Participant Media has officially confirmed that Pablo Larrain’s follow-up to No, currently shooting in Chile and starring Gael García Bernal, is the second title under its Participant PanAmerica initiative.
The film reunites Participant, Larrain and Bernal following their collaboration on No, which marked Participant’s first foray into foreign-language film and earned an Oscar nomination in 2013.
No inspired Participant to launch Participant PanAmerica in 2013 with three Latin American production powerhouses: Chile’s Fabula, Colombia’s Dynamo and Mexico’s Canana. The first film to emerge from the venture was Ardor, Pablo Fendrik’s Argentina-set Western that screened in Cannes 2014.
The 1940s-set Neruda (see first-look pictures) stars Chile’s Luis Gnecco in the title role as Chile’s dissident Nobel prize-winning poet and Bernal as the police inspector tasked with hunting him down. Mercedes Moran plays Neruda’s wife, Delia del Carril.
Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderon wrote Neruda, which is set up as an international co-production between Chile’s Fabula, France’s Funny Balloons and Reborn Productions, Spain’s Setembro Cine and Argentina’s AZ Films.
Participant Media co-finances and holds North American rights. Juan de Dios Larrain serves as producer and Participant founder Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King are executive producers.
Fox will distribute Neruda in Chile in winter 2016.
Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema, a Pan Asian- film cultural Organization has recently teamed up with All Lights India International Film Festival which is all set to run from November 15-21, 2015 at Kochi.
With instituting a NETPAC Award for the Best Asian Film showcases at the festival, the proud organization has announced its support to ALIIFF.
NETPAC has a wide network of contacts among film festivals, film organisations, government and non-government agencies, film scholars, critics, programmers and festival directors with whom It works collaboratively in mutually beneficial activities to advance the cause of Asian cinema.
It is of course another proud moment for ALIIFF in its journey to become one of the excellent film festivals of the world.
Directors Johnathan Demme and Saverio Costanzo will head juries at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival which runs from September 2-12, 2015. The two directors will preside over the Orizzonti and Lion of the Future award, respectively.
Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) will lead the international jury in judging the Orizzonti section, which focuses on new trends in world cinema and presents awards for best film, best director and a special jury prize.
Costanzo (Hungry Hearts) is presiding over the “Luigi di Laurentiis” award for a debut film – ‘Lion of the Future’, which will award one prize of $100,000 to the best debut film (to be split evenly between director and producer) screened in any of the Venice competitions.
Costanzo presented Hungry Hearts at last year’s Biennale, where it won both Coppa Volpi awards: best actress for Alba Rohrwacher and best actor for Adam Driver.
Demme has brought several of his films to Venice in the past, including Melvin and Howard, which played in competition in 1980, and The Manchurian Candidate, which played out of competition in 2004.Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) was previously announced as jury president for the festival’s main competition.
The Toronto International Film Festival’s industry office announced on Tuesday the first raft of participants confirmed to attend the seven-day conference.The event is set to run from September 11-17 will feature 200 speakers. It will see Amy director Kapadia, comedian and filmmaker Bill Hader and writer Naomi Klein present at the Doc Conference.Voltage Pictures founder Nicolas Chartier and OddLot owner Gigi Pritzker will taker part in on-stage conversations, while Mountains May Depart director Zhangke will deliver a Master Class at the Asian Film Summit.
Conference participants include National Association Of Theatre Owners chief John Fithian, Protagonist CEO Mike Goodridge and Claudia Landsberger for BaseWorx For Film.A new series in the programme is Upfront, which the industry office promises will offer “no-holds barred” conversations on the most topical issues in the industry.”“We’re excited about the participation of these vanguards of the film industry in this year’s programming,” said TIFF Industry Office director Kathleen Drumm.“By providing the opportunity for a global audience to gain the valuable insights of 200 leaders in the industry, we look to inspire innovation and bridge the connection between the art and business of content.”
The timetable of events is as follows:
September 11 – Creative Process;
September 12 – Financing and Co-Production;
September 13 – Marketing;
September 14 – Distribution and Sales;
September 15 – Asian Film Summit;
September 16 – Doc Conference; and
September 17 – Future of Content.
Taiwanese director Chang Tso-chi’s Thanatos, Drunk swept the Taipei Film Awards winning six prizes including the Grand Prize and best narrative feature.A drama about a Taipei slacker, his gay brother and their sexually ambiguous gigolo friend, Chang’s film also took best actor for Lee Hong-chi’s performance, best supporting actor for Chen Jen-shuo, best supporting actress for Lu Hsueh-feng and the press award.
The jury, headed by Hong Kong filmmaker Fruit Chan, said: “Within its realistic story the film conceals a depiction of an unhampered inner spirit. With bold cinematic language, the filmmaker creates characters that are trying to survive in their dreamlike intimate, unbound and sorrowful emotional state.”The Taipei Film Awards are divided into four categories – feature, documentary, short and animation – and the Grand Prize winner is deemed to be the best film overall. Chang’s win marks the first time in six years that a feature film has won the Grand Prize.
Meanwhile, best actress across all categories went to Japan’s Hiromi Nagasaku for Japan-Taiwan co-production The Furthest End Awaits, which also won the Audience Choice Award in the International New Talent Competition earlier in the festival.Best director at the Taipei Film Awards went to Tsai Ming-liang for No No Sleep, while best screenplay went to Doze Niu Chen-zer and Tseng Li-ting for Paradise In Service, which also took the award for outstanding artistic contribution in art design (Huang Mei-ching).
A Life That Sings won best documentary along with awards for cinematography (Chen Hyin-gen, Chang Hao-jan) and editing (Xu Wei-yao). The Death Of A Security Guard took best short film and The Vending Machine took best animation. Wilson Hsu took best new talent for short film Spring Awakening.The Special Jury Award went to Dawang Huang for TPE-Tics, while Wawa No Cidal took the Audience Choice Award.
Earlier in the Taipei Film Festival, Israeli director Nadav Lapid’s second feature The Kindergarten Teacher won the Grand Prize in the International New Talent Competition. The Special Jury Prize went to In Her Place from Korean-Canadian filmmaker Albert Shin.
Debut feature directors Yossi Atia, Maysaloun Hamoud and Roman Shumunov pick up prizes.
Debut feature directors Yossi Atia, Maysaloun Hamoud and Roman Shumunov have picked up prizes at the 10th edition of Pitch Point, aimed at connecting Israeli productions with international partners.
Performance artist and filmmaker Atia’s Born In Jerusalem And Still Alive won the $4,400 Wouter Barendrecht — Lia Van Leer award.
A dark comedy based on Atia’s per- sonal experiences, the film revolves around a man who organises terror tours along Jaffa Road in west Jeru- salem, the site of a number of deadly suicide attacks during the second Intifada.
The jury — which included US distribution guru Ira Deutchman, Fortissimo Films’ MD Nelleke Driessen and German producer Thanassis Karathanos — praised the project for its “unique and original take on a tough and emotional subject matter.”
Shumunov clinched the $5,300 Van Leer Foundation award for No Future, about Israeli rappers and graffiti artists of Russian origin struggling to make ends meet in the city of Ashdod. “The film has the potential to be a unique, sensitive and authentic voice of an important ethnic group in Israel,” said the jury.
Palestinian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s In Between picked up two prizes: the Turkish YAPIMLAB Award, offering development sup- port of $5,500, and the IFP Award, which involves an invitation to the Independent Film Market Project in New York this September. Israeli film-maker and producer Shlomi Elkabetz is producing the tale of two liberal Palestinian girls living in Tel Aviv, struggling to find their place in society. Hamoud told the pitching event that the work was a reflection of her own experiences.
Two prizes for the works-in-progress showcase were introduced this year. The Digital District Work-in-Progress Award went to Elite Zexer’s Sand Storm about a Bedouin mother and daughter testing the limits of their conservative community while Udi Aloni’s biopic about Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar won the Jerusalem Film and Television Fund Award for a work-in-progress.
Becoming a strong contender in International Film Festival circuit is not easy for any movie, and things would not be that smooth if the movie is released almost four years back. But ‘DAM 999‘, the movie directed by Sohan Roy has broken all traditional misbelieves about an Indian director’s movie in the International market, and the film is still continuing its dream run. Recently, the film has won 18 awards at the Global Independent Film Awards, and this clearly proclaims the global dimension of the movie irrespective of the time.
The Global Independent Film Awards is one of the growing online film festivals which aims to recognize filmmakers and artists for their excellence. An award from this corner will really turn out to be another feather in the crown for ‘DAM 999‘.
This festival does not screen movies, but it will announce the winners on the event which will be held on January 2nd – 3rd 2015 at Henderson,United States.. The festival gives awards in 72 categories, and this makes it one of the biggest online award platforms in the world.
‘DAM 999′ is touted to be the first Hollywood movie produced and directed by an Indian group. The movie showcases a very emotional story in the backdrop of an endangered dam. The ancient Indian concept of ‘Navarasas’ are also depicted to perfection by the director with nine different actors. Ayurveda and its prominence in the modern world is also discussed in the movie.
The film stars big names like Ashish Vidyarthi, Vimala Raman, Rajit Kapoor, Vinay Rai and Joshua Frederic Smith in the lead roles. Biz TV Network has produced this movie.
DAM999 Awards
Category – BEST FEATURE FILM
DAM999 (IND), Executive Producer Abhini Sohan, Directed by Sohan Roy
Category – BEST ACTION / ADVENTURE FILM
DAM999 (IND), Executive Producer Abhini Sohan, Directed by Sohan Roy
Category – BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
DAM999 (IND),Ajayan Vincent
Category – BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
DAM999 (IND), Prasad EFX, Srinivas Mohan, & Priya Vincent
Category – BEST EDITING
DAM999 (IND), Suresh Pai
Category – BEST SOUND
DAM999 (IND), Shajith Koyeri
Category – BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
DAM999 (IND), Padmasree Thota Tharrani
Category – BEST COSTUMES
DAM999 (IND), S.B. Satheesh & Abhini Sohan
Category – BEST HAIR & MAKE-UP
DAM999 (IND), Pattanam Rasheed
Category – BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
DAM999 (IND), C. Prasanna Sujith
Category – BEST ACTION SEQUENCE
DAM999 (IND), Executive Producer Abhini Sohan, Directed by Sohan Roy
Category – BEST ACTOR
DAM999 (IND), Vinay Rai (As Vinay)
Category – BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
DAM999 (IND), Rajit Kapur (As Shankaran)
Category – BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
DAM999 (IND), Ashish Vidyarthi (As Durai)
Category – BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
DAM999 (IND), Vimala Raman (As Meera)
Category – ACTOR UNDER 18
DAM999 (IND), Jineeth Rath (As Samuel)
Category – BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
DAM999 (IND), Ensemble Cast of DAM999
Category – EMERGING FILMMAKER AWARD
DAM999 (IND), Executive Producer Abhini Sohan & Director Sohan Roy
Canada based distributor 108 Media corp has picked up US rights to the award-winning comedy drama ‘Lawrence & Holloman’ and plans a one-week theatrical run in August.
Matthew Kowalchuk directed Lawrence & Holloman, which recently won best feature at the 15th annual Canadian Comedy Awards and has won awards across the Canadian festival circuit including Vancouver and Edmonton international film festivals.
In this darkly ridiculous buddy comedy, Lawrence an ever optimistic suit sales man lives a happy, go lucky, charmed life, in which everything always goes right until he meets Holloman, a cynical and pessimistic credit collector and everything starts to go wrong.
Kowalchuk and Daniel Arnold adapted the stage play by Morris Panych. Ben Cotton, Katharine Isabelle, Amy Matysio and Daniel Arnold star.
108 Media will release Lawrence & Holloman in Los Angeles at the Downtown Independent from August 7-13, followed by VOD release on iTunes, Amazon, Xbox, Vudu, Google Play and other platforms on August 11.
Paul Armstrong, Mary Anne Waterhouse, Andrew Currie, Robyn Wiener and Don Thompson produced.
“108 Media can’t wait to introduce Lawrence & Holloman to the United States,” said CEO Abhi Rastogi. “It’s time they see what Canada has to offer when it comes to dark comedy. These characters are sure to make you laugh.”
“Not all Canadian films make it south of the border,” said Kowalchuk. “I’m thrilled to see 108 Media finding the right audience for Lawrence & Holloman and can’t wait to see America’s reaction to our classic odd couple story – with a dark twist.”
108 Media most recently distributed the Tribeca Film festival selection Below Dreams by debut director Garrett Bradley and John Leguizamo’s Fugly.
Turkish Director Tolga Karaçelik’s second film Ivy, a slow moving psycologicl thriller has won the best feature film award at the East End Film Festival (July 1-12) in London.
Karaçelik’ first film, Tollbooth was shot by Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s DOP, Gökhan Tiryaki.
Set onboard a hulking cargo ship moored off the coast of Egypt, the film follows a skeleton crew of misfit sailors, forced to stay onboard after their paymasters go bust. But it isn’t long before power structures dissolve, leading to tension, threats of violence, and strange apparitions.
Ivy has just received its UK premiere at London’s Rio Cinema on July 11. It was chosen by a jury comprising EEFF’s 2015 Director-in-Residence Noaz Deshe (White Shadow); writer Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting); director Amma Asante (Belle); artist Viv Albertine; and director Ross Clarke (Dermaphoria).
Karaçelik will be invited back to the festival in 2016 as Director-in-Residence.
Jury member Welsh said of Ivy: “A literal ship of fools piece, this psychological thriller had strong characterization and plot. Brilliantly directed and performed, it takes you into a convincing, claustrophobic world and holds your attention.”
Documentary winner
Welcome To Leith was named best documentary by a jury comprising comedian Kate Smurthwaite, filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel, filmmaker Xiaolu Guo and Channel 4 exec Rita Daniels.
It chronicles the attempted takeover of Leith, North Dakota, by white supremacist Craig Cobb.
Jury member Smurthwaite said of the film: “Yes, yes, yes, this is what I wanted to see. Professionally done. Not just vaguely about racists in America, but what happens when a racist tries to take over a small town, and how they fight back. Clever, fascinating, gripping. Can’t wait to see it again.”
EEFF’s Accession Award focuses on a different cinematic skill set each year and this year was the turn of Soundtrack/Sound Design and was judged by English singer/songwriter Frank Turner.
Composer Graham Hadfield won for his work on Containment, the debut feature by director Neil Mcenery-West about neighbours who find they have been sealed inside their apartments for unknown reasons.
The recipient of Best UK short was Don’t Blame Us Cos We’re Famous!, Amelia Hashemi’s film about “the time when you admire your father for the hero he isn’t”.
The Short Film Audience Award winner will be announced during EEFF’s closing night gala on July 12.
American screenwriter, director and producer Michael Cimino has been chosen to receive receive a Pardo d’onore at the 68th Locarno Film Festival. Several of his films will be shown in tribute at Locarno which runs from August 5- 15 this year.
New York native Cimino, who initially enlisted in the Army Reserves while working towards a Masters Degree in painting from Yale, made his directorial debut on 1974 comedy crime-drama Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.
His second film The Deer Hunter (1978) won five Oscars, including Best Film and Best Director, and cemented Cimino’s reputation as one of the most exciting directors of the American New Wave.
Festival director Carlo Chatrain stated: “I am very honored to be able to welcome Michael Cimino and I am sure that his presence will be a great stimulus for the many viewers and young filmmakers attending Locarno.
“As enduring and majestic as the granite of the American mountains with which he has often surrounded his characters, his films have left their mark on my own trajectory as a viewer, and I feel it is important to show them at a festival which aims to be a bridge between cultures, ears, styles. In this respect Cimino’s poetics are timeless, both classical and modern at the same time.”
The festival will feature Cimino’s films Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate (1980), and Year of the Dragon (1985).
Previous recipients of Pardo d’ onore award include Samuel Fuller, Jean-Luc Godard, Ken Loach, Sidney Pollack, William Friedkin, Jia Zhangke, Alain Tanner, Werner Herzog and Agnes Varda last year.