SEEfest April 26-May 3, 2023 in Los Angeles: A Unique Event
Los Angeles, my hometown, probably has different film festivals every day of the year. The most known of course is the AFI Fest, a part of the venerable industry institution the American Film Institute. A list of all of them is below. But worth mentioning is the upcoming SEEfest.
In highlighting it here, I know I will be asked by others (and I will not have the capacity) to cover them, but I will mention the one I am on the Advisory Board for before going on to SEEfest and the innumerable others.
The Asian World Film Festival in November is the place to catch the most Asian submissions for the Academy Award Best International Film Nominations. Founded by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, Chairman of the Union of Filmmakers of Kyrgyzstan, who followed his dream to attend film school in Moscow at the age of 38 and Co-Founder and Managing Director, Asel Sherniyazova, who has an economic and business educational background and for two years studied in China and is fluent in English, Chinese, Russian and Kyrgyz. She is a Co-Founder of a business consultancy company in China, an investment corporation in the USA and a non-profit organization in Kyrgyzstan. Asel is an integral part of the Festival, managing the structure and strategic content as well as event sponsorship and all promotional activity. She is also instrumental in liaising between Consulates, Embassies and Ministries from the Asian Continent, ensuring that their countries’ films and filmmakers receive a high degree of exposure during the Festival.
Asel Sherniyazova
And the most visible face of the festival is Georges N. Chamchoum, an Emmy and multiple award-winning Film Director and Producer, born in Niger, West Africa of Lebanese origin. Educated in France, Germany and Wales, he entered the film industry in 1968 after graduating from the Conservatoire du Cinema Français in Paris. Georges has directed and produced over 35 features in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Canada and the USA, with many screened at various International Film Festivals and Universities. Georges has lived in Los Angeles for the past 32 years.
Georges Chamchoum
Asian World Film Festival: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar., Republic of Georgia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
Next closest to my heart is SEEfest, the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles which pioneered the concept of regional, cross-border programming with issue-driven films that tell a larger story about South East Europe, where borders of all kinds are fluid and porous just as often as poisonous. By presenting multiple points of view from this troubled region, the festival unlocks delicate doors into human existence, highlighting concerns of our time that resonate with American audiences.
SEEfest: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine
Founded in 2006 by Vera Mijojlić, a cultural producer, who began her career as a cultural reporter and film critic in Sarajevo, and holds a degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. She has curated major film retrospectives for the UCLA Film Archive and Austin Film Society, and initiated a national tour of landmark short films with the Los Angeles FilmForum, which was presented at the Pacific Film Archive, Harvard Film Archive, National Gallery of Art, and MoMA. In addition to the 2018 Women in Leadership Award from the City of West Hollywood, she has received multiple recognitions from the State of California, as well as the County and City of Los Angeles.
Vera Mijojlić
A great deal of what I do is directly related to the festival I founded, including writing about cinematic milestones, highlighting interesting books, especially those related to the region of South East Europe, and giving tributes to outstanding artists across the spectrum. What sets me apart, and by extension the festival as well, is an intense focus on the multidisciplinary approach to all the arts, not just the cinematic, but also the art of literature, architecture, design, publishing, and including the rich legacy of fine arts.
The joy of making my dream a reality, creating and building from the ground up the first platform in the U.S. for a host of countries and emerging filmmakers with little or no access to American audiences — during my 16-year long journey with SEEfest, was worth the mammoth effort it took to get there.
This year’s 18th annual SEEfest, co-presented by Elma, opens on April 26th at the Writers Guild Theater and runs at seven different locations around L.A. County through May 3rd. With over 50 features, documentaries and short films, the festival brings to Los Angeles U.S. premieres, European talent and an Industry Accelerator with seminars, panels and workshops.
‘Sonne’ directed by Kurdwin Ayub
Get ready for the charm offensive of Sonne when a trio of young actresses singing their way to YouTube fame and coming of age online and in real life simultaneously decide, in a moment of ordinary madness, to shoot a burqa music video. Produced by Ulrich Seidl and directed by Austria-born Kurdwin Ayub, this great debut film had already won accolades internationally, including Berlin Film Festival’s Gwff Best First Feature Award.
The festival’s co-presenting sponsor Elma, Foundation for European Languages and Movies in America has the mission to create new avenues for better cultural understanding between the people of Europe and the USA by celebrating alternative cinema.
Image courtesy of Doctors Without Borders
A biology teacher in my elementary school “Veselin Masleša” in Sarajevo introduced the topic of germs by telling us the story of the 1955 French film If All The Guys In The World by Christian-Jaque, written by him and Henri-Georges Clouzot. Sailors on a fishing trawler became ill after eating contaminated meat. The heroes of the film are radio amateurs from all over the world who unite to deliver the medicine that will cure them.
The catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless and displaced. Rescue teams from many countries have been dispatched and aid is being delivered. And if all the people in the world stand in solidarity then people on the ground in the affected areas will not be alone. The legacy of those radio amateurs working across borders will live on.
How You Can Help: Red Cross, Direct Relief, Doctors Without Borders
Call for Papers
A conference taking place in June at the Central European University is an opportunity for scholars working in the field of Romani studies to submit proposals.
Conference Info
‘Outrageous comparisons’– On March 6, Professor Willibald Steinmetz gave a work-in-progress report on a book he is currently writing about ‘outrageous comparisons’, i.e. comparisons that create public outrage. Polemical equations of someone with Hitler or the Nazis, or analogies to the Holocaust, are the most salient cases in point, but by no means the only instances of outrageous comparisons.
Book Recommendations
A Sea Of Transience
Poetics, Politics and Aesthetics along the Black Sea Coast
Edited by Tamta Khalvashi and Martin Demant Frederiksen
Transience is found in every meeting and form of coexistence between people and things that live and exist by or move across or along, the Black Sea. It may come in various forms and guises, from de facto states, tourism, migration, trafficking or military troops, and it needs to be written and captured in sensuous, affective and imaginative ways.
With particular attention to poetics, politics and aesthetics, this volume focuses on the scales of transient moments and histories, and enables readers to see and sense the many forms of transience that occur in a given landscape, sea or space.
Read more.
In her new book, Memories Do Not Burn, Judith Jenya recounts the fascinating stories of what it took to start, fund and organize Global Children’s organization and create summer camps bringing together children from opposing sides during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other troubled spots where her work took her.
Become a Member
Not a member yet? Become an art patron with other SEEfest arthouse aficionados in support of great events and programs.
Become A Cine-fan Today!
SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, Elma Foundation for European Movies in America, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Below is a list of the many other film festivals in LA. Whether it is the definitive list, I do not know.
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (Nfmla) Film Festival — April 22nd, 2023
TCM Classic Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, Outfest, City of Lights, City of Angels (French Film Festival), Polish Film Festival Los Angeles, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival, Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Israel Film Festival, Turkish Film Festival of LA, Los Angeles Italia Film Festival, Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival, LA Shorts Fest, Dtla Film Festival, Doc LA - Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival, Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival, Los Angeles International Culture Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, FirstGlance Film Festival,The Valley Film Festival, L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival, Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival, Los Angeles Animation Festival, Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories, Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival, Poetry Film Festival Los Angeles, Fri, Apr 28 Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Venice
Sunset International Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Silicon Beach Film Festival, Lift Off Fest, Monsterpalooza, HollyShorts Film, Hollywood ShortsFest…
https://www.lafilmfestivals.com/ alone hosts the LA Comedy Film Festival, LA Indie Film Festival, LA Queer Film Festival, LA Women in Film Festival, LA Black Film Festival, LA Asian Film Festival, LA Latinx Film Festival, LA Sci-Fi Film Festival, LA Action Film Festival, LA Horror Film Festival, LA Animated Film Festival, and LA Student Film Festival.
And in April alone:
Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival 2023 Apr 20 at the Regal LA Live, Los Angeles Short Film Festival Apr 15 at Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory, 2023 Universe Multicultural Film Festival April 14 at Peninsula Center Library at Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles Pasifika Film Festival, Malibu Film Festival, Silent Films Live 3
Maron Doll Short Film World Premiere | Hudson Theatre, Apr 29, Orange Film Fest 2023, April 29 Santa Ana CA, Talkies: Comedy & Short Films April 20, The New Film Underground Volume 7 Apr 23 at Art Share L.A., Marilyn Monroe Film Festival at the Saban
Celebrating 100 Years of Armenian Cinema: Vigen Chaldranyan’s Alter EgoApril 16 at AMC Americana at Brand 18 • Glendale, CA, Free
Classic Cinema Night at Cinegrill Theater, Apr 19 at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel • Los Angeles, CA
International Film
Film Festivals
Poland
Asia
Europe...
Los Angeles, my hometown, probably has different film festivals every day of the year. The most known of course is the AFI Fest, a part of the venerable industry institution the American Film Institute. A list of all of them is below. But worth mentioning is the upcoming SEEfest.
In highlighting it here, I know I will be asked by others (and I will not have the capacity) to cover them, but I will mention the one I am on the Advisory Board for before going on to SEEfest and the innumerable others.
The Asian World Film Festival in November is the place to catch the most Asian submissions for the Academy Award Best International Film Nominations. Founded by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, Chairman of the Union of Filmmakers of Kyrgyzstan, who followed his dream to attend film school in Moscow at the age of 38 and Co-Founder and Managing Director, Asel Sherniyazova, who has an economic and business educational background and for two years studied in China and is fluent in English, Chinese, Russian and Kyrgyz. She is a Co-Founder of a business consultancy company in China, an investment corporation in the USA and a non-profit organization in Kyrgyzstan. Asel is an integral part of the Festival, managing the structure and strategic content as well as event sponsorship and all promotional activity. She is also instrumental in liaising between Consulates, Embassies and Ministries from the Asian Continent, ensuring that their countries’ films and filmmakers receive a high degree of exposure during the Festival.
Asel Sherniyazova
And the most visible face of the festival is Georges N. Chamchoum, an Emmy and multiple award-winning Film Director and Producer, born in Niger, West Africa of Lebanese origin. Educated in France, Germany and Wales, he entered the film industry in 1968 after graduating from the Conservatoire du Cinema Français in Paris. Georges has directed and produced over 35 features in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Canada and the USA, with many screened at various International Film Festivals and Universities. Georges has lived in Los Angeles for the past 32 years.
Georges Chamchoum
Asian World Film Festival: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar., Republic of Georgia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen
Next closest to my heart is SEEfest, the South East European Film Festival in Los Angeles which pioneered the concept of regional, cross-border programming with issue-driven films that tell a larger story about South East Europe, where borders of all kinds are fluid and porous just as often as poisonous. By presenting multiple points of view from this troubled region, the festival unlocks delicate doors into human existence, highlighting concerns of our time that resonate with American audiences.
SEEfest: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine
Founded in 2006 by Vera Mijojlić, a cultural producer, who began her career as a cultural reporter and film critic in Sarajevo, and holds a degree in journalism from the University of Belgrade. She has curated major film retrospectives for the UCLA Film Archive and Austin Film Society, and initiated a national tour of landmark short films with the Los Angeles FilmForum, which was presented at the Pacific Film Archive, Harvard Film Archive, National Gallery of Art, and MoMA. In addition to the 2018 Women in Leadership Award from the City of West Hollywood, she has received multiple recognitions from the State of California, as well as the County and City of Los Angeles.
Vera Mijojlić
A great deal of what I do is directly related to the festival I founded, including writing about cinematic milestones, highlighting interesting books, especially those related to the region of South East Europe, and giving tributes to outstanding artists across the spectrum. What sets me apart, and by extension the festival as well, is an intense focus on the multidisciplinary approach to all the arts, not just the cinematic, but also the art of literature, architecture, design, publishing, and including the rich legacy of fine arts.
The joy of making my dream a reality, creating and building from the ground up the first platform in the U.S. for a host of countries and emerging filmmakers with little or no access to American audiences — during my 16-year long journey with SEEfest, was worth the mammoth effort it took to get there.
This year’s 18th annual SEEfest, co-presented by Elma, opens on April 26th at the Writers Guild Theater and runs at seven different locations around L.A. County through May 3rd. With over 50 features, documentaries and short films, the festival brings to Los Angeles U.S. premieres, European talent and an Industry Accelerator with seminars, panels and workshops.
‘Sonne’ directed by Kurdwin Ayub
Get ready for the charm offensive of Sonne when a trio of young actresses singing their way to YouTube fame and coming of age online and in real life simultaneously decide, in a moment of ordinary madness, to shoot a burqa music video. Produced by Ulrich Seidl and directed by Austria-born Kurdwin Ayub, this great debut film had already won accolades internationally, including Berlin Film Festival’s Gwff Best First Feature Award.
The festival’s co-presenting sponsor Elma, Foundation for European Languages and Movies in America has the mission to create new avenues for better cultural understanding between the people of Europe and the USA by celebrating alternative cinema.
Image courtesy of Doctors Without Borders
A biology teacher in my elementary school “Veselin Masleša” in Sarajevo introduced the topic of germs by telling us the story of the 1955 French film If All The Guys In The World by Christian-Jaque, written by him and Henri-Georges Clouzot. Sailors on a fishing trawler became ill after eating contaminated meat. The heroes of the film are radio amateurs from all over the world who unite to deliver the medicine that will cure them.
The catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has left tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless and displaced. Rescue teams from many countries have been dispatched and aid is being delivered. And if all the people in the world stand in solidarity then people on the ground in the affected areas will not be alone. The legacy of those radio amateurs working across borders will live on.
How You Can Help: Red Cross, Direct Relief, Doctors Without Borders
Call for Papers
A conference taking place in June at the Central European University is an opportunity for scholars working in the field of Romani studies to submit proposals.
Conference Info
‘Outrageous comparisons’– On March 6, Professor Willibald Steinmetz gave a work-in-progress report on a book he is currently writing about ‘outrageous comparisons’, i.e. comparisons that create public outrage. Polemical equations of someone with Hitler or the Nazis, or analogies to the Holocaust, are the most salient cases in point, but by no means the only instances of outrageous comparisons.
Book Recommendations
A Sea Of Transience
Poetics, Politics and Aesthetics along the Black Sea Coast
Edited by Tamta Khalvashi and Martin Demant Frederiksen
Transience is found in every meeting and form of coexistence between people and things that live and exist by or move across or along, the Black Sea. It may come in various forms and guises, from de facto states, tourism, migration, trafficking or military troops, and it needs to be written and captured in sensuous, affective and imaginative ways.
With particular attention to poetics, politics and aesthetics, this volume focuses on the scales of transient moments and histories, and enables readers to see and sense the many forms of transience that occur in a given landscape, sea or space.
Read more.
In her new book, Memories Do Not Burn, Judith Jenya recounts the fascinating stories of what it took to start, fund and organize Global Children’s organization and create summer camps bringing together children from opposing sides during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other troubled spots where her work took her.
Become a Member
Not a member yet? Become an art patron with other SEEfest arthouse aficionados in support of great events and programs.
Become A Cine-fan Today!
SEEfest program and activities are supported, in part, by the California Arts Council, a state agency; Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture; by a grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles, Elma Foundation for European Movies in America, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Below is a list of the many other film festivals in LA. Whether it is the definitive list, I do not know.
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (Nfmla) Film Festival — April 22nd, 2023
TCM Classic Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival, Outfest, City of Lights, City of Angels (French Film Festival), Polish Film Festival Los Angeles, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Brazilian Film Festival, Hollywood Brazilian Film Festival, Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, Israel Film Festival, Turkish Film Festival of LA, Los Angeles Italia Film Festival, Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival, LA Shorts Fest, Dtla Film Festival, Doc LA - Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival, Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival, Los Angeles International Culture Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival, FirstGlance Film Festival,The Valley Film Festival, L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival, Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival, Los Angeles Animation Festival, Festival of International Virtual & Augmented Reality Stories, Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival, Poetry Film Festival Los Angeles, Fri, Apr 28 Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center in Venice
Sunset International Film Festival, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Silicon Beach Film Festival, Lift Off Fest, Monsterpalooza, HollyShorts Film, Hollywood ShortsFest…
https://www.lafilmfestivals.com/ alone hosts the LA Comedy Film Festival, LA Indie Film Festival, LA Queer Film Festival, LA Women in Film Festival, LA Black Film Festival, LA Asian Film Festival, LA Latinx Film Festival, LA Sci-Fi Film Festival, LA Action Film Festival, LA Horror Film Festival, LA Animated Film Festival, and LA Student Film Festival.
And in April alone:
Beyond Hollywood International Film Festival 2023 Apr 20 at the Regal LA Live, Los Angeles Short Film Festival Apr 15 at Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory, 2023 Universe Multicultural Film Festival April 14 at Peninsula Center Library at Rolling Hills Estates, Los Angeles Pasifika Film Festival, Malibu Film Festival, Silent Films Live 3
Maron Doll Short Film World Premiere | Hudson Theatre, Apr 29, Orange Film Fest 2023, April 29 Santa Ana CA, Talkies: Comedy & Short Films April 20, The New Film Underground Volume 7 Apr 23 at Art Share L.A., Marilyn Monroe Film Festival at the Saban
Celebrating 100 Years of Armenian Cinema: Vigen Chaldranyan’s Alter EgoApril 16 at AMC Americana at Brand 18 • Glendale, CA, Free
Classic Cinema Night at Cinegrill Theater, Apr 19 at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel • Los Angeles, CA
International Film
Film Festivals
Poland
Asia
Europe...
- 4/9/2023
- by Sydney
- Sydney's Buzz
This year’s Asian World Film Festival will again showcase the very best of Asian cinema, all in an effort to draw greater recognition to the region’s wealth of filmmakers and talent while strengthening ties between the film industries of Hollywood and the continent.
During the pandemic, the 2020 edition was delayed to spring 2021. The festival will highlight pictures from more than 50 countries across Asia. It is unique in that it predominantly screens works that have been submitted to the Oscars and Golden Globes for international feature film and motion picture — non-English language, respectively.
“We started Awff in 2018, and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved,” says executive and program director Georges Chamchoum, who co-founded the event with Sadyk Sher Niyaz, the former minister of culture of Kyrgyzstan, and Asel Sherniyazova and Brett Syson. “It’s a real passion for me, and our goal is to put a...
During the pandemic, the 2020 edition was delayed to spring 2021. The festival will highlight pictures from more than 50 countries across Asia. It is unique in that it predominantly screens works that have been submitted to the Oscars and Golden Globes for international feature film and motion picture — non-English language, respectively.
“We started Awff in 2018, and we’re very proud of what we’ve achieved,” says executive and program director Georges Chamchoum, who co-founded the event with Sadyk Sher Niyaz, the former minister of culture of Kyrgyzstan, and Asel Sherniyazova and Brett Syson. “It’s a real passion for me, and our goal is to put a...
- 11/9/2022
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
21 Best Foreign Language Film submissions and 16 Golden Globe submissions make this festival an important event in Los Angeles.
Now in its third year, The Asian World Film Festival is held at the Arclight in Culver City. While still dealing with growing pains, especially finding its audience, it still hosts a great community of film lovers and filmmakers. My wish is that next year it will reach farther to the Asian filmmaking community in L.A. and to the ethnic communities of L.A. who would love to see the works of their homeland filmmakers which are making their way toward Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Films.
Awff Jury President Lisa Lu
The winner this year of multiple prizes was the South Korean submission A Taxi Driver. This funny and very serious film is so important today, and with the best publicist for the Academy Awards, Pogodin & Associattes, it...
Now in its third year, The Asian World Film Festival is held at the Arclight in Culver City. While still dealing with growing pains, especially finding its audience, it still hosts a great community of film lovers and filmmakers. My wish is that next year it will reach farther to the Asian filmmaking community in L.A. and to the ethnic communities of L.A. who would love to see the works of their homeland filmmakers which are making their way toward Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Films.
Awff Jury President Lisa Lu
The winner this year of multiple prizes was the South Korean submission A Taxi Driver. This funny and very serious film is so important today, and with the best publicist for the Academy Awards, Pogodin & Associattes, it...
- 11/12/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Turkey’s Official 2018 Oscar Selection ‘Ayla, The Daughter of War’ will open the Festival on October 25 and George Takei’s ‘Allegiance…The Broadway Musical on the Big Screen’ will close the festival November 2. The festival highlights films from 53 countries across Asia, spanning from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean to Japan, and more.Ayla: The Daughter of War
The Third Annual Asian World Film Festival (Awff) Opening NIght film, Ayla: The Daughter of War was filmed in South Korea and tells a touching story of an orphan girl and a Turkish soldier set during the Korean War.
‘Ayla: The Daughter of War’
The Festival runs Oct 25 — Nov 2, 2017. All films will be screened at the Arclight Cinema in Downtown Culver City (9500 Culver Blvd.) Both the opening and closing night screenings will be followed by a cocktail reception.
To purchase tickets
Director Can Ulkay commented, “It is very important for us to...
The Third Annual Asian World Film Festival (Awff) Opening NIght film, Ayla: The Daughter of War was filmed in South Korea and tells a touching story of an orphan girl and a Turkish soldier set during the Korean War.
‘Ayla: The Daughter of War’
The Festival runs Oct 25 — Nov 2, 2017. All films will be screened at the Arclight Cinema in Downtown Culver City (9500 Culver Blvd.) Both the opening and closing night screenings will be followed by a cocktail reception.
To purchase tickets
Director Can Ulkay commented, “It is very important for us to...
- 9/22/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Director Georges Chamchoum discussed organizing the Asian World Film Festival, and how the festival is giving lesser known filmmakers a chance to promote their wonderful films. “My passion has always been to make people discover cinema that they never heard of,” Chamchoum told TheWrap’s editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman. He added that he hopes the festival will fill a gap for aspiring filmmakers to help promote their work. “There’s so much money you have to spend on promoting, marketing, and some of them, their movie is cheaper than the promoting and marketing,” he said. Also Read: Asian World Film Festival...
- 10/22/2015
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The Asian World Film Festival (Awff) has added 11 films to their Special Screenings and non-competitive lineup, with "Piku" (India) as the Festival’s “Centerpiece Screening”, presented by Pelican Executive Suites. Running from October 26 - November 2, 2015 in Culver City and Westwood, California, the Festival features select foreign language films from the 50 eligible countries in the Asian World region, including films that have been officially submitted as their country’s Oscar® and Golden Globe considerations. South Korea’s "The Shameless" will officially open the Festival with Taiwan’s official Oscar® submission, "The Assassin," by master filmmaker as the official closing night film on November 2nd.
The 11 films include [in alphabetical order by country]: "Let Pan" (Myanmar), "Road to the Sky" (China), "My Voice, My Life" (Hong Kong), "Piku"(India), "Theeb" (Jordan's Official Oscar Entry), "Under Heaven" (Kyrgyzstan), "The Thief of the Mind" (Mongolia), "Kid Kulafu" (Philippines), "Steppe Games"(Republic of Burtya, Russia), "4 O’Clock at Paradise" (Syria), and "From A to B" (United Arab Emirates).
“In every Festival that I have organized, the Special Screenings Category has a unique place in my heart because it is the one that reflects the spirit of the program over all. It is eclectic, it is a journey of discovery, and does not have the pressure of the Competition Category. Each one these movies has a different cinematic language, feel, mood, emotions. "Theeb" from Jordan is a beautiful coming of age movie set during the Ottoman Empire. "Kid Kulafu" (Philippines) is the amazing inspirational story of Emmanuel 'Manny' Pacquiao from his humble beginning as a street kid to become one of the greatest boxers of all time. "4 O’Clock at Paradise" (Syria) is a heart wrenching drama set in today’s war torn Damascus where several characters come in and out from each other’s daily lives and where you literally live between ‘life and death,’ just to name but few,” said Executive Director of Festival and Programming, Georges Chamchoum.
The Festival was created by "Heavenly Nomadic's" producer Sadyk Sher-Niyaz in order to bring the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles, drawing greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers and strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films to the Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration.
Following the Opening Night Red Carpet Awards Gala and Opening Night Film, the Festival features seven days of films at ArcLight Cinemas in downtown Culver City and the luxury iPic Theaters in Westwood.
As previously announced, the 16 films in competition include:[in alphabetical order by country]: "Utopia" (Afghanistan), "Jalal's Story" (Bangladesh), "The Last Reel" (Cambodia), "12 Citizens" (China), "Moira" (Georgia), "Court" (India), "Memories on Stone" (Iraq), "100 Yen Love" (Japan), "Heavenly Nomadic" (Kyrgyzstan), "Void" (Lebanon), "Talakjung vs Tulke" (Nepal), "The Wanted 18" (Palestine), "How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)" (Thailand), "Sivas" (Turkey), "Jackpot" (Vietnam) and "Unsolved Love" (Yakutia, Sakha Republic).
Throughout the week there will also be expert panels on subjects such as Film Financing and Distribution, PR, Marketing and Awards Campaigns and Cross Cultural Collaborations in the Festival’s Filmmaker Lounge located at the Culver Hotel.
For more information you can visit the official site Here...
The 11 films include [in alphabetical order by country]: "Let Pan" (Myanmar), "Road to the Sky" (China), "My Voice, My Life" (Hong Kong), "Piku"(India), "Theeb" (Jordan's Official Oscar Entry), "Under Heaven" (Kyrgyzstan), "The Thief of the Mind" (Mongolia), "Kid Kulafu" (Philippines), "Steppe Games"(Republic of Burtya, Russia), "4 O’Clock at Paradise" (Syria), and "From A to B" (United Arab Emirates).
“In every Festival that I have organized, the Special Screenings Category has a unique place in my heart because it is the one that reflects the spirit of the program over all. It is eclectic, it is a journey of discovery, and does not have the pressure of the Competition Category. Each one these movies has a different cinematic language, feel, mood, emotions. "Theeb" from Jordan is a beautiful coming of age movie set during the Ottoman Empire. "Kid Kulafu" (Philippines) is the amazing inspirational story of Emmanuel 'Manny' Pacquiao from his humble beginning as a street kid to become one of the greatest boxers of all time. "4 O’Clock at Paradise" (Syria) is a heart wrenching drama set in today’s war torn Damascus where several characters come in and out from each other’s daily lives and where you literally live between ‘life and death,’ just to name but few,” said Executive Director of Festival and Programming, Georges Chamchoum.
The Festival was created by "Heavenly Nomadic's" producer Sadyk Sher-Niyaz in order to bring the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles, drawing greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers and strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. All films that participate in the Festival will have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films to the Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and awards consideration.
Following the Opening Night Red Carpet Awards Gala and Opening Night Film, the Festival features seven days of films at ArcLight Cinemas in downtown Culver City and the luxury iPic Theaters in Westwood.
As previously announced, the 16 films in competition include:[in alphabetical order by country]: "Utopia" (Afghanistan), "Jalal's Story" (Bangladesh), "The Last Reel" (Cambodia), "12 Citizens" (China), "Moira" (Georgia), "Court" (India), "Memories on Stone" (Iraq), "100 Yen Love" (Japan), "Heavenly Nomadic" (Kyrgyzstan), "Void" (Lebanon), "Talakjung vs Tulke" (Nepal), "The Wanted 18" (Palestine), "How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)" (Thailand), "Sivas" (Turkey), "Jackpot" (Vietnam) and "Unsolved Love" (Yakutia, Sakha Republic).
Throughout the week there will also be expert panels on subjects such as Film Financing and Distribution, PR, Marketing and Awards Campaigns and Cross Cultural Collaborations in the Festival’s Filmmaker Lounge located at the Culver Hotel.
For more information you can visit the official site Here...
- 10/15/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The first-annual Asian World Film Festival (Awff) has announced its competition line-up.
The line-up includes Oscar-submitted Cambodian film The Last Reel, Iraqi film Memories On Stone and Kaan Mujdeci’s Turkey-Germany Venice 2014 selection Sivas (pictured).
The festival, which takes place from October 26-November 2 in Culver City and Westwood, California, features select foreign-language films from the 50 eligible countries in the Asian world.
“The wide variety of our official line-up does truly reflect our Festival’s vision: we are the window to the Asian Cinema,” said executive director Georges Chamchoum.
“We want our festival to be the ‘voice’ of the ‘voiceless Cinema’ that comes from the far corners of the world like Yakutia, Buryatia, Tuva, most of Central Asia & the Middle East and so many others.
“The Asian World Film Festival is a celebration of arts, cultures, life and love as we truly champion, recognise and unite through the seventh art.”
The festival will also feature panels on subjects...
The line-up includes Oscar-submitted Cambodian film The Last Reel, Iraqi film Memories On Stone and Kaan Mujdeci’s Turkey-Germany Venice 2014 selection Sivas (pictured).
The festival, which takes place from October 26-November 2 in Culver City and Westwood, California, features select foreign-language films from the 50 eligible countries in the Asian world.
“The wide variety of our official line-up does truly reflect our Festival’s vision: we are the window to the Asian Cinema,” said executive director Georges Chamchoum.
“We want our festival to be the ‘voice’ of the ‘voiceless Cinema’ that comes from the far corners of the world like Yakutia, Buryatia, Tuva, most of Central Asia & the Middle East and so many others.
“The Asian World Film Festival is a celebration of arts, cultures, life and love as we truly champion, recognise and unite through the seventh art.”
The festival will also feature panels on subjects...
- 10/13/2015
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The new Los Angeles festival will open with South Korea’s The Shameless and close with Taiwan’s foreign language Oscar submission The Assassin.
Exclusive: The first Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles is to screen South Korea’s The Shameless as it opening night film and Taiwan’s The Assassin as its closing night presentation.
The festival, set to run October 26 - November 2 in Culver City and Westwood, will feature a selection of films that have been submitted for the foreign language Oscar and Golden Globe awards from 50 Asian countries. It will host panels on subjects including film finance, marketing and cross cultural collaborationsand culminate with an awards ceremony.
The event was created by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, producer of Heavenly Nomadic, the drama from Kyrgyzstan that won the Fedeora prize at this year’s Karlovy Vary festival and is Kyrgyzstan’s submission for this year’s foreign language Oscar.
Written and directed...
Exclusive: The first Asian World Film Festival in Los Angeles is to screen South Korea’s The Shameless as it opening night film and Taiwan’s The Assassin as its closing night presentation.
The festival, set to run October 26 - November 2 in Culver City and Westwood, will feature a selection of films that have been submitted for the foreign language Oscar and Golden Globe awards from 50 Asian countries. It will host panels on subjects including film finance, marketing and cross cultural collaborationsand culminate with an awards ceremony.
The event was created by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, producer of Heavenly Nomadic, the drama from Kyrgyzstan that won the Fedeora prize at this year’s Karlovy Vary festival and is Kyrgyzstan’s submission for this year’s foreign language Oscar.
Written and directed...
- 10/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
The first-ever festival dedicated to helping foreign films with Golden Globe, Oscar® and awards season recognition will be held October 27-November 2, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. The program will consist of invited foreign language films that have been officially submitted to the Academy as their country’s Oscar® hopeful and those submitted to The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The Asian World Film Festival (Awff) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles in order to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers from 50 countries across Asia, spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India, strengthening ties and helping to foster cross-cultural collaboration between Hollywood and the booming Asian filmmaking industry.
Awff, founded by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, was specifically designed to take place between when Oscar® submissions are due and when awards season is in full-swing with its distinct vision allowing filmmakers to have the unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) for Oscar® consideration, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for Golden Globe consideration and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and recognition. The HFPA will recognize these as the required official screening for their members.
“As a foreign filmmaker from Kyrgyzstan, I understand first-hand what invaluable tools these awards are and that is why we created this Asian World Film Festival. It is the first and only of its kind and these unique attributes will really help get these talented filmmakers the recognition that is needed in the competitive race that is awards season,” says Sher-Niyaz.
Founded by Sher-Niyaz, the festival adds Emmy and multiple award-winning director Georges Chamchoum as the Executive Festival & Programming Director, Nadine Jolson as Director of Communications and producer Lani Netter as the festival’s Director of Development and Philanthropy. www.asianworldfilmfest.org
Awff will open with a red carpet awards gala on Monday, October 26, recognizing celebrities and well-known foreign talent and filmmakers who have been major contributors throughout the Asian World film community, followed by seven days of films at Landmark Theaters. Throughout the week there will also be expert panels on subjects like film financing, distribution, PR, marketing and awards campaigns, editing for a global audience and more to be announced.
The festival will close with a cocktail party, closing night film and festival awards presentation featuring top prizes for Best Film, Jury Selection and Audience awards include TheWrap’s Awards Special Screening Series and full page ads in the Foreign Film and OscarWrap issues. Awff is supported by patrons from the Los Angeles Asian Communities and focuses on people who love cinema, especially foreign and independent films.
The Asian World Film Festival (Awff) brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles in order to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers from 50 countries across Asia, spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India, strengthening ties and helping to foster cross-cultural collaboration between Hollywood and the booming Asian filmmaking industry.
Awff, founded by Sadyk Sher-Niyaz, was specifically designed to take place between when Oscar® submissions are due and when awards season is in full-swing with its distinct vision allowing filmmakers to have the unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) for Oscar® consideration, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for Golden Globe consideration and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention and recognition. The HFPA will recognize these as the required official screening for their members.
“As a foreign filmmaker from Kyrgyzstan, I understand first-hand what invaluable tools these awards are and that is why we created this Asian World Film Festival. It is the first and only of its kind and these unique attributes will really help get these talented filmmakers the recognition that is needed in the competitive race that is awards season,” says Sher-Niyaz.
Founded by Sher-Niyaz, the festival adds Emmy and multiple award-winning director Georges Chamchoum as the Executive Festival & Programming Director, Nadine Jolson as Director of Communications and producer Lani Netter as the festival’s Director of Development and Philanthropy. www.asianworldfilmfest.org
Awff will open with a red carpet awards gala on Monday, October 26, recognizing celebrities and well-known foreign talent and filmmakers who have been major contributors throughout the Asian World film community, followed by seven days of films at Landmark Theaters. Throughout the week there will also be expert panels on subjects like film financing, distribution, PR, marketing and awards campaigns, editing for a global audience and more to be announced.
The festival will close with a cocktail party, closing night film and festival awards presentation featuring top prizes for Best Film, Jury Selection and Audience awards include TheWrap’s Awards Special Screening Series and full page ads in the Foreign Film and OscarWrap issues. Awff is supported by patrons from the Los Angeles Asian Communities and focuses on people who love cinema, especially foreign and independent films.
- 5/11/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
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