2023 was a weird year for Asian cinema. Although the “usual” Japanese masters were here once more, the Korean movie industry seems to have taken a significant step back in the absence of any work from their own big names, while the creative powers that have been boiling for some time in Asean countries and South-West Asia in general seem to be erupting at the moment, in, perhaps, a sign that the epicenter of Asian cinema might be changing soon. Apart from this, Iran, Taiwan and mainland China continued on the same path of quality, Hong Kong seems to find a new way with social/family dramas, while the biggest surprise seems to come from Sri Lanka, with the country producing a number of truly great films this year. Lastly, the progress of the diaspora films and particularly Asian-American ones continues, with “Past Lives” being a worthy successor to “Minari”
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- 12/14/2023
- by AMP Group
- AsianMoviePulse
It seems that Sri Lankan cinema is having a great year in 2023, with films like “Paradise” by Prasanna Vithanage and “Whispering Mountains”by Jagath Manuwarna. Visakesa Chandrasekaram follows in the same path with his latest feature, “Sand”, a movie that deals with the intense wound the war has left in the country.
In Water is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Five years after the Sri Lankan war, Rudran, a young man, is facing trial as an ex-Tamil Tiger militant, but is released on bail due to a debilitating leg injury. He returns to his village in the North Province with his mother, an aging soothsayer. While she spends her days in the spiritual realm, attempting to locate the whereabouts of those who have disappeared for a village community deeply bereaved, he spends his searching for his old girlfriend Vaani, in rehabilitation, and in the court for his trial.
In Water is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival
Five years after the Sri Lankan war, Rudran, a young man, is facing trial as an ex-Tamil Tiger militant, but is released on bail due to a debilitating leg injury. He returns to his village in the North Province with his mother, an aging soothsayer. While she spends her days in the spiritual realm, attempting to locate the whereabouts of those who have disappeared for a village community deeply bereaved, he spends his searching for his old girlfriend Vaani, in rehabilitation, and in the court for his trial.
- 11/10/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The recent story of Sri Lanka is one of violence and youth insurrection, with the the Black July riots of 1983, the 1994 discovery of a mass grave in the Sooriyakanda Mountain range, the 30-year Eelam War and the 2022 Protests all seeming like parts of the same cycle. All these insurrections were put to end through the government's militant force, without, though, ever addressing their roots, which can also be perceived as the source of their repetition. The families of the victims, from the 80s to the 00s never got justice, or even news about the fate of their children, in a trauma that is still tormenting the country. Jagath Manuwarna, in his feature debut, explores the aforementioned also including the whole concept of Covid, in a rather unusual approach, that is equally funny, ironic, dramatic, and violent.
Whispering Mountains screened at International Film Festival Rotterdam
The story begins with a virus spreading across Sri Lanka,...
Whispering Mountains screened at International Film Festival Rotterdam
The story begins with a virus spreading across Sri Lanka,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Festival
Anurag Kashyap, Sunny Leone, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Bhat, Ranjan Singh, Anup Singh, Don Palathara, and Sami Khan are among the guest list at the 12th edition of Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Oct. 12-22).
With a lineup of some 120 films and more than 30 events, Iffsa is among the largest South Asian-themed festivals in the world. Selections include Cannes duo – Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” starring Leone and Bhat, and Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” starring Kim Raver (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Berlin selections “Ghaath” by Chhatrapal Ninawe and “Aatmapamphlet” by Ashish Bende. From Rotterdam, Palathara’s “Family,” starring Vinay Forrt and Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” headlined by Manoj Bajpayee, feature alongside Jagath Manuwarna’s Sri Lankan film “Whispering Mountains.”
Acclaimed Bangladesh series “Pett Kata Shaw” will feature as will Canadian Bengali-language production “Meghna Konnya” by Fuad Chowdhury, Atul Sabharwal’s Hindi-language “Berlin” and Osman...
Anurag Kashyap, Sunny Leone, Taapsee Pannu, Rahul Bhat, Ranjan Singh, Anup Singh, Don Palathara, and Sami Khan are among the guest list at the 12th edition of Bmo International Film Festival of South Asia (Iffsa), Toronto (Oct. 12-22).
With a lineup of some 120 films and more than 30 events, Iffsa is among the largest South Asian-themed festivals in the world. Selections include Cannes duo – Kashyap’s “Kennedy,” starring Leone and Bhat, and Kanu Behl’s “Agra,” Laetitia Colombani’s “The Braid” starring Kim Raver (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Berlin selections “Ghaath” by Chhatrapal Ninawe and “Aatmapamphlet” by Ashish Bende. From Rotterdam, Palathara’s “Family,” starring Vinay Forrt and Devashish Makhija’s “Joram,” headlined by Manoj Bajpayee, feature alongside Jagath Manuwarna’s Sri Lankan film “Whispering Mountains.”
Acclaimed Bangladesh series “Pett Kata Shaw” will feature as will Canadian Bengali-language production “Meghna Konnya” by Fuad Chowdhury, Atul Sabharwal’s Hindi-language “Berlin” and Osman...
- 8/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Political dramas and documentaries were the big winners at this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), as socially relevant features from Africa, Sri Lanka and the Middle East came away with the top honors.
Cyrielle Raingou’s Le Spectre De Boko Haram, a documentary that follows a group of children living in the far north region of Cameroon whose lives are overshadowed by the threat of Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram, won the main prize, the 2023 Tiger Award, which comes with 43,000 (€40,000) in prize money, announced at a gala ceremony in Rotterdam on Friday night.
Endless Borders, a minimalist thriller from Iranian director Abbas Amini, the story of an exiled Iranian teacher living in a border village between Iran and Afghanistan, won the IFFR’s Big Screen Award for best film in the IFFR’s main sidebar section.
The award came just hours after dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi was released from prison in Iran,...
Cyrielle Raingou’s Le Spectre De Boko Haram, a documentary that follows a group of children living in the far north region of Cameroon whose lives are overshadowed by the threat of Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram, won the main prize, the 2023 Tiger Award, which comes with 43,000 (€40,000) in prize money, announced at a gala ceremony in Rotterdam on Friday night.
Endless Borders, a minimalist thriller from Iranian director Abbas Amini, the story of an exiled Iranian teacher living in a border village between Iran and Afghanistan, won the IFFR’s Big Screen Award for best film in the IFFR’s main sidebar section.
The award came just hours after dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi was released from prison in Iran,...
- 2/4/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cyrielle Raingou’s documentary “Le Spectre de Boko Haram” won the Tiger Award, the top prize of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Friday. The film follows a group of children in the north of Cameroon, an area dominated by the terrorist organization Boko Haram. Raingou is from the area herself.
“When I received this unforgettable call, I started crying. I couldn’t believe it. This recognition means the world to me and my people,” Raingou said on a video message played during the awards ceremony.
The jury deemed Raingou’s feature debut “a story that centers on its filmmakers’ patient and honest gaze on the hovering presence of violence, seen through the eyes of innocents.”
The Tiger Award, which aims to “raise the profile of and reward up-and-coming international film talent,” is accompanied by a €40,000 cash prize, to be shared between the film’s director and producer. This year’s...
“When I received this unforgettable call, I started crying. I couldn’t believe it. This recognition means the world to me and my people,” Raingou said on a video message played during the awards ceremony.
The jury deemed Raingou’s feature debut “a story that centers on its filmmakers’ patient and honest gaze on the hovering presence of violence, seen through the eyes of innocents.”
The Tiger Award, which aims to “raise the profile of and reward up-and-coming international film talent,” is accompanied by a €40,000 cash prize, to be shared between the film’s director and producer. This year’s...
- 2/3/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Visakesa Chandrasekaram’s ’Munnel’ and Artemis Shaw and Prashanth Kamalakanthan’s ‘New Strains’ also won awards.
Cyrielle Raingou’s Le Spectre De Boko Haram has triumphed at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), taking home the main prize, the €40,000 Tiger award, at the ceremony which unfolded tonight (February 3), held in-person for the first time since 2020.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
Raingou’s debut feature is a documentary following a group of children living under the threat of terrorist organisation Boko Haram in the far north region of Cameroon – the region Raingou herself is from.
The winner was...
Cyrielle Raingou’s Le Spectre De Boko Haram has triumphed at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), taking home the main prize, the €40,000 Tiger award, at the ceremony which unfolded tonight (February 3), held in-person for the first time since 2020.
Scroll down for the full list of winners
Raingou’s debut feature is a documentary following a group of children living under the threat of terrorist organisation Boko Haram in the far north region of Cameroon – the region Raingou herself is from.
The winner was...
- 2/3/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Monday unveiled its full line for its 2023 event.
After two all-virtual festivals, the IFFR is finally returning in-person fest, running January 25-February 5 in the Dutch port city. Rotterdam is one of the last major festivals to return post-pandemic, its 2022 event having been forced to go online-only at the last minute when Dutch authorities imposed a new lockdown in December last year, just weeks before the IFFR kicked off.
The resulting revenue shortfall —closed theatres equals zero ticket sales —meant IFFR had to slash its budget, cutting 15 percent of its staff and restructuring.
Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, who runs the IFFR together with managing director Marjan van der Haar, told The Hollywood Reporter the cuts were made “in order to avoid having to make big changes to the festival.” The 2023 edition, however, will be significantly smaller than the pre-pandemic versions,...
The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) on Monday unveiled its full line for its 2023 event.
After two all-virtual festivals, the IFFR is finally returning in-person fest, running January 25-February 5 in the Dutch port city. Rotterdam is one of the last major festivals to return post-pandemic, its 2022 event having been forced to go online-only at the last minute when Dutch authorities imposed a new lockdown in December last year, just weeks before the IFFR kicked off.
The resulting revenue shortfall —closed theatres equals zero ticket sales —meant IFFR had to slash its budget, cutting 15 percent of its staff and restructuring.
Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, who runs the IFFR together with managing director Marjan van der Haar, told The Hollywood Reporter the cuts were made “in order to avoid having to make big changes to the festival.” The 2023 edition, however, will be significantly smaller than the pre-pandemic versions,...
- 12/19/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The festival runs January 25 - February 5
Action thriller Little Dixie from US director John Swab is one of four world premieres announced as part of the Harbour strand for the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Little Dixie follows an ex-Special Forces Operative trying to negotiate a deal with the Mexican drug cartel while protecting his young daughter. The cast includes Frank Grillo, Eric Dane and Annabeth Gish. It is produced by Roxwell Films.
Giorgio Cugno’s Alien Food will also have its world premiere at the festival. The Italy-Denmark co-production explores the friendship between a 40-year-old man with bipolar disorder,...
Action thriller Little Dixie from US director John Swab is one of four world premieres announced as part of the Harbour strand for the 52nd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Little Dixie follows an ex-Special Forces Operative trying to negotiate a deal with the Mexican drug cartel while protecting his young daughter. The cast includes Frank Grillo, Eric Dane and Annabeth Gish. It is produced by Roxwell Films.
Giorgio Cugno’s Alien Food will also have its world premiere at the festival. The Italy-Denmark co-production explores the friendship between a 40-year-old man with bipolar disorder,...
- 11/10/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
As per usual, IFFR likes to drop a sampling of confirmed titles just before the official line-up unveiling (namely the Tiger Competition on December 19th) and Artistic Director Vanja Kaludjercic has front-loaded the 52nd edition with some bonafide quality film items. For the Limelight section we have Cannes gems in Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun and Hlynur Pálmason’s Godland while from Venice we have Alice Diop’s Saint Omer and Jafar Panahi’s No Bears. The first titles in the Bright Future programme are mostly international premieres with Umut Subasi’s Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster and Jagath Manuwarna’s Whispering Mountains. receiving world premiere status.…...
- 10/27/2022
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Bright Future and Limelight titles first to be announced.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and industry platform CineMart are set to fully return in-person in 2023, with its first wave of titles announced today.
The 52nd edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from January 25 to February 5 and organisers said it plans to welcome back audiences with a complete programme of features, shorts, focus programmes, installations and performances.
The 40th edition of IFFR’s co-production market CineMart is also set to run from January 29 to February 1, with one-to-one meetings and informal networking taking place in person for the first time in three years.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and industry platform CineMart are set to fully return in-person in 2023, with its first wave of titles announced today.
The 52nd edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from January 25 to February 5 and organisers said it plans to welcome back audiences with a complete programme of features, shorts, focus programmes, installations and performances.
The 40th edition of IFFR’s co-production market CineMart is also set to run from January 29 to February 1, with one-to-one meetings and informal networking taking place in person for the first time in three years.
- 10/27/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
After two all-virtual events, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will return in person next year with a full lineup and, on Thursday unveiled its first titles for 2023.
In its Bright Future program, dedicated to young and emerging talent, IFFR confirmed two world premieres: Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster, a deadpan dramedy from Turkish director Umut Subasi, and Whispering Mountains, a satirical drama director Jagath Manuwarna which looks at what happens when a supernatural virus spreads across Sri Lanka. Other highlights of the Bright Future lineup include Angela Wanjiku Wamai’s Kenyan drama Shimoni, which premiered in Toronto, and La mala familia, a Spanish drama from directors Luis Rojo and Nacho A. Villar, which will have its international premiere at IFFR.
Rotterdam’s Limelight section, featuring art house highlights of the past year, will include such festival favorites as Alice Diop’s Saint Omer,...
After two all-virtual events, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) will return in person next year with a full lineup and, on Thursday unveiled its first titles for 2023.
In its Bright Future program, dedicated to young and emerging talent, IFFR confirmed two world premieres: Almost Entirely a Slight Disaster, a deadpan dramedy from Turkish director Umut Subasi, and Whispering Mountains, a satirical drama director Jagath Manuwarna which looks at what happens when a supernatural virus spreads across Sri Lanka. Other highlights of the Bright Future lineup include Angela Wanjiku Wamai’s Kenyan drama Shimoni, which premiered in Toronto, and La mala familia, a Spanish drama from directors Luis Rojo and Nacho A. Villar, which will have its international premiere at IFFR.
Rotterdam’s Limelight section, featuring art house highlights of the past year, will include such festival favorites as Alice Diop’s Saint Omer,...
- 10/27/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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