20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has formed Fox World Cinema, an outlet that will put prestige films from around the world out on DVD, VOD and Digital Download. It sounds like a welcome option for all those films that get great festival response, but don't quite justify the P&A spend necessary for a theatrical release. The initial slate will include The Yellow Sea, the Korean film that will screen at Cannes this month in the Un Certain Regard program; The Butcher, The Chef and the Swordsman, the Chinese film that premiered at 2010 Toronto Film Festival; the Indian film Dum Maaro Dum, and Vallanzasca: Angel of Evil, the Italian film that played at Venice and other festivals. "Fox has always championed films that transcend language and social differences," said Sanford Panitch, president of Fox International Productions. "In recent years, American audiences have embraces successful foreign films such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The universal themes represented with Fox World Cinema will be appreciated by film lovers everywhere." The new label will work in tandem with Fox International Productions.

One of Pixar's upcoming short efforts is a film called La Luna, about a young boy coming of age in peculiar circumstances. The short is soon to premiere at the Annecy International Animation Festival, which runs June 6-11 in France. Enrico Casarosa [1] directs and is Head of Story; he's been with Pixar since 2002, starting on Cars, with credits following on Ratatouille and Up. That link points to his own site with sketches and other work, some of which is really great. I see a mixture of Tom Hart and Miyazaki in his book The Venice Chronicles [2], for example. That's the first still from the short above; more info on La Luna is after the break. This is the official synopsis: La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait.  A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions? [Annecy [3], via Anne Thompson [4]] [1] http://www.enricocasarosa.com/ [2] http://www.flickr.com/photos/casarosa/sets/72157600018400009/ [3] http://www.annecy.org/ [4] http://www.slashfilm.com http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/05/05/first_look_la_luna_pixars_latest_short_directed_by_enrico_casarosa/

This week is a good one for Al Pacino, who yesterday received a Tony nomination for his turn as Shylock in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and today was chosen to debut his film 'Wild Salome' at the Venice Film Festival and receive the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2011 Award.

US actor and director Al Pacino is to be honoured at the Venice Film Festival in September for his 'original' film-making.

Filed under: Movie News, Awards

Al Pacino will be awarded the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2011 Award during the upcoming Venice International Film Festival as "an artist who has left an original mark on contemporary cinema."

Festival director Marco Mueller described Pacino as "an amazing director, whose experience is precious and original and enriches the world of contemporary film."

Pacino is being honored as a director; his third film, 'Wilde Salome' will premiere after the award ceremony. The feature-length documentary explores the actor's obsession with Oscar Wilde's play 'Salome,' just as his first film ,'Looking for Richard,' examined the Shakespeare play 'Richard III.'

The honor will be given out Sept. 4 as part of the 68th Venice International Film Festival, which runs Aug. 31 through Sept. 10.

Continue Reading

Al Pacino is to be honoured with the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2011 Award at the annual Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

EXCLUSIVE: If you're an Al Pacino fan and are attending the Venice International Film Festival, circle Sunday September 4 on your calendar. On that day, Pacino will be awarded the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2011 Award, presented to an artist who has left an original mark on contemporary cinema. Right after Pacino receives the award, he will preside over the world premiere of the third film he has directed, Wilde Salome. The documentary explores the complexity and Pacino's passion for the Oscar Wilde play Salome. The film, which will be released in the fall, stars Pacino as Herod, Jessica Chastain as Salome, and Kevin Anderson as John the Baptist. Barry Navidi and Robert Fox produce with Salome Productions and Tripod Entertainment. In its five year history at Venice, the Glory to the Filmmaker Award has previously been awarded to Takeshi Kitano, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnes Varda, Sylvester Stallone and Mani Ratnam.

Hong Kong Film Festival is the 2nd festival visited by the 9th "Pacific Meridian" commission.

Zhang Wei / China Daily Nation's films continue to have variety and energy, says the chairman of the Venice International Film Festival and an old China hand.

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Eddie Boles, Microsoft Career Factor Idol Winner – The DIY IT Professional. Career Factor winners will be at TechEd.

Enjoy!
Stephen Ibaraki

Born and raised in Harlem, NY, Eddie had never traveled west of Ephrata, PA, until he attended UC Berkeley in the winter of 1987. While there, he developed a love for acting while performing in a handful of student theatrical productions. This passion led him into a career in the entertainment industry.

Eddie moved to Los Angeles in 1992, where he started as a Production Assistant on various video projects. These included commercials for Starter Hats, to feature films and TV sit-coms, including "In The House" and "The Steve Harvey Show." During this time, he co-founded Black Coffee Entertainment, which managed the Black Eyed Peas from 1994 until 2000. Eddie primarily managed the international tours for the group. Soon thereafter, he re-immersed himself into film and television at State Street Pictures as the assistant to director Tim Story, best known for the first "Barbershop" movie and the blockbuster hit franchise "Fantastic Four".

Eddie worked his way up from Assistant Director to Co-Producing, Writing, and Directing and has most recently directed films that have made their way through the festival circuit. His latest film, "Results," was named Best Short at the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival and at the San Francisco Black Film Festival. He also received the prestigious Melvin Van Peebles Maverick Award at the San Francisco Black Film Festival which honored him as "an emerging filmmaker with unique vision, singular style, and an uncompromising point of view."

Although filmmaking will always remain a passion, he decided to pursue a career in Information Technology after being laid off from his Production Coordinator job in 2008 to develop his other passion: computers. Although it has been a difficult transition, he looks forward to excelling in his new field as he gains more experience and completes more training.

DISCUSSION:

Q:
Eddie, thank you for coming in today to share your insights and experiences with the audience.
A: "And thank you for affording me a platform to do so!"

Q:
You have this strong background in the Entertainment industry. Can you quickly profile this history and notable achievements?
A: "I became a part of the Entertainment Industry in 1992, and was fortunate to have some marginal success relatively early on. I am a co-founder of a company called, Black Coffee Entertainment, and back then we were primarily a music management company. Most notably, we were the Black Eyed Peas' first management company and helped them land their first album deal in 1998. Through that relationship, I got to travel much of the world as their tour manager, as well as our company gaining a little notoriety. Unfortunately, that relationship ended in late 2000 and we have yet to attain that level of success again. During the early years of managing the Peas, the years when they made no money, and consequently, neither did we, we stayed afloat by taking P.A. (Production Assistant) jobs on any production we could find. Through that work, I developed a pretty impressive contact list, so when things went awry with the Peas, I was able to reach out to those I knew in the film and television industry in order to find work.
That led to my stint at State Street Pictures, which led to assisting the director, Mr. Tim Story, on "Barbershop", which eventually led to me writing and directing my own films. I again had some marginal success, winning some film festivals, and landing a writing contract with a company. The company eventually folded, so I was kind of back at square one. In need of work, I eventually landed the job of Production Coordinator at Motion Theory Studios in Venice, CA in 2007. But due to the financial downturn, I was laid off in 2008. That is when I decided I needed a new career path, and the most logical one for me was computers, given my love of them and my strong math background. I started my education at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in San Diego, CA in August of 2010, with the help of a grant from the Employment Development Department. I soon became Network+ and A+ certified, and have had the incredible fortune of being selected to participate in Microsoft's "Career Factor"! I haven't looked back since!"

Q:
Why are computers one of your passions and what ignited this passion?
A: "The passion was ignited back in Junior High School, around 1982, when I would spend many of my lunch periods learning programming in this new DOS language on this thing called an Apple. I went on to pursue other passions in my life, but have always stayed abreast of whatever was the latest and greatest in computing. Computers are such a magnificent tool! They are like the wheel of the new Millennium! They allow us to do so much, but I know that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and I want to go along for the ride!"

Q:
What was the catalyst in applying for Career Factor?
A: "Honestly, it was at the prodding of my Account Executive at New Horizons, Ms. Tiffany David. I had no intent on applying for Career Factor, mainly because I didn't feel I was qualified, but she insisted, saying that she thought I'd be perfect for it! She was right, as usual."

Q:
Can you describe your personal experiences for the challenges and process leading up, winning, and after winning Career Factor?
A: "The biggest challenge leading up to Career Factor was conveying my story well enough in a 2 minute audition video. I guess I hit the mark, because here I am! The biggest challenges I face now are balancing family (I have a wonderful wife and a rambunctious 2-year old son) and work (I just landed a full time position at Technology Integration Group), while still meeting all of my obligations with Career Factor. More importantly, it's been a challenge maximizing all of the great resources being offered to me by Microsoft as a participant in Career Factor. I hope to walk away from this experience with as many MS Certifications as possible, but again, it's been a challenge."

Q:
How does social media accentuate what you are doing in Career Factor?
A: "The ability to create somewhat of a fan base through social media has been a bit shocking to me! I have people following me on this journey from India, the Middle East, and even Australia! I don't think any of this would have happened without the leveraging of social media."

Q:
From your experiences with Career Factor, what tips would you provide to those transitioning to a career as IT professionals to help them in their journey?
A: "The tip I would offer has very little to do with Career Factor, only because this is like a once in a lifetime experience that unfortunately can't happen for everyone. What I would say is talk to people already in the industry, ask them, "what are employers looking for?", "What would make me most marketable?" And armed with that information, get the best education you can afford! And that doesn't necessarily mean studying at a 4-year university and achieving a BA. I discovered that certifications were most respected in the areas that most interested me, so that is what I went after. Do your research! Formulate a plan of attack! And then go for it!."

Q:
What are the most exciting opportunities you are working on with Career Factor?
A: "I very much look forward to achieving Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). There are other certifications I hope to achieve before it's all said and done, but I'm going to focus on this one right now. I also really look forward to finally meeting all of my co-participants for the first time at TechEd in Atlanta this May!."

Q:
What are your future career aspirations? What are you most passionate about?
A: "Being new to the industry, I'm a little unsure about what I want to pursue in the future. So far, I really enjoy Networking. The idea of being able to make computers, devices, or any other types of nodes, communicate with one another over vast distances, or even just across the room, really intrigues me. I'm a natural communicator, so I guess it makes sense for me to have an interest in networking."

Q:
What drives your passion for Microsoft and Microsoft technology solutions?
A: "Microsoft is the King of the Hill, A Number One when it comes to the world of computers! There is no way to be a part of this world and not have an interest and a passion for Microsoft!"

Q:
What are your tips, lessons, and best resources for those wanting a career in computing?
A: "Again, being new to the industry, I feel a little unqualified to best answer this question. But what I will say is that your best resources are the people who are doing it. Be it your co-workers, your IT instructors, or the guy you met in an IT chat room, one of them is bound to know something you don't, so don't be afraid to ask."

Q:
Why or how does your entertainment industry background meld with your IT career plans (or will it)?
A: "Filmmaking is becoming more and more technology based. Be it 3-D, or just shooting everything digitally, no film at all. If I'm able to make a career from the melding of my ability to tell interesting stories through pictures, with my ever growing knowledge base of technology and all things computers, than I'd be the happiest person on the planet! I'm open to the possibilities."

Q:
In all that you do, what are the biggest challenges, and their solutions?
A: "As I mentioned before, balancing my family life with work and the pursuit of an IT career. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've found a solution for this dilemma. What I do know is that having an understanding and encouraging wife helps tremendously!"

Q:
Provide your predictions of future IT trends and their implications/opportunities?
A: "I predict that as we get closer to 100% of the world's population owning a computer, or at least a device that allows access to the internet, that the exchange of information between all cultures, all walks of life will be so transformative, and I believe transformative in a positive way, that it will be mind-blowing. And we will have technology to thank for it....the very thing that many predicted would destroy the world. How's that for irony?"

Q:
Please share 3 stories (something surprising, unexpected, amazing, or humorous) from your studies, work, or time with Career Factor?
A: "There aren't three that I can come up with, but one unexpected thing that has come from my experience with Career Factor is my even stronger interest in international affairs. There is a participant from Tunisia, Rabeb, who was in the midst of a revolution during the early days of Career Factor, and she shared much of it with her fellow participants via Facebook. Also, Steve, in Australia, was going through some of the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Being able to communicate directly with these people who were experiencing major world events was a powerful and humbling experience. I hope to be in touch with all of the participants for many years to come."

Q:
If you were doing this interview, what 3 questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
A: "Again, three are tough, given that you have asked so many good questions, but I do have one: "How would you use technology to better the lives of people?" And my answer to that would be by trying to come up with ways for people to help themselves through the use of technology. For example, I heard a great story on NPR's 'The World's Technology Podcast' discussing how some IT people, along with major companies, have come up with a way for people to use their mobile phones for all of their banking needs. This is having a profound effect on the survivors of the Haitian earthquake. Most of the banks in Haiti were destroyed so for people to be able to pay for things, make deposits and withdrawals, and most importantly receive money all through their mobile phones has literally changed their lives for the better. That's the kind of stuff that really interests me."

Q:
What three lessons have you learned from your life experiences?
A: "People are your greatest resource. Finish what you start, and don't start things you're not sure you can finish. Be the best person you can be, everything else will take care of itself."

Q:
Eddie, we will continue to follow your contributions with career factor and more broadly. We thank you for sharing your time, wisdom, and accumulated deep insights with our audience.
A: "Thank you again for the opportunity!"

This is the next blog in the continuing series of interviews with top-echelon and renowned professionals. In this blog, I interview Eddie Boles, Microsoft Career Factor Idol Winner – The DIY IT Professional. Career Factor winners will be at TechEd.

Enjoy!
Stephen Ibaraki

Born and raised in Harlem, NY, Eddie had never traveled west of Ephrata, PA, until he attended UC Berkeley in the winter of 1987. While there, he developed a love for acting while performing in a handful of student theatrical productions. This passion led him into a career in the entertainment industry.

Eddie moved to Los Angeles in 1992, where he started as a Production Assistant on various video projects. These included commercials for Starter Hats, to feature films and TV sit-coms, including "In The House" and "The Steve Harvey Show." During this time, he co-founded Black Coffee Entertainment, which managed the Black Eyed Peas from 1994 until 2000. Eddie primarily managed the international tours for the group. Soon thereafter, he re-immersed himself into film and television at State Street Pictures as the assistant to director Tim Story, best known for the first "Barbershop" movie and the blockbuster hit franchise "Fantastic Four".

Eddie worked his way up from Assistant Director to Co-Producing, Writing, and Directing and has most recently directed films that have made their way through the festival circuit. His latest film, "Results," was named Best Short at the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival and at the San Francisco Black Film Festival. He also received the prestigious Melvin Van Peebles Maverick Award at the San Francisco Black Film Festival which honored him as "an emerging filmmaker with unique vision, singular style, and an uncompromising point of view."

Although filmmaking will always remain a passion, he decided to pursue a career in Information Technology after being laid off from his Production Coordinator job in 2008 to develop his other passion: computers. Although it has been a difficult transition, he looks forward to excelling in his new field as he gains more experience and completes more training.

DISCUSSION:

Q:
Eddie, thank you for coming in today to share your insights and experiences with the audience.
A: "And thank you for affording me a platform to do so!"

Q:
You have this strong background in the Entertainment industry. Can you quickly profile this history and notable achievements?
A: "I became a part of the Entertainment Industry in 1992, and was fortunate to have some marginal success relatively early on. I am a co-founder of a company called, Black Coffee Entertainment, and back then we were primarily a music management company. Most notably, we were the Black Eyed Peas' first management company and helped them land their first album deal in 1998. Through that relationship, I got to travel much of the world as their tour manager, as well as our company gaining a little notoriety. Unfortunately, that relationship ended in late 2000 and we have yet to attain that level of success again. During the early years of managing the Peas, the years when they made no money, and consequently, neither did we, we stayed afloat by taking P.A. (Production Assistant) jobs on any production we could find. Through that work, I developed a pretty impressive contact list, so when things went awry with the Peas, I was able to reach out to those I knew in the film and television industry in order to find work.
That led to my stint at State Street Pictures, which led to assisting the director, Mr. Tim Story, on "Barbershop", which eventually led to me writing and directing my own films. I again had some marginal success, winning some film festivals, and landing a writing contract with a company. The company eventually folded, so I was kind of back at square one. In need of work, I eventually landed the job of Production Coordinator at Motion Theory Studios in Venice, CA in 2007. But due to the financial downturn, I was laid off in 2008. That is when I decided I needed a new career path, and the most logical one for me was computers, given my love of them and my strong math background. I started my education at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in San Diego, CA in August of 2010, with the help of a grant from the Employment Development Department. I soon became Network+ and A+ certified, and have had the incredible fortune of being selected to participate in Microsoft's "Career Factor"! I haven't looked back since!"

Q:
Why are computers one of your passions and what ignited this passion?
A: "The passion was ignited back in Junior High School, around 1982, when I would spend many of my lunch periods learning programming in this new DOS language on this thing called an Apple. I went on to pursue other passions in my life, but have always stayed abreast of whatever was the latest and greatest in computing. Computers are such a magnificent tool! They are like the wheel of the new Millennium! They allow us to do so much, but I know that this is only the tip of the iceberg, and I want to go along for the ride!"

Q:
What was the catalyst in applying for Career Factor?
A: "Honestly, it was at the prodding of my Account Executive at New Horizons, Ms. Tiffany David. I had no intent on applying for Career Factor, mainly because I didn't feel I was qualified, but she insisted, saying that she thought I'd be perfect for it! She was right, as usual."

Q:
Can you describe your personal experiences for the challenges and process leading up, winning, and after winning Career Factor?
A: "The biggest challenge leading up to Career Factor was conveying my story well enough in a 2 minute audition video. I guess I hit the mark, because here I am! The biggest challenges I face now are balancing family (I have a wonderful wife and a rambunctious 2-year old son) and work (I just landed a full time position at Technology Integration Group), while still meeting all of my obligations with Career Factor. More importantly, it's been a challenge maximizing all of the great resources being offered to me by Microsoft as a participant in Career Factor. I hope to walk away from this experience with as many MS Certifications as possible, but again, it's been a challenge."

Q:
How does social media accentuate what you are doing in Career Factor?
A: "The ability to create somewhat of a fan base through social media has been a bit shocking to me! I have people following me on this journey from India, the Middle East, and even Australia! I don't think any of this would have happened without the leveraging of social media."

Q:
From your experiences with Career Factor, what tips would you provide to those transitioning to a career as IT professionals to help them in their journey?
A: "The tip I would offer has very little to do with Career Factor, only because this is like a once in a lifetime experience that unfortunately can't happen for everyone. What I would say is talk to people already in the industry, ask them, "what are employers looking for?", "What would make me most marketable?" And armed with that information, get the best education you can afford! And that doesn't necessarily mean studying at a 4-year university and achieving a BA. I discovered that certifications were most respected in the areas that most interested me, so that is what I went after. Do your research! Formulate a plan of attack! And then go for it!."

Q:
What are the most exciting opportunities you are working on with Career Factor?
A: "I very much look forward to achieving Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). There are other certifications I hope to achieve before it's all said and done, but I'm going to focus on this one right now. I also really look forward to finally meeting all of my co-participants for the first time at TechEd in Atlanta this May!."

Q:
What are your future career aspirations? What are you most passionate about?
A: "Being new to the industry, I'm a little unsure about what I want to pursue in the future. So far, I really enjoy Networking. The idea of being able to make computers, devices, or any other types of nodes, communicate with one another over vast distances, or even just across the room, really intrigues me. I'm a natural communicator, so I guess it makes sense for me to have an interest in networking."

Q:
What drives your passion for Microsoft and Microsoft technology solutions?
A: "Microsoft is the King of the Hill, A Number One when it comes to the world of computers! There is no way to be a part of this world and not have an interest and a passion for Microsoft!"

Q:
What are your tips, lessons, and best resources for those wanting a career in computing?
A: "Again, being new to the industry, I feel a little unqualified to best answer this question. But what I will say is that your best resources are the people who are doing it. Be it your co-workers, your IT instructors, or the guy you met in an IT chat room, one of them is bound to know something you don't, so don't be afraid to ask."

Q:
Why or how does your entertainment industry background meld with your IT career plans (or will it)?
A: "Filmmaking is becoming more and more technology based. Be it 3-D, or just shooting everything digitally, no film at all. If I'm able to make a career from the melding of my ability to tell interesting stories through pictures, with my ever growing knowledge base of technology and all things computers, than I'd be the happiest person on the planet! I'm open to the possibilities."

Q:
In all that you do, what are the biggest challenges, and their solutions?
A: "As I mentioned before, balancing my family life with work and the pursuit of an IT career. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've found a solution for this dilemma. What I do know is that having an understanding and encouraging wife helps tremendously!"

Q:
Provide your predictions of future IT trends and their implications/opportunities?
A: "I predict that as we get closer to 100% of the world's population owning a computer, or at least a device that allows access to the internet, that the exchange of information between all cultures, all walks of life will be so transformative, and I believe transformative in a positive way, that it will be mind-blowing. And we will have technology to thank for it....the very thing that many predicted would destroy the world. How's that for irony?"

Q:
Please share 3 stories (something surprising, unexpected, amazing, or humorous) from your studies, work, or time with Career Factor?
A: "There aren't three that I can come up with, but one unexpected thing that has come from my experience with Career Factor is my even stronger interest in international affairs. There is a participant from Tunisia, Rabeb, who was in the midst of a revolution during the early days of Career Factor, and she shared much of it with her fellow participants via Facebook. Also, Steve, in Australia, was going through some of the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Being able to communicate directly with these people who were experiencing major world events was a powerful and humbling experience. I hope to be in touch with all of the participants for many years to come."

Q:
If you were doing this interview, what 3 questions would you ask and then what would be your answers?
A: "Again, three are tough, given that you have asked so many good questions, but I do have one: "How would you use technology to better the lives of people?" And my answer to that would be by trying to come up with ways for people to help themselves through the use of technology. For example, I heard a great story on NPR's 'The World's Technology Podcast' discussing how some IT people, along with major companies, have come up with a way for people to use their mobile phones for all of their banking needs. This is having a profound effect on the survivors of the Haitian earthquake. Most of the banks in Haiti were destroyed so for people to be able to pay for things, make deposits and withdrawals, and most importantly receive money all through their mobile phones has literally changed their lives for the better. That's the kind of stuff that really interests me."

Q:
What three lessons have you learned from your life experiences?
A: "People are your greatest resource. Finish what you start, and don't start things you're not sure you can finish. Be the best person you can be, everything else will take care of itself."

Q:
Eddie, we will continue to follow your contributions with career factor and more broadly. We thank you for sharing your time, wisdom, and accumulated deep insights with our audience.
A: "Thank you again for the opportunity!"

(1943-47, PG, BFI)

The award of the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice film festival to Rashomon and its subsequent release in Europe and America transformed the perception of Japan and Asian cinema and made Akira Kurosawa (1910-98) world-famous. But the director had been in the film business since 1936, and this important four-disc set, with an accompanying pamphlet by Philip Kemp, contains the six features he directed before the now celebrated Drunken Angel (1948), which began his partnership with Toshiro Mifune.

As Kemp points out, these novice works show him mastering his craft and developing some continuing themes such as the master-pupil relationship.

The four movies made during the second world war, including his debut, Sanshiro Sugata, an action picture about the growth of judo in the 1880s, and The Most Beautiful, a realistic study of factory life starring his future wife, Yōko Yaguchi, throw an interesting light on wartime propaganda.

The panoramic No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) and the Capraesque One Wonderful Sunday (1947) present a vivid picture of Japanese life from the 1930s through to the postwar occupation.

Our critics pick the season's highlights: From Lady Gaga to Harry Potter, Coppélia to Tony Cragg, this summer has something for all

MAY

4 FILM The Tree of Life
The much-delayed fifth feature from director Terrence Malick, snapped up by Icon for UK release ahead of its Cannes showing, is a multi-generational drama featuring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn – and, reportedly, dinosaurs.

5 CLASSICAL From the House of the Dead
Opera North's production of Janáek's final work, directed by John Fulljames and conducted by Richard Farnes. Stars Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Alan Oke and Roderick Williams. Leeds and touring

DANCE By Singing Light/Romance Inverse
National Dance Company of Wales bring Stephen Petronio and Itzik Galili's arresting double bill to Dance City in Newcastle, with the former set to the poetry of Dylan Thomas.

6 THEATRE Shrek
Nigel Lindsay plays the lime-coloured, lovelorn ogre, with Amanda Holden as Princess Fiona and Nigel Harman as Lord Farquaad, in this Anglo-American production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

CLASSICAL The Damnation of Faust
Ex-Python Terry Gilliam takes on the devil as director of this ENO staging of Berlioz's masterpiece, conducted by Edward Gardner and starring Peter Hoare, Christine Rice and Christopher Purves.

7 CLASSICAL Steve Reich at 75
UK premiere of Steve Reich's WTC 9/11, part of the two-day Reverberations festival at the Barbican. Then toured by the Kronos Quartet in Glasgow (13 May) and Norwich (17 May).

10 THEATRE The Cherry Orchard
Zoe Wanamaker stars; Howard Davies, who has excelled in the staging of Russian drama, directs in the National's Olivier, with a design by Bunny Christie and a translation by Andrew Upton.

11 FILM Cannes film festival
Robert De Niro heads the jury at Cannes this year, casting his eye over eagerly awaited films by Lars von Trier, Pedro Almodóvar, Lynne Ramsay and Woody Allen, whose Midnight in Paris opens the competition.

13 DANCE Royal Ballet
The season's penultimate triple bill at the ROH includes the Royal Ballet premiere of Balanchine's Ballo della regina and a new work, Live Fire Exercise, from Wayne McGregor, set to a score by Sir Michael Tippett.

FILM Attack the Block
The debut feature from Joe Cornish, of Adam and Joe fame. A "hoodie horror" about aliens landing in south London and teenage gangs uniting to fight them.

14 ART Tate St Ives
Treats at the Cornish gallery's Summer Exhibition include late paintings by Agnes Martin, installations by Martin Creed and sculpture by Naum Gabo.

16 POP Kate Bush: Director's Cut
While fans await an album of new material, the fabulously eccentric Bush has chosen to rework a selection of older songs: "The Sensual World" gains a new title and lyrics from Ulysses.

THEATRE Much Ado About Nothing
Hotly anticipated. David Tennant and Catherine Tate play the sparring lovers at Wyndham's in London. They are directed by Josie Rourke, who takes over as artistic director of the Donmar next year.

18 ART Tracey Emin: Love is What You Want
Tracey Emin needs no introduction, and quite possibly no huge solo retrospective, but this show of sculptures, photographs, films and drawings at the South Bank's Hayward Gallery will no doubt thrill her fans and infuriate her detractors alike.

19 THEATRE Lord of the Flies
William Golding's savage fable, adapted by Nigel Williams, plays in the open air until 18 June at Regent's Park theatre, which is enjoying its most imaginative era for decades.

21 ARCHITECTURE The Hepworth Gallery
The second David Chipperfield-designed gallery in two months. The Hepworth promises to be as good as the first, the Turner Contemporary in Margate. No beach in Wakefield, but a fine permanent collection of Barbara Hepworth's sculpture.

23 POP Lady Gaga: Born This Way
Two taster tracks have overtly recalled Madonna, both musically ("Born This Way") and irreligiously ("Judas"). But the proper follow-up to Monster remains this year's most eagerly awaited pop release.

27 POP Take That
Britain's best-loved manband have sold out 27 nights at the UK's vastest stadiums, with the Pet Shop Boys supporting.

JUNE

2 DANCE Un peu de tendresse bordel de merde!
Dave St-Pierre is the enfant terrible of Canadian dance and has provoked comparisons with Pina Bausch. In this production at Sadler's Wells, his 20 performers are literally and figuratively stripped naked.

3 ART The Government Art Collection
Discover which works of art your government owns; which Lowrys, Turners and Bridget Rileys hang in Downing Street. All is revealed at the Whitechapel Gallery.

4 ART Venice Biennale
Quite simply the most important international art event in the world; 82 artists in the official Giardini pavilions, with many more off site at the Arsenale. Until 27 November.

7 ARCHITECTURE Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Usually less stuffy than its art counterpart; curated this year by a stylistic odd couple of the flamboyant postmodernist Piers Gough and the more restrained Alan Stanton.

8 DANCE Coppélia
Peter Wright's production of Coppélia with the Birmingham Royal Ballet is a funny, occasionally spooky, family ballet, set to Delibes's irresistible score. At the Lowry, Manchester, and touring.

10 POP Meltdown
Former Kink Ray Davies is this year's curator at the South Bank, recreating 60s TV show Ready Steady Go!, and springing surprises such as the Fugs. But will the Kinks reform?

CLASSICAL Aldeburgh festival
Opens with Simon Rattle and the CBSO. Premieres by Elliott Carter and Harrison Birtwistle , as well as Netia Jones's site-specific Everlasting Light, set in Sizewell. Runs until 26 June.

15 FILM Edinburgh film festival
Instead of an artistic director, EIFF has appointed guest curators, including Isabella Rossellini and Gus van Sant, who should make this year's event particularly interesting.

21 ARCHITECTURE Transport Museum Glasgow
Zaha Hadid now has several UK works to her name, but this will be her biggest public work to date, pending completion of the Olympic aquatic centre.

22 THEATRE Ghost: the musical
Matthew Warchus's production of the 1990 movie moves from Manchester to London's Piccadilly, with music by Dave Stewart. Stars Richard Fleeshman.

POP Glastonbury festival
Barring any mishaps, U2 finally lead the charge at Worthy Farm, with Beyoncé, Coldplay, the Chemical Brothers and Morrissey providing backup. NB: Dengue Fever are a band on the bill, not this year's health scare.

24 CLASSICAL Two Boys
ENO premiere of Nico Muhly's co-production with the New York Metropolitan Opera about a teenage stabbing. With a libretto by Craig Lucas, directed by Bartlett Sher and conducted by Rumon Gamba.

FILM The First Grader
When the Kenyan government introduces free primary schooling, a former Mau Mau fighter, now in his 80s, applies for an education. Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl) directs, Naomie Harris co-stars in this British film which won an audience award at Tribeca.

ART Magritte: The Pleasure Principle
Still the best of the surrealists, with this first show in a generation focusing on eroticism, visual revelation and the influence of commercial design. More than 100 paintings at Tate Liverpool.

FILM Bridesmaids
In this female riposte to the stag-party-gone-wrong subgenre, produced by Judd Apatow, Saturday Night Live regular Kristen Wiig (who co-wrote the script) plays a lovelorn maid of honour ill-equipped to organise her best friend's pre-wedding rituals.

29 POP Arcade Fire
First, the Texan/Haitian/Canadian indie wunderkinder took London's O2 Arena. Now, they are taking Hyde Park, with help from Mumford & Sons, Beirut and the Vaccines.

30 ART Eyewitness: Hungarian Photography
Brassaï, Robert Capa, André Kertész, László Moholy-Nagy: more than 200 works showing the astonishing impact of this single country on photojournalism, documentary, fashion and art photography. At the Royal Academy until 2 October.

THEATRE Manchester international festival
The flourishing festival will include Robert Wilson's The Life and Death of Marina Abramović and Victoria Wood's The Day We Sang, inspired by Manchester Children's Choir. Runs until 17 July.

JULY

1 ARCHITECTURE Serpentine Gallery Pavilion
Every year the Serpentine asks a famous architect to design the gallery a temporary pavilion. This year it has lured Peter Zumthor out of his Alpine lair.

3 POP Ke$ha
America's second-most outrageous starlet is back on our shores. Ke$ha's Get $leazy world tour is oversexed and over here until 13 July.

5 DANCE Sylvie Guillem
New contemporary works by William Forsythe, Mats Ek and Jiří Kylián performed by the celebrated ballerina. Essential. To 9 July at Sadler's Wells.

6 ART Thomas Struth
One of Germany's most praised photo artists comes to Whitechapel Art Gallery. Includes the celebrated Museum series and recent installations of Cape Canavarel and the Korean shipyards.

7 ART Glamour of the Gods
Hollywood portraiture from the industry's golden age, 1920-60. From Greta Garbo to Audrey Hepburn, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe: portraits that transformed actors into international style icons. At the National Portrait Gallery.

8 THEATRE Double Feature
Four new plays by Sam Holcroft, DC Moore, Prasanna Puwanarajah and Tom Basden - all writers new to the National Theatre - are staged by a new ensemble in the Cottesloe.

FILM Jack Goes Boating
Philip Seymour Hoffman makes his directorial debut and stars in this tale of lost souls and confused love lives in snow-bound New York. It's based on a 2007 play in which he also appeared.

12 THEATRE A Woman Killed With Kindness
In what promises to be a radical production, Katie Mitchell directs Thomas Heywood's celebrated but rarely seen play. The domestic tragedy, written in 1603, will be staged in the National's Lyttelton.

15 FILM The Deathly Hallows: Part Two
After 10 years the Harry Potter franchise reaches its denouement with a film set to keep box-offices busy.

CLASSICAL The Proms
The BBC Proms opening fortnight includes Havergal Brian's mammoth "Gothic" symphony, new conductor Juanjo Mena, soloist Steven Osborne and pianist Lang Lang. To 10 September.

POP POP Latitude
The headliners may be iffy – the National and Paolo Nutini – but Latitude in Suffolk is a sublime antidote to the mud and mayhem of other festivals. And Alan Hollinghurst is in the Lit Tent.

POP Snoop Dogg
The lazy drawl of Calvin Broadus has long been eclipsed by the rapper's multiplatform media career. It's worth savouring, as he performs 1993's Doggystyle at Manchester international festival and Lovebox Weekender.

20 DANCE Roland Petit
Triple bill of works by the French choreographer, Margot Fonteyn's lover and husband of Zizi Jeanmaire. Includes the sexy, existentialist Le Jeune Homme et la Mort. ENB at the Coliseum.

FILM Nader and Simin, A Separation
Winner of the Golden Bear award at Berlin in February, Asghar Farhadi's fine film explores class tensions in present-day Iran as a middle-class couple on the verge of separation battle over the care of an elderly relative.

26 CLASSICAL St Endellion festival
An ambitious festival in north Cornwall (stars perform for no fee). Includes Wagner's Die Walkure with Susan Bullock (30 July), which then goes to Truro's Hall for Cornwall (2 Aug).

POP Womad
Womad's organisers are on solid ground with headliners such as Baaba Maal and Rodrigo y Gabriela, but the splendour of Womad is always in the discovering.

29 FILM Horrid Henry
The popular series of children's books about a troublesome pre-teen gets the 3D treatment, with Theo Stevenson as Henry, and Anjelica Huston and Richard E Grant among the adults.

30 ART Tony Cragg
Huge retrospective for Tony Cragg, senior British sculptor, with an emphasis on the cast-art of the last decade. At the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art to 6 November.

To see a PDF of the page as it appeared in the print edition click here

The Jury of the Competition, presided over by Robert De Niro (actor, director, producer) welcomes to its ranks:

Martina GUSMAN (actress and producer, Argentina)
Nansun SHI (producer, Hong Kong/China)
Uma THURMAN (actress, scriptwriter, producer, USA)
Linn ULLMANN (writer,literary critic, Norway)
Olivier ASSAYAS (director, France)
Jude LAW (actor, producer, UK)
Mahamat Saleh HAROUN (director, Chad)
Johnnie TO (director, producer, Hong Kong/China)

Martina Gusman studied Applied Arts at the University of Buenos Aires and took acting courses with Carlos Gandolfo.

In 2002, with Pablo Trapero, she created Matanza Cine, a production company where she has been the executive producer for some twelve films.

Martina Gusman acted in three films by Pablo Trapero: Born and Bred (Nacido y Criado), in 2006, Lion's Den (Leonera), in Competition at the Festival de Cannes in 2008, and Carancho, presented at Certain Regard in 2010.

Nansun Shi was born in Hong Kong and studied in Great Britain before going to work for the legendary studio Cinema City. In 1984, she and her husband Tsui Hark founded their own production company, Film Workshop Co. Ltd., which produced many successful films. Notably, she was the producer of Infernal Affairs for which Martin Scorsese shot a remake, The Departed.

 

Uma Thurman grew up in the United States. Noticed by two New York impresarios, she studied acting at the Professional Children's School. After her debut role in 1988 in Johnny, be Good, she made her name with two international successes the same year: Terry Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons.

Since then, she has worked with Philip Kaufman, Phil Joanou, Gus Van Sant, John Boorman, Andrew Nichol, and Woody Allen.

In Mad Dog and Glory, presented in Cannes in 1993, she played opposite Robert De Niro.

It was with director Quentin Tarantino that she took on her most famous roles, in Pulp Fiction, which won the Palme d'Or in 1994, and then, ten years later, as the heroine in Kill Bill 1 & 2.

 

Linn Ullmann is a writer. After her studies in literature in the United States, she became a literary critic for a major Norwegian daily newspaper. She has won numerous literary prizes for her books: her first, Before You Sleep came out in 1999, followed in 2001 by Stella Descending and then by Grace in 2002. Her latest novel, A Blessed Child (2005) has met with unprecedented critical acclaim.

Linn Ullmann is the daughter of Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman. She came to the Festival de Cannes in 1997 to receive the "Palme des Palmes" on behalf of her father, Ingmar Bergman, at the du 50th Anniversary Ceremony.

 

 

 

Olivier Assayas studied at the ENSBA school of fine arts in Paris, pursuing his passion for literature, painting and film. During the 1980s, he wrote for the Cahiers du Cinéma and co-authored scripts with André Téchiné for Scene of the Crime (Le lieu du crime) and Rendez-vous before making his first film in 1986, Disorder (Désordre).

Since then, he has made more than fifteen films, including Cold Water (L'eau froide), Irma Vep, Sentimental Destinies (Les destinées sentimentales), Demonlover, Clean and Boarding Gate, which were presented at the Festival de Cannes. In 2010, he presented Carlos Out of Competition in Cannes.

 

Mahamat Saleh Haroun was born in Abéché in Chad. In 1980, the war forced him to flee to France as a refugee, where he studied film and worked as a journalist. In 1994, he made his first film and went on to receive a prize at the Venice festival for Bye Bye Africa, his second feature film. His reputation as an auteur was sealed with Daratt, which won a jury prize in Venice. In competition at the Festival de Cannes in 2010, he received the Jury Prize for A Screaming Man.

 

Jude Law started his career in theatre before turning to film. He was noticed in Gattaca in 1997, and a series of hits ensued, in which he demonstrated his elegant acting in every film genre. He has worked with the great names in film: Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg, Clint Eastwood, Sam Mendes, Wong Kar Wai and three times with Anthony Minghella, for whom he played The Talented Mr. Ripley.

In 2009, he returned to the stage in London to play Hamlet.

 

 

Johnnie To was born in Hong Kong. He began working in television, before shooting his first feature film, The Enigmatic Case. He continued with martial arts films, comedies, and historical films. It was Breaking News, selected at the Festival de Cannes in 2004, that made his name with international audiences. He returned to the Croisette with Election and Election 2 (2005-2006), followed by Triangle (2007) and Vengeance (2009).

The jury of the Festival de Cannes will adjudicate between the 19 films in competition before naming the winners of the seven awards, to be presented during the Closing Ceremony, and which will culminate in the announcement of the Palme d'Or.

Mystery horror movie "White's Curse" confirmed its release date in June. "White's Curse" is the first commercial feature film by the Kim Gok and Kim Sun brothers who were once invited to the Venice Film Festival. "White's Curse" is about the dark and cruel secret among an idol group who gets to the spotlight. Actual idol star, T-Ara's Ham Eun-jeong is the girl group leader Eun-joo and singer M

Filed under: Features, Documentaries, Tribeca Film Festival, Coming Soon, Festivals

Ten years isn't a long time in the world of film festivals. Take, for example, the Cannes Film Festival which will celebrate its 64th year next month, or Venice, which is pushing 68 this fall. But in a decade's time the Tribeca Film Festival has been able to impress many as it has nudged itself into the extremely crowded spring festival season.

As you probably know by now, the festival was created in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff as a four-day fest to bring business back to Lower Manhattan after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Since then it has grown to 12 days filled with red carpet premieres, panels, outdoor screenings and a day-long kids fair, while expanding from its original eponymous roots to the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan as well as the Lower East Side.

In celebration of Tribeca's 10th anniversary taking place April 20-May 1, the opening night film -- Cameron Crowe's documentary on Elton John, 'The Union' -- will have a free outdoor screening in Manhattan's Financial District as well as a performance by the Rocket Man himself. (Learn more about attending opening night here.) And if you can't make it to New York to see the fest firsthand, Tribeca has you covered. This year they've created Tribeca (Online) Film Festival, where you can watch select films online as well as video streams of live events. Select titles will also be available on video-on-demand.

Here's 20 films that's worth checking out at this year's fest. Which are you most excited to see?

Continue Reading

A film by Russian director Aleksandr Sokurov will be premiered at the 68th Venice Film Festival that will open on August 31 and will run through September 10, 2011.

Little Eagles, London

As a reminder that the RSC isn't just about Shakespeare, it is staging three world premieres at Hampstead Theatre. First off is Little Eagles by Rona Munro, which reveals a little-known story from the cold war, that of Sergei Korolyov, a major player in the Soviet space programme. The focus is on Korolyov's battle between political masters Krushchev and Brezhnev and his attempts to safeguard his cosmonauts, the Little Eagles of the title. From 12 to 21 May, Silence, devised by Filter and David Farr (Water, Three Sisters), explores urban soundscapes, rural emptiness and what individuals may or may not hear. Finally, Tarell Alvin McCraney's American Trade (2-18 Jun) celebrates 21st-century London survival and questions notions of racial and sexual identity.

Hampstead Theatre, NW3, Sat to 7 May

Mark Cook

A View From The Bridge, Colchester

Arthur Miller's tragedy, which comes complete with Greek-style chorus but is set in post-second world war New York, has already had one fine revival this year at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh. But it's a play which is always hard work and, at the Mercury, it follows on from previously successful Miller productions including the McCarthyite-inspired Crucible and Death Of A Salesman. Similarly powerful, it explores how the codes of honour among Italian immigrants in Brooklyn become a source of tension for one tight-knit family.

Mercury Theatre, to 30 Apr

Lyn Gardner

Tender Napalm, London

Philip Ridley, the playwright who kick-started the In Yer Face theatre of the 1990s that gave us Sarah Kane's Blasted and Mark Ravenhill's Shopping And Fucking, is back with his first new play in three years. The multi-award-winning writer and film-maker, who has given us sexually provocative characters and violence over the years (as well as giving a 19-year-old Jude Law his big break in The Fastest Clock In The Universe), reckons Tender Napalm is his most romantic work to date. Has he gone soft on us? This two-hander, a debate about the conflict between romantic and pragmatic love, and what happens when the passion of sex has diminished, was surprisingly inspired by the marital conflict in Noël Coward's Private Lives. The players are Jack Gordon, who starred in Ridley's 2010 film Heartless, and Vinette Robinson, recently seen in in BBC1's Sherlock.

Southwark Playhouse, SE1, Tue to 14 May

Mark Cook

Pandas, Edinburgh

It's a busy month for Scots playwright Rona Munro, whose space-race drama Little Eagles is being produced by the RSC at Hampstead Theatre from tonight. For something different, look to Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, where Pandas, a romantic comedy about three couples, also premieres. Pandas is a tale which links Edinburgh to China through the story of a Chinese-Scottish man who imports rugs with the image of a panda – an animal famed for its lack of interest in copulation and fussiness in choosing a mate – to Edinburgh. Munro, whose Last Witch was at the Edinburgh International Festival a couple of years back and whose play Iron won a host of awards, is a terrific writer who always springs surprises.

Traverse, Tue to 7 May

LG

The Passion, Port Talbot

The whole town of Port Talbot is the backdrop for this work by Wildworks and actor Michael Sheen, a 72-hour event at sites from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, marking the final production in the first year of output from National Theatre Wales. Beginning on Friday on the beach at Aberavon and ending with the crucifixion as night falls on the Sunday, Owen Sheers's retelling of the famous tale uses the gospel of Mark as its template but offers a very modern story of a town overrun by authoritarian forces and media manipulation. The potential beauty of the piece is that it allows levels of audience engagement. Most of the weekend is free, but buying a daily wristband ensures a better view, while entrance to The Last Supper is by a ballot of tickets.

Starts Aberavon Beach, Fri 3pm, to 24 Apr

LG

Oleanna, Nottingham

Plays that divide audiences are always interesting. On the night I saw Mike Bartlett's Love, Love, Love at Watford Place (this week at the New Wolsey in Ipswich), it was clear that the audience's sympathies were divided by age. This combative 1992 play by David Mamet, a response to the political correctness then sweeping US universities, is similar: a work that on its first outings divided audiences by gender. It will be interesting to see if it still does. Alistair McGowan plays the professor who finds his career in jeopardy when one of his students, Carol (Clare Foster), accuses him of sexual harassment. Does he have a case to answer or are relationships between men and women always doomed to flounder on misunderstandings and power plays?

Djanogly Theatre, to 23 Apr

LG

Hamlet, Street

It's five years since the Globe resumed touring after a centuries-long gap, and it's been one of the triumphs of Dominic Dromgoole's tenure as artistic director. Two troupes of actors will be on the road this summer, each using an Elizabethan-style booth stage inspired by paintings and etching from Shakespeare's time. James Dacre, who had a hit with the Olivier award-winning The Mountaintop will be directing As You Like It (touring 12 May to 10 Sep), but first on the road is a scaled-down Hamlet lasting around two-and-a-half hours and directed by Dromgoole. The title role is played by newcomer Joshua McGuire, who was in Posh at the Royal Court, and after this UK tour the show will finish its run at Elsinore in Denmark in August.

Strode Theatre, Tue to Thu, touring to 8 Aug

LG

Macbeth, Stratford upon Avon

The first new production to grace the transformed RSC theatre in Stratford, there's a lot riding on this Michael Boyd revival which stars Jonathan Slinger. Slinger was terrific in the histories cycle as both Richard II and Richard III and should set the stage alight. He needs to, because Boyd needs a major hit after his lacklustre productions of As You Like It and Antony And Cleopatra. But now the building work is over, Boyd should be able to put all his energies into his creative work and may come up with a cracker. The season continues with Rupert Goold's Merchant Of Venice (13 May to 4 Oct) and Nancy Meckler's A Midsummer Night's Dream (29 Jul to 5 Nov).

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Sat to 6 Oct

LG

by Nigel D'Sa (KOFIC) Independent directing duo KIM Gok and KIM Sun are in production on their first commercial project, a horror movie titled "White". The twin brothers have established themselves at the avant-garde of Korean independent art cinema. Their previous collaboration "Anti Gas Skin" (2010) was screened in the 67th Venice Int'l Film Festival while KIM Gok's "Exhausted" (2008) won t

 

A RANGE OF 128 MOUNTAIN FILMS

This year, the world's oldest mountain film festival features highly anticipated debuts from across Europe and Italy. Werner Herzog is involved in two films, directing "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" and writing "Happy People, a Year in the Taiga". The latter will be competing for the honours with "180° South" by director Chris Mallory and "Alpi" by photographer Armin Linke. The screening of the 128 participants will be set underway with director Arnold Fanck's silent masterpiece "Der Grosse Sprung" (The Great Leap), which will be accompanied by a live soundtrack.

The best in mountain cinema will be on show at the TrentoFilmfestival 2011. This year features a host of newly released international films, starting with Cave of Forgotten Dreams, the first 3D documentary by German director Werner Herzog; after its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and its European premiere in Berlin, the film will be screened for the first time in Italy on Saturday 30 April.

The film was mainly shot in the Chauvet cave in France, which is off limits to all but a few experts. In his first extraordinary 3D film, Herzog unveils the world's oldest drawings, which are believed to be more than 30,000 years old. These sophisticated, modern-looking works of cave art still amaze experts even today, and Herzog's words and music transform them into yet another groundbreaking piece of filmmaking.

 

Sergio Fant, the new supervisor for the TrentoFilmfestival schedule, says "The Italian premiere of Cave of Forgotten Dreams is the best way not only to climb, as it were, into the 59th TrentoFilmFestival, but also to look towards the future of both the Festival and cinema. We are in the company of a master filmmaker, whose work, which often captures the wonders of nature and the mountains, has made him a landmark for the TrentoFilmfestival on the eve of its 60th birthday."

The Festival will open on Friday 29 April in the Santa Chiara Auditorium with the screening of German director Arnold Fanck's classic 1927 silent film Der Grosse Sprung (The Great Leap). The film will be set to a soundtrack of original music written by Giovanni Bonato, performed by Mario Brunello on the cello and Saverio Tasca on percussion. The film will also be accompanied by the voices of the Trentino Mountaineering Association Choir conducted by Mauro Pedrotti in a co-production between the TrentoFilmfestival and I Suoni delle Dolomiti, in association with the Historical Film and Video Library at the National Mountain Museum and with experimental workshop Antiruggine). Saturday 30 April sees the premiere of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, a special event that opens a busy week of screenings at the Cinema Modena; its three screens will be showing the 128 films on the Festival's schedule until Sunday 8 May, including both the documentaries and shorts in the International Competition (27 films) and in the Festival's parallel categories. In addition to the traditional ones such as Alp&Ism (27 films), Terre alte (16 films), Eurorama (12 films) and a selection of feature-length works (15 films), this year's Festival includes new categories such Destinazione..., which showcases a country, region or culture (this year sees 11 films from Finland), and Orizzonti vicini, which features 14 films made in Trentino Alto Adige by directors who were born or work here.

In the hunt for the Gold Gentian

Werner Herzog has also made more than passing contribution to another film making its Italian premiere in this year's Competition. Happy People, a Year in the Taiga is a documentary on the hard life in Siberia; it is directed by Dmitri Vasyukov, but it is presented produced, written and narrated by Herzog.

Into Eternity is a multi-award winning film by Danish director Michael Madsen that is making its Italian premiere in this year's Competition. Madsen has always been interested in the environment and sustainable development, and his latest film looks at the highly topical issue of nuclear safety. The director documents the latest-generation deposit for nuclear waste, which is being built in the north of Finland. The deposit is designed

 

to last at least 100,000 years, more than any other man-made construction that has ever existed. Extraordinary footage of this major engineering feat is intertwined with the voices of experts and scientists who talk about the pros and cons of nuclear power, as well as its remaining mysteries; they are also asked about its future and about that of the human race.

The TrentoFilmfestival is also the stage for the European premiere of 180° South by director Chris Mallory, which stars two legends in mountaineering and outdoor culture: Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins. Both are famous not only as sportsmen and adventurers, but also as the founders of the brands Patagonia and The North Face respectively. Forty years on, American Jeff Johnson retraces their journey from California to Patagonia, during which they surfed monster waves and scaled virgin mountains. In Patagonia Jeff comes across his two heroes, who have returned to the world's end in an attempt to save the local area and its natural surroundings from pollution.

Mountains are seen from a radically different angle in Alpi by photographer and artist Armin Linke, who looks at them in terms of contemporary art. The film will receive its first Italian screening fresh from its international premiere at the Nyon International Documentary Film Festival; it is presented in association with Trento's Fondazione Galleria Civica - Centro di Ricerca sulla Contemporaneità. The film affords an insight into the Alpine landscape and the changes in environment, culture and work that are taking place there. Its mountains were also the inspiration behind the world's biggest indoor ski slope in Dubai and the backdrop for the latest Bollywood productions.

Other films in this year's Competition include Der Bergfürst by German director Philip Vogt. The film was shot in Albania and looks at the tradition of the tribal chiefs who govern by the Kanun, the ancient laws that are still used in rural mountain areas. The Competition will take its audience to other mountainous lands throughout the world, including South America, which is the setting for Jason Burlage's Mi Chacra, Tibet for Lynn True's Summer Pasture, Lapland for Salla - Selling the Silence by Finalnd's Markku Tuurna and Portugal for Pare, Escute, Ohle by Jorge Pelicano.

 

The adventure continues

Documentaries on mountaineering and adventure have written the history of the TrentoFilmfestival. This year is no different as the Festival offers the best of the latest international films, as well as Italian and world premieres featuring some of the greatest names in mountaineering. In addition to 180° South, the Competition includes three feature and two short films on mountaineering, alongside the other 27 films that are taking part in the Alp&Ism category.

The Asgard Project directed by Alastair Lee sees UK mountaineer Leo Houlding and the US's Stanley Leary tackling the first free-climbing ascent of the North Tower of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island at the heart of the Arctic Circle. Houlding will be one of the Festival's special guests and will be sharing his extreme climbs with the audience at the Santa Chiara Auditorium on 5 May.

The Swiss Ueli Steck and his big-wall speed climbs star in US director Peter Mortimer's The Swiss Machine. Ruedy Beglinger, a Swiss mountain guide who moved to the virgin mountains of British Columbia, features in A Life Ascending; his world is shattered by a tragic avalanche that costs seven members of his expedition their lives. In Declaration of Immortality, the extraordinary vision of Polish director Martin Koszalka recounts the refusal of his countryman Piotr "Mad" Korczak, one of the world's greatest climbers, to give into time and the inevitable decline it brings. To prove that this genre is full of surprises, we will see how an expedition into the extreme areas of the world can also be the backdrop for a love story, as happens in What Happened on Pam Island, starring mountaineers Eliza Kubarska and David Kaszlikowski.

The 27 films in the Competition will be judged by an International Jury, which comprises US director, photographer and mountaineer David Breashears, French ethnologist and documentary-maker Marianne Chaud (winner of last year's Festival with Himalaya, le chemin du ciel), Finnish documentary-maker Leena Pasanen, Italian videoreporter Giorgio Fornoni and Alto Adige director Andreas Pichler.

 

Destinazione...Finlandia

With its new category Destinazione...,  the TrentoFilmfestival invites its audience to discover a country or a region whose cinema looks at the themes covered by the Festival.

Finland, a country caught between tradition and modernity, nature and technology, produces some of Europe's finest films, especially documentaries, as the success of Finnish films at international festivals has shown.

This journey across Finland is sponsored by the Finnish Embassy in Italy and by VisitFinland, the country's national tourist board, and in association with the Finnish Film Foundation.

All of the 11 films in this category are recent releases and have won prizes at international festivals; many of them are also receiving their Italian premiere. Some of the ones to watch are Freetime Machos by director Mika Ronkainen, a humorous look at the misadventures of the world's most northerly rugby team; Steam of Life, a journey through the saunas of Finland where men cleanse their bodies and minds, and swap stories about life, love, death, childhood and friendship; and box-office comedy smash Lapland Odyssey about the adventures of three layabouts in the endless Lapland landscape.

Italian films

In addition to films from major international festivals, the TrentoFilmfestival is also a showcase for homegrown talent, which this year is strongly represented in the Competition and in the other categories.

Armin Linke's Alpi will be competing alongside Yuri Ancarani's Il capo, Italy's current biggest international success, which is filmed in the marble quarries of the Apuan Alps. Isabella Sandri and Giuseppe Gaudino's Per questi stretti morire featured in the Orizzonti category in last year's Venice Film Festival and portrays the life of celebrated missionary and explorer Father Alberto Maria de Agostini. Directors Andrea Fenoglio and Diego Mometti, who were discovered by the Festival, make a welcome return with Il popolo che manca, a documentary on the depopulation of the Cuneo mountains. Others to watch out for include Cielo senza terra by Giovanni Maderna and Sara Pozzoli, and the surprising short Non si può nulla contro il vento by Milan-Berlin artist collective Flatform.

 

The Magic of 3D

Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams is not be the only 3D film to be screened at the TrentoFilmfestival 2011: Nanga Parbat by director Joseph Vilsmaier retells the tragic story of Reinhold Messner, who lost his brother Gunther in a 1970 expedition. This 3D version adds an extra touch of excitement to the film's landscape and scenes. Messner won the SNGGI ‘Luciano Emmer' and Audience prizes at last year's Festival.

 

 

The schedule for the 59th TrentoFilmfestival will be available at www.trentofestival.it from mid-April.

For information on shows and events, call 0039 0461 986120.

For information on film screenings at Cinema Modena, call 0039 0461 260399.

For information on booking hotels and TrentoFilmfestival weekend and short breaks, call APT Trento Monte Bondone Valle dei laghi on 0039 0461 2160, or write to informazioni@apt.trento.it.  

 

50th Semaine de la Critique: Since its creation in 1990, the Grand Prize for La Semaine de la Critique has been awarded to one of the seven feature films in Competition and has been selected by journalists who were invited to vote following each screening. For its anniversary, La Semaine has decided to honor film critics and has formed a jury. It is comprised of international journalists and the President is Korean director Lee Chang-dong.

Lee Chang-dong, President of the Jury of the Nespresso Grand Prize for La Semaine de la Critique

Lee Chang-dong made his directorial debut with Green Fish (1996). His second feature, Peppermint Candy (2000) received many awards. His third film, Oasis won the Best Director Award at the 2002 Venice Film Festival and was presented at La Semaine de la Critique in 2003 as part of the Fipresci discovery screening series. After stepping down as the Minister of Culture and Tourism in South Korea, he directed Secret Sunshine, which won the Award for Best Actress at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and Poetry, which won the Award for Best Screenplay at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

La Semaine de la Critique has always been particularly interested in short and medium length films, as they often represent the vital first steps in a director's career. By presenting their shorts, La Semaine has discovered such illustrious filmmakers as François Ozon, Gaspar Noé and Andrea Arnold.
This year, the President of the jury awarding one of the ten short and medium length films in Competition is Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski.

Jerzy Skolimowski, President of the Jury of the Kodak Discovery Award for Short Film

Jerzy Skolimowski wrote the screenplays for Roman Polanski's Knife in the Water and Andrzej Wajda's Innocent Sorcerers. His first breakthrough as a director was at the 1965 Semaine de la Critique with Walkover. His directing credits include, The Departure (Golden Bear at the 1967 Berlinale), Deep End (1971), The Shout (1978), Hands Up! (1981) and Moonlighting (1982). After a 17-year break, he shot Four Nights with Anna (2008) and Essential Killing (Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Venice International Fim Festival)

 

Melancholia from Zentropa on Vimeo.

The trailer for Lars von Trier's MELANCHOLIA is launched online today and available to view at www.melancholiathemovie.com. A beautiful movie about the end of the world. MELANCHOLIA is written and directed by von Trier and produced by Meta Louise Foldager and Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments27. Artificial Eye will release in the UK on July 1.

Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg and Kiefer Sutherland star together with Alexander Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, Udo Kier and Jesper Christensen. The behind-the-scenes team includes award-winning cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro DFF (Reconstruction), production designer Jette Lehmann (Flame and Citron), and costume designer Manon Rasmussen (Dancer in the Dark).

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law (Kiefer Sutherland). Meanwhile, the planet, Melancholia, is heading towards Earth... MELANCHOLIA is a psychological disaster movie from director Lars von Trier.

Executive producers are Peter Aalbaek Jensen and Peter Garde. Co-producers are Lars Jönsson for Memfis Film International, Madeleine Ekman for Zentropa International Sweden, Marianne Slot for Slot Machine / Liberator Productions and Bettina Brokemper for Zentropa International Koln. Additional co-producers are Film i Väst, DR and Arte France Cinema.

MELANCHOLIA will be released in Scandinavia in May. Magnolia Pictures will distribute the film in the USA and Canada.

Download Melancholia Press Release

Download Melancholia Images

For additional information please contact:

Online: Sanam Jehanfard / Oliver Lavery
sanam.jehanfard@premierpr.com / oliver.lavery@premierpr.com

Print / Broadcast: Donna Mills / Sophie Glover
donna.mills@premierpr.com / sophie.glover@premierpr.com

NOTE TO EDITORS:

Lars von Trier - Selected filmography:

Antichrist (2009), Cannes Film Festival (official selection)
Direktøren for det hele (The Boss of It All, 2006), Golden Shell nomination - San Sebastián International Film Festival Manderlay (2005) - Cannes Film Festival (official selection), Toronto International Film Festival (official selection)
De fem benspænd (The Five Obstructions, 2003) - Toronto International Film Festival (official selection), Sundance Film Festival (official selection)
Dogville (2003), Cannes Film Festival (official selection), Toronto International Film Festival (official selection)
Dancer in the Dark (2000), Palme d'Or - Cannes Film Festival
Idioterne (The Idiots, 1998), Cannes Film Festival (official selection)
Riget II (The Kingdom II, TV, 1997), Venice Film Festival (official selection) Breaking the Waves (1996), Grand Prix - Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (official selection)
Riget I (The Kingdom, TV, 1994) - Best Director - Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Europa (1991), Jury Prize - Cannes Film Festival
Medea (TV, 1988)
Epidemic (1987), Cannes Film Festival (official selection)
Forbrydelsens Element (Element of Crime, 1984), Grand Prix - Cannes Film Festival
Befrielsesbilleder (Pictures of Liberation Images of Relief, 1982), Berlin International Film Festival (official selection)

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Crossing Europe Filmfestival will dedicate a tribute to two prominent film personalities from the Netherlands: director Nanouk Leopold and producer Stienette Bosklopper (Circe Films), who have collaborated frequently during the past ten years. The festival takes place in Linz, Austria, April 12 -17.

Every year Crossing Europe offers a programme with the best contemporary auteur cinema from Europe. A permanent feature of the programme is the Tribute section, dedicated to innovative European film professionals. Previous tributes include surveys of work by Koktebel Film Company (2010), Ursula Maier and Lionel Baier (2009).

This year's Tribute to Nanouk Leopold and Stienette Bosklopper, presented with support from EYE Film Institute Netherlands, includes eight programmes that show how they both stand for an innovative, artistically outstanding auteur cinema. Crossing Europe opens with the latest result of their collaboration: BROWNIAN MOVEMENT, a film that has featured at various prestigious international film festivals, such as Toronto and Berlin.

Other titles in the Tribute are Nanouk Leopold's  and Stienette Bosklopper's ÎLES FLOTTANTES, GUERNSEY and WOLFSBERGEN. Also included in the programme are the Circe productions CALIMUCHO by director Eugenie Jansen and the international co-productions THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD directed by Radu Jude and OUR GRAND DESPAIR by Seyfi Teoman. Furthermore there will be a short film programme.

Stienette Bosklopper is the managing director of the Amsterdam-based Circe Films, producing feature films for the national and international market. Since 1996, Bosklopper has been establishing enduring relationships with unique and innovative filmmakers, both at home and abroad. Outstanding festivals like Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Rotterdam and Pusan have chosen Circe's projects, productions and co-productions.

Director/screenwriter Nanouk Leopold graduated from The Netherlands Film Academy in 1997. She made various short movies before she wrote and directed her first feature film ÎLES FLOTTANTES in 2001. The follow up came in 2005 with GUERNSEY which was selected for the Quinzaine des Réalisateur in Cannes. Both her third film WOLFSBERGEN (2007) and fourth film BROWNIAN MOVEMENT (2010) screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Berlinale. In Leopold's films dialogue is sparse, she allows facial expressions and body language to convey the drama of a situation. In her films she explores the relationships between people and how far you can stretch them before they break. Leopold is currently working on her new project IT'S ALL SO QUIET.

Nanouk Leopold and Stienette Bosklopper will both be present at the Crossing Europe Filmfestival.

Premiering in competition last year at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, Jerzy Skolimowski’s new film Essential Killing is a largely dialogue free, rural chase thriller that sees a man called Mohammed escape rendition in central Europe after being captured in a desert country which could be Afganistan. After that Mohammed is relentlessly pursued over [...]

Catherine Deneuve has a formidable mask, and not only onscreen. I’d seen her in person only once before, at a party at the Venice Film Festival, and you would no more want to impose on her privacy in that setting than you’d want to put on a lampshade and… More: continued here

International film festivals are flourishing across the country. But are they aimed at native speakers only, or are Brits finally embracing foreign cinema?

On a chilly Sunday evening in March, the lobby and bar of the Riverside Studios in London are heaving. The cheery chap behind the ticket desk, says they're nearly sold out. The audience has come to see Venice, the latest film from the master of Polish magical realism, Jan Jakub Kolski. It tells the story of an 11-year-old boy whose dream of a trip to Venice is wrecked by the outbreak of war in 1939; he is sent to stay with his aunt in her sprawling villa, where the pair build a vision of the city in her flooded basement.

The screening is part of the annual Kinoteka Polish film festival which runs until 13 April in London and other UK cities. If you like foreign film, the London Spanish film festival, now in its seventh year, hosts its first Spring Weekend – a foretaste of September's main event – starting today. Or you could go to the Italian film festival, which runs until 14 April, or wait for the French, Turkish and Russian festivals in the autumn. London's Indian film festival kicks off in July, and the New Czech Cinema UK tour is around until the end of April. There are, in fact, some three dozen foreign film festivals around the UK. Are they evidence of a growing fondness for foreign cinema? Or proof that multicultural Britain now boasts more than 30 immigrant communities large enough to sustain their own film festivals?

Here's another example. The London Spanish film festival is aimed squarely "at anyone who's living in London and interested in cinema," says Joana Granero Sanchez, its founder. Funding comes "a bit from here, a bit from there, a bit from everywhere. A little, not much, from Spanish institutions, and a lot from commercial sponsors." London has two autumn Latin American film festivals, and the occasional season of Spanish films at the BFI, but other than that "very, very few Spanish films – with the exception, obviously, of Almodóvar – ever see the light of day in the UK", Sanchez says.

Her festival has grown from a one-week to a two-week affair drawing 4,000 cinemagoers, roughly a third of whom are British. The Spring Weekend offers seven films, including a preview of Emilio Estevez's The Way, in which his father, Martin Sheen, returns to his Galician roots.

The Polish festival provides its own answers as to who it is for: Poles. Among the audience for the Kolski film was Alexandra Debska, an accountant. This was her fourth Kinoteka, she said: "I like the young Polish directors; I like the humanist nature of Polish cinema. It's not Hollywood values." Michal Murawa and Edyta Zupa had come along because "there are very few other opportunities to see Polish cinema in London. And Polish cinema is good; it's less about action, more about psychology." Krzysztof Hunek regretted that, on the evidence of this evening's screening at least, "it does rather look like Kinoteka is mainly for Polish people. Which it isn't. It's a shame because Polish cinema could give something very different to British audiences."

Anna Gruszka, the festival's producer, says that Kinoteka's 8,000-strong audience is approaching a 50-50 balance. She says: "I know my predecessors were trying to reach the British audience, but at first the audiences were maybe 90% Polish. Now we have long-term partnerships with various British institutions and a British PR company, so we target the British audience much more directly. I think it's working."

This matters because, like many national film festivals, Kinoteka is essentially an official initiative. It's run out of the Polish Cultural Institute in London, with support from the foreign affairs ministry and the Polish Film Institute in Warsaw, with additional funding from corporate sponsors.

"The mission of the Polish Cultural Institute," says Gruszka, "is to promote Polish culture in the UK." It's a challenging job, because "the cultural offer in London is so incredibly diverse, and we're only one small festival". But by careful programming – mixing the best of new Polish cinema with the odd "slightly less challenging" comedy, and throwing in retrospectives, shorts, exhibitions and youth events – Kinoteka is broadening its appeal.

The 10-day Russian film festival aims for a similar 50-50 balance in audience (currently 48% Russian, 51% British) and funding. Director Svetlana Adjoubei says the event's aims are twofold: "To represent contemporary Russian culture – in this case, a Russian cinema that all but disappeared in the break-up of the Soviet Union, but is now bouncing back – to British audiences, and to promote Russian films to a professional audience." With a UK premiere every evening, the festival hopes to expand to other British cities this year.

For film-makers, at any rate, these niche festivals are popular. "This is my first experience of Kinoteka," says Agnieszka Lukasiak, whose Between Two Fires is screening at the festival. "My film isn't released until next month and this seems like a really good showcase for distributors, better perhaps than big‑name festivals where it can be difficult to get attention."

Richard Mowe, director of the French festival, now 20 years old, and co‑director of the Italian, currently in its 18th year, says there's no doubt the horizons of British cinephiles "have expanded dramatically over the past couple of decades. They're now incredibly discerning punters – very aware of what's out there, and very aware festivals are going to be their only realistic chance of seeing a really good range of French and Italian films."

But if the French and Italians themselves still rightly consider the UK "a difficult market" (the French less so; there's a sizeable state apparatus to promote French films abroad), Mowe's two festivals, both run as charities, have seen their total audiences grow from around 3,000 to approaching 25,000.

Both, though, barely cover their costs. "They're very, very expensive," Mowe says. "The sales companies demand exorbitant prices – for the likes of us, they certainly don't give these films away."

Back at the Riverside, where some 60% of screenings are now part of one festival or another, Shira Macleod, the Riverside's cinema director, agrees costs can be prohibitive. She likes to work, she says, with national cultural institutes, who can bring films into the country in the embassy's diplomatic bag. "That way I don't have to pay the huge costs associated with 35mm prints," Macleod says. "I can do a straight box-office split with them, and be sure of not losing money."

The bigger festivals from countries with large UK populations "certainly make money", she says, and demand is growing: "The whole thing is going bonkers: I can't cope with the number of countries who want to organise a festival. But the thing has to be viable, and some just aren't."

Others are unashamedly more grassroots affairs. Vedide Kaymak launched the London Turkish film festival 17 years ago while working at the Rio cinema in Dalston, east London. "It started purely for my community," she says. "There were refugees, Turkish Cypriots, Kurds, Turks from the mainland – and none of them connecting. I thought a festival would be a good thing."

At that stage, in the early 90s, Turkey was producing eight or 10 feature films a year, Kaymak says. It is now producing more than 100, some winning critical acclaim: Honey (Bal), the final instalment of Turkish director Semih Kaplanoglu's trilogy, won last year's Golden Bear for best picture at the Berlin film festival.

The parallel success of Kaymak's festival, watched by 5,000 people last year, has allowed her to switch her focus away from her community and towards helping Turkish cinema. The winner of the festival's digital distribution award is guaranteed a UK deal it might not otherwise have got. Only two years ago, though, did Kaymak approach the Turkish ministry of culture for any support, and her festival remains, essentially, "a labour of love".

Community-inspired or government-run, hard-nosed commercial promotions or high-mindedly artistic, the UK's foreign film festivals are thriving. Partly, that's because they can count on sizeable audiences of native speakers. But it's also because our tastes are changing. At long last, it seems, we're prepared, in numbers, to watch films in foreign languages. It's just a shame the only place we can do it is at a festival.

The Kinoteka London film festival continues until 13 April. The Spanish film festival Spring Weekend runs 1-3 April at Ciné Lumière, London Sw7.

Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Attenberg has been a critical favourite (see our review) since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year. I got to see Attenberg in Tsangari’s spiritual film home, SXSW (she’s a former Austinite & co-founder of the Cinematexas film festival), and also share a coffee with her as we discussed the [...]

I tried to model this thread on the one that discusses Japanese film, which seems to receive a fairly steady stream of recommendations. If this one gathers half as much steam, it will be successful. I am defining China here as 'greater China': suggestions for films from the mainland (PRC), Taiwan (ROC), Hong Kong and even Singapore would be welcome. To get things rolling, here are five of my favorites with Wikipedia write-ups. There are several others but these are some of the ones that keep me coming back over the years. What do you guys and gals like? Image: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/huang0513/41CTMFHP5QL_SL500_AA300_.jpg *To Live* (Chinese: 活着; pinyin: Huózhe) is a Chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou in 1994, starring Ge You, Gong Li, and produced by the Shanghai Film Studio and ERA International. It is based on the novel of the same name by Yu Hua. Having achieved international success with his previous films (Ju Dou and Raise the Red Lantern), director Zhang Yimou's To Live came with high expectations. It is the first Chinese film that had its foreign distribution rights pre-sold. The film was banned in mainland China by the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television due to its critical portrayal of various policies and campaigns of the Communist government. Zhang Yimou was also banned from filmmaking for two years. To Live was screened at the 1994 New York Film Festival before eventually receiving a limited release in the United States on November 18, 1994. Image: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/huang0513/51R866KV1VL_SL500_AA300_.jpg *Eat Drink Man Woman* (simplified Chinese: 饮食男女; traditional Chinese: 飲食男女; pinyin: yǐn shí nán nǚ) is a Taiwanese film directed by Ang Lee and starring Sihung Lung, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Kuei-mei Yang. Many of the cast had starred in Ang Lee's previous film, The Wedding Banquet with Sihung Lung and Ah Lei Gua once more playing central elderly figures, and Winston Chao. The film was released in 1994. The film was a critical success, and the 2001 film Tortilla Soup was a re-make of the film. This film tells the story of a semi-retired and widowed Chinese master chef at the Taipei Grand Hotel. Chef Chu (Sihung Lung) and his family are living in modern day Taipei, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. The three daughters are: Jia-Jen, the oldest one (Kuei-Mei Yang), a school teacher nursing a broken heart. Jia-Chien, the middle one (Chien-lien Wu), a career woman Jia-Ning, the youngest one (Yu-Wen Wang), a twenty year old. As the film progresses, each daughter encounters new men. When these new relationships blossom, their roles are broken and the living situation within the family changes. Image: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/huang0513/220px-In_the_Mood_for_Love_movie.jpg *In the Mood for Love* (Traditional Chinese: 花樣年華; Simplified Chinese: 花样年华; Pinyin: Huāyàng niánhuá), literally "the age of blossoms" or "the flowery years", which is a Chinese metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love) is a 2000 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. The film premiered on May 20, 2000, at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The film's original Chinese title derives from a song of the same name by Zhou Xuan from a 1946 film. The English title derives from a Bryan Ferry cover of the song "I'm in the Mood for Love" that is also used in the film. The film forms the second part of an informal trilogy, together with the first part Days of Being Wild (released in 1991) and the last part 2046 (released in 2004). Image: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/huang0513/51m17KIT95L_SL500_AA300_.jpg *Chungking Express* (simplified Chinese: 重庆森林; traditional Chinese: 重慶森林; literal: Chungking Forest) is a 1994 Hong Kong film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a Hong Kong policeman and his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin and the second stars Tony Leung, Faye Wong and Valerie Chow. The Chinese title translates to "Chungking Jungle", referring to the metaphoric concrete jungle of the city, as well as to Chungking Mansions in Tsim Sha Tsui, where much of the first part of the movie is set. The English title refers to Chungking Mansions and the Midnight Express food stall where Faye works. Image: http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/huang0513/51T8ZB1G2QL_SL500_AA300_.jpg *The Story of Qiu Ju* (Chinese: 秋菊打官司; pinyin: Qiū Jú dǎ guān sī; literally "Qiu Ju goes to court") is a 1992 Chinese comedy-drama film. The film was directed by Zhang Yimou and, as in many of his films, stars Gong Li in the title role. The screenplay is an adaption of Chen Yuanbin's novella The Wan Family's Lawsuit. The film tells the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju, who lives in a rural area of China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village head, Qiu Ju, despite her pregnancy, travels to a nearby town, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats and find justice. The film was a hit at film festivals and won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1992.

The competition programme "New Europe - New Names" at the Vilnius International Film Festival "Kino Pavasaris" has selected a formidable collection of Eastern and Central European films. The audience is invited to 11 thrilling, refreshing brand new films thoroughly selected by an international jury. These particular foreign films are all contenders in the line to become the highlights of the festival. They have already proved their potential at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Pusan, San Sebastian, Locarno and Warsaw film festivals.

 

The competition programme "New Europe - New Names" will kicked start in the second half of the festival programme on the 26th of March at "Forum Cinemas Vingis" with the romantic comedy "Hello! How Are You?". This film once again proves that Roumania is a country of unfading talents. The best film will be screened on the closing day of the festival (31st of March), which will be decided by the five member jury. 

 

Jury members at the Vilnius international film festival are: Milcho Manchevskij, macedonian director; Nadya Turyncev, producer, Gary Mc Vey, director of American cinema foundation, Alante Kavaite, lithuanian director and script writer, currently living in France and Fred Kelemen, director and cinematographer.

 

CICAE jury will also evaluate the films and will search for the one, that would fit into repertoirs of European independent cinemas. The members of CICAE jury, who came to Vilnius, are - Tejinder Jouhal from Institute of Contemporary art (ICA) London, Peter Muscatics, communication director of Hungary's leading international film festival CineFest and Christopher Gatt, General Manager of St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Malta.

 

"Woman With the Broken Nose" is a playful film starring Braca Katič, who has also appeared in the famous Emir Kusturica comedy "Black Cat White Cat". This film debuted at the Novi Sad and Karlovy Var film festivals and won the Grand Prix at Zurich Film Festival in 2010.

 

Marek Lechki‘s drama "Erratum" received the Best Debut award at Gdynia Film Festival in 2010 and continues to fetch awards all over the world. This Polish film was given a second place title at Pusan Festival, triumphed at the Chicago Film Festival and was awarded for the Best Debut at Thessaloniki International Film Film.

 

Polish cinema will be represented by "The Christening" -  Best Film award winner at Gdynia Film Festival. Loosely based on the biblical story of Cain and Able, the film is a chilling story about the underground Warsaw, governed by mafia rules. This film has been screened at Toronto, San Sebastian, Reykjavik and Hong Kong Festivals.

 

You will not see any real fights in the Hungarian kung-fu comedy "Children of Green Dragon", but rather sincere conversations between two oddballs. This film began its festival tour with Pusan, Valladolid and Warsaw.

 

The most awarded contestant of the "New Europe - New Names" is the famous documentary director Sergej Loznica, whose first feature is about a lory driver and his adventures on the tricky roads of Russia. The film‘s scandalous debut earned invitations to Toronto, London, New York and Rotterdam, and won main prizes at Kiev, Minsk and Tallinn.

 

Rightly acknowledged by the New Directors programme, the Bulgarian director Dragomir Sholev drama "Shelter" tells a story about rebellious teenagers‘ struggle through adolescence. The film is co-written with the screenwriter of the famous "Death of Mr. Lazarescu" Razavan Radulescu. Irena Hristoskova, who convincingly played the teenage punk, will be coming to Vilnius to present the film.

 

The audience of "Kino Pavasaris" will also have a unique opportunity to meet  the European Cinema Academy nominated Croatian National Theatre actress Zrinka Cvitešic.  She played a dramatic role in the Jasmila Zbanič film "On the Path", where her character fights the pressures of fundamentalist religious community, that is destroying her love. Jasmila Zbanič has previously been awarded a "Golden Lion" at Berlin Film Festival for  "Grbavica", which was show in "Kino Pavasaris" in 2007.

 

Awarded a "Future Lion" at Venice Film Festival, "Majority" is a feature that tackles the issues of hierarchy in the domestic life of a traditional Turkish family. Usurping father forbids his grown up son to date a girl of Kurdish decent.

 

Similar problems occur in the Slovakian family drama "The House", where a despotic father stands in the way of his daughters happiness. This Zuzana Liova film premiered at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival.

 

Both Romanian contestants in "Kino Pavasaris" started off at Locarno Film Festival, which opened the doors to international audiences. Marian Crisan, who debuted with the comedy drama "Morgen" fetched four prizes - Special Jury, Ecumenical Jury, Youth Jury Diploma and an International Film Club Award "Don Quixote". Shot on the border between Roumania and Hungary the film is about a Romanian sheltering a Turkish immigrant, who hopes to cross the border and escape to Germany.

 

Columbia graduate film director Bogdan George Apetri co-wrote his award winning debut scrip with the famous writer Cristianu Mungiu ("4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days") and two other co-writers. "Pacific" -  the "Golden Alexander" prize winner at Thessaloniki Film Festival  - is a film about a woman who is released from jail for 24 hours, but has no intention of coming back. Ana Ularu received the Critic‘s prize at the Locarno Film Festival for the phenomenal portrayal of the prisoner; she later received Best Actress prizes at Warsaw and Thessaloniki.

Japanese animators had tried to address fears of the force of nature long before last month's earthquake struck

In September 2008, Hayao Miyazaki, the author of Spirited Away, attended the Venice festival to present his most recent full-length film, Ponyo. In this city so closely connected with the sea, the Japanese director explained why he chose to end the film with a tsunami, and why the Japanese celebrate nature in spite of its destructive power.

"There are many typhoons and earthquakes in Japan," he said. "There is no point in portraying these natural disasters as evil events. They are one of the givens in the world in which we live. I am always moved when I visit Venice to see that in this city which is sinking into the sea, people carry on living regardless. It is one of the givens of their life. In the same way people in Japan have a different perception of natural disasters."

True enough, in Miyazaki's animated films nature dictates its terms on mankind. Ultimately the tsunami in Ponyo is beneficial for the country it wrecks, which with its ageing population and small coastal towns closely resembles the real Japan. But not all the pictures in Japanese films, whether animated or not, are underpinned by such environmentally aware animistic harmony.

In most feature films the sea round Japan is a deadly enemy, stirred by subterranean forces. Alain Schlockoff, who organised the Paris Fantastic Film festival for many years and now edits L'Ecran Fantastique, a specialist magazine, was particularly impressed by Tidal Wave, a 1974 science fiction movie that caused a sensation in Japan. Based on Nihon Chinbotsu, a disaster novel by Sakyo Komatsu, the story hinged on the disappearance of the archipelago due to tsunamis and volcanic eruptions caused by shifting tectonic plates. "Japanese film technicians are very good at building scale models and the pictures in the film were exactly like what we have just seen," says Schlockoff. It was remade in 2006, as The Submersion of Japan, testimony to the enduring appeal of such nightmares.

Since 1945 and the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the awareness of the threat from the natural environment has been compounded by fear of nuclear war. The manga Barefoot Gen in Hiroshima was made into a film, but most cartoons depict the cities' destruction without explaining the cause. A typical example is the 2001 anime Metropolis, loosely based on Fritz Lang's eponymous work. Similarly Steamboy, by Katsuhiro Otomo, is set in a parallel world where neither the internal combustion engine nor nuclear power have been invented. Technology does, however, represent a deadly hazard for the community.

The approach to these disasters is not so much premonitory. It is more a way of exorcising fears. Godzilla is the oldest instance, and the most famous. The monster was born in 1954, less than 10 years after the atom bombs, at the Toho studios, where a statue still stands. The giant lizard came into existence following experiments by American nuclear scientists. It was sufficiently powerful, tough and radioactive to destroy the whole of Tokyo and unlike King Kong prompted no sympathy at all, just terror.

The film was such a success that about 30 follow-ups were made. In 1998, Hollywood commissioned Roland Emmerich to shoot a remake. In this version the mutation was caused by French nuclear tests in the Pacific. Yet another remake is on the way.

Japan's nightmares are contagious. On 8 March, the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro announced that he was starting work on Pacific Rim, in which a fault in the ocean floor releases swarms of monstrous creatures that destroy Tokyo and Los Angeles. But some doubt the project will ever happen, given the fearful reality of the disaster that has now struck Japan. Watching the pictures on television Schlockoff admits to feeling "somehow ashamed at having enjoyed these films". They were, after all, a chilling premonition, not an exorcism.

Driven by destruction

Apocalyptic events, regardless of the form they take, are a central theme in mangas such as Ken the Survivor, Akira or Neon Genesis Evangelion. The threat of an earthquake or tsunami appears in many series, serving as a driving force in the narrative, a backdrop to romance or a remote starting point justifying the existence of a post-disaster world.

The theme is also tied up with the various forms mangas may take, depending on their readership, with seinen, for adult readers, addressing "serious" topics, shojo for young women, shonen for their male counterparts and a host of other sub-genres.

In Tokyo Mew Mew, a lightweight story for girls, the main character acquires magical powers and a feline appearance after an earthquake. At the other extreme Tokyo Magnitude 8 offers a realistic account of the consequences of a massive quake that devastates the archipelago. A fairly conventional rite of passage, the story centres on two survivors in the ruins of a man-made island wrecked by the tremor, but also describes rescue operations in considerable detail.

Spirit of the Sun, by Kaiji Kawaguchi, is an outstanding manga, which starts with a gigantic quake, so severe it breaks Honshu, the largest island of Japan, in two. A tsunami follows, devastating what remains of the country. Under the pretence of providing humanitarian aid, the Chinese army takes over what soon becomes North Japan, whereas the US army occupies the south.

Though at first sight a fairly typical example of the post-disaster genre, Spirit of the Sun offers a critical view of Japan in the 2000s, using its description of the living conditions of Japanese refugees in Taiwan to make barely veiled allusions to the strict immigration policies enforced by the government in Tokyo.

Although earthquakes and tsunamis are recurrent motifs in many books and films, they are far from neutral. Publication of X, a fantasy inspired by the Bible, in particular the Apocalypse, was suspended for several months in 1995. Its recurrent tremors, purportedly announcing the imminent end of the world, upset many readers at a time when Kobe had just been hit by an earthquake that claimed nearly 6,500 lives.

Several similar series are likely to be suspended in the near future. On television the rerun of an anime version of Tokyo Magnitude 8 has already been shelved, and other animes containing tsunami sequences have met a similar fate or are being rewritten. Damien Deloup

These articles originally appeared in Le Monde

The Serbian film-maker Emir Kusturica will be president of the Un Certain Regard jury at the 64th Festival de Cannes, from 11th to 22nd May 2011.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every year, Un Certain Regard, at the very heart of Official Selection, alongside the Competition, presents around twenty films characterised by the originality of their ideas as well as their aesthetic.

Emir Kusturica received the Palme d'Or in 1985 for When Father Was Away on Business. Ten years later, his second Palme d'Or for Underground made him a member of that elite group of directors who have twice been honoured.

Accompanied by a jury made up of artists, journalists and festival directors, Emir Kusturica will award the Prix Un Certain Regard, together with the other festival awards, over the closing weekend.

The 2010 Prix Un Certain Regard was awarded to Hong Sang Soo for Ha Ha Ha, which was recently released in France.

Filmography
 As director Guernica, 1978, short
 The Brides Are Coming (Nevjeste dolaze), 1978, TV film
 Buffet Titanic (Bife Titanik), 1979, TV film
 Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjećaš li se Dolly Bell), 1981
 Nije čovjek ko ne umre, 1984, TV film
 When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu), 1985
 Time of the Gypsies (Dom za vešanje), 1988
 Arizona Dream, 1993
 Underground (Podzemlje), 1995
 Black Cat, White Cat (Crna mačka, beli mačor), 1998
 Super 8 Stories, 2001, documentary
 Life Is a Miracle (Život je čudo), 2004
 Promise Me This (Zavet), 2007
 Maradona, 2008, documentary
 Cool Water, 2011
 Tweaker's Delight, 2011
 Wild Roses, Tender Roses, 2012
 As actor The Widow of Saint-Pierre, 2000
 The Good Thief, 2002
 L'affaire Farewell (Farewell), 2010
 
Awards
 1st prize on Student's Film Festival in Karlovy Vary, (1978) for Guernica
 Golden Lion for "Best First Work" in Venice Film Festival, (1981) for Do You Remember Dolly Bell?
 Golden palm Cannes Film Festival, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business
 FIPRESCI prize Cannes Film Festival, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business
 Best Foreign Language Academy Award Nomination, (1985) for When Father Was Away on Business
 Best Director award at Cannes Film Festival, (1989) for Time of Gypsies[37]
 Silver Bear at Berlin Film Festival, (1993) for Arizona Dream
 Golden Palm at Cannes Film Festival, (1995) for Underground[38]
 Silver Plate of best documentary at Chicago International Film Festival, (2001) for Super 8 Stories
 Cinema Prize of the French Education System at Cannes Festival (2004) for Life is a Miracle
 Best European Union Film at César Awards, (2005) for Life is a Miracle
 Philippe Rotthier European Architecture Award, (2005) for Küstendorf village in Serbia
 On 10 February 2007, Kusturica received Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's highest order in recognition of significant contribution to the arts.
 Emir Kusturica is the winner of the Philippe Rotthier European Architecture Award for his Küstendorf ethnic village project (also called Drvengrad – a “wooden town”) on Mt. Zlatibor, Serbia, in 2005. The prize is awarded every three years by the Brussels Foundation for Architecture.
 In 2004, The Prix de l'Education nationale (National Education Prize) honored Emir Kusturica and his film Život je čudo (Life is a Miracle).

 

 

'I think he'll identify with it so much,' Dorff suggests about his friend and one-time co-star's opinion of the acclaimed new film.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Stephen Dorff
Photo: MTV News

Ever since they shared screen time in the 1997 heist flick "Blood and Wine," actors Stephen Dorff and Jack Nicholson have remained close friends. Their relationship may not necessarily be "bromance" territory, but it's close enough that Dorff has shared his career ups and downs with the Oscar winner, and asked for his advice over the years. When MTV News caught up with Dorff recently to talk about his critically acclaimed new film "Somewhere" — a role that he called the most challenging of his career — he said he thinks the flick is one Nicholson will really enjoy.

"I think he's going to really love this movie because to me it's a film that isn't made anymore today," Dorff explained. "It's such a character piece and I think he'll identify with it so much.

Dorff revealed that he already got a big thumbs-up from Nicholson after "Somewhere" took home the top prize at Italy's Venice Film Festival in September.

"After we won Venice I remember telling him how excited I was," he recalled. "And he's like, 'Way to go, Dorff!' "

We then brought up the fact that Nicholson has taken several actors under his wing over the years — pointing out to Dorff that the Hollywood legend had taken an interest in "Mad Men" actress January Jones when she was first starting out.

"Well, he takes an interest in a lot of women, let's be honest," Dorff responded with a chuckle. "He definitely took me under his wing. I think it's rare for Jack to take a young guy under his wing — he's not hanging out with too many guys.

"He did do that with Sean Penn and he's definitely given me great advice over the years," Dorff added. "I always feel like I have him as a friend and he'll show up if he can. And he's always been my favorite actor, so for me, he's a friend, and it's nice to get a little star struck still. It keeps me remembering who I am and where I am, and Jack's still somebody that makes me a little nervous."

If Dorff has his way, he and his buddy Jack will take their friendship to the big screen via a comedy the younger actor is hoping to make with Adam Sandler's production company.

"It's a very funny comedy idea for me and him set in the South of France," Dorff told the UK's Independent newspaper last month. "We're not in script form yet but I wrote the treatment and they've already bought it so as soon as I get a break from working, I'll turn that into a script and I'll go and tell Jack. ... And I'll get Sony to give him his $15 million and then we'll go and make the movie — because he likes money."

Check out everything we've got on "Somewhere."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Pablo Trapero was born in San Justo, Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1971. He wrote, directed and edited the short films Mocoso Malcriado (1993) and Negocios (1995) before directing his feature debut, the award-winning Crane World (1999), a black and white 16mm film that proved to be a breaking point in Argentine cinema and that encouraged dozens of young directors into their first features. Crane World was released internationally at Venice, harvesting awards and critical acclaim at film festivals around the world.

In 2002, his second feature El Bonaerense premiered at Un Certain Regard in the Cannes Film Festival, again to critical and audience acclaim. That same year he opened his own production company Matanza Cine in Buenos Aires, from which he has produced ever since not only his own features but also those of other Argentine and Latin American filmmakers, including Lisandro Alonso, Enrique Bellande and Raúl Perrone. "Matanza", Trapero informed me when we met at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), is the name of the neighborhood where he was born and raised and literally means "the killing." El Bonoaerense was filmed there, as were several sequences for Carancho (2010), Trapero's sixth feature and Argentina's official submission to the Foreign Language category of the 2011 Academy Awards®. It's been picked up for North American distribution by Strand Releasing and has been programmed into the Awards Buzz: Best Foreign Language Film sidebar at the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF).

As a director, between shorts and TV films, Trapero's credits include Rolling Family (2004), Born and Bred (2006), and Lion's Den (2008). My thanks to Marcus Hu of Strand Releasing for setting me up to interview Pablo Trapero at TIFF and to Doug Cummings for initially publishing the transcript of our conversation at the AFI Fest website.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE
With over six categories of film, over 22 categories of screenplays,
stage plays and teleplays and a combined total of over 120 awards, our
un-waivering desire is to recognize and reward a large and diverse
selection of films and writing from all backgrounds. 

DESCRIPTION

The Love Unlimited Film Festival
& Art Exhibition is one of the world’s most amazing and inclusive
film festivals and art exhibitions. From the moment when people walk
through the doors realizing that no one is turned away for lack funds...
audiences realize that Love Unlimited is a one of a kind event placing
access, equality, artistic and emotional visions far beyond commercial
appeal. The start of the festival takes place in picturesque Venice
Beach, California in April and ends with Fireworks on the Waterfront of
beautiful Portland, Oregon in late May just days before the 104th Annual
Rose Festival!* For one hundred years, the Portland Rose Festival has
served families and individuals from Oregon and beyond with several
weeks of events and programs that spotlight the riches of our Pacific
Northwest heritage and environment while offering colorful examples of
many international cultures. Attended by more than two million people,
the festival is annually one of the top three most highly decorated
events by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA)
and in 2007 was named Best Festival in the World. The Love Unlimited
Film Festival is not affiliated with the Rose Festival but we look
forward to our Film festival being surrounded with such love and
emotion. The Love Unlimited Film Festival spans the course of four days
in two of the most exciting and innovative Film and Media areas of the
world. Our goals entail a commitment to uplifting, inspiring and
educating international audiences about the integration of love and the
cinematic arts; and supporting, through spotlighting and presenting, the
work of artists from around the planet. We recognize experimental,
avant-garde, independent, theatrical releases, music videos, and now
interactive art installations. It is our desire to continue to expand
the scope of artistic recognition during this exciting time in history
when professional cinematic vision and technology is more accessible to
the artistic hearts and minds of people not influenced by hierarchal
institutions which filter out diversity and raw, unharnessed emotion and
talent. With over six categories of film, over 22 categories of
scripts and a combined total of over 120 awards, our unwaivering desire
is to recognize and reward a large and diverse selection of films from
all backgrounds. The Love Unlimited Film Festival and Art Exhibition
is dedicated to international outreach in order to promote love through
Film, Visual Arts, Music and Screenplay Writing. Its mission is to
help promote love worldwide - while encouraging people to continue
working for a better world! The Love Unlimited Film Festival and
Exhibition was established to enable people to present professional or
Do-It-Yourself films, motion pictures, art, music and screenplays.To Subnit films please visit http://www.LoveAndDiversity.org

Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Cinematical

With just four feature films, 'The Virgin Suicides' (2000), 'Lost in Translation' (2003), 'Marie Antoinette' (2006) and the new 'Somewhere,' Sofia Coppola has shown herself to be one of the world's most delicate and uniquely heartfelt filmmakers. She rarely gets credit for this, however, and instead receives criticism for her class and status, for having been born into "Hollywood royalty." It doesn't help that she tends to make movies about privileged characters, but Ms. Coppola also manages to make these characters universal and emotionally truthful, showing them to be just as sad, lost, lonely, and confused as the rest of us. Her new movie has started off well, winning the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.

'Somewhere' tells the story of a successful Hollywood actor, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), who has just finished a movie and spends most of his days living in a room at the Chateau Marmont, drinking, smoking, having sex, and just generally trying to stave off boredom and despair. Things change when his 11 year-old daughter (Elle Fanning) is dropped off for a visit of uncertain legnth; he begins, though this simple human connection, to understand what his life could be about. Coppola tells this story in a dreamy, non-linear way with very little explanation or exposition, which will be aggravating to many American viewers. But those that clue into its sensitive rhythms will find something to treasure.

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Oscar-winning actor to curate alongside Mark Cousins and Lynda Myles in move to reinvent festival facing big funding cuts

The Oscar-winning actor Tilda Swinton is to become a curator of the world's longest-running film festival, in Edinburgh, in a dramatic move to breathe new life into an event that faces big funding cuts.

A shift in style became immediately apparent as it was revealed that it would move away from the traditional image of film festivals, as there will be no winners or award ceremonies.

Instead, new ideas – including cheaper tickets, a string of "discrepant thinkers" as guest curators, one-off events and "honesty days" when people can pay what they feel a film is worth – promise to reinvent the festival and bring in new film lovers.

After a fruitless four-month search for a replacement artistic director following the departure of Hannah McGill in the autumn, organisers have decided against having a single person.

Instead Mark Cousins, who headed the event for two years in the mid-1990s, will be in charge of the "artistic and creative vision" for 2011, alongside Swinton, a patron of the festival and another former director, Lynda Myles. The change follows poor returns last year, which saw a 10% drop in ticket sales. Billed as a "one-off" celebration to mark its 65th birthday, it will be called "All That Heaven Allows".

Cousins, who describes himself, Swinton and Myles as the "dreamy outsiders", said the festival needed its "Ziggy Stardust moment". It has lost £1.9m in funding over the next three years following the government's decision to scrap the UK Film Council. He said: "It is probably the most radical shakeup the film festival has had. The film festival world is changing. There are now 2,000 festivals. A lot are quite similar. But if you look at music festivals there is a lot happening. What Tilda and I and Lynda can do is take the film festival and mash it up with other stuff, with dance culture and music culture."

Cousins said he would programme new events to celebrate the links between film and the likes of visual art, music and literature, while there will be campaigns to promote films to young people. Big premieres will also be scaled back, although Cousins expects still to attract big names.

"We want this to be a kind of Meltdown meets the Venice Biennale," he said. "We have this city full of film lovers – we had 45,000 people last year – but it is a mistake to think of it in terms of who your audience is." Citing events such as the Ballerina Ballroom, two years ago, in which Swinton transformed a disused ballroom in the small Scottish town of Nairn into a cinema for a week, and another in which he and Swinton did a film pilgrimage with a mobile cinema from the east to the west coast, which attracted thousands of people from all over the world, Cousins said he wanted to surprise people.

"We love the Edinburgh film festival but it needs to continue to surprise people to keep people attentive. We're clearing away everything for renewal to give ourselves space for a rethink.

"Edinburgh is a city on a human scale and the festival has never felt like a institution, it's always spiky and edgy. We shouldn't try to make it too grand. We wanted to have an honesty day in which we tell people to pay what they think, give nothing or give over a bottle of wine. We want it to be quite playful."

Vaguely bohemian and only slightly out of the mainstream, the Standard Hotel in New York's Meatpacking District proved an apt locale for the entertainment press to line up to interview the famously fashion-savvy Sofia Coppola, who came a few blocks uptown from her SoHo digs to promote "Somewhere," her latest film and the recipient of the top prize, the Golden Lion, at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival.

Sofia Coppola was literally born into show business in Hollywood.  Growing up with a very famous dad, she started acting in his films early on. However, she’s evolved artistically and come a long way since those days.   Nominated as the third female ever for a directing Oscar, Coppola has impressively spread her wings and followed in her dad’s footsteps as a writer/director with films such as THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, LOST IN TRANSLATION and MARIE ANTOINETTE. Resurfacing after some time away, the academy award winner returns to Hollywood with her forthcoming award-winning semi-autobiographic flick, SOMEWHERE. SOMEWHERE is a subtle, yet poignant depiction of a hot, famous Hollywood actor Johnny Marco, living a monotonous life at The Chateau Marmont.  Bored and unhappy, the actor’s life, magnificently portrayed by Stephen Dorff, consists of pills, alcohol, and meaningless sex until his daughter arrives unexpectedly for an extended stay. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Coppola last week at the Standard Hotel to pick her brain about her latest release.Check out what she said.What is your writing process?It’s different when I’m writing an original script and when I’m adapting something.  I try to be disciplined about it. I find it hard to start writing. I was in Paris when I wrote this.  I took the year off after Marie Antoinette to spend time with my daughter and then I thought about getting back to writing.  This character came to mind when I did a commercial with Harris Savides, the cinematographer on this. We were talking about what we liked and didn’t like about making movies and how simply you could tell a story.  I felt inspired to write something that we could try to make in this way and have it simply show a portrait of just a guy in a moment of his life. This guy came to mind and I was curious to try and write from a guy’s point of view… Do you find writing or directing more fulfilling?I find it’s part of the same process for me because the writing is just a tool to be able to make the final story so I think it’s more fulfilling for me to see the final project.  Writing is so hard and challenging that when you print it out, that’s the most gratifying.  Your movies tend to focus on the subject of loneliness and alienation….I’m interested in characters that are in moments of transition and self reflective and I think at those times you can feel alienated and I just think I’m interested to know more about that and learn about myself.  I’m not just interested in moments in lie when everything is going smoothly and good because it’s boring and not challenging.  I also like movies that the underestimate character changes from a big outside traumatic event. It could be a come small moment that makes you look inward.  I find that at those moments you can feel disconnected and second and that’s why those come up.Do you see yourself in some of these character in terms of transition in your own life? I try to write what’s on my mind or what I’m thinking about and I try to put myself in their shoes.  I’m not always going through the same experience as them but I relate enough.   I think in all my work there is always kind of what person you want to be and identity compared to the setting you’re in.In the opening sequence, did the music inspire it or did you already have that in mind?I had this idea when I first started this story of this guy in his Ferrari going around in circles… that was the first interest for starting the story. I  listen to music when I’m writing, so that song came to mind just when I was listening to different things and that just felt like a mood that related to it.Was Collin Farrell the inspiration for Johnny Marco?  Can you clarify? The character was based on a dozen or so guys that I’ve met or seen.  When I was writing Lost In Translation, he was staying at the Chateau Marmont before he was sober. He came to mind, but it’s not based on him.  I don’t like people singling out any name  It was just a story of him being there then.  There’s a little bit of him in it.What have you experienced at the Chateau Marmont which made it into the film?There’s so many moments and stories that come from actually being there and then stories I’ve heard. There was a photographer who died when he left the hotel and crashed his car into the wall.  These are little moments that came from there. Then I heard some story about a rock star whose friends were having parties and he’d be along in his bedroom. These are just some things I’ve seen and stories I’ve heard. Was the ending of him driving the car to the other side a conscious choice?Yeah, I was having trouble figuring out the ending and my friends said to take a look at the beginning of the film and I knew that the car was a symbol of part of his life.  I wanted to look into it that way.Talk about casting Chris Pontius…I knew him in real life and I’ve seen him around my friends’ kids and he was always very funny with them. He has a lovable quality, so I’d hoped that his real personality could come through.  You never know, so luckily it did and those were the scenes that he3 would improvise that he would come up with these stories. I figured from jackass that he would be improvising and he never filmed something like that so the continuity for how you shoot a scene was new for him, but he was really fun to work with. Her reactions were her real reactions, so it was really fun to have him wait until filming, to see her real reactions.What was it like getting an award for this film in Venice this year?I don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of them but it was a nice surprise when we got an award at the Venice film festival but I never expected the grand prize. I was especially surprise with this film because it was a quite movie...it’s not so aggressive, so I was surprised. What was it like working with your brother as a producer?It’s really nice.  My whole life he’s always helped me with projects and things so it just feels like an extension of that. It’s just really nice to have my big brother help me out with how I want to make the movie and he was really helpful.  I never shot in LA before.  He helped me put a crew together and just protecting to keep it small because film crews can get out of control really fast.  It was important to keep the budget and crew small so that we can have an intimate shoot.  We were shooting in a hotel room and stuff like that…What’s the most important thing you learned from your father as a director?Spending time on his sets is how I learned to approach things on my own way. But he always emphasized the most important thing was the script and the acting, so I think that’s the most important thing that stays in my mind.  Also, to not use video assists and sit right next to the camera.  His teacher told him that and it’s something I do.  I think now there are a lot of people in the other room behind the monitor and I think the actors can really appreciate or connect with you if you’re right there. Is it important for you to stick with the script rather than improvise ?There are improvised scenes with party scenes, but with dialogue, it’s important that they remain the way they are written, so that I don’t feel that I have to over explain things.  Can you explain what Johnny was trying to say to his daughter, even though she couldn’t hear him.In life there is miscommunication.  If only he had said what he said standing next to her…he’s more comfortable saying things in a safer place than to have her really communicate with him. There are so many moments in life of miscommunications that I find interesting.What are you working on next?I’m planning on writing again but I’m not sure what yet. SOMEWHERE opens in NY and LA December 22, 2010.Source: LatinoReview

Check out Amnesty International’s action:

Jafar Panahi, an internationally celebrated film director who won the coveted “Golden Lion” prize at the Venice Film Festival for his 2000 film “Dayareh” (Circle), has been sentenced to six years in prison plus a twenty-year ban on all his artistic activities—including film making, writing scripts, traveling abroad and speaking with media. Jafar Panahi was convicted of “propaganda against the state” for having exercised his right to peaceful freedom of expression through his film-making and political activism. He was specifically accused of making an anti-government film without permission and inciting opposition protests after the disputed…

European film organisations ask film-makers and actors to register protest against jailing of Iranian director

Film-makers and actors from around the globe are expected to sign a petition calling for the release of the dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi. An Iranian court yesterday sentenced the 50-year-old to six years in prison, his lawyer said, and banned him from directing or producing films for 20 years.

Launched earlier today, the online petition claims that "Jafar is innocent and his only crime is wishing to continue to freely exercise his profession as a film-maker in Iran ... Through this sentence inflicted upon Jafar Panahi, it is manifestly all of Iranian cinema which is targeted."

The petition was drawn up by a group of European film organisations, including the Cannes film festival and the magazine Cahiers du Cinema. It invites signatures from writers, film-makers and actors, "as well as every man and woman who loves freedom and for whom human rights are fundamental".

Panahi, a critic of the Ahmadinejad regime who supported the protests that followed 2009's disputed Iranian elections, was convicted of "propaganda against the system". In his plea to the court, he said: "My imprisonment and that of those I work with symbolises the kidnapping by those in power of all artists in the country." Panahi will be jailed alongside another film-maker, Mohammad Rasoulof.

Panahi won the Camera d'Or award at the 1995 Cannes film festival for The White Balloon and the Golden Lion prize at the 2000 Venice festival for The Circle. His other pictures include Offside and Crimson Gold.

The director was initially arrested at his home in March, when he was accused of making an "anti-regime" documentary about the green uprising. His incarceration sparked protests from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Ang Lee and Steven Spielberg, while Juliette Binoche used the stage at last May's Cannes film festival to call for Panahi's release.

Somewhere won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the International Film Festival of Venice 2010. Oscar-winning writer and director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides, Marie Antoinette), Somewhere is a witty, moving, and find empathy in the orbit of actor Johnny Marco (played by Stephen Dorff). You’ve probably seen in the tabloids, ...Post from: …

Acclaimed film-maker who supported opposition green movement also banned form foreign travel or speaking to media

The acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison today, and banned from directing and producing films for the next 20 years, his lawyer said.

Panahi, an outspoken supporter of Iran's opposition green movement, was convicted of gathering, colluding and propaganda against the regime, Farideh Gheyrat told the Iranian state news agency ISNA.

"He is therefore sentenced to six years in prison and also he is banned for 20 years from making any films, writing any scripts, travelling abroad and also giving any interviews to the media including foreign and domestic news organisations," she said. Gheyrat said she would appeal against the conviction.

Panahi won the Camera d'Or award at the Cannes film festival in 1995 for his debut feature, The White Balloon, and took the Golden Lion prize at Venice for his 2000 drama, The Circle. His other films include Crimson Gold and Offside. He is highly regarded around the world but his films are banned at home.

Hamid Dabashi, a professor of Iranian studies at Columbia university, told the Guardian the sentence showed Iran's leaders could not tolerate the arts. "This is a catastrophe for Iran's cinema," he said. "Panahi is now exactly in the most creative phase of his life and by silencing him at this sensitive time, they are killing his art and talent.

"Iran is sending a clear message by this sentence that they don't have any tolerance and can't bear arts, philosophy or anything like that. This is a sentence against the whole culture of Iran. They want the artists to sit at their houses and stop creating art. This is a catastrophe for a whole nation."

Panahi, 49, was arrested in July 2009 after participating in a mourning ceremony for the protesters killed in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election. He was released shortly afterwards but was denied permission to leave the country. In February 2010, he was arrested along with his family and colleagues, and taken to Tehran's notorious Evin prison.

Muhammad Rasoulof, one of the film-makers who was arrested at the same time, was also sentenced to six years in jail today yesterday.

Senior Hollywood figures including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Juliette Binoche condemned his arrest. Binoche held up Pahani's name in protest at the Cannes festival.

In May, he was released on $200,000 (£129,000) bail after several days on hunger strike. He has since been denied permission to attend film festivals where he was invited as a judge including a recent invitation from the Berlin film festival.

In an interview in September, Panahi said: "When a film-maker does not make films it is as if he is jailed. Even when he is freed from the small jail, he finds himself wandering in a larger jail," he said.

Max Ophüls, 1934, PG, Eureka!

Max Ophüls (1902-57) was firmly established in Germany as a director for stage, radio and cinema with one minor movie masterpiece (Liebelei) to his credit when the Nazis came to power. As a prominent Jewish artist, he went into exile never to return, working elsewhere in Europe, then in Hollywood, before returning to France to make La Ronde and three other masterworks before his untimely death. Stories of love at first sight, frustrated affairs, tragic encounters – these were his forte, with haunting, romantic music, and exquisite tracking shots that take the audience down streets, through rooms, up and down staircases.

All this is here in the one movie he made in Italy, La Signora di tutti ("Everybody's Lady"), which brought him the prize for technical achievement at the second Venice film festival. The enchanting Isa Miranda (left)plays a chanteuse and Italian movie star who reviews her career in flashback from the operating table after a suicide attempt, recalling the lives she has innocently ruined. The DVD is accompanied by a documentary by Tag Gallagher and an essay by Luc Moullet.

Writer/director Sofia Coppola discusses her latest film Somewhere with Film Independent -

 

It's hard to believe that over ten years have passed since Sofia Coppola burst onto the scene with her 1999 indie hit The Virgin Suicides.  Now the Academy Award and Spirit Award-winning writer/director is back with Somewhere. Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 2010 Venice Film Festival, Somewhere, starring Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning, depicts the story of Johnny Marco, a Hollywood superstar, living in a hotel and numbly going through the motions until his 11-year-old daughter Cleo drops into his life, shaking the very ground he stands on.  Shot entirely on location in Milan, on the streets of L.A., and at the famed Chateau Marmont, Somewhere is a small story that asks the big questions about what truly matters in life and what steps must be taken to get there. I sat down with Ms. Coppola at the Chateau Marmont to discuss her return to the screen and what she has lined up for the future. 

 

By Folayo Lasaki

 

 

I guess we shouldstart at the beginning.  Theopening sequence of the film struck me in a number of ways.  Can you talk about what you werethinking with this?

I just was thinking that I wanted to do a portrait of thisguy...this character came to mind. Right away I thought that he drives a Ferrari.  I had this idea about movie stars who have these sports carsthat they can't drive in the traffic; I imagined he had to go out thedesert.  I wanted to describe thestate the character was in - he was going in circles.  I think the nice thing in film is to be able to use visualsto tell stories with metaphors. 

 

It was a long sequence.In your mind when you were writing it, shooting it, and editing it, was thatjust supposed to be a moment in time?

The opening?

 

Yeah, the opening...

Yeah, it was a snapshot of this guy - a moment of time, toshow the state he was in. When I wrote it, I didn't expect how long we weregoing to stay on it, but when we were filming it, I wanted it to go long enoughto get into his state...really see the monotony.  But when I watch it with an audience, I do get kind of tense.  It's like, "Okay one more lap."

It seems that you as afilmmaker tend to move towards the smaller and the more intimate.  In this film specifically, I noticedthat there was a real sense of stillness and a quiet.  The sounds were so palpable; you could hear breathing inpools and skates on the ice.  Howmuch a part of that came at the beginning, and how much came at the end?

That was something I wanted throughout the process.  I talked about that to Richard Beggs,our sound designer, who I love working with.  It feels like a lot of movies just bombard you with music andsongs in every scene; I just wanted to approach everything as minimally aspossible...to do a really minimal portrait of this guy.  Even with the camera work, I wanted you to not be aware ofthe camera -to feel natural. It was important to make it feel like you werealone with this guy, and that included the sound also feeling really natural -the sounds of the engine, the squeaks on the poles.  We didn't use a lot of music. Some, but it was limited.  I really wanted to let it breathe. Ithink that all those little details make it come to life.  I wanted to experiment on how simply wecould do something.

 

How did you writethat?  It felt like the first tenor fifteen minutes had four or five sentences. 

Yeah, in the first 20 minutes there was barely anydialogue.  It starts out with himalone, and you're just kind of with him. I felt like the audience just had to get in that mode.  I had that in mind when I was writingit.  I also felt that a lot ofthings would be in real time, like with the ice-skating and with the twins... Ithought that that would go on long enough, that you could understand thatthings aren't exciting to him.  Iwanted the audience to experience it and have the take a quiet reflectivemoment, because that's what he's doing. In life there are so many distractions - we're always on ourblackberries and phone - I just wanted to take a pause.

 

It was reallyfascinating to watch. There aren't a lot of films that are okay with just beingquiet - which I personally loved. 

Well, thank you.

 

Switching to your roleas the director, I know that you started out in costume design. Does thatinfluence your aesthetic?

Yeah.  I thinkall of that influences the aesthetic. I spent a lot of years as a photographer, which shapes how I look atthings.  I think all of thoseexperiences - every experience, really - gets brought into the process.

 

Do you use moodboards?

I do.  I shouldget them more organized.  For allof my films, I put together a book of photographs, images, and notes - thingsthat inspire the project.

 

You were aphotographer?  Is that why youshoot on film?

I just really love film; I love the quality and look ofit.  I'm sentimental.

 

So Somewhere, the title of the film... Where did that comefrom? 

It was actually not supposed to be the title. It was justthis sort of vague idea that he wanted to go somewhere else, but he didn't knowwhere exactly.  It just the idea ofbeing somewhere other than he is.

 

So after Lost InTranslation and Marie Antoinette, why this story? 

I knew I wanted to write a story about L.A.  I lived here in my early twenties, andI wanted to explore how things had changed, and how they had stayed thesame.  And I when I was working onit, I was living in Paris and had just had my first child...

 

Is that where thefather/daughter story came from? 

Yeah.  That andI had a friend with a 12-year-old daughter, and she and her husband were bothin the entertainment business. I wanted to explore that more.

 

You grew up in"Hollywood royalty."  How much ofyour own experience colored the film? How much of this was Sofia the mother vs. Sofia the daughter? 

Well, I grew up in Northern California, so I was prettyremoved from that scene growing up, but I think you always bring in your ownexperience. And when you have a child, you can't help but start to think aboutyour parents.  I brought all ofthat into the script.

 

Your brother [RomanCoppola] produced the film, and your father [Francis Ford Coppola] executiveproduced the film, you don't really follow the adage of not mixing family andbusiness... 

No.  It's whatmy dad did. He always worked with family and friends.  It's what I know. I worked really closely with my brother on this. I always work prettyclosely with him.   My dad wasthe executive producer through Zoetrope, so he wasn't as actively involved inthis project.  But he's always thereto give me advice when I need it.

 

Did you spend a lot oftime at the Chateau growing up? 

I'd spent some time there, but you always hear these storiesabout actors living at the Chateau. Even Stephen [Dorff] had stories aboutliving here.  I thought it wasinteresting to incorporate that into the film.

 

Did you have any otherhotels in mind? 

No.  I knew itto be had to be here.  My producersasked me if there was a ‘plan B,' and I was like, "No, there isn't."

 

Jumping back toStephen Dorff, I'd love to talk about the cast of the film?  How'd he get involved? 

I had known Stephen for a while, and I just thought that hewould be really great in the role. I always had him in mind.

 

This was a departurefor him. 

Yeah, he's never played this kind of role. That's why Ithought it was fun to think about him that way.

 

I read that he calledthis "a gift of a part," 

That's nice to hear. Yeah, he'd been playing the villains.  I wanted to do something that was sweet and had emotionwithout being too sappy.

 

And Elle [Fanning]?How great is she? 

I know. Actually the producers brought in Elle and after I met her, I knew rightaway that she was Cleo.  We offeredher the role that day.

 

She brings a reallevel of maturity to the role.

Yeah, she was able to bring a lot to the role.  She was great.

 

It seems like in allof your films you tend to write these very honest, not exactly loveablecharacters.  I wouldn't even saythat you're sympathetic, but there's not a lot of judgment there. How do you goabout writing observationally?

I try to be empathetic, writing from their points ofview.  But it's true, I knew thecharacter wasn't very likeable, but that's part of how Stephen came to mindbecause he's a really sweet, genuine guy, and has a lot of heart, and he bringsthat.  I felt that without that,the audience wouldn't care about watching him because he is very flawed.  I don't know.  I like the kind of characters that aren't very likeable buthave something about them that you can't help but like.

Anything in the queuenow?

 

No. I want to write another script and keep working in this low-budget andpersonal way.  I have an idea, butI'm not sure what it will turn into. When [Somewhere] comes out, I'llget back to writing.  I findwriting - especially starting - is always hard. 

 

Do you ever thinkyou'll do a big budget thriller? Or an action film?

I can't see doing that, but I always like trying differentthings, so who knows?  But I don'thave any plans for that.  I likethings that are emotional and character-driven.  So that doesn't really appeal to me right now, but I likebeing open to trying new things.

--

 

Somewhere opens inlimited release on December 22.

 

Folayo Lasaki is Marketing Manager at FilmIndependent.

The third Narnia episode falters in spite of rave reviews and even Depp and Jolie can't capitalise. Is it The X Factor's fault?

The faltering start # 1

You might think that opening at the top of the box-office chart automatically places a film in the winners' enclosure. But we doubt backers 20th Century Fox are doing cartwheels over the debut grosses of the new Chronicles of Narnia film, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. With £2.46m including previews of £264,000, that's just over half the opening of Prince Caspian from July 2008 (£4.06m, including £503,000 in previews), which in turn was less than half the debut of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe from December 2005 (£8.88m, including previews of £845,000).

For Disney, which backed the first two Narnia films but declined to proceed with the third, it wasn't the actual worldwide gross for Caspian (a decent $419m) that caused alarm. It was the huge drop from Wardrobe ($739m), suggesting an ever-diminishing appetite for sequels, that really worried the studio. It's early days on Dawn Treader, but those fears seem well placed.

At the time of Caspian's release, some of the blame for its box-office disappointment was attributed to the summer date, competing with titles such as Hancock, Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E. Narnia has its best shot at Christmas, commentators agreed. But despite relatively weak competition at cinemas, a December bow for Dawn Treader seems to have done it few favours. Of course, the real competition for Narnia at the weekend came not so much from rival family films as ITV1's The X Factor.

The faltering start # 2

The UK's Optimum Releasing is trumpeting a strong opening weekend for The Tourist, the biggest in the company's history, plus record yearly takings of £20m. Congratulations for the latter are certainly due to the distributor, which has continued to grow impressively since being acquired by France's Studio Canal in 2006. As for the result on Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie starrer The Tourist, it all depends on the production budget (reportedly $100m-plus), the portion assigned for UK rights (usually around 8% of the total), and the sums expended locally on marketing and distribution. So far, it looks likely there will be red ink on the balance sheet.

The Tourist opened with £1.34m from 412 screens: perfectly decent for a mid-range mainstream release, but hardly blockbuster numbers. Most of Depp's recent big hits have benefited from strong established elements (Disney theme-park ride Pirates of the Caribbean, literary icons Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) making comparisons with The Tourist unfair. But Public Enemies, which debuted in July 2009 with £2.29m including £635,000 in previews, is reasonably pertinent. That number is very similar to the opening in August of Jolie's Salt: £2.17m, including £595,000 in previews. Mr & Mrs Smith, starring Jolie with Brad Pitt, debuted in 2005 with £3.94m, including £405,000 in previews.

The arthouse contenders

Released on just 62 screens, Sofia Coppola's Somewhere was never intended to provide much opposition to the likes of The Tourist and Dawn Treader. Instead it hoped to pick up niche audiences and fans of the director, capitalising on a Golden Lion win at the Venice film festival. A debut of £126,000 for a screen average of £2,026 is at the low end of where it needs to be.

Not only is it (predictably) far behind the opening of Coppola's Lost in Translation (a whopping £797,000 from 96 screens), and in pure revenue terms off the pace of her Marie Antoinette (£284,000 from 179 screens). It's also slightly behind the start of The Virgin Suicides, which debuted more than 10 years ago with £142,000 from 74 screens. The saving grace for Somewhere is that at least its screen average is higher than the ones achieved by Suicides and Antoinette.

Proving remarkably robust at arthouses is French-language film Of Gods and Men, from director Xavier Beauvois. Dipping just 8% from its strong opening of £59,000 (partially attributable to a rising screen count from 16 to 24), the film has now grossed a solid £155,000 in 10 days. A hefty £28,000 of that total has come from the Curzon Renoir near London's Russell Square, and £25,000 from the Curzon Mayfair. It's unusual for a film to play equally strongly at both those cinemas, since the Renoir plays to a purer arthouse crowd of diverse ages, whereas the Mayfair tends to play slightly softer, more traditional fare that appeals to its older upscale base. Presumably, Of Gods and Men's monastery setting, gentle pace and celebration of faith and devotion are all ticking the Mayfair box, while its tragic true storyline and austere arthouse credentials are exciting the Renoir audience.

The big fallers

When a film opens weakly, it's not unusual to see a second-weekend plummet as the film suffers losses of both playdates and showtimes. This phenomenon is in evidence with second-weekend results for The Warriors' Way, down 87%, and Secretariat, dropping an even more alarming 93%. In the case of the latter, the Disney racehorse flick saw sites tumble from 233 to 58, and that pace of shrinkage is surely set to continue into the third weekend.

The future

Despite the dearth of blockbuster openings and the huge competition for audiences presented by the final of The X Factor, takings overall were a surprising 15% up on the equivalent weekend from last year, when Disney's A Christmas Carol drifted back to the summit on its sixth week of release. What happened next last year: Avatar. Cinemas will be hoping that the likes of Tron: Legacy, Burlesque and Animals United, all arriving Friday, can collectively add up to James Cameron's digital adventure, for one weekend at least. That, however, is unlikely to happen.

Top 10 films

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, £2,460,118 from 536 sites (New)

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, £1,905,368 from 580 sites. Total: £42,570,440

3. The Tourist, £1,341,143 from 413 sites (New)

4. Megamind, £1,205,320 from 470 sites. Total: £4,545,404

5. Unstoppable, £406,882 from 382 sites. Total: £3,989,854

6. Due Date, £192,311 from 237 sites. Total: £10,303,604

7. Monsters, £154,743 from 153 sites. Total: £695,249

8. Somewhere, £125,581 from 62 sites (New)

9. No Problem, £114,652 from 47 sites (New)

10. The American, £109,084 from 163 sites. Total: £1,184,528

How the other openers did

Band Baaja Baaraat, 16 screens, £20,530

For Colored Girls, 10 screens, £10,956

The Shop Around the Corner, 2 screens, £8,038

On Tour, 6 screens, £4,823 + £1,920 previews

Enemies of the People, 3 screens, £2,289

The Thorn in the Heart, 9 screens, £2,088

In Our Name, 4 screens, £2,016

A Serbian Film, 1 screen, £492 + £927 preview

Outcast, 1 screen, £113