Asexuality is rare enough on screen that a film that does acknowledge its existence can build an entire storyline out of it. But the scant few depictions of it in popular media that do exist — mostly in progressive teen shows like Netflix’s “Sex Education” or “Heartbreak High” — generally present storylines about the orientation in an instructive manner for general audiences. Their supporting asexual characters are typically young, confused teens, and their journeys to understand and accept their orientation are highlighted by arcs that pit them with love interests who struggle with the unconventional shape their relationship takes.
“Slow,” the second feature from Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradzė, offers a somewhat different type of asexual character. Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) certainly talks about his difficulties coming to terms with his asexuality as a child, but when the audience first meets him he’s decidedly not an awkward teenager. He’s a grown...
“Slow,” the second feature from Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradzė, offers a somewhat different type of asexual character. Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) certainly talks about his difficulties coming to terms with his asexuality as a child, but when the audience first meets him he’s decidedly not an awkward teenager. He’s a grown...
- 5/3/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Romantic dramas — and romantic comedies, for that matter — hinge on the conviction that when we find “the one” we will be all the more malleable for it. It’s not so much that we will change who we are but that who we will become alongside our lover will be a better version of who we are without them. In Marija Kavtaradze’s intimate and touching “Slow,” a budding couple put such a belief to the test, sketching out the challenges of what it means to balance the selfishness and selflessness that’s required when being in a committed relationship.
When Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) shows up at a dance studio to help interpret a lesson for a group of deaf students, Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) is immediately smitten. There’s something about the way his gestures and bashful demeanor make this dance instructor swoon. The instant connection she feels is mutual.
When Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) shows up at a dance studio to help interpret a lesson for a group of deaf students, Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) is immediately smitten. There’s something about the way his gestures and bashful demeanor make this dance instructor swoon. The instant connection she feels is mutual.
- 4/29/2024
- by Manuel Betancourt
- Variety Film + TV
Algirdas Ramaska was born into a family that ran Lithuania’s largest cinema, so it’s safe to say there was only really one way his life was going to go.
And a life immersed in film has surely followed for the man who sits as both the CEO of the annual Vilnius International Film Festival (Viff) and of the Kino Pavasaris Distribution company, which is helping chart the course of cinema across his home country, and across the Baltic States of Estonia and Latvia.
THR caught up with Ramaska in the midst of the 29th edition of Viff, and he has some remarkable stories to share. First, there’s that childhood at the feet of his mother, who ran the famed Lietuva cinema in central Vilnius. Then there’s been a career helping build and guide the Viff in the face of potential catastrophes in recent times, what with...
And a life immersed in film has surely followed for the man who sits as both the CEO of the annual Vilnius International Film Festival (Viff) and of the Kino Pavasaris Distribution company, which is helping chart the course of cinema across his home country, and across the Baltic States of Estonia and Latvia.
THR caught up with Ramaska in the midst of the 29th edition of Viff, and he has some remarkable stories to share. First, there’s that childhood at the feet of his mother, who ran the famed Lietuva cinema in central Vilnius. Then there’s been a career helping build and guide the Viff in the face of potential catastrophes in recent times, what with...
- 3/26/2024
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three titles received €500,000.
Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend is among 29 projects to receive a share of €8.1m in Eurimages’ latest round of co-production funding.
The new feature from Hungarian filmmaker Enyedi, who won Berlin’s Golden Bear for On Body And Soul in 2017, is a co-production between Germany, France and Hungary, and received €500,000 – the largest amount awarded in this round of funding. The film focuses on an ancient tree in the Botanical Gardens of the university town of Marburg to explore the relationship between man and nature.
Scroll down for full list of titles
Two more titles received €500,000: The Captive...
Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend is among 29 projects to receive a share of €8.1m in Eurimages’ latest round of co-production funding.
The new feature from Hungarian filmmaker Enyedi, who won Berlin’s Golden Bear for On Body And Soul in 2017, is a co-production between Germany, France and Hungary, and received €500,000 – the largest amount awarded in this round of funding. The film focuses on an ancient tree in the Botanical Gardens of the university town of Marburg to explore the relationship between man and nature.
Scroll down for full list of titles
Two more titles received €500,000: The Captive...
- 11/27/2023
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
What if a new Messiah appeared today, but his supernatural power was to release people’s intimate videos unprompted? Such a beguiling premise shapes Armenian Vilnius-based director Marat Sargsyan’s sophomore feature, “The Grand Inquisitor.” In it, the omnipotent creature is an AI that looks like a human being and has a human name, Vermis. Soon, his crimes pile up, the authorities are helpless, and any investigation thwarted.
The film will be presented next week at Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora Crossroads Co-production Forum. As a Lithuanian project, it is also part of Agora’s newest initiative, Bridge to the North, linking the European North and South for potential creative partnerships.
Sargyas’s debut fiction feature—the labyrinthian war drama “The Flood Won’t Come”—premiered in 2020 as part of the selection at Venice’s Critics’ Week. The film explored themes such as war, peace and religion, without the need...
The film will be presented next week at Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora Crossroads Co-production Forum. As a Lithuanian project, it is also part of Agora’s newest initiative, Bridge to the North, linking the European North and South for potential creative partnerships.
Sargyas’s debut fiction feature—the labyrinthian war drama “The Flood Won’t Come”—premiered in 2020 as part of the selection at Venice’s Critics’ Week. The film explored themes such as war, peace and religion, without the need...
- 11/2/2023
- by Savina Petkova
- Variety Film + TV
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects.
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-Septmber 9), including a new project from Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, All Before You.
All Before You offers a retelling of the 1963 farner-led revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine. Jacir’s previous director credits include The Oblivion Theory, which won the top prize at the Berlinale co-production market in 2021, Salt Of This Sea, Wajib and When I Saw You,...
The Venice Gap-Financing Market (September 1-3), part of the Venice Production Bridge, will present 34 fiction and documentary projects at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-Septmber 9), including a new project from Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, All Before You.
All Before You offers a retelling of the 1963 farner-led revolt against British colonial rule in Palestine. Jacir’s previous director credits include The Oblivion Theory, which won the top prize at the Berlinale co-production market in 2021, Salt Of This Sea, Wajib and When I Saw You,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
The 10th edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market, organized as part of the Venice Film Festival’s industry program Venice Production Bridge, has selected 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding.
Filmmakers taking projects to Venice include Jim Sheridan, an Oscar nominee with “In America,” “In the Name of the Father” and “My Left Foot”; Annemarie Jacir, whose credits include Cannes’ “Salt of This Sea,” Berlin’s “When I Saw You” and Locarno’s “Wajib”; Aisling Walsh, who directed “Maudie” with Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, and “Elizabeth Is Missing” with Glenda Jackson; and Kim Mordaunt, who won best debut at Berlin with “The Rocket.”
Also selected are Roberto Minervini, who directed Cannes’ “The Other Side” and Venice’s “What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”; Laurynas Bareisa, who won the Venice Horizons Award for “Pilgrims”; Måns Månsson, who was in Berlin competition with “The Real Estate”; György Pálfi,...
Filmmakers taking projects to Venice include Jim Sheridan, an Oscar nominee with “In America,” “In the Name of the Father” and “My Left Foot”; Annemarie Jacir, whose credits include Cannes’ “Salt of This Sea,” Berlin’s “When I Saw You” and Locarno’s “Wajib”; Aisling Walsh, who directed “Maudie” with Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, and “Elizabeth Is Missing” with Glenda Jackson; and Kim Mordaunt, who won best debut at Berlin with “The Rocket.”
Also selected are Roberto Minervini, who directed Cannes’ “The Other Side” and Venice’s “What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?”; Laurynas Bareisa, who won the Venice Horizons Award for “Pilgrims”; Måns Månsson, who was in Berlin competition with “The Real Estate”; György Pálfi,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
New Feature projects by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, Ireland’s Aisling Walsh and Jim Sheridan as well as Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian have been selected for the upcoming edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market.
The 10th edition of the co-financing meeting will run from Sept. 1 to 3 as part as of the Venice Production Bridge, which is the industry component of the Venice Film Festival (Aug 30 to Sept. 9)
The market will present 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding, selected from 280 submissions.
The selection spans 34 feature-length fiction Film and documentary projects, 14 Immersive projects, 11 Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality projects and three Biennale College Cinema projects.
To be eligible for inclusion, the fiction films must have at least 70% of funding in place and be looking for minority partners only.
Full List of Feature Film Projects:
After The Evil (doc) by Tamara Erde, Gloria Films Production All Before You (fiction), by Annemarie Jacir,...
The 10th edition of the co-financing meeting will run from Sept. 1 to 3 as part as of the Venice Production Bridge, which is the industry component of the Venice Film Festival (Aug 30 to Sept. 9)
The market will present 62 projects in the final stages of development and funding, selected from 280 submissions.
The selection spans 34 feature-length fiction Film and documentary projects, 14 Immersive projects, 11 Biennale College Cinema – Virtual Reality projects and three Biennale College Cinema projects.
To be eligible for inclusion, the fiction films must have at least 70% of funding in place and be looking for minority partners only.
Full List of Feature Film Projects:
After The Evil (doc) by Tamara Erde, Gloria Films Production All Before You (fiction), by Annemarie Jacir,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Film won her a best director award at Sundance earlier this year, and has its European premiere at Karlovy Vary
Lithuanian filmmaker Marija Kavtaradze came to international attention with her 2018 debut feature Summer Survivors, the story of a psychologist who travels with two patients suffering from mental illness. Premiering in official selection at Toronto, Kavtaradze was lauded for her empathetic stance amidst a raw and powerful drama
Her sophomore effort is Slow. The film follows sign-language interpreter Dovyda (Kęstutis Cicėnas) who meets dancer Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) with the pair immediately finding a spark between them. But as they begin a relationship,...
Lithuanian filmmaker Marija Kavtaradze came to international attention with her 2018 debut feature Summer Survivors, the story of a psychologist who travels with two patients suffering from mental illness. Premiering in official selection at Toronto, Kavtaradze was lauded for her empathetic stance amidst a raw and powerful drama
Her sophomore effort is Slow. The film follows sign-language interpreter Dovyda (Kęstutis Cicėnas) who meets dancer Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) with the pair immediately finding a spark between them. But as they begin a relationship,...
- 7/1/2023
- by Laurence Boyce
- ScreenDaily
Mexican director Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s debut feature Red Shoes premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra section.
Mexican director Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s debut feature Red Shoes won three awards at this year’s Sofia International Film Festival (March 16-31), taking home the international competition’s main prize - the Sofia City of Film Award - as well as the Fipresci prize and young jury award.
Red Shoes premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra section and is being handled internationally by 102 Distribution.
The international jury headed by North Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski gave its special jury award to Bekir Bülbül...
Mexican director Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser’s debut feature Red Shoes won three awards at this year’s Sofia International Film Festival (March 16-31), taking home the international competition’s main prize - the Sofia City of Film Award - as well as the Fipresci prize and young jury award.
Red Shoes premiered in Venice’s Horizons Extra section and is being handled internationally by 102 Distribution.
The international jury headed by North Macedonian filmmaker Milcho Manchevski gave its special jury award to Bekir Bülbül...
- 3/28/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Co-production forum marks 20th anniversary this year.
Laurynas Bareisa, winner of the 2021 best film prize at Venice’s Orrizonti section for his debut Pilgrims, is among the directors presenting new projects at the 20th edition of the Sofia Meetings co-production forum (22-26 March).
The Lithuanian director is bringing Drowning Dry to Sofia where it is one of five projects in a section dedicated to second feature films.
The section’s line-up also includes The Last Slap by Italian director Matteo Oleotto whose debut feature Zoran, My Nephew The Idiot premiered in Venice’s Critics Week in 2013.
The Last Slap’s...
Laurynas Bareisa, winner of the 2021 best film prize at Venice’s Orrizonti section for his debut Pilgrims, is among the directors presenting new projects at the 20th edition of the Sofia Meetings co-production forum (22-26 March).
The Lithuanian director is bringing Drowning Dry to Sofia where it is one of five projects in a section dedicated to second feature films.
The section’s line-up also includes The Last Slap by Italian director Matteo Oleotto whose debut feature Zoran, My Nephew The Idiot premiered in Venice’s Critics Week in 2013.
The Last Slap’s...
- 3/17/2023
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
It’s not a coincidence that Volker Schlöndorff’s latest film The Forest Maker, the environmental essay documentary about Australian agronomist Tony Rinaudo, who found a way to grow trees in the most barren areas of Africa, is opening the 27th Sofia International Film Festival kicking off Thursday in the Bulgarian capital.
One of the major film festivals in Eastern Europe is going green, and the veteran German filmmaker, winner of the Palme d’Or and what was then called the best foreign language Oscar for The Tin Drum (1979), will plant the first tree of the future Sofia Film Festival Forest.
“We wanted to remind ourselves of our deep connection to the land and our power to be agents of change together. We wish to engage the public in the global vision of sustainable development of society and a responsible attitude towards nature”, the festival organizers said about the green...
One of the major film festivals in Eastern Europe is going green, and the veteran German filmmaker, winner of the Palme d’Or and what was then called the best foreign language Oscar for The Tin Drum (1979), will plant the first tree of the future Sofia Film Festival Forest.
“We wanted to remind ourselves of our deep connection to the land and our power to be agents of change together. We wish to engage the public in the global vision of sustainable development of society and a responsible attitude towards nature”, the festival organizers said about the green...
- 3/16/2023
- by Stjepan Hundic
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Polish production company Gigant Films will remake Titas Laucius’ feature debut, “Parade.” It will start shooting this year under the working title “Divorcees” (“Rozwodnicy”)
The Lithuanian film, inspired by Laucius’ own family, world premiered at Tallinn Black Night Film Festival in November. It sees Miglė, whose ex-husband, after years of living apart, wants to remarry in church. In order to do so, the long-divorced couple needs to get an annulment. Suddenly, they are faced with a church tribunal investigating their past. And their own memories.
“When I first heard about this project, and then watched the film, I saw the potential for feel-good comedy,” said producer Radosław Grabik.
“Poland [as a predominantly Catholic country] feels like a great fit for this story. We won’t be demonizing the clergy, but we want to gently mock the hypocrisy of everyone involved. Including all these people who claim to care about church weddings, even though they aren’t even religious,...
The Lithuanian film, inspired by Laucius’ own family, world premiered at Tallinn Black Night Film Festival in November. It sees Miglė, whose ex-husband, after years of living apart, wants to remarry in church. In order to do so, the long-divorced couple needs to get an annulment. Suddenly, they are faced with a church tribunal investigating their past. And their own memories.
“When I first heard about this project, and then watched the film, I saw the potential for feel-good comedy,” said producer Radosław Grabik.
“Poland [as a predominantly Catholic country] feels like a great fit for this story. We won’t be demonizing the clergy, but we want to gently mock the hypocrisy of everyone involved. Including all these people who claim to care about church weddings, even though they aren’t even religious,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Writer-director Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature Slow follows the complicated romance between a contemporary dancer named Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) and an asexual sign language interpreter named Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas). Though the pair share an intense chemistry, their individual sexual needs and desires (or lack thereof) are a source of constant compromise and adjustment, leading to inevitable strain. Cinematographer Laurynas Bareiša talks about working on the project, which is distinct for being the first Lithuanian film shot on 16mm in approximately a decade. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being […]
The post “Nobody Shot a Feature Film on 16mm in Lithuania for a Long Time”: Dp Laurynas Bareiša on Slow first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Nobody Shot a Feature Film on 16mm in Lithuania for a Long Time”: Dp Laurynas Bareiša on Slow first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/6/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Writer-director Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature Slow follows the complicated romance between a contemporary dancer named Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) and an asexual sign language interpreter named Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas). Though the pair share an intense chemistry, their individual sexual needs and desires (or lack thereof) are a source of constant compromise and adjustment, leading to inevitable strain. Cinematographer Laurynas Bareiša talks about working on the project, which is distinct for being the first Lithuanian film shot on 16mm in approximately a decade. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being […]
The post “Nobody Shot a Feature Film on 16mm in Lithuania for a Long Time”: Dp Laurynas Bareiša on Slow first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Nobody Shot a Feature Film on 16mm in Lithuania for a Long Time”: Dp Laurynas Bareiša on Slow first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 2/6/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
12 features and 10 docs will be pitched Trieste co-pro forum next month.
New features from Ukraine’s Maryna Stepanska, Brazil’s Marcelo Gomes and Italy’s Letizia Lamartire are among the 22 projects selected for Trieste’s When East Meets West (Wemw) co-production forum which takes place January 22-25.
The Wemw line-up comprises 12 features and 10 documentaries from 19 countries, having received a record 410 submissions.
The titles, set to be pitched to attending producers, include Stepanska’s documentary It’s Not A Full Picture. Stepanska achieved international success with her 2017 love story Falling, about two young adults trying to find their path in the...
New features from Ukraine’s Maryna Stepanska, Brazil’s Marcelo Gomes and Italy’s Letizia Lamartire are among the 22 projects selected for Trieste’s When East Meets West (Wemw) co-production forum which takes place January 22-25.
The Wemw line-up comprises 12 features and 10 documentaries from 19 countries, having received a record 410 submissions.
The titles, set to be pitched to attending producers, include Stepanska’s documentary It’s Not A Full Picture. Stepanska achieved international success with her 2017 love story Falling, about two young adults trying to find their path in the...
- 12/16/2022
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
Click here to read the full article.
Pilgrims, Lithuanian’s official entry for the 2023 best international feature Oscar, is a murder mystery about a solved murder. Laurynas Bareisa’s impressive debut — which premiered in Venice last year —subverts every expectation of the tired true-crime genre to focus on the scars that violence leaves on survivors’ families.
The plot follows Indre (Gabija Bargailaite) and Paulius (Giedrius Kiela) as they travel through the nondescript town of Karmėlava, a sleepy suburb of Lithuania’s second city, Kaunas, retracing the final steps of Matas, a young man close to both of them, who was assaulted, abducted and killed in a horrific random attack four years prior. Like devotes following the stations of the cross, Indre and Paulius visit the spot where Matas was kidnapped, find the car he was abducted in, locate the river where the killer dumped his body. They aren’t trying...
Pilgrims, Lithuanian’s official entry for the 2023 best international feature Oscar, is a murder mystery about a solved murder. Laurynas Bareisa’s impressive debut — which premiered in Venice last year —subverts every expectation of the tired true-crime genre to focus on the scars that violence leaves on survivors’ families.
The plot follows Indre (Gabija Bargailaite) and Paulius (Giedrius Kiela) as they travel through the nondescript town of Karmėlava, a sleepy suburb of Lithuania’s second city, Kaunas, retracing the final steps of Matas, a young man close to both of them, who was assaulted, abducted and killed in a horrific random attack four years prior. Like devotes following the stations of the cross, Indre and Paulius visit the spot where Matas was kidnapped, find the car he was abducted in, locate the river where the killer dumped his body. They aren’t trying...
- 11/18/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Reason8 handles worldwide sales on the film.
Lithuania has selected Laurynas Bareisa’s Pilgrims as its entry to the international feature film category at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Pilgrims won the best film award when it debuted in the Horizons section at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. Subsequent festival prizes included best screenplay at last year’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
It was then nominated for 11 prizes at this year’s Lithuanian Film Awards, winning four – best film, best director and screenplay for Bareisa, and best actor for Giedrius Kiela.
UK-based Reason8 is handling world sales on the film, and has previously...
Lithuania has selected Laurynas Bareisa’s Pilgrims as its entry to the international feature film category at the 2023 Academy Awards.
Pilgrims won the best film award when it debuted in the Horizons section at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. Subsequent festival prizes included best screenplay at last year’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
It was then nominated for 11 prizes at this year’s Lithuanian Film Awards, winning four – best film, best director and screenplay for Bareisa, and best actor for Giedrius Kiela.
UK-based Reason8 is handling world sales on the film, and has previously...
- 9/20/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Reason8 handles sales on the title.
London-based sales agent Reason8 has scored key deals on Laurynas Bareiša’s debut, Lithuanian title Pilgrims, with Dekanalog picking up for North American theatrical distribution, and HBO taking rights for Central and Eastern Europe.
Dekanalog will release the title theatrically in the US in early 2023, while HBO releases in Central and Eastern Europe in August 2022.
Pilgrims won the Venice Horizons award for best film in 2021. It follows a man and woman united by a common tragedy – the death of his brother and her boyfriend – who find themselves tormented by the past.
It is produced...
London-based sales agent Reason8 has scored key deals on Laurynas Bareiša’s debut, Lithuanian title Pilgrims, with Dekanalog picking up for North American theatrical distribution, and HBO taking rights for Central and Eastern Europe.
Dekanalog will release the title theatrically in the US in early 2023, while HBO releases in Central and Eastern Europe in August 2022.
Pilgrims won the Venice Horizons award for best film in 2021. It follows a man and woman united by a common tragedy – the death of his brother and her boyfriend – who find themselves tormented by the past.
It is produced...
- 5/12/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union and the loss of arts funding, the Lithuanian national cinema has struggled to make a dent in the Western festival circuit, though that may be changing. Trickle-down from venue-hunting international productions, more generous tax incentives, and co-production agreements have the potential to cultivate a new generation of filmmakers in the same kind of fertile dramatic soil from which, for instance, the Romanian New Wave was harvested: contested historical trauma and an ambivalent transition to the Eurozone.
Continue reading ‘Pilgrims’ Review: Laurynas Bareisa’s Promising Debut Retraces The Steps Of Tragedy Through Memory & Grief [Ndnf] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Pilgrims’ Review: Laurynas Bareisa’s Promising Debut Retraces The Steps Of Tragedy Through Memory & Grief [Ndnf] at The Playlist.
- 4/24/2022
- by Mark Asch
- The Playlist
Journeys of self-discovery usually involve expeditions through unexplored lands, but when you’re a stranger to yourself, you can be a pilgrim even in your backyard. This year’s winner of the Horizons award at Venice, which is currently playing at Belgrade Faf (Auteur Film Festival), directed by Laurynas Bareisa, makes for a solemn experience with chilling realism that will at times be punctuated by instances of dark humour to ease the atmosphere.
Paulius (Giedrius Kiela) is a loveable middle-aged wastrel, haunted by the memories of his dead brother Mateus, who was murdered four years ago, which put him in a bad state of depression. The perpetrators have been caught, the witnesses have delivered their statements, the jurors have deliberated and for the rest of the world, the case was closed. But for Paulius and Indre (Gabija Bargailaite), Mateus’s girlfriend, the memories of their loved one are just as fresh.
Paulius (Giedrius Kiela) is a loveable middle-aged wastrel, haunted by the memories of his dead brother Mateus, who was murdered four years ago, which put him in a bad state of depression. The perpetrators have been caught, the witnesses have delivered their statements, the jurors have deliberated and for the rest of the world, the case was closed. But for Paulius and Indre (Gabija Bargailaite), Mateus’s girlfriend, the memories of their loved one are just as fresh.
- 12/4/2021
- by Nikola Jovic
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14.
French director Samuel Theis’ Softie has won the Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos for best film at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) which took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14. The award is a cash prize of €10,000.
The French production, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week, follows Johnny, a sensitive and intelligent 10-year-old boy living with his single mother, as he searches for a father figure in his new school teacher.
The international competition jury headed by Belgian film maker Nanouk Leopold...
French director Samuel Theis’ Softie has won the Golden Alexander-Theo Angelopoulos for best film at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) which took place as a hybrid event from November 4-14. The award is a cash prize of €10,000.
The French production, which premiered in Cannes’ Critics Week, follows Johnny, a sensitive and intelligent 10-year-old boy living with his single mother, as he searches for a father figure in his new school teacher.
The international competition jury headed by Belgian film maker Nanouk Leopold...
- 11/17/2021
- by Alexis Grivas
- ScreenDaily
HappeningIn Competition(Jury: Bong Joon-ho, Saverio Costanzo, Virginie Efira, Cynthia Erivo, Sarah Gadon, Alexander Nanau, Chloé Zhao)Golden Lion – Happening (Audrey Diwan) | Read our reviewSilver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) – The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino) | Read our reviewSilver Lion (Best Director) – Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) | Read our reviewCoppa Volpi for Best Actress – Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers) | Read our reviewCoppa Volpi for Best Actor – John Arcilla (On The Job: The Missing 8)Best Screenplay – Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter)Special Jury Prize – The Hole (Michelangelo Frammartino) | Read our reviewMarcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress – Filippo Scotti (The Hand of God)Orizzonti(Jury: Jasmila Žbanić, Mona Fastvold, Shahram Mokri, Josh Siegel, Nadia Terranova)Orizzonti Award for Best Film – Pilgrims (Laurynas Bareisa)Orizzonti Award for Best Director – Éric Gravel (A Plein Temps)Special Orizzonti Jury Prize – El Gran Movimiento (Kiro Russo) | Read our reviewOrizzonti Award for Best Actress...
- 9/13/2021
- MUBI
The Venice Film Festival unveiled its award winners on Saturday night, and Jane Campion, Penélope Cruz and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among the award winners for the top prizes.
“Happening,” a French abortion drama from director Audrey Diwan, won the Golden Lion, and Paolo Sorrentino’s film “The Hand of God” won the second place prize, or the Silver Lion.
In the acting categories, Penélope Cruz won Best Actress for Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers,” and John Arcilla won Best Actor for “On the Job: The Missing 8.” Jane Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Director for her film “The Power of the Dog.”
Among some of the other winners, Maggie Gyllenhaal won Best Screenplay for her adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel “The Lost Daughter.” Gyllenhaal praised Campion and spoke about how watching “The Piano” inspired her as a storyteller. “The Hand of God” star Filippo Scotti also won the...
“Happening,” a French abortion drama from director Audrey Diwan, won the Golden Lion, and Paolo Sorrentino’s film “The Hand of God” won the second place prize, or the Silver Lion.
In the acting categories, Penélope Cruz won Best Actress for Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers,” and John Arcilla won Best Actor for “On the Job: The Missing 8.” Jane Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Director for her film “The Power of the Dog.”
Among some of the other winners, Maggie Gyllenhaal won Best Screenplay for her adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel “The Lost Daughter.” Gyllenhaal praised Campion and spoke about how watching “The Piano” inspired her as a storyteller. “The Hand of God” star Filippo Scotti also won the...
- 9/11/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
On a strong night for female filmmakers and Netflix releases, the Venice Film Festival has come to a close with a curveball, as breakout French director Audrey Diwan’s powerful abortion drama “Happening” beat big-name competition to the Golden Lion for best film. Diwan received the award from a jury presided over by Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho.
Also on the jury, significantly, was last year’s Golden Lion champ, “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao. Diwan is only the sixth woman ever to take the festival’s top award; never before has the prize gone to female directors two years in a row. Coming on the heels of her compatriot Julia Ducournau’s groundbreaking Palme d’Or win at Cannes for “Titane,” Diwan’s triumph further points to an exciting new generation of female auteurs seizing the spotlight.
Among the films Diwan’s film beat to the punch were Netflix’s three big hopefuls from the competition,...
Also on the jury, significantly, was last year’s Golden Lion champ, “Nomadland” director Chloé Zhao. Diwan is only the sixth woman ever to take the festival’s top award; never before has the prize gone to female directors two years in a row. Coming on the heels of her compatriot Julia Ducournau’s groundbreaking Palme d’Or win at Cannes for “Titane,” Diwan’s triumph further points to an exciting new generation of female auteurs seizing the spotlight.
Among the films Diwan’s film beat to the punch were Netflix’s three big hopefuls from the competition,...
- 9/11/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
24 companies, all but five launched last decade, descend on Locarno from Aug. 6, mostly in person, to present their production slates.
Every market in international is its own story. So the projects they bring run a huge gamut. Following, a quick drill down on the companies and their banner titles. A second article, published later at Locarno, will look at some of the young indie sector’s major concerns and growth areas.
Estonia
Kafka Films, Karolina Veetamm
Tallinn-based, focused on narrative and doc features, at Match Me with a slate led by a trio of socially-relevant titles: “Tell Me,” a “poetical documentary,” says producer Veetamm; women’s emancipation tale “Aurora,” from Andres Maimik and Rain Tolk; and “The Last Five,” a dark comedy about Tallinn homeless from Triin Ruumet director of 2016 dark comedy, “The Days That Confused,” a Karlovy Vary East of the West Special Jury Prize winner.
Alexandra Film, Marianne Ostrat...
Every market in international is its own story. So the projects they bring run a huge gamut. Following, a quick drill down on the companies and their banner titles. A second article, published later at Locarno, will look at some of the young indie sector’s major concerns and growth areas.
Estonia
Kafka Films, Karolina Veetamm
Tallinn-based, focused on narrative and doc features, at Match Me with a slate led by a trio of socially-relevant titles: “Tell Me,” a “poetical documentary,” says producer Veetamm; women’s emancipation tale “Aurora,” from Andres Maimik and Rain Tolk; and “The Last Five,” a dark comedy about Tallinn homeless from Triin Ruumet director of 2016 dark comedy, “The Days That Confused,” a Karlovy Vary East of the West Special Jury Prize winner.
Alexandra Film, Marianne Ostrat...
- 8/6/2021
- by John Hopewell and Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
The programme for the 2021 Venice Film Festival has been unveiled, and includes new films from Pedro Almodóvar, Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pablo Larraín, Paul Schrader, Ridley Scott, and more.Parallel MothersCOMPETITIONParallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar)Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (Ana Lily Amirpour)Un Autre Monde (Stephane Brize)The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)America LatinaL’Evenement (Audrey Diwan)Official CompetitionThe Hole (Michelangelo Frammartino)Sundown (Michel Franco)Lost Illusions (Xavier Giannoli)The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)Spencer (Pablo Larrain)Freaks Out (Gabriele Mainetti)Qui Rido Io (Mario Martone)On The Job: The Missing 8 (Erik Matti)Leave No Traces (Jan P. Matuszyński)Captain Volkonogov EscapedThe Card Counter (Paul Schrader)The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino)Reflection (Valentyn Vasyanovych)The Box (Lorenzo Vigas)Out Of COMPETITIONFeaturesDune (Denis Villeneuve)Il Bambino Nascosto (Roberto Andò)Les Choses Humaines (Yvan Attal)Ariaferma (Leonardo Di Costanzo)Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green...
- 8/3/2021
- MUBI
Taking place September 1 through 11, the Venice Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, after a few teases of what it contains (the opening night selection of Madres Paralelas by Pedro Almodovar and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune). Among the selections are Jane Campion’s The Power of a Dog, Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.
Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.
Venezia 78 – Competition
Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour
Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé
The Power Of The Dog,...
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.
Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.
Venezia 78 – Competition
Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour
Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé
The Power Of The Dog,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The 2021 Cannes Film Festival brought the international film circuit back to life in roaring fashion earlier this month (French filmmaker Julia Ducournau became the second woman director to win the Palme d’Or thanks to Neon release “Titane”), and next up are the trio of major fall film festivals in September: the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. Venice is first out of the gate by launching its 78th edition Wednesday, September 1. The lineup for Venice 2021 has now been revealed.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar will kick off the 2021 Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of his new drama “Parallel Mothers.” The film will debut in competition and vie for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. “Parallel Mothers” is written and directed by Almodóvar, and stars both regular and new collaborators, including Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Julieta Serrano,...
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar will kick off the 2021 Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of his new drama “Parallel Mothers.” The film will debut in competition and vie for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. “Parallel Mothers” is written and directed by Almodóvar, and stars both regular and new collaborators, including Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Julieta Serrano,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
This year’s line-up includes five female directors in competition.
The line-up of the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for the full line-up
This year’s selection saw the festival take a backward step for gender balance, with five female directors selected in the main competition, down from last year’s eight. 26% of films in the overall line-up are directed by women, down from 28% in 2020.
The high-profile titles picked for competition this year include Pablo Larrain’s Spencer; Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God...
The line-up of the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Scroll down for the full line-up
This year’s selection saw the festival take a backward step for gender balance, with five female directors selected in the main competition, down from last year’s eight. 26% of films in the overall line-up are directed by women, down from 28% in 2020.
The high-profile titles picked for competition this year include Pablo Larrain’s Spencer; Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God...
- 7/26/2021
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The Venice film festival runs September 1-11.
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
The line-up for the 78th Venice Film Festival (September 1-11) is being unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The press conference will be live-streamed here below, and the story will be updated with the films as they are announced.
As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival in competition. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will also have its world premiere at the festival out of competition on September 3.
Bong Joon Ho will preside over the competition jury that also includes Chloé Zhao,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest has announced its festival juried award winners from the 332 shorts films featured throughout this year’s virtual edition, running June 16-22. Awards and cash prizes worth $25,000 were handed out, and a number of the winners are now eligible for the 2021 Academy Awards short film categories. See the full list of winners below.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
At a time when all festivals have been forced to go virtual, there’s no telling how much buzz these events can generate, but the Oscar eligibility provides a nice boost for rising filmmakers coming out of ShortFest. It’s a long road ahead for festival films since the Oscars have now been pushed back to April 25 next year, with other awards ceremonies, including the Film Independent Spirit Awards (now April 24), falling in line. Expect a packed fall season as the backlog of titles from postponed dates, canceled festivals, and shuttered productions get unleashed.
- 6/21/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Belgian-French drama “Matriochkas,” the documentary “The Heart Still Hums” and the animated film “The Fabric of You” have won the top prizes at the Palm Springs International ShortFest.
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
The festival unveiled the juried award winners Sunday from the 332 short films that were part of the official selection. Some of the winners are now qualified to enter the shorts categories for the Oscars.
The Best of the Festival Award, including a $5,000 prize from the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, went to “Matriochkas,” directed by Bérangère McNeese. The film centers on a 16-year-old who lives with her young mother and begins to discover her own sexuality. As she learns she is pregnant, her mother sees herself in her daughter, at the same age, facing the same choices.
“Writer/Director Bérangère McNeese brings a complex and bold point of view to the page and screen, drawing unexpected turns from the script and nuanced performances from her cast,...
- 6/21/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
“Matriochkas,” a French and Belgian short-film directed by Bérangère Mc Neese, has been named the best film of the 2020 Palm Springs International Shortfest, which announced its winners on Sunday. The film, about the sexual awakening of a 16-year-old girl over the course of a summer, is one of five films that can qualify for the Academy Awards in the short-film categories because of jury awards in Palm Springs.
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
The other Oscar-qualifying winners are Josephine Lohoar Self’s “The Fabric of You,” which was named best animated short; Savanah Leaf and Taylor Russell’s “The Heart Still Hums,” best documentary short; Inbar Horesh’s “Birth Right,” best live-action short over 15 minutes; and Laurynas Bareisa’s “Dummy,” best live-action short 15 minutes and under.
A total of 332 short films were part of the official selection at the festival, which did not physically take place this year because of the coronavirus. A number of...
- 6/21/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Seven of the selected projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women.
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
The TorinoFilmLab (Tfl) has revealed the 11 new projects selected for the 2019 FeatureLab training programme.
Seven of the projects are debut films this year, with four directed by women and nine women producing.
For the first time a documentary project is in the line-up: Cristina Picchi’s About The End.
Focusing on first and second feature films, the lab selects projects at an advanced stage of production and helps a team of directors, scriptwriters and producers get their ideas on screen.
This year’s line-up has...
- 4/30/2019
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
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