With Susanne Bier bringing his adaptation of John Le Carré's The Night Watchman to BBC primetime, British screenwriter David Farr has been busy behind the camera himself, crafting his directorial debut The Ones Below. A nightmarish upstairs/downstairs simmering suburban thriller, it is an impressive first outing on the big screen for the vastly experienced theatre director. CineVue's Matt Anderson sat down to speak to him about blending European and British tradition, Roman Polanski and making the transition to celluloid.
- 3/17/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
John Hillcoat’s Triple 9 opens this Friday, and the fact that it’s not a David Ayer movie doesn’t stop it from being the best David Ayer movie since 2008. That’s not to say it’s necessarily a good movie, but it feels very much like one of Ayer’s testosterone-fueled explorations of man’s unstoppable pull towards violence. So of course I came home and threw in Ayer’s 2008 gem, Street Kings. I don’t care what anyone says, this is fantastic goddamn entertainment. Thrilling action sequences, real suspense, and a strong cast (who occasionally chew the Los Angeles scenery) make it a fun descent into hero-cop hell. Having already seen the film multiple times I decided to check out Ayer’s commentary this time around. He’s no stranger to movies about the blue and the grey — cops and fuzzy moralities — having written and/or directed Training Day, Dark Blue...
- 2/24/2016
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
If I could properly describe the experience of discovering Jacques Rivette‘s films, I’d compare it to entering a room — a big one; sometimes a very big one — in which a conspiratorial game of deception and obfuscation is already underway between a group of handsome men and beautiful women. (Mostly the latter; sometimes only the latter.) While most directors ask you to sit and observe, you’re here invited to nestle somewhere between spectator and active participant, a patron whose close observation compensates for (or enhances) the fact that the plot doesn’t make total sense and associations between players requires some inference. By the time it ends, you’ll (ideally) come away with, if nothing else, the sense that something thoroughly, almost aggressively different has taken place — a mix of “well, what happened there?” with the desire to enter once more. And then again, and then again, and then again.
- 1/29/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Pierre Jolivet's The Night Watchman (aka Jamais De La Vie) was awarded the Golden Goblet for Best Film on Sunday night at the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival, while Chinese crime drama The Dead End nabbed the Best Director prize for Cao Baoping and Best Actor, which was shared between the film's three leads: Deng Chao, Duan Yihong and Guo Tao. Best Actress went to Krista Kasonen, for her role in the Finnish drama Midwife (aka Katilo).The Jury Grand Prix was awarded to Jacek Lusinski's Carte Blanche, Patrick Tobin won Best Screenplay for the Jennifer Aniston starrer Cake, Vladislav Opeliyants won the Best Cinematography award for his work on the Russian film Sunstroke, while the Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement was presented to the South Korean...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/23/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Pierre Jolivet’s France-Belgium co-production The Night Watchman won best feature in the Golden Goblet competition of this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (June 13-21), while Cao Baoping’s The Dead End won best director and actor.
The acting prize for The Dead End was split between Deng Chao, Duan Yihong and Guo Tao. The Jury Grad Prix went to Polish filmmaker Jacek Lusinski’s Carte Blanche, while best actress went to Krista Kosonen in Antti Jokinen’ Finland-Lithuania co-production The Midwife (see full list of winners below)
Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev headed the Golden Goblet jury, which also included Chinese director Cai Shangjun, Chinese actress Hao Lei, French filmmaker Philippe Muyl, Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi and Us producer Ron Yerxa.
Last Thursday, Iranian filmmaker Hooman Seyedi’s 13 won best film and cinematography at the Asian New Talent Awards. Best director went to Japan’s Momoko Ando for 0.5mm, while best actress...
The acting prize for The Dead End was split between Deng Chao, Duan Yihong and Guo Tao. The Jury Grad Prix went to Polish filmmaker Jacek Lusinski’s Carte Blanche, while best actress went to Krista Kosonen in Antti Jokinen’ Finland-Lithuania co-production The Midwife (see full list of winners below)
Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev headed the Golden Goblet jury, which also included Chinese director Cai Shangjun, Chinese actress Hao Lei, French filmmaker Philippe Muyl, Hong Kong producer Nansun Shi and Us producer Ron Yerxa.
Last Thursday, Iranian filmmaker Hooman Seyedi’s 13 won best film and cinematography at the Asian New Talent Awards. Best director went to Japan’s Momoko Ando for 0.5mm, while best actress...
- 6/22/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Derek Yee’s I Am Somebody will open this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival (Siff, June 13-21), while China-Russian co-production Ballet In The Flames Of War will close the event.
Directed by China’s Yachun Dong and Russia’s Nikita Mikhalkov, Ballet In The Flames Of War is a romance set during the Second World War and opened the Chinese Film Festival in Mosow last month.
Meanwhile, Mikhalkov’s Sunstroke is one of nine films selected for the Golden Goblet Awards, along with Daniel Barnz’s Cake and Taiwanese director Tung Wang’s Where The Wind Settles (see list below). Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan) heads the jury for the awards.
Films nominated for the Asian New Talent Award include Japanese director Momoko Ando’s 0.5mm, Iranian filmmaker Hooman Seyedi’s 13 and Labour Of Love from India’s Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home is also nominated in this section, but for the...
Directed by China’s Yachun Dong and Russia’s Nikita Mikhalkov, Ballet In The Flames Of War is a romance set during the Second World War and opened the Chinese Film Festival in Mosow last month.
Meanwhile, Mikhalkov’s Sunstroke is one of nine films selected for the Golden Goblet Awards, along with Daniel Barnz’s Cake and Taiwanese director Tung Wang’s Where The Wind Settles (see list below). Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan) heads the jury for the awards.
Films nominated for the Asian New Talent Award include Japanese director Momoko Ando’s 0.5mm, Iranian filmmaker Hooman Seyedi’s 13 and Labour Of Love from India’s Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home is also nominated in this section, but for the...
- 6/3/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: My Life As A Zucchini is written by Tomboy and Girlhood director Céline Sciamma.
Indie Sales has acquired international rights to feature-length stop motion film My Life As A Zucchini, based on a screen adaptation by filmmaker Céline Sciamma of a popular novel.
The Paris-based company will launch sales on the film at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) alongside another new acquisition, Pierre Jolivet’s new project The Night Watchman, starring Olivier Gourmet.
My Life As A Zucchini is the first feature-length film by Swiss director Claude Barras after a series of well-received animated shorts including Chambre 69 and Land of the Heads.
It is a Swiss-French co-production between Rita Films in Switzerland, Blue Spirit Productions in Paris and Gebeka in Lyon. Gebeka will also distribute in France.
The film is an adaptation of Gilles Paris novel Autobiography of a Zucchini about a young boy adapting to life in a children’s home after his mother...
Indie Sales has acquired international rights to feature-length stop motion film My Life As A Zucchini, based on a screen adaptation by filmmaker Céline Sciamma of a popular novel.
The Paris-based company will launch sales on the film at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) alongside another new acquisition, Pierre Jolivet’s new project The Night Watchman, starring Olivier Gourmet.
My Life As A Zucchini is the first feature-length film by Swiss director Claude Barras after a series of well-received animated shorts including Chambre 69 and Land of the Heads.
It is a Swiss-French co-production between Rita Films in Switzerland, Blue Spirit Productions in Paris and Gebeka in Lyon. Gebeka will also distribute in France.
The film is an adaptation of Gilles Paris novel Autobiography of a Zucchini about a young boy adapting to life in a children’s home after his mother...
- 9/1/2014
- ScreenDaily
Tune in alert for award-winning director Natalia Almada (Al Otro Lado, Pov 2006; El General, Pov 2010) who returns to Pov with a beautiful and mesmerizing new film. From dusk to dawn, El Velador (The Night Watchman) accompanies Martin, a guard who watches over the extravagant mausoleums of some of Mexico.s most notorious drug lords. In the labyrinth of the cemetery, this film about violence without violence reminds us that, amid the turmoil of a drug war that has claimed more than 50,000 lives, ordinary existence persists and quietly defies the dead. Almada, who is the great-granddaughter of former Mexican President Plutarco Elías Calles, has enlisted a number of prominent Mexican and international writers to write essays...
- 9/19/2012
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
Shooting Spree: Almada Documents Open Air and Closed Doors of War Zone
A documentary film that is a nearly wordless account, save for the Mexican TV and radio broadcasts of the ongoing drug wars happening in the north of Mexico, particularly in the notorious cities of Juarez and Culiacan. El Velador (The Night Watchman) is one day in the life of those left to tend the memorials and mausoleums of Mexican’s fallen drug lords, whose corpses lie like kings in marble tombs. Natalia Almada’s chilling look at what happens when criminal drug lords are deified even in death, while their victims are completely forgotten might be wordless, but speaks volumes about a problem that is unlikely to go away.
Martin, a solitary worker along with his faithful dogs, takes care of the mausoleums every night, as the “velador” of the title. Workers keep the ground moist by hosing it down periodically,...
A documentary film that is a nearly wordless account, save for the Mexican TV and radio broadcasts of the ongoing drug wars happening in the north of Mexico, particularly in the notorious cities of Juarez and Culiacan. El Velador (The Night Watchman) is one day in the life of those left to tend the memorials and mausoleums of Mexican’s fallen drug lords, whose corpses lie like kings in marble tombs. Natalia Almada’s chilling look at what happens when criminal drug lords are deified even in death, while their victims are completely forgotten might be wordless, but speaks volumes about a problem that is unlikely to go away.
Martin, a solitary worker along with his faithful dogs, takes care of the mausoleums every night, as the “velador” of the title. Workers keep the ground moist by hosing it down periodically,...
- 6/12/2012
- by Melissa Silvestri
- IONCINEMA.com
Mexico’s film industry broke records last year. Box office attendance reached an all-time high and due in part to increased public funding, local productions rose to more than 70 feature films. Yet, as is true in all of Latin America, Hollywood blockbusters edged out national films. Less than 10% of ticket sales were from Mexican movies. Still, there is much to be optimistic about. The amount of female filmmakers is on the rise along with increased budget allocations for state film financing. The vast majority of Mexican cinema is government funded (about 80%) and with more money comes greater opportunities for emerging artists to breakthrough. As part of this recent revival in Mexican cinematic production a new generation of directors have emerged, pushing boundaries, challenging stereotypes, and raising the international profile of Mexican films.
Carlos Reygadas
He didn’t start making films until he was in his thirties and remarkably his three feature films Japón, Batalla en el Cielo, and Luz Silenciosa (Silent Light) (Isa:Bac Films) all premiered at Cannes. His films deal with serious topics like love, spirituality, and death. And in the face of criticism, continues to defend his choice of depicting explicit sex scenes in Batalla en el Cielo and animal cruelty in Japón. His most recent feature is the much blogged about Post Tenebras Lux, an official selection at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Natalia Almada
She makes haunting, poetic, hypnotic and pensive documentaries. Her films have reached top-tier festivals like Sundance, Cannes, New Directors/New Films and have played at MoMA, The Guggenheim Museum and The Whitney Biennial. All Water Has a Perfect Memory, Al Otro Lado, El General, and her most recent film El Velador (The Night Watchman) are infused with her unique perspective. Coming from a bicultural family--she was born in Mexico to a Mexican father and American mother--she is able to highlight contradictions in both worlds using striking imagery and meditative silences.
Nicolás Pereda
Since 2007, he has proven to be a prolific artist, having directed five feature-length films: ¿Dónde están sus historias? (Where Are Their Stories?) (Isa:FIGa Films), Juntos (Together) (Isa:FIGa Films), Perpetuum Mobile (Isa:Ondamax Films), Todo en fin el silencio lo ocupaba (All Things Were Now Overtaken by Silence) (FIGa Films), and Verano de Goliat (Summer of Goliath) (Isa: FIGa FIlms). Pereda uses many of the same actors and characters in his films, including Gabino Rodriguez and Teresa Sanchez, who are not professional actors. He mixes fiction with documentary in fractured narratives that depict the absurdity that occurs in everyday life. Though only in his twenties he has had at least ten retrospectives of his films at cinemas and archives around the world. In 2010 his film Verano de Goliat (Summer of Goliath) was awarded the Orizzonti award for best film at the Venice Film Festival.
Jonás Cuarón
Son of the Academy Award nominated director Alfonso Cuarón, (Children of Men, Y tu mamá también) Jonás Cuarón stepped out of his father’s shadow and burst onto the scene with Año Uña (Year of the Nail).The film takes a year’s worth of photos Cuarón took of spontaneous everyday events, that he later assembled to create a fictional narrative. Using only still photos and the original subjects’ narration of events, the dialogue switches between English and Spanish, and the film between reality and fiction. The film’s opening explains that though the story is fictional, the people and the moments frozen in time by the photographs are very real.
Carlos Reygadas
He didn’t start making films until he was in his thirties and remarkably his three feature films Japón, Batalla en el Cielo, and Luz Silenciosa (Silent Light) (Isa:Bac Films) all premiered at Cannes. His films deal with serious topics like love, spirituality, and death. And in the face of criticism, continues to defend his choice of depicting explicit sex scenes in Batalla en el Cielo and animal cruelty in Japón. His most recent feature is the much blogged about Post Tenebras Lux, an official selection at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Natalia Almada
She makes haunting, poetic, hypnotic and pensive documentaries. Her films have reached top-tier festivals like Sundance, Cannes, New Directors/New Films and have played at MoMA, The Guggenheim Museum and The Whitney Biennial. All Water Has a Perfect Memory, Al Otro Lado, El General, and her most recent film El Velador (The Night Watchman) are infused with her unique perspective. Coming from a bicultural family--she was born in Mexico to a Mexican father and American mother--she is able to highlight contradictions in both worlds using striking imagery and meditative silences.
Nicolás Pereda
Since 2007, he has proven to be a prolific artist, having directed five feature-length films: ¿Dónde están sus historias? (Where Are Their Stories?) (Isa:FIGa Films), Juntos (Together) (Isa:FIGa Films), Perpetuum Mobile (Isa:Ondamax Films), Todo en fin el silencio lo ocupaba (All Things Were Now Overtaken by Silence) (FIGa Films), and Verano de Goliat (Summer of Goliath) (Isa: FIGa FIlms). Pereda uses many of the same actors and characters in his films, including Gabino Rodriguez and Teresa Sanchez, who are not professional actors. He mixes fiction with documentary in fractured narratives that depict the absurdity that occurs in everyday life. Though only in his twenties he has had at least ten retrospectives of his films at cinemas and archives around the world. In 2010 his film Verano de Goliat (Summer of Goliath) was awarded the Orizzonti award for best film at the Venice Film Festival.
Jonás Cuarón
Son of the Academy Award nominated director Alfonso Cuarón, (Children of Men, Y tu mamá también) Jonás Cuarón stepped out of his father’s shadow and burst onto the scene with Año Uña (Year of the Nail).The film takes a year’s worth of photos Cuarón took of spontaneous everyday events, that he later assembled to create a fictional narrative. Using only still photos and the original subjects’ narration of events, the dialogue switches between English and Spanish, and the film between reality and fiction. The film’s opening explains that though the story is fictional, the people and the moments frozen in time by the photographs are very real.
- 5/9/2012
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Keloid Trailer Give it up for Blr. Long after we've come to know the pentaverate as The Queen, The Vatican, The Gettes, The Rothchilds and...
- 12/19/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
- Slash Film
Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
- 5/3/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Holding court downtown from June 16-26, 2011, the Los Angeles Film Festival comprehensively curates the cinematic landscape across a variety of media. Produced by Film Independent, the festival has continued to grow in recent years, and now boasts many of the best independent films of the year.
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
With the departure of the organization’s CEO, Dawn Hudson, to run the Academy, it will be interesting to see whether the festival’s director Rebecca Yeldham will stay on board past 2011. In the meantime, they’ve announced their line-up for the 2011 festival, and it includes some much buzzed about Sundance and SxSW titles (“Project Nim,” “The Future,” “Crime After Crime,” “The Salesman,” “Terri,” “Another Earth,” “The Guard,” “Natural Selection,” “Tyrannosaur,” “Where Soldiers Come From” and “Higher Ground,” to name a few), as well as 27 world, North American and U.S. premieres.
For the official list of competition and other films, as well as...
- 5/3/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Film Independent Announces First Round Of Us & International
Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,
Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -
Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...
Film Selections For 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival,
Presented By The Los Angeles Times - 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary Competition - - International Spotlight to Focus on Cuba -
Los Angeles (May 3, 2011) . Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times, announced the first round of official Us and international selections. The 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is produced by Film Independent . the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards . and will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries. Opening and Closing Night films, Galas, Conversations, Artists in Residence, Lafca.s Films That Got Away, along with additional special guests and programming for the Festival Talks will be announced at later dates.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles, with its central hub at L.A. Live, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 16 to Sunday,...
- 5/3/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Regardless of where you fall on the "Bones" fan spectrum -- pro or anti-hookup -- this season has probably been relatively trying for you.
The tension since the team's reunion has cast a pall over the week-to-week mystery-solving, so it was satisfying to see those bottled up emotions finally boil over in "The Doctor in the Photo." Artistically, it was also a near perfect episode -- if you ignore the grotesque "Bing" plug.
A solid hour of Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) slowly unraveling while trying to solve what appears to be her own murder, it delivered on every level. The Hitchcockian tone, Deschanel's powerhouse performance and the emotional pay-off, six seasons in the making, all lived up to the hype.
And though it's difficult to approach this episode as we would any other because of its unique nature, we are creatures of habit.
For the Squints:
Stylistically, what a treat...
The tension since the team's reunion has cast a pall over the week-to-week mystery-solving, so it was satisfying to see those bottled up emotions finally boil over in "The Doctor in the Photo." Artistically, it was also a near perfect episode -- if you ignore the grotesque "Bing" plug.
A solid hour of Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) slowly unraveling while trying to solve what appears to be her own murder, it delivered on every level. The Hitchcockian tone, Deschanel's powerhouse performance and the emotional pay-off, six seasons in the making, all lived up to the hype.
And though it's difficult to approach this episode as we would any other because of its unique nature, we are creatures of habit.
For the Squints:
Stylistically, what a treat...
- 12/10/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
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