121 films later… another installment of the Pan African Film Festival (Paff) in Los Angeles, CA, came to a close on Wednesday, the 23rd, with the announcement of its filmmaker awards.
Prizes were handed out for the following categories: Best Narrative Feature, Best First Feature Film, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, and Audience Favorite awards.
I was extremely pleased to see João Daniel Tikhomiroff’s Besouro win the Best Narrative Feature prize. It’s a film we’ve touted on this blog for the last 2 years, since initially hearing about it. The film is still without North American distribution, as far as I know, and it needs all the press and push it can get. I hope it’s eventually picked up – even if it’s a straight-to-dvd release.
Ava DuVernay’s I Will Follow received the well-deserved Best First Feature Film award.
And the Jamie Foxx-executive produced Thunder Soul,...
Prizes were handed out for the following categories: Best Narrative Feature, Best First Feature Film, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, and Audience Favorite awards.
I was extremely pleased to see João Daniel Tikhomiroff’s Besouro win the Best Narrative Feature prize. It’s a film we’ve touted on this blog for the last 2 years, since initially hearing about it. The film is still without North American distribution, as far as I know, and it needs all the press and push it can get. I hope it’s eventually picked up – even if it’s a straight-to-dvd release.
Ava DuVernay’s I Will Follow received the well-deserved Best First Feature Film award.
And the Jamie Foxx-executive produced Thunder Soul,...
- 2/25/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew's "Atletu" took home high honors from the 7th annual Bahamas International Film Festival over the weekend. The Ethiopian sports drama about former Olympic Gold Medal winner Abebe Bikila won the Spirit of Freedom (Narrative) competition and was also named as the recipient of the Festival's Audience Award for best feature narrative. The Israeli-American documentary "Budrus," from director Julia Bacha, won the Spirit of Freedom prize ...
- 12/6/2010
- Indiewire
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences yesterday, issued a press release listing all of their Best Foreign Language film submissions, from at least 65 countries.
Here’s the trailer for one of them which was uploaded today – an Ethiopian film covered on S&A last year, Atletu (Athlete), described as: “unique and elegant hybrid of autobiography, biopic and documentary tells the inspiring story of the great Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who in 1960 became the first African athlete to win gold at the Olympics – a new world record, and barefoot at that. Then four years later in Tokyo, he did it all again… this time wearing shoes. And at age 32, Abebe Bikila became the first man to win consecutive marathons at the Olympics. Bikila’s story took a shocking turn after these triumphs, yet nothing could keep him from pursuing his dreams all the way to the finish line...
Here’s the trailer for one of them which was uploaded today – an Ethiopian film covered on S&A last year, Atletu (Athlete), described as: “unique and elegant hybrid of autobiography, biopic and documentary tells the inspiring story of the great Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who in 1960 became the first African athlete to win gold at the Olympics – a new world record, and barefoot at that. Then four years later in Tokyo, he did it all again… this time wearing shoes. And at age 32, Abebe Bikila became the first man to win consecutive marathons at the Olympics. Bikila’s story took a shocking turn after these triumphs, yet nothing could keep him from pursuing his dreams all the way to the finish line...
- 10/14/2010
- by Wale
- ShadowAndAct
Taking the form of an unabashed love letter to the charismatic, long-surviving Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Estela Bravo's documentary sacrifices the value of its wealth of archival foot-age with its less-than-objective stance. Depicting Castro only as a romantic revolutionary beloved by his people, "Fidel" presents an unbalanced portrait that ultimately serves to make this film less than definitive, though undeniably fascinating.
Presenting Castro's story in straightforward chronological fashion, the film details his humble beginnings, his role in the overthrow of Batista and, of course, such subsequent historical events as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of Che, all the way up to the Elian Gonzalez case. But this "Biography"-style rundown is ultimately less compelling than the revealing personal footage the filmmaker has acquired from Cuban archives. Thus, we see Castro happily swimming with his bodyguards, visiting his childhood home and school (he sits at a desk, as if waiting for class to begin), standing over the graves of his parents, hanging out with the members of the Buena Vista Social Club, etc. We are also given such epochal moments as when, during a speech, a dove released to the skies perches instead on his shoulder, cementing his "destined" status for many Cubans.
Other fascinating moments include footage of a young Castro giving an interview in English to Edward R. Murrow while his young son plays with a puppy, as well as sparring with newsman Mike Wallace, who provides the sole moment of dissent (other than a typically rabid Jesse Helms) by gently inquiring during a fast encounter, "So, what ever happened to democracy and free elections?"
The film supplants its loving depiction by showing Castro interacting with luminaries ranging from Nelson Mandela to a grinning Jack Nicholson and with laudatory testimonials by such questionable authorities as novelist Alice Walker (she expresses great surprise that the Cuban leader can't sing or dance), Harry Belafonte and Sydney Pollack. Also weighing in is novelist and close friend Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who claims that Castro helps him edit his books.
FIDEL
First Run Features
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Estela Bravo
Director of photography: Roberto Chile
Editors: Davey Frankel, Monica Henriquez, Fermin Gonzalez
Narrator: Vlasta Vrana
Running time 91 -- minutes
No MPAA rating...
Presenting Castro's story in straightforward chronological fashion, the film details his humble beginnings, his role in the overthrow of Batista and, of course, such subsequent historical events as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of Che, all the way up to the Elian Gonzalez case. But this "Biography"-style rundown is ultimately less compelling than the revealing personal footage the filmmaker has acquired from Cuban archives. Thus, we see Castro happily swimming with his bodyguards, visiting his childhood home and school (he sits at a desk, as if waiting for class to begin), standing over the graves of his parents, hanging out with the members of the Buena Vista Social Club, etc. We are also given such epochal moments as when, during a speech, a dove released to the skies perches instead on his shoulder, cementing his "destined" status for many Cubans.
Other fascinating moments include footage of a young Castro giving an interview in English to Edward R. Murrow while his young son plays with a puppy, as well as sparring with newsman Mike Wallace, who provides the sole moment of dissent (other than a typically rabid Jesse Helms) by gently inquiring during a fast encounter, "So, what ever happened to democracy and free elections?"
The film supplants its loving depiction by showing Castro interacting with luminaries ranging from Nelson Mandela to a grinning Jack Nicholson and with laudatory testimonials by such questionable authorities as novelist Alice Walker (she expresses great surprise that the Cuban leader can't sing or dance), Harry Belafonte and Sydney Pollack. Also weighing in is novelist and close friend Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who claims that Castro helps him edit his books.
FIDEL
First Run Features
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Estela Bravo
Director of photography: Roberto Chile
Editors: Davey Frankel, Monica Henriquez, Fermin Gonzalez
Narrator: Vlasta Vrana
Running time 91 -- minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/18/2002
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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