Tom Ford's A SINGLE MAN, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode; John Hillcoa's THE ROAD, Charlize Theron, Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall and Guy Pearce; and MICHAEL MOORE's new documentary - CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY.

Three interesting USA productions screening out of competition are:

Director Grant Heslov's THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, with George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey; John Lasseter's TOY STORY, 3-D, and TOY STORY 2, 3-D; and Antoine Fuqua's BROOKLYN’S FINEST, with Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes and Ellen Barkin, among Hollywood's finest.

American actor Sylvester Stallone will receive a special award. The retrospective section is on Italian cinema rediscovered, and there will be a new trends in world and Italian cinema section, plus an international short film competition.



TORONTO (TIFF)

Toronto International Film Festival, which runs 10 to 19 September will offer 21 Special Presentations. These will feature the works of Alejandro Amenábar, Miguel Arteta, Sylvain Chomet, Rodrigo Garcia, Werner Herzog, Grant Heslov, John Hillcoat, and Tom Ford's directorial debut.

They will include on-screen performances by international superstars Annette Bening, Jeff Bridges, Michael Cera, George Clooney, Willem Dafoe, Robert Duvall, Colin Firth, Zach Galifianakis, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Liotta, Ewan McGregor, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Guy Pearce, Natalie Portman, Til Schweiger, Charlize Theron, Naomi Watts and Rachel Weisz.

Canadian favorites include Christopher Plummer, Jay Baruchel, Atom Egoyan, Don McKellar, Dilip Mehta, Ruba Nadda, Sandra Oh, Saul Rubinek, Lisa Ray, Peter Stebbings and Jacob Tierney.

Born in India and now Canadian citizens, siblings Deepah and Dilip Mehta wrote the latest Hinglish movie, COOKING WITH STELLA, and brother Dilip directed. The film will premiere 16 September at Toronto in the Roy Thompson Hall. Deepah is best known for her trilogy, FIRE, EARTH, WATER, and BOLLYWOOD / HOLLYWOOD.

The new film center, known as the Bell Lightbox, is now taking shape at the corner of King and John Streets in downtown Toronto. Bell Lightbox will not be ready for this year's festival, but promises to be spectacular.

The five-story complex will bring together the film-loving public, Canadian and international filmmakers, industry professionals, academia and visitors to Toronto from around the world to explore the power of cinema.

Toronto International Film Festival Will again offer a series of free outdoor events at Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) taking place 10 - 19, and featuring special appearances by George A. Romero, Neil Young, Joan Baez, Jonathan Demme and more.

This year, the Festival is on Facebook. The full film list will be available 20 August, and the schedule goes live on Facebook 25 August, so sign up now. The current film list is posted, but it is not the full one, yet.

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.

SERIES: "Upcoming Film Festivals"

Montreal, Venice and Telluride

MONTREAL





The 33rd Montreal World Film Festival (MWFF): Le Festival des Films du Monde Montréal, 27 August - 7 September. The world première of Ricardo Trogi's 1981 will open the Festival 27 August at the Théâtre Maisonneuve of Place des Arts. The semi-autobiographical dramatic comedy will open in Quebec theaters 4 September.

Writer-director Ricardo Trogi came to critical and popular attention in 2003 when his debut feature QUEBEC-MONTREAL won four Jutras, including best film, script and direction, enjoyed box office success in Quebec, and won plaudits in festivals around the world. Trogi's second film, (DODGING THE CLOCK) won the Olivier prize in 2006 for best comedy, and scored a similar hit at the box office.

The Festival will pay tribute to Quebec film, television and stage actor Pierre Lebeau, and will honor him with Festival's highest award, the Grand Prize of the Americas. As a corollary to this tribute, the World Film Festival will show Lebeau's latest starring vehicle, Roger Cantin's CARGO FOR AFRICA (Un Cargo pour l'Afrique), which will receive its world première in the World Competition of this year's Festival.

The complete program has not yet been announced. For more info about tickets, etc., visit the Web Site, call 514-848-3883, or send an e-mail: info@ffm-montreal.org.

VENICE

The 66th Venice International Film Festival (VIFF), the world's oldest film festival, opens in Venice 2 September and runs through the 12th. BAARÌA, written and directed by Italian Oscar-winner Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso), will be the Opening Film of the 66th Venice International Film Festival, to be held at the Venice Lido from 2 to 12 September 2009, again under the direction of Marco Müller and organized by the Venice Biennale, which is chaired by Paolo Baratta. The film will screen in competition.

It will also be the gala world première for BAARÌA in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido. It is the first Italian film to open the Venice Film Festival for two decades and is the Italian film industry’s most costly production for many years.

The Festival also offers an online channel with video and interactive elements. The final film program has not yet been announced. Web Site.

TELLURIDE

Alexander Payne, American director and screenwriter, will be this year's Guest Director at the 36thTelluride Film Festival (TFF), 4-7 September 2009, in Telluride, Colorado, presented by National Film Preserve LTD. Director, Alexander Payne.

Each year the Festival’s directors select one of the world’s great film lovers to join them in the creation of the Festival. The Guest Director serves as a key collaborator in the Festival’s programming decisions, bringing new ideas and overlooked films to Telluride.

ACME Passes are sold out - Cinephile, Festival, and Patron Passes still available!

Kudos to the Festival for a much-improved Web Site.

--0-0--

QUICK NOTES:

--0-0--

TRAVERSE CITY



Additional screenings have been added at the Traverse City Film Festival due to demand. Also, some additional special programs. The Festival runs Tuesday, 28 July, through Sunday, 2 August. Check the Web Site for more info.

Become a 2010 Friend of the Film Festival before noon on 2 August 2009, to be entered into a Grand Prize Drawing for the chance to win a FESTIVAL PASS FOR LIFE and passes to next year's film festival! And Friends who join before 1 September will pay the original Friends prices before they double again!

For current ticketing info call 231-946-3731, or send an email: info@traversecityfilmfestival.org. Web Site.

--0-0--

NEW YORK

The 47th New York Film Festival (NYFF) will return to the newly renovated Alice Tully Hall in NYC. Presented by The Film Society, the 17-day New York Film Festival runs 25 September to 11 October, 2009. September 25 - October 11, 2009. Film submissions have now closed.

This year is the 60th year of the People’s Republic of China, and a Festival sidebar will showcase the first major U.S. retrospective of Chinese cinema between establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949 and the beginnings of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Also scheduled is a tribute to Hindi director, producer, and actor Guru Dutt, frequently credited with ushering in the golden era of Indian cinema in the 1950s and ’60s. Festival Web Site. Film Society of Lincoln Center.

--0-0--

SAN SEBASTIAN

The San Sebastián International Film Festival's (SSIFF) early planning and work are paying off as the Festival is ahead of schedule in programming. American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino will open the Zabaltegi-Pearls section with his anticipated INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS, which won the Best Actor Award for Christoph Waltz at Cannes. It will be screened on the first day of the 57th edition, Friday, 18 September.

Already locked are new films by Woody Allen, Ang Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Bahman Ghobadi, Bong Joon-ho and Johnnie To, among others. Much, much more in next post. Web Site.

The films of director Richard Brooks and French Movie Trends will top the retrospective section. Web Site.

--0-0--

TORONTO

The Toronto Film Festival (10 - 19 September) has announced the 20 films from film festival around the world. Documentary program announced. Canadian films will be announced 4 August. Web Site.

SERIES - “Upcoming Film Festivals”

Traverse City, Sarajevo & Telluride

Traverse City FF Tickets On Sale

This is it! Tickets for the 5th Traverse City Film Festival went on sale Sunday at noon in downtown Traverse City, Michigan, for Friends of the Festival, which will run Tuesday, 28 July through Sunday, 2 August.

Remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public this coming Saturday, 18 July, at 12 noon in the box office located at 300 E. Front Street, Traverse City. Sales online and by phone (231-946-3731) begin at 6 pm.

For more about the Festival, see my two previous blog posts in this series, Upcoming Film Festivals. There is still time to become a Friend of the Festival. The best way is through the Web site. While you are there, check the site for other passes, get information on the many special programs the Festival is offering this year, as well as the films showing.
________________________________
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

The Sarajevo Film Festival began during the Serbian invasion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1994-1995, Sarajevo’s residents decided to establish the Sarajevo Film Festival. In the beginning, it looked like a pipe dream, like fighting the windmills. No one thought that the dream of a group of movie enthusiasts would grow from amongst war into the most important annual event not only in B-H, but in the entire region.

Now, the Festival is one of the biggest cultural events in B-H, and the one with the most attendance. The Festival award is the Heart of Sarajevo. This year is the 15th edition, and it will run from 12 - 20 August. 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.

Opening the festival is TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE, written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, whose last movie was the acclaimed 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS & 2 DAYS (2007). GOLDEN AGE is described as an unconventional personal history of the late Communist period in Romania. Remember what they did to the disabled and orphan children? Web site.
____________________________________
TELLURIDE

A quick note about Telluride, which will be in the spotlight in the next post of this series. Passes are now on sale. They are expensive and they go fast. If you want to take a chance, go here.
____________________________________
Some festivals that will be spotlighted in the continuation of the Series:

August -

Montreal WFF: Le Festival des Films du Monde Montréal, Canada, 27 August - 7 September.

Venice: 2 - 12 September, Italy, the granddaddy of them all.

Telluride 4 - 7 September, Colorado, a wonderful time of year to be there.

Toronto: 10-19 September, Canada.

San Sebastián: 18 - 26 September.

SERIES - upcoming, TCFF Guide Available

The Traverse City Film Festival Guide is now available. This year is the 5th TCFF, running from 28 July to 2 August. It is held mainly at the historic State Theatre in downtown Traverse City, Michigan.

With 71 features and 50 short films from over 30 different countries and five continents, the TCFF has something for everyone, including children. To get the film guide with everything you want to know about the festival, film selection, special programs, etc., download the pdf version: http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/tcffguide09.pdf

Meanwhile, if I get any additional info before the opening, I shall post it here. Three highlights from the festival not mentioned in my previous post, but are in the Film Guide:

1. Greetings from Tehran/Palestine and Vine — Two sections of incredible films from the Middle East, a region that needs to have its unfiltered voice heard now more than ever.

2. ROGER AND ME - This is the 20th anniversary of Michael Moore’s groundbreaking documentary.

3. Woodstock 40th Anniversary — Celebrate the seminal cultural event of the 20th century with never-before-seen concert footage, and special guests who performed at Woodstock live on stage at the State Theatre.

SERIES - “Upcoming Film Festivals”

Traverse City, Michigan

The Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF) will turn five next month when it kicks off its annual celebration at the State Theatre, Tuesday, 28 July. It will run through Sunday, 2 August. Michael Moore reports he has watched over 300 movies in preparation for the programs.

The official program will be released 2 July, but here is a sneak preview. First, the legendary director Paul Mazursky and his family will be on hand for this year's TCFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Mazursky's filmography includes "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Moscow on the Hudson," "Harry and Tonto," "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," "Enemies: A Love Story," "An Unmarried Woman" and dozens of others. Mazursky will appear at screenings of three of his films and will speak on a panel as well.

TCFF Kids Fest will present award-winning independent children's films from around the world at 9:30 am Wednesday through Saturday of festival week at the State Theatre. Tickets will be reduced in price to $6 for these films, made for kids, which most young people never get the chance to see.

This year, the Festival is launching the TCFF Film School to offer students of all ages a chance to learn about the art of making movies. Five master classes will be taught for three hours each day of the festival from Tuesday through Saturday. This mini film camp will create an opportunity to meet with a different visiting filmmaker each day who will teach the craft of cinema to those interested.

Low-cost licensed child care, which I have never seen at film festivals, will be available Wednesday through Sunday.Interested parents should visit for more information, to offer comments, or make reservations.

This is only one of the services TCFF is offering this year to help everyone enjoy the festival despite the economic downturn that has hit Michigan exceptionally hard. They are holding ticket prices at the same price as last year, screening free movies outdoors each night, and foregoing some of the lavishness at parties.

Tickets to regular movies are $9. Opening and closing night films are $25, with opening and closing night parties ticketed separately at $50. Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival get half off opening and closing night party tickets, according to their benefit level. Tickets are available in advance and during the festival.

All tickets go on sale at the Front Street Cybercafe box office to Friends of the Film Festival on Sunday,12 July, 12 noon on a walk-up basis only. At 6 p.m. that day, Friends may also begin purchasing tickets by phone and online. Public ticket sales begin Saturday, 18 July.

82nd Best Feature Oscar® Will Have Ten Noms

Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis announced today at a press conference in Beverly Hills that the 82nd Academy Awards®, which will be presented on 7 March 2010, will have 10 feature films vying in the Best Feature Picture category. For over 65 years the number of nominees has remained at five. CASABLANCA
won Best Feature Picture over nine others in 1943.

Ganis explained, "Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize."

The 82nd Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Tuesday, 2 February. The Oscar® ceremony honoring films for 2009 will take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.

Carradine Funeral - rest in peace, Grasshopper

(8 December 1936 - 3 June 2009)

Actor / Director / Producer / Writer/ Editor / Composer/ Musician David Carradine was buried Saturday in private, and by invitation only. Much has been written, and sensationalized about his death, but here is something that has not been mentioned.

Carradine made a movie with a Spanish filmmaker friend of mine, Jose Luis Borau, ON THE LINE (aka, Downstream, and Rio abajo in Spain) in 1984. It is about a Border Patrol agent (Carradine) who is determined to catch his old nemesis, an American criminal who successfully smuggles illegal aliens across the border from Mexico. He gets involved with a woman in the red light district and that involvement changes the course of his life.

The movie has two unique distinctions: (1) It is the last movie appearance of the venerable American actor, Sam Jaffe, (2) It was the first and only English language film Spanish filmmaker Jose Luis Borau has made, and (3) Spanish actress Victoria Abril made her debut in an English language film. She played the woman of the red light district.

Borau writes, producers, acts and directs. He gained international fame for FURTIVOS (Poachers, 1975). Abril currently has two Spanish language films in post production.

Carradine, at the time of his death, had six movies in post production in which he had a role. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television in 1997, and many award nominations, but had few wins. He was nominated for an Emmy in 1973 for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Drama Series - Continuing) for: "Kung Fu" (1972).

David Carradine was the eldest son of legendary character actor John Carradine. His acting family includes brothers Keith and Robert Carradine, and Michael Bowen, as well as his daughters Calista and Kansas Carradine, and neices Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.

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.

THE CANNES AFTERGLOW

The Cannes Film Festival (CFF) wrapped 23 May. Scroll down for my post of the top winners, 24 May. Since then, there have been further discussions about them.

The world-wide economic slowdown impacted Cannes this year. There were far fewer yachts, stars, press, and attendees. In the U.S., film critics are considered a luxury, and many newspapers have cut then from their staff. That is not true in Europe. For example, a newspaper in France, even though it may be experiencing a financial slowdown, will not ever think of cutting its film critic.

Biggest disappointment among the films in competition was Ang Lee's, TAKING WOODSTOCK. John Powers says the movie is “dinky”. Others made comments such as, “. . . highly anticipated, yet underwhelming.” Powers feels it is not very good cinematically, and probably should not have been in the Festival. He says it is fun to watch, and thinks Cannes accepted it because the Festival turned down BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2006). Judging by the Jury picks, this could have been the Festival for Lee’s LUST, CAUTION (2007).

The biggest surprise about a film that did not get an award at the Festival is Jane Campion's BRIGHT STAR. It received great reviews by critics viewing the film at the Festival. Apparently, it did not impress the Jury. Powers dubbed this years Cannes Festival, a Festival of Violence and Extremes.

The most deliberately provocative movie is Lars von Trier’s ANTICHRIST. Entertainment Weekly’s critic pulled no punches when he wrote, “Scenes of sexual mutilation in this gruesome story of a couple in [marital] hell elicited involuntary groans and then boos.” Most of the other critics left out “involuntary,” adding jeers, foot pounding, and many leaving the theater.

It has been widely reported that Trier suffered a bout of deep depression before embarking on this film. Despite the huge outcry against the film, Austrian Charlotte Gainsbourg won Best Actress for her role.

There was much buzz about Heath Ledger’s final performance in Terry Gilliam’s THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS, which screened out of competition. As usual, the critics didn’t get the film at all. They seldom get a Gilliam movie, but many die-hard fans do. When Ledger died about halfway through the filming, the role was recast to have Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell portray "physically transformed versions" of Tony.

No one else has speculated on this but I am going to. Could the Joker role followed by the mysterious stranger Tony in this “the Devil will have his due, if I don’t undo my mistakes” movie, coupled with Ledger’s recent divorce, and drug use, all have united to seal Ledger’s fate? It is the Doctor’s daughter, Valentina, who is in peril because of what her father has done, and Ledger had a young daughter. Just speculating.

Most critics were kind to Pedro Almodóvar’s latest with Penélope Cruz, BROKEN EMBRACES, praising her performance, but lukewarm to the movie. Poor Penélope had a bad cold, or flu, and missed most of the festivities.

Almodóvar and Lee are losing their mojo, according to the majority of the critics. Perhaps, both need to take a break to unwind and recharge.

On the other hand, critics and viewers generally praised Quentin Tarantino’s INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, which is the name of a gang slaughtering Nazis. Powers calls it an amazing film because it takes us back to the 1960s WW II Nazi movies, with glimpses reminding one of the TV show, Hogan’s Heroes, but BASTERDS is 100 times more violent. Brad Pitt stars, but Australian Christopher Waltz as a "Jew hunter" in Nazi Germany, won Best Actor for the role, stealing Pitt’s thunder.


Michael Haneke ***** Christopher Waltz ***** Charlotte Gainsbourg

As to the winner, award-winning Austrian writer/director Michael Haneke's black and white drama, THE WHITE RIBBON (Das Weisse Band, Austria), basically little negative has been written about this stark film, which won both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Golden Palm. In an over-baring patriarchal society, strange and brutal things happen at a rural school in northern 1913 Germany just prior to WW I, which seem to be ritual punishments. How will this affect the school system, and will what happens at school and in the community sew the seeds for fascism?

Haneke's THE PIANO TEACHER (La pianiste, 2001) vaulted him onto the world cinema scene. That award-winner was followed by another critically acclaimed movie, HIDDEN (Caché, 2005), winning the FIPRESCI Prize, and a Best Director for Haneke.

At the Munich Film Festival on 3 July, Haneke will be honored by his peers with the CineMerit Award. Munich Festival kicks off on 26 June and runs until 4 July. I look for THE WHITE RIBBON to do extremely well in Munich, the beautiful city with a sinister past.

To help you wrap the afterglow of Cannes, here are some great links:
1. John Powers, "On the Ground at Cannes, " Part I - Fresh Air, PBS, Tuesday, 26 May.
2. John Powers, "On the Ground at Cannes, " Part II - Fresh Air, PBS, Wednesday, 27 May.
3. “Violence Reaps Rewards at Cannes Festival,” Manohla Dargis, The New York Times, 25 May.
4. ”The Ballyhooed, the Magical and All that Mutilation: Cannes ‘09 Winds Down,“ Eric Kohn, Indiwire, 24 May [The link is wrong, but works as 06].

I can hardly wait for next year.

Upcoming Tony Awards

Actor Neil Patrick Harris will emcee the 2009 Tony telecast Sunday, 7 June, live from Radio City Music Hall, NYC, to be broadcast live on CBS. This is the American Theatre Wing’s 63rd annual Tony Awards® ceremony.

A Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to Jerry Herman, 77, who received Tony nominations for six of the seven Broadway shows he created (Milk and Honey, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack & Mabel, The Grand Tour, and La Cage Aux Follies). He took home the trophy for both Dolly and La Cage. Herman says he will not be doing anymore musicals, but is trilled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, because in his case, it has truly been a lifetime endeavor.

The Regional Theatre Tony Award® goes to Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia.

Shows with most nominations: Billy Elliot, The Musical 15; Next to Normal 11; Hair 8; Shrek, The Musical 8; Mary Stuart 7; and The Norman Conquests 7.

List of nominees: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

Cannes Winners Announced

Austrian director/writer Michael Haneke's black and white drama, THE WHITE RIBBON (Das Weisse Band) received the top prize Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival (CFF), taking home the coveted Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for Best Feature Film. In a pre-WW I German village a series of crimes terrorizes its ultra-conservative residents. The brutality portends the Nazi era in pre-WW II Germany. Anyone get a whiff of a possible Oscar®?

The main Jury responsible for selecting the winners was headed by French Actress Isabelle Huppert. She was named best actress at the 2001 Festival for her role in Haneke's THE PIANO TEACHER. A Special Prize for lifetime achievement was awarded to French Filmmaker Alain Resnais at the screening of his latest, WILD GRASS (Les Herbes Folles).

French director Jacques Audiard's prison drama, A PROPHET (Un Prophéte), received the second place Grand Prize. The Festival's Jury Prize, the third-place award, was shared by FISH TANK (British director Andrea Arnold's teen drama) and THIRST (South Korean Park Chan-wook's vampire romance).

It was a big night for Austrian film, with Christopher Waltz as a "Jew hunter" in Nazi Germany, named as best actor for Quentin Tarantino's World War II epic INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS, starring Brad Pitt. Uh oh - WW II, Germany, Nazis - anyone get another whiff of a possible Oscar®?

Also, fellow Austrian Charlotte Gainsbourg won the best-actress honor for her role in ANTICHRIST, directed by Lars Von Trier. The last film riled and repelled many Cannes viewers with its explicit images of physical abuse involving a grieving couple (Gainsbourg and Willem Dafoe).

Filipino filmmaker Brillante Mendoza received the award as Best Director for KINATAY. It concerns police inflicting bodily harm as retribution against uncooperative prostitutes.

Hong Kong screenwriter Feng Meiu garnered the Best Screenplay award for SPRNG FEVER (Hong Kong), directed by Lou Ye. It is a tale of forbidden romance involving homosexual relationships. First-time director Warwick Thornton was awarded a Camera d'Or (Golden Camera) in that category for his first feature, SAMSON AND DELIAH (Australia).

ARENA (Portugal), directed by João Salaviza, took home the Best Short Film Palme d'Or. THE SIX DOLLAR FIFTY MAN directed by Louis Sutherland received the Short Film Special Distinction award.

COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY, directed by Dutch-born Jan Kounen, closed the festival. It stars Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen, and is based on Chris Greenhalgh's novel. The novel weaves fact and fiction as does the film set in the 1920s, which is a lush portrayal of a brief affair between Russian composer Igor Stravinsky and fashion pioneer Coco Chanel.

2009 Films In Competition (20):

* À L'ORIGINE (IN THE BEGINNING) directed by Xavier GIANNOLI
* ANTICHRIST directed by Lars VON TRIER
* BAK-JWI (THIRST) directed by PARK Chan-Wook
* BRIGHT STAR directed by Jane CAMPION
* CHUN FENG CHEN ZUI DE YE WAN (Spring Fever) directed by LOU Ye
* DAS WEISSE BAND (THE WHITE RIBBON) directed by Michael HANEKE
* ENTER THE VOID directed by Gaspar NOÉ
* FISH TANK directed by Andrea ARNOLD
* INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS directed by Quentin TARANTINO
* KINATAY directed by Brillante MENDOZA
* LES HERBES FOLLES (WILD GRASS) directed by Alain RESNAIS
* LOOKING FOR ERIC directed by Ken LOACH
* LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (BROKEN EMBRACES) directed by Pedro ALMODÓVAR
* MAP OF THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO directed by Isabel COIXET
* TAKING WOODSTOCK directed by Ang LEE
* THE TIME THAT REMAINS directed by Elia SULEIMAN
* UN PROPHÈTE (A PROPHET) directed by Jacques AUDIARD
* VENGEANCE directed by Johnnie TO
* VINCERE directed by Marco BELLOCCHIO
* VISAGE (FACE) directed by TSAI Ming-Liang

To access links for individual films and directors, go here.

Cannes Cinefondation Awards

At the 62nd Cannes International Film Festival, the awards for the best films presented in the Cínefondation program of 17 student films were handed out yesterday in the Buñuel Theatre. All are under 44 minutes, ranging from three to forty-three minutes. The Jury chair was UK director John Boorman.

The Cínefondation Selection received 1,400 film submissions this year, representing Latin America, North America and Europe. Here are the winners - -

First Prize: BÁBA by Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová, Czech Republic;

Second Prize: GOODBYE by Song Fang, Beijing Film Academy, China;

Third Prize (tie): DIPLOMA by Yaelle Kayam, The Sam Spiegel Film & TV School, Israel;
ND
NAMMAE UI JIP (DON’T STEP OUT OF THE HOUSE by Jo Sung-hee, Korean Academy of Film Arts, Korea.

The winning films each received a financial prize of 15,000 € for the first prize, 11,250 € for second place and 7,500 € for the third place films.

LIST OF FILMS IN THIS SECTION:

* #1 directed by Noamir CASTÉRA
* BÁBA directed by Zuzana KIRCHNEROVÁ - ŠPIDLOVÁ
* BY THE GRACE OF GOD directed by Ralitza PETROVA
* CHAPA directed by Thiago RICARTE
* DIPLOMA directed by Yaelle KAYAM
* EL BOXEADOR (THE BOXER) directed by Juan Ignacio POLLIO
* GOODBYE directed by SONG Fang
* GUTTER directed by Dan Ransom DAY
* IL NATURALISTA (THE NATURALIST) directed by Giulia BARBERA, Gianluca LO PRESTI, Federico PARODI, Michele TOZZI
* KASIA directed by Elisabet LLADÓ
* LE CONTRETEMPS (THE SETBACK) directed by Dominique BAUMARD
* MALZONKOWIE (SIGNIFICANT OTHERS) directed by Dara VAN DUSEN
* NAMMAE UI JIP (DON'T STEP OUT OF THE HOUSE) directed by JO Sung-hee
* SEGAL directed by Yuval SHANI
* SYLFIDDEN (THE SYLPPHID) directed by Dorte BENGTSON
* THE HORN directed by YIM Kyung-dong
* TRAVERSER directed by Hugo FRASSETTO

To access links for individual films and directors, go here.

Cannes Festival is ready to roll

Actress, Isabelle Huppert

The 62nd Cannes Film Festival (CFF) will open this week, 13 May, and run through 24 May 2009. The films are selected as well as the juries, and the French know how to throw a party.


JURYIES
1. FEATURE FILM COMPETITION - French actress Isabelle Huppert, President, assisted by Asia Argento (Actress, Director, Screenwriter- Italy) Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Director, Screenwriter, Actor - Turkey) Lee Chang-Dong (Director, Writer, Screenwriter - South Korea), James Gray (Director, Screenwriter – United States), Hanif Kureishi (Writer, Screenwriter – United Kingdom), Shu Qi (Actress - Taiwan), Robin Wright Penn (Actress - United States), and Sharmila Tagore III ( Actress- India). Will be presented on stage during the closing ceremony on May 24th.

2. CAMERA d'OR - The Camera d’or, created in 1978, honors the best first film chosen in the Official Selection, the Critics’ Week or the Director’s Fortnight. This year, twenty first films will compete for this prize which will be presented on stage during the closing ceremony on May 24th.

French actor Roschdy Zem, President. Other members: Diane Baratier (cinematographer), Olivier Chiavassa (Federation of Film Technicians), Sandrine Ray (director), Charles Tesson (Critics’ Syndicate), and Edouard Waintrop (Fribourg Film Festival, Switzerland).

3. UN CERTAIN REGARD - The opening film of this prestigious Festival program is NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THE PERSIAN CATS, Thursday, 14 May. The director is Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi.

Italian screenwriter and director Paolo Sorrentino, awarded the Jury Prize in 2008 for IL DIVO, will preside over: Julie Gayet (actress, France), Piers Handling (director of the Toronto Festival, Canada), Uma Da Cunha (journalist and festival programmer, India) and Marit Kapla (journalist, Göteborg Festival, Sweden).

SPECIAL EVENTS
1. Filmmaker Martin Scorsese is the honorary President of Cannes Classics 2009, a section established in 2004 to accompany the contemporary films of the Official Selection with a program of restored and rediscovered films, to be released theatrically or on DVD.

Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's masterpiece, THE RED SHOES (UK, 1948), tops the program. It will be presented in the Debussy Theater with Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell in attendance.

The movie has been restored by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in association with The British Film Institute, The Film Foundation, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., and Janus Films, with funding provided by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes), The Film Foundation, and the Louis B. Mayer Foundation.

2. The Cinema Masterclass of the Dardenne Brothers - Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne will give the Cinema Masterclass at the 62nd Festival, Tuesday, 19 May. They won their first Palme d'or for ROSETTA in 1999. Like Francis Coppola, Emir Kusturica, Billie August and Shohei Imamura before, they have won more than one Palme d'or. They won their second in 2005 for THE CHILD, and followed with another for Best Screenplay in 2008's LORNA'S SILENCE.

As Martin Scorcese, Quentin Tarantino, Nanni Moretti and Wong Kar-Wai have done at previous Festivals, they will talk with Michel Ciment about their unusual career, their work at filming and writing together, the meaning that they give to their creation. They will welcome festival-goers, film buffs and journalists at the Buñuel theatre.

See my previous post, "Here Comes Cannes," 26 April.

Tribeca Festival Wraps

Heineken Audience Award, CITY ISLAND
The Heineken Audience Award was presented yesterday (3 May 2009) at the Tribeca Film Festival, NYC (TFFNYC). As the winner, CITY ISLAND received a $25,000 cash award. Ten diverse films were competing. The top three are screening at the Festival site in NYC as this post is being written.

The winner, CITY ISLAND, is a feature-length comedy written and directed by Raymond De Felitta (The Thing About My Folks, 05). Primary cast: Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, Alan Arkin, Steven Strait, and Ezra Miller.

The Rizzo family lives on a little-known island in the Bronx that is as quaint and sleepy as any New England town. But the Rizzos are not as picturesque as the island they inhabit, and like most dysfunctional families, they all stop at nothing to avoid the truth.

The Runner up is a documentary, RACING DREAMS, directed by Michael Curry, who won the 2005 Festival audience award for his documentary, STREET FIGHT. RACING DREAMS also won best documentary feature at this year's Festival. See post, 1 May, immediately below this one.

In third place we find MIDGETS Vs. MASCOTS, directed by Ron Carlson, which is described by festival commentators as a hilarious mocumentary. They go on to write, and I paraphrase, "It is one of the most-talked-about films at the Festival. . . The title alone [should] get you in the door, where little people (including, Gary Coleman and Jordan Prentice (IN BRUGES) battle Mascots, including 'Gator' and 'Taco' in events like milk-drinking, bull-riding, door-to-door-sales, and a whole ton more for a prize of one million dollars."

I must say, the title grabs me. However, I can wait for the DVD.

One more film deserves noting here, the one in fourth place. Japanese director Yojiro Takita's movie DEPARTURES (Okuribito), won the Oscar® as Best Foreign Language Film of 2008 at the Academy Awards® this year. It also won the Grand Prize at Montreal in 2008.

The Tokyo Orchestra disbands. A young cellist returns to his home in a rural town and to the family business. "The movie achieves a pleasingly droll blend of screwball-like humor with a moving story about reconciliation, acceptance, and finding one's place in the world, enhanced by a richly orchestrated score."

See a previous post, 28 February, for much more about DEPARTURES. Click the title of this post to see more about the 2009 top 10 audience picks, screening times, and previous winners.

Tribeca Film Festival Winners

The eighth annual Tribeca Film Festival, co-founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, and presented by founding sponsor American Express, announced the winners of its competition categories in NYC last night, 30 April 2009. This year’s Festival included 85 features and 47 short films from 36 countries. The world competition winners were chosen from 12 narrative and 12 documentary features from 17 countries. All films at Festival.

Two awards were given to honor New York films, which were chosen from eight narrative and seven documentary features. Awards were also given for the best narrative, best documentary and student visionary films in the Shorts competition. The winner of The Heineken Audience Award, determined by audience ballot votes throughout the Festival, will be announced tomorrow 2 May, at the Festival Wrap party. This is a capsule of the 2009 winners in the World Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature Competitions.


2009 World Narrative Feature Film Competition (Jurors Bradley Cooper, Richard Fischoff, Todd Haynes, Meg Ryan and Uma Thurman):

The Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature – ABOUT ELLY (Darbareye Elly), written and directed by Asghar Farhadi (Iran, Persian with English subtitles). Deceit and tragedy abound when friends take a Caspian Sea seaside mini-break in this mysterious and lush who-done-it. Farhadi received the Golden Bear in Berlin this year as best director of a feature film.

Best New Narrative Filmmaker – Rune Denstad Langlofor NORTH (Nord) (Norway, Norwegian with English subtitles). A former ski champion recovering from a mental breakdown learns he has a five-year-old son. He hops on his snowmobile with a batch of moonshine, and heads for his ex-girlfriend's home in Norway's Far North. His oddball encounters along the way make this fresh and original debut comedy both tender and amusing.

Best Actor in a Narrative Feature Film – Ciarán Hinds in THE ECLIPSE, written and directed by Conor McPherson (Ireland).

Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film – Zoe Kazan in THE EXPLODING GIRL, written and directed by Bradley Rust Gray (USA).


2009 World Documentary Feature Film Competition (Jurors Liz Garbus, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Morgan Spurlock and Brian Williams):

Best Documentary Feature – RACING DREAMS, directed by Marshall Curry (USA). Three adolescent go-kart racers (to auto racing as little league is to baseball) vie for the national go-kart championship. They, and their parents, will soon find out if they have the talent, dedication, and sponsorship dollars to one day become NASCAR superstars.

Best New Documentary Filmmaker – Ian Olds for FIXER: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi (USA). In 2007, the Taliban kidnapped 24-year-old Naqshbandi, an Italian journalist, one of Afghanistan's best "fixers"—someone hired by foreign journalists to facilitate, translate, and gain access for their stories.

Special Jury Mention: DEFAMATION (Hashmatsa), directed by Yoav Shamir (Denmark, Austria, USA, Israel).

HBO acquired FIXER at the Festival, First Fun the anti-Semitic documentary DEFAMATION, and ESPN the baseball documentary THE LOST SON OF HAVANA. Slim sales for Tribeca at this post, but there may be subsequent acquisitions as a result of the Festival.

For all winners and more information about the films such as juror comments, cash awards, etc., click title of this post.