This article contains spoilers
“Trust no one.” That bit of advice is the cornerstone of every paranoid thriller, whether it’s The X-Files, 70s classics like Three Days of the Condor, or recent entries such as Get Out.
As a show about shape-shifting aliens, Secret Invasion should be able to excel at “trust no one” better than any of its predecessors. Nearly anyone can be a Skrull, even Tony Stark’s best friend Rhodey, a mainstay of the MCU since its beginning (albeit played by different actors).
And yet, four episodes in, Secret Invasion’s biggest mystery is about the nature of the show itself. Is this a thriller about secret agent Nick Fury uncovering a vast conspiracy? Is this a commentary about the insiders and outsiders in the American experiment? Is this a show about spies battling aliens?
One gets the sense that showrunner Kyle Bradstreet wants to say...
“Trust no one.” That bit of advice is the cornerstone of every paranoid thriller, whether it’s The X-Files, 70s classics like Three Days of the Condor, or recent entries such as Get Out.
As a show about shape-shifting aliens, Secret Invasion should be able to excel at “trust no one” better than any of its predecessors. Nearly anyone can be a Skrull, even Tony Stark’s best friend Rhodey, a mainstay of the MCU since its beginning (albeit played by different actors).
And yet, four episodes in, Secret Invasion’s biggest mystery is about the nature of the show itself. Is this a thriller about secret agent Nick Fury uncovering a vast conspiracy? Is this a commentary about the insiders and outsiders in the American experiment? Is this a show about spies battling aliens?
One gets the sense that showrunner Kyle Bradstreet wants to say...
- 7/13/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Director: Shekhar Kapur.
Cast: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Aly and Jeff Mirza
Cinematography: Remi Adefarasin. Music: Nitin Sawhney.
Ians Rating: ***
Many Asians continue to embrace arranged marriages in the sub-continent. Even in the UK, modern arranged marriages involve a variety of matchmaking practices where each family tailors its own version to suit modern identities and ambitions.
For the sizeable migrant population comprising Indians and Pakistanis, it may not be a homogeneous tradition, though by and large it remains the preferred choice.
At the heart of the story is an enterprising London-based filmmaker Zoe (Lily James), who proposes to make a documentary about Muslims and their obsession with arranged marriages. "Or assisted marriages," as her neighbour and friend Kazim (Shahzad Latif) explains.
The Khans (Azmi and Jeff Mirza) are not just next-door neighbours; they are best friends too. Zoe barges into Kazim’s place unannounced and...
Cast: Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson, Shabana Azmi, Sajal Aly and Jeff Mirza
Cinematography: Remi Adefarasin. Music: Nitin Sawhney.
Ians Rating: ***
Many Asians continue to embrace arranged marriages in the sub-continent. Even in the UK, modern arranged marriages involve a variety of matchmaking practices where each family tailors its own version to suit modern identities and ambitions.
For the sizeable migrant population comprising Indians and Pakistanis, it may not be a homogeneous tradition, though by and large it remains the preferred choice.
At the heart of the story is an enterprising London-based filmmaker Zoe (Lily James), who proposes to make a documentary about Muslims and their obsession with arranged marriages. "Or assisted marriages," as her neighbour and friend Kazim (Shahzad Latif) explains.
The Khans (Azmi and Jeff Mirza) are not just next-door neighbours; they are best friends too. Zoe barges into Kazim’s place unannounced and...
- 3/17/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
With the traditional white and trite rom-com formula looking increasingly tired, there is an exciting opportunity for contemporary cinema to shake things up. The search for a partner in today’s more diverse society – navigating love and marriage traditions across cultures – is ground ripe for exploration.
Unfortunately, What’s Love Got To Do With It? stumbles on that ground pretty early on and never regains its feet.
Zoe (Lily James), our mildly unlikeable protagonist, is a documentarian with terrible taste in men and a mother who is overly invested in her finding The One. Cath (Emma Thompson), Zoe’s mum, might be bitter about the brutal end of her marriage but she still believes that her little girl should be working harder to find her own happily ever after.
Until Zoe finally walks down the aisle, Cath can content herself with living vicariously through her close friends and neighbours the Khans...
Unfortunately, What’s Love Got To Do With It? stumbles on that ground pretty early on and never regains its feet.
Zoe (Lily James), our mildly unlikeable protagonist, is a documentarian with terrible taste in men and a mother who is overly invested in her finding The One. Cath (Emma Thompson), Zoe’s mum, might be bitter about the brutal end of her marriage but she still believes that her little girl should be working harder to find her own happily ever after.
Until Zoe finally walks down the aisle, Cath can content herself with living vicariously through her close friends and neighbours the Khans...
- 2/24/2023
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In the U.S., many of us who subscribe to five or more streaming services have grown tired of internet packages that bundle cable TV services we don't want or need. As streaming becomes more prevalent, UK households face their own kind of inconvenience, though it's not exactly new for them. On top of subscriptions, each household must pay an annual TV license fee to access broadcast television, which is currently set at £159 (189 in today's Usd) or face criminal prosecution. The fee, which funds the BBC, has become so controversial that earlier this year, UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries called to freeze it at the present rate and abolish it by 2027.
Other instances of the TV license fee facing such intense public scrutiny have been with respect to the programming that Bcc produces. I mean, if we were taxed to fund the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead of voluntarily handing over all our money to Disney,...
Other instances of the TV license fee facing such intense public scrutiny have been with respect to the programming that Bcc produces. I mean, if we were taxed to fund the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead of voluntarily handing over all our money to Disney,...
- 11/20/2022
- by Walter Roberts
- Slash Film
Arranged marriage is a tried-and-true trope in Bollywood romcoms, which typically champion love and social progress over tradition, even if they’ve hardly moved the needle for decades despite the genre’s immense popularity. Though set in London and revolving around arranged marriage in the South Asian diaspora, it’s easy to make assumptions about Toronto Film Festival premiere “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” based on genre conventions and cliché.
But this is most definitely not what Bollywood romcom enthusiasts might expect. For starters, the story concerns overseas Pakistanis and not Indians. The film also doesn’t outright frame arranged marriage as something outdated and stifling. If anything, it encourages viewers to not rush to judgment.
Moreover, its protagonist is actually a white woman. Zoe (Lily James), is a socially conscious documentary filmmaker from an ethnically diverse part of London. Her mother, Cath (Emma Thompson), while fully embracing the multiculturalism around her,...
But this is most definitely not what Bollywood romcom enthusiasts might expect. For starters, the story concerns overseas Pakistanis and not Indians. The film also doesn’t outright frame arranged marriage as something outdated and stifling. If anything, it encourages viewers to not rush to judgment.
Moreover, its protagonist is actually a white woman. Zoe (Lily James), is a socially conscious documentary filmmaker from an ethnically diverse part of London. Her mother, Cath (Emma Thompson), while fully embracing the multiculturalism around her,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Martin Tsai
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Having absolutely nothing to do with the Tina Turner biopic of the same name (minus the question mark), What’s Love Got To Do With It? serves as a master class in how to adhere faithfully to the classic romantic-comedy template and yet still emerge with something that delivers delightfully on both sides of the hyphen.
Serving as the first foray into the rom-com arena for filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, of Elizabeth and Bandit Queen renown, the effervescent cross-culture confection may not be the first to examine the practice of arranged marriage in the age of Tinder, but Kapur’s soulful touch, working from a knowing script by Jemima Khan, hits all the desired marks.
Top it off with a lovely lead performance by Lily James and a bitingly funny one by Emma Thompson, and you’ve got the type of world premiere TIFF entry...
Having absolutely nothing to do with the Tina Turner biopic of the same name (minus the question mark), What’s Love Got To Do With It? serves as a master class in how to adhere faithfully to the classic romantic-comedy template and yet still emerge with something that delivers delightfully on both sides of the hyphen.
Serving as the first foray into the rom-com arena for filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, of Elizabeth and Bandit Queen renown, the effervescent cross-culture confection may not be the first to examine the practice of arranged marriage in the age of Tinder, but Kapur’s soulful touch, working from a knowing script by Jemima Khan, hits all the desired marks.
Top it off with a lovely lead performance by Lily James and a bitingly funny one by Emma Thompson, and you’ve got the type of world premiere TIFF entry...
- 9/11/2022
- by Michael Rechtshaffen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The race for best cinematography is among the most competitive races this year at the Oscars. Black-and-white dramas, sci-fi dazzlers and Hollywood blockbusters are among the contenders, and it’s not entirely sure where it all might land. The American Society of Cinematographers, which announces its nominees tomorrow, will set a tone leading up to the opening of Oscar nomination voting, which begins on Thursday.
From ASC’s theatrical releases category to the Oscars, the track record averages about four out of five matches every year. Past ASC selections like “First Man” (Linus Sandgren), “Ford v Ferrari” (Phedon Papamichael), and last year’s “Cherry” (Newton Thomas Sigel) failed to transition to the Academy in favor of “Never Look Away” (Caleb Deschanel), “The Lighthouse” (Jarin Blaschke) and “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Sean Bobbitt). The last time they perfectly aligned was in 2017.
Over 93 years of the Academy Awards, Rachel Morrison is...
From ASC’s theatrical releases category to the Oscars, the track record averages about four out of five matches every year. Past ASC selections like “First Man” (Linus Sandgren), “Ford v Ferrari” (Phedon Papamichael), and last year’s “Cherry” (Newton Thomas Sigel) failed to transition to the Academy in favor of “Never Look Away” (Caleb Deschanel), “The Lighthouse” (Jarin Blaschke) and “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Sean Bobbitt). The last time they perfectly aligned was in 2017.
Over 93 years of the Academy Awards, Rachel Morrison is...
- 1/24/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The cinematography field is packed with immeasurable talent but not equal opportunities, particularly for women. When a tragedy occurs such as the loss of Halyna Hutchins, who died at 42 after being shot by a prop firearm on the set of the indie film “Rust,” the absence is felt throughout the industry.
In the 93 years of the Academy Awards, Rachel Morrison is the only woman ever to be nominated for cinematography, for her work on Dee Rees’ “Mudbound.” And the cinematographers’ branch has a poor track record for honoring diverse and inclusive artists. Case in point: A Black cinematographer has never won the category, and only two have been nominated (Remi Adefarasin for 1998’s “Elizabeth” and Bradford Young for 2016’s “Arrival”).
This year, multiple women are bringing their A-game to high-profile films. Ari Wegner creates distinct visions in Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” from Netflix and Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” from A24.
In the 93 years of the Academy Awards, Rachel Morrison is the only woman ever to be nominated for cinematography, for her work on Dee Rees’ “Mudbound.” And the cinematographers’ branch has a poor track record for honoring diverse and inclusive artists. Case in point: A Black cinematographer has never won the category, and only two have been nominated (Remi Adefarasin for 1998’s “Elizabeth” and Bradford Young for 2016’s “Arrival”).
This year, multiple women are bringing their A-game to high-profile films. Ari Wegner creates distinct visions in Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” from Netflix and Janicza Bravo’s “Zola” from A24.
- 11/4/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
There is a curious sense of ownership from forty-somethings over the cast of shows that were big when they were kids. Here in the UK the late ’80s and early ’90s were awash with the antipodean soap suds of Neighbours and Home and Away. After school we cornered the TV and watched on in eager anticipation as our onscreen heroes grew up with us. As our heroes left the soaps, many scored a well worn groove by leaping to Top of the Pops stardom along with the occasional phone in on the Saturday morning shows. For Guy Pearce however, the end of his three year stint on Neighbours pointed to a very different fate for the actor.
In all Pearce appeared in just four shy of 500 episodes, and like many headlining soap stars of the day there was little doubt he’d crop up again somewhere in the future. Thankfully...
In all Pearce appeared in just four shy of 500 episodes, and like many headlining soap stars of the day there was little doubt he’d crop up again somewhere in the future. Thankfully...
- 3/1/2021
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
If you’re a fan of wrestling, this film is for you. If you’re not a fan of wrestling, this film is for you. Yes, this is a film about a family that loves, lives and breathes everything about World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), but more than that it’s about a family finding out what really matters.
Written, produced and directed by Stephen Merchant, the film is inspired by the Channel 4 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family and tells the story of WWE star Paige (aka Saraya-Jade Bevis) and her real-life family.
The story follows reformed gangster and former wrestler Ricky, his wife Julia and their children, daughter Saraya and son Zak, as they struggle to make a living as wrestlers in tiny venues around the UK. After years of chasing the family dream, Saraya and Zak finally get the chance to audition for the WWE’s training programme.
Written, produced and directed by Stephen Merchant, the film is inspired by the Channel 4 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family and tells the story of WWE star Paige (aka Saraya-Jade Bevis) and her real-life family.
The story follows reformed gangster and former wrestler Ricky, his wife Julia and their children, daughter Saraya and son Zak, as they struggle to make a living as wrestlers in tiny venues around the UK. After years of chasing the family dream, Saraya and Zak finally get the chance to audition for the WWE’s training programme.
- 7/15/2019
- by L Steed
- The Cultural Post
Wrestling is predetermined. Some even call it fake. I myself have used that term, not really thinking. As a kid, I loved it. It lost some of its appeal to me as an adult, but lately it has had some nostalgic value. So, I was a prime target for Fighting with My Family, a true life sports tale that gives professional wrestling a Rocky type story to tell. Even if you couldn’t care less about wrestling, this is still entertaining and inspirational. The movie is funny, heartwarming, and will literally make you stand up and cheer. Usually that’s just a cliched critic’s quote, but here it’s just plain the truth. The film is a sports biopic about professional wrestler Saraya “Paige” Bevis (Florence Pugh), who shocked the world of sports entertainment when she defied the odds and became the youngest Women’s Champion in WWE history.
- 2/12/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The Notebook is covering Tiff with an on-going correspondence between critics Kelley Dong and Daniel Kasman.Dear Danny,I can assure you that the crowds of people surrounding the theatres still eagerly persist; some even arriving for only this weekend from other cities and countries. I have a handful of films remaining, and so much richness of material to peruse, so I look forward to exchanging more impressions and ideas with you even after the festival's conclusion. To alter your category a little, I'd say that there are plenty of directors whose works stem from admirable ambitions, but whose technical execution of these undercut whatever sincere convictions they might have. One of these is Amma Asante, a filmmaker with a curious fixation on adapting "true stories" of interracial romance between black and white people throughout history. There is certainly some merit to revivifying forgotten stories of love, and amplifying a...
- 9/17/2018
- MUBI
Earlier this week, I took a look at Ethan Hawke’s latest directorial effort. Today, we’ll be looking at his newest starring role. The movie in question is Juliet, Naked, which is based on the charming Nick Hornby book of the same name. This week, the adaptation hits theaters, offering up something mellow and nice for audiences. Hawke getting to play an elusive rock star would suggest a far harder edged affair than this, but it makes for a nice little change of pace. You won’t necessarily see any raves about this kind of flick, but you need them. They’re comfort food, cinematically speaking. The film is described, via IMDb, as such: “Juliet, Naked is the story of Annie (the long-suffering girlfriend of Duncan) and her unlikely transatlantic romance with once revered, now faded, singer-songwriter, Tucker Crowe, who also happens to be the subject of Duncan’s musical obsession.
- 8/16/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Fresh from impressing audiences with the debut of its trailer at Cannes Film Festival, the award-winning historical biopic, The Black Prince, will be opening the 8th edition of The Bagri Foundation London Indian Film Festival, at the BFI London Southbank on 22nd June 2017 and 3rd edition of The Bagri Foundation Birmingham Indian Film Festival at Cineworld Birmingham on 23rd June 2017, Europe’s largest Indian film festival.
Releasing worldwide in cinemas on 21st July 2017, The Black Prince tells the little known, yet powerful story of the Last King of Punjab, Maharajah Duleep Singh. The film cornerstones his relationship with Queen Victoria and the long and often difficult battle he faced to regain his identity, faith and the Kingdom taken from his grasp as a child.
Sponsored by the Bagri Foundation with support from Grange Hotels, Sun Mark Ltd, and funded by the BFI’s National Lottery Film Festivals Fund, The Bagri...
Releasing worldwide in cinemas on 21st July 2017, The Black Prince tells the little known, yet powerful story of the Last King of Punjab, Maharajah Duleep Singh. The film cornerstones his relationship with Queen Victoria and the long and often difficult battle he faced to regain his identity, faith and the Kingdom taken from his grasp as a child.
Sponsored by the Bagri Foundation with support from Grange Hotels, Sun Mark Ltd, and funded by the BFI’s National Lottery Film Festivals Fund, The Bagri...
- 6/14/2017
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
The Black Prince, an historical drama based upon the true story of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the boy who became king of Punjab shortly before it was annexed to the British empire, was awarded the Special Jury Remi Award today at the 50th annual WorldFest International Film Festival in Houston. The event’s Gold Remi was also awarded to the film’s Natalie O’Connor for achievement in Art Direction.
Majarajah Duleep Singh was exiled by the British to a privileged life in England when he was only 15 years old, and was shortly thereafter converted to Christianity. Reuniting with his long-lost mother after more than a decade, Duleep begins a daring journey of self-discovery in order to reclaim his faith and the kingdom that is rightfully his. His struggle inspired Sikhs to continue their fight for freedom until India regained its independence from British Imperialism in 1947, and the Sikh kingdom was divided into India and Pakistan.
Majarajah Duleep Singh was exiled by the British to a privileged life in England when he was only 15 years old, and was shortly thereafter converted to Christianity. Reuniting with his long-lost mother after more than a decade, Duleep begins a daring journey of self-discovery in order to reclaim his faith and the kingdom that is rightfully his. His struggle inspired Sikhs to continue their fight for freedom until India regained its independence from British Imperialism in 1947, and the Sikh kingdom was divided into India and Pakistan.
- 5/2/2017
- by Press Releases
- Bollyspice
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Fox Searchlight has bought the rights to “The Spy With No Name,” an ebook written by Jeff Maysh and published by Amazon Kindle Single, Deadline reports. Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert of Emjag Productions will produce alongside “Argo” executive producer David Klawans.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Grasshopper Film Gets ‘Escapes,’ Amazon and IFC Films Date ‘City of Ghosts’ and More
The true story centers on Erwin van Haarlem, a Cold War secret agent who stole the identity of a Dutch man whose mother had given him up for adoption. The Communist spy pretended to be Johanna van Haarlem’s long lost son for 11 years before being caught.
– FilmRise has acquired the U.S. rights to Michael Almereyda’s “Marjorie Prime,...
– Fox Searchlight has bought the rights to “The Spy With No Name,” an ebook written by Jeff Maysh and published by Amazon Kindle Single, Deadline reports. Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert of Emjag Productions will produce alongside “Argo” executive producer David Klawans.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Grasshopper Film Gets ‘Escapes,’ Amazon and IFC Films Date ‘City of Ghosts’ and More
The true story centers on Erwin van Haarlem, a Cold War secret agent who stole the identity of a Dutch man whose mother had given him up for adoption. The Communist spy pretended to be Johanna van Haarlem’s long lost son for 11 years before being caught.
– FilmRise has acquired the U.S. rights to Michael Almereyda’s “Marjorie Prime,...
- 3/31/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
The 89th Academy Awards are almost here, and with it come several opportunities for history to be made. Some chances may be long shots (how awesome it would be if Bradford Young won Best Cinematography), but others are as close to sure things (Damien Chazelle and Barry Jenkins would both make history as Best Director winners).
Below are six ways this year’s Oscars could make history. The ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs Sunday evening at 8:30pm Et on ABC.
Read More: Final Oscar 2017 Predictions: ‘La La Land’ Will Win Nine of Its 14 Nominations
1. Damien Chazelle Could Become the Youngest Best Director Winner
“La La Land” is only Damien Chazelle’s third feature behind the camera, and he seems destined to take home the Oscar for Best Director. At only 32 years old, the filmmaker would become the youngest director in history to win the gold. The current record holder is Norman Rae Taurog,...
Below are six ways this year’s Oscars could make history. The ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs Sunday evening at 8:30pm Et on ABC.
Read More: Final Oscar 2017 Predictions: ‘La La Land’ Will Win Nine of Its 14 Nominations
1. Damien Chazelle Could Become the Youngest Best Director Winner
“La La Land” is only Damien Chazelle’s third feature behind the camera, and he seems destined to take home the Oscar for Best Director. At only 32 years old, the filmmaker would become the youngest director in history to win the gold. The current record holder is Norman Rae Taurog,...
- 2/25/2017
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Cinematographer Bradford Young’s work on Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi drama Arrival not only delivered him his first Oscar nomination, but it made him just the second black cinematographer to be nominated in the category. The first was Remi Adefarasin for 1998's Elizabeth.
He's nominated alongside Linus Sandgren for La La Land, Greig Fraser for Lion, James Laxton for Moonlight and Rodrigo Prieto for Silence. Prieto was previously nominated for Brokeback Mountain; the rest are first-time nominees.
Young's work on Arrival has also brought him his first BAFTA and American Society of Cinematographers Award nominations, as well as such accolades as the Silver Frog from...
He's nominated alongside Linus Sandgren for La La Land, Greig Fraser for Lion, James Laxton for Moonlight and Rodrigo Prieto for Silence. Prieto was previously nominated for Brokeback Mountain; the rest are first-time nominees.
Young's work on Arrival has also brought him his first BAFTA and American Society of Cinematographers Award nominations, as well as such accolades as the Silver Frog from...
- 1/24/2017
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Faced with the reality of a Trump presidency, the Academy is doubling down on its Diversity Initiative. Already, the film industry is supplying more than the usual number of Oscar contenders boasting women and people of color, including the crafts.
Will voters be in the mood to send a post-Election inclusion message? You bet. The biggest impact could occur in the cinematography race, where only one person of African descent has ever been nominated (British-born Remi Adefarasin for “Elizabeth”), and no women. Cinematographer James Wong Howe, nominated seven times, won two Oscars, and Peter Pau one (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), while 10 other Asians have been nominated in that category. The last four cinematography winners are Latino, including Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”) and three-time winner Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity,” “Birdman,” “The Revenant”).
After being overlooked for “Selma,” Bradford Young has a second opportunity to become the first African-American nominee for his poetic imagery in “Arrival,...
Will voters be in the mood to send a post-Election inclusion message? You bet. The biggest impact could occur in the cinematography race, where only one person of African descent has ever been nominated (British-born Remi Adefarasin for “Elizabeth”), and no women. Cinematographer James Wong Howe, nominated seven times, won two Oscars, and Peter Pau one (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), while 10 other Asians have been nominated in that category. The last four cinematography winners are Latino, including Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”) and three-time winner Emmanuel Lubezki (“Gravity,” “Birdman,” “The Revenant”).
After being overlooked for “Selma,” Bradford Young has a second opportunity to become the first African-American nominee for his poetic imagery in “Arrival,...
- 11/17/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
After being overlooked for his stunning work on “Selma,” cinematographer Bradford Young will have another opportunity for an Oscar nomination with Denis Villeneuve’s sublime “Arrival.” If he were to land one, he’d join Remi Adefarasin (“Elizabeth”) as the only other black honored in the category.
Indeed, Young’s poetic imagery helps transcend the sci-fi trappings, enveloping Amy Adams’ remarkable linguist Dr. Louise Banks in a strange, ethereal atmosphere in this alien contact movie about time, memory and mortality — and what it means to be human. The timing couldn’t be better for such a hopeful parable.
“I was free to be more imaginative and use all 360 degrees of the environment,” Young told IndieWire, referring to the fact that “Arrival” marks his first contemporary movie after three successive period pieces (“Pawn Sacrifice,” “A Most Violent Year” and “Selma”).
See more Why ‘Arrival’ Could Never Be Made by a Studio...
Indeed, Young’s poetic imagery helps transcend the sci-fi trappings, enveloping Amy Adams’ remarkable linguist Dr. Louise Banks in a strange, ethereal atmosphere in this alien contact movie about time, memory and mortality — and what it means to be human. The timing couldn’t be better for such a hopeful parable.
“I was free to be more imaginative and use all 360 degrees of the environment,” Young told IndieWire, referring to the fact that “Arrival” marks his first contemporary movie after three successive period pieces (“Pawn Sacrifice,” “A Most Violent Year” and “Selma”).
See more Why ‘Arrival’ Could Never Be Made by a Studio...
- 11/11/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Abbie Cornish, Christopher Eccleston, Tom Sweet join drama sold by Protagonist.
Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later) and Tom Sweet (The Childhood of A Leader) have joined the cast of A United Kingdom director Amma Asante’s next film Where Hands Touch, alongside the previously announced Amandla Stenberg (As You Are) and George Mackay (Pride).
Set in Berlin in 1944, Where Hands Touch follows a bi-racial German teenager (Stenberg) who begins a friendship with a member of the Hitler youth (MacKay).
Asante wrote and will direct the project, which commenced shoot in Belgium this week.
Charlie Hanson (David Brent: Life on the Road) is producing with Remi Adefarasin (Elizabeth) on board as DoP. The film is a Tantrum Films / Pinewood Pictures Production, co-produced with UMedia and financed by BFI, Isle of Man, Head Gear and British Film Company.
World Sales are handled by Protagonist Pictures.
On the latest casting additions, Asante said: “I...
Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later) and Tom Sweet (The Childhood of A Leader) have joined the cast of A United Kingdom director Amma Asante’s next film Where Hands Touch, alongside the previously announced Amandla Stenberg (As You Are) and George Mackay (Pride).
Set in Berlin in 1944, Where Hands Touch follows a bi-racial German teenager (Stenberg) who begins a friendship with a member of the Hitler youth (MacKay).
Asante wrote and will direct the project, which commenced shoot in Belgium this week.
Charlie Hanson (David Brent: Life on the Road) is producing with Remi Adefarasin (Elizabeth) on board as DoP. The film is a Tantrum Films / Pinewood Pictures Production, co-produced with UMedia and financed by BFI, Isle of Man, Head Gear and British Film Company.
World Sales are handled by Protagonist Pictures.
On the latest casting additions, Asante said: “I...
- 11/1/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Matan Yair’s Scaffolding [pictured] and Keren Yedaya’s Red Fields were among the winners at the 11th edition of the event.
The winners of the 11th edition of Pitch Point at Jerusalem Film Festival (July 7-17) have been revealed, with Matan Yair’s Scaffolding taking the $5,200 Van Leer Award.
The drama depicts a 17-year-old student whose life is thrown into turmoil when his literature teacher and role model commits suicide.
The jury, which included Dylan Leiner of Sony Pictures Classics, Vanessa Saal of Protagonist Pictures and Remi Burah of Arte France Cinema, commended the project for its “passion and inspiration” that will help it “cross all borders”. The film already has support from the Israeli Film Fund and the Polish Film Institute and was produced by Gal Greenspan, whose previous projects include Tom Shoval’s Youth.
Read: Pitch Point in focus
The event, aimed at connecting Israeli productions with international partners, presented the $17,000 Cinelab...
The winners of the 11th edition of Pitch Point at Jerusalem Film Festival (July 7-17) have been revealed, with Matan Yair’s Scaffolding taking the $5,200 Van Leer Award.
The drama depicts a 17-year-old student whose life is thrown into turmoil when his literature teacher and role model commits suicide.
The jury, which included Dylan Leiner of Sony Pictures Classics, Vanessa Saal of Protagonist Pictures and Remi Burah of Arte France Cinema, commended the project for its “passion and inspiration” that will help it “cross all borders”. The film already has support from the Israeli Film Fund and the Polish Film Institute and was produced by Gal Greenspan, whose previous projects include Tom Shoval’s Youth.
Read: Pitch Point in focus
The event, aimed at connecting Israeli productions with international partners, presented the $17,000 Cinelab...
- 7/11/2016
- ScreenDaily
Me Before You Warner Bros. Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Showbiz Grade: B Director: Thea Sharrock Written by: Jojo Moyes from Jojo Moyes’ novel Cast: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin, Janet McTeer, Charles Dance, Vanessa Kirby, Jenna Coleman Screened at: Warner, NYC, 5/24/16 Opens: June 3, 2016 Though “Me Before You” will take its place among more or less saccharine romantic dramas, Thea Sharrock’s movie is thoroughly watchable thanks to two central social-class-related performances. Sharrock, whose film debut was filmed by Remi Adefarasin in Pembrokeshire, Wales—which unknown to many here in the U.S. has an abundance of castles—tackles the theme of social-class politics between a fabulously rich Traynor family and a down-and-out [ Read More ]
The post Me Before You Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Me Before You Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/13/2016
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
In what looks to be this year’s most adorable tear-jerker, Warner Bros. Pictures has released a new trailer for Me Before You. In cinemas on June 2, 2016, this preview is guaranteed to have you sobbing.
Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are just too super cute. And the look of the film looks top notch. The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Remi Adefarasin (“Elizabeth”), production designer Andrew McAlpine (“An Education”), editor John Wilson (“Downton Abbey”) and costume designer Jill Taylor (“My Week with Marilyn”).
Based on the critically acclaimed, bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes, New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ Me Before You is directed by Thea Sharrock. The movie marks her feature film directorial debut.
Oftentimes you find love where you least expect it. Sometimes it takes you where you never expected to go…
Louisa “Lou” Clark (Clarke) lives in a quaint town in the English countryside.
Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are just too super cute. And the look of the film looks top notch. The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Remi Adefarasin (“Elizabeth”), production designer Andrew McAlpine (“An Education”), editor John Wilson (“Downton Abbey”) and costume designer Jill Taylor (“My Week with Marilyn”).
Based on the critically acclaimed, bestselling novel by Jojo Moyes, New Line Cinema’s and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ Me Before You is directed by Thea Sharrock. The movie marks her feature film directorial debut.
Oftentimes you find love where you least expect it. Sometimes it takes you where you never expected to go…
Louisa “Lou” Clark (Clarke) lives in a quaint town in the English countryside.
- 5/4/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Zombies make everything better! Jane Austen devotees needn’t worry that the makers of Pride And Prejudice And Zombies have ridiculed her perennially popular story of love among the British upper classes. They’ve merely added zombies to it – an improvement if you ask me! I’ve never had the inclination to read Austen’s novel (I’ve heard it’s good), but I once saw a big screen treatment starring Keira Knightly. This high-concept hybrid adapted from novelist Seth Grahame-Smith’s revisionist tome is one of the more interesting horror movies I’ve seen in a while. Not only does director Burr Steer skirt the edges of camp with Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, he accomplishes a wonderful sense of surrealism and whimsy missing in much modern horror. Here’s a movie that delivers on exactly what its title promises. There are the unmarried Bennet sisters, as well as Mr.
- 2/5/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) has been in the making for several years and in September its debut took place at the 2015 trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) . Bruce Paddington, a filmmaker himself as well as an academic and the Founder and Director of the Festival, along with Annebelle Alcazar, Jonathan Ali and Nneka Luke, and spearheading the Cfm and the Caribbean Film Database (Cfdb) , Emilie Upczak and Melanie Archer, have created an A level event which after 10 years now encompasses three important aspects of film beyond the showcasing of the Caribbean and international docs and fiction films: filmmaking, film marketing and film education which this year included an academic symposium through the University of the West Indies, a Youth Jury of young people from 16 to 21 and sold out matinees for school children.
Cfm envisages the Caribbean -- home to the most genetically variegated people of the world -- as a whole whose varied stories will go out into the larger world (much like the Trinis themselves). Coming from islands which remind us of those planets described in Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ), the Caribbeanos gathered here in Trinidad to receive coaching and positive feedback to extend their reach into the rest of world. Our world, still divided along colonial and post-colonial color and class lines needs this idealistic and inspiring vision.
For more coverage of the event, Lisa Harewood, a Barbados filmmaker, has written about the event in Shadow and Act.
This year 15 feature film projects from 10 countries were pitched and discussed at the inaugural Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) in parallel with an academic symposium of university professors presenting on films, festivals and markets at the Hyatt Hotel. The unique mix of academics and professionals with upcoming filmmakers was vibrant, alive and upbeat, and we hope it continues to grow even though the financing from Acp Cultures which made this event possible may not continue to lend its support.
The 11 fiction feature projects and four doc projects (out of 100 submissions) selected from Guadaloupe, Cuba, Curaçao, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Barbados, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas in development and pre-production were discussed over three days with 30 international film producers, sales agents and film funds coming from diverse countries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
The meetings resulted in professional relationships and partnerships that will enable the production and distribution of the participating projects going forward.
“We are pleased that a number of the projects are from ttff alumni, some of whom have gone through our Rbc Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion, and others the Eave Producers’ training initiative which took place at ttff/14,” said Emilie Upczak, ttff Creative Director.
The selected projects were selected by the ttff, the Global Foundation of Democracy and Development from the Dominican Republic, the Association for the Development of Art Cinema and Practice from Guadeloupe, the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema in Cuba, and the Regional and International Festival of Cinema of Guadeloupe.
The project is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program (Acp Group of States), funded by the European Union ( European Development Fund), and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The projects were all most interesting visualized stories, and the filmmakers themselves, whether just beginning or with one or two features already under their belts, were all well prepared and professionally aligned with the more seasoned professionals in their objectives. Every one of the selected projects holds a promise of unique enchantments.
Jan Miller the international consultant and trainer specializing in film and television coproduction and coventuring who started Transatlantic Partners after she established Atlantic Partners, part of the Atlantic Film Festival in Nova Scotia, and who has delivered one of the top pitching and content development events for 20 years created a substantive and fun environment intensely devoted to the filmmakers.
The winner of the 15 selected Cfm projects was:
1. "Kidnapping Inc.” a fiction feature from Haiti to be directed by Bruno Mourral and produced by Gaethan Chancy and Remi Grelletty who both produced “Moloch Tropical” and “Murder in Pacot” and Raoul Peck the award winning director who has also produced five features and four docs.
Read more about Raoul Peck and his current production “The Young Karl Marx” on Shadow and Act.
“Kidnapping Inc.” has Canal + Antilles as a coproducer as well as private equity. They are still seeking other coproduction partners.
This twisted, dark comedy is about two delivery men working for an underground kidnapping corporation in Haiti. Doc and Zoe are scheduled to deliver a senator’s son worth $300,000. In the midst of their usual bickering, one kills the senator’s son accidentally. Trying to fix the mess they find themselves in, they stumble upon the senator’s son’s lookalike, which sets them on the craziest kidnapping of their lives.
Bruno Mourral is interested in developing the industry in Haiti as well as making movies. He says, “’Kidnapping Inc. is a dark comedy and satire of Haitian society waltzing between ‘City of God’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. This film depicts the raw complexity and Haiti’s harsh day-to-day and pushes the viewer towards a better understanding of social issues such as color, sexism, machismo, social class discrimination and identity.
2. “The Dragon” is a fictional story from Trinidad and Tobago based upon the novel by the world renowned (but little known in the U.S.) Earl Lovelace and to be directed by his daughter Asha Lovelace. Having read the novel I can say that this story of a Trinidad community of African descendants which has inherited traits cultivated under slavery is immediately riveting. It brings another view of the radical political actions we in the U.S. witnessed in the 70s. Moreover, a musical composition written by a Trini composer who read the novel and was so enamored that he freely and without asking composed an entire opus makes this immediately into a transmedia project which is accessible and exploitable. The novel, the musical opus, and what I hope to see -- the movie -- all tell a tale of a people we can identify with but have never seen like this.
The book is a masterpiece and brings to mind “Black Orpheus” with its setting in the poverty-stricken Calvary Hill whose inhabitants’ lives are centered in the yearly Carnival. It also brings to mind John Steinbeck’s stories with struggling characters in the Salinas Valley.
Director Asha Lovelace’s debut short “George and the Bicycle Pump” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. She co-wrote, produced and directed her first feature “Joebell and America” which screened at several film festivals and won for Best International Narrative Feature Film at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami in 2008. She lectures on film at the University of the West Indies, founded and is festival director of Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago, a film festival dedicated to African cinema.
Producer Lesley-Anne Macfarlane has worked in the audio-visual industry in U.K. and Trinidad, graduated with an Ma in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London and has produced several short films and music videos.
The story centers on Aldrick whose sole responsibility in life is to his dragon masquerade that he plays for Carnival. When he finds himself falling for Sylvia, the most desired young woman on the hill, he is unable to commit to her and she succumbs to the advances of an older man. This plummets Aldrick into a moment of blind rebellion that ends in tragedy and forces him to confront his role as dragon and man.
3. “ Sprinter” from Jamaica will be directed by Storm Saulter whose well-received first feature, the 2010 crime drama “Better Mus’ Come” received U.S. distribution through Ava du Vernay’s Affrm. It is being produced by Donald Ranvaud (“City of God”) who is well known and well loved on the international film circuit.
This fictional feature is set against the world of track and field – an area in which Jamaica has excelled for decades – and addresses urgent and poignant broader themes. “Those images of Rastas smoking ganja on the beach or the gunman from Kingston – it isn’t who we are,” Saulter told Jeremy Kay in a Screen interview.
In his interview with Screen, Jeremy also asked what has it been like pitching to dozens of people here.
“You kind of have to get to the soul of the thing and you see what people respond to. This is about meeting with people that can help with financing and also potentially sales agents and exploring co-production possibilities. Jamaica does not have a treaty with the U.S .but we have treaties with the U.K. and Canada. It’s this whole puzzle you have to put together. The responses have been positive.”
The film is about Akeem, a young Rastafarian, who surprisingly shatters the 200-metre high-school track record. He must make the national team tocompete at the World Youth Championships in Philadelphia if he wants a chance to reunite with his mother who has been living there illegally for ten years. Akeem’s overnight popularity and the sudden return of his estranged older brother disrupt his focus. Meanwhile, a scandal is brewing that threatens to derail his career before it’s even started.
4. “ Beauty Kingdom ” is a Dominican Republic project to be directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas who will also produce along with Mónica De Moya. Guzmán and Cárdenas also worked together on "Sand Dollars" (2014) which premiered at Tiff in 2014, "Jean Gentil" (2010) which premiered in Venice in 2010 and "Cochochi" (2007).
This fictional feature takes place in a magical place in the Caribbean and is about the most expensive film of all time which is about to be shot. The Diva, a 70-year-old eccentric actress (played by Geraldine Chaplin), has arrived to star in the film. She finds herself surrounded by the absurdity that such a film production implies, as she rigorously prepares for her role. All the while, she senses the impending end of the world. Nevertheless, the film must go on.
5. “Doubles With Slight Pepper” is a fiction feature coproduction of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. to be directed by Ian Harnarine, produced by Ryan Silbert and exec produced by Spike Lee.
Ian Harnarine , a Trinidadian living in Canada has already won numerous awards for the short that this feature is based upon and has been working on this feature for several years. The film will go into production in Trinidad in November.
In Lisa Harewood’s interview for Shadow and Act , Ian said, "The Caribbean Film Mart was incredibly important in opening up the world (literally!) to the project. To meet face to face with people from Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Norwegian South Film Fund, World Cinema Support etc makes the opportunities available to me very real."
Dhani, a young Trinidadian street vendor, struggles to support himself and his mother by selling doubles. When his estranged father, Ragbir, unexpectedly invites him to New York, Dhani must travel to America and decide if he will save his father’s life.
Best Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011
Best Live Action Short Drama at the Genie Awards 2012 (the Canadian Academy Awards)
Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film:
filmmakermagazine.com/news/people/ian-harnarine/
Watch the short Here.
6. “The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia” from Cuba will be the first fiction feature to be directed by Arturo Infante. His shorts have shown at home and abroad and have won several awards and he has written several produced scripts such as “Havana Eva” and “L’edad de la peseta”, films which Cuban film fans all know well. His producers,Claudia Calviño and Alejandro Tovar are two of Cuba’s top young producers whose film “Juan of the Dead” is Cuba’s most current best selling satire. Like that, this story highlights characters who must react to a surreal situation in an already slightly surreal country called Cuba.
Celeste is in her sixties and sells tickets at a planetarium. The discovery of an alien race shocks the world. Humans will send a spaceship carrying regular citizens to make contact with the alien civilization. Tired of her monotonous life, Celeste decides to apply for a spot on the ship and embark into the unknown.
What Celeste and the rest of the passengers on the ship seek in another galaxy is the Cuban dream of a better life.
Arturo speaks of his interest in characters, both real and as actors. “Growing up in a family with many women made me develop a special ‘ear’ towards the feminine. I spent my childhood in an old colonial-style house, hearing the voices of my mother, my grandmothers, aunts and neighbors. They all talking from one side to another, sharing their stories, dreams and secrets, but also their visions about the reality and politics of my country. That’s why I think the main character in my story must necessarily be a woman. I realize now that Celeste embodies all those voices of my childhood. Celeste’s character also represents my parents’ generation. A generation that gave their best years to build a utopian project that was diverted into paths that were not exactly the ones they dreamed of. A generation now marked by disenchantment and skepticism, a process of which I have been a constant witness. With my story I want to give Celeste a chance to travel to a new planet, the opportunity to see the rebirth of those fallen dreams of her youth.”
http://www.facebook.com/produccionesdela5taavenida
7. “The Fisherman’s Son” from Puerto Rico and Colombia will be directed by Edgar Deluque. Producer Annabelle Mullen from PR is a former entertainment attorney with several credits to her name. She presented this project about a transsexual running away from the city to his childhood home at a fishermen’s island after murdering a policeman. He must face his father whom he hasn’t seen in fifteen years and who doesn’t want anything to do with his transsexual child.
The writer-director, Edgar Deluque, is an emerging talent from Colombia.
8. “Hello Nicki” from Trinidad and Tobago will be directed by Miquel Galofré whose previous moving doc about songwriters who were in prison in Kingston, Jamaica, “Songs of Redemption”, showed at various festivals including Havana and Krakow. Aside from this Miquel has made six other feature docs This doc, produced by Jean Michel Gibert whose sequel to “Pan! Our Music Odyssey” called “ Re-Percussions! Our African Odyssey ” just won the award for Best Trinidad and Tobago Documentary Feature Film at ttff.
This documentary follows Shanice, a teenage girl from Trinidad, as she seeks to actualize her grand dream of making music and collaborating with Nicki Minaj, a Trinidadian born American rapper – the most popular musical personage in the world today. Shanice is a spirited soul living with cerebral palsy and has a unique way of viewing the world. She is keenly aware of the isolation her appearance has caused, but her personality remains bright, upbeat and hopeful.
http://www.miquelgalofre.com .
You can meet Shanice here: https://vimeo.com/136969025 Password: Shanice
9. “Papa Machete” from Haiti, Barbados and U.S. to be directed by Jonathan David Kane is based upon the short which screened at ttff. The producers, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and Keisha Rae Witherspoon were discussing the doc as well as the fiction feature to be made. Many of the people they spoke with, including myself, thought the fiction feature would be more accessible, though perhaps a TV doc would also be possible with the footage they have made the 10 minute short with.
The story is fascinating as the machete was used as a weapon 200 years ago when Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon’s armies with the very tool they used to work the land. Papa Machete explores the esoteric martial art that emerged from this victory through the life and recent death of Alfred Avril, a poor farmer who was one of the art’s few remaining masters. With his passing, Avril’s two sons are confronted with loss, legacy and American dreams.
10. “Wind Rush” is conceived as a doc coproduction between Trinidad and Tobago and U.S. director-writer-producer Vashti Harrison lives in Atlanta, Geogia. Her parents are Trinis and she has a great love for Trinidad and its music. This is an experimental doc about Calypso music which serves a significant role in the Caribbean emigrant experience in London, which began in earnest in the 1950s. Calypso was the music of the minority, the voice of the other, and it helped to define the West Indian identity in England. Using the music of calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Kitchener as a road map to this journey of discovery and displacement, the film will focus on their homes both in Trinidad and London.
The criticism she received was about obtaining music clearances in U.K. when she herself is not a U.K. resident or citizen. Perhaps she needs to find a U.K. producer who can also access U.K. Funds. Her experimental films and docs have shown around the world at Rotterdam, Edinburgh, N.Y. and Havana Film Festivals. All of her work focuses into her Caribbean heritage and is quite evocative, artistic and well executed.
11. “Conch” from Curaçao will be directed and produced by German Gruber whose first film, urban drama, “Sensei Redenshon” was completed in 2013 and will be released in the Netherlands this fall. This fiction feature about the natural side of Curaçao is a road movie about a young boy who runs away from home after the loss of his mother. Searching for the message that he saw her whisper into a conch shell the night before her death, he seeks clues from the characters he meets along his desolate journey. Between nightmares of drowning and daydreams of becoming a musician, he eventually confronts his fear of the sea to find the answer.
12. “Green Days by the River” is a fiction feature set against the backdrop of rural Trinidad in 1952. A fifteen-year-old boy who has just moved to a village naively seeks the affection of two girls, an attractive rich Indian girl, and a more personable and accessible one. The ensuing triangle forces him to focus on becoming a man as he must make life enduring decisions.
Director Michael Mooleedhar has made several award winning shorts.Producer Christian James graduated in 2014 with an Mfa in Cretive Producing from Columbia College Chicago, has interned with K5 International during 2014 Cannes and participated in the 2015 Rotterdam Film Festival Lab.
13. “Potomitans : Women Pillars in Revolt” , a doc project from Guadeloupe will be directed by Bouchera Azzouz whose first documentary, “Nos Meres nos daronnes” (“Our Mothers”) aired this year on France 2 (France Televisions) and was one of its biggest audience hits. This is her second work on popular feminism. Producer Nina Vilus' short "Vivre” has won awards and their “Villa Karayib”, a 3 minute 30 second series with 140 episodes aired on Canal + Antilles. Laurence Lascary is coproducing.
This film is an exploratory journey into the heart of the everyday life of five Guadeloupean women who are considered “potomitans”, women who assume professional and familial responsibilities without the help of a man. Everything rests on the courage of these women, who are trying to emancipate themselves by claiming a new way of being a woman.
It is an Art & Vision Productions, De l’autre cote du periph (Dacp) and Canal + Antilles coproduction which Canal + will broadcast in the French Caribbean. 37% of the financing is secured through the Guadeloupe regional council, Agence national pour la cohesion social et l’egalite des chances (Asce), Ministry of French overseas territories. Apcag network of theaters in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana along with Aubervilliers Theater in France will premiere the film.
14. “The Seawall” is a fiction project to be coproduced by Guyana and U.S.
Director Mason Richards says, “My intention for ‘The Seawall’ is to create a dramatic narrative set in Guyana, South America with simple characters navigating through complex issues within the Caribbean cultural context. It is also my intention to make a film that seeks to reconcile our Caribbean and non-Caribbean identities through the journey of my protagonist who returnes “home” to Guyana and is confronted with issues of his past that he has suppressed. The story needs to be told because many of us from the Caribbean diaspora struggle with “trans-national” identities, meaning we are from the Caribbean, however we’ve immigrated to other countries like the U.S. where we’ve adapted to a new dominant culture and way of life. With tht, there is a feeling of “dis-connect” as though we have left something behind, back “home” in the Caribbean, whether it’s family members, our cultural identity, or simply our childhood memories. It is also my intention to make an entertaining, quality film that highlights the beauty of the Caribbean through the stories and hearts of the characters.
The fiscal partner of this project is Frog (Friends and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Guyana), Verisimiltude in New York City. The executive producer C.R. Wooten has exec produced several film projects for TV and HBO and exec produced the short film, “The Seawall”.
The writer-director, Mason Richards, is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve, a recipient of Sony Pictures Diversity Fellowship 2012, winner of The Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award 2011 and Guyana’s 46th Independence Golden Arrowhead Award.
Producer Sohini Sengupta is an award-winning of creative director of theatrical campaigns, including “Birdman”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Black Swan” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. She is a production team member of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 35 under 35 Women Who Run Hollywood.
Malachi, a struggling young writer in Brooklyn, learns of his girlfriend’s pregnancy and returns to his birth country, Guyana, to sell off his inheritance. In Guyana, Malachi ends up confronting his estranged father who abandoned him as a child. Malachi gets closure, and makes decisions about the kind of father he would be to his unborn child.
15. “Epiphany” by Maria Govan who is a self-taught filmmaker from the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. When she was 18 she moved to L.A. and worked for four years on Hollywood sets. In 1999 she returned home, bought a digital camera and began making small guerilla-style local documentaries. In 2004 she moved to New York and began writing her first narrative script “Rain” which premiered in 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival, won several awards and aired on Showtime to a strong audience response. Her second film “Play the Devil” was shot entirely in Trinidad in the spring of 2015 and she hopes it will premiere in the winter of 2016.
Producer Abigail Hadeed has worked with Caribbean crews on big budget commercials. She worked on the short “4am” in 2011 which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festval. In 2012 she produced an award winning feature doc “La Giata” and produced “Play the Devil” with Maria.
They are looking for coproducers and can offer a 35% rebate on Trinidadian spend with a 50% rebate on roles in key positions for films shot in Trinidad. Exterior and ocean environments can be shot in the Bahamas.
Set in the Bahamas — Mary, a loner with a passion for spear fishing and the sea, is forced to give up her room to her overbearing cousin’s girlfriend, an “illegal” colorful Cuban named Gabriel. When a love triangle develops and George realizes he’s been betrayed, the women are forced into the dark terrain of human smuggling.
Links to “Rain” (director’s previous work): Trailer
Link to Maria Govan’s Show Reel: https://vimeo.com/35611171
Other films in the program but exceeding the official number of 15 include
16. “Cargo” from The Bahamas, a fiction feature based upon the short film of Kareem Mortimer. Producer Trevite Willis has produced several films including the Lgbt feather “Children of God” with Kareem directing. Producer Alexander Younis now has a doc, “Brigidy Bram ” in post-production.
“Cargo”, based upon Kareem’s short “Passage”, is about a Bahamian fisherman whose life is slowly unraveling. After wasting his remaining money at a gambling house, he is approached by a security guard who suggests that Kevin supplement his income by using his vessel as a means to transport people illegally into the United States. Kevin leads scores of migrants on a treacherous, unsettling and perilous final journey.
17. “Scattered” reminded me of “Desperately Seeking Susan” in the story of an young uptight British woman who has her run-of-the-mill life disrupted when the Caribbean grandmother she barely knew leaves a request for her to scatter her ashes in Trinidad where a free-spirited cousin takes her on a wild road trip that changes her life forever.
The director-producer-cowriter, Karen Martinez, is a Trinidadian filmmaker based in London, U.K. She has worked extensively in the film world in U.K. and the Caribbean. In 2013 she wrote, produced and directed her frist narrative fiction “After Mas”. Her most recent film, “Dreams in Transit” is an essay-style documentary of a contemporary migrant reflcting on identity and the meaning of “home”.
18. “Unfinished Sentences” by writer-director-producer Mariel Brown, an award winning documentary director and founder of the creative and production company Savant. Her documentary films have been screened on television, at festivals and other special events around the world, most recently at the Pan African Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand.
This is a story of a writer father and a filmmaker daughter who walks the line between adoration and disappointment, success and failure, race, family and art. When he dies, in her great grief she discovers his poetry and prose transcend death, allowing her to hear his voice again and to find a way back to her own self. For more information go to http://www.unfinishedsentencesfilm.com.
19. “Queen of Soca” by Kevin Adams
“’ Queen of Soca’ was inspired by my home base of Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago where the frustration of living a life of restricted opportunity is a narrative I observe often.“
“ Queen of Soca” is the story of Olivia, who lives in an impoverished community and is striving to make a better life for herself. Her life is full of struggles, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The short version of “Queen of Soca”, entitled “No Soca No Life” premiered at Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival in 2012 and has been well received by movie goers and movie industry practitioners. “No Soca No Life” is currently available on Vimeo, Pay per view.
“We are now focused on the original goal of creating a blockbuster inspirational story for the world to enjoy, and using the Trinidad and Tobago culture as the vehicle for our message. On behalf of myself and my team, thank you for your interest in this project and we look forward to completing this journey with you !”
The Cfm was held from 24-27 September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The ttff/15 took place from 15-29 September.
Cfm envisages the Caribbean -- home to the most genetically variegated people of the world -- as a whole whose varied stories will go out into the larger world (much like the Trinis themselves). Coming from islands which remind us of those planets described in Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ), the Caribbeanos gathered here in Trinidad to receive coaching and positive feedback to extend their reach into the rest of world. Our world, still divided along colonial and post-colonial color and class lines needs this idealistic and inspiring vision.
For more coverage of the event, Lisa Harewood, a Barbados filmmaker, has written about the event in Shadow and Act.
This year 15 feature film projects from 10 countries were pitched and discussed at the inaugural Caribbean Film Mart (Cfm) in parallel with an academic symposium of university professors presenting on films, festivals and markets at the Hyatt Hotel. The unique mix of academics and professionals with upcoming filmmakers was vibrant, alive and upbeat, and we hope it continues to grow even though the financing from Acp Cultures which made this event possible may not continue to lend its support.
The 11 fiction feature projects and four doc projects (out of 100 submissions) selected from Guadaloupe, Cuba, Curaçao, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Barbados, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas in development and pre-production were discussed over three days with 30 international film producers, sales agents and film funds coming from diverse countries in the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
The meetings resulted in professional relationships and partnerships that will enable the production and distribution of the participating projects going forward.
“We are pleased that a number of the projects are from ttff alumni, some of whom have gone through our Rbc Focus: Filmmakers’ Immersion, and others the Eave Producers’ training initiative which took place at ttff/14,” said Emilie Upczak, ttff Creative Director.
The selected projects were selected by the ttff, the Global Foundation of Democracy and Development from the Dominican Republic, the Association for the Development of Art Cinema and Practice from Guadeloupe, the Foundation of New Latin American Cinema in Cuba, and the Regional and International Festival of Cinema of Guadeloupe.
The project is co-financed by the Acp Cultures+ Program (Acp Group of States), funded by the European Union ( European Development Fund), and implemented by the Acp Group of States.
The projects were all most interesting visualized stories, and the filmmakers themselves, whether just beginning or with one or two features already under their belts, were all well prepared and professionally aligned with the more seasoned professionals in their objectives. Every one of the selected projects holds a promise of unique enchantments.
Jan Miller the international consultant and trainer specializing in film and television coproduction and coventuring who started Transatlantic Partners after she established Atlantic Partners, part of the Atlantic Film Festival in Nova Scotia, and who has delivered one of the top pitching and content development events for 20 years created a substantive and fun environment intensely devoted to the filmmakers.
The winner of the 15 selected Cfm projects was:
1. "Kidnapping Inc.” a fiction feature from Haiti to be directed by Bruno Mourral and produced by Gaethan Chancy and Remi Grelletty who both produced “Moloch Tropical” and “Murder in Pacot” and Raoul Peck the award winning director who has also produced five features and four docs.
Read more about Raoul Peck and his current production “The Young Karl Marx” on Shadow and Act.
“Kidnapping Inc.” has Canal + Antilles as a coproducer as well as private equity. They are still seeking other coproduction partners.
This twisted, dark comedy is about two delivery men working for an underground kidnapping corporation in Haiti. Doc and Zoe are scheduled to deliver a senator’s son worth $300,000. In the midst of their usual bickering, one kills the senator’s son accidentally. Trying to fix the mess they find themselves in, they stumble upon the senator’s son’s lookalike, which sets them on the craziest kidnapping of their lives.
Bruno Mourral is interested in developing the industry in Haiti as well as making movies. He says, “’Kidnapping Inc. is a dark comedy and satire of Haitian society waltzing between ‘City of God’ and ‘Pulp Fiction’. This film depicts the raw complexity and Haiti’s harsh day-to-day and pushes the viewer towards a better understanding of social issues such as color, sexism, machismo, social class discrimination and identity.
2. “The Dragon” is a fictional story from Trinidad and Tobago based upon the novel by the world renowned (but little known in the U.S.) Earl Lovelace and to be directed by his daughter Asha Lovelace. Having read the novel I can say that this story of a Trinidad community of African descendants which has inherited traits cultivated under slavery is immediately riveting. It brings another view of the radical political actions we in the U.S. witnessed in the 70s. Moreover, a musical composition written by a Trini composer who read the novel and was so enamored that he freely and without asking composed an entire opus makes this immediately into a transmedia project which is accessible and exploitable. The novel, the musical opus, and what I hope to see -- the movie -- all tell a tale of a people we can identify with but have never seen like this.
The book is a masterpiece and brings to mind “Black Orpheus” with its setting in the poverty-stricken Calvary Hill whose inhabitants’ lives are centered in the yearly Carnival. It also brings to mind John Steinbeck’s stories with struggling characters in the Salinas Valley.
Director Asha Lovelace’s debut short “George and the Bicycle Pump” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival. She co-wrote, produced and directed her first feature “Joebell and America” which screened at several film festivals and won for Best International Narrative Feature Film at the Women’s International Film Festival in Miami in 2008. She lectures on film at the University of the West Indies, founded and is festival director of Africa Film Trinidad and Tobago, a film festival dedicated to African cinema.
Producer Lesley-Anne Macfarlane has worked in the audio-visual industry in U.K. and Trinidad, graduated with an Ma in Cultural Policy and Management from City University, London and has produced several short films and music videos.
The story centers on Aldrick whose sole responsibility in life is to his dragon masquerade that he plays for Carnival. When he finds himself falling for Sylvia, the most desired young woman on the hill, he is unable to commit to her and she succumbs to the advances of an older man. This plummets Aldrick into a moment of blind rebellion that ends in tragedy and forces him to confront his role as dragon and man.
3. “ Sprinter” from Jamaica will be directed by Storm Saulter whose well-received first feature, the 2010 crime drama “Better Mus’ Come” received U.S. distribution through Ava du Vernay’s Affrm. It is being produced by Donald Ranvaud (“City of God”) who is well known and well loved on the international film circuit.
This fictional feature is set against the world of track and field – an area in which Jamaica has excelled for decades – and addresses urgent and poignant broader themes. “Those images of Rastas smoking ganja on the beach or the gunman from Kingston – it isn’t who we are,” Saulter told Jeremy Kay in a Screen interview.
In his interview with Screen, Jeremy also asked what has it been like pitching to dozens of people here.
“You kind of have to get to the soul of the thing and you see what people respond to. This is about meeting with people that can help with financing and also potentially sales agents and exploring co-production possibilities. Jamaica does not have a treaty with the U.S .but we have treaties with the U.K. and Canada. It’s this whole puzzle you have to put together. The responses have been positive.”
The film is about Akeem, a young Rastafarian, who surprisingly shatters the 200-metre high-school track record. He must make the national team tocompete at the World Youth Championships in Philadelphia if he wants a chance to reunite with his mother who has been living there illegally for ten years. Akeem’s overnight popularity and the sudden return of his estranged older brother disrupt his focus. Meanwhile, a scandal is brewing that threatens to derail his career before it’s even started.
4. “ Beauty Kingdom ” is a Dominican Republic project to be directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán and Israel Cárdenas who will also produce along with Mónica De Moya. Guzmán and Cárdenas also worked together on "Sand Dollars" (2014) which premiered at Tiff in 2014, "Jean Gentil" (2010) which premiered in Venice in 2010 and "Cochochi" (2007).
This fictional feature takes place in a magical place in the Caribbean and is about the most expensive film of all time which is about to be shot. The Diva, a 70-year-old eccentric actress (played by Geraldine Chaplin), has arrived to star in the film. She finds herself surrounded by the absurdity that such a film production implies, as she rigorously prepares for her role. All the while, she senses the impending end of the world. Nevertheless, the film must go on.
5. “Doubles With Slight Pepper” is a fiction feature coproduction of Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. to be directed by Ian Harnarine, produced by Ryan Silbert and exec produced by Spike Lee.
Ian Harnarine , a Trinidadian living in Canada has already won numerous awards for the short that this feature is based upon and has been working on this feature for several years. The film will go into production in Trinidad in November.
In Lisa Harewood’s interview for Shadow and Act , Ian said, "The Caribbean Film Mart was incredibly important in opening up the world (literally!) to the project. To meet face to face with people from Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Norwegian South Film Fund, World Cinema Support etc makes the opportunities available to me very real."
Dhani, a young Trinidadian street vendor, struggles to support himself and his mother by selling doubles. When his estranged father, Ragbir, unexpectedly invites him to New York, Dhani must travel to America and decide if he will save his father’s life.
Best Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival 2011
Best Live Action Short Drama at the Genie Awards 2012 (the Canadian Academy Awards)
Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film:
filmmakermagazine.com/news/people/ian-harnarine/
Watch the short Here.
6. “The Extraordinary Journey of Celeste Garcia” from Cuba will be the first fiction feature to be directed by Arturo Infante. His shorts have shown at home and abroad and have won several awards and he has written several produced scripts such as “Havana Eva” and “L’edad de la peseta”, films which Cuban film fans all know well. His producers,Claudia Calviño and Alejandro Tovar are two of Cuba’s top young producers whose film “Juan of the Dead” is Cuba’s most current best selling satire. Like that, this story highlights characters who must react to a surreal situation in an already slightly surreal country called Cuba.
Celeste is in her sixties and sells tickets at a planetarium. The discovery of an alien race shocks the world. Humans will send a spaceship carrying regular citizens to make contact with the alien civilization. Tired of her monotonous life, Celeste decides to apply for a spot on the ship and embark into the unknown.
What Celeste and the rest of the passengers on the ship seek in another galaxy is the Cuban dream of a better life.
Arturo speaks of his interest in characters, both real and as actors. “Growing up in a family with many women made me develop a special ‘ear’ towards the feminine. I spent my childhood in an old colonial-style house, hearing the voices of my mother, my grandmothers, aunts and neighbors. They all talking from one side to another, sharing their stories, dreams and secrets, but also their visions about the reality and politics of my country. That’s why I think the main character in my story must necessarily be a woman. I realize now that Celeste embodies all those voices of my childhood. Celeste’s character also represents my parents’ generation. A generation that gave their best years to build a utopian project that was diverted into paths that were not exactly the ones they dreamed of. A generation now marked by disenchantment and skepticism, a process of which I have been a constant witness. With my story I want to give Celeste a chance to travel to a new planet, the opportunity to see the rebirth of those fallen dreams of her youth.”
http://www.facebook.com/produccionesdela5taavenida
7. “The Fisherman’s Son” from Puerto Rico and Colombia will be directed by Edgar Deluque. Producer Annabelle Mullen from PR is a former entertainment attorney with several credits to her name. She presented this project about a transsexual running away from the city to his childhood home at a fishermen’s island after murdering a policeman. He must face his father whom he hasn’t seen in fifteen years and who doesn’t want anything to do with his transsexual child.
The writer-director, Edgar Deluque, is an emerging talent from Colombia.
8. “Hello Nicki” from Trinidad and Tobago will be directed by Miquel Galofré whose previous moving doc about songwriters who were in prison in Kingston, Jamaica, “Songs of Redemption”, showed at various festivals including Havana and Krakow. Aside from this Miquel has made six other feature docs This doc, produced by Jean Michel Gibert whose sequel to “Pan! Our Music Odyssey” called “ Re-Percussions! Our African Odyssey ” just won the award for Best Trinidad and Tobago Documentary Feature Film at ttff.
This documentary follows Shanice, a teenage girl from Trinidad, as she seeks to actualize her grand dream of making music and collaborating with Nicki Minaj, a Trinidadian born American rapper – the most popular musical personage in the world today. Shanice is a spirited soul living with cerebral palsy and has a unique way of viewing the world. She is keenly aware of the isolation her appearance has caused, but her personality remains bright, upbeat and hopeful.
http://www.miquelgalofre.com .
You can meet Shanice here: https://vimeo.com/136969025 Password: Shanice
9. “Papa Machete” from Haiti, Barbados and U.S. to be directed by Jonathan David Kane is based upon the short which screened at ttff. The producers, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and Keisha Rae Witherspoon were discussing the doc as well as the fiction feature to be made. Many of the people they spoke with, including myself, thought the fiction feature would be more accessible, though perhaps a TV doc would also be possible with the footage they have made the 10 minute short with.
The story is fascinating as the machete was used as a weapon 200 years ago when Haitian slaves defeated Napoleon’s armies with the very tool they used to work the land. Papa Machete explores the esoteric martial art that emerged from this victory through the life and recent death of Alfred Avril, a poor farmer who was one of the art’s few remaining masters. With his passing, Avril’s two sons are confronted with loss, legacy and American dreams.
10. “Wind Rush” is conceived as a doc coproduction between Trinidad and Tobago and U.S. director-writer-producer Vashti Harrison lives in Atlanta, Geogia. Her parents are Trinis and she has a great love for Trinidad and its music. This is an experimental doc about Calypso music which serves a significant role in the Caribbean emigrant experience in London, which began in earnest in the 1950s. Calypso was the music of the minority, the voice of the other, and it helped to define the West Indian identity in England. Using the music of calypsonians Lord Beginner and Lord Kitchener as a road map to this journey of discovery and displacement, the film will focus on their homes both in Trinidad and London.
The criticism she received was about obtaining music clearances in U.K. when she herself is not a U.K. resident or citizen. Perhaps she needs to find a U.K. producer who can also access U.K. Funds. Her experimental films and docs have shown around the world at Rotterdam, Edinburgh, N.Y. and Havana Film Festivals. All of her work focuses into her Caribbean heritage and is quite evocative, artistic and well executed.
11. “Conch” from Curaçao will be directed and produced by German Gruber whose first film, urban drama, “Sensei Redenshon” was completed in 2013 and will be released in the Netherlands this fall. This fiction feature about the natural side of Curaçao is a road movie about a young boy who runs away from home after the loss of his mother. Searching for the message that he saw her whisper into a conch shell the night before her death, he seeks clues from the characters he meets along his desolate journey. Between nightmares of drowning and daydreams of becoming a musician, he eventually confronts his fear of the sea to find the answer.
12. “Green Days by the River” is a fiction feature set against the backdrop of rural Trinidad in 1952. A fifteen-year-old boy who has just moved to a village naively seeks the affection of two girls, an attractive rich Indian girl, and a more personable and accessible one. The ensuing triangle forces him to focus on becoming a man as he must make life enduring decisions.
Director Michael Mooleedhar has made several award winning shorts.Producer Christian James graduated in 2014 with an Mfa in Cretive Producing from Columbia College Chicago, has interned with K5 International during 2014 Cannes and participated in the 2015 Rotterdam Film Festival Lab.
13. “Potomitans : Women Pillars in Revolt” , a doc project from Guadeloupe will be directed by Bouchera Azzouz whose first documentary, “Nos Meres nos daronnes” (“Our Mothers”) aired this year on France 2 (France Televisions) and was one of its biggest audience hits. This is her second work on popular feminism. Producer Nina Vilus' short "Vivre” has won awards and their “Villa Karayib”, a 3 minute 30 second series with 140 episodes aired on Canal + Antilles. Laurence Lascary is coproducing.
This film is an exploratory journey into the heart of the everyday life of five Guadeloupean women who are considered “potomitans”, women who assume professional and familial responsibilities without the help of a man. Everything rests on the courage of these women, who are trying to emancipate themselves by claiming a new way of being a woman.
It is an Art & Vision Productions, De l’autre cote du periph (Dacp) and Canal + Antilles coproduction which Canal + will broadcast in the French Caribbean. 37% of the financing is secured through the Guadeloupe regional council, Agence national pour la cohesion social et l’egalite des chances (Asce), Ministry of French overseas territories. Apcag network of theaters in Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guyana along with Aubervilliers Theater in France will premiere the film.
14. “The Seawall” is a fiction project to be coproduced by Guyana and U.S.
Director Mason Richards says, “My intention for ‘The Seawall’ is to create a dramatic narrative set in Guyana, South America with simple characters navigating through complex issues within the Caribbean cultural context. It is also my intention to make a film that seeks to reconcile our Caribbean and non-Caribbean identities through the journey of my protagonist who returnes “home” to Guyana and is confronted with issues of his past that he has suppressed. The story needs to be told because many of us from the Caribbean diaspora struggle with “trans-national” identities, meaning we are from the Caribbean, however we’ve immigrated to other countries like the U.S. where we’ve adapted to a new dominant culture and way of life. With tht, there is a feeling of “dis-connect” as though we have left something behind, back “home” in the Caribbean, whether it’s family members, our cultural identity, or simply our childhood memories. It is also my intention to make an entertaining, quality film that highlights the beauty of the Caribbean through the stories and hearts of the characters.
The fiscal partner of this project is Frog (Friends and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Guyana), Verisimiltude in New York City. The executive producer C.R. Wooten has exec produced several film projects for TV and HBO and exec produced the short film, “The Seawall”.
The writer-director, Mason Richards, is an alumnus of Film Independent’s Project Involve, a recipient of Sony Pictures Diversity Fellowship 2012, winner of The Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award 2011 and Guyana’s 46th Independence Golden Arrowhead Award.
Producer Sohini Sengupta is an award-winning of creative director of theatrical campaigns, including “Birdman”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, “Black Swan” and “Slumdog Millionaire”. She is a production team member of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 35 under 35 Women Who Run Hollywood.
Malachi, a struggling young writer in Brooklyn, learns of his girlfriend’s pregnancy and returns to his birth country, Guyana, to sell off his inheritance. In Guyana, Malachi ends up confronting his estranged father who abandoned him as a child. Malachi gets closure, and makes decisions about the kind of father he would be to his unborn child.
15. “Epiphany” by Maria Govan who is a self-taught filmmaker from the island of New Providence in The Bahamas. When she was 18 she moved to L.A. and worked for four years on Hollywood sets. In 1999 she returned home, bought a digital camera and began making small guerilla-style local documentaries. In 2004 she moved to New York and began writing her first narrative script “Rain” which premiered in 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival, won several awards and aired on Showtime to a strong audience response. Her second film “Play the Devil” was shot entirely in Trinidad in the spring of 2015 and she hopes it will premiere in the winter of 2016.
Producer Abigail Hadeed has worked with Caribbean crews on big budget commercials. She worked on the short “4am” in 2011 which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festval. In 2012 she produced an award winning feature doc “La Giata” and produced “Play the Devil” with Maria.
They are looking for coproducers and can offer a 35% rebate on Trinidadian spend with a 50% rebate on roles in key positions for films shot in Trinidad. Exterior and ocean environments can be shot in the Bahamas.
Set in the Bahamas — Mary, a loner with a passion for spear fishing and the sea, is forced to give up her room to her overbearing cousin’s girlfriend, an “illegal” colorful Cuban named Gabriel. When a love triangle develops and George realizes he’s been betrayed, the women are forced into the dark terrain of human smuggling.
Links to “Rain” (director’s previous work): Trailer
Link to Maria Govan’s Show Reel: https://vimeo.com/35611171
Other films in the program but exceeding the official number of 15 include
16. “Cargo” from The Bahamas, a fiction feature based upon the short film of Kareem Mortimer. Producer Trevite Willis has produced several films including the Lgbt feather “Children of God” with Kareem directing. Producer Alexander Younis now has a doc, “Brigidy Bram ” in post-production.
“Cargo”, based upon Kareem’s short “Passage”, is about a Bahamian fisherman whose life is slowly unraveling. After wasting his remaining money at a gambling house, he is approached by a security guard who suggests that Kevin supplement his income by using his vessel as a means to transport people illegally into the United States. Kevin leads scores of migrants on a treacherous, unsettling and perilous final journey.
17. “Scattered” reminded me of “Desperately Seeking Susan” in the story of an young uptight British woman who has her run-of-the-mill life disrupted when the Caribbean grandmother she barely knew leaves a request for her to scatter her ashes in Trinidad where a free-spirited cousin takes her on a wild road trip that changes her life forever.
The director-producer-cowriter, Karen Martinez, is a Trinidadian filmmaker based in London, U.K. She has worked extensively in the film world in U.K. and the Caribbean. In 2013 she wrote, produced and directed her frist narrative fiction “After Mas”. Her most recent film, “Dreams in Transit” is an essay-style documentary of a contemporary migrant reflcting on identity and the meaning of “home”.
18. “Unfinished Sentences” by writer-director-producer Mariel Brown, an award winning documentary director and founder of the creative and production company Savant. Her documentary films have been screened on television, at festivals and other special events around the world, most recently at the Pan African Film Festival and Clermont-Ferrand.
This is a story of a writer father and a filmmaker daughter who walks the line between adoration and disappointment, success and failure, race, family and art. When he dies, in her great grief she discovers his poetry and prose transcend death, allowing her to hear his voice again and to find a way back to her own self. For more information go to http://www.unfinishedsentencesfilm.com.
19. “Queen of Soca” by Kevin Adams
“’ Queen of Soca’ was inspired by my home base of Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago where the frustration of living a life of restricted opportunity is a narrative I observe often.“
“ Queen of Soca” is the story of Olivia, who lives in an impoverished community and is striving to make a better life for herself. Her life is full of struggles, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The short version of “Queen of Soca”, entitled “No Soca No Life” premiered at Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival in 2012 and has been well received by movie goers and movie industry practitioners. “No Soca No Life” is currently available on Vimeo, Pay per view.
“We are now focused on the original goal of creating a blockbuster inspirational story for the world to enjoy, and using the Trinidad and Tobago culture as the vehicle for our message. On behalf of myself and my team, thank you for your interest in this project and we look forward to completing this journey with you !”
The Cfm was held from 24-27 September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The ttff/15 took place from 15-29 September.
- 10/7/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
With all the attention foisted upon Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" last year, another film by a Quebecois director was unfortunately overshadowed. Stéphane Lafleur's "Tu Dors Nicole" has screened at Cannes (as part of the Cannes Directors' Fortnight) has earned strong reviews, but didn't get the same boost as Dolan's Jury Prize winning effort. You'll get a chance to check it out this summer when the movie rolls out to cinemas, and a new trailer has arrived. Starring Julianne Cote, Catherine St-Laurent, Marc-Andre Grondin, Francis La Haye, Simon Larouche, Godefroy Reding and Fanny Mallette, the story follows Nicole and Veronique, who find their breezy summer plans interrupted by the arrival of Nicole's older brother Remi and his bandmates. The movie completely bowled over our critic in Cannes last year, who wrote in his A-grade review that the film is "executed with such charm and skill in every gorgeous frame that...
- 5/11/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Neil Armfield.s Holding the Man, Simon Stone.s The Daughter, Jeremy Sims. Last Cab to Darwin and Jen Peedom.s feature doc Sherpa will have their world premieres at the Sydney Film Festival.
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
The festival program unveiled today includes 33 world premieres (including 22 shorts) and 135 Australian premieres (with 18 shorts) among 251 titles from 68 countries.
Among the other premieres will be Daina Reid.s The Secret River, Ruby Entertainment's. ABC-tv miniseries starring Oliver Jackson Cohen and Sarah Snook, and three Oz docs, Marc Eberle.s The Cambodian Space Project — Not Easy Rock .n. Roll, Steve Thomas. Freedom Stories and Lisa Nicol.s Wide Open Sky.
Festival director Nashen Moodley boasted. this year.s event will be far larger than 2014's when 183 films from 47 countries were screened, including 15 world premieres. The expansion is possible in part due to the addition of two new screening venues in Newtown and Liverpool.
As previously announced, Brendan Cowell...
- 5/6/2015
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Hot projects new to Screenbase include Nicolas Winding Refn feature The Neon Demon, Pope Francis biopic Francisco, Brady Corbet’s directorial debut The Childhood Of A Leader and a new adaptation by Wim Wenders.Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon
Elle Fanning, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote and Jena Malone have signed on to co-star in Nicolas Winding Refn’s next feature.
“After making Drive and falling madly in love with the electricity of Los Angeles, I knew I had to return to tell the story of The Neon Demon,” Winding Refn said.
Principal photography will begin in Los Angeles on March 30. Gaumont and Wild Bunch are co-selling the title.
Wim Wenders’ Les Beaux Jours D’Aranjuez
This adaptation of the play by Peter Handke was announced by Alfama’s Paulo Branco during the Efm. It will star Reda Kateb and Sophie Semin. Wenders is expected to shoot in June.
Brady Corbet’s [link...
Elle Fanning, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Abbey Lee, Bella Heathcote and Jena Malone have signed on to co-star in Nicolas Winding Refn’s next feature.
“After making Drive and falling madly in love with the electricity of Los Angeles, I knew I had to return to tell the story of The Neon Demon,” Winding Refn said.
Principal photography will begin in Los Angeles on March 30. Gaumont and Wild Bunch are co-selling the title.
Wim Wenders’ Les Beaux Jours D’Aranjuez
This adaptation of the play by Peter Handke was announced by Alfama’s Paulo Branco during the Efm. It will star Reda Kateb and Sophie Semin. Wenders is expected to shoot in June.
Brady Corbet’s [link...
- 2/18/2015
- by maud.le-rest@sciencespo-toulouse.net (Maud Le Rest)
- ScreenDaily
Manuel here taking the Mlk holiday to discuss the cinematography category in terms of its aversion to honor black faces.
Young on the Selma set
Amidst all the outrage surrounding Selma’s near-shutout at the Academy Awards (nabbing only two nominations in Best Picture and Best Original Song), the focus has been on Ava DuVernay’s absence in the unsurprisingly male best director lineup and David Oyelowo’s absence in the unsurprisingly white best actor lineup. I want to focus today on Bradford Young’s absence in the best cinematography lineup. Had Young been nominated, he’d have been only the second African-American black D.P. [Ed. Note: thanks for correcting me on this crucial distinction, Ian & 3rtful] to be nominated for an Oscar (the first and only so far is Remi Adefarasin, nominated for his beautiful work on Elizabeth). Of course, this also reveals the systemic lack of diversity that Tfe bestie Jessica Chastain brought up just last week at the Critic’s Choice Awards.
Young on the Selma set
Amidst all the outrage surrounding Selma’s near-shutout at the Academy Awards (nabbing only two nominations in Best Picture and Best Original Song), the focus has been on Ava DuVernay’s absence in the unsurprisingly male best director lineup and David Oyelowo’s absence in the unsurprisingly white best actor lineup. I want to focus today on Bradford Young’s absence in the best cinematography lineup. Had Young been nominated, he’d have been only the second African-American black D.P. [Ed. Note: thanks for correcting me on this crucial distinction, Ian & 3rtful] to be nominated for an Oscar (the first and only so far is Remi Adefarasin, nominated for his beautiful work on Elizabeth). Of course, this also reveals the systemic lack of diversity that Tfe bestie Jessica Chastain brought up just last week at the Critic’s Choice Awards.
- 1/19/2015
- by Manuel Betancourt
- FilmExperience
Bradford Young’s work on Ava DuVernay’s civil rights biopic Selma and Jc Chandor’s A Most Violent Year landed him on Hollywood’s radar this Oscar season, but it also illuminates the diversity lacking year after year within the film industry and the Academy that represents it. Critics and DuVernay have praised Young’s aptitude for lensing African-American faces onscreen as beautifully as he does in Selma, a film about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s private and public struggles to turn the tide of the voting rights movement. “I’m never satisfied with the way I see my people photographed in movies,” Young confessed to me over the phone before the holidays. “I think it comes from a lack of consciousness – if you grew up in a community where you don’t know black people, I wouldn’t suspect you would photograph them in a concerned way.”
Few...
Few...
- 12/31/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Drew Boynton is a writer at Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews - All the latest Doctor Who news and reviews with our weekly podKast, features and interviews, and a long-running forum.
Time to think Pink! Listen is an episode that fans will be talking about for weeks to come. Remi Gooding may be talking about it for the rest of his life. The 11-year-old schoolboy made his TV debut in the episode, playing young Rupert “Danny” Pink and impressively marking his first major acting role. The
The post Little Rupert Pink Speaks! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
Time to think Pink! Listen is an episode that fans will be talking about for weeks to come. Remi Gooding may be talking about it for the rest of his life. The 11-year-old schoolboy made his TV debut in the episode, playing young Rupert “Danny” Pink and impressively marking his first major acting role. The
The post Little Rupert Pink Speaks! appeared first on Kasterborous Doctor Who News and Reviews.
- 9/15/2014
- by Drew Boynton
- Kasterborous.com
A Brazilian feature wins at the animation festival for the second consecutive year; market reports record high.Scroll down for full list of winners
Brazilian director Ale Abreu’s The Boy and the World, about a child who heads to the city in search of his father, has won both the Crystal Award and Audience Award for the best feature-length film at the 38th edition of the Annecy International Animation Festival.
“The rising strength of Brazilian animation is confirmed. The Boy and The World’s double honours signal yet again the vitality of this cinematography,” said the festival’s artistic director, Marcel Jean.
It is the second year in a row that a Brazilian film has won the top prize. Last year, Luiz Bolognesi’s Rio 2096, capturing key periods in Brazil’s history though a man who lives for 600 years, clinched the Crystal for best feature.
In other awards, the [link=tt...
Brazilian director Ale Abreu’s The Boy and the World, about a child who heads to the city in search of his father, has won both the Crystal Award and Audience Award for the best feature-length film at the 38th edition of the Annecy International Animation Festival.
“The rising strength of Brazilian animation is confirmed. The Boy and The World’s double honours signal yet again the vitality of this cinematography,” said the festival’s artistic director, Marcel Jean.
It is the second year in a row that a Brazilian film has won the top prize. Last year, Luiz Bolognesi’s Rio 2096, capturing key periods in Brazil’s history though a man who lives for 600 years, clinched the Crystal for best feature.
In other awards, the [link=tt...
- 6/14/2014
- ScreenDaily
Gong for 12 Years a Slave nominee would follow year of real progress, but history shows such breakthroughs are illusive
Steve McQueen may not be the favourite to win the Oscar for best director when the statuettes are handed out on 2 March, but if he does it will represent a historic breakthrough for black film-makers: none has ever been honoured in this category and only two others have even been nominated – John Singleton in 1992 for Boyz n the Hood and Lee Daniels in 2009 for Precious.
The claims of Alfonso Cuarón, director of space-walk thriller notwithstanding, we may witness a moment equal to that of Kathryn Bigelow's, when in 2009 she became the first woman to win the best director Oscar for The Hurt Locker (defeating Daniels as she did so).
McQueen's prominence arrives on the back of a year that saw real progress for black film-makers, particularly in the Us.
Fruitvale Station,...
Steve McQueen may not be the favourite to win the Oscar for best director when the statuettes are handed out on 2 March, but if he does it will represent a historic breakthrough for black film-makers: none has ever been honoured in this category and only two others have even been nominated – John Singleton in 1992 for Boyz n the Hood and Lee Daniels in 2009 for Precious.
The claims of Alfonso Cuarón, director of space-walk thriller notwithstanding, we may witness a moment equal to that of Kathryn Bigelow's, when in 2009 she became the first woman to win the best director Oscar for The Hurt Locker (defeating Daniels as she did so).
McQueen's prominence arrives on the back of a year that saw real progress for black film-makers, particularly in the Us.
Fruitvale Station,...
- 1/17/2014
- by Andrew Pulver, Ashley Cowburn
- The Guardian - Film News
Devious Maids‘ first season is in the books, and the central question of who killed Flora Hernandez has been scrubbed away like a pesky cabernet stain. That’s good news for those of us who feared a Killing-esque arc that would’ve dragged out the mystery for an additional 13 episodes and counteracted the joy of hearing Susan Lucci drop zingers like, “If he wanted to help poor people, why didn’t he just go to Burbank?”
Photos | Emmys 2013: The Best and Worst Moments
But before you hit our highly scientific (and absolutely definitive) TVLine poll to grade the Lifetime sudser’s Season 1 finale,...
Photos | Emmys 2013: The Best and Worst Moments
But before you hit our highly scientific (and absolutely definitive) TVLine poll to grade the Lifetime sudser’s Season 1 finale,...
- 9/23/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
As indicated by the ominous, albeit incredibly creepy cool third season key art that TNT recently released in anticipation of the upcoming third season, the peace and tranquility fought for during last summer’s second season finale of Falling Skies was probably too good to be true. Confirming our suspicions, was none other than executive producer Remi Aubuchon who recently took some time at WonderCon to share a bit of intel action, adventure, mystery and romance is in store for fans this summer. See for yourself, after the jump.
What can you share about the new species of aliens that were introduced at the end of Season 2?
Remi: Obviously it was a heartbeat of a moment at the end of the second season with this new alien that showed up, and our characters ask the question that hopefully we’re all asking, which is: “What the hell?! Haven’t...
What can you share about the new species of aliens that were introduced at the end of Season 2?
Remi: Obviously it was a heartbeat of a moment at the end of the second season with this new alien that showed up, and our characters ask the question that hopefully we’re all asking, which is: “What the hell?! Haven’t...
- 6/3/2013
- by Tiffany Vogt
- The TV Addict
The 55th Grammy Awards have arrived, and music's biggest night promises a ton of trophies, and hopefully some great live performances by today's hottest acts. Who has the best record of 2012? How about the year's best new artist? Stick with Zap2it throughout the night, as we continue updating the list of this year's winners!
All of the award categories are below, with the winners in bold.
Record of the Year"Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson"We Are Young" by Fun., featuring Janelle Monáe"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, featuring Kimbra"Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift
Album of the Year"El Camino" by The Black Keys"Some Nights" by Fun."Babel" by Mumford & Sons"Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean"Blunderbuss" by Jack White
Song of the Year...
All of the award categories are below, with the winners in bold.
Record of the Year"Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson"We Are Young" by Fun., featuring Janelle Monáe"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye, featuring Kimbra"Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift
Album of the Year"El Camino" by The Black Keys"Some Nights" by Fun."Babel" by Mumford & Sons"Channel Orange" by Frank Ocean"Blunderbuss" by Jack White
Song of the Year...
- 2/11/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
I really don't put much stock in the International Animated Film Society's 2013 Annie Awards, which is why I didn't rush to report on their results on Saturday. One year Disney and Pixar boycott the event, feeling there was an unfair advantage paid to larger contributing sponsors, DreamWorks being the primary example. So with such a nasty stench over the event what good does it do to pay it much mind? That said, I'll be brief in mentioning Wreck-It Ralph topped Saturday night's winners with five awards, including Best Animated Picture. The awards have something like a 75% streak when it comes to helping predict the eventual Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature and as the days have gone on, it's looking more and more like Ralph will be this year's winner (see my predictions here). Pixar's Brave, Laika's ParaNorman and DreamWorks' Rise of the Guardians each took home two awards in lesser,...
- 2/4/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
New York -- Singer Amy Winehouse's father says it's tough dealing with the loss of his daughter, but he's happy she is having a helpful impact on the world through the foundation named after her.
"Even after a small space in time – we're talking a year since Amy passed away – we are beginning, well, Amy is beginning, to have a positive effect on a lot of disadvantaged young people's lives," Mitch Winehouse said in an interview Friday.
Amy Winehouse died on July 23, 2011, at her London home from accidental alcohol poisoning at age 27. The Amy Winehouse Foundation was launched last year in the United Kingdom and in April in the United States.
Mitch Winehouse says he expects Monday – the one-year anniversary of Amy's death – to be difficult, but he will spend the day with family and friends. First they'll go to Amy's house for Jewish prayer and to be with the singer's fans.
"Even after a small space in time – we're talking a year since Amy passed away – we are beginning, well, Amy is beginning, to have a positive effect on a lot of disadvantaged young people's lives," Mitch Winehouse said in an interview Friday.
Amy Winehouse died on July 23, 2011, at her London home from accidental alcohol poisoning at age 27. The Amy Winehouse Foundation was launched last year in the United Kingdom and in April in the United States.
Mitch Winehouse says he expects Monday – the one-year anniversary of Amy's death – to be difficult, but he will spend the day with family and friends. First they'll go to Amy's house for Jewish prayer and to be with the singer's fans.
- 7/23/2012
- by AP/The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Since the first trailer hit, The Cold Light of Day has looked like the kind of thriller one wants to sit back with and have some easy fun for 90 minutes or so, without being challenged. Unfortunately, Mabrouk El Mechri’s follow-up to the acclaimed Jcvd is much too predictable and generic for it to work as a successful piece of popcorn entertainment and even the lean running time feels overextended for this story.
What little there is follows Will Shaw (Henry Cavill, delivering an impeccable American accent), a young business consultant who takes a vacation somewhere along the coast of Spain on his family’s boat. He meets his father, Martin Shaw (Bruce Willis), at the airport and they go to meet the rest of the family on the boat. After an overlong introduction of laughably bad dialogue, which was presumably intended to make one associate with the characters, the...
What little there is follows Will Shaw (Henry Cavill, delivering an impeccable American accent), a young business consultant who takes a vacation somewhere along the coast of Spain on his family’s boat. He meets his father, Martin Shaw (Bruce Willis), at the airport and they go to meet the rest of the family on the boat. After an overlong introduction of laughably bad dialogue, which was presumably intended to make one associate with the characters, the...
- 4/9/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Too often we dismiss good art because of expectations, those trifling bits of anticipation we drag around and throw in front of a film’s opening credits that will assuredly color any opinions we have of the film itself. The Antics Roadshow is a perfect example of this phenomenon. It is the second directorial effort from Banksy, the renegade anarchist street artist who turns advertisements into on their heads, make barren walls into political satire, and takes the opportunity of doing a couch gag on The Simpsons and using it to show the arduous work dispatched by an uncaring multinational conglomerate to line their pockets with money from selling more Bart swag.
Banksy’s first foray into film direction, the excellent, perplexing, and fun Exit Through the Gift Shop, was less a personal voyage through the eyes of Banksy and more of his retelling of another person’s story. Taking footage filmed by Thierry Guetta,...
Banksy’s first foray into film direction, the excellent, perplexing, and fun Exit Through the Gift Shop, was less a personal voyage through the eyes of Banksy and more of his retelling of another person’s story. Taking footage filmed by Thierry Guetta,...
- 4/7/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
The 16th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) film festival will run April 16-23 in Los Angeles . Sponsored by The Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), the festival will present 34 features and 21 shorts, including 10 North American and U.S. Premieres, and 14 West Coast Premieres. “The historic triumph of The Artist (Isa:Wild Bunch) reflects a remarkable year for French cinema and we are glad to introduce a broad spectrum of new films to Hollywood that reveal both the quality and diversity of recent French productions,” stated François Truffart, Col•Coa Executive Director and Artistic Director.
Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.
Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).
Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.
Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.
The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.
Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).
Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .
To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.
City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.
All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.
For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.
City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.
Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.
In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.
Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.
Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.
Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”
Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.
More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.
Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.
Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.
Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).
Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.
Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.
The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.
Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).
Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .
To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.
City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.
All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.
For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.
City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.
Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.
In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.
Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.
Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.
Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”
Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.
More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.
Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.
- 4/6/2012
- by SydneyLevine
- Sydney's Buzz
The 16th Annual City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) film festival will run April 16-23 in Los Angeles . Sponsored by The Franco-American Cultural Fund (Facf), the festival will present 34 features and 21 shorts, including 10 North American and U.S. Premieres, and 14 West Coast Premieres. “The historic triumph of The Artist (Isa:Wild Bunch) reflects a remarkable year for French cinema and we are glad to introduce a broad spectrum of new films to Hollywood that reveal both the quality and diversity of recent French productions,” stated François Truffart, Col•Coa Executive Director and Artistic Director.
Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.
Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).
Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.
Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.
The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.
Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).
Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .
To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.
City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.
All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.
For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.
City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.
Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.
In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.
Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.
Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.
Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”
Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.
More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.
Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.
Col•Coa will open with the North American Premiere of My Way (CloClo) (Isa:lgm), a biopic about French pop star icon Claude François, directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, co-written by Siri and Julien Rappeneau and starring Jérémie Renier. Recently released in France , My Way is already a critical and commercial success.
Several U.S. distributors will present their films at Col•Coa before their U.S. release: Cinema Guild – Step up to the Plate (Isa:Jour2Fete); The Cohen Media Group – Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver): Kino Lorber –The Well Digger’s Daughter (Isa:Pathe); Mpi Media – Americano (Isa:Bac Films); Sundance Selects – Goodbye First Love! (Isa:Films Distribution) and Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch); Strand Releasing - 17 Girls (Isa:Films Distribution); The Weinstein Company – The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont), A Gang Story (Isa:Gaumont) and War of the Buttons (Isa:Wild Bunch); and Screen Media for A Happy Event (Isa:Gaumont) from co-writer-director Remi Bezançon, also in competition at Col·Coa for his animated feature Zarafa (Isa:Pathe).
Closing film on Sunday, April 22nd will be a special presentation, in association with The Weinstein Company, of the already third most successful French box office success: The Intouchables (Isa:Gaumont) Starring François Cluzet and César winner for Best Actor Omar Sy, this hit comedy marks the fourth film from writer-directors Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano presented at Col•Coa Cannes Jury Special Prize winner and 13 César-nominated drama, Polisse (Isa:Wild Bunch) co-written and directed by Maïwenn, will be presented at Col•Coa, one day after its U.S. Premiere at Tribeca. Berlin International Film Festival opening film, Farewell My Queen (Isa:Elle Driver) co-written and directed by Col·Coa 2011 Critics Award-winner Benoit Jacquot, will have a special presentation at Col·Coa before opening the San Francisco International Film Festival. Other highlights include César multi-nominated and critically acclaimed film, The Minister (Isa:Doc & Film Interntional), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller; the 3D presentation in English of A Monster in Paris (Isa:EuropaCorp), an animated feature co-written and directed by Bibo Bergeron, starring Sean Lennon and Vanessa Paradis, and produced by Luc Besson; the anticipated thriller, 38 Witnesses (Isa:Films Distrubution), written and directed by Lucas Belvaux; as well as The Art of Love (Isa:Kinology), the new comedy from writer-director Emmanuel Mouret.
Several French high-profile titles will also be introduced in the U.S, such as Early One Morning, (Isa:Les Films Du Losange) written and directed by Jean-Marc Moutout; Cesar winner for Best Documentary Leadersheep (Isa:MK2 S.A.) by writer-director Christian Rouaud Silence of Joan, from writer-director Philippe Ramos; as well as the North American Premiere of Another Woman’s Life (Isa:Kinology), co-written and directed by Sylvie Testud and starring Juliette Binoche.
The program will feature several directorial debut films, including the North American Premieres of Love Lasts Three Years (Isa:Eurocorp), co-written and directed by novelist Frédéric Beigbeder; The Adopted (Isa:Studio Canal), co-written and directed by actress and freshman filmmaker Mélanie Laurent; Freeway (Isa:Sesame), co-written and directed by Christopher Sahr; the West Coast Premiere of Louise Wimmer (Isa:Films Distribution), written and directed by Cyril Mennegun; and Americano (Isa:Bac Films), starring Salma Hayek and co-starring writer-director Mathieu Demy, the son of Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy.
Five popular series will return in 2012, Col•Coa docs will include Michel Petrucciani (Isa:Wild Bunch) written and directed by Michael Radford. After 10 will highlight Best Adaptation César winner Guilty (Isa:Films Distribution), co-written and directed by Vincent Garenq. Col•Coa Classics will pay tribute to actor Yves Montand with a rare presentation of the restored Call me Savage from co-writer-director Jean-Paul Rappeneau. For this year’s Carte Blanche program, writer-director Alexander Payne selected Hotel du Nord directed by Marcel Carné, screenplay by Jean Aurenche and Henri Jeanson. The Film Noir series will include the West Coast Premiere of Paris by Night (Isa:TF1), co-written and directed by Philippe Lefebvre. The Focus on a Filmmaker, this year honoring actress writer-director Julie Delpy, will take place on Thursday, April 19th and will include her new film, Le SkyLab (Isa:Films Distribution).
Col•Coa Educational Program will offer four High School Screenings, one student screening and one Master Class in association with Elma (European Languages and Movies in America). The program will host 3,500 students from over 70 high schools, colleges and universities in California .
To celebrate the announcement and recipients of the 2012 Col•Coa Awards, the festival will close on Monday, April 23rd with the screening of two winning features and two winning shorts.
City of Lights, City of Angels is funded by the Facf, a unique partnership of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music and the Writers Guild of America, West with the vital support of L’Arp (France’s Association of Authors, Directors and Producers), the Los Angeles Film and TV Office of the French Embassy, and Unifrance.
All screenings are in French with English subtitles or, in the case of the family-oriented animated films, dubbed in English. Tickets are available for advance purchase online at www.colcoa.org (cash or checks only). Please visit www.colcoa.org for box office hours. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; $7 tickets for seniors (62+), disabled, and members of American Cinematheque, Asc, Icg, Film Independent, Lacma, SAG or Women in Film; $3 for students and under 21. Tickets are complimentary for DGA and Wgaw guild members. The Happy Hour Talks are free on a first come, first served basis.
For film and press information, including hi-res photos, log onto www.colcoa.org. For public information, call (310) 289-5346.
City of Lights, City of Angels (Col•Coa) was created in 1996 by The Franco-American Cultural Fund, a unique collaborative effort of the Directors Guild of America, the Motion Picture Association, the Writers Guild of America West, and France’s Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of Music (Sacem). Col•Coa is also supported by l’Association des Auteurs-réalisateurs-Producteurs (Arp), the Film and TV Office of the French Embassy in Los Angeles and Unifrance.
Col•Coa is committed to promoting new French films in the U.S. and to showcasing the vitality and the diversity of French cinema in Hollywood: comedies and dramas, box office hits in France and specialty films, first features and films from established writer-directors, art house movies as well as mainstream films.
In 15 years, 231 new feature films and 140 new shorts have been selected. Col•Coa has constantly developed to become a showcase of at least 50 films, with a capacity of 20,000 in 2011 and an occupancy rate of 88%.
Its exclusive program has made of Col•Coa an anticipated date in the industry calendar and one of the largest French film festivals in the world. Scheduled a few weeks after the Academy Awards® and one month before the Cannes Film Festival, Col•Coa has become a prestigious event in Los Angeles.
Since 2004, the selection is exclusively composed of premieres. Several high-profile features are presented at Col•Coa for the first time in North America or in the U.S. Col•Coa is also known for presenting successful films a year before their commercial release in the U.S., raising the event’s profile among U.S. distributors who now use the event as a platform to launch and promote their film in Hollywood.
Col•Coa has substantial representation by leading industry professionals, including distributors, exhibitors, directors, writers, producers, Academy members, agents, press members or public filmgoers, as part and parcel to the festival is the cultural exchange involved, as well as the introduction of films that may not have been available to the industry. Col•Coa has developed partnerships with organizations like Ifta, The Cannes Film Market, Film Independent, Women in Film, The American Cinematheque, SAG, and since 2008, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Col•Coa “A Week Of French Film Premieres In Hollywood”
Col•Coa is more than a film industry event. Many screenings are reserved early due to the festival’s reputation and increased visibility.In 2008, an educational program was also launched to promote foreign films among young American audiences in association with E.L.M.A (European Languages & Movies in America). Close to 7,500 high school students and 70 high schools in Los Angeles County have participated in the program since 2008. In 2010, a master class was introduced for colleges, film schools and universities.
More than 100 French writers, directors and producers have presented their film(s) at Col•Coa. Among them are Costa-Gavras, Alain Corneau, Claire Denis, Michel Hazanavicius, Claude Lelouch, Claude Miller, Bertrand Tavernier, Olivier Assayas, Laurent Cantet, Arnaud Desplechin, Anne Fontaine, Bertrand Blier and Mathieu Kassovitz.
Whereas Col•Coa is not a celebrity-driven event, many artists attend as it is a showcase for their work, a chance to mingle with other artists in a professional, yet relaxed and cordial environment, the true basis of cultural exchange. Among past Col•Coa guests are actors and actresses Rosanna Arquette, Nathalie Baye, Bérénice Bejo, Marion Cotillard, Julie Delpy, Jimmy Jean Louis, Helen Mirren, Gena Rowlands, Sharon Stone, Charlize Theron and Lambert Wilson, as well as prominent American writers and directors: Wes Craven, Taylor Hackford, John Landis, Michael Mann and Alexander Payne.
- 4/6/2012
- by SydneyLevine
- Sydney's Buzz
Producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi have come together to create “Lioness: Hidden Treasures,” a posthumous set of songs recorded by Amy Winehouse throughout her career. “Our Day Will Come” was recorded during the “Frank” period, but intentionally left off the album, according to Remi. All the proceeds from the album will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity set up in the singer’s memory to “bring healthier and happier lives to young people.”
The singer’s father,...
The singer’s father,...
- 12/7/2011
- by WSJ Staff
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Lioness: Hidden Treasures is the first (possibly of many) posthumous albums and compilations from Amy Winehouse. Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi and Amy’s family compiled this collection of songs and proceeds from the album go to the foundation set up in the wake of her passing; The Amy Winehouse Foundation. It has been clearly stated by her label that this is not the follow up to her certified platinum 2006 album Back to Black but more a collection of songs ranging from before her debut, Frank in 2002 up to her tragic passing earlier this year. The album features covers, demos and duets that showcase her talents and versatility.
The first song on the album, ‘Our Day Will Come’ is a lovely reggae revival styled love song produced by Salaam Remi and written by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson. The song features a soft reggae beat with a...
Lioness: Hidden Treasures is the first (possibly of many) posthumous albums and compilations from Amy Winehouse. Mark Ronson, Salaam Remi and Amy’s family compiled this collection of songs and proceeds from the album go to the foundation set up in the wake of her passing; The Amy Winehouse Foundation. It has been clearly stated by her label that this is not the follow up to her certified platinum 2006 album Back to Black but more a collection of songs ranging from before her debut, Frank in 2002 up to her tragic passing earlier this year. The album features covers, demos and duets that showcase her talents and versatility.
The first song on the album, ‘Our Day Will Come’ is a lovely reggae revival styled love song produced by Salaam Remi and written by Bob Hilliard and Mort Garson. The song features a soft reggae beat with a...
- 12/1/2011
- by Scott Ronan
- Obsessed with Film
Salaam Remi has said that Amy Winehouse's posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures has helped her family heal. The record is released on December 5, four months after Winehouse was found dead at her Camden home at the age of 27. Remi told Billboard: "They didn't know if they could listen to it. But as the songs were playing they just started smiling. Like, 'She wrote this? When did she do this? What happened?'
"I felt they spent so much time chasing her around, they didn't realize how gifted and talented Amy was. Not just when she passed at 27 but at 18 when I first met her." He added: "It made everyone that knew her feel so much better about her passing, and her life as well. "This record is about balancing out all of the bull in things that may have just been uncool, and saying 'this person existed'." (more)...
"I felt they spent so much time chasing her around, they didn't realize how gifted and talented Amy was. Not just when she passed at 27 but at 18 when I first met her." He added: "It made everyone that knew her feel so much better about her passing, and her life as well. "This record is about balancing out all of the bull in things that may have just been uncool, and saying 'this person existed'." (more)...
- 11/18/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
So don't expect never-ending posthumous albums, producer Salaam Remi tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman
Amy Winehouse
Photo: MTV News
Thanks to the upcoming posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures, fans will be able to hear a collection of new Amy Winehouse material, but beyond that, the public shouldn't expect a ton of unheard material. That's just not the way Winehouse recorded, friend and producer Salaam Remi told MTV News during a November 4 interview in New York's Jungle Studios.
"She didn't record like 2Pac, so that's not the case," Remi told MTV News of Winehouse. "There are definitely things that people hadn't heard that have been recorded, but they're in different modes in different forms. But she wasn't a recorder like that."
One such song is "Like Smoke," the singer's collaboration with Nas, which was completed after she died in July.
"Amy sang on records that we never put out with Nas,...
By Rob Markman
Amy Winehouse
Photo: MTV News
Thanks to the upcoming posthumous album Lioness: Hidden Treasures, fans will be able to hear a collection of new Amy Winehouse material, but beyond that, the public shouldn't expect a ton of unheard material. That's just not the way Winehouse recorded, friend and producer Salaam Remi told MTV News during a November 4 interview in New York's Jungle Studios.
"She didn't record like 2Pac, so that's not the case," Remi told MTV News of Winehouse. "There are definitely things that people hadn't heard that have been recorded, but they're in different modes in different forms. But she wasn't a recorder like that."
One such song is "Like Smoke," the singer's collaboration with Nas, which was completed after she died in July.
"Amy sang on records that we never put out with Nas,...
- 11/14/2011
- MTV Music News
'He put that energy back into [the song], because she repped for him,' Salaam Remi tells MTV News of 'Like Smoke.'
By Rob Markman
Nas
Photo: Getty Images
The late Amy Winehouse and Nas had a mutual bond that few knew about.
Not only do Amy and Nas share the same September 14 birthday, but according to producer Salaam Remi, they have a number of collaborations that were left on the cutting-room floor. The recently released "Like Smoke" is the first time fans got to hear them in tandem.
"Amy sang on records that we never put out with Nas," the multiplatinum hitmaker told MTV News last month in New York's Jungle Studios. "As far as them now getting on the same record, that was a conversation in play for the last couple of years but that just didn't happen yet, and when I listened to that song, I was like,...
By Rob Markman
Nas
Photo: Getty Images
The late Amy Winehouse and Nas had a mutual bond that few knew about.
Not only do Amy and Nas share the same September 14 birthday, but according to producer Salaam Remi, they have a number of collaborations that were left on the cutting-room floor. The recently released "Like Smoke" is the first time fans got to hear them in tandem.
"Amy sang on records that we never put out with Nas," the multiplatinum hitmaker told MTV News last month in New York's Jungle Studios. "As far as them now getting on the same record, that was a conversation in play for the last couple of years but that just didn't happen yet, and when I listened to that song, I was like,...
- 11/8/2011
- MTV Music News
Earlier this week, Universal Music Group UK Ltd. sent out an email announcing the tracklist for Amy Winehouse’s posthumous album “Lioness: Hidden Treasures.”
What made the announcement so haunting is that 1) It came on Halloween and 2) the sender was listed as “Amy Winehouse” who, of course, died earlier this year at the age of 27.
The new 12-track album, due out Dec. 5, was compiled by Winehouse’s longtime collaborators, Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, who, according to the label, sifted through “previously unreleased tracks,...
What made the announcement so haunting is that 1) It came on Halloween and 2) the sender was listed as “Amy Winehouse” who, of course, died earlier this year at the age of 27.
The new 12-track album, due out Dec. 5, was compiled by Winehouse’s longtime collaborators, Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, who, according to the label, sifted through “previously unreleased tracks,...
- 11/2/2011
- by WSJ Staff
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
12 previously unheard songs by Amy Winehouse will be released on 5th December as a collection album titled Lioness: Hidden Treasures. The album will mix unreleased tracks with alternative versions of existing songs and “a couple of brand new Amy compositions” and is to be officially billed as her third album which is always a little troubling to me when something like this is released so soon after an artist has passed away, for two reasons;
1) Most of the time tracks that are produced and not released by an artist during their lifetime is for a specific reason. They don’t want the public to hear them as they aren’t finished or up to the quality they want attached to their name.
and 2) As it’s a blatant money-grabbing exercise by the living to reap the rewards of the dead.
Released by Island Records, Lioness: Hidden Treasures has been worked...
1) Most of the time tracks that are produced and not released by an artist during their lifetime is for a specific reason. They don’t want the public to hear them as they aren’t finished or up to the quality they want attached to their name.
and 2) As it’s a blatant money-grabbing exercise by the living to reap the rewards of the dead.
Released by Island Records, Lioness: Hidden Treasures has been worked...
- 10/31/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
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