FOCUS • TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Today we spoke to Steve Gravestock, Senior Programmer of the 38th TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 31 May 2013 This year the award from NETPAC for the Best World or International Asian Feature Film Premiere, as selected by a jury from the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema will return. We will have our People’s [...]
Ari Folman’s new road to THE CONGRESS: Filmmaking after his first major success
“Nothing really happened. It was just a blink. I was flying there [the Oscars] first class, coming back on the last row…” Placed within a gridlock of post-success pressure, Ari Folman has formed the very antithesis of the expected follow-up feature to WALTZ WITH BASHIR. Anti-Hollywood, anti-technology and generally anti-humanity, THE CONGRESS has [...]
FOCUS • CPH:DOX
Today we spoke to Mads Mikkelsen, Programmer of the 11th COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL / CPH:DOX DEADLINE • 31 May 2013 I think the new thing this year is that we have launched a non-competitive cross-media relationship which is an open platform developing the projects throughout the year to then be presented at the festival [...]
FOCUS • FANTASTIC FEST
Today we spoke to Kristen Bell, Festival Director of the 9th FANTASTIC FEST DEADLINE • 29 May 2013 This year we have reduced the number of people viewing the festival submissions and are really steering the focus on finding the best genre features and shorts out there. We also tightened our submission deadlines so that we would [...]
FOCUS • OTTAWA ANIMATION FESTIVAL
Today we spoke to Chris Robinson, Artistic Director of the 37th OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 17 May 2013 Last year we received, which was a record, almost 2400 films. The strategy is this: I watch everything. Then I have a very small pile of films that are absolutely going in. Then there is a [...]
DEADLINES • MAY 2013
May is a hot spot in the year for film festival opportunity. Thinking Oscars? The Hamptons International Film Festival, Austin Film Festival and Heartland Film Festival all can chauffeur you there. In our new Focus series we interview people behind the festival programming for you, just in time for submissions. The past couple weeks have seen [...]
EVA STOTZ and her GLOBAL HOME: The Festival Circuit with a Couchsurfing Documentary
Couchsurfing. Of course you have heard of it but have you gone forth, taken the risky hike and tried it? Through the documentary GLOBAL HOME, filmmaker Eva Stotz gives a close insight into the experiences in traveling this unorthodox way. A co-production of Sabotage Films, ZDF – Kleines Fernsehspiel and supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, [...]
FOCUS • SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
Today we spoke to Kali O’Ray, Co-Director of the 15th SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 15 May 2013 This year, the new venue we will probably be using is the Sundance Theater for the Opening Night. Of course we have new venues for the after parties and other social events – we always [...]
ACHTUNG BERLIN Opens For 2013: Filmmakers Vocalize Local
Achtung Berlin’s 2013 festival opening was our local to-do last night, screening Aron Lehmann’s wildly entertaining Kohlhaas oder die Verhältnismässigkeit der Mittel at Kino International. While ‘local’ is the frequented word here, my position is closer to the ongoing conversation between local versus international, intimate versus immensely-boast-able and which of the extremes filmmakers should ground themselves in [...]
FOCUS • GUANAJUATO
Today we spoke to Nina Rodriguez, Programmer of the 16th GUANAJUATO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 1 May 2013 Every year we introduce something new and this year we are beginning a new residency program to help filmmakers get their films made, both from the region and internationally. We are trying to help filmmakers get feedback and [...]
FOCUS • CIRCUITO OFF
Today we spoke to Alessandro Grandesso, Programmer of the 14th CIRCUITO OFF SHORT FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 18 April 2013 The main new feature this year is that we will be in the old center in the town of Venice. Last year we were in Lido. We will work with Palazzo Grassi which is quite great, quite [...]
FOCUS • CURTAS VILA DO CONDE
Today we spoke to Miguel Dias, Director of the 21st CURTAS VILA DO CONDE FILM FESTIVAL DEADLINE • 12 April 2013 I think we are quite, in a way, original. But what can I say; if you look at our program and the history of the films that have been selected, you will see that lots [...]
DEADLINES • APR 2013
‘To me, festivals function on different levels – sometimes you have this industry or business side to festivals and sometimes you have the audience focus – which in some sense, I find more rewarding – then going to some place where you are like you are in some shopping mall,’ Illian Metev, director of festival [...]
FIPRESCI Juror Peter Wintonick: 15 Years With One Of The World’s Great Programmers
“I think my definition these days of cinema really erases national borders because everyone comes from everywhere and the world is everywhere, digitally.” Thessoloniki Documentary Festival (TDF) FIPRESCI Jury President Peter Wintonick has been returning to the festival for 15 years as a director, producer and mentor. He is, shall we say, the right [...]
Ilian Metev’s first Cannes-winning tour de force: Sofia’s Last Ambulance
SOFIA’S LAST AMBULANCE premiered in the competition section at Semaine de la Critique, Cannes in 2012. This was the green light for the first feature documentary film from Bulgarian filmmaker Ilian Metev. Since then, SOFIA’S LAST AMBULANCE (Poslednata lineika na Sofia) has been honored with the awards including France 4 Visionary Award at Cannes, Best [...]
