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 November 19, 2008 DISPATCH FROM GREECE | The Young and Chill: Thessaloniki Spotlights Balkans and Itself
Called the gateway to the Balkans, the city of Thessaloniki (aka Salonica) is perfectly situated in southeastern Europe to host the region's key film event, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which kicked off November 13. This northern port city in Greece is in close proximity to countries with burgeoning local cinemas from Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and more. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ]  "Mary and Max" to Open 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lead Story, Park City ] November 18, 2008 Launching New IFC Series, Pundits and Writers Ask: Is Modern Journalism About Truth?
If the mainstream media suffers from attention deficit disorder, bloggers have obsessive compulsive disorder, posed Arianna Huffington this afternoon at Michael's Restuarant, mecca for Manhattan's media elite. Ringleader for the leading left-leaning water cooler Huffington Post, she moderated a spirited conversation about the state of today's news media pegged to tonight's launch of The IFC Media Project. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Biz, Lead Story ] November 13, 2008 DISPATCH FROM ENGLAND | Sheffield Doc/Fest: Born Again and Joining Forces
The Sheffield Doc/Fest in Sheffield, England just wound up its fifteenth incarnation, yet the air of it feels new, emerging, and in a way, it is. Director Heather Croall took over three years ago and under her leadership, this five-day event is expanding its horizons and gunning to be one of the top international documentary festivals. Croall said, "I feel like this year we really got into gear, our organization is better than ever." Evidenced by the energy and good will present despite the damp November weather, it is well on its way. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, On The Scene ] November 10, 2008 PARK CITY '09 | In the Wake of Prop 8, Film Community & Fest Organizers Defend Sundance Amidst Talk of Boycott
With about a week to go before programmers internally lock the lineup for the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, organizers are carefully navigating calls for a boycott of the annual event. Talk of a boycott emerged via blogs last week, including Huffington Post and AmericaBlog, in the wake of anger and frustration over the passage of California ballot Proposition 8 halting same sex marriages in the state. Members of the indie film community immediately came to the festival's defense today, including filmmmaker Allison Anders ("Mi Vida Loca," "Gas, Food Lodging"), who said, "To boycott the festival which has been the home for all diverse voices to be presented on the screen is dangerously backward thinking." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 19 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lead Story, On The Scene, Park City ]  French Cinema at BAM: A Gem, Multiculturalism and Even Comedy
In 1954 then-critic Francois Truffaut wrote the influential essay, "A Certain Tendency of French Cinema," for Cahiers du Cinema. In it he pejoratively lumped together France's most gifted screenwriters and directors in a single, literary "Tradition of Quality," destroying a few careers in the process. (As a filmmaker, he became what he knocked.) A five-title exhibition at New York's BAM, New French Films (November 12-16), is skewed 180 degrees in the opposite direction. The series brilliantly highlights the multiple tendencies at play in contemporary Gallic movies. Most important, the BAM show includes what is, for me, the finest film of the past year, Tunisian-born Abdellatif Kechiche's "The Secret of the Grain," which was ignored at Tribeca. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 3 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York ] November 9, 2008 DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES | "Acne," "Dream" Lead AFI Fest Winners
"What a week this has been," AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival Artistic Director Rose Kuo said as the introduced Sunday's festival awards presentation at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. "Just over a week ago, we didn't know what [AFI's] opening film would be, or who would be leading this country." But without a doubt (and with "Doubt"), AFI Fest, and the American people, have come to a decision. And regarding AFI Fest's 2008 awards, that decision fell on to Frederico Veiroj's "Acne," which won the Grand Jury Prize for narrative feature, and Kief Davidson's "Kissim The Dream," which won both the Grand Jury Prize for documentary, and tied for the documentary Audience Award. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under AFI Fest, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] November 7, 2008 DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES | "Skin," "Marriage" Look For Sales as Sun Sets on AFI
Though many of the 2008 AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival's most high-profile screenings have long found distribution, some films are on the look out for pick ups as the festival enters its busy final days. So far, two sales have gone through. Thursday, Strand Releasing picked up U.S. rights to Pablo Trapero's "Lion's Den," Argentina's Oscar submission, and last week, MSNBC Films finalized a North American television deal for Dana Nachman and Don Hardy's "Witch Hunt." indieWIRE spoke with two filmmakers who haven't been so lucky - yet. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under AFI Fest, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] November 4, 2008 DISPATCH FROM LOS ANGELES | Despite a Dropout and an Election, AFI Fest Runs with it
Timing hasn't exactly been on the 2008 AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival's side. Besides its first half coinciding with massive buildup to today's election, the Hollywood-centered festival also had to contend with the unfortunate last minute news that its opening night film, Joe Wright's "The Soloist," was dropping out of its lineup. But the show had to go on, and AFI Fest has proven as resilient as possible since its opening night switcheroo premiere of John Patrick Shanley's "Doubt" last Thursday. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under AFI Fest, Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] October 31, 2008 DISPATCH FROM ROME | Rome Crawls To A Close With a Few Good Laughs
The Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) is drawing to a close in the Italian capital, with only a day to go until the fest's Marc'Aurelio awards, decided on by the audience, will be handed out. This year's highlight in terms of press and audience attention - as well as sheer number of decibels produced by the teens lining the red carpet before the premiere - was the Italian premiere of "High School Musical 3." The US box-office champ is typical of the fest's desire to please the general public rather than arthouse fanatics, film critics and buyers and is emblematic of what works and doesn't work at the festival. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] October 29, 2008 DISPATCH FROM SF | Timely and Provocative, Van Sant's "Milk" Stirs Californians at the Castro
In a scene reminiscient of numerous moments from Gus Van Sant's new film, "Milk," guests arrived at the Castro Theater last night in San Francisco to the sights and sounds of a boisterous demonstration in front of the landmark venue. "Unfair! And wrong! No on 8!" a sizable crowd continually chanted, pausing occasionally to cheer an arriving celeb. The specter of activism, hope and change hung heavy over the event last night in SF, coming just a week before the U.S. presidential election. The film itself, about iconic activist Harvey Milk, is directly political, depicting the birth of a gay rights movement more than thirty years ago in an around the San Francisco neighborhood that houses the Castro Theater. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Lead Story, On The Scene, Queer Cinema, Regional ] October 27, 2008 DISPATCH FROM ROME | Fewer stars, lower expectations and small gems at Italian Fest
As in Venice last month, the program of the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF) is heavy on locally produced films and lacks international star power. Though Venice blamed the writers' strike and the fact that many films simply weren't ready in time, Rome had already indicated that it wanted to focus more on local films after new director Gianluigi Rondi took over from Goffredo Bettini as the head of the festival earlier this year. Only in its third edition, the Rome fest kicked off on Wednesday night with a big name. Al Pacino picked up the Marc'Aurelio alla Carriera Acting Award on behalf of the Actors Studio. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] October 21, 2008 DISPATCH FROM MONTREAL | Fest Nouveau Cinema Celebrates The Spirit of Montreal
Canada's longest running film festival, Festival du Nouveau Cinema (FNC) has seen a remarkable rebound since the drama that surrounded it a few years back. In 2004, the festival came under new management when Daniel Langlois, director of FNC since 1999, left the organization to begin the New Montreal FilmFest. New Montreal's intention was to merge with the Montreal Festival of New Cinema and New Media, thus creating a potentially devastating competitor to FNC, which prides itself on its devotion to cinematic innovation. However, a variety of controversies led to New Montreal's demise, and FNC has since seen both a significant increase in attendance and reputation. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, On The Scene ]  DISPATCH FROM TURKEY | A Question Of Identity In Turkish Film: The 45th Antalya Film Festival and 4th Eurasia International Film Festival
The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival has been a prestigious national event, organized in Turkey for 44 consecutive years; supporting the Turkish film industry through its film competition and annual Golden Orange Award ceremony. As one of the longest running festivals in Europe, it has over the course of its history, become a multi-dimensional event of international identity, accommodating The International Eurasia Film Festival and the Eurasia Film Market since 2005. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches ]  DISPATCH FROM THE HAMPTONS | Bruce Weber & Ellen Kuras in Spotlight as Fest Refines Course
Is it wrong to compare every American weekend festival to Telluride? The venerable Colorado fest sets the standard with its mix of new works, classics, intimate networking, a laid back vibe and a beautiful setting. Notably, the Hamptons International Film Festival took a step in the right direction this year, offering a slightly more casual scene, a tighter program, events for industry insiders, and weather that cooperated all weekend. As with other favorite weekend getaway fests -- such as Provincetown, Nantucket, and Woodstock -- the Hamptons event has perservered. And this year, it found an even stronger international hook under the leadership of new executive director Karen Arikian (and new director of programming David Nugent), drawing a strong presence of filmmakers and industry from overseas. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, On The Scene ] October 19, 2008 DISPATCH FROM THE HAMPTONS | "Troubled Water," "Herb and Dorothy" Dominate at 16th Hamptons Fest
Norwegian director Erik Poppe's "Troubled Water" and Japanese director Megumi Sasaki's "Herb and Dorothy" won big at the Hamptons International Film Festival this afternoon, with both features winning jury and audience prizes in their categories. "Water" took the festival's Golden Starfish for Best Narrative Feature, while "Herb" received the Golden Starfish for Documentary Feature Film -- and both won their respective audienece prizes -- during a ceremony in East Hampton, New York today hosted by "The Daily Show" co-creator Lizz Winstead. The narrative award includes a package of $185,000 in in-kind production services, while the doc nod includes a $5,000 cash prize. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, On The Scene ] October 17, 2008 DISPATCH FROM THE HAMPTONS | Barendrecht, Israel, Valentino and International Fare in Focus
A previous guest of the Hamptons International Film Festival, former European Film Market leader Karen Arikian yesterday emphasized the international focus of HIFF's event in its 16th edition. Arikian is back in the U.S. from her previous post in Berlin and is now the new executive director of the Hamptons event on Long Island. The fest opened Wedenesday night with Matt Tyrnauer's acclaimed documentary about famous Italian fashion figure, Valentino in the doc, "Valentino: The Last Emperor. The following night, and keeping with a tradition started several years ago, indieWIRE and HIFF collaborated on the annual "Industry Toast" - this year, saluting Fortissimo's Wouter Barendrecht. But, back on the fest's world focus at the opening night party, a Hamptons-based artist told the local TV channel, "The more international it becomes, the less local it becomes." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, On The Scene ] October 13, 2008 DISPATCH FROM KOREA | Pusan Plays Itself; "Naked," "Scarecrows" Take Top Nods
The award-giving began early at this year's Pusan International Film Festival, which closed on Friday with a gala screening of Yoon Jong-Chan's "I Am Happy" and the announcement of jury and audience awards. A few days prior to the closing night festivities however, a private ceremony was held honoring Kim Dong-ho, the director of the festival and this year's recipient of the Nielson Impact Award. "If there were an United Nations for world cinema," Eric Mika, publisher of the Hollywood Reporter, said as he presented the award to Kim, "Mr. Kim would not just be the representative from Korea. He would be the Secretary-General." [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ] October 12, 2008 DISPATCH FROM MEXICO | Todd Haynes, "Wadley," Christian Mungiu, and Mexico's First Lady at Morelia Fest
Security measures suddenly became intense on Thursday at the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), but not due to a looming threat. Quite the opposite, in fact: The wife of Mexican president Felipe Calderon paid a visit to the small town and spent the day watching films, bringing a protective army in tow. Her presence attracted a swarm of media attention, while droves of filmgoers clustered at the door to the Cinepolis Central, their progress hindered by the abrupt installation of two metal detectors at the entrance. (The next day, the metal detectors were gone, and so was the Mexican first lady.) The high profile brouhaha would seem to contradict festival founder Daniela Michel's frequently stated intention of limiting the size of the six-year-old festival to maintain its intimate reputation. However, FICM's largely non-commercial program allows it to continue cultivating a unique, tightly controlled identity. "Luckily, we're growing in audience, not in number of films," Michel told indieWIRE on Friday, once the madness died down everywhere but in the papers. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, World Cinema ] October 8, 2008 AFI FEST '08 | 22nd Edition Announces 148 Films; Boyle, Swinton To Receive Tributes
The 22nd AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, running October 30-November 9, 2008, has announced its complete schedule. The lineup totals 100 features and 48 shorts, including 6 World Premieres, 17 North American Premieres, and 18 U.S. Premieres. "This year's selection of international films shows a commitment to cinematic innovation and a renewal of a tradition of realism in cinema," said Artistic Director Rose Kuo in a statement. In addition, 37 of the features in official selection will be represented by distributors at the American Film Market, unfolding concurrently with AFI from November 5-November 12. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under AFI Fest, Festival News, Lead Story, Lineups, On The Scene ]  DISPATCH FROM MEXICO | In Wake Of Attack, Morelia Fest Offers Sense of Renewal
It can take over four hours to drive from Mexico City to the capital of Michoacan de Ocampo for the Morelia Film Festival, but the vibrant town in question lies several more metaphorical miles away from recent newspaper headlines. It was only a few weeks ago that Morelia became the focus of an international media scare following the devastating terrorist bombing that took the lives of eight people on September 15. However, the attack, which coincided with local festivities for the Mexican War of Independence in Plaza Melchor Ocampo, hardly made a dent on preparations for the festival's sixth year. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, On The Scene ] October 7, 2008 NYFF '08 | Assayas Discusses His "Summer Hours," Martel's "Woman" Makes NYC Debut
As the 46th New York Film Festival winds down through its second and final week, indieWIRE had the chance to hear from two of its featured directors. Olivier Assayas, whose "Summer Hours" made its U.S. debut at the festival, sat down for an interview at The Park Lane Hotel last Thursday, while Lucrecia Martel, Argentine director of "The Headless Woman" spoke after the film's Monday press screening at the Walter Reade Theater. The New York Film Festival runs through Sunday, October 12. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, New York Film Festival, On The Scene ]  DISPATCH FROM ST. PETERSBURG | Russia's First LGBT Film Festival Fights On Despite Government and Media Resistance
Facing local hostility, overt moves by the government to halt their event, and a persistent shroud of secrecy for gays and lesbians in their country, organizers of Russia's first queer film festival fought to stage their event this weekend even as they were ridiculed in the media. Just back from St. Petersburg, outgoing NewFest artistic director and Sundance fest doc programming associate Basil Tsiokos offers a diary of his experience as a juror at the first Side By Side fest. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, On The Scene, Queer Cinema ] October 6, 2008 DISPATCH FROM KOREA | Pusan Festival Opens Huge Event, but Sees the Sky Falling too
Busan's beaches are always busy on holiday weekends, but none more so than this past Kae Chun Jul weekend. In addition to the launch of the 13th Pusan International Film Festival, which opened on Thursday, the seaside community hosted a marathon, the opening of the Korean Navy's International Fleet Review, and the continued production of "Haeundae," a 15-million-dollar disaster movie being shot on-location. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story ]  DISPATCH FROM MILL VALLEY | Wright's "The Soloist" Get's Early Buzz at MVFF on 31st Fest's Varied Opening Weekend
This past weekend in Marin, the posh Northern Californian county just beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, the Mill Valley Film Festival kicked off its 31st season with several premieres and a wide, fascinating range of programs. With a few theatres scattered across Mill Valley and San Rafael's charming, boutique-laden towns, the festival enjoyed brilliant weather and an air of casual enthusiasm as the event kicked off with high profile guests, a mix of festival circuit favorites and a handful of new films. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, On The Scene ]  DISPATCH FROM NEW YORK | Woodstock: A True American Maverick Among Fests; "Broadway" and "Dream" Take Top Prizes
Woodstock is a town perpetually caught up in its funky mythology. However, the Woodstock Film Festival -- now on the verge of its tenth anniversary -- has a separate legacy in the works. The cozy scenery of this quaint artists' colony hides a passionate gathering of cinephiles and professionals alike. Founded in 1999 by Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto, the festival's ninth year culminated on Saturday night with an impressively upscale awards ceremony in the nearby city of Kingston, where the combination of guests in attendance looked like the set-up for a film industry geek joke: Ang Lee, James Schamus, Kevin Smith and Haskell Wexler walk into a bar... [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, On The Scene ] October 5, 2008 NYFF '08 | "Gomorrah," Garrone and Scorsese in NYC; Wong Kar Wai Revisits "Ashes of Time"
There is no slick soundtrack and no Hollywood stars playing criminals, but Italian director Matteo Garrone's "Gomorrah," which won the Cannes Film Festival's grand prize, and is currently screening at the New York Film Festival, is nothing short of riveting, and sadly - real. Over the last thirty years, the Comorra crime syndicate has murdered 4,000 people in Italy's Naples and Caserta provinces. That number tops assasinations by the IRA, ETA and other European terrorist organizations. Additionally, its economic might is estimated to be an immense 150 billion Euros per year via drug and arms trafficking and other "enterprises" such as "protection" as well as by doing business in seemingly legitimate businesses as construction, tourism, textiles, trasport, fuel, distribution, food, supermarkets, restaurants, retail and banking. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York, On The Scene ]  DISPATCH FROM ICELAND | Reykjavik Fest Honors Costas-Gavras and Shirin Neshat; Docs Celebrate Rebellion
As the Reykjavik International Film Festival wrapped up this past Sunday, the Icelandic fest celebrated artistic achievement by honoring Costa-Gavras and Shirin Neshat earlier in the week. Iranian artist Shirin Neshat was honored with the Creative Excellency Award and also had an exhibit of her video and photography work on display at The National Gallery of Iceland. Greek filmmaker Costa-Gavras received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of politically charged films. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches ] October 2, 2008 NYFF '08 | Aronofsky, Rourke Talk "Wrestler," Folman "Waltzes" With New York
Wednesday afternoon at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York marked a big day for the 46th New York Film Festival. "The Wrestler" Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei and producer Scott Franklin joined director Darren Aronofsky to discuss the film after its first screening for New York press and industry. The movie, acquired shortly after its North American debut last month at the Toronto fest, will close the NYFF on October 12th. Meanwhile, Ari Folman's acclaimed animated documentary, "Waltz With Bashir" made its New York debut as well. indieWIRE was in attendance, and has the highlights. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 0 comments ] [ filed under Festival Dispatches, Lead Story, New York Film Festival, On The Scene ] October 1, 2008 Sundance Halts Online Fest Initiative; Short Filmmakers Kept in the Dark by Aggregator Mediastile
Park City coverage sponsored by BE KIND REWIND. [ read more in On The Scene ] [ 1 comments ] [ filed under Festival News, Lead Story, Park City, Shorts ]
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