One of the only Asian films showing at this year’s Mill Valley Film Festival, Iranian-German co-production “Bandar Band,” sashays its way to the California Streaming rooms. Director Manijeh Hekmat – beloved on the film festival circuit for her filmography on Iranian women directs another touchingly intimate fiction following the 2019 Iran floods.
“Bandar Band” follows a musical trio by the same name. The three – the very visibly pregnant Mahla (Pegah Ahangarani), her steadfast husband Amir (Amir Hossein Taheri), and their free-spirited friend, Navid (Reza Koolghani) — are on their way to Tehran for a faceoff with the Battle of the Bands that evening. Though their journey starts off in high spirits, their hopes are dashed over and over again. As the group literally navigates flooded roads, unfinished bridges, and material loss, the group runs into more metaphorical (and literal) roadblocks than initially expected. This Absurdist road movie takes its viewers on an...
“Bandar Band” follows a musical trio by the same name. The three – the very visibly pregnant Mahla (Pegah Ahangarani), her steadfast husband Amir (Amir Hossein Taheri), and their free-spirited friend, Navid (Reza Koolghani) — are on their way to Tehran for a faceoff with the Battle of the Bands that evening. Though their journey starts off in high spirits, their hopes are dashed over and over again. As the group literally navigates flooded roads, unfinished bridges, and material loss, the group runs into more metaphorical (and literal) roadblocks than initially expected. This Absurdist road movie takes its viewers on an...
- 10/27/2020
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
The 43rd edition of Mill Valley Film Festival – run annually by the California Film Institute – announced their programme on the 25th of September. This year’s selection surprisingly sees a paucity of Asian film — presumably as a part of a larger push to squeeze in the glut of US/European premieres unable to show elsewhere. However, some notables – especially Chloe Zhao’s recession fiction “Nomadland” – will still be featured, albeit only in a drive-in cinema. This US production by the Chinese diaspora director most recently won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and graces this year’s Mvff as a Telluride Film Festival selection.
The rest of the film selections are listed below. Some are only available virtually in the CAFilm Streaming Room; others available to stream in California only; and others, like Zhao’s “Nomadland,” available in a drive-in at Marin Center.
Feature Films
Bandar Band
Current...
The rest of the film selections are listed below. Some are only available virtually in the CAFilm Streaming Room; others available to stream in California only; and others, like Zhao’s “Nomadland,” available in a drive-in at Marin Center.
Feature Films
Bandar Band
Current...
- 9/30/2020
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
The 45th edition of the Toronto Film Festival is still very much a go, although made up of a reduced programme. After announcing that Spike Lee’s filmed version of the Broadway-acclaimed David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ will open the festival the full line-up has now been released.
Taking place between September 10 – 19, the festival will see the first 5 days made up of physical screenings. The program will also be made up of drive-ins, digital screenings, virtual red carpets, press conferences, industry talks.
The highlights of this year’s festival will include ‘God’s Own Country’ helmer Francis Lee’s ‘Ammonite,’Chloe Zhao’s ‘Nomadland,’ Florian Zeller’s ‘The Father’ and Werner Herzog’s doco “Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds as well as films directed by Regina King, Viggo Mortensen and Halle Berry.
Also in news – Netflix release first look images from Ryan Murphy’s ‘Ratched’
See the full line-up below;
“180 Degree...
Taking place between September 10 – 19, the festival will see the first 5 days made up of physical screenings. The program will also be made up of drive-ins, digital screenings, virtual red carpets, press conferences, industry talks.
The highlights of this year’s festival will include ‘God’s Own Country’ helmer Francis Lee’s ‘Ammonite,’Chloe Zhao’s ‘Nomadland,’ Florian Zeller’s ‘The Father’ and Werner Herzog’s doco “Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds as well as films directed by Regina King, Viggo Mortensen and Halle Berry.
Also in news – Netflix release first look images from Ryan Murphy’s ‘Ratched’
See the full line-up below;
“180 Degree...
- 7/31/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Nicolás Pereda's FaunaToronto International Film Festival have unveiled a dramatically reduced selection of films from their upcoming 2020 edition, including new films by Spike Lee, Nicolás Pereda, Naomi Kawase, and Werner Herzog. The festival's tailored lineup of 50 features, plus five programs of to-be-announced shorts, will screen both physically (for the festival's first five days) and virtually (for the festival's full 10 days.) As previously announced, selected films—such as Chloé Zhao's Nomadland—will premiere in a non-competitive alliance with other major fall festivals in Venice, Telluride, and New York.Opening Night FILMDavid Byrne’s American Utopia (Spike Lee)Closing Night Filma Suitable Boy (Mira Nair)Official SELECTION180 Degree Rule (Farnoosh Samadi)76 Days (Hao Wu, Anonymous, Weixi Chen)Ammonite (Francis Lee)Another Round (Thomas Vinterberg)Bandar Band (Manijeh Hekmat)Beans (Tracey Deer)Beginning (Dea Kulumbegashvili)The Best Is Yet To Come (Wang Jing)Bruised (Halle Berry)City Hall (Frederick Wiseman)Concrete Cowboy...
- 7/30/2020
- MUBI
The feature directorial debuts of Halle Berry and Regina King will be part of the lineup at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, organizers announced on Thursday.
Berry’s film, “Bruised,” features the actor and director as a mixed martial arts star fighting for custody of her young daughter. King’s “One Night in Miami” is based on a play that fictionalizes a night in 1964 in which boxer Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali), singer Sam Cooke, football player Jim Brown and activist Malcolm X met in a Florida hotel room.
Nearly half of the 50 selected features, 23, have a female director or co-director.
Other films among the 50 titles announced by TIFF include Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” a drama from “The Rider” director that stars Frances McDormand; Francis Lee’s “Ammonite,” a female romance set in 1840s England and starring Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet and Fiona Shaw; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “Good Joe Bell,...
Berry’s film, “Bruised,” features the actor and director as a mixed martial arts star fighting for custody of her young daughter. King’s “One Night in Miami” is based on a play that fictionalizes a night in 1964 in which boxer Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali), singer Sam Cooke, football player Jim Brown and activist Malcolm X met in a Florida hotel room.
Nearly half of the 50 selected features, 23, have a female director or co-director.
Other films among the 50 titles announced by TIFF include Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland,” a drama from “The Rider” director that stars Frances McDormand; Francis Lee’s “Ammonite,” a female romance set in 1840s England and starring Saoirse Ronan, Kate Winslet and Fiona Shaw; Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “Good Joe Bell,...
- 7/30/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Films include ’Ammonite’, ’Notturno’, ’New Order’ and ’Penguin Bloom’.
New work from Francis Lee, Werner Herzog, François Ozon, Gianfranco Rosi, Regina King and Mira Nair are among the line-up for the 45th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
As previously announced, Spike Lee’s David Byrne’s American Utopia will open this year’s edition, which runs from September 10-19.
The festival will close with Nair’s A Suitable Boy (pictured), a six-part TV drama that debuted on the BBC in the UK last Sunday (July 26). Netflix has online global rights, excluding North America and China.
Scroll down for full line-up...
New work from Francis Lee, Werner Herzog, François Ozon, Gianfranco Rosi, Regina King and Mira Nair are among the line-up for the 45th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
As previously announced, Spike Lee’s David Byrne’s American Utopia will open this year’s edition, which runs from September 10-19.
The festival will close with Nair’s A Suitable Boy (pictured), a six-part TV drama that debuted on the BBC in the UK last Sunday (July 26). Netflix has online global rights, excluding North America and China.
Scroll down for full line-up...
- 7/30/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
In Farzad Khoshdast’s documentary, four female inmates in a Tehran prison tell the shocking and often gruesome stories of their crimes in their own words
Farzad Khoshdast’s documentary is one of the few Iranian films to look at the lives of female prisoners. The other notable example is Manijeh Hekmat’s 2002 drama Zendan-e Zanan, or Women’s Prison.) Set in Gharchack, a women’s prison in Tehran, the film interviews four inmates referred to as Doors One, Two, Three and Four about their crimes.
In the opening scene, an unseen woman is heard screaming, crying and begging to be set free. She blames the man who “made her do it” and weeps for her youth, which will be wasted behind bars. One of the inmates describes her confinement cell, which contains “just a bed” and “looks like a grave”.
Farzad Khoshdast’s documentary is one of the few Iranian films to look at the lives of female prisoners. The other notable example is Manijeh Hekmat’s 2002 drama Zendan-e Zanan, or Women’s Prison.) Set in Gharchack, a women’s prison in Tehran, the film interviews four inmates referred to as Doors One, Two, Three and Four about their crimes.
In the opening scene, an unseen woman is heard screaming, crying and begging to be set free. She blames the man who “made her do it” and weeps for her youth, which will be wasted behind bars. One of the inmates describes her confinement cell, which contains “just a bed” and “looks like a grave”.
- 3/21/2018
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
Pegah Ahangarani and Mahnaz Mohammadi released on bail after widespread criticism of a crackdown on artists and activists
Iran has released two prominent cultural figures from jail following intense criticism of its crackdown against artists and rights activists.
Pegah Ahangarani, 27, a popular actor and outspoken supporter of the country's opposition green movement, was arrested two weeks ago en route to the women's World Cup. Mahnaz Mohammadi, 37, a documentary filmmaker, was detained by unidentified officials in June.
The human rights website Rahana reported on Wednesday that Ahangarani has been freed from Tehran's notorious Evin prison on bail.
Supporters of Ahangarani, who stars in two films currently being screened in Iranian cinemas, had been protesting against her arrest by applauding and shouting her name in movie theatres across the country in recent days.
Also on Wednesday, the BBC Persian service reported that Mohammadi had been released after paying 1bn Iranian rials (£61,000) in bail.
Iran has released two prominent cultural figures from jail following intense criticism of its crackdown against artists and rights activists.
Pegah Ahangarani, 27, a popular actor and outspoken supporter of the country's opposition green movement, was arrested two weeks ago en route to the women's World Cup. Mahnaz Mohammadi, 37, a documentary filmmaker, was detained by unidentified officials in June.
The human rights website Rahana reported on Wednesday that Ahangarani has been freed from Tehran's notorious Evin prison on bail.
Supporters of Ahangarani, who stars in two films currently being screened in Iranian cinemas, had been protesting against her arrest by applauding and shouting her name in movie theatres across the country in recent days.
Also on Wednesday, the BBC Persian service reported that Mohammadi had been released after paying 1bn Iranian rials (£61,000) in bail.
- 7/27/2011
- by Saeed Kamali Dehghan
- The Guardian - Film News
Attempts at silencing creative artists have been in vain as Iran's directors are acclaimed both at home and abroad
He missed the Cannes film festival while in solitary confinement on hunger strike in Evin prison, Iran. Jafar Panahi, the internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, was released on bail today. He went on hunger strike on 16 May to protest at his treatment and the accusations against him. He was arrested in February for allegedly making a film about the contested presidential elections of last June, which brought Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back to power.
Panahi is known for his social realism films and has won awards at the Venice and Berlin film festivals. While on hunger strike in prison, he was due to be acting as a judge at the Cannes film festival last week. His chair was left empty throughout this year's competition in protest at his incarceration.
Panahi's mentor, the Iranian film director,...
He missed the Cannes film festival while in solitary confinement on hunger strike in Evin prison, Iran. Jafar Panahi, the internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, was released on bail today. He went on hunger strike on 16 May to protest at his treatment and the accusations against him. He was arrested in February for allegedly making a film about the contested presidential elections of last June, which brought Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back to power.
Panahi is known for his social realism films and has won awards at the Venice and Berlin film festivals. While on hunger strike in prison, he was due to be acting as a judge at the Cannes film festival last week. His chair was left empty throughout this year's competition in protest at his incarceration.
Panahi's mentor, the Iranian film director,...
- 5/25/2010
- by Massoumeh Torfeh
- The Guardian - Film News
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